18 October 2011
Tuesday
Late Morning
Launch Site Airfield
NYC
The vast, heavily secured airfield in New York City thrummed with a focused, almost sacred energy on this Tuesday, late morning. The sky overhead was a canvas of clear, brilliant blue, punctuated by the occasional fluffy white cloud – perfect conditions for the monumental event about to unfold.
Dominating the tarmac, its colossal form gleaming under the bright late morning sun, was the Sky Sentinel, a true titan of aerospace engineering. Secured majestically onto its broad, flat back, the sleek, white and silver Star Gazer shuttle awaited its journey, a silent promise to the stars.
The sheer scale of these linked vehicles was breathtaking, inspiring awe in every observer. Around the colossal aircraft, activity was a symphony of precision and controlled chaos. It was a project started after formation of FF in file after Thor arrival, it was approved.
Ground crews, in their brightly colored vests, moved with meticulous movements, performing final, critical checks. Their comms crackled with a low, constant murmur of technical jargon, each confirmation a tiny step closer to launch.
Security personnel, grim-faced and hyper-vigilant, maintained strict perimeters, their eyes constantly scanning the horizon and the crowds. Every detail, from the pressure readings on the fuel lines to the integrity of the shuttle's clamps, was being scrutinized with utmost care.
A dedicated section of the airfield hummed with human excitement. Long lines of passengers from the funding aerospace companies, clad in sharp business attire, moved towards a custom boarding ramp.
Their faces, a mixture of professional satisfaction and profound excitement, reflected the culmination of years of investment and innovation. These were the visionaries, who had bet big on humanity's next leap.
Alongside them, a carefully selected group of members of the public, winners of a highly coveted lottery, were being marshaled by courteous NASA officials.
Their eyes were wide with wonder, clutching small commemorative flags and "Project Guardian" placards. These were ordinary citizens, now witnesses to a new chapter of history unfolding before their very eyes.
Scientists and lead engineers, some with rumpled clothes and tired eyes from weeks of relentless work, engaged in hushed, intense conversations.
They exchanged last-minute notes, their discussions filled with complex technical specifications, final weather advisories, and cautious, yet undeniable, optimism.
For them, this was the crucible of their life's work, the moment where theoretical ambition met tangible reality. The media personnel were a restless, eager swarm, their collective presence amplifying the palpable excitement.
Reporters from local NYC media outlets like WNBC and NY1, alongside their national and international counterparts from CNN, BBC, NHK, and beyond, jockeyed for the best camera angles.
Their microphones bristled like a metallic forest, thrust out towards any official or participant willing to offer a soundbite. Live news vans, their satellite dishes pointed skyward, lined the perimeter, ready to transmit every second of these crucial pre-flight preparations to a global audience fixated on humanity's new endeavors.
The air crackled with anticipation, thick with the shared understanding that something truly monumental was imminent, a direct, powerful statement from humanity to the vast, newly understood cosmos.
....
John F. Kennedy Space Center
Florida
Hundreds of miles away, within the hushed, cavernous expanse of the NASA Command Center at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
Linked via secure channels to the NYC launch site, the atmosphere was one of intense, absolute focus.
The vast control room was bathed in the cool glow of hundreds of monitors, displaying intricate data streams: engine telemetry, weather conditions, structural integrity readouts, and live camera feeds from every angle of the Sky Sentinel and Star Gazer.
Lead flight directors, mission specialists, and propulsion experts sat in neat rows, their faces illuminated by the screens, their expressions etched with a combination of palpable tension and unwavering expertise.
Communications crackled through their headsets in clipped, precise tones. Every word, every data point, every system check was being meticulously double-checked, triple-checked, then checked again.
"Flight Director, we have confirmation of all passengers being boarded on Sky Sentinel," a calm voice announced over the primary comms channel.
"Copy that, Ground Ops," replied a steady, authoritative voice from the central console, that of the Mission Flight Director.
"We are now commencing final pre-flight systems checks. All personnel, ensure your stations are green and locked. Confirming final taxi clearance."
On the main wall-mounted screen, displaying a wide shot of the Sky Sentinel at the end of the runway, the giant landing gear could be seen in the process of its final checks, its immense hydraulics whirring softly.
Teams of engineers and technicians poured over digital schematics, their fingers flying across holographic interfaces, cross-referencing hundreds of data points per second.
"Guidance and navigation systems: Green, Flight Director."
"Propulsion systems: Green, Flight Director."
"Environmental controls: Green, Flight Director."
"Shuttle separation mechanisms: Green, Flight Director."
"Atmospheric trajectory analysis: Final confirmation, nominal."
Each "Green" call was met with a faint, collective exhale of relief from the command center staff, quickly followed by a renewed, almost desperate vigilance.
There was no room for error. The stakes, after the humbling and terrifying events of the past week – the encounter with Galactus, the perplexing sacrifice of Enigma, the subsequent surge in global crime – felt impossibly high.
This wasn't just a mission; it was a symbol of humanity's resolve, a statement that they would not be passive in the face of cosmic uncertainties.
Every sensor, every circuit, every line of code was being rechecked, re-verified, and signed off before the final command to begin taxiing could be given.
The immense weight of the world, and its burgeoning future in space, felt palpable, concentrated in the hushed, focused intensity of this room.
....
Launch Site Airfield
NYC
Boarding Ramp Back at the launch site, the final groups of VIPs and public lottery winners were making their way up the boarding ramp of the Sky Sentinel.
A young girl, her face alight with an innocent wonder that cut through the adult gravitas, clutched a small plush astronaut doll. Her eyes, wide and sparkling, peered into the vast, gleaming interior of the plane as her father, a proud smile on his face, gently squeezed her hand.
"Just think, sweetie," he whispered, his voice hushed with awe.
"In a little while, we'll be higher than any cloud. We'll be closer to the stars than almost anyone has ever been on a passenger flight like this."
A prominent CEO from one of the major funding aerospace companies paused at the top of the ramp, turning to face the battery of news cameras, his posture radiating confidence.
"This isn't just a commercial venture," he stated, his voice resonating with a quiet, determined gravitas.
"This is a testament to human spirit. After what we witnessed last week, the profound helplessness... this is our declaration. We will look to the stars, not with fear, but with our own ingenuity.
Project Guardian is about securing humanity's future, by humanity's own hand, forging our own path among the stars."
He then walked inside, the ramp smoothly retracting behind him, sealing the final passengers within the colossal aircraft. The heavy boarding doors of the Sky Sentinel slowly, silently, sealed shut with a soft hiss, the hydraulic lock mechanisms clicking into place.
The massive aircraft, now a self-contained world of cutting-edge technology, human ambition, and collective hope, rested solidly on the runway.
A profound hush fell over the entire airfield, a collective holding of breath. The distant, low whine of the massive engines, previously a subtle background hum, began to intensify, growing steadily into a deep, powerful thrumming.
This wasn't just noise; it was the sound of colossal power being prepared, the undeniable signal that the pre-flight checks were complete, and the moment for taxiing, for liftoff, was rapidly approaching.
The anticipation was thick, almost a living entity in the cool late morning air, shared by everyone present, from the seasoned engineers in the command center to the wide-eyed members of the public, all waiting for humanity's bold, new step into the cosmos.
.....
18 October 2011
Tuesday
Early afternoon
Launch Site Airfields
NYC
The tension at the Project Guardian launch site was a palpable, almost vibrating entity. The colossal Sky Sentinel, with the sleek Star Gazer shuttle majestically perched on its back, had taxied to the very end of the runway.
Its immense engines, a marvel of human engineering, roared to a deafening crescendo, shaking the very ground beneath the feet of the thousands gathered.
Journalists, corporate executives, and members of the public shielded their eyes from the shimmering heat haze, their faces alight with anticipation. On the live global broadcast, a lead NASA scientist, her voice brimming with a quiet triumph, narrated the historic moment.
"This is it, folks! Humanity's future takes flight! This launch represents a pivotal shift, demonstrating our capability to reach beyond our atmosphere on our own terms.
The Sky Sentinel will carry the Star Gazer to the very edge of space, providing an adaptable, reusable platform for orbital deployments. In the future, this technology will not only enhance our planetary defense capabilities but open the door to routine, rapid space travel for research, resource gathering, and perhaps, even colonization!
We are entering a new era of human spaceflight!"
Her words soared with optimism, echoing the collective pride of humanity. The ground vibrated violently. The Sky Sentinel began to move, ponderously at first, then gaining incredible speed, a true leviathan accelerating down the runway.
A collective cheer erupted from the crowd, cameras flashing like a thousand tiny stars. The behemoth lifted off, defying its weight, rising gracefully into the clear Tuesday afternoon sky, a symbol of human ambition stretching towards the vast unknown.
....
Meanwhile
Midtown
Manhattan, NYC
Simultaneously, miles away in the bustling, concrete canyon of Midtown Manhattan, a different kind of thunder shook the air. The familiar, chaotic symphony of the city was punctuated by the deafening clang of metal, concussive blasts, and the urgent blare of sirens.
Iron Man, his red and gold armor gleaming, was locked in a brutal aerial ballet with the monstrous Titanium Man, a hulking figure encased in a drab, green and grey armored suit.
The streets below were a scene of terrified pandemonium, civilians scattering, cars overturned. Titanium Man, enraged, let loose a volley of plasma bolts from his gauntlets, forcing Iron Man to weave evasively through the skyscrapers.
"Stark! You meddling fool! You can't stop me!"
Titanium Man roared, his voice distorted by his helmet's comms. He pulled a large, spherical device from his belt – a pulsating, dark grey bomb, crackling with an unsettling, raw energy.
Titanium man "This is for your precious power grid, Stark! Watch your city burn!"
Iron Man, recognizing the tell-tale energy signature of an Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) device, knew he had mere seconds. A ground detonation would cripple the entire city, causing widespread chaos and countless casualties.
His onboard AI, JARVIS, screamed warnings of a critical impact radius.
Ironman "Not on my watch, bucket-head!"
Iron Man retorted, his repulsor blasts pushing Titanium Man back. With a surge of his own jets, Iron Man intercepted the bomb mid-air. He grasped the sphere in his armored gauntlet, feeling the raw, disruptive energy building within it.
There was only one option to minimize ground damage. He aimed for the sky, away from the dense urban sprawl. With a mighty heave of his repulsor-enhanced arm, he hurled the pulsating bomb high into the afternoon sky, sending it arcing upwards, a dark, malevolent star.
....
High above Manhattan, just as the Sky Sentinel and Star Gazer combo reached its critical ascent phase, piercing through the lower atmosphere, the bomb detonated. There was no thunderous explosion, no blinding flash of light. Instead, a silent, invisible ripple of pure electromagnetic energy pulsed outwards from the detonation point, expanding with terrifying speed across the entire NYC.
Below, in the sprawling urban landscapes of New York, chaos erupted silently. Lights flickered, then died. Traffic lights winked out, plunging intersections into gridlock.
Electronic devices – cell phones, computers, digital displays – short-circuited, fizzed, or simply went blank. The familiar hum of electricity vanished, replaced by an eerie, unsettling quiet in homes and offices.
Trains ground to a halt between stations. Air traffic control screens went dark for terrifying seconds. The NYC was plunged into a sudden, debilitating electrical blackout.
...
At the Project Guardian launch site, moments after the majestic Sky Sentinel had lifted off and began its powerful ascent, the EMP wave hit.
Inside the colossal plane, alarms blared erratically, lights flickered violently, then stabilizers groaned and whined as the vast, complex electrical systems were momentarily overloaded.
Communication systems went dead, filled with a burst of static. The sophisticated digital readouts in the cockpit and passenger cabins went blank.
Passengers gasped, some cried out, as the sudden, violent shudder coursed through the plane. The most critical system, the uncoupling timer for the Star Gazer shuttle, a highly sensitive electronic mechanism designed for precise, timed separation, suffered a catastrophic malfunction.
The EMP surge corrupted its programming, tripping the release sequence prematurely and activating the shuttle's own engines. With a terrifying, uncommanded roar, the Star Gazer shuttle's powerful engines ignited.
A brilliant, searing plume of white-hot thrust erupted from its rear, not into the emptiness of space, but directly downwards, between the shuttle and the back of the Sky Sentinel, which it was still securely attached to.
The massive Sky Sentinel, designed to carry, not to be propelled by, the shuttle, lurched violently. The immense thrust from the Star Gazer, meant to launch it into orbital velocity after separation, now acted as an uncontrolled, devastating force.
The structural clamps, designed to release cleanly, instead became agonizing anchors. With a horrific groaning of tortured metal, the Star Gazer, still fiercely attached, began to propel the entire Sky Sentinel with it, uncontrollably, towards space.
On the ground, the jubilant cheers turned into choked gasps of horror. The live broadcast, though flickering, showed the impossible: the entire combined craft, a single, agonizing entity, accelerating at an alarming rate, not on its pre-programmed trajectory, but directly upwards, a blazing, out-of-control missile tearing into the upper atmosphere.
The dream of human self-reliance had turned into a nightmare of unintended consequences, pulled towards the cosmos by an unstoppable, malfunctioning force.
The last thing the horrified spectators saw was the Sky Sentinel, designed for the sky, being dragged, screaming metal, into the blackness of space.
...
Early afternoon
As the Sky Sentinel was accelerating towards the dark ends of space oxygen volume started decreasing and emergency masks started falling before passengers.
The female scientist, who was giving speech on broadcast had fallen towards the bottom rolling. Sarah from NYC media, unbuckled her safety belt.
Then, she went to help the female scientist to come to her seat in front row by grasping one seat of the row at a time. When, she was going back to her seat, plane jolted and she was launched towards the bottom wall.
She hit it and fell on her thighs. She tried to move forward but it was difficult for her alone. Due to consecutive jolting of plane.
...
Morlocks' hideout
Brooklyn, NYC
Enigma was in the Morlocks base under Brooklyn and was checking on them. He got a distressed signal from his asteroid base VI about the current situation.
A Meta girl with red skin asked him. She was sitting on his lap at her turn with a smile while he was sitting on a chair.
Girl" What's wrong?"
She tilted her head.
Enigma " There's an emergency. I need to go."
He lifted her from his lap and made her stand on floor.
Red girl " Are you going to make your return debut?!"
With an amusing voice.
Enigma" Yes."
Waving her arms....
Red girl" Then, let them see you flying for once."
Sighing....
Enigma" Ok."
Then, Enigma opened a portal and flew inside.
...
Liberty Island
NYC
Enigma appeared near Liberty island in a cloud and flew towards the plane as a blur while turning off his anti radar as a test and on the red skin girl's request.
On other side, Sky Sentinel edges were freezing with ice. Due to change of atmospheric conditions, at that time, pilots in Star Gazer saw something moving towards them in the radar.
Pilot" Command centre! Something is coming!"
At command centre, flight in-charge was barking orders to solve the situation, asked.
Flight in-charge " WHAT?! What is coming?!"
A personal from radar side.
Personal" Sir. It seems like an unidentified bougie. Which is coming from North!"
He said seeing it's flight pattern and showing it on big screens. A fast, increasing line was showing on the screen.
Personal " It's moving fast!"
He said surprised.
Flight in-charge " Open the cameras on the Sky Sentinel and Star Gazer!"
All personal did as he said. Soon, they saw a visual.
.....
Back in Sky Sentinel
Sarah was still trying to move forward but she was stucked with wall due to the pressure of jolts. At that time, a black blur was approaching the plane. Which soon slowed down.
Same time, Sarah looked towards the window and saw a black clad flying figure moving past the window towards the roof. Her eyes widened.
.....
Command centre
Everyone saw the direct visuals of the unidentified bougie. It was a familiar black clad Hero with a hooded cloak and razor eyed mask with a swirl symbol.
He also had a circle with 3 arrows pointing to the center symbol on his belt. It was none other than Enigma. His firm footsteps were heard in the passenger seats area and were seen in the cameras.
He held the Star Gazer from below. Then red beams came from his razor light green eyes which were so focused and precised. That they cleanly cut the couplings.
Then, he raised his arms carrying the Star Gazer held with his gloved hands. He flew like a blur to its assigned coordinates while carrying it.
.....
At command centre
Everyone was baffled and speechless. Wasn't this guy NERF?! Wasn't he incapacitated for a week?! Then, how much stronger was he before meeting Galactus?!
These were the common thoughts.
...
Back to Sky Sentinel.
When Star Gazer was detached by Enigma, Sky Sentinel was near the end point of the orbit. It went out while tilting and the passengers felt that moment due to lack of gravity. Because they, their belongings, kids toys and stationery along the crockery were floating around. Even Sarah, who was stuck with the wall, was floating now.
She saw a floating pen coming towards her. As she was about to grab it. A sudden jolt made her hit the wall again with a Yelp. But it was not over. Plane which tilted upon entrance in space.
Return in the orbit in the same way which resulted in it moving like a boomerang. Now, this boomerang was moving towards the ground with increasing speed!
It both petrified and terrified the passengers. Some were praying silently with tears flowing through their eyes. Female scientist was also included in these people.
As for Sarah, she was hitting the walls around like a ping pong ball on a table. She tried to maneuver herself towards her seat but every time, she missed.
.....
In space
Enigma reached the assigned coordinates for the shuttle and let it go on its own. Then, he turned towards the plane which had turned into a fast boomerang going down.
Enigma " Haah~"
He blurred towards the falling fast boomerang of a plane which tail had caught fire now due to air friction. Moving into the atmosphere of Earth...
BOOOM!
With a loud sonic boom, Enigma moved like a blur towards a wing of the fast boomerang plane. He successfully grabbed it but he didn't stopped it instantly.
He started to make the fast boomerang plane moving slow first. He also changed its direction moving down. As the boomerang was slowing down, passengers were able to see Enigma from the window inside on their seats.
.....
Inside
Sarah was finally able to reach her seat. She had gained some visible and obviously many hidden bruises with concussion on her body inside and outside her clothes.
She grabbed her seat and made her sat on it. Then, she buckled up her safety belts after many attempts with a clicking audible sound. After that she grabbed an oxygen mask.
.....
Outside
Enigma ripped the said wing, he was grasping. Because it had caught fire inside, throwing it behind him while sending a red energy wave towards IT!
BOOOM!!!
It was obliterated with its burning engine by a red energy. Sky Sentinel with its single wing started spinning like a top and it was spinning faster with its descent towards the ground.
Enigma again flew like a blur towards the spinning top of a plane. It's remaining wing had caught fire. Enigma shot beams from his eyes which cleanly cut the wing.
Another beam but more wider but controlled destroyed the second wing while the plane main body was descending like a drill which was moving faster by each second.
Sky Sentinel which was turned into a fast spinning drill was going down towards a baseball stadium in the St Louis. In said stadium, people were enjoying the game.
At that time, Enigma moving like a black blur came before the nose of the plane and caught it. But yet again, he didn't stopped it. He started spinning along with it but speed of spinning was slowly slowing down.
Suddenly, in the stadium, someone saw a plane coming down from which tail smoke was rising. Enigma had extinguished the fire while moving towards the nose.
As plane came, players ran towards their respective sides. But instead of a crash, audience, media, security, administration along players saw a certain black clad Hero in hooded cloak carrying it by it's nose.
Plane wasn't spinning any more. At that time, visible thick waves of pressure were seen by everyone, moving through the plane's tail to its nose with a sound like a whale were seen and heard.
Vvooom!
These pressure waves went down on visible movement through Enigma hitting the ground. These pressure waves were moving downward for five seconds.
Any physics expert would know now, why Enigma didn't stop the plane in the mid air before. After that moving backwards, Enigma brought the plane slowly and visibly easily but carefully in a horizontal position.
Then, he put it down on the visibly soften ground without making a single sound. As he floated towards the first passengers gate. Everyone in the stadium, started air splitting cheers for their hero.
Who just casually broke the stuck door and threw it on the ground. The emergency landing plastic slide came out and started filling with the air. Enigma stepped inside slowly when passengers finally removed thier oxygen masks seeing him.
Though, he was telepathically checking everyone. At that time, everyone including the scientists, funders, public and media were surprised upon seeing him.
Sarah, who saw him unbuckled her safety belt faster and stood up.
Enigma " Are you alright?"
Sarah, who was questioned instead of her questioning him, just nodded. After making sure that everyone was safe.
Enigma " I hope this experience will not stop any of you from air travel. Statistically speaking, it's still the safest way of travel in the world. "
Upon this, scientists nodded fast. When he started walking towards the door, passengers especially media decided to talk with him. But they all were stopped by loud air splitting waves of cheers and music in the stadium.
Enigma, who reached the doorway, saw the audience whether children, teens, adults, elders, no matter what race they belong to Black, White along with different ethnicities.
They were cheering for him calling his name, musicians were playing their instruments with eagerness to express their gratitude for him. His picture was visible on the jumbotron.
Some children were calling his name loudly while crying and some with smile. But at that time, he felt a driver close by in distress. He was having a heart attack.
So, Enigma flew away like a blur. Because that driver's out of control truck was going to hit a girl on the sidewalk. He came between the girl and the truck. Then with his palm, he stopped the truck when it was going to hit her.
Girl shut her eyes in fear but instead of being hit, she heard a voice.
Enigma " Don't worry, you are safe. I am here."
Hearing this voice, she opened her eyes uncovering her face with her arms and saw the black clad Hero. Who after stopping the truck felt the driver in pain.
He unlocked the door with telekinesis and opened the door. Then, he carried out the writhing in pain driver. Passersbys realised what's going on, some were even filming.
Enigma put him on the road and touched his chest. A light green light emitted from his left hand and pain subsided instantly.
Passersbys including the same girl, who was still there watching were astonished.
The driver opened his eyes in wonder. Enigma stood up.
Enigma " You are okay now but visit a heart doctor later, okay."
Driver nodded and Enigma flew away like a blur. While passersbys including the girl started cheering loudly.
.....