The Flying Death

by

M.W. Murphey

PART ONE

I.

Attack on Times Square!

The smell of sulfur caused Chester Burk to stir in his sleep as it floated in through his cracked fourth story apartment window. Since moving to New York when he was twenty three, Chester had grown accustom to the sounds of the city, and found the screeching cars, distant music, and chatter of the party crowd to be soothing.

Tonight was different, however.

As the smell grew stronger, so did the sounds from the street below. Gone were the party sounds of the Saturday night crowd. Instead, screams of terror erupted from the city street, and the sounds of screeching cars were followed by the sounds of crashing and destruction.

Chester shot up out of bed as though he was shocked into consciousness. He sat for a moment, and looked around, trying to understand what he was hearing and smelling. His eyes began to focus, he stood up, and ran to his window, throwing it open.

Outside, the city was in a state of complete chaos.

Chester could see several fires billowing smoke into the night sky. The painted billboard signs were burning, all that beautiful art evaporating before his eyes. He watched a Marley’s Cigarette ad burn away, and as it did, he began to see the thing behind it that had started the fire.

Floating, roughly ten stories off the pavement, was what the newspapers would later report as a “flying saucer”. It was round in shape. The top and bottom halves of the craft were spinning clockwise, while a rigid center piece that separated the two halves in the middle spun the opposite direction. Every few moments a white laser beam erupted from the center piece, firing at what appeared to be random directions. It’s only purpose seemed to be chaos.

It’s only goal...destruction.

Chester blinked in awe for a moment. Then, as the reality of his surroundings sank in, he darted back to his bed, and grabbed the watch on his night stand.

This was no ordinary time piece.

The leather band was hand stitched with painstaking detail. The clasps were pure gold, and the clock itself kept completely seamless time, never needing to be reset for a time change, or wound to keep it running. It was almost as though the watch was wirelessly connected to a signal from space.

Which it was.

On the right hand side of the watch where one would normally find buttons for winding or setting the time, there was a single button that emerged from the side of the watch’s face. This button, too, was pure gold, and amazingly powerful.

Chester pressed it in for two seconds, and waited.

In a moment, the face of the watch turned from pure white, to glowing green, and from a speaker hidden within the watch’s face, a voice spoke.

“The Sky is blue.” the voice said.

“But the water is green.” Chester responded.

“Phantom Legionnaire 1198. Identified.” the voice confirmed. “State the reason for transmission.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but there is something really wrong in New York. Some kind of spacecraft is outside my window, and it’s setting fire to Times Square!”

There was silence for a moment. Then...

“Confirmed. Multiple reports have been filed in the last 5 minutes. Sky Spectre is enroute. Please stay alert. Your vantage point may prove useful in eliminating this threat.”

“I’ll be here for as long as I can. 1198 out.”

A small clicking sound could be heard, then the watch returned to its normal color. Chester put it on his wrist, then continued to get dressed, all the while keeping one eye on the horrors happening outside. If things continued like they were, the flying saucer would be floating directly outside his window in a matter of minutes, and if he was going to be of any help to Sky Spectre at all -- he was going to have to be somewhere else...

II.

Sky Spectre in Command!

The Skull Plane roared through the clouds at unimaginable speeds. The plane, that had started its life as an F4F Wildcat, was unique in all the world -- and nothing on the earth was faster. Beyond speed the plane possessed many astounding abilities, including the uncanny ability to blend into its surroundings with the touch of a button, rendering it invisible to the human eye.

It was with this invisibility shield enabled that the Skull Plane blasted its way towards downtown Manhattan. Its pilot, the one and only Sky Spectre, was eager to make contact with the mysterious flying saucer that was causing so much destruction.

“Sky Spectre to Phantom One, Sky Spectre to Phantom One...” he called.

“Phantom One reporting, Sky Spectre. Over.”

“I am en route to the danger zone, please report any changes to status.”

“No change, sir. The mysterious object continues to fire seemingly random laser beams from within its mid section. Beams are approximately seven point three seconds apart. Each beam causes more destruction to the surrounding area. There are no discernible weaknesses to the vessel, and all attempts by local authorities to harm the craft have been ineffective.”

“Understood. Sky Spectre, out.”

To an ordinary man, a situation such as the one Sky Spectre now found himself in might seem impossible...fortunately...

Sky Spectre was no ordinary man.

With his invisibility cloak still engaged, Sky Spectre approached the flying saucer with blistering speed and scanned its entire surface as he circled around it.

The micro computers that filled the roughly two and a half floors of Sky Spectre’s Space Tower, which floated silently and peacefully around the Earth, were spinning and buzzing, absorbing every sliver of information the scan was able to obtain. After a few seconds, the computational results were clear…

“No obvious weakness indicated.” the ticker tape read as it clanked out of the ticker slot on the right hand side of Sky Spectre’s cockpit console.

“Damn — there has to be a weakness somewhere…” he thought to himself as the Skull Plane circled back around toward the spinning disk of floating destruction.

“If nothing else, maybe I can draw its fire…”

Sky Spectre pressed a small clear button on his console, and the Skull Plane’s cloak melted away like butter revealing the intimidating fighter plane in all its glory. Then he flipped an external communication switch into the “on” position, grabbed a radio handset attached to the console, and began to speak clearly and loudly into the small microphone.

“Attention Unidentified Flying Object. As a fully appointed representative of the Global Nations Alliance Taskforce I do hereby demand that you cease and desist all destructive activity to the great city of New York immediately. If you continue this pattern of hostile behavior my associates and I will be forced to take further action against you.” Sky Spectre found himself getting more and more heated as he spoke.

“It is not our intention to engage in hostile altercations. We are a peaceful planet, with peaceful intentions, but these actions will not, under any circumstances be tolerated. You have three seconds to respond.”

The seconds passed like hours to Sky Spectre…one…two…three…

Finally, as he raised the box to his mouth to speak again, he heard a garbled noise come from the saucer. It’s spinning sections began to slow briefly, and the familiar hum of amplified sound crackled in the air.

“Are you the human known to other humans as the “Sky Spectre”?” A deep, dark, voice bellowed from the ship.

“Yes, I am.” Sky Spectre responded.

“Then our mission is complete. We have found the human known to other humans. This human is the human we seek.”

In a flash, a purple and yellow beam erupted from the middle section of the saucer and violently struck the Skull Plane. Instantly the former Wildcat was engulfed in light, and disappeared from the heavens, as if vaporized.

Aboard the Space Tower, Phantom One and the other members of the Legion were in shock. Frantically looking for any signs of Sky Spectre or his fantastic plane - but there was no trace. Using revolutionary micro wires the Space Tower was able to monitor Sky Spectre’s heart beat, blood pressure, and body temperature for thousands of miles - but all of his vital statistics lay flat.

“Phantom One to Sky Spectre! Phantom One to Sky Spectre — Do you read me?!?” He shouted.

No answer came.

“Maybe they disconnected the micro wires…” another Legionnaire said hopefully.

“No, sir…” said Phantom One with a stiff upper lip. “That equipment could track him anywhere in the world.”

With this he pushed the junior legionnaire away so that the young man couldn’t see the tears welling in his eyes.

“No…Sky Spectre’s gone...from this universe anyway...**sniff**...and onto the next…”

III.

A World Unknown!

The yellow-purple flash had engulfed Sky Spectre for what seemed like an eternity...a piercing shriek of a sound accompanied the energy beam...assaulting his senses...rendering him momentarily deaf and blind.

Then, just as suddenly as the beam had appearedit was gone. A strange mist covered the Skull plane, engulfing the entire cockpit like an early morning dew. Sky Spectre removed the top hatch cautiously...unsure of where he was...or if he’d even be able to breathe once the latches were free.

As they clacked loose, he lifted the hatch, and peered out to see...New York City!!

But not any New York City he’d ever known!!

“What? This...this can’t be!” he said aloud as he stared at the city — his city — only it wasn’t the city he knew. It was tattered...ruined. Decaying and cold. The city looked abandoned...forgotten.

It didn’t make sense. His entrapment in the beam had felt like an eternity...but it hadn’t been...had it? Surely not. It couldn’t be. But it was.

As his world spun around, Sky Spectre was at a loss for words. His mind raced with a million questions - but who would answer them?

His heart pounded in his chest with such veracity that, for a moment, Sky Spectre could hear nothing else. Then, in the distance, Sky Spectre began to here the sounds of moving machinations. Gears turning and grinding, wheels spinning, and wires buzzing. The streets were empty.

Cold.

Ruined.

Instinctively he reached into his leather bomber jacket and grasped his Spectre X-1. The X-1 was a pistol like no other. Capable of stunning a person with the harnessed power of solar energy, or shredding them with the unstoppable force of cold, hard steel. Truly unique - truly deadly if need be. For now, Sky Spectre set the stunner setting and held it close.

Suddenly a metal object emerged from the shadows. Its sleek design resembled that of a gas pump...sharp straight sides, a slight domed curve on the top, and a central red glowing eye...sitting where the pump meter should be, gave this...whatever it was, an unsettlingly calm look. It floated no more than two inches off the ground, creating a small, hushed, humming sound as it moved. A slight seam became visible down the center of the floating object as it ventured ever closer to Sky Spectre. Once it was within a few feet of him, a buzzing began to grow, until it finally spoke.

“Unmodified human” it bellowed in a piercing metallic voice. “You must be consumed for study.”

Sky Spectre fired the X-1...but there was no effect. The solar-laser bounced off the tin can with ease. As he backed away from the robotic floating monstrosity, Sky Spectre flicked a switch on the side of the X-1 and the click of the gun’s hammer was like music to his ears. With the setting modified to bullets, he held the weapon close and fired three quick shots.

These too bounced off the ever forward moving robotic floating creature.

“Damn it!” thought Sky Spectre. “I’m alone — no Phantom Legion - no US Forces — no nothing! How the hell am I going to get out this jam? Who on Earth is going to help me stop this damn floating robot and figure this mess out?”

At precisely that moment - a massive orange laser beam erupted from behind Sky Spectre, evaporating the gas-pump shape floating robot. The remains of the machine crumbled to the ground like dust.

“We will.” came a pair of voices from behind him.

Sky Spectre turned to see a creature (which he would eventually come to know as a Chuloran) roughly the size of a child, with frog-like skin, and a wide, bulbous frame. Two large, fat arms, extended from each side almost down to the ground, reaching its knees, and where a chest should be, he saw, instead, not one - but two - noseless faces. Each with milky white eyes and large, fat, teeth. They spoke in unison, as though they shared a single mind in their bizarre body.

“What just happened? Sky Spectre asked, amazed.

“The threat that was upon your life was thwarted by the ones who are us that need the one who is you.”

“Right — and just who might “us” be?” Sky Spectre asked with a raised eyebrow. “And just how did you do that?”

“We are the ones who sought the one who is Sky Spectre.” they said.

“So you were the ones responsible for all of this?” Rage began to percolate inside him - completely forgetting that this creature had just saved his life. “The complete destruction of New York!?!” he shouted.

“Negative.” They said calmly. “This is not the New York that is your New York. Damage to your New York was necessary to bring you here. Survivors need you here. Need your help.”

“This is one helluva way to ask for help.”

“No other humans were harmed in your New York. Damage was necessary to tear open the gateway that brought the one that is you to the place that is here.”

Sky Spectre pondered this for a moment.

“Okay — let’s say for a second that I believe you, which I’m not entirely sure that I do...but let’s just say it. Who...exactly...needs my help? And why?”

“Those that survived that which should have destroyed them. This is not your New York - but this New York belonged to another one that was you. The one that was you that is not you was destroyed. It is the absence of that one which was not you that resulted in the destruction of this New York.”

“What happened? Was it the Germans? The Japanese?”

“The one that committed the act that caused this destruction was not affiliated with the country of his origin. The one that committed this act conceptualized a destructive weapon known as ‘The Omnibomb’ and detonated this weapon in a highly populated area on the island of Manhattan. Natural forces carried the contents of the device throughout the city, infecting all organic creatures causing mutation, disease, and death. Plant life that did not die began to grow exponentially, causing massive damage to the buildings and other constructs within the remains of the city. The most serious effect...“

“Give me a name!!” Sky Spectre shouted - unable to contain his fury any longer.

The Chuloran paused for a moment, as if processing the request. Finally, it said...

“The one who caused the destruction to this New York is known by the name of Reinhold Gruber. This was but the first of many atrocities. Atrocities that continue to the present day, and beyond, if the one who is Reinhold Gruber is not eliminated.”

Sky Spectre’s face ran pale as the name crossed the Chuloran’s lips.

Reinhold Gruber — The Mad Doctor.

There was no man alive Sky Spectre hated - or feared - more. No man more deadly. No man more insane. In Sky Spectre’s realty Reinhold Gruber was in a maximum security prison on a remote island in the Pacific, away from all technology, and any hope of escape. He truly was a mad genius. There was no end to his cruelty or depravity. He was a genuine monster.

The Reinhold of this reality was potentially even worse. The thought was almost unimaginable to Sky Spectre, but the tattered, overgrown and ruined buildings all around him were equally unimaginable. In this reality all bets were off.

“Take me to the survivors.” Sky Spectre said through gritted teeth. “I’ll do whatever it takes to stop that piece of human filth....”