Six months passed since the Kree first settled Hala-Tor. Their Capitol, Corlero, was named after their ancient art of surfing. It was located on Haven on the west coast in the northern hemisphere. They have settled most everywhere on the planet and had outposts on their moons, Karaha and Wandra, named after their mythological gods of fire and weather respectively. And even a small one on Earth’s moon as well.

The Surfer and Alicia settled on one of the small islands in the Kregora ocean. Named for the Kree god of the seas it is between the west coast of Haven and the east coast of Heaven. Firelord set up on a nearby island, one still volcanically active naturally. And Quasar and Bill settled on a third in the string of fifteen islands. Though the Surfer and Alicia were the only ones who spent any real time on the planet. Firelord was rarely there and Quasar and Bill came back every couple days.

Once word got out that a Kree faction was stationed in the Terra system, quite a few races in the galaxy got very upset. The Skrull and Shi’Ar fleets almost engaged each other right outside the system until the Surfer set them straight. It seems most races lose their aggressiveness once they find out the Kree are protected by the Surfer. Given the Surfers reputation, most will not challenge his word that these Kree are no threat to them. Most of these races are leery to go against the Surfer alone, with Firelord, Quasar, and Beta Ray Bill behind him they are downright scared. None would seek conflict with these four.

Lately it has been quiet on Hala-Tor. The Kree were too busy getting on their feet to be much help to the Surfer. He could feel the walls of the house he shared with Alicia closing in more and more. He would roam the skies and wander by Earth, but to little good. He spoke of these feelings with Alicia and she agreed with him. He needed to fly free in space. She could always contact him, her thoughts could find him anywhere in space, he would always be looking for them. A couple Kree families moved close to Alicia’s home, just for company. And so the Surfer was off, but was never gone for more than two weeks at a time.

Ronan the Accuser strode through the halls of his fortress with deliberate speed. He must know if the reports he heard were true. He had an entire battalion of the elite Kree Scimitar Forces on this world with him, their intelligence reports were rarely wrong. There were very few Kree left in this galaxy, but the best of them were here, on Valtora. He kicked the doors open of the operations center without slowing down.

"Commander. I want a full report on the status of the Kree colony in the Terra system!"

"M’Lord, intelligence shows that once again a new planet has sprung forth on the same orbit has Earth on the opposite side of Sol. A estimated four and a half million Kree have settled there. The planet seems to be under the protection of the Silver Surfer, Firelord, Quasar, and Beta Ray Bill. We have full profiles on each brought up on the computer for your viewing needs."

"Excellent. See to it that all files are downloaded to my Preparation Chamber."

Ronan walked up the stairs to his private chamber and through the opening doors. The chamber is nearly as large as the Operations Center itself, and much more luxurious. To the left is a large couch about twenty feet from a huge screen. There was a small desk with the controls for the screen at one end of the ten foot long couch. Towards the rear of the room was a large training center with the latest practice equipment. And to the right, a large Jacuzzi and pool. Once the doors closed behind him six maidens wearing only flowing, nearly sheer, white robes came into the room through a back door. The beauty of these six was rivaled only by the six who served him in his private quarters. Ronan smiled, gave each a kiss on the cheek, and sent them to get him some food. He sat on the couch and began to call up the information on the computer.

Apparently, the Kree in the Terra system came from outside the galaxy. He remembered stories from his grandfather about the Great Exile. Millennia ago many Kree citizens were sent away from Hala because they were weak, worthless. They could contribute nothing to the empire so they were exiled. The emperor was too merciful to put them to death.

And now the rejects have returned, and are under the Surfer’s, and his comrades protection. In fact they built a whole planet for the outcasts in Earth’s orbit. Why? Do the Earthlings know they have uninvited guests in their system? Why that system and not another, uninhabited one? These were things that Ronan had to discover!

The maidens returned and he ate his hardy meal. After a quick training session he relaxed in the Jacuzzi while his maidens bathed him. Once finished he sent the maidens away and walked to the center of the room. It was empty save for a decorative pentagram on the floor. Ronan stood in the middle of the pentagram and began to chant in an ancient tongue. After a few minutes mists began to swirl about the room and take shape. In front of Ronan a massive being appeared, a full eight feet high and a body chiseled from stone. He wore a black and red robe over full plate mail armor, and had many ancient weapons about him. His long flowing black hair went to the middle of his back but did not obscure his face. Ronan smiled deeply at his arrival.

Alicia was keeping up her sculpting, but this planet was so beautiful and pristine, she had taken up some gardening as well. Norrin has been gone for four days so far this trip, and she enjoyed spending time outdoors. She was in her garden with Zara-Pon, the wife of the botanist that lived next door, when a hot flash hit her. She had never felt anything like it before and it literally knocked her over. Doubled over in pain she cried out. A million light years away the Surfer was engaged with a dictator on a small planet, trying to free the populous. He felt her scream at the same time it was heard next to her. He instantly froze the dictator and his followers in suspended animation and was gone. He was at Hala-Tor in twelve minutes.

Zara-Pon had been able to get Alicia to bed before the Surfer arrived. She was running a very high fever and Zara had a cold wash cloth on her forehead. The Surfer came right through the ceiling and went straight to Alicia’s side. He ignored Zara and placed his hand on her head. He closed his eyes and concentrated. In his mind he searched Alicia, but couldn’t find any virus or anything else to explain her sickness until he went to her DNA. He found a dormant gene that must’ve just been brought to life. Once he scanned the gene there could be no doubt to it’s origin, Galactus!!

Over the course of three days she steadily got worse, at one point she had a one hundred and fifteen degree temperature. Then all at once her temperature dropped and she woke up. She opened her eye’s and could feel Norrin looking down at her.

"Norrin? Norrin I feel…I feel…"

"Worry not my love, you are well again. Perhaps better than you ever have been. But you should rest now, save your strength."

"Actually I have never felt so strong, so full of life." She sat up in bed and stretched. Suddenly she could see something. It wasn’t actually seeing with her eyes, but she could make out the Quantum energy that comprised everything. How she knew it was Quantum energy she didn’t know. The colors were all wrong, everything was flowing with reds, oranges, and yellows, but she could see!! "My god Norrin!" she exclaimed. "I can see!! It’s not…"

"I know Alicia." Norrin answered. "What you are seeing are the Quantum fluctuations in the objects around you. What you see is their real shape…"

"Yes!" she exclaimed. "But how did you know? What has happened to me?"

"From what I can tell Galactus infused one of your ancestors with a gene, destined to awaken in you. This gene is what instantly attracted me to you, and you to I. You have become infused with the Power Cosmic, the same way I was. Although your physical appearance has not changed, your body will soon adapt to the same specifications as mine. You will be able to survive in space, not need food or water, and begin to manipulate the Power Cosmic. You will begin to fully feel the effects more and more in the days to come."

"So we are destined to be together." Alicia said with a smile. "Two souls forever linked."

In the weeks to come Alicia learned how best to control her new powers. She found that her powers were mostly empathic and telepathic in nature. She knew what people were thinking and feeling all over Hala-Tor, and some of Earth as well. She instantly ignored all thoughts from those that didn’t know she was concentrating on them. Such a transgression would have been too much for her conscience to bear.

One day she was focusing her thoughts towards where Firelord was in space. Suddenly she felt someone screaming out to be helped! She instantly sent soothing feelings and alerted Firelord that someone was in trouble. Once the being calmed down and Alicia was able to start a conversation with it she discovered she knew who it was!! Alicia relayed the information to Firelord who then knew exactly where to look. Alicia told them to hold on, that Pyreus was on the way. She then broke contact to find the Surfer. She found him in Earth orbit talking to Dr. Strange. He immediately came to Alicia’s side when he heard the news.

Firelord was doing about twice light speed when he neared the place Alicia told him to look. He didn’t even slow down when he came to a large sun, he just dived right in. At the very core of the sun he found what he was looking for. He ever so gently gathered the body and slowly exited the star. Once outside he stopped and looked into the woman’s eyes. They had a very slight glow to them, and her hair wasn’t much more than a spark.

"Pyreus…" was all she could manage to get out.

"Fear not Frankie, I am here. You will not be left alone again." With that he started to give her some of his Power Cosmic to help revive her. By the time the Surfer and Alicia showed up she was fully awake and growing stronger by the second. Firelord and Nova went back to Hala-Tor so that Frankie could rest some more in a safe place. The Surfer and Alicia decided to stay behind so she could learn more about navigating in space with her flight powers.

Back on the volcanic island Pyreus called home he told her what had happened since her "death".

"…and that’s how Alicia found you. Now tell me, if you can, how is it that you survived the battle with Morg?"

"It’s all so jumbled in my mind." She started. "I remember dying in the Surfer’s arms. But then Galactus came to me, like in a dream, and told me not to worry, it was not my time yet. He said a spark remained in my soul and the life giving sun would help heal me. I drifted in and out of blackness until a few months ago, as near as I can tell. I realized who and where I was, but was too weak to move. After a while I started to go crazy, just lying there with only my thoughts to keep me company was so frustrating. I didn’t know what to do, so I started screaming out with my mind. I hoped Galactus or the Surfer or anybody would hear me. I had nearly given up when I felt you near me. I don’t know how to thank you Pyreus!! If not for you…"