The Suns of Liberty: Legion: A Superhero Novel Read online

  THE SUNS OF LIBERTY:

  LEGION

  A Superhero Novel

  ___________________________

  MICHAEL IVAN LOWELL

  Copyright © 2014 Michael Ivan Lowell

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to [email protected] and include “permission request” in the subject line.

  www.MichaelIvanLowell.com

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover Illustration Copyright © 2014 by Jason Ganser

  Cover design by Jason Ganser

  Editing by Gabe Robinson

  To those who still believe that, despite the cynical times we live in, it is still cooler to be the hero than the villain.

  And to Madiba for the inspiring life you led and the freedom it helped create.

  Also Available: THE SUNS OF LIBERTY: REVOLUTION

  Acknowledgements

  A heartfelt thanks to my editor, Gabe Robinson who has been the guiding light of the Suns’ journey so far. Jason Ganser has once again captured the mood of the book perfectly with his excellent cover art. David, for the esprit de corps that has been the foundation of our friendship for more than thirty years and is at the heart of this book. Becca Block, and Rachel Owens, my trusted readers, for reading multiple versions of the book and for offering their careful guidance. To Bryan, Michael, Michelle, Maggie, and Trey, who all read early versions and offered many fruitful ideas. To my family, for the moral support, love, and inspiration that every writer needs. And finally, to my lovely wife, JoAnna, who once again served as a little bit of each role mentioned above, was the first and last sounding board for every idea, and again managed to retain her sanity, beauty, and humor.

  In the future, corporations take control. But their rule does not go unchallenged.

  This is a selected history of that future...

  Ten Years Ago...

  The Freedom Act

  Selections and Main Language

  Public Law

  An Act

  To deter and reverse the economic calamity known as the Second Great Depression in the United States and around the world, to enhance the freedom and liberty of the American people and protect the interests of jobs and businesses therein.

  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled...

  ...It shall be resolved that from this day forward all legislative, executive or judicial decisions shall be adjudicated, enacted, or amended by the afore-named FREEDOM COUNCIL (from here on simply “the Council”) and that the COUNCIL can, at its discretion, initiate, and enforce, legislative, executive, or judicial decisions of its own accord without approval of the aforementioned branches...

  ...Be it resolved that composition of the COUNCIL shall consist of the Chief Executive Officers of the twenty-five largest business interests incorporated within the United States of America. Voting power on the COUNCIL shall be determined by a formula based on annual revenue as adjusted each quarter, annually.

  ...Be it resolved that the COUNCIL shall be headed by a Chair, elected by the members of the COUNCIL, from the membership of the COUNCIL, on an annual basis.

  Ten Years Ago...

  BBC America

  A “PURGE” IN THE HEART OF DEMOCRACY?

  Stuart Castel, North American Editor

  Purge or Hysteria?

  Reports are coming in that the newly anointed Freedom Council may be clamping down on political dissenters in the United States. In moves not seen since that nation’s Civil War two hundred years ago, sources tell of kidnappings, intimidation, and even murder.

  “The streets of America are running red,” said one well-placed government source who wished to remain anonymous for the sake of her own security.

  The exact numbers or veracity of such incidents are hard to confirm. Family members of individuals who have gone missing have mostly declined to go on the record.

  Chairman of the Freedom Council, Thomas Sage, is the CEO of Media Corp, the largest media company in the world, and Media Corp denies any systematic purge of its opponents and no such reports have come across the mainstream press in the U.S.

  The Council has made no attempt to explain the disappearance of several prominent officials and scientists, all of whom were opposed to the Freedom Act that passed earlier this year.

  A small independent newspaper allegedly affiliated with the Freedom Council’s opposition, called Common Sense, claims that such activity on the part of the Council is widespread and pervasive.

  For its part, the Council and Media Corp alike have claimed such stories are simply a result of mass hysteria stemming from the long economic downturn and misery that have taken a toll on the once prosperous nation’s psyche and spirit. Chairman Sage has vowed to turn all of that around under his Chairmanship.

  Superhero or ‘Superterrorist?’

  In a bizarre related development, witnesses are describing a man dressed in “red and blue battle armor” calling himself the Revolution who has been opposing the Council’s rule and even engaging in street battles with the newly formed Council Guard.

  The Guard are an elite force of ex-military and law enforcement professionals handpicked by the Council to run the nation’s security.

  “It was the craziest thing I ever saw,” says witness Billy Jones. “The Guards are trying to arrest these people and out of nowhere comes this guy. Like literally swooping out of the sky and lands right in the middle of these guards like they were nothing. He just took them all out. Moved so fast I couldn’t even keep up with him. And I’m standing not fifty feet from it all.”

  Jones described the Revolution as “wearing a red cape, like Superman.”

  The Freedom Council has confirmed the existence of “the Revolution” and has said they have had some “misunderstandings with the vigilante known as the Revolution” but stops short of calling him a domestic terrorist, despite reports he has been responsible for the deaths of members of the Council Guard and even police officers in Boston.

  This caution may stem from the fact that in some circles the Revolution is being hailed as the world’s first superhero.

  Off the record, Council officials are not so cautious. “The man is a menace and a terrorist and there is a task force deployed to stop him before he hurts anyone else.”

  Five Months Ago...

  From: Eric Von Cyprus,

  Director, Council Science Division

  Memo: Top Secret

  To: Thomas Sage

  Chair, Freedom Council

  We have confirmed that the asset recovered from the suspected Resistance Headquarters in South Boston was indeed the so-called Fire Fly Chamber. It was designed to produce the weapons-grade substance known as bioluminescence. The chamber is the same as that used by James Scott ten years ago, as we suspected. We believe that this chamber is how the terrorist “the Revolution” developed his weapons over the years and how the Fletcher girl attained her remarkable powers. Its discovery is a major breakthrough and should markedly advance our own efforts at producing such a technology.

  We are treating this discovery as further proof that Scott was the man responsible for the construction of
the Revolution’s battle armor and the exotic weaponry he has exhibited ever since.

  The bioluminescence chamber has been encoded to prevent unauthorized usage; however, our team is working to break the code and we expect success in the next seventy-two hours. I have several projects suited for this technology and will inform the appropriate channels of our progress as it develops. As always, pursuant to the policy of plausible deniability, you will only be informed about the details of such progress to the level of your comfort.

  Three Months Ago...

  Common Sense

  BREAKING NEWS—BOSTON IS FREE

  Ten years of Council rule end in Boston.

  Blake Lane, Editor-in-Chief

  All Council and military troops have fled Boston following the hostilities that broke out last evening between Council forces and the Suns of Liberty.

  In addition, hundreds of local volunteers also participated, many of whom lost their lives in the violence. Celebrations over the Council’s departure are being tempered by the loss of life that we still do not have a reliable estimate for.

  All Council personnel are vacating their local offices.

  The Revolution, in an exclusive interview, has informed Common Sense that Council personnel will be gone by the end of the week and arrangements are being made to put the city under informal protection by the Suns of Liberty and their organized forces against further incursions by the Council.

  The mayor’s office has confirmed that he has already signed a proclamation to such an effect. The mayor’s office has long been suspected of being a supporter of the Resistance in Boston.

  According to the Revolution himself, “For all intents and purposes, Boston is now free.”

  Stay tuned to this site for further developments as they arise...

  One Week Ago...

  Media Corp Reports

  BREAKING NEWS—Shake Up At The Freedom Council

  Milton Rand reporting from New York City

  Freedom Council Chairman Thomas Sage is stepping down from his position at the end of the week. This follows his replacement as the CEO of Media Corp by his long-time second-in-command, William Howke.

  Sage lost a confidence vote last week by company shareholders at the first quarterly meeting since the events in Boston three months ago. The Council and Media Corp have been the subject of increasingly intense criticism since.

  Sage is the only chairman the Council has ever known and the principal author and brainchild of the bill known as the Freedom Act that led to the formation of the Council a decade ago.

  Howke is expected to assume the duties as Chairman of the Freedom Council immediately upon Sage’s resignation. By law, only the CEOs of Council corporations can serve as Chair of the Council.

  Despite recent stock losses, Media Corp remains the largest company on the Council, and Howke is a virtual guarantee to win the votes of Council members when they meet next week to replace Sage.

  Most observers believe there will be very little difference in the governing styles of the two chairmen as Howke has been a long-time ally and prodigy of Chairman Sage.

  With the long fight to save Thomas Sage’s chairmanship now over, the Council looks to return to the issue of what it wants to do about the Suns of Liberty. Sources close to Mr. Howke have indicated a willingness to be more aggressive in their approach...

  In the Not-Too-Distant Future...

  CHAPTER 1

  BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

  09:55AM

  “I found it, sir.”

  “Say again, Lantern? I didn’t catch that,” the Revolution said as he fell fifty feet off the landing skids of a helicopter. Straight through the roof of a Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority bus as it roared down Cambridge Street. Ripping through the metal, crashing down into the seats, slamming into two of the passengers. Not dead, but they definitely weren’t getting up.

  Two down, two dozen to go... “Say again?” he repeated, not knowing if the man they called Lantern had spoken again, unable to hear through the wrenching screech of the metal he had just blasted through.

  “I found it. I found the chamber.”

  This time the Revolution heard him clearly in his helmet-com.

  A digital feed from Lantern blinked to life and played back over Revolution’s Heads-Up Display (or HUD), superimposed over his eyesight. The recorded signal was specially designed for its original viewer, Lantern. It showed a massive skyscraper with multicolored digital feeds pulsing out of its walls, all indicating the various sources of energy and communication emanating from the giant structure. The building he was looking at was called Freedom Rise, and it was home to the Freedom Council.

  And then, all of those signals went completely berserk. The signals seemed to sizzle in midair; static filled the entire screen.

  Revolution could see that Lantern had scanned through two dozen settings before finding a way around the Council’s electronic shielding that was concealing the source of the disturbance. Eventually, Lantern had discovered that source: the entire building became backlit in a chartreuse glow. On Lantern’s scan, that color meant only one thing: the Council had just fired up the Fire Fly Chamber.

  The most dangerous weapon on Earth.

  As the Revolution’s HUD cleared, the interior of the bus—his current reality—returned. He was faced with a dozen armed men on either side of him. Surrounding him. They were dressed in uniforms that reminded Revolution of a SWAT team. Though his helmet concealed it from the men, inside he smiled. They thought they had him outnumbered.

  They were wrong...

  Moments Earlier...

  09:30AM

  A city bus pulled up in front of the First National Bank of Boston and out piled a team of men who looked almost exactly like a SWAT team.

  They weren’t.

  The men streamed into the bank lobby, weapons drawn. Sleek and deadly. The man in charge was larger, stockier than the rest. Big Bruiser Gunzy. The main enforcer for Boston’s notorious Marconi Crime Syndicate.

  A few customers near the door turned and gawked at them.

  He had to move now.

  He drew out a small metal cylinder with buttons running along the top edge. “Shields on,” he said to his men. They flipped switches on their gear.

  Bruiser hit a button on the cylinder and strode through the doors into the large main room of the bank, just as the entire building was plunged into darkness.

  “Freeze!” he screamed at the patrons and the tellers.

  Everyone did as they were told.

  “Lights!” yelled Bruiser. Some of his men broke open intensely bright glow sticks that lit up the entire room as they tossed them about; others had smaller sticks they kept with them.”Twenty-five seconds!” he yelled as he checked the stopwatch on his wrist.

  A challenge—the men scattered.

  Mission protocol. Well rehearsed.

  They fanned out in front of the bank’s registers.

  “Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that was an EMP: Electromagnetic pulse. And this is a stickup. Twenty-first-century style. Anyone moves and I’ll kill you where you stand. Guaranteed.”

  The men at the registers placed small devices in front of the cash-counting machines and switched them on. Small green lights scanned out onto the registers, and the apparently fried machines sprung back to life. On their counters, the bank’s reserve accounts began shrinking from one billion dollars at each register, twenty in all, to zero.

  “Decoders, do your thing! Ten seconds!”

  A security guard close enough to one of the registers could see what was happening, realized the grave significance, and tried to draw his weapon. But Bruiser saw him from the start. Before the guard could even draw his pistol, Bruiser fired the small weapon that was concealed in his right hand. A bullet ripped a bright red hole in the center of the guard’s forehead, and he crumpled to the floor.

  The patrons all screamed...

  Bruiser let the screams fade to whimpers.

  “Gu
aranteed,” Bruiser said with a chuckle, whipping his head around and bowing slightly as if he were an actor on stage and the bank’s patrons his adoring audience.

  ...Just as the counters on the registers all reached zero.

  “Time!” Bruiser yelled as he glared over at his Decoders. “Let’s go!”

  And out they went. The entire operation took less than a minute.

  They filed back into the bus and roared off the curb. Into the heart of Boston’s afternoon traffic.

  But little did they know their every move was being watched. By a man scaling a skyscraper—

  In New York City.

  CHAPTER 2

  NEW YORK.

  09:35AM

  The man called Lantern adjusted his foothold. His eight-hundred-foot-high foothold. His real name was Diego Alvarez, but no one called him that anymore. As far as the rest of the world outside of his team was concerned, Diego Alvarez died ten years ago.

  Clad in a brown leather bomber jacket and dark jeans, he wore a helmet that looked like a cross between something a motorcycle rider and an astronaut would wear. The helmet was quite possibly the most sophisticated visual scanning device on the planet.