The figure stood silhouetted against a red and gold sunset sky. She was obviously female, with an ample bosom, perfect hips, and long trim legs. Her blonde hair cascaded past her shoulders like spun gold, and her emerald eyes glinted with both urgency and anger.
Her name was Madison, and she was dressed in a strange and unfamiliar uniform. Leather mini dress, leather high-heeled boots up to her thighs, and a pair of dark sunglasses. She was here on business.
Maddie had a staff with her, though of course it wasn't really a staff at all. This was a virtual reality, and it was merely a computer representation of one of the environmental control systems. The rich bastards who play here certainly don't want to lose control of their little fiefdoms, Maddie thought bitterly, so they bring their little toys everywhere they go.
But the "rich bastard" from The Land had lost his "toy" long ago. Maybe Dr. Wu built his fantasy world a little too well, and one of its beasties had killed its owner. Not that Wu would care. Once you paid his fee, what happened to you became no concern of his.
Only now there was trouble. Something had gone wrong. Most of the financiers of the construct were now trapped in their own fantasy worlds. Dr. Wu himself had vanished, seemingly into thin air. And the construct appeared to be spreading into the real world.
Madison began to walk toward Aristophanes' estate. Nickophrena had impressed upon Maddie the importance of Jim, how he seemed to be some sort of galactic or universal nexus. He was an achor point for all of reality, apparently. Not that I have much trouble believing that, she decided. Even my own past is tied to Jim's. Now Jim was "Britney" in this simulation world, but it made little difference. He had to be rescued, brought back to the "real" world.
Although there wasn't much of a real world left.
The construct seemed to be leaching out of Wu's supercomputers and into reality, warping it. Already bizarre manifestations had occured in several places on earth. And it was also happening on other planets, in other timelines. That's why the Council had finally decided to send their top Operative out to fix the problem.
Madison had distinguished herself in many adventures prior to this. There had been the trouble with Rick. Then the Dream Demons. The business with Azul. Stopping the mad sorcerer Alvinius. Her adventure in the future. Joining the Universal Council. Teaming up with busty, naked Sharon. And on and on.
But this was, perhaps, her most important mission. If Wu's construct was allowed to continue to warp reality, the timelines might twist in a way that would eliminate the Council entirely. Such an outcome would be disatrous for the entire universe.
But they couldn't just switch off the construct, or destroy Wu's headquarters, where his supercomputers were kept. Jim was inside the sim world. He would be killed if the computers went dark. And the loss of Jim could be more fatal to the universe that the loss of the Council. In some strange way, Jim was the lynchpin of at least the galaxy, and possibly the entire multiverse. He had to be rescued somehow, brought back to the real world.
Madison saw two guards approaching, either computer programs designed to look and act like people, or actual servants of Aristophanes that had been digitized and inserted into his simworld.
"Halt!" One of the camouflage-wearing sentries yelled, raising an M-16 rifle. "Put your hands in the air. This is private prop--"
He got no further.
Madison raised the Staff of Law and spoke a word. An incredibly bright burst of sunlight blasted from the staff's tip, blinding both guards. Maddie swept the staff in a flat arc and connected with the crown of the first guard's head. There was the sound of a hammered coconut, and the mad went down in a heap.
The second guard fired wildly, and a spray of bullets whizzed toward Madison. But as fast as the slugs were, they were no match for the speed of thought. Maddie concentrated, and the Staff of Law guided her own innate powers. Tiny portals opened, one for each bullet. The hot metal bits sped through the shimmering discs and onward, into strange worlds or the endless cold place between realities.
Madison leapt toward the guard, and her boot connected with explosive force on the point of his jaw. Maddie felt a satisfying snap as his jawbone shattered. The man had a few instants to scream in agony before Maddie's knee collided with his temple, and his cries were instantly cut off.
Madison looked up, and saw the closed gates of Zeke's estate. By now the alarms would be going off, and Aristophanes would be checking his security monitors.
Not that it will do him any good, Maddie thought with grim resolve. If I have to tear the place apart brick by brick to find Jim, that's what I'll do.
She raised the Staff and squeezed it, and a tremendous bolt of blue-white lightining flew from the sky, striking the locked gate with a titanic crash. But the gate had been well protected by Thorn, Zeke's pet wizard. The lightning did no damage.
Madison grinned and walked forward. She was actually looking forward to meeting Mr. Thorn, who liked to enslave and then torture women. Maddie had big plans for him.
She gestured, and a portal appeared before her. She stepped through, and appeared on the other side of the ensorcelled gate.
She reached up and clicked a button on the communicator she wore in her ear.
"I'm in," she said.
Fri May 23 17:01:08 2003