It was 2:30 am and the Mask was again at work in her base while Beth "slept" through the night. She hunched over her workbench carefully examining a piece of crystal through a strange device that appeared to have a function similar to that of a microscope. By adjusting the view and manipulating the device, the crystal was flashed with an intense and focused beam of light. Painstakingly, carefully the Mask repeated the task after making minute adjustments again and again. Finally, she removed the device and placed it vertically into a receptacle built into the lab bench and settled down into a meditative posture.
A dim, yellow glow slowly awakened from deep within the dagger-shaped hunk of glittering citrine crystal. Seemingly unaware of the event, the Black Mask continued to concentrate with her eyes shut tight. Long minutes of mental effort continued until a feint blue glow began to emanate from her forehead. Slowly, a blue orb partially emerged from her, grew, and split in two. The newly created orb hovered in the air free of any connection to her and slowly it's color faded from pale blue to white to finally yellow, matching the feint color within the crystal. Then, as if drawn by polarized iron, the orb slipped into the crystal itself.
The Black Mask sighed, suddenly exhausted. Her task was nearly done.
She opened her eyes and touched the crystal. A golden beam instantly swept out from the crystal and traced the entire room. Everything the beam touched dissembled as if it had been no more real than a dream, and was sucked into the crystal itself. The beam continued its work until there was finally nothing left but the Black Mask and itself, hovering three feet off the ground. Its task complete, the crystal shut down and went dark. She grabbed it out of the air before it could fall to the floor of the unfinished spare room.
But the crystal seemed to pain her. She grunted with the effort and sucked air in pain as her gloved hand smoked. Had her bare flesh come into contact with the crystal, it would have sizzled and burned like bacon on a hot grill. The Mask grimaced. The crystal was harmless to everyone else, she knew. It was only the fact that Beth's body had been modified and in fact her life saved by Helion technology. Without it, she would never have survived the fall when she'd stumbled into the Grandfather Probe's underground resting place.
The Mask new she couldn't waste time. With a tired but satisfied smile, the Black Mask quickly strode out of the place that was once the base and made her way quietly downstairs to Veronica's room. She woke the surprised girl. Veronica sat up and blinked at the Black Mask with her blankets pulled up to her chin.
"I apologize for disturbing you," she told Veronica. "But I needed to ask your permission to move the team's Base to the basement."
"Uh... we don't have a basement," Veronica pointed out.
"Not yet."
"Er... oh... kay?"
The Black Mask nodded. "Thank you."
Veronica hadn't noticed the narrow door under the stairs on the ground floor and she was pretty sure it hadn't been there before. The wood paneling there, meant to complement the banister hid the door well, though it was easily revealed with a light push. The door then popped open and the Black Mask stepped inside. Under the stairs there was another set leading down to what amounted to no more than a tiny cellar, a place for storing vegetables or perhaps to hide in the event of a bad storm or tornado. The stairs and the cellar were illuminated by a single light bulb fixture with a pull string switch. The Mask pulled it and it flickered to life shedding a modest, yellow glow.
The middle of the floor had a drain, which from the look of it was long unused. The Mask crouched and flicked the little grating aside and then crammed the length of citrine quartz in her hand directly into the drain, causing it to be roughly plugged.
The irony, the Black Mask mused through the haze of pain, was that the very basis of Helion technology was also their greatest vulnerability. Bio-crystals were used to construct tools, buildings, vehicles, and even starships. But the same bio-crystals could just as easily deconstruct if used correctly. That meant that the Black Mask's single largest weakness was the direct application of energy into and through citrine crystals. Unlike true Helions, Beth's life now depended upon Helion crystal technology to survive as a result of her accident.
Light was energy. Cosmic rays were another form of energy. Both easily passed through citrine crystals and were in fact deconstructing her body in the same way that the base on the top floor had been deconstructed -- only more slowly and painfully. Ironic because normally it was light and cosmic rays which in fact granted much of her power.
The Black Mask was breathing hard. Being in the presence of citrine quartz not only reduced her powers but it would inevitably render her unconscious -- and potentially even inhibit her regenerative ability indefinitely, if the crystal was not soon removed from her presence.
The Mask, no longer able to stand, touched the crystal one last time and activated it with a murmured command that was more thought than vocalization.
The crystal flared golden light then brightened and changed to a blue color. A beam swept out from the crystal and brushed every surface, even passing through any living being present in the area. Solid walls drew back. A deep shaft suddenly opened below the crystal. A mind-numbing, bright light filled the widening space below and drowned out all thought in the minds of those present.
When the Black Mask came to, the heroes found themselves in a huge underground bunker, flush with new and strange equipment, healthy yellow lighting that mimicked a softened version of the daytime sun, and the feint hum of an air refresher system.
A man flickered into existence like a picture coming on in an old TV tube, gradually become more solid and "real" over the next few seconds. He appeared to be a pleasant-looking gentleman in a well-tailored dark blue suit and shiny black shoes.
"Greetings," he said to all. "I am an Advanced Artificial Bio-Logic Entity, but you may call me AABLE. I will serve as your guide for the duration of your stay at Citadel Base."
The Black Mask smiled, but was too weak to answer. She slumped, lost consciousness, and sunk to the floor.
Aquosus looked around. Nice equipment. "I wonder if it would be possible to put the computer banks over here instead of over where they are? Just kidding! AABLE, can you show me around? I would like to see what capabilities we have at our fingertips."
AABLE looked to Aquosus and then to the unconscious Black Mask beneath him. “Yes sir, I would be happy to show you around. However, my first priority would be the well being of the sentient you just stepped over. I believe she needs my medial attention. However, after I have her cared for I would be most happy in giving you a tour. Would this compromise be acceptable to you?”
"That is no compromise. Please do see to her well being. I am confident that she will be fine as she is very resilient, according to her stated abilities. It would seem that she merely over-extended herself while bringing this base into existence. I look forward to the tour."
Aquosus will pick up Black Mask and ask "Where would you like her?"
AABLE stiffened up a bit and said, “This way to the medical bay. I suppose we can Shol two Racknoer with one Dulanar as the Killianuos race would say.” And with a quick turn the figure walked to the medical bay.
The place in which the crystal had been inserted had formed a hole of unknown depth. As Auquosus looked around he noted that the hole was gone and replaced by what looked like very heavy elevator doors. Presumably this formed an axis through the base. Given the buttons had both up and down chevrons, that told Auquosus the place had further levels below this one.
And this one was huge! From where he stood, he could see the entirety of an immense chamber. Futuristic consoles and massive viewing screens occupied one section of wall directly in front of him. Six meters to the right of that, along another wall, was what appeared to be more familiar equipment containing a bank of computers and associated monitors. Strangely futuristic, yet recognizable furniture having the same function as couches and lamps were arranged in a neat semi-circle further to Auquosus' right.
Turning in a circle, the hero also saw doors leading to many other rooms. The first had a simple male and female symbol on it. This was likely the entrance to a unisex bathroom. Continue his view, he saw another door with a symbol that looked like a test tube -- so likely labs of some kind were hidden beyond that door. Turning complete around revealed a 6 meter opened that led to a huge kitchen. Recognizable, twin ranges and ovens were visible as well as a huge sink and 2 meter wide refrigerator. There was a more modestly sized device that resemble a microwave on the wise, kitchen counter as well. And of course the kitchen was populated with a table and chairs. Adjacent to the kitchen were doors with symbols of twined lines resembling snakes or DNA. This was similar enough to universal medical symbols to be recognizable to Auquosus as well. Finally, more doors lead to another large room. This had a symbol as well, though it was less familiar to Auquosus. It had a rectangle and triangle inscribed in it.
The room AABLE had indicated was of course the one whose doors had the medical symbols. Auquosus took the Black Mask that direction and the door slid open for him as he approached. Either it sensed him there or AABLE opened it for him.
Inside the medical bay, there were two beds custom shaped to accept humanoid patients, an exam chair, and a huge machine attached to some kind of scanning device on a glowing surface large enough to accept any humanoid.
This page by Dustin Evermore, Chris Rich-McKelvey and Mike Brooks, 2008.