Tales From the Marvel Universe Neo

Issue 24

"The Emissary"

-----

The bald man carefully watched those around him as he sat at the north-easternmost library table, pretending to read. Books were lovely and enjoyable things, but he'd learned the contents of most of them already. More than once, the bald man could see that a person had noticed him watching them and shuddered a little. People in that section of the world didn't feel comfortable being watched, although the bald man could hardly help that. It was, after all, what he did.

It had been a while since the bald man had held a meeting with any of the other beings that he considered peers. He didn't typically compare notes with others because he'd always viewed observation as being the best way to gather information. In fact, he never interfered in the natural development of other races or other species. To do so would corrupt the results of his observations and make all of his findings meaningless. The bald man wasn't truly a human being, but he was a true scientist.

There were only a few beings who the bald man felt that he could interact with and not upset his own delicate research, and one of them was approaching him from the other side of the library. He was a man with thick, white hair and a mustache and like the bald man, he was a scientist obsessed with reliable results and gathering information. He also wasn't truly a human being, though that was the form he took while doing research on Earth. Unlike the bald man, however, the man in the mustache had no reservations about performing active tests on other life-forms. He was an experimental scientist, not merely an observational one.

In the past, the bald man and the stranger in the mustache had managed to gather different kinds of information. Each had a great deal of knowledge about biology, botany, physics, technology and so forth, but the real prizes had been in behavioral studies of other species. The stranger had a lot of information about the human desire to protect and fight; how people react in desperation, and the bald man had a lot of information about the peaceful tendencies to nurture and support, and the way that people grow in vanity, mistrust and corruption when the challenges are removed from their lives. Each had information that the other lacked about the nature of the soul. Regardless, they rarely compared notes; only when their two fields of interest crossed paths. They only really met to talk about pressure and desperation being visited upon more peaceful times.

"So you felt it too?" the bald man asked as soon as the stranger sat down.

"I detected it. Yes." the stranger replied, "The Emissary is here; on Earth."

"This bodes poorly for the humans." the bald man said, "I had hoped that Von Doom and a few of the others would have been able to resolve their differences by this point. Even if they all work together, their chances for survival are slim without some organizing factor. They need a brilliant intelligence to unite them all. I fear there's very little chance of that happening now. This may well be the end of the planet Earth."

"You still see the humans as a mere topic of interest;" the stranger replied, "a mere subject of study that it would be a shame to lose. I'm still convinced that the humans are belligerent and dangerous, and the last two years have only convinced me even more of the danger they pose. The humans have tapped into the power cosmic more than once already, and grown far more powerful than they should be for their level of development. Not only that, but the allies they've made among other peoples have only made them even more dangerous. Surely, the damage they're capable of doing isn't something that you can ignore."

"I'm not ignoring the damage they're capable of," the bald man replied, "but you must understand that the human species is capable of more than just damage. You and I could cause much damage, if we chose. Have we done so?"

"We are beings of a higher order." the stranger replied, but the bald man just shook his head sadly.

"Have you ever seen the ancient one with your own eyes?" the bald man asked simply, causing the stranger to flush slightly in something close to embarrassment.

"I need not have seen him to know that I am different from a mere human." the stranger said derisively, although the bald man's expression didn't change.

"Our differences from the ancient one are just as great." the bald man replied, smiling mischievously, "Do not misjudge your place in the universe. You and I are only scientists."

"You need not struggle to humble me." the stranger replied, "I know my role, and I know the role of the ancient one. Just because I'm willing to interact with my test subjects, don't assume that I'm overstepping my authority. When I say that we're a higher order of being than the humans, I'm only stating a fact."

"Is that your final analysis?" the bald man asked, still smiling, "Certainly, our powers are greater and our knowledge more extensive, but are we truly so much wiser or more advanced than the humans? Are we truly masters of ourselves any more than they are? Do we understand our feelings or our passions any more than the humans?"

"Yes." the stranger replied indignantly, "We understand the importance of searching for that knowledge. The humans lack the maturity needed to engage in such a search."

"Some do..." the bald man admitted, "but the ancient one is different, is he not? Unlike the humans, who live oblivious to their own needs in life, and unlike we, who seek to understand ourselves, for the ancient one, there is no mystery; no doubt. He knows his place in the universe and has made peace with it. I can't claim to have made that journey as he has, so I must view myself as a lesser being."

"I repeat myself..." the stranger said again after only a moment, "The humans are a dangerous, cowardly bunch. If the ancient one destroys them all, he'll have done me no injustice."

"In that case, I have one last thing to say." the bald man replied, "I'll take no action against the ancient one on mankind's behalf because to do so would be to go against everything that I believe in. However, if you choose to oppose the humans or try to use your powers to facilitate their destruction, I will break my oath in order to stop you."

In just another moment, both of those old, powerful beings vanished from the library, though the tension that had been building between them still hung in the air.

-----

"Beep-boop. Beep-boop. Beep-boop."

Slowly, Doctor Reed Richards opened his eyes as he listened to the rhythmic sound of the machines around him. He'd stayed up very late the night before tracking energy fluctuations in the Earth's atmosphere and fallen asleep at the work desk in the middle of his lab, which had been positioned right next to the large white board that Reed sometimes used for scribbling theoretical equations and diagrams on when he was trying to work out a particularly tough scientific problem. When he woke up at almost ten thirty at night, he nearly fell out of his lab chair in disorientation, but recovered after only a few seconds and regained his balance only a second after that by bracing one hand against the floor. It was only then that Reed started thinking clearly enough to realize that the beeping that had woken him hadn't been audible when he'd fallen asleep. In fact, only one machine in his lab made a sound quite like that.

At once, Reed Richards rushed to his feet and hurried over to the terragen beacon he'd designed Sure enough, a small red light on one side of the beacon was shining brightly as the sounds continued. Reed smiled eagerly at that moment. After months and months, there was finally a chance to to change his friend's appearance back to normal.

Once Reed had realized that the terragen mists were actually made from the same kind of energy that had once powered the alien devices that had turned Reed and his friends into the Fantastic Four, he'd known what to look for. With the alien machine in his possession, Reed had been convinced that he could unlock its secrets just by finding some way to reactivate it. The hard part of that plan was that no power source on Earth had been compatible with the machine. Reed's search for compatible power sources had led to his encounter with the inhumans and eventually, to create the terragen beacon; a device intended specifically to detect the energy-type that the terragen mists were composed of. If he could just find and harness that kind of energy, Reed knew, there was a chance to cure Ben and perhaps to discover even more about the strange, alien technology that had landed on Earth two years back. That could lead to incalculable advances in the scientific community. There were lots of things that Reed didn't know about the strange technology, but it was capable of changing the DNA of life-forms and traveling faster than light. If he could find some way to reverse-engineer it, the possibilities might very well be limitless.

However, once Reed had built the terragen beacon and turned it on, he hadn't been certain what else, if anything, to do. The beacon's job was to continue scanning the solar system for signs of terragen power until it found something, then display information about its findings. After the first twenty-four hours, however, it had become obvious that the only source of terragen power in the solar system belonged to the inhumans, and it was definitely off-limits. After he realized that, Reed had devoted a lot of his time to trying to create a synthetic terragen substitute for the alien machine to use. He'd known that it was probably going to wind up being a fruitless attempt, but it was something to do and it sort of made him feel like he was accomplishing something. For months, Reed's ill-fated attempts to duplicate the alien power source had dominated much of his free time, although he'd also managed to reserve some time for social activities with his friends. Reed's circle of friends basically amounted to Sue, Ben, Johnny and a few of the more socially-minded Avengers, but no matter how few friends a person has, friendships require effort. Reed had never been much of a social creature, but he'd gradually gotten used to the idea of socializing over time, and he was happy to find that Ben didn't feel slighted by his recent social activities. After all, Ben knew that Reed was still doing all he could to find a cure for his extremely strange condition. There was no point in harping on it anymore. In a sense, Ben had almost gotten used to his abnormal appearance.

Of course, Reed still had every intention of finding some way to help Ben return to normal. In fact, he viewed it as his most important job, but it wasn't all that he did. As he'd continued making attempt after failed attempt, his relationship with Sue had definitely improved. Their first date and been pretty strange, since it had been interrupted by a crime perpetrated by the Sandman and the Vulture, but once Reed and Sue had dealt with that problem, they had to admit that it had brought them closer than any night on the town could have. Helping people was a big responsibility to undertake as members of the Fantastic Four, but Reed had to admit that when he watched Sue in action; using her powers to down the Vulture with almost-embarrassing ease, it made him feel pretty good about her and about himself. The way that Sue had made a whole section of a building invisible, fooling the Vulture into a collision with it had been a stroke of brilliance, and most of the inhabitants of the restaurant had been rooting for them when Reed had finally cornered the Sandman, forcing him to retreat down a storm drain. It had hardly been a normal date, but it had been delightful in its own way. Reed had seen Sue's cleverness, cunning and proactive nature on that day, and she did it all for the people of the city. The armored car that the Sandman had been trying to rob and the policemen inside had been extremely grateful for their help, and Reed could tell that Sue felt a lot better, having helped them.

It had been those things about Sue Storm that had drawn Reed in, in the end; her love of both protecting and nurturing, and her proactive determination and great capability. Reed knew that he could depend on her, and he knew that if she ever got married some day, she'd be the best possible mother, but more to the point, Reed found Sue's cleverness and determination to be even more attractive than her appearance, and it seemed like she felt the same way about him. There was no point in trying to deny it; Reed was in love.

Reed had been somewhat afraid of falling in love for quite some time. He'd been worried that he'd be weakened by it somehow; that he'd get lost in his feelings and lose track of his experiments, but what he was starting to discover was that far from being weakened, he was finding a brand new kind of energy with which to pursue his research. His relationship with Sue Storm hadn't hurt him at all, and when Reed realized that, he knew that she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Reed had noticed his work getting easier as time had passed after that. With each new week that passed and each new outing the two of them went on together, Reed's own inspiration and drive kept increasing. At last, just a few nights before, Reed had noticed a fresh development of just the sort that he'd been waiting for. The terragen beacon had discovered numerous energy fluctuations all over the world, which had carried a faint trace of terragen energy. It wasn't much to go on, but it was still a step forward. Not a lot of energy had been used, of course. It couldn't possibly have accomplished much. Maybe, Reed thought, it was a simple communication of some kind, or maybe the aliens who'd created the machines were scanning planet Earth in search of them. Either possibility was a little worrying.

However, on the following night, the same thing happened again, except that the terragen energy signature lasted several minutes and was almost six times stronger. Reed wasn't sure what that energy had been intended to do, but it had been directed at all the same spots as the first energy fluctuations, which ruled out the possibility of a scan. If the aliens were trying to scan the planet, they would have scanned more than just a few dozen spots, and they would have used their scanning technology on new spots when they couldn't find what they were looking for instead of targeting the same places again. There was only one explanation for the behavior of the aliens. They were trying to communicate with several places on planet Earth.

The moment that conclusion had entered Reed's thoughts, he'd pulled up a global map on his computer and started pinpointing the different spots where the communication beams had hit. Only a few minutes into that project, however, Reed swallowed hard. One of the places that had been targeted was Castle Doom in Latveria.

Reed only took a few seconds to think about that. Maybe Doom had drawn the alien's attention somehow, but even once he had a list of names in front of him, Reed couldn't see the connection between them. All of them had been right at the center of those invisible energy fluctuations. What, Reed wondered, was the link between them?

Reed had attempted to trace the path of the terragen energy, but his scanning beacon only told him what he'd suspected at first; that the energy source was somewhere outside of Earth's solar system. Reed was intensely frustrated by that. With all the scientific advances he'd made over the past two years, the vast distance of open space was just as impenetrable a barrier as ever. Reed had discovered new types of synthetic energy, new energy conversion methods, new means of propulsion and more, but even if he's used all of that technology to build the best and fastest rocket that mankind had ever produced, it would still have taken ten thousand years to reach the star closest to Earth's sun. The speed barriers separating Reed from interstellar travel were as frustrating as ever, and there was no way that he could track something outside of Earth's solar system.

However, just then, as Reed had been woken by the sound of his machine, the readout he'd called up had given him the biggest news ever. There was an enormous, concentrated fluctuation of energy right in New York, and it wasn't diminishing. It was as if the very source of the terragen energy had descended to Earth; perhaps some kind of powerful reactor or even a life-form of immense power. There were numerous possibilities. Of course, it was possible that the alien was a great danger to the human race, but regardless, it was the chance that Reed had been waiting for; the opportunity to learn the secrets of the universe.

For a moment, Reed cursed himself for not having hired someone who could monitor the machines in his absence. None of his friends would have been able to understand the readouts unless he built a completely new interface for the device. Regardless, he wanted to track down that alien, and he wasn't about to stay home and monitor the equipment, even if it meant that the alien got away while he wasn't looking and he lost track of it.

"Sue! Ben!" Reed exclaimed as he burst into the main entertainment room of the Baxter Building, which the Fantastic Four were using as their base of operations, "Fantastic news! Incredible news!"

As Reed rushed into the room, Ben was seated on the couch, watching television and Sue was in an adjacent room, making a telephone call, however the moment that Reed made his announcement, Sue said "I'll call you back" into the phone and hung up, and Ben turned off the television with the remote, turning to face Reed in expectation and anticipation.

"Don't tell me..." Ben said with a smile on his face, "It's the energy, ain't it?"

"That's right." Reed replied with an even wider smile, "It seems like it might be the source of the terragen energy, Ben. It's here on Earth."

"Alright!" Ben exclaimed, great enthusiasm building in him as he got to his feet and headed over to where Reed was still holding the printed readouts, "So what're we waiting for?"

"Nothing." Reed replied, "I know where it is. All we have to do is track it down."

"Well, let's go!" Ben exclaimed as Sue emerged from the other room, having overheard everything that had just been said with some excitement of her own. She knew what it would mean for Ben to be able to look human again. It would be a happy day for her and for all her friends when Reed finally managed to accomplish that.

-----

Just a few months ago, Ben would have run for his seat in the fantasticar without pausing for a second, knowing what was at stake, but something within him had grown over that time. For a moment, he paused just as he was about to step into the fantastic four's short-range vehicle and looked around.

"Where's the kid?" Ben asked, trying his best to sound irritated, although Reed knew how Ben was really feeling. Ben Grimm wanted Johnny to be there when they made contact because deep down inside, he cared about his friend. Johnny and Ben bickered a lot, but more as a hobby than because they really disliked each other. In a sense, the two really were friends and cared deeply about each other, though neither one would have ever admitted it aloud.

"He's all the way across town." Reed replied, letting his expression go blank for a moment as he explained the bad news, "I sent a message to his beeper, but he might not be able to get back here on time even if he gets the message immediately."

At that point, however, Reed decided that it might be better to lower his voice for what he was about to say next.

"If we're going to find the energy source, we should probably move out right now, or it might get away. Of course, if you want to wait for Johnny, there's a risk, but..."

"Uh-uh. No way." Ben replied, forcing a smirk, though Reed could tell he felt pretty bad over Johnny's absence, "Just wanted to make sure the little squirt wouldn't get in our way. Let's go."

It was a lie, of course, and everyone on that rooftop knew it, but Reed understood that Ben could never admit to actually caring about the Human Torch; not even to his closest friends. It was one of the ways in which Ben expressed his pride in his masculinity, even though he looked more like a monster than a man. Reed could hardly fault him for clinging to what little pride he still had, when he looked at it a certain way.

As those thoughts filled Reed's head, he, Sue and Ben turned on the fantasticar and it rose up into the air, carrying them in the direction of the energy signature.

-----

"Um..." Peter Parker muttered as he tried his best to look at the shining figure, standing on its flying surfboard in the middle of his room, "Welcome to Earth. Is there something I can do for you, mister...?"

"Emissary." the silver surfer replied, "You can call me Emissary. It's the closest word your language has for my function. I'd like you to help me understand the civilizations of man, clarifying any points I might not fully comprehend. I only ask this because I know that you're open-minded and trustworthy. I know that you'll listen to my words, where others might not."

Peter was definitely being put on the spot. Suddenly, a being from outer space had arrived in his bedroom and introduced itself, then asked him to show it around. Him; Peter Parker, not Spider-man. Suddenly, Peter was starting to get the distinct impression that as much good as Spider-man had done in his career, Peter Parker's responsibilities were starting to become even greater.

"You want me to show you around?" Peter asked, amazed.

"With your permission, I'd like you to guide me on a tour of your world. I have to ask that you don't try to deceive me. I need your full cooperation if your planet is going to have any chance for survival."

However, when the Emissary said that, Peter felt a horrible fear rising within him. Once again, the new arrival was making reference to the end of the world; a terrifying prospect for Peter Parker.

"I don't understand." Peter said, "Why are we in danger? What's threatening us?"

"There are things you don't understand," Emissary replied sadly, "and it's not necessary that you learn them. All you need to know is that you and everything you've ever known are in grave danger, and by assisting me, you may have a chance to avoid the extinction of your species."

For a moment, Peter thought about taking the alien at his word, but there wasn't really any chance of that happening. Peter was afraid, but he was also intensely curious, and he couldn't just assist an alien being without some kind of explanation.

"That's not good enough." Peter said finally, though he was having some difficulty seeing the Emissary through the bright light that its body was projecting. "If you want me to help you, I'll need some kind of explanation. We have to be able to deal with each other reasonably, unless there's some kind of pressing time limit I should know about."

For a moment, the Emissary seemed to have stopped to think, and he was clearly feeling a little sad when he replied to Peter.

"For so many years, I've been the messenger of desperation and tragedy." the Emissary said, "I'd almost forgotten what courtesy sounds like. I apologize for hesitating to tell you the truth. I have no desire to keep secrets from you, but I hadn't wished to burden you with thoughts and realities beyond the knowledge of your species. Also, I suppose I've been trying to avoid getting attached to you, Peter Parker. You're a civilized man, and I respect that."

Peter just nodded, pleased that the Emissary seemed to be changing his mind.

"Since this universe began, a mere thirteen and a half billion years ago," the Emissary explained, "certain rules have governed it; laws that no mortal or immortal can undermine. One of those is the life cycle that governs the universe; the way in which matter and energy are redistributed throughout existence to establish a firmer balance within galaxies and star systems. On a planetary scale, the life cycle exists to allow each new generation of animals and plants to eat and grow, being replenished and sustained from the previous generation. A similar law exists on an interstellar level, in which the energy of old stars and star systems is used to form new ones once their time has passed. Do you understand all of this?"

To most people, the Emissary's words would have sounded like mere abstractions, but Peter Parker was a science student, and he knew the truth. Animals did indeed eat one another to survive, and the lifespans of stars were definitely limited. Peter just nodded, giving the Emissary the chance to speak again.

"There's another life cycle that you should know about; the life cycle of the universe. When the universe was created, energy was needed in order to sustain it, so two forces were created in order to balance that energy. The first force was Neriad; a being whose very existence hinges on his ability to draw forth energy and send it out into the universe. The second force is known as Galan; the ancient one, who consumes that energy once it has served its purpose, returning it to the place from which Neriad draws his power. In order to ensure that Galan fulfilled his function, the creator of the universe gave him a great hunger that weakens him unless he feeds on vast energies. Unless he performs the duty for which he was created, Galan is consumed by suffering, and in time, might even die. If he ever died, he would be incapable of performing his cosmic function."

It was already becoming obvious that Galan and Neriad were powerful and significant enough that Peter could barely imagine them, but he was starting to get a general picture of the cosmic cycle that the Emissary was describing.

"So..." Peter said, "Just out of curiosity, let's say one of them didn't do what they were supposed to..."

"If Neriad stopped performing his function, the energy would, in time, be drained from existence, causing all of existence to fade away into nothingness." the Emissary explained, "If Galan were to stop what he does, then the energy within the universe would build and build, until the entire universe ruptured, falling apart like an exploding balloon. In either case, all that exists would be lost."

"What if they both stopped at the same time?" Peter asked, though he was pretty sure he wasn't going to like the answer.

"Then the energy within the universe would remain static and start to stabilize into a less-active form within a few thousand years." the Emissary replied, "Stars would blink out, planets would lose their cohesion and the tension within molecules would cease to exist. In the end, all that would be left of the universe would be a mist-like cloud of ambient energy floating through the cosmos."

"So both of them have to keep going if they want the universe to keep going." Peter concluded a little despondently.

"Yes." the Emissary replied, "The two of them are like the breath of the universe itself; Neriad breathing in, and Galan breathing out. They aren't the only beings to bare such a monumental and essential task, but they need to continue as they have for ages, or everything would be destroyed. As I'm sure you've guessed already, I serve the being known as Galan, who consumes sources of energy in order to maintain the balance of the universe. He can draw energy from everything that exists; chemical energy, the energy of motion, heat, light, radiation, and in the end, the very energy of tension that causes matter itself to exist."

"That'd be pretty scary if it weren't so important." Peter replied with a smile, but the Emissary wasn't smiling.

"You and your people have every right to be afraid of Galan, whether his role is important or not." the Emissary said, looking a little upset, "Galan may not know what it means to be mortal, but I do. I can relate to your plight; the terrible danger that you're all in."

"Yeah..." Peter said, feeling a little lost for the moment, "So what's the deal with that, anyway? I mean, what kind of danger are we in?"

The Emissary still looked very upset, but after a few seconds, he spoke again, as somber and serious as ever.

"Galan requires such an immense amount of energy that there's only one way that he can get it. He uses his power to drain away every form of energy from moons, planets, stars... Even whole solar systems."

Peter Parker swallowed when the Emissary said that. He had an unpleasant feeling that he knew where their discussion was headed.

"To travel to star systems in search of energy consumes a great deal of Galan's own power cosmic, however." the Emissary continued sadly, "Galan needed someone who could travel the stars without needing to use as much power as him, and that's my function. Because of my small size and relative lack of complexity and power, I can scout a hundred star systems using the same amount of energy that Galan himself would need to scout only one. My duty is to find star systems that are rich in energy and report my findings to Galan. He then journeys to that star system and feeds on everything in it until nothing remains. That's the nature of the danger that the human species now faces."

"Wait a minute..." Peter muttered, suddenly feeling terrified, "You mean this Galan guy just gobbles up whole planets and stars like french fries?"

"Essentially." the Emissary replied.

"And now he's coming here?" Peter asked, his fear still growing.

"No." the Emissary said, "At least not yet. Galan will come only if I signal him that I have found a star system rich in energy."

For several moments, Peter's head was reeling. There was something about the strange alien's voice and appearance that banished all doubt from his mind. Galan was a danger to the planet Earth and the entire solar system. Peter Parker knew, however, that the alien wouldn't even have been talking to him if he'd already made up his mind about whether to summon Galan or not.

"So the big guy just goes wherever you say?" Peter asked, after thinking about it for a few moments, "Anywhere? You call, he comes?"

The Emissary still didn't smile as he replied to that, however.

"Galan depends on me to provide him with knowledge of the local star systems. In that sense, I do have a great deal of sway over where he goes and what he devours. I've used than influence more than once to direct him towards star systems that lacked intelligent life."

"So couldn't you just do the same thing here?" Peter asked, growing more worried despite all that he'd just been told, "Why are we in so much danger?"

"There are other factors to consider." the Emissary replied testily, "When I've guided Galan to other star systems in the past, there have always been sufficient nutrients there to distract him from the ones on the civilized worlds. Look at your star system, though. Can you honestly tell me that it isn't rich in energy? Your sun is strong and healthy and it's orbited by numerous planets, many of them enormous and rich with chemical nutrients. The asteroid belt orbiting just beyond Mars contains greater concentrations of mass-based energy than any I've ever seen around a star. Even your planet Earth has such a vast diversity of minerals that it alone could make his trip here worthwhile. To Galan, this star system of yours would be a feast unlike any other. If I deceive him about it, and he learns the truth, I risk suffering his wrath, and worse; earning his distrust in the future. If that happened, he would become suspicious of my reports and wouldn't be so easy to coerce. Then I'd lose all future influence over him; every bit of power that I once had."

"Can't you just tell him that there's intelligent life here?" Peter asked, but the Emissary shook his head.

"I can't think of a worse tactic." the Emissary replied, "To Galan, life is simply another source of energy, and your people are meaningless and make no cosmic difference. He made peace long ago with the idea of consuming entire species in order to maintain the universal balance. He would view you as less than ants, if he deigned to view you at all. Most likely, my objections would be met with simple disinterest."

Peter swallowed hard when he heard that. From the sounds of things, there wasn't much chance for the planet Earth.

"My immortal soul encourages me to protect your star system for the sake of the planet Earth and its inhabitants," the Emissary explained, "but I can't ignore the risks. If I try to defend you and fail, it might make it impossible for me to save others, costing many trillions of lives throughout the cosmos. This is a very difficult decision, and I prefer not to make choices like this without first considering all the facts. That's the reason why I probed your world and that's the reason why I've asked you to give me a tour. I want to observe the way that humans live, from the mighty to the meek. I'm searching for something to convince me that your species is worth taking such a massive risk for. I don't like thinking of things in that way, but I don't see how I can think otherwise. I was born on a world where technology was built to coexist with nature and peace and happiness reigned for a hundred thousand years. Show me your people so that I can judge whether they can be like the people of my world some day."

At that point, the Emissary fell silent, and Peter Parker felt more nervous than ever. So that had been the reason why the alien had come to him. It was trying to determine the worth of human beings as a whole. Peter wasn't a pessimist, but he'd seen "The Day the Earth Stood Still." He had a feeling that a tour of the planet wouldn't compliment mankind at all.

"Can you read computer files?" Peter asked, curiously.

"I can access any file on any of your computers anywhere in the world with my power cosmic. I simply use that cosmic energy to make physical contact with the electrical switches that you call bits. Then, by determining their shape, the program takes form in my mind."

"Maybe we could just use the internet to take a tour of the world..." Peter suggested, but the Emissary shook his head sadly.

"Your idea, while simple and quick, is self-defeating, I'm afraid." the Emissary explained, "Besides, I've been processing the internet since before I arrived. I learned your language through internet dictionaries and encyclopedias, but I'm afraid that most of what I found in computers was... unwholesome. If I were to take action based on the internet, I'd alert Galan to the existence of your solar system. However, it would be unfair to judge people based on electronic transmissions alone. I suspect that the picture of mankind that I've received has been incomplete so far."

"Processing the internet?" Peter asked, amazed, "Are you a machine?"

The Emissary looked surprised by the question, but quickly shook his head, smiling.

"The armor that covers my body is made of a network of microscopic machines that interlock over each other. They protect me from both the most terrible cold and the worst heat, and of course, from physical impact, but they also function as a network of what you'd call super-computers, and they can process the combined data of an entire world in moments, feeding it directly into my mind."

"That's amazing..." Peter said, fascinated, "How do you manage to power something like that?"

"The power transmitter is in my board, but if need-be, I can use my own power cosmic instead."

"Emissary..." Peter said at last, hoping that one more question wouldn't be too far out of line, "What's the power cosmic, exactly?"

The Emissary looked a little started by the question for a moment, but decided to reply honestly.

"The power cosmic is the purest form of energy in the universe. It's energy removed from the universe and reintroduced by a being whose function is to handle that energy. Its relationship to normal energy is not unlike energy's relationship to matter in that it produces all things about energy that give it power and make it tangible. It can also be used to change the shape of energy, and thus matter if one wields it skillfully enough."

Peter wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. The Emissary was describing aspects of science that even the best scientists on Earth would have been hard-pressed to understand. Peter was a good science student for the most part, but it was hard to grasp some of those concepts. He felt a little out of his league in more ways than one.

"How much time do we have for the tour?" Peter asked curiously.

"No longer than three weeks." the Emissary replied, "At that time, Galan will enter this galaxy, and yours will by one of the first star systems he passes by. To be safe, I'd prefer if our tour took less than two and a half weeks."

"It's just that I was wondering if we could maybe postpone this until tomorrow." Peter said carefully, "I've got a weekend coming up, and I need to get some sleep."

"I see no reason to delay the tour." the Emissary replied, "Surely, no other concern of yours exceeds this one in importance."

"No. It's not that." Peter said, "It's just that humans need to rest sometimes in order to stay at their best. Otherwise, we get tired and can't think straight."

However, as Peter was saying that, something started to happen that was worrying him. The Emissary's aura of light was fading, revealing his silver armor and instead of shining from his whole body, the light began to emerge from his eyes and hands alone. In a single motion, the Emissary aimed one hand at Peter, palm out, and he was bathed in a blinding beam that covered him all over. It had been a long time since Peter had been quite that scared. Even considering all the powers that he had as Spider-man, he couldn't have defended himself from the Emissary. In a second, that beam of light had covered him and he could feel it inside of him, altering him; changing him somehow. Peter wasn't sure what that change would mean at first. It felt strange, but it wasn't a feeling that he could describe. As the light faded, however, and Peter found himself still in one piece, he started to realize what the alien had just done. His whole body felt vibrant and tireless, as if he'd just worked half a day and was at his best, full of energy and in no danger at all of falling asleep.

"As I understand it..." the Emissary said as Peter felt himself over in awe, "Your exhaustion is caused by a simple chemical imbalance that builds in your body over time. I've used my power cosmic to correct that imbalance for now. There is no reason not to begin immediately."

For a moment, a hundred thoughts and excuses raced through Peter's head; a hundred ideas for how to escape from the huge responsibility that he was being faced with to the Emissary and to all of humanity. However, as Spider-man, Peter had faced dangers that were just as great in the past, and when his feelings and thoughts stopping racing, he realized that there was only one thing that he absolutely needed to do before going with the silver surfer.

"In that case, can I have five minutes to make a call?" Peter asked, "I just have a couple of things I have to say to a friend. Then I can go wherever you want."

The Emissary seemed disappointed for a moment, but he recovered his composure quickly.

"Five minutes isn't a problem." he said, trying to smile just a little, "I'll meet you back here at that time."

In just a second, the ceiling had started to ripple again and the Emissary rose up on his board, passing through the once-solid surface as if it were a liquid substance. In only a moment, he'd vanished just as he'd arrived.

Once the Emissary was gone and Peter was alone again, his thoughts were racing. For a moment, he started to consider the options he had. Should he tell the alien that he was Spider-man? It might be easier than letting everyone know that Peter Parker was the alien's guide. Then again, even if it was easier for him, the Emissary might not take it well. As far as Peter could tell, the Emissary hadn't kept any secrets from him yet, and asking him to help maintain Peter's secret identity might not be so easy. Maybe he wouldn't even be willing to keep the secret. Then there was the possibility that the Emissary wouldn't even understand the secret, or the need for secrets in general. He might see them as just like lies; a barrier to doing the right thing. Peter swallowed hard. As much as he hated the idea, he was the silver surfer's new tour guide. He didn't have any choice but to take up that role and hope he did well in it. Once Peter had accepted that, all that was left to worry about was the call that he had to make.

Quickly, Peter seized a small device from inside his bag. The device was built to look like an ordinary beeper, and there was nothing on it to indicate otherwise. Quickly, Peter pushed the button on top of the machine and spoke calmly and evenly into it.

"JJJ five-ten-four. This is Spider-man."

Almost at once, the voice of Widow replied from the machine, perfectly even and calm. Spider-man thought, for a moment, that maybe Widow hadn't realized what had just happened based on that, but then, Widow never panicked over anything.

"What's your situation, Spider-man?" Widow asked.

"I think this one might be pretty big." Spider-man tried to explain, "There's this alien here, and... He's got really advanced technology."

"Understood." Widow replied without a seconds hesitation, "Is he hostile?"

There had been so little surprise in Widow's voice that Spider-man wasn't sure what to think. She was professional to a fault. It was a little tough to cope with.

"No. Not at all." Spider-man replied, "But he says there's another alien; a more powerful one who wouldn't mind destroying the whole world. He says he wants me to take him on a tour of the planet to prove mankind's worth to survive or something like that. I wish I had more time to explain it."

"Is he aware of your other identity?" Widow asked.

Of course, Peter felt like he was being put on the spot again. Widow was the only member of the Avengers who knew his secret identity, and he had no desire to see that number grow.

"Is anybody else there?" Peter asked nervously.

"No." Widow simply replied.

"The truth is, he came to me as Peter Parker." Peter said, "I think it's the same alien who sent me those e-mails I told you about. I doubt he knows I'm Spider-man."

"He wants you to guide him as Peter Parker?" Widow asked, finally sounding a little surprised, "Strange, but not impossible. What kind of help do you need?"

"I don't know what to do." Peter said, starting to get more worried as he spoke, "Can't you give me some kind of advice or something?"

"For the moment, I'd go along with his plan, but be sure to let us know if the alien makes any hostile moves or expresses any desire to speak with representatives. Then we can take over. One last thing. Do I have your permission to reveal your identity to the other Avengers?"

"No!" Peter replied quickly, "Don't you dare! I have enough problems right now to..."

"Suit yourself," Widow replied quickly, "but it would have been easier to plan our next move if I could explain my source of information on the alien. For that matter, I wish you had time to tell me more."

"Well, I didn't plan all this out." Peter replied with a frown, "It just kind of happened."

"Good luck, then." Widow replied, terminating the transmission from her end and leaving Peter alone with his problems again. Quickly, he stuffed the transmitter into one of his pockets, hoping that the silver surfer wouldn't notice it in a few more seconds, when he returned.

Sure enough, the surfer was punctual, descending through the ceiling again, just as he had before, almost precisely five minutes after he'd left.

"Have you made your call?" the Emissary asked as the ceiling re-solidified behind him. Peter just nodded. For once, he wouldn't have known what to say.

"In that case, please get on my board." the Emissary said, making no effort to keep from looking morose, "There's a great deal that we need to see."

Slowly, cautiously, Peter did as he was told, stepping onto the large, flat surface on the front of the board. He was surprised to find that the board felt extremely solid and dependable, in spite of the fact that there wasn't anything holding it up in the air. It didn't give even an inch as he climbed on, and when it finally starting moving again, rising up towards the ceiling, there was almost no resistance at all in the air. It was as if the board wasn't even moving, or rather, it was as if the board itself had its own source of gravity, and Peter had been completely separated from the gravity of the Earth. It was incredible, but sure enough, Peter reached one hand underneath the board and found, to his amazement, that his hand was drawn to the bottom of the board when he did that. He wouldn't have been surprised to find that he could have stood on it upside-down, even without using his spider-powers, although he wasn't about to try it.

In a second, the board, the surfer and he; Peter Parker had passed right through the once-solid roof and were off through the air in a burst of speed. Peter could tell that the board had started moving at over a hundred miles an hour because of how fast things were passing by, but there wasn't any other sign of speed. The air around the board and its passengers seemed to be moving with them, following them as they traveled. It was as if something was protecting the board and its passengers, both from the loss of balance that would normally occur during such a trip and from the gusts of wind and small particles in the air which, at the speed they were going, would have been a real hazard. The long and short of it was that they were traveling with breathtaking speed, and yet to Peter it still felt just like standing in the middle of his bedroom. If he'd closed his eyes, he probably could have fooled himself into thinking that he wasn't moving at all, although he wasn't about to do that either.

After a few moments, however, Peter was able to summon the courage to stand upright on the board, at which point it started traveling even faster, although there still wasn't any loss of balance or wind resistance to speak of. Somehow, the silver surfer was using his powers to prevent that. However, after about thirty seconds of flying at that speed through the lower atmosphere, Peter had to ask a question.

"Where are we going?"

"At this point, nowhere." the Emissary replied, "We'll continue flying like this until you get used to the idea of navigating at this speed."

That, of course, was the real challenge; not just getting comfortable with flying around at breakneck speed, but learning to recognize and respond to land marks extremely rapidly. Geography wasn't Peter's strong suit, but after about five minutes, he'd started to recognize the passing landscape, and in a few more seconds, he was sure that he knew where he was.

"Now what?" Peter asked, a little confused.

"Now the tour begins." the Emissary simply said, but that wasn't what Peter had wanted to know at all.

"If you want me to guide you someplace to see something, that's fine." Peter said, "I can do that, but I need to know what you want to see specifically. We can't go to every single town on Earth and examine every aspect of it in just two and a half weeks. That isn't reasonable, even if we never sleep.”

By that time, the board's forward motion had stopped completely, though again, there was no pulling sensation to indicate that it had moved at all. Clearly, the Emissary was trying to think of some way to shorten the tour.

"Since your species honors concepts of possession, I need to examine your poor, your rich, intelligent scientists, wise spiritual leaders, the religious, atheists, the state of your business world and lastly, your national leaders and the structure of your governments. I need to understand how these things work in all of the major societies on your world."

Even that was a tall order, but it did limit what had to be done. Unfortunately, it meant crossing a lot of borders illegally, but some things were just that important.

"In that case, let's start with New York." Peter said with a smile, "You can find most of those things right here."

In just a few seconds more, the tour began.

-----

Peter hadn't been sure how to deal with the new responsibility he'd been handed at first, but once he got out into New York with the silver surfer, things became progressively more complicated. For one thing, he and the surfer were seen together in public by numerous people. None of them recognized him, because New York was a big city and Peter didn't know too many people, but he knew that it was going to make life more complicated from then on. Whether he liked it or not, Peter Parker's face was going to be somewhat renowned from that day forward.

Secondly, the surfer seemed to like asking Peter a lot of questions about what he'd observed, and Peter had to admit that although he was good with science, there were a lot of things about life that he didn't understand and couldn't explain to the Emissary. The first place that he'd been asked to visit, for instance, was a bad neighborhood in which a lot of poor people lived in shabby apartments that they were having trouble paying for because they couldn't afford to get jobs. Peter overheard one girl in particular saying that she was afraid of even trying to get a job; that she might lose her source of income if she did, but when the surfer asked Peter why that was, he couldn't answer. He'd lived with his aunt and uncle for most of his life, so he hadn't faced housing problems before and thanks to his association with the Avengers, he might never have to face them at all. There were things about poverty in America that Peter just didn't know. For a moment, he almost wished that Doctor Doom was there. He would have been able to answer all of the surfer's questions about poverty. Then again, his presence came with risks of its own. Peter wouldn't actually have chanced having Doom around during such a delicate diplomatic attempt with a new, alien form of life.

The tour of the city continued for hours as the two of them visited many places; temples, churches, labs, workplaces open during late hours; even people's homes. Peter didn't like eavesdropping because he knew better than most that some secrets should be kept, but it seemed that the surfer had no problem with listening in on the personal lives of others, and a few of the things they said to one another made Peter's job even harder, because they drew further questions from the surfer.

Why had that man cursed so often? Why had that woman been so testy? Why was that child encouraged in such irresponsible and lazy behavior? The more questions that Peter failed to answer to the being's satisfaction, the greater an emotional wall seemed to be building between the surfer and the guide he'd chosen. Even when the surfer had been examining scientists, he'd seemed more concerned with the personal conduct of the scientists and with their scientific ethics than with any advancements they might be making. Scientific experiments and the technology of the people on Earth didn't seem to hold the Emissary's interest. At last, after a while, the surfer simply floated in the air above New York, with some kind of invisible force surrounding his board that drew in sound waves from below. To Peter, the sounds were all a jumble, but the Emissary seemed to get something out of them. Just as Peter's wristwatch told him that it had turned ten thirty-one in the evening, the surfer straightened up to his full height and started to glow again, although not as brightly as he had earlier.

"There are a few more things that I need to ask before we move on." the surfer said, and in a second, Peter heard the sound of a man's voice, clear and free of clutter, speaking as if he were very nearby.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure there's a purpose to it all. We just don't know what it is yet."

Then another person's voice was heard, clear as a bell, though it was rough and angry.

"Man, what a dumb thing to say. It's just a rotten situation. You can't magic that away. Stupid religious fanatic."

"What?" the first voice asked, "What did you say? I didn't say anything about religion! Why do you have to go insulting people for no reason?"

"You don't have to say it. Everybody knows. They all agree with me too. That's why none of them ever want to talk to you."

There was uncomfortable silence for a couple of seconds, then the first voice spoke up again.

"That isn't how you really feel, is it?"

After another brief hesitation, a third voice spoke up; clearly female.

"Well, no. I... I mean I don't mind talking to people no matter what they're like, but... Well, you make me uncomfortable sometimes. All that stuff you... Well, it's not what you say. It's just that everybody knows that you... Well, you know. I heard you went to church the other day."

"And the week before that, and the one before that." the first voice replied, "What's wrong with that?"

"Well, I just... It makes me a little uncomfortable when... I mean, I feel like you're judging me sometimes... Like I can't just do what I want."

"Just because I think some things are wrong doesn't make me judgmental." the first voice said, but it was plain that neither of the other two were willing to listen to his objections.

"I'm sorry... I have to go." the girl replied, and in a moment, Peter could hear her footsteps.

A moment later, another set of footsteps receded into the distance and Peter started to hear another sound, a sound that came across as being a lot like miserable whimpering.

At last, the sounds came to an end, and the silver surfer sighed, looking at Peter from the other side of the board with an expression of sorrow on his face.

"Explain it."

Peter wanted to cry himself. The fact was, it sounded like a workplace conversation or an argument in the hall of a college somewhere, and it didn't sound all that strange or alien. Peter had heard similar things in his own life, though not to that degree. A large number of people in that area of the world had fallen into the belief that nothing one did was truly wrong, just bad for some people and good for others. That belief had grown in strength and influence as more and more people had desperately wanted it to be true. After all, if it were true, then they could pretty much do whatever they wanted and blame the consequences on someone else. Peter was very much convinced that that mentality was responsible for a lot of the crimes he'd needed to stop recently, but he couldn't have explained it all to the Emissary, even though he understood it.

The fact of the matter was that not only were lots of people in the modern world worshiping themselves, their desires and their feelings, but they were treating everyone who didn't with scorn and elitism, persecuting them for their beliefs, whether those beliefs were fully expressed or not. It wasn't that Peter didn't understand the problem, but he didn't have any way to explain it without admitting that some people were simply foolish and enjoyed putting others down.

"I wish I could." Peter said at last.

"Really?" the Emissary asked frankly, "No explanation? These are your people; the people who live within a mile of your home. You've lived among them your whole life. You truly can't say anything in their defense?"

However, Peter couldn't even bring himself to reply to that. As a super-hero, Peter saved people's lives, and they tended to be grateful to him more often than not. For a while, that fact had made it easy for him to ignore the social and interpersonal problems spreading through the populace, but when he was really confronted with those problems, Peter realized that they made it very difficult to defend the worth of mankind. He just had to hope that the surfer would get a better impression from other areas of the world.

However, they weren't moving yet. In a moment, another voice was heard throughout the air all around Peter and the Emissary. The voice belonged to a woman from the sound of it, and she was very upset over something.

"What? But you told me I'd get the funding by today. It's today. Where is it?"

"Look Amy..." a male voice replied, "I've been trying and trying, but I just can't get them to agree to anything like what you've been proposing."

"You told me you could convince them once they saw my findings."

There was silence for several seconds, and when the man finally replied, there was miserable sadness in his voice.

"The truth is, Amy, I think most of them don't even want to listen to your ideas."

There was more silence for about half as long before the man continued.

"Amy, I was sure when you showed me that stuff because I've been working on the practical end of things for years, and I know what a big breakthrough this could be. There could be millions of dollars worth of practical applications. I mean, this is something that could change the world. I think that for people like us, who actually enjoy accomplishing things, that's enough, but boards of directors don't work in practical fields. They manage economics, and they don't make their choices based on findings or evidence. They make them based on how they feel. I brought this to them and they barely even looked at it. To them, radio waves are for sensing things and sending signals. They don't want to accept that they could be used to heal people. Plus, I think they may be getting some pressure from the government not to do research on potential medical cures unless it involves stem cells."

"But that's crazy!" Amy exclaimed, "It's like that obsession with alchemy during the dark ages! You know nothing ever came of it. People spent hundreds of years trying to find some way to use a stupid fake science to turn lead into gold, and in the end, all it did was hold them back. The same thing is happening now. When I'm so close to a breakthrough in physics using radio waves, why can't I see that through? Are you telling me that they won't fund my research because I'm not discovering the breakthroughs they want? Are they punishing me because real science isn't what they want it to be?"

"Amy... Listen..." the voice at the other end said, "It's not right. It's not fair. I know. But you have to calm down. Believe me, if you go running into a board meeting calling everyone crazy and saying you're not going to take it anymore, it wouldn't help your case. They'd probably try to have you arrested and you'd lose your credibility in the scientific community."

"I've already lost all my credibility in the scientific community for trying to be scientific." Amy replied bitterly.

"Look, maybe I can't help you," the male voice said, "but I think I can get you in touch with someone who can. I heard there was some research like this being done over at Stark Industries, and they might listen to your idea. Mister Stark's a reasonable guy. He's a scientist himself, in fact."

"He's a weapons designer." Amy replied angrily.

"He funds the Avengers." the male voice said.

"I guess I could give it a shot." Amy admitted after pausing for a few seconds, "I don't like this, though, Hal. I've already gone to over two dozen companies in the New York area alone and they all gave me the same answer you did. None of them wants anything to do with legitimate science."

The conversation probably continued after that, but the voices faded at that point. Once again, the surfer looked sadly at Peter and said "explain it."

However, Peter couldn't give an explanation for what he'd heard that didn't sound incriminating to mankind. Hopelessness, stagnation, desperation and loss were far from rare in the world, and anything that threatened to make the world any better was either rejected by the rich without a full hearing or else embraced by rich and poor alike without bothering to study it objectively. In the business world, there was much drive, much energy, much enthusiasm... Only rarely was there hard, reliable data on what was being bought, sold and traded. Once again, people worshiped themselves and their feelings, leaving solid logic and plain common sense to rot in the dust at their feet, and people who tried to pick that logic up were excluded, scorned and in time, ruined. That had been the case for far too long. When Professor Albert Einstein had developed the theory of special relativity, he'd needed to do it without any funding or assistance, and without having even been given the chance to work in the field he was best at. Since the Emissary had brought that to Peter's attention so directly and so specifically, he had to admit that it was virtually unforgivable. There was no way that Peter could explain it.

"I guess I'm not very good at this." Peter admitted at last, not even replying to what the surfer had said anymore, "You said I liked humans and was also intelligent, and maybe that's true, but it wasn't really because of anything people did to earn my trust. It's just that I have a pretty good sense of humor, so when bad things happen and other people cause them, I don't let it get to me. I just do my best to try to fix things, no matter what other people do or don't do. It's really all I can do. I'm only one person."

"Then despite your intelligence, you like other humans for no logical reason?" the Emissary noted.

Peter had to hesitate when he was asked that. He'd been trying to put it more delicately, but it was true that logic didn't play much of a role in Peter's desire to help others.

"I guess..." Peter just replied, "Maybe I just had to be smart enough to realize that I couldn't depend on the facts to cheer me up."

Of course, when Peter said that, he could tell that his situation hadn't improved any. The Emissary was becoming more and more distant, and he'd sounded almost as if he was about to jump to a conclusion about the human race, but just then, the surfer seemed to detect something that he hadn't seen before. He was staring off into the distance as if he'd just noticed something very unexpected.

"There's someone approaching us in an aircraft." the surfer said after just a moment.

"What are you going to do?" Peter asked, suddenly growing worried.

"If I can, I'll convince them to leave us be." the surfer replied, "If they're hostile, I am willing to defend myself, though that won't be a positive sign for them."

"What kind of..." Peter began, wondering, at first, what aircraft type was approaching, but it was moving fast enough that by the time the words started to leave his mouth, Peter could already recognize the aircraft that was closing with them. It belonged to the Fantastic Four.

"Don't worry." Peter said to the Emissary as the fantasticar slowed and came to a stop just a few yards away, "That's the Fantastic Four. They're heroes."

"I only sense three life-forms." the surfer replied curiously, but Peter just shrugged.

"One of them must be busy somewhere else. Don't worry about them. They won't try to attack you."

The Emissary nodded for a moment and moved his board closer to the fantasticar, until the two were within a foot of each other. At that point, Peter could hear the voices of Reed, Sue and Ben as they discussed the strange being who Peter had agreed to guide.

"...A fascinating chance to learn more about life outside of our star system, Ben."

"I thought you wanted his secrets, stretch."

"We have to start with something that at least sounds friendly. He doesn't look hostile."

In seconds, Reed had stretched his neck out towards the silver surfer, hoping to get within earshot of him, completely unaware that the Emissary could hear him no matter where he was in the city.

"Welcome to Earth." Reed said once his head was close enough to the alien surfboard, "If you don't mind, we'd like to talk with you about a few things that are very important to us."

The surfer had never seen Reed use his stretching ability before, but he didn't seem terribly impressed by it either. In fact, he considered only the words of the fantastic person in front of him, and when he spoke a moment later, his own words were just loud enough to be heard clearly by everyone within ten yards.

"I have great obligations to the universe and to my master. I'm afraid that I can't afford to waste time discussing planet-side matters, and I also can't let myself be sidetracked by concerns that don't apply to me or to my mission."

"What?" Reed asked, a little confused, "Look, I just need your help with something. There was this machine that came to Earth a while back and it uses a type of energy I've never seen before..."

"If you're looking to comprehend the power cosmic, you won't receive any help from me." the surfer replied, "That knowledge comes at much too high a price."

"Are you the one who sent that machine to Earth?" Reed asked, confused.

"Yes." the Emissary replied, "It malfunctioned for some reason and was unable to finish gathering the information I needed."

"My friends and I were changed by it." Reed explained. When he said that, however, the surfer's eyes started to widen a little in interest.

"Then it lost control of its own experiment until it shut down..." the Emissary realized, "and your condition stabilized naturally. Fascinating. In all the time that I've sent out probes, this has never happened before. Yes. Your elasticity, and the mental and physical powers that you and your friends have gained could only have occurred through accelerated biological adaptation. It seems that you've managed to benefit from a cosmic accident. Don't be afraid, however. If you and your friends survive the month, I'll make no attempt to remove these abilities from you. You may continue to use them as you see fit."

"In a pig's eye!" Ben exclaimed from his seat in the fantasticar, "You ain't going nowhere 'til my charming complexion softens up!"

"Ben!" Reed exclaimed, turning back to face his friend for a moment, "Would you please let me handle...?"

However, Reed didn't get the chance to finish his sentence. In seconds, the silver surfer had glided through the air to within a few inches of Ben Grimm and was gazing at him; not in anger, but in simple interest.

"Are you asking me for a favor?" the Emissary inquired in fascination, though his calm demeanor didn't improve Ben's temperament any.

"You ain't hummin' no star spangled banner." Ben grumbled loudly, "I want ya to turn me back, pronto!"

"Reverse the bio-adaptive alterations in your body?" the Emissary asked in astonishment, "Why would you want that? From what I can sense of your mass, you should be several hundred times stronger than others of your species."

"That ain't the point." Ben said angrily, "Nobody's gonna want to look at this mug of mine every time they get up in the morning, are they?"

"That doesn't sound terribly unpleasant to me." the Emissary replied with a shrug.

"And I'm sure where you come from, big rock monsters are all the rage or something," Ben said, starting to calm down a little, "but it ain't you I'm tryin' to impress. Here on planet Earth, we've got something called cuties, and most of them ain't too crazy about the Mount Rushmore look."

"I see." the Emissary said, suddenly donning a bored expression, "For a moment, I thought that your reasoning might have been complicated or even flattering, but you're only concerned with changing your appearance to attract a mate."

"It's a big deal to me!" Ben exclaimed, suddenly growing furious again.

"Indeed, and yet surely, your strength is not so great that you'd lose control of it and injure a mate. Is your appearance really the only deterrent that you have to deal with?"

"Watch it, mister." Ben said, his fury subduing itself into a relatively quiet type of loathing, "I'm a pretty nice guy to have for a pal, but there's some implications I don't take from anybody."

"I don't mean to imply anything," the surfer replied, still looking a little bored, "but are human females truly so influenced by appearance?"

"Depends how long you've known 'em for." Ben replied, still looking a little testy.

"That's disturbing news." the surfer said sadly, "Still, I understand your situation a bit better now. Right at the moment, I'm very busy with a matter that will almost certainly determine the fate of this entire star system. Your concerns will need to be addressed after that question has been resolved."

"Huh?" Ben asked, not sure how to take the alien's reply, "Is that a yes?"

"No." the surfer replied, "I'm still deliberating over whether or not to do as you've asked. Ordinarily, I would help to undo damage done by my technology to a sentient species, but your current form is not a negative change from your old one in any objective sense, and..."

"What?!" Ben demanded furiously, trying to interrupt, but the surfer's voice simply grew louder to drown him out.

"...I don't want to do anything to you that would decrease your chances for survival in the future. Also, I didn't exactly cause this problem of yours. Your real problem isn't your appearance, but how others of your species react to it. That problem is created by your own kind, and a small part of me wants to insist that your own kind should be the ones to resolve it. Of course, there's a chance that I might give in and agree to weaken you regardless of how great a mistake I might think it is. That chance is nebulous at the moment, but you won't increase it by arguing with me."

Ben looked absolutely livid as the surfer finished his speech, but he didn't reply immediately. Instead, he leaned across the fantasticar and spoke to his friend Reed.

"Hey, big brain..." the Thing said angrily, "Do we have to take that from this guy?"

"I'm afraid so, big fella." Reed replied with an apologetic look in the direction of his friend, "After all, we still don't have any idea how this silver surfer generates power, and we definitely need his help, unless you'd like to wait for another power cosmic-wielding alien to show up."

Ben was grumbling angrily as he leaned back in his seat a moment later, but it was obvious that he was ready to agree to the alien's demands, if not aloud.

"If the three of you return to the structure that you call home, I'll memorize its location. Then, if I decide to give you what you want, you can expect me to look for you there. Don't leave that building unattended at any point in the next three weeks. If I don't return to you by the time three weeks have passed, you'll never see me again."

Then, with those authoritative words hanging in the air, the surfer turned his board around and started to travel away from the fantasticar. When he did that, Peter Parker felt a very unique emotion. Earlier that night, he'd gotten very upset with Widow for even suggesting that it might be a good time to reveal his identity to his teammates, but suddenly, as he and the surfer moved away from the Fantastic Four, Peter felt a great, emotional desire to call out to them and let them know who he was. It would have been foolish, of course, but then, many kinds of feelings were.

In just a moment, Peter and the surfer were off again, traveling miles and miles in the blink of an eye.

-----

To Be Continued...