Tyler Hanson's Blog: Public Servants, page 5

Chapter 1: Welcome to New General City.

I’ve wanted to be a superhero for as long as I can remember. 

When I was growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, I’d watch e-news reports on New General City’s biggest heroes. Spectral Man in particular was my idol, flying around the city skyline, stopping criminals and monsters alike. There were no spectacles like that in my country, with the exception of the occasional passing sea beast summoned by Angler. Still, The Public Servants were always there to send it back to where it came from. 

Oh, how I wanted to be one of them. But it seemed like such a pipe dream. 

That is, until I caught a cold at age twelve, and every time I sneezed, the lights in our house went out. From that moment forward, things changed for me. 

“SPI,” they called me. “Super-Powered Individual.” 

I wasn’t a first-class SPI like The Public Servants, though. No, The Public Servants’ powers were intentional, engineered, designed to end a conflict that was ravaging the planet. 

I, on the other hand, was one of many second-class SPIs, born in the aftermath of the Great War. Our parents’ exposure to radiation gave us mild, abnormal abilities, some of which often went undiscovered for years. 

Not mine, though. After those fateful sneezes, an entire world opened up for me, literally. I could sense electrical fields, both biological and mechanical, even with my eyes closed or in the darkest of nights. People, machines, even the wires in the walls . . . none could hide from me, as long as they were close enough. 

Then, six months later, I delivered my first electrical shock. I was playing tag with my cousin, but when I touched him, I felt the energy leave my body and enter his. He flew halfway across the yard, and when he got back to his feet, his hair was standing straight up. 

Needless to say, he didn’t come around to play much after that. 

Still, I was elated. Super powers! Me! I was just like Captain Arcturus, though with electricity instead of fire. And, well, I was much less effective.  

Not easily deterred, though, I built a costume, complete with a cape as yellow as Spectral Man’s, and went to work, practicing my abilities. I even gave myself a superhero name: “La Anguila Eléctrica.” My father thought it was too feminine, and that I’d never attract any girls with this superhero nonsense, but when my first boyfriend helped me come out of the closet at sixteen, the joke was ultimately on him. 

In my later teens, though, I ditched the childish costume, aware that if I wanted to join The Public Servants, I’d need to be more practical about my limitations. A few electrical shocks and the ability to kill a car battery at ten paces wasn’t going to take down the likes of Vampire King, or The Human Wolf, or Angler, or any of the other big guns that The Public Servants fought regularly. I needed to be smart, efficient. 

So, I honed my mind and my body, diversifying my education between all things practical while learning fighting techniques that could defend me when my powers couldn’t. Rather than go to college, I took a variety of online courses over practical sciences, behavioral psychology, and anything else I could get my hands on that I thought would make me a better hero. When I wasn’t studying, I was in the boxing ring, learning the limits of my own body. 

Then, on my twenty-first birthday, I woke up to what sounded like a jet touching down on our front lawn. Though I awoke in confusion, my family’s screams of excitement corrected my initial assumption. 

It wasn’t a jet at all. 

After all, what kind of jet has arms and legs? 

I kicked off my blanket, threw on some clothes, and ran outside. 

“Dios mío, it’s you. Sterling Silver.” 

Standing in front of my house, glistening in the sunlight, was one of The Public Servants’ most popular superheroes. Sterling Silver’s metal body towered above me, at least one and a half times my height, staring down with their glowing red eyes and speaker grille for a mouth. Their joints creaked as they shifted, crouching to my level. 

Despite Sterling Silver’s general ability to woo the public, they also stood as a representative of the super-powered LGBTQ community, identifying as non-binary, asexual, and panromantic. With the exception of Spectral Man, I always found that I could one day be an icon for my people like Sterling Silver was today. 

“H- how can I help you?” I stammered, awestruck. “I’d invite you inside, but I don’t think you’d fit.” 

Nearby, the rest of my family fawned over the cyborg superhero. Sterling Silver really was larger than life, in more ways than one. 

Sterling Silver stared for a moment, then reached out, offering an oversized handshake. I obliged, my entire hand fitting inside their palm. My eyes drifted to the tiny rainbow flag magnetically pinned to Sterling Silver’s chest. Their body radiated electrical energy, tenfold more than anyone I’d ever encountered before. 

“’La Anguila Eléctrica,’ right?” Sterling Silver finally asked, a chuckle in their voice. 

I felt my face grow red-hot. “I, uh, decided against that name when I was older.” 

“No, no,” Sterling Silver replied apologetically, holding up their metal hands. “It’s cute. Endearing. ‘The Electric Eel.’ I love it.” 

I laughed nervously. “Heh. Thanks.” 

“Listen, I-” Sterling Silver glanced at the rest of my family, who were now taking pictures with their phones. The cyborg put their hand on my shoulder, effortless pulling me out of my family’s earshot. “I have a few contacts in New General City. Contacts who do their best to keep track of second-class SPIs.” 

“Really?” I asked, my curiosity piqued. “Why?” 

“Well, we want to know who our friends are, and who our enemies are,” they answered matter-of-factly. 

“Oh.” I looked down at my hands. “But, what threat do we really pose? I can’t fly around or shoot plasma missiles like you. I can’t run at the speed of sound like Treble Clef. I’m not invulnerable like Spectral Man or Miss Liquid. I-” 

Sterling Silver held up a finger to shush me. “You’d be surprised how a little bit of talent goes a long way. That’s actually why I’m here. I’m building a team of second-class SPIs to act alongside The Public Servants.” 

I felt the blood drain from my face as I registered what they were saying. “What- what does that have to do with me?” 

Sterling Silver nodded their head. “I think you know.” 

My eyes widened, and I took a step back, light-headed. “It would be an honor, Sterling Silver.” 

“Please,” they said, returning to their full height, “just call me S.S. ‘Sterling Silver’ is a bit too wordy when we’re going to be working closely together.” 

Working closely together. My heart pounded in my chest. 

“What do you need me to do to get started?” I asked, clearing my throat so the question wouldn’t squeak. 

“Well,” S.S. replied, “you should know that with New General City, getting in is as easy as-” 

“One, two, three,” I interrupted in my excitement. “But, what job qualifications do I provide?” 

“Let me take care of that,” S.S. assured me. “We’ll set you up with a cover career while you work with us. As long as you pass the City Certification Exam and have someone notarize your Oath to New General City, you’ll be able to become a citizen and start working with us just fine.” 

“I’ll start right away,” I said. “How do I reach you once I’m in the city?” 

“Don’t worry,” S.S. responded. “I’ll reach you.” 

With that, they ignited the thrusters in their feet, back, and legs, and rocketed up into the clouds, leaving me standing in my front yard, dumbfounded. 

A month of intense studying, self-reflection, and tearful goodbyes passed before I found myself standing in front of my assigned New General City level 1 living unit. I sighed, shouldering the strap of my single duffle bag, and walked up to the front door, putting the key in the lock. Opening the front door, I stepped inside, admiring the cool, dark living room. Smiling, I turned around, closing the door and sealing myself in the blackness. 

I moved through the living unit with my eyes closed, taking in the furniture, the appliances, the walls, the windows. Though I couldn’t see anything, I could feel the current in the refrigerator, the television, even the battery-powered wall clock. In a city so reliant on electricity, the world around me lit up like a Christmas tree. 

Something suddenly surged in the kitchen, drawing my attention. A small object, hidden in the cutlery drawer. 

Walking cautiously into the room, I reached down, opening the drawer. Inside buzzed a silver, circular smartwatch. On the screen, “UNKNOWN CALLER” rang. 

I lifted the watch out of the drawer, staring at it for a moment, then pressed ANSWER. 

“Hello?” I called. 

Silence. 

I frowned, glancing at the screen. It showed a connected call, but I heard no noise. 

Inspiration struck me, and I felt along the side of the watch frame until I felt an ovular seam. Pressing into the area, I heard a click as a small object ejected from the watch and into my hand. Glancing at my palm, I examined the object; sure enough, it was a bean-shaped earbud. 

I slipped the device into my ear and called again. “Hello?” 

“Impressive,” S.S.’s voice rang into my eardrum. “I didn’t expect you to find the communicator so quickly.” 

“Well, it’s kind of my thing, right?” I joked, picking up the watch and closing the cutlery drawer. “Why is this hidden in my living unit?” 

“I want to keep you a secret, for now,” S.S. explained. “There’s a lot to unpack, both physically and metaphorically. But, for now, I have someone I need you to meet.” 

“What, now?” I asked, looking around. “It’s the middle of the night.” 

“I understand,” S.S. responded apologetically. “But something came up, and your abilities are exactly what the team needs this evening.” 

“The team?” I grinned. “Does this mean I get to meet Spectral Man?” 

“Well . . .” S.S. sighed. “Not quite. There’s a different team I want you to work with. The second-class SPIs I mentioned before. Remember?” 

My grin fell. “Yeah. I remember.” 

There was a second of silence, but before S.S. could speak again, I added, “Don’t get me wrong. I’m thrilled at any opportunity to work with The Public Servants. To be a superhero. I never thought this moment would come. It’s just a much . . . quieter affair than I thought it would be.” 

S.S. chuckled in my ear. “That’s absolutely fair. Your team and I will explain in more detail later. For now, though, I need you to travel to the warehouse district on the northeast side of the city. Public transportation only. No ride shares or taxis.” 

I nodded, then rolled my eyes when I realized that they couldn’t see me. “Absolutely. Where do I go from there?” 

“Once you’re in the area, I’ll send someone to pick you up. White van, no markings. The driver will offer a security phrase: ‘You look as lost as a puppy.’” 

“What do I say?” I asked. 

“You respond with, ‘And you look as hungry as a wolf.’” 

“Okay.” I took a deep breath, the gravity of my situation settling around me. “Wow. This is really happening.” 

“Yes,” they said. “Yes, it is.” 

“Do I bring anything?” I asked. 

“Put on the watch you found,” S.S. answered. “It will help me keep track of your vitals and location, and it gives me a way to communicate with you whenever I need your help. Don’t worry about losing it; it has a self-destruct feature so it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.” 

I glanced warily at the watch. “Oh, yeah?” 

S.S. laughed. “Don’t worry, it just fries the internal components. I won’t blow your hand off or anything. Still, please don’t make it a habit to lose these; I make them myself, and they’re annoying to replace.” 

“You got it, S.S.” I strapped the watch onto my wrist and rushed to grab my jacket out of my duffel bag. “I’m on my way.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Electric Eel,” S.S. said. “We’ll talk later.” 

The call ended, returning the watch to a regular clock face. I removed the earbud and inserted it back into the watch frame, taking another deep breath. As I exhaled, relaxing my diaphragm, only two words came to mind. 

“Holy shit.”