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The Scarabs were whizzing by like enormous bullets, but most had steered clear of the path of the rocket, due to its former protection. The newcomers from around the moon registered no such protection, and were headed right for it.

Captain Atom lanced out desperately with his energy powers, quickly reforming a shield ahead of the rocket, detonating a good number of the Scarabs in the process. The explosions were thunderous, and the strain of their impacts on the shield was hard on the hero. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as he concentrated through the strain of maintaining the shield. The Scarabs again adjusted their flight around the protective cone.

The strain lifted off of him, and Captain Atom opened his eyes in relief. That is until he saw that, "The ship! It's gone!" he reported in disbelief.

"WHAT?" shouted General Lane through the comm. "Are you telling me those things destroyed our project?"

"What about Major Tom?" came the voice of Cyborg.

"No. No, it's not destroyed," Captain Atom said as he recovered himself. "It's just gone. And Major Tom with it."

Air Base:

General Lane slammed his fist on one of the consoles. "Bloody hell!" he shouted. "Where the blazes is my ship?" he demanded.

"Your ship?" balked Cyborg. "This is a joint project, Lane. Don't forget."

Before Lane could explode in anger, Kalmaku spoke up, "Victor, can you confirm these sensor readings? I'm showing a high level of tachyon particles around the Major's last known position."

Stone was quiet for a few moments, but then answered, "Confirmed. Those levels are off the charts."

"Will somebody tell me what the deuce you're talking about?" shouted Lane.

"Tachyon particles are a main component in chronal radiation," answered Kalmaku.

"And what does that mean?" Lane said with impatience.

Captain Atom's voice crackled over the comm, blasts and explosions heard in the background. "It means my blast sent Major Tom and the ship into the timestream, General Lane. It tends to happen when I expend great amounts of energy at once; especially if I'm doing it quickly, as I was in this battle." More blasts and explosions were heard, and then the Captain was too busy to communicate further.

"We'll talk about your lack of control later, Captain," the general promised angrily. Turning to the room, he said, "If that ship was thrown into the timestream, then when did it go to?"

"Based on past displays of Captain Atom's chronal displacement powers," answered Cyborg, "Major Tom probably went forward in time."

General Lane was astonished. "Are you saying he actually went to--?"

"Yes," answered Kalmaku. "He most likely went to..."

"...The Future."

It took me a few minutes to get my bearings, but the relief from G-forces was welcomed. When the klaxons started going off, all I saw out the ship's window was a wave of what looked like some kind of metallic meteors, and then nothing except what must have been Captain Atom's energy, shielding the ship. I heard a bunch of explosions, then saw space again with more of those meteors headed at me. Then the Captain's energy again, and then the ship plowed into the shield, and then...I was here, wherever that is.

You're in United Planets space, near Earth orbit, came a soothing female voice, seemingly from inside my own head. I am inside your head, Major, via telepathy. My name is Saturn Girl, and I'm with the Legion.

What Legion? I thought. I wasn't expecting an answer, but I got one.

The Legion of Super-Heroes, she said with some bewilderment. I felt a slight throb in my head, and then heard, You're not from around here, are you, Major?

I suspect not, I said, still not sure of what a United Planets was. Just then, a girl came through the hull of the ship like a ghost. She was followed by another girl with green skin who was dressed very much like the Martian Manhunter. They said something unintelligible that sounded like no language I'd ever heard before. Then a light of realization came into the green girl's eyes, and I heard another voice in my head.

I'm Miss Martian, the green girl thought as she put a hand to her chest. This is Phantom Girl, she thought, waving her hand to her companion. Take my ring. It will translate for you. With that, she handed me a gold ring with an "L" on the face of it. I put it on, and then I heard her voice normally, "There, is that better?"

"Much," I answered. "Please, you look somewhat like the Martian Manhunter--"

"The Martian Manhun... you knew J'onn J'onzz?" the green girl said incredulously. "He hasn't been seen for a thousand years!"

"A thous...wait. Was it...Saturn Girl? She said I was in 'United Planets space,' but also that I was in 'near Earth orbit.' Can you please tell me: what year is this?" I asked with some trepidation.

"The year? 3016," answered Phantom Girl. "You're really not from around here, are you?"

With some amount of shock, I answered, "No. No, I'm not."

Emergency time protocol, Miss Martian! came the thought-voice of Saturn Girl. He's from the past! Get out of his head now, before we learn something we shouldn't! Use the rings' translators from here on out!

"Acknowledged," Miss Martian said aloud. "Major, we have to call you something. What's your name?" she asked.

"It's Tom," I said softly. "Tommy Tom--" I stopped short, thinking of Saturn Girl's warning. What would knowing my identity do to this era? I thought quickly, and finished, "...morrow. Tommy Tomorrow will do just fine."

"Well," said Phantom Girl, "until we can figure out how to get you back to the past, Tommy Tomorrow, welcome to the Legion!"

Story, original characters and content are owned by Chris Bishop. Copyright Chris Bishop 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022.