Silver Surfer: All The Years #2 Written by Mark Robert
Bourne |
Silver Surfer
"All The Years"
(Note: Continues from All The Years #0 and All The Years #1)
Chapter Two: The Daughter’s Heart
High
above the devastatingly beautiful planet of Zenn-La hovered an immense, bulky
craft. As it descended from the blue and pink atmosphere, the rocket
stabilizers fired with a defining sound, slowing the ship to a crawl.
On
the landing platform positioned on the edge of a cliff that looked over the
great green valley, stood the honor guard of Zenn-la. Though they were protectors, they were not warriors and it
showed in their composed faces. Twelve
of these guardians surrounded either side of the platform dressed in their
welcoming garb of thin, silky sky blue robes with the darker blue jumpsuits
underneath. They stood at
attention, their hair shifted by the substantial force from the immense ship,
which lowered itself onto the landing platform below. A discharge of steam
escaped from the inner parts of the hull as the craft made one final shudder as
it met the ground.
Not
far off from the landing port, another small personal craft approached with the
maidservant Zein-Ma and an honor guardsman on board. After landing, the old servant-woman made her way past the
motionless Honor guard, though the thick fog and up to the craft.
With another blast of steam, the ramp of the immense ship lowered
revealing the shadowy cloaked figure, which descended the ramp to greet the
maidservant.
“Welcome
back to Zenn-la,” said Zein-Ma, foolishly attempting to hold back her joy.
“It has been… too long.”
“Yes
it has, my dear Zein-Ma,” spoke the covered figure, her voice cracked with
emotion, “It has been too long.
Though I do wish it was under better conditions.”
In
an inept silence, the two figures walked through the resin fog and onto the
small craft.
Deep
inside the castle, in the innermost part, beyond the ballast wooden doorway that
was once the chamber of Nalla-Bal, daughter of Shalla-Bal.
Zein-Ma pushed aside the sturdy outer door and with a huff dusted off her
hands. The cloaked figure that
followed glided to the center of the room and hesitated, taking a moment to gaze
at the room. The neglected chandelier hung down from the high ceiling, the
large abandoned bay windows, where the angelic light shone through and the
temperate walls and floors that had not been treaded upon for some time.
“I
have not been here for what seems like ages,” spoke the shadow, who pulled
back the hood revealing the angelic face of Nalla-Bal.
“It is somewhat as I had remembered it.
I sense Mother has not allowed it to be altered?”
Zein-Ma
consoled Nalla-Bal and removed the heavy cloak revealing the once hidden
stunning full figure. Still a
woman, but with the composure of a man out of battle.
Her ebony hair was long and flowing, not uncommon of the women of Zenn-La
but her ice blue eyes hid something unnatural.
“Your
Mother left it as you did. She
wanted it to remain the same for when you returned,” said Zein-Ma.
“I
had hoped it had changed with the time, as I have,” sighed Nalla-Bal.
“This room was built to protect me from the outside world.
It was a different time then, with diverse enemies and numerous threats. We’ve all moved on, I don’t need protection anymore.”
Zein-Ma
moved over to Nalla and took the younger hand in her own wrinkled old one and
spoke with all of the deepest heart the old woman could muster.
“Please
understand, young one,” whispered Zein-Ma “Your Mother is dying, she
hasn’t long. Give her this, I beg
you. Your life goes on while hers
teeters at the edge. Help her, if
not for your Mother, then for all that is good in the universe.”
Then
after an eternity in an extensive stillness Nalla asked, “Will you take me to
her?”
The
Silver Surfer awoke to the clattering sounds of machinery.
Blinking several times the Surfer realized that the room was pitch black
as the sounds grew louder with the passing seconds.
With immeasurable pain that shot through his skull, his world went
complete white.
“Who
is there?” asked the Surfer squinting with pain.
“We
are here,” spoke the voice casually. “You have come here as our enemy once
did and you will now pay for those crimes.”
Gradually,
the Silver Surfer’s vision returned, revealing a shadowed figure standing to
his right.
“What
is this that I have done?” questioned the Surfer.
Stepping
out of the shadow, the short skeletal figure limbered over to the table on which
the Surfer was strapped. The
figure’s cranium lengthened at the neck, coming within an inch of the
Surfer’s face. Now he could see
his enemy clearly. Hovering near
the Surfer’s face, the jagged cranium looked like a combination of metal
plates, wires, and pasty white skin, though the shape was more like that of a
wolf with the protruding snout. Its
detached eyes sat deep in the skull and throbbed with a sharp blue pulse.
From the skull, the plates continued in three sections along the thin
neck, which was dense with the ashen skin and whirling gears and sparks of light
littered the long shaft. Its body
was less visible under a dark brown sack; its two freestanding legs and bony
arms protruding from cuts made below. Its
digits were more impressive than the Surfer’s own; sporting three long sharp
claws that extended in four sections: at the end, a long arrow shaped needle. After a moment of examining the Surfer’s face, the figure
trotted with an up and down motion towards a control panel.
“You
will bring him here,” were the words that echoed in the Surfer’s brain as
another brutal shock rocked his nerves, sending his torso heaving into the air,
only to be restrained by the bands that held him back.
His
eyes grew heavy as he stared blankly at the glowing ball containing the
holographic image of a dark haired female, which spun in the center of two
metallic arms. Galactus was bored.
While he awaited news from his herald, Galacatus would often remove his
mind from his daunting hunger with holographic images of times past.
The offer of concentration that buried his needs and wants keeping the
hunger at bay. Nonetheless, the
wait had never lasted so long and Galactus knew this would only mean an
uncertain dilemma and a disconcerted delay.
The
helm of Galactus’ great ship began to hum with activity as the plant-eater
moved into position. He knew he
would have to search out his herald and investigate why so much time had passed
since the Surfer had left on his mission of nourishment.
With
the sputter of an ancient space cruiser long in need of reformation, the
considerable mass goaded leisurely towards outerspace in search of the lost
herald of Galactus.
To Be Continued . . .
Silver Surfer: All The Years… Vol.
1 No. 2
Story (c) Copyright 2000 Mark Robert Bourne.
All story rights reserved. No
part of this story may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an
information storage and retrieval system without the express permission by the
writer/story copyright holder.
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