//|| //^^\\ || || .|. COHERENT COMICS UNINCORPORATED PRESENTS // || \\ || || --X--------------------------------------------- //====TIME=CAPSULES====== '|` ASH UNIVERSE: TIME CAPSULES #5 // || \\ || || "Going To The Mattresses" // || \\__// || || Copyright 2003 by Tony Pi and Dave Van Domelen ___________________________________________________________________________ [cover shows a "one-armed bandit" over the shoulder of Kaoru Spinoza, who is watching the wheels come to a stop. The two that have already stopped show little cartoon bombs.] It had been a long day's walk, a sort of busman's holiday for the young history student. Where his peers were taking their 2136 spring breaks in places like NeoIbiza or the Orbs...or just staying in their offices through break, in many cases...Kaoru was touring some of the more historical cities of Earth. Today was New York. Oh, New York didn't have a LONG history as cities went. After all, 250 years ago, the island of Manhattan was still mostly forested wasteland with a bunch of docks and warehouses clinging to the southern tip. But few cities had seen so MUCH history crammed into so little time as the Big Apple. From de facto capital of the world to near ghost town and back in a mere century and a half, it had seen barons of industry, gods and even foreign invaders call it home. He'd started the walking tour in the traditional manner, at the old World Trade Center, site of the deaths of thousands in the 1998 when Odin sent out his warriors to cull the worthy dead...without worrying about whether they were still alive yet. While most buildings of its era had been dismantled or required heavy renovation for safety purposes, a sort of ghostly half-existence seemed to cling to those forbidding twin towers. It was as if Odin's actions granted a sort of undead immortality to the site, for it needed neither renovation nor maintenance to remain standing after almost a century of near-abandonment. The old MetaPsych organization had used it as a base of operations for some decades, but no one since had been able to endure the strange otherworldly presence that the Center had. So it had been made an official memorial and left to itself. Kaoru had seen much over the course of the day, from preserved pre-disaster buildings to the brand new Crilley Plaza, home of numerous alien embassies. He'd taken lunch in Central Park, a slice of false nature designed to break up the monotony of a concrete island, once surrounded with the residences of the rich and famous. And now he stood in front of the Cloisters. The Cloisters made a good metaphor for the entire island. Equal parts real and artifice, it had been put to a great many purposes...museum, throne of a god, casino, beacon of light against a falling darkness, and museum once more. Kaoru put his hand up against an exterior wall which had been decorated with embedded poker chips as a reminder of that one incongruous part of its past, and wondered what strange, secret deals had been made to convert the Cloisters into a casino.... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Manhattan, Autonomous Sector - December 24th, 2024] It had once been the United Nations headquarters. Then it was briefly redubbed the World Building in an attempt to lure the fledgling United World to the city. Now it was simply known as the place where the city's true power resided. The place where I had come to...save the world? To save my soul, at least. "This is a highly irregular request, Mr. Marx," said Rex Umbrae. "You wish to convert the Cloisters into a casino?" He tapped a few keys on a handheld unit. "Your finances are in shambles. What makes you think you can turn a profit, or even have enough resources to buy the Cloisters?" "I admit, there have been setbacks." This was the first time I had met the man who was also called the King of Shadows, and the undisputed master of the new Manhattan. A genetically engineered Khadamite, so the rumors went. I did not doubt that he could crush me with his raw strength, and I would be unable to Anchor him. "But as one businessman to another, you know that a sharp mind for money is our greatest asset. I will liquidate what remaining holdings I have: the Atlantic Majestic, and my last stocks and bonds. I know that's not enough, but look at it as a down payment. The Cloisters would become the first and only casino in Manhattan. It's far enough north to escape paragang involvement. Think of it: the lure of new visitors and businesses back to New York, knowing that a safe, Anchored casino was here." I paused to gauge his reaction. While he would be hard to read by any standards, I could tell by instinct that Umbrae saw the potential. But I had to give him more to chew on. "It's a property that you have no use for. After Oghma's avatar claimed it during the Godmarket, it has seen its share of hauntings. But with a powerful Anchor such as myself present, there would be zero paranormal activity. No powers to use in cheating...or fighting...in my casino. When the buzz spreads, even the paragangers would come in peace, knowing that it's neutral ground. This is what you've been waiting for, Mr. Umbrae. Tourism." Umbrae nodded. "True. But what of your Conclave? Do you intend to use my city for your organization's revival? Or is the Conclave truly dead?" I should have known that Umbrae would know of the Conclave. "I am alone now," I told him. "The Conclave is in the past. I look towards a new future. But it does not change my resolve to keep the powerful paranormals in line. You have brought order to Manhattan, Umbrae, and I only seek to help you enforce it. We may have different means, but our goal is the same." "Order." Umbrae stroked his chin. "Very well. You may have your Cloisters, Marx, so long as you abide by my laws. In granting you your venue, I will be the senior partner in the Cloisters Casino, and collect my dues. My legal department will draft up a contract. But most importantly, you must keep the truce, as I expect from any paragangs or organizations that would operate under my sovereignty. Understood?" I smiled. We stood, and shook hands. "Thank you." And that was it. A year after I had been betrayed by Lorenzo Archangeli, I had put the final nail in the Conclave coffin. Had it been only a year? It seemed much longer. It was time to forge a new beginning. I only wished Ursula were here to share this moment. * * * * [The Cloisters, Manhattan, Autonomous Sector - February 28th, 2025] I stood on the West Terrace of the Cloisters, and looked out over the Hudson River. The Cloisters was named after the parts of five medieval French cloisters incorporated into the museum design. It overlooked Fort Tryon Park and the Hudson river. The renovations had been quick, thanks to Umbrae's involvement in the venture. When you owned the city, you could make things happen at due speed. I hated having to make an alliance with Umbrae. He had his own secret agendas...and used unscrupulous means to carry them out. But this was a new game, with a new set of rules. If the Conclave's methods had not been adequate to stop the growing paranormal threat, I had to find a new strategy to handle them, even if it meant a temporary alliance with men like Umbrae. And the answer was in New York, where the paragangs ran rampant. What could I have done in the safety of my last casino in Atlantic City? Nothing. Jessa's visit in November proved that. She was willing to face the problem head on in Manhattan. So too must I "go to the mattresses", as it were. Find out why I failed the first time. First thing I need was a strong security force, to build respect among the paragangers. And of course, to forge a team that would become my new enforcers in a world-gone-wild. This time, I would not make the same mistakes. "Mr. Marx?" came a voice from behind me. "Yes, Marie-Laure?" "Your guests have arrived, and are waiting in the Cuxa Cloister." I nodded. I had sent private invitations to people that I thought might join in this new venture of mine. People who might be sympathetic to my secret cause. Certainly, I expected a few moles from the Combine government, and Umbrae himself. I would deal with them, in time. But for now, I would welcome my new associates, and find out how they can help me change the world. There were three of them gathered in the Cuxa Cloister, one man and two women. As I expected, I did not see Jessa Dumont among them. She had lost her powers in Reykjavik, but it wasn't her scrying powers I wanted. I wanted a good soul, I told her repeatedly, but she declined again and again. Her heart was in the Free Clinic. "Thank you all for coming," I said. "I am Devlin Marx." I went up to the Chinese woman first. "You must be Madelyn Chin. A pleasure to meet you at last. I once crossed paths with your grandfather, the Black Opal. He was a great man, and I have much respect for him, even though our goals had been at odds during that episode." Ms. Chin nodded curtly. "Jessa told me about your goals, Mr. Marx. I am here because I would like to help the city, but I have no fondness for Rex Umbrae. Ever since Warden disappeared, I have become increasingly concerned for the people of this city, like my grandfather before me. I will gladly train your people in hand-to-hand combat, Mr. Marx, if it will help with the paragang problem." "How effective is the vigilante that you do have?" said the other woman. She was Jo Ridley, the former DSHA agent who got tangled up in my kidnapping a year ago. Rebus had wiped her mind, made her into an assassin. Luckily, the Academy of Super-Heroes had rescued her and deprogrammed her. But unluckily for her, the Department of Super-Human Activities no longer trusted her after the brainwashing, and she has been jobless since. I must admit, I also felt responsible for her downfall in the first place. "Hellhound?" said a man with a lead foot. Another former law enforcement officer, Ben Whitman, who was discharged from the force for taking bribes from paragangers. He had had his foot turned to lead in the gang war last year. "I don't trust her, or any other vigilantes. Who's even seen her face? How do we know that she isn't a crony for one gang boss or another?" Madelyn Chin shrugged. "We don't know for sure. But she's been a thorn in everyone's sides. I don't think she's after anything but justice." Jo Ridley shook her head. "Still, vigilante justice is sometimes misguided. I'll reserve my judgment until I see her in action. After all, Umbrae's laws are not the Combine's laws. But we should all answer to the same moral authority." "There will be plenty of time to discuss the dynamics of the factions in the city later in our meeting, when you meet your staff," I suggested. "Ms. Chin will be in charge of physical combat training, as she mentioned. Ms. Ridley will teach the basics of ranged combat as well as surveillance techniques. And Mr. Whitman will be our expert in all things Manhattan, as well as coordinating security in the casino, with the aid of some of my former employees from Atlantic City and Las Vegas." "Shouldn't we hire some paranormals?" asked Ben. "We can't go head to head with Bathory or Dr. Jacky. You saw what they did to my foot!" I walked over to Ben, and gently placed my hand on his shoulder. The touch was enough to Anchor the effect on his foot, and the lead became flesh again. His eyes widened in amazement. "There will be no paranormal powers while I am on the premises," I promised. I let go of Ben, and let him marvel at his foot. "Your foot will remain normal while you are here." I was glad I could make that promise, as not all transformative effects could be undone by the power of an Anchor, as any victim of the Cockatrice would tell you...assuming they could say anything ever again after meeting her lethal gaze. "I'm in, Mr. Marx," said Ben, his voice cracking a bit. "I thought I'd never wiggle my toes again, and now...." I knew then I had won over Ben Whitman. "This is a second chance, Ben. For all of us. Whatever we had been in the past cannot compare to the new strength that we will build together. We may not be a powerful force. We may not be an army with the strength to fend off the paragangs. Not yet. But with dedication and caution, we will change New York for the better. Marie-Laure, champagne for everyone, please." I took a flute of champagne, as the did the others. I raised the glass high. "To our new start!" ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kaoru ran his finger around the edge of a five dollar chip, coated in an anti-UV layer to keep it from degrading like most eco-friendly plastics of its age. Yeah, there'd certainly been a lot of gambling in this place, and not all of it for chips.... ============================================================================= Authors' Notes: Dave - Consider this a sneak-peek of a new title that Tony's working on, "The Paragangs of New York". Oh, and this is eligible for the 2003 RACCies. }-> Tony - The "Tony's Icons" page has been updated with tiny little pictures of various ASH Universe characters circa spring, 2025! Go see it at http://www.eyrie.org/~dvandom/ASH/tonyicons.html !