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Published: 2012-04-06 17:37:29 +0000 UTC; Views: 20305; Favourites: 330; Downloads: 0
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A story set in the setting/location.This render done by one of the most amazing artists on DA, the awesome If you haven't already visited his gallery, you are really missing out on something special. My personal thanks to him for creating this truely fantastic render for this story.
Ultrawoman is property of and is used with permission.
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Angel Falls
Old Port Sector
Universal Omnitech Cargo Distribution Facility 3
1420 Hours Local Time
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Angel Falls’ Old Port sector; once a blighted area of antiquated and decaying piers, dilapidated warehouses, and condemned row houses and flophouses. Advances in shipbuilding and shipping lanes clogged with decades of sediment had reduced the amount of waterborne cargo traffic to levels that prevented the port from sustaining itself financially. The loss of revenue started the decline of the area and had been a major blow to the fortunes of the city. All that had changed in an instant when the mysterious tidal wave struck the city several years ago. Like the hand of an angry maritime god, the wave had laid waste to the area. Initially it appeared the area had been dealt a blow from which it would never recover. But salvation appeared in the form of the Universal Omnitech mega-corp and its CEO Randall McNeil. The mega-corp immediately began to buy up devastated properties, assuming all the costs for clean up and recovery. The generous terms offered by Omnitech guaranteed that affected property owners raced to take advantage of the mega-corp’s largess.
While the move earned Universal Omnitech a windfall of positive PR and local good will, economic experts predicted the massive expenditure of capital funds to acquire relatively worthless property would lead to ruin for the mega-corp. Those same experts all had to eat their words when in the months after the disaster oceanographic surveys revealed the tidal wave’s out-flow had scoured the shipping channel’s clean of sediment and debris. In a matter of minutes, the wave had accomplished what would have taken otherwise taken years and millions if not billions of dollars to do. Universal Omnitech suddenly found itself owning the majority of what was now prime commercial waterfront property. With a speed that astounded even the most jaded of observers Universal Omnitech moved in to begin construction of new state of the art docks and cargo handling facilities. In little over a year after ‘The Wave’ a city eyesore had been reborn as a gleaming port facility that had set the standard for the industry. The rebuilding was done completely with corporate funds, allowing the city to save its funds for other projects. City leaders were thrilled at the prospect of being able to collect taxes and tariffs without having to invest any of the city’s budget into the rebuilding process. Angel Falls also benefited from the immediate drop in unemployment. The massive construction projects were a godsend to local construction firms. Support industries ramped up as new buildings and piers were built with amazing speed. Hundreds of dockworkers returned to jobs they once thought had been lost forever.
The other companies quickly realized that Universal Omnitech now possessed the prime access for all sea borne trade entering and leaving the city. In a surprising move Omnitech did not press its advantage. The trade deals made to arrange access to Universal Omnitech’s docks were generally regarded as extremely fair. CEO Randall McNeil explained that increased trade would benefit everyone. This long-sighted view earned the mega-corp even more positive P.R. and good will from the denizens of the city. The other businesses had little to complain about from the arrangements. Other than the occasional grumbling about Universal Omnitech’s ships receiving head of the line privileges, the new docks of Angel Falls were soon running smoothly and moving record amounts of cargo and materials. Still, the other mega-corps weren’t entirely comfortable with Universal Omnitech’s near monopoly on deep-water access to the shipping lanes. For this reason Stranger Industries, Nova-Gen Technologies, Yoyodyne Industries, and other corporations were pouring money into the construction of the artificial breakwater and piers at Olympus Harbor.
But for now, the Omnitech docks were still the major port facility in the city. Since so many different businesses used the piers and terminals there, it was not uncommon to see different corporations’ vehicles parked or lined up next to each other. That was probably the reason why a box truck with Stranger Industries markings aroused no suspicions as it sat parked just outside the fence at one of Universal Omnitech’s largest cargo terminals. If anyone had bothered to check its license plate it would have revealed the vehicle had been stolen from a Ryder truck rental facility in Ocean City three nights ago. Any person checking would have been even more surprised if they could have overheard the conversation taking place in the back of the cargo box.
“So all I have to do is press this green button?” Ultrawoman asked the truck’s other occupant.
Dark Star nodded. “Yes, that’s all. After that you have approximately 25 minutes of communication blackout to work with.”
“That should be sufficient. What is its range?” the blonde arch-villainess asked her lieutenant.
“Between 1.2 to 1.4 kilometers. That’s all I can give you with this size power cell. Any larger and it might be detected in case someone does a radiation scan,” Dark Star explained. “Hit the activation switch and any signal that is broadcast goes dark. Land lines will be less effected, but there will still be some disruption.”
Ultrawoman grinned a predatory grin. “And their communicators? They aren’t shielded or on some special frequency? If that four-armed busy-body made them we shouldn’t underestimate their tech.”
Dark Star’s smile matched Ultrawoman’s. “Not an issue. Kim Paler was kind enough to let me examine and test one that she recovered after a battle with their little pyromaniac. This targets their frequency specifically. Their encoding algorithm wasn’t too hard for the Belle’s computer to crack. Is the prime target on schedule?”
Ultrawoman picked up a data tablet and examined the screen. The LCD screen displayed an aerial view of Angel Falls. Deftly touching the small controls at the bottom of the tablet she caused the image to change as it zoomed in. Miles above in space, the main camera of a Soviet Volga class spy satellite adjusted the focus of its powerful lenses in response to the commands the blonde alien sent it.
Dark Star couldn’t resist laughing. “You know Olga would wet her gray burlap panties if she knew she is the one responsible for us having control of a Russian spy satellite. I’d tell her just to see the look on her face if I wasn’t sure that cunt Walkiria wouldn’t fly up and blast it down.”
Ultrawoman looked up and nodded. “Yes, that red-haired cow would do it in a heartbeat.” She had to agree with Dark Star. The Soviet Superwoman would be most distressed to learn that her ill-conceived attack on her own country had panicked the Russian government so much that they had contacted Ultrawoman with the offer of a bounty. The Russians were willing to make several concessions to enlist Ultrawoman’s help in eliminating the perceived threat they thought Olga represented. One of them was access to the data from the spy satellite the Russians had parked in geosynchronous orbit over Angel Falls to monitor their wayward heroine’s movements. Once Ultrawoman has working access codes, it was a simple matter to give them to Dark Star. Her lieutenant promptly went to work, introducing a computer virus that slowly overrode the Volga’s operating systems. To ground controllers it appeared as if the satellite’s systems were failing due to equipment malfunction. Dark Star’s program made sure any attempt to regain control of the spy satellite failed. After several months, the frustrated Russians declared the satellite dead and lost interest in it. They never suspected it had been sending them false telemetry and was in fact still fully functional. Even though the Russian government had cancelled the bounty on Olga’s head, Ultrawoman was still pleased at the new source of Intel at her command. She had used it to track and monitor the movements and activities of many of the city’s heroes, law enforcement, and military assets.
Entering more commands, the pad’s display highlighted several objects as she adjusted the level of magnification. “Prime target is starting her southern patrol leg and will be in range in 3 minutes. Great Maker, I love it when the fools are predictable!”
Dark Star clenched her fists, her eyes glowing with a pale violet light as she powered up. “Sounds like its party time. I’ll hit the hydrogen tanks Omnitech uses to refuel their fuel cell cranes and vehicles. That should get everyone’s attention.” Without another word, she shifted to her X-ray form and passed through the wall of the truck.
Ultrawoman watched her leave and smiled at her lieutenant’s enthusiasm. The Universal Omnitech facility had not been chosen at random. Besides its value as a high profile target that was sure to bring the Guardians running, it also served as the major distribution point for much of the anti-metahuman technology the mega-corp produced. Metahuman tasers and restraints, suppressor collars, and other assort gear used to capture and subdue metahumans were loaded onto the nearby trucks for delivery. The gear would be shipped by truck or ship to law enforcement agencies and prisons all over the world. Dark Star had jumped at the chance to destroy the tools of metahuman enslavement before they could be put to use.
A loud explosion followed by alarms signaled the start of the attack. Ultrawoman set the data tablet down and opened the back doors of the box truck. Dark Star was hovering inside the Universal Omnitech yard. Crimson energy beams shot out of her eyes to slice open another hydrogen storage tank. The energy beams cut through the metal walls of the tank and ignited the volatile gas instantly. A large orange fireball rose towards the sky as a blast of heat swept over the area. Ultrawoman took flight to join Dark Star, the roiling heat waves from the growing inferno making her hair seem to float around her head.
Dark Star turned to grin at Ultrawoman as she approached. “Oh the humanity!” she cried in mock horror as she surveyed her handiwork.
Ultrawoman chuckled at the joke. “A good start, but let’s really turn up the heat!” Turning to the right, Ultrawoman unleashed a powerful burst of her own ultravision. The magenta eyebeams struck a fuel truck carrying biodiesel. In a matter of seconds the tanker exploded in a type of explosion known as a “b.l.e.v.e” or “boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion”. As yet another massive fireball filled the air as flaming fuel fell all around.
Ultrawoman felt the bullets strike her side before she ever heard the shots. An Omnitech security jeep was racing towards the pair of villainesses, the gunner using a mounted machine gun as the driver swerved through flaming puddles of fuel. Ultrawoman’s expression grew stern as she dove towards the vehicle. The gunner tried to reacquire his target through the smoke, only to have her land feet first on hood of the jeep. Both security men were thrown forward violently as the hood crumpled and the engine was torn free of its mounting to fall to the asphalt under the jeep.
With less effort than a normal human uses to pluck a blade of grass Ultrawoman grabbed the smoking barrel of the vehicle’s machine gun and bent it upwards sharply. The driver managed to undo his seat belt and scrambled away from the ruined jeep. The gunner stared at Ultrawoman as he fumbled with the restraint buckle. “Nice jeep, I think I’ll take it,” Ultrawoman said as he finally unbuckled his safety belt. He continued to stare at her, as if he was uncertain what to do. He looked at the bent barrel and then back at Ultrawoman. “That’s means it’s time to run, Flat-scan. At least if you want to stand a chance of surviving this day!” the villainess warned.
The security guard’s mind finally processed what was happening. He leapt from the jeep and sprinted through the smoke and flames heading towards the main terminal building. Behind him Ultrawoman casually picked up the chassis of the jeep and hurled it towards some parked trailers. The automobile body tore through the trailers, destroying their contents and scattering debris. The Velorian criminal kicked the jeep engine block towards the main terminal building; the spinning hunk of metal narrowly missing the still-running security guard. The engine struck the wall of the main building, bursting through the wall in a shower of masonry and concrete.
Dark Star flew overhead, her fists blazing with purplish light as she unleashed a barrage of cosmic energy blasts that sent people running for cover. The energy blasts tore apart vehicles and cargo containers with ease as the scantily clad villainess laughed with evil glee. “Do you think we have their attention yet?” she asked Ultrawoman.
Ultrawoman spotted a group of security guards trying to set up some sort of large energy weapon. “Let’s make sure, then we can go to phase two,” she answered as she calmly lifted a large fork truck overhead and tossed it at the guards. The vehicle’s fuel cell ruptured as it sent guards’ bodies flying like bowling pins after a strike. The orange explosion destroyed the energy weapon as well as starting more secondary fires.
Dark Star smiled widely as she blasted another security jeep with a cosmic energy blast. “Ahh, it’s a good day to be a bad girl!” she shouted as she looked for more targets to destroy.
Continued at
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Comments: 57
JamesE82 [2012-04-06 17:51:04 +0000 UTC]
Russian technician: “Nyet, blasted satellite! It is space station Mir all over again…”
This one’s off to a great start!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Soviet-Superwoman [2012-04-06 17:46:22 +0000 UTC]
HOLY SMOKES! I love 's work! One day perhaps I can afford one myself!
The story is amazing and unexpected! I am looking forward to seeing where this is going!Ilsa Hauppman
"Well done ladies. The carnage is truly commendable."
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Teri-Minx In reply to Soviet-Superwoman [2012-04-06 18:17:16 +0000 UTC]
Dark Star
Shoot, I was hoping for a comment about Olga's gray burlap panties.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
avenger09 [2012-04-06 17:44:33 +0000 UTC]
Some days, you just want to blow shit up. Figures being evil, and super-powered would help with that.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
VKrull In reply to avenger09 [2012-04-06 17:49:28 +0000 UTC]
Ditto that. Hell...some of the heroes that I write for have a knack for doing that. Killer piece of art I must say. Very, Very well done.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
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