Space has been commonly acknowledged to be some billions of trillions of light years in area. Most who know how expansive it is also realize how much of that area is completely empty. Only a small percentage of space is stars or planets, and an even smaller number of those can and do support life. It was difficult to believe that one blip, one tiny iota being thrown into this vast place could make any amount of difference.
Hourman was that blip.
The robotic hero flew from his time portal, the body of what looked to be a teenaged girl in his arms. His time circuits blinked on, trying to discover exactly when he was. The readout said 2009.
Perfect. He was in the right time, but he didn’t know where he was. This primitive time lacked a universal positioning system. Hourman had no idea if he was anywhere near planet Earth. He’d have to find out the old fashion way.
Hourman took in his surroundings. He could see without the need for space-adjustment lenses, meaning he was near a star that was providing light. He could see mostly nothing, a distant twinkling star here or there. And then he saw something familiar: Saturn. The planet was unmistakable. He was within a conveniently close proximity to where he needed to be.
The robot took of towards the nearest light source, carrying the young woman with him as he sped off.
* * * * * *
In a hospital in Los Angeles, Will Magnus lay in a bed silently. He was in the later stages of lung cancer, so speech, let alone breathing, was difficult. Plus, there was no one there to talk to.
Will was in a rare moment of lucidity, and he was thinking about his life. He had done so many things. He had been part of a superhero team. He and his Metal Men had saved the world dozens of times. They had fought mad scientists, monsters and aliens, and taken them all down. They had all been celebrities and heroes. It was his life then. But it meant so little to him now.
The Metal Men were permanently destroyed during a crisis, and Will spent all of his time trying to rebuild them. Almost twenty years of his life gone. And for what? So he could relive the glory days? Be in the spotlight again? How shallow he was. How short-sighted. How damn stupid.
“Hey there, Will.”
The old man turned his head to see his older brother, David, enter the room in his wheelchair. The Magnus brothers had their troubles and their feuds, but they both knew that Will was at the end of his life, and everything that had happened between them had to be put aside.
“Hey Dave.” Will said weakly as a thin smile cracked across his face. “It’s nice to see you.”
“How are you feeling?” Dave parked next to Will’s bed.
“I’m just kinda tired.” He responded. “How about you?”
“I’m okay.”
There was a silence; the only sound heard was the machines that were keeping Will alive.
Both brothers suddenly spoke at the same time. Will said, “Dave, I…” as Dave said “Listen, Will…” They interrupted each other and were silent. The younger of the two said “You go first.”
“Listen, Will,” Dave resumed. “I’m sorry about…about Helen. I just…”
“It’s alright.” He answered. “You are forgiven.”
In 1978, Will started dating Helen Finch. He loved her dearly, but his obsession with recreating the Metal Man took over his life. Helen left him and married David and the Magnus brothers didn’t speak to each other for more than a decade. When Will was diagnosed with lung cancer, Dave did everything in his power to help his brother. And now, it was finally over.
* * * * * *
Hourman had finally arrived on Earth. When he had breached the atmosphere, his flight stopped and he found he was levitating above one of this planet’s vast oceans. But now he didn’t know where to go. His systems were too advanced to work with this time’s global positioning systems. He had only on option.
The robotic hero touched the young, purple-skinned girl and a spark passed between them. Her bright yellow eyes flashed into activity and she spoke in a buzzing, electronic voice.
“What’s happening?” She asked.
“We’re in the year 2009, on planet Earth.” Hourman explained. “I need you to interface with the networks here. Search for the current location of Doctor William Magnus.”
The girl froze for a moment, staring into the blue sky absent-mindedly. She snapped back into activity and said “Kanigher-Andru General Hospital. Los Angeles, California, United States. Room 3710. Directions are loaded into your memory.”
“Thank you. Now rest.” Hourman said. The robotic girl deactivated, going limp in his arms once more.
“I’m sorry for everything that’s happened to you.” He said to the body he was holding. “But I will save you, Brainiac.”
He flew away, following the directions his ally had given to him.
* * * * * *
Deep below the ocean, under where Hourman’s feet were, the body of the Red Tornado lay still. Of course, had there been any signs of activity in his mechanical brain, the sheer pressure of the Atlantic floor would have restricted any movement.
What had happened? He was once in the old Justice League satellite. So were the two souls. They had been silent and still. But something happened. Red Tornado’s defense systems had been activated by someone. Some Justice Society, of all things. And with Red Tornado awake once more, the two souls were awake too.
The Tornado Tyrant and the Tornado Champion had clashed over possession of the robot’s body. And the resulting flight had brought the satellite crashing into the ocean, with Red Tornado in it.
The fate of the two souls was unknown, but the Red Tornado’s body was still there; silent, still and lifeless.
And then the robotic form de-materialized. It vanished in a heartbeat, leaving behind nothing more than a dent in the sand beneath him.
* * * * * *
Will always worried. He worried that the next time he slept he might not wake up again. So he did everything in his power to keep conscious. But the sheer effort of it was exhausting, every passing second it was more and more difficult to keep his restless eyes open.
Dave just sat in silence, listening to the steady beep of his brother’s heart. He hated this. It was agonizing, just waiting for Will to die. But he couldn’t leave. He wanted to be there for his brother.
And as Will lay silently in his bed, he saw a light. Was it the light? The one they always talked about in the movies? He couldn’t tell.
He heard the sound of his brother’s voice. Will dazedly turned to Dave and asked “Wha…?”
Will barely made out the form of something brown, gold and indigo. He heard two voices talk to each other, but couldn’t fully understand their words.
The following was their conversation:
“What the hell?!” Dave had asked. A costumed man carrying a young girl had flown deftly through the window carrying a young, strange-looking girl.
“Where is Dr. Will Magnus?” He asked.
“Get out of here!” The elder Magnus brother pointed towards the window.
“I’m Will Magnus…” Will said.
“My name is Hourman.” The robot explained. “I come from the year 6300. I need your help to save the future.”
“No! He’s not helping anyone!” Dave said outraged. “Get out of this room right now!”
“Will Magnus is needed to save the future.” Hourman repeated himself emotionlessly.
“Will Magnus is dying! Just leave him in peace and go!”
Hourman took a closer look at the old scientist. He cracked a thin smile on his wrinkled face. The robot thought for a moment, then asked “How old is he?”
“He’s sixty-eight.” Dave answered on impulse. He quickly added, “Why does that matter?”
Wordlessly, the robotic hero gently put down the girl in his arms and approached Will Magnus’s bedside. He placed his right hand on the scientist’s head and one on his heart. Hourman's closed lit eyes became dark, as if they were closed, and a wonder occurred.
Before Dave’s shocked eyes, Will’s wrinkles melted away. His gray hair became colored again. His withered physique became normal and healthy once more.
When it was over, Dave stammered “What…what did you do to him?”
“I reduced his age.” Hourman said. “He is now physically forty-three years younger, but his mind is the same age it was before."
“He’s right.” Will said in a deep, confident voice Dave was far from used to hearing. “I can breathe again. Nothing hurts like it used to. It’s a miracle!”
“Now you are healed.” The robot said. “Now you can help me save mankind.”
Will, still amazed by the transformation, said “Anything. Whatever you need, it’s done.”
Hourman picked up the girl he was carrying and said “This is Brainiac 8. She has been heavily damaged and I need you to repair her.”
The scientist thought for a moment. He said “Where does she come from?”
“Workshop 5, the year 6300.” Hourman responded.
“That seems like some advanced stuff.” Will said. “I don’t think I can fix it alone.”
The robot paused, confused. “But you are Dr. Will Magnus. You created the earliest artificial soul. You are one of the greatest scientists in Earth history.”
“Maybe, but I’m not from the 64th century.” He answered. “It’s gonna take two geniuses to get this done.”
“Very well...” Hourman said unsurely. “I will find another scientist.”
“Actually, I had someone in mind.” The scientist said. The robot looked at him with what Will could only assume was curiosity. “Hourman, meet Dr. David Magnus.”
The robot turned to the elder Magnus brother (a term which now held far more significance). His expression told the robot that he still didn’t trust him.
“Of course,” Will added. “You’re going to have to de-age him too. I can’t have an old man in a wheelchair rolling around my lab. It’s too cramped in there.”
Hourman placed his hands on Dave Magnus and closed his eyes. And just as it had happened for Will, Dave’s form was renewed. After the process ended, he slowly put out his right foot, then his left. Using almost too much strength, Dave lifted from his wheelchair and for the first time in decades, stood. Will could only smile greatly as tears welled in his eyes.
“Now will you help me?” Hourman asked. Will just nodded and said “Yeah, okay.”
* * * * * *
Billions of miles away, on Saturn’s moon Titan, a crew of saurian creatures stood, inspecting their collection. They were Psions, alien masters of all technology. Before, they simply worked towards understanding the mysteries of the universe, while plotting vengeance against the ancient tyrants who wronged them. However, a new master had arrived, and the Psion’s new objective became gathering an army of the most powerful robots on Earth and reprogramming them.
And the army stood before them. A massive collection of robots, all plucked from Earth, ranging from mindless drones that once belonged to various masterminds to powerful figures in their own right. Robots like the Tomorrow Woman, Metallo, Chemo, Brimstone and the newly acquired Red Tornado all stood motionless.
Wordlessly, one of the Psions pressed a scaly finger down on a controller in his hand. At once, all the machines activated, awaiting their orders.
The Psions marveled at the armada and they all said in eerie unison, “Earth will fall. All life will die.”
