SW10: New Bosnia #7: The Land of Thud and Blunder

Wed Jan 10 12:45:49 PST 2018

Catalogue of Universes:  It is now down to the original.

- SW10 (Superhuman World 10) plus variants MW01, MW02, TW03

Dramatis Personae:

- Scott Stiles, a.k.a. the "Super Savior", from Earth-SW10 ("Superhuman 
World 10").

- Philippe St. Joseph Lateran, from Earth-SW10 ("Superhuman World 10").

- The Sultan Hope Springs VII, resident on Earth-TW03 ("Earth-Turkworld").

All characters and items are now on Earth-TW03 ("Earth-Turkworld") 
unless otherwise specified.

---

What Has Gone Before:

The superhuman former basketball player Scott Stiles, also known as the 
Super Savior, has led 144,000 religious refugees from his 
famine-stricken Earth to an alternate Earth whose leading power is 
Turkey.  The Turks were ready for them.  They were captured near New 
York City by the army of this universe's Sultan, Hope Springs VII.

A hermit wizard monster-bee from yet a third universe was sucked along 
with the refugees.  He used his wizard powers to resist capture, stung 
one man, then saved Scott Stiles and flew away.  The stung man became a 
monster-bee and followed.  They hid in a warehouse in Bayonne, New 
Jersey - known as New Bosnia here.

Mr. Stiles went out exploring, and heard about the True USA - which only 
goes as far west as Denver.  Meanwhile, the bees captured a bunny and a 
duck - Atomic Bunny and Psychovant the Duck.  Those were depowered, 
though Psychovant could still speak.

The Sultan began planning against the invaders.  He has many consultants 
with many plans to deal with bees.  One plan began with an artillery 
barrage.  In the resultant combat, the monster bees and Psychovant the 
Duck (with powers restored) all broke loose from Scott Stiles' party. 
With nearly nothing left, Scott hooked up with a True USA agent, and 
went to a safe house with her.

Then the bunny spoke.  He said they should capture two mystic cubes 
which were held in the Turkish Embassy to New York Free City.  Scott and 
the True USA agent decided to free Scott's army from captivity instead, 
in the Meadowlands stadium.  They walked into an ambush.

Meanwhile, Psychovant freed one mystic cube from the Turkish Embassy, 
then interrupted the ambush to threaten the bunny.  But before the duck 
could deliver on his threats, his cube dissolved and Atomic Bunny got 
his powers back.  Psychovant chose the better part of valor, and fled.

Now the prisoners are free and have made contact with True USA 
reinforcements.  Scott's most powerful ally, the New Sentinel, is 
nowhere to be found.  But Scott is about to try to capture his turncoat 
ally, Philippe St. Joseph Lateran.

Previous Episode:  New Bosnia Part 6:  The Land of Blood and Honey 
(http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2011/newbosnia6.txt)

---

Thursday 26 May 2011

---

Scott Stiles dented the stands of the Meadowlands stadium, as he jumped 
and landed outside the door of the penthouse suite.  The guards outside 
were gone.  The guards inside, were his.

He grabbed the handle and then kicked in the door, at the hinges.  He 
was strong enough to do that.  He pulled the door back with him.

A hail of gunfire came out the door.  Scott was off to the side, 
waiting.  When the gunfire faced, he charged in with his improvised shield.

Ten seconds later, a room full of guards was moaning on the floor.  But 
Lateran still stood, with his hand on what looked like an oil tank by 
the penthouse window.  He said, "Young man, I have my hand upon the 
switch of the most powerful bomb in the world."

"Okaaay...  But this is Turk World or something.  What *is* the most 
powerful bomb here?  Some kind of Arab oil bomb?"

Lateran smirked.  "You are more perceptive than people give you credit 
for.  This is a Fuel-Air Demolition Bomb.  It will burn this stadium 
down and destroy everyone within."

"You'd set this off???  You were part of our church!  We're all trapped 
here!  You shared the faith with us!"

"You are less than perceptive about *me*.  I care *nothing* about you."

Scott Stiles looked at Lateran, and the bomb.  He had his finger hovered 
on a control device, but it was connected by a cable to the bomb.  So he 
said...  "I call bull!"

"Huh?"

Scott Stiles kicked Lateran away from the bomb and the switch.

Nothing exploded.

Scott said, "I didn't see about *you*, but I've seen this world. 
Deadman switch?  With *you* holding it?  No way!"

"... You are more perceptive than even *I* gave you credit for.  But 
still you must see, I am trusted here.  I can build that peace treaty 
between the Church of the Super-Savior and the Turkish Empire."

Scott Stiles thought, this might be good.  But he knew, Lateran had 
mental influence.  So he said, "No way!"

"Eh?"

Scott picked Lateran up by the collar.  "*You* get punched like people 
always dreamed of punching Hitler!"

Scott's mind was flooded by visions of great alliance.

Scott punched anyway.

He came to his right mind.  Scott had let Lateran fall, but Lateran was 
out cold on the floor.

The lady Kurdish agent, Pola, came through where the door was.  "You 
have obviously prevailed.  We prevail elsewhere within this stadium. 
What shall we do next?"

"What, don't *you* have a plan?"

"Obviously we would evacuate all captured warriors.  And refugees as we 
can."

"We can't just leave them here!"

"We must.  Unless you have a plan."

Scott Stiles thought of a plan.  "I can't leave people behind here."

"But if we can just retreat with even *any* captives, we can say, Rebels 
Always Win.  This is important to your nation's history."

"Maybe here.  But where I come from, we say, America Wins!"

"So what is your plan?"

"I'm going to challenge the Turkish Emperor to combat!"

...

Meanwhile, in a laboratory in Istanbul, the Sultan Hope Springs raised 
his arms.  "Yes!!!  ... I suppose the power transfer was successful."

The head technician bowed his head.  "Yes, my Sultan.  You now have the 
power of this invading New Sentinel."

"And those powers are...?"

"No one is quite sure.  We did not see him in action in our universe. 
But people of his congregation say he *punched* his way here across 
universes."

The Sultan's Vizier interjected.  "Surely you do not mean for *your holy 
self* to wield this power."

"But I *do* mean it.  I would never ask another to take on the burdens I 
can take myself."

"I must admit that is well spoken, my Sultan..."  A headset buzzed while 
hanging on the wall.  "Excuse me."

The Vizier picked the headset up.  "Yes...  When?...  Oh, my.  I will 
inform His Excellency."  He put the headset down.  "My Sultan, America 
has a burden for you.  A rebel there has challenged you to personal combat."

The Sultan's fists crackled with power.  "Oh, my.  I suppose this power 
is for this purpose."

"So is your army, Commander of the Faithful."

"You prove my point.  If I *am* the Commander of the Faithful, I was 
given this power alongside the faithful for a reason.  I command that I 
take this fight for myself."

-sigh- "If you must, Successor of the Prophet of the Lord of the 
Universe.  Shall I arrange transport for you?"

As the Sultan walked onto a balcony, he looked back and said, "I feel I 
can find my own way."  Then he flew into the air!

...

To Be CONCLUDED in New Bosnia Part 8, The Land of Might and Royalty!

---

Author's Notes:

I suppose it's good I took some extra time to prepare this story.  It's 
readier to conclude now.

I have one thing I might pass on, from Ordered Realities... but I'm 
going to save it for people who make it to the web page 
http://www.eilertech.com/stories/2011/page.php?fn=newbosnia7.txt .

-- 
(signed) Scott Eiler  8{D> -------- http://www.eilertech.com/ ---------

When you *are* the leader... whatever goes wrong... whether you did it
or not... *you* are held responsible. - Barack Obama

I know. - Archie Andrews

- from Archie #617, March 2011, scripted by Alex Simmons.