Beyond the Veil - part 6
A tale of a possible future of Freedom Force by Silver Age Fogey

Chapter 13 - "He's A Good Fellow, And All 'Twill Be Well...?"

"MinuteMan!" both Merry and Nick shouted. In the cell which Mentor had Nick and the self-named Blockhead place into the interface platform floated a figure in red, white, and blue, and no one present could doubt that it was the Sixty Second Sentinel.

He was seemingly unconscious, but the actions by the young Decon in purifying the fluid in the cell had enabled the medical interface to initiate a medical routine. "I remember that," Merry said. "Nick was in one of those for a while after he was shot by Pinstripe, when he got the transfusion from MinuteMan."

"Correct," Mentor answered. "This cell is designed to enhance healing and reconstruction of cellular tissue. However, it is a supplementary treatment, not a primary one. Its function until now has been to keep MinuteMan in suspended animation so that his condition did not deteriorate further."

"Condition..." Nick asked. "What happened to him? And who is the MinuteMan that Pan returned to me?"

Merry suddenly grabbed Mentor. "What happened to him? What happened to his arm?"

Through the clearing fluid, Autumn, Merry, and Nick could see that something had indeed happened. From the left elbow down, MinuteMan did not have his arm. Instead, almost bizarrely, they saw his silver staff, Patriot, attached to the end of his arm.

"The battle was terrible. The stakes were fantastically high. It was all out war, and MinuteMan, as always, was in the fore of the battle.

"Eventually, we won. But the cost... the cost was horrible. The Dominion did not take losing well. My people have been decimated. And you can see the sacrifice that MinuteMan made.

"It was not an easy war, if such a thing can be. All those dead... my family, my friends... my very people. My land. My whole world..." Mentor turned away from his one time compatriots and new friends, silent as a tomb, and none interrupted him.

"Look!" Nick shouted. "He's aging!" Surely enough, as they watched, MinuteMan's black hair was graying, very slowly but noticeably. "Merry, what do the diagnostics say?"

The erstwhile Sea Urchin dove over to the computer controls of the medical unit. "He's not dying, but for some reason, he's mutating, changing. I can't tell what it is..."

"Here, let me try, " Winston said. He stepped up to the panels, and after a moment of study, began typing furiously. In a few minutes, a monitor screen displayed a sine wave that seemed to be flattening as it proceeded.

"This is what's happening... but it's not possible," the son of Astro said. "According to this, he's perfectly healthy, but there is no trace of Energy-X in his body."

"Good lord!" Nick exclaimed. "He was born over a century ago! The Energy-X is what made him young again, and now that it's gone, he'll start reverting to his true age! He'll die!"

Merry looked at the monitors and said, "I don't understand - where did the Energy-X from his body go?"

"I think I know," Winston said. "Derek, you cleaned up MinuteMan as well as the liquid, didn't you?"

The young black teen blushed. "Well, yeah, I didn't think it would do any harm..."

"All right, first things first," Nick said. "Winston, is MinuteMan healthy enough to come out of that tube?"

"The readings say he is."

"Mentor, do you have access to any more Energy-X? We have to get it back into Frank."

The alien looked up from where he had been reflecting, and for the first time, Nick and Merry realized that he truly was from another planet, as a strangely haunted and pained expression passed over his face. "No... any that we had had, I had stolen all those years ago, and it was delivered here, over Earth."

Shadow asked, "If we leave him in this, this cell, will that sustain his life?"

"Even if it does, what good would it do?" Nick responded. "No. That's not a good enough answer. There's only one thing to do." Nick stepped up to the diagnostic panel and began entering commands.

In response, two medical tables extended up out of the floor. "Bloc- no, Buddy, get MinuteMan out of that tube and onto the table. You two," pointing to Patches and Decon, "take Mentor to the fifth room down that corridor. Those were his rooms while he was staying here, and they've been kept the same. He needs time alone."

Merry and Blockhead were laying MinuteMan on the first bed. His hair was now mostly gray, and wrinkles had begun to return to his face. "And what are you going to do, Nick?"

He reached up and tore his left coat and shirt sleeve off brusquely. He lay down on the med-bed next to his old partner, and a hypodermic on a tube rose up from the side of the platform. "I'm returning the favor. Winston, do you know how to start an IV?"

Half an hour later, Nick was drinking a large glass of juice. "I hope that will do the trick," he said.

The tall young man was looking at medical panels. On the diagnostic bed, MinuteMan's face had smoothed out again, and his hair had mostly reverted to its jet black, with only a whispering of silver around the temples to show the effect that had nearly aged him to his grave. "That transfusion definitely seems to have helped. The wave of energy infestation in his system has been restored... and the nature of MinuteMan's transformed physiognomy seems itself to be helping."

Merry answered, "You mean his powers are getting him to heal?"

"Exactly, yes." Derek and Walter were coming back into the medical bay, silent.

"How is Mentor?" Nick asked.

Patches answered, "I think he's in a pretty bad way. He's just sitting in his room, staring at the wall. I'm not even sure he's seeing it... he really seems shaken up."

Nick raised himself up out of the chair. "I guess I'd better go see how he is."

"We... should go... to him." A strong voice rang through the room, and everyone turned to see MinuteMan rising slowly from the diagnostic bed. Needles and sensors were withdrawing from his form.

Nick and Merry walked over as Frank Stiles stood and stretched. "It feels good to move again. What year is it?"

No one could answer; everyone was stunned by the return of the Star Spangled Guardian to the Freedom Fortress. Finally, Shadow managed to say, "It's... it's 2002."

"Stars and stripes, it's been a while! It's good to be back home again."

Merry threw her arms around him, bursting into tears. "Hello, MinuteMan! It's great to see you again! We've missed you a lot!"

"Sea Urchin, look how pretty you grew up! You're a true pearl!" Releasing her, he turned to his partner.

"Hello, Nick."

"Hi, Frank. I'm glad to see you alive."

The atmosphere in the bay grew thick enough to inhibit movement, as neither man really knew what to say. But both felt uncomfortable enough trying to speak, trying to say what hadn't been said between them in decades. Finally, Nick said, "We... ought to go look in on Mentor, make sure he's okay."

"Of course. On the way, you can brief me in on what's happened while I've been gone."

Nick laughed almost bitterly. "MinuteMan, I'm not sure 'brief' will suffice for what's gone on."

The two men walked slowly toward Mentor's chamber, but Nick had led them a roundabout way. "Nick, why are we going this way?"

He said answered, "There's something you need to know... I wanted to get it out of the way first... here. This way." Nick led his former partner into a large atrium, with statues and plaques about. "This is our Hall of Tribute. We added it after you left. It's for... for a memorial to those who have gone. Those who have, have..."

"Died. I understand, son, but why bring me here first?"

"There's one memorial you have to know about..." He led MinuteMan to a small pedestal that was obviously one of the first. They both stared at the figure on it.

MinuteMan whispered, "Rampart... our old friend... Nick, what happened to him?"

"He was loyal to the end, Frank. He was here when we had lost some of the members. But... well, you know how he was."

"Never knew fear. Never turned tail at any task." MinuteMan gently rested a hand on the statue's shoulder. "How... how did it happen?"

Nick took a deep breath and said, "It was Mechanical. He had launched an attack against Patriot City again. We had to split up, and Rampart covered the elementary school."

"Dear lord," MinuteMan whispered, "how he loved children."

"I defeated a robot that was trying to break up the pier, and got there in time to see... to see..." Nick's voice got husky, and he inhaled deeply to compose himself to continue. "There were children trapped in the bus garage, and Mechanical had implanted robot brains in the buses. Three of them, and they had been literally hunting down the children."

MinuteMan nodded, seeing it in his mind's eye. "Until Rampart showed up."

"He herded those kids into the garage, and he faced off against all three robots. He had grabbed one of the buses by the rear bumper and dragged it away from the garage and flipped it over. He had a broken leg at that point, but of course, he wouldn't stop."

"Not while children were in danger..."

"No. He dragged himself away from the garage, dodging the bus dreadnoughts... until he managed to get them both driving at him from both sides at once. That was when I got there."

MinuteMan asked, "Was he able to dodge?"

"He could have," Nick said. "He obviously had been... but they must have been too fast for him. I guess if he had ducked, they would have simply gotten away.

"So he just stood there. He saw me and cried out to me... to say he saw me, to say goodbye, I don't know. And the two buses demolished themselves as they crushed him between them..."

"Oh, Rampart," Frank said.

Nick's eyes were shining as, through gritted teeth, he asked, "You remember... what Man O'War... used to call him?"

"Yes..." MinuteMan answered. "Trying to get his goat. 'Ye stupid... dogfish...'"

Both men broke down into choked tears, supporting each other in front of the memorial to their best friend.

In the main room of the Freedom Fortress, Merry swam around her tank and fairly flew out of it. As opposed to its previous condition, the tank was now clean and bright, and the water pure and sweet. Decon stood next to the tank, leaning on Patches, and Merry landed in front of them. "Oh Derek, it's wonderful! We've had trouble keeping it clean because we haven't had enough power for all the housekeeping functions around here."

"My pleasure," he said. "So, do you think we'll qualify to join the Freedom Force?"

She answered, "You get my vote!"

"And mine," Shadow answered in her soft, rough voice. "All four of you. As long as you know exactly what it is you're getting into. This isn't fun and games, you know."

"Yes, ma'am," Patches said. "We have to do something. And we have the special abilities. Even if they aren't as flashy as the ones the original Freedom Force had."

"Power doesn't matter, boys," MinuteMan answered. He, Nick, and Mentor were coming back into the main chamber. "What matters is the desire in your hearts to do what's right, to stand up for people's freedom, and to see that justice is done. I sense this in all of you."

Winston said, "And maybe we can find some way to save the world after all."

"Eh? What do you mean, lad?" And so MinuteMan was told of the impending fate of the Earth.

"Great Glory! Something has to be done!" MinuteMan exclaimed.

"We are out of ideas," Mentor said.

"No," Winston said. "I have an idea. A crazy one, but a long shot that might work. Mentor, you said that your people had worked with this Energy-Y before?"

"Yes we had."

"And when it was released on Earth - or the explosion from it - people were irradiated with uncontrolled amounts of the energy. Correct?"

Mentor nodded. Winston went on, "But what if we were able to use controlled amounts? What if we could boost up Decon's and Patches' powers slowly and carefully? We might have a chance! Mentor's plan could work!"

"That's a very long shot," Nick said. "First of all, we'd need to locate a source of this Energy-Y. Then we'd need to test it. And I don't know if any of us have the scientific acumen to do all of this."

Winston said, "I think I do. I have some ideas on how we can run this experiment."

"Yeah, well, pardon my saying so, but I don't think I want to let you near any Energy-Y OR Energy-X," Nick said hotly.

"Easy, Lib- easy, Nick," MinuteMan said. "Son, I don't think I've met you yet. You are...?"

He turned to the Sixty Second Sentinel and said, "My name is Winston Drake."

"Winston... Drake? That sounds familiar..." Suddenly it felt as if a stick of dynamite had gone off in the room. Nothing had really changed, but MinuteMan took two steps back and suddenly appeared as the fighting machine that he was. "You wouldn't be any relation to-"

"Yes, sir, Astro. He was my father. And no, I didn't inherit any of his powers."

"I see," MinuteMan said. "Astro, eh? You know, your father-"

"PLEASE!" Winston suddenly said loudly. "I know all about my father, and what he did, and how he opposed the Freedom Force! It's all been said! Can't we just get PAST it?"

MinuteMan lay Patriot on the lad's shoulder. "I was about to say... that your father was very brave. Whether he was right or wrong, he fought hard - VERY hard - for what he believed in. He thought he was doing the right thing. I could never fault him for that."

"Oh... I'm sorry, sir," Winston said.

"It's already forgotten. So, lad, you think you have the scientific expertise to help us in this endeavor?"

"Quite honestly, MinuteMan, if I don't - who does?"

"Heh heh heh. Yes, I see your point. Very well, then, Mentor. You said you had some plan?"

"I intend to return to the Domain with these two young men," pointing at Patches and Decon, "and see if we can amplify their abilities to a degree where they might be able to help stop the destruction of Earth."

"Good," MinuteMan said. "And in the meantime, we can stay here and try to help put things back together - something wrong, Nick?"

Both Nick and Merry had odd expressions on their faces. He replied, "Well, Frank, it's just that- well, I mean, you've been gone, Mentor's been gone, and Autumn, Merry and I have pretty much been it for the Freedom Force. Now, all of a sudden, you're back again, and Mentor returns, and you both take charge right away as if you'd stepped out for dinner."

"Ah! I understand. I think I know what you mean." Patriot's Paladin shared a look with Mentor, and he continued, "Well, then, I'll tell you how it should be - at least until we can get this current situation stabilized so that we can get a meeting together. I think that the person with the most experience and who's been on site should be the interim leader."

"ME?" Nick asked, stunned. "I didn't mean it that way, MinuteMan! I just meant-"

MinuteMan smacked him gently on the shoulder. "I know what you meant, lad, and you were right. You do have more experience and more knowledge of this situation than we do. So, how do we proceed?"

Nick looked, somewhat stunned, over to Merry. She nodded strongly and smiled brightly at him, as if to say, Go ahead! You can do it!

"First thing then, I guess, is to get these new members inducted. Unless one of you two has discussion?"

Mentor shook his oversized head. "I have no problem."

"Nor do I," MinuteMan answered, looking directly at young Winston. "I think they'll all make fine members."

Nick nodded and turned to Merry. "Would you please do the honors?"

She smiled as she went to the main computer, and for the first time in over twenty years, activated the routine to increase the roster of the Freedom Force. She said, "Please state your names and identities, to be recorded to the roll."

"Buddy Beauregard, Blockhead."

"Derek Connelly, Decon."

"Walter Lange, Patches."

The oldest of the four took a deep breath, and slowly said, "Winston Drake. Son of Astro."

"You are now empowered to act as members of the Freedom Force. You are subject to the responsibilities and rules, and dedicated to the purpose of freedom for the bound, justice for the downtrodden, protection of the innocent, and guarding the defenseless. Welcome to Freedom Force," she concluded with a salute. The other members saluted them also.

"Congratulations," Nick said, "and may you always serve the cause of Freedom."

Nick stared at Astro's son, and continued, "We're glad to have ALL of you here. Now, for the first item for the Freedom Force... as hard as this may be..."

Nick turned toward MinuteMan and said, "We have to find out who YOU are."

Chapter 14 - "Hope Men Set Their Hearts upon Turns Ashes - Or It Prospers!"

"Nick, I don't understand," MinuteMan answered. "Who else would I be?"

"I wonder that myself. But you see, only about a year ago, I buried MinuteMan. When Pan returned to Earth and released me, he gave me your... MinuteMan's corpse."

Mentor said, "Nick, I can assure you, this is indeed your old friend MinuteMan."

"I don't doubt you, Mentor. But on the same token, I have two very conflicting facts. One is that I HELD MinuteMan's corpse in my arms. He was definitely MinuteMan - I'm sure of it. And the other is that this MinuteMan is alive and well, standing in front of us. A difficult set of propositions to reconcile, wouldn't you say?"

There was silence for a moment, before MinuteMan smiled. "I understand. Nick, I know the answer to your question - but if I tell you, you won't believe it."

"You can try me..."

"No, son. There's only one thing that I'm sure will convince you." MinuteMan walked over to his one-time sidekick, and lifted his left arm, holding out the silver staff of freedom. "Take Patriot in your hand."

Winston said, "It's only a piece of metal-"

"Not so, young one," Mentor answered. "MinuteMan knows what he is doing."

Nick stepped forward and gently grasped the eagle's head of the cane. His eyes suddenly went wide, as they met the sky blue eyes of MinuteMan, and the power of Patriot reintroduced itself to the one time Liberty Lad.

Merry came up to him and asked softly, "Nick?"

"It's... it's really him. It's really MinuteMan." His hand shook ever so slightly as he drew back, head trembling. But then, how... I mean, how could that other MinuteMan be? He seemed so real..."

"Oh, I'm sure he did," MinuteMan answered. "It's not the first time you mistook him for me."

"What? What do you- DÉJÀ VU!"

Mentor burst out, "Of course! The MinuteMan clone!"

"Right," Frank answered. "I'll wager that Déjà vu was on the run from Sukhov, and so he took along the best ally he could find." The Sixty Second Sentinel shook his head, smiling wryly. "It's almost a compliment, I suppose. One I think I'll do just as well without."

"Well, do I feel better!" Nick exclaimed. "Onto the next order of business then. Mentor, you think that you can work with Patches and Decon to increase the scope and magnitude of their power. Guys, what do you think? It's your lives."

They looked at each other and shrugged. Patches said, "The world is at stake here. If we don't follow through on this, the Earth and all its inhabitants are goners. I guess I don't really see what choice we have."

Decon answered, "That's right. We're in."

The team turned expectantly to Nick. "Then, we'll dispatch you three back to Mentor's world. And we'll try to hold the line here on Earth, somehow."

MinuteMan clapped him on the shoulder. "We can do it, Nick! I know we can. I have confidence in the Freedom Force!"

"It's not Freedom Force I don't believe in, Frank. It's everything. I mean, the world is doomed..."

"Nick, I think I know what you're feeling - but this likely isn't the time or place to discuss it."

"You're right, of course. Mentor, what do you need to prepare for your return trip?"

"I am ready to depart at any time, Nick."

Nick asked, "Derek, Walter, is there anything you need to take? Mentor, do you have sufficient provisions for them?"

"Indeed. And my ship's computer can create clothing for them as well."

The two young men looked at each other, and Patches said, "We lost our parents. We've been pretty much living together, and we don't really have much in the way of possessions."

"Yeah," Decon agreed. "We're probably ready when you are, Mentor."

"Then I shall prepare to launch at once. The sooner begun, the sooner accomplished."

"Good," Nick said. "Anything else?"

Winston asked, "Nick, is it all right if I go through the computers? I'd like to know what we have access to."

"Sure. Now that they're back up to full power, you should be able to access the online help if you need any assistance."

Buddy laughed at the answer. "B'lieve ME, pal, he ain't gonna have a problem with yer computer. Winston's a genius."

"Nick, it's time for me to go back into my tank," Merry said.

"Sure. Have a good night... I think it's going to be a very interesting tomorrow."

Shadow and the Ant had also retired, and Nick and Frank accompanied Mentor and the two young men to the shuttle. Mentor asked, "Nick, you have no concerns about Winston now?"

"No. I guess not... these guys vouched for him, and Frank here is willing to accept him. Frank's always been a great judge of character."

"Indeed. He chose you to accompany him."

Blushing, Nick answered, "Yeah, well, in any case, last I saw, Winston was looking at Microwave's remains. I'm not sure what he intends to accomplish, but he seemed pretty excited about them."

MinuteMan asked, "Do you think he can put him back together?"

"I doubt it. Microwave's body was destroyed; what remains of him are components. But after today, I guess anything's possible."

"As it's always been possible," MinuteMan answered.

Mentor responded, "And when you two are of that mindset, I truly believe that there is yet hope for this planet and its people. We shall return as soon as circumstances allow."

"Be careful, old friend, " Frank said. " It's still dangerous in your system."

"It was safe enough when I left, and things were improving. Quite honestly, I am not certain that enough of my people remain to cause trouble one way or another. Derek, Walter, are you prepared?"

"We're really going into space?" Patches asked. "Off Earth?"

"Oh, yes. So far off Earth that you will be stunned by the mere distance. Come, I shall tell you of the glory of the Domain in its greatest time..." The trio disappeared into the ship and the airlock door sealed.

"C'mon, Nick, we'd best get out of the way of the blast. Can we still get to the platform at the top of Freedom Fortress?"

"It was jammed last I saw. But I'll bet the two of us can make our way through..."

At the top of the Fortress, there was a loud slamming sound, followed by a crash of bursting marble. A blue clad left hand and a red clad right hand withdrew, and the two men climbed out a moment later.

"We've a lot to do, Nick."

"Yeah... Frank, I'm still not sure it's worth it. I'm not sure we can do anything about what's going on."

MinuteMan turned. "You're taking too big a bite, lad."

"Frank. I'm fifty. I don't think I count as a lad anymore..."

"Heh heh heh. True. I'll try to remember that. We'll need something else to call you when we're out on the streets then."

"Well... I've actually used 'Mr. Liberty' once or twice, when there were still people around to help."

"An excellent choice, Nick. And, what I meant is that there are so many things that need to be fixed that they can't all be done, and certainly not by one man."

"I know, I know."

Frank patted him on the shoulder. "But you've done as good a job as possible, I know that. I'm going to be very interested in seeing New Patriot City - you've saved a city and heaven knows how many people.

"That's what we'll have to do. One job at a time, one piece at a time. First of all, we'll have to see about survivors around here."

"We'll need facilities for them first," Nick answered. "New Patriot City isn't exactly gigantic."

"Maybe Shadow and Ant can restore some buildings?"

"Could be. Could be."

MinuteMan laughed and said, "See? We'll take the first step. There's nothing we can do yet about Russia, so we won't. There's nothing we can do about Pan or Nuclear Winter yet... but we will. Right now, we have to get life back to this city."

"Damn, Frank, when you say it, it sounds so easy."

"Hardly easy, chum. But together... together we can accomplish miracles."

From below, a soft roar echoed, and Mentor's shuttle rose into the sky. "There's Earth's future," Nick said. "Those two teens may be able to put things right again."

"We should get started on fixing things for when they return, then," MinuteMan said.

Nick turned with a true smile on his face for the first time in months. "And it looks like a job for MinuteMan and Mr. Liberty, eh?"

"It starts with us, son. It starts with us." The two men turned and watched Mentor's shuttle flare into hyperspace, the light disappearing like a wink from a beneficent deity saying "Let's get started."