"10. You are a part of the
United, which brought you out of ignorance. Your first allegiance is the
government which set you free."
The cry and puke instinct was coming back again. I was physically retching in my stomach and would have cried my eyes out if I hadn't cried enough already to be tired of it. The retching finally forced me to the ground where I lay half-whimpering and half-moaning. It was so disgusting.
I had always imagined the Outside as a place filled with debauchery and crime, where people did as they pleased. I had seen it as a place where all did what was right in their own eyes and there was no king. Where everyone suffered for their own and each other's actions. But that wasn't true at all.
The Outside was just like our camp, just with a larger acreage. People were shut in by walls of glass and concrete and steel, with locks on doors and guns in their hands. No one was free out here. Somewhere up in the top of the United might be someone who could do as he pleased, but even he, if he existed, had to keep the people in line and was bound to do that.
There were fewer regulations for the Unaccepted than for those seeking acceptance. Why anyone wanted to live out here I could not imagine, when all their lives were directed from a capital that resided invisible, ruling its people with guns and night raids into their homes.
I thought about those things until I fell asleep again, and didn't wake until Stanyard woke me with his voice. "Hey, Phil."
I opened my eyes to see him standing there in a goofy appearing outfit, until I realized it was his cooking apron. "Yes?"
"Just wanted to let you know I brought down food. Your favorite kind of pizza, unless it's changed."
I sat up. "Oh, why thank you. Thank you much."
He turned to go, but I whispered after him, "You got a little time?"
He looked back, "A little. On paper I am delivering the pizza I just brought you, so I have a few minutes. Why"?"
I didn't know how to ask, so I just said it how it was in my head, "Can you tell me what, what life is like here in the Outside?"
He smiled. "I see you found the manual for RIUNs? Made good bedtime material I trust."
I rolled my eyes and turned to the side as though I was going to puke, but there wasn't anything to come out. He laughed quietly.
"Well, it put me to sleep at least."
"I bet it would. Seems your friend Caesar managed to fall asleep alright, even if she did kick off her blankets."
"Caesar?"
He nodded his head at my cell mate. I responded, "Oh, you mean..."
He covered his ears and hissed as loudly as he could without his voice traveling up a floor, "No, I mean Caesar. No real names around here, Phil. None. Her name is Caesar. You should find one for yourself. And my name is Augustine."
"But that sounds nothing like you."
"Perfect. Glad to know I came up with a good one."
"But... Augustine. About life out here?"
He shrugged. "It's life. It has problems and it has good days. Everyone lives the same life, Phil. Some people's problems are 'bigger' but once they get used to them they might as well be as big as yours. Of course, you have some pretty big ones, but that's another conversation. By now I should be back with that pizza, so I need to get back upstairs."
"What do you mean? The pizza is right here and you haven't gone anywhere."
Stanyard sighed. "Here's a thing about life on the Outside. The United knows everything. Some of what they know isn't true. As the operator of a pizza business, they know how many and what pizzas I sell. They know where I deliver and when, and expect it to take approximately the right amount of time. So, on paper, I just sold a pizza and delivered it a few blocks away on foot, and that info goes through the internet to some database. Hopefully they won't check the street cameras or they will know I never left. Then they might begin to suspect something, and at the very least they could put me in prison for business fraud."
"For that? What kind of prison? How long?"
"For that. Whatever prison they want. As long as they feel like. Welcome to the Outside. Hopefully you never have to live in it."
The next post is Crook Q: Part 34
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Crook Q Part 43
The doors opened and the boots all surged out. Ephesus was left in
the shaft, ten feet from being on the one floor he needed to reach to
escape.
Then the elevator began moving back up again. Ephesus thought quickly. They had probably already got wise to the destruction of the other elevator, and would begin searching the shaft for him or for other clues at any moment. There was no way of getting cover in this shaft, except for one place.
Before the elevator could get too far up Ephesus jumped down to the roof of the one he had caused to free fall. He slid quickly across it and into side of the shaft. There the ladder was exposed.
It really was his only place to hide. With one pair of doors blasted permanently open and elevator lift chords swinging free, as well as a couple of bodies laying outside, the shaft wouldn't escape attention for long.
Up the ladder he climbed, hoping to find a hatch before he reached the roof. Only about twenty feet up he found his first option. A hatch in the side with a padlock. The padlock was old and rusty, Ephesus doubted that even a key would open it in such a state of disrepair. Ephesus tugged on the lock, creating as much tension as he could between it and the loop it's arc ran through. He drew the metal baton out of his pocket and rang on the lock's arc as hard as he could. It rang in his hand but only chipped away at some of the rust.
Again and again he smashed the two together against the walls, until finally the lock gave way. Ephesus carefully opened the door through which he could now pass. He figured the loud pinging and ringing of his attack on the lock might have been heard outside.
He was greeted with a most unusual sight. It was a regular office, complete with fancy chair and large screen computer. A few blue and red LED lights blinked silently, giving the room its only illumination besides the green glow of the power button on the computer tower. Ephesus hopped through the small opening and closed it behind himself. Looking at the door he saw that the door, from the office side, appeared to be a filing cabinet. It was an escape hatch.
Ephesus knew he had reached floor two, the floor for which he had been unable to get at the floor plans. All he needed was to get out of the building. Ephesus shed his lab coat and hung it neatly over the desk chair. He was dressed in regular clothes underneath. He had brought his over-stuffed jacket, but emptied its pockets. Now he filled them with all that used to be in the lab coat. Even with the slowed speed with the awkwardness of all the pockets, he might be able to escape by stealth.
He cautiously opened the door and peeked out into the massive room beyond. It was all cubicles, from wall to wall. The office into which Ephesus had crept was the only exception to the rule in what was otherwise nothing more than a massive room of office space.
The click of the door had attracted attention. There were no office workers in the room, wherewithal the fire alarm and the surge of soldiers to all floors after the fugitives. Ephesus caught sight of the shadow of a guard carrying a gun coming around a corner to investigate just in time to move away from the crack between the door and the wall.
The footsteps indicated that the patrol man was coming straight for the office. Ephesus thought of his metal baton. He positioned himself immediately behind the door with his hand on the knob. He drew his hand deep in his pocket and clasped it around something thin and cool as metal, but the baton was not there. He had put it in a lower pocket.
But it was too late. The guards shadow appeared under the door and Ephesus executed a different plan.
He jerked the door open, making a tenth of a moment's eye contact with the startled guard. Instantly Ephesus cast down one more of his explosive phials, then slammed the door in the guards face. Before the door was even shut the explosion went off, blasting the door open again. The edge of the door caught Ephesus full in the face and knocked him to the ground with a cracking sound.
Ignoring the pain in his jaw Ephesus got up and ran out the door. He threw each of the last of his exploding tubes in every direction, the smoke and fumes and blast keeping the other guards at bay as they rushed to the scene.
He took the last of his magnesium-acid explosives and threw it at the glass wall that made the outside of the building. The explosion shattered the glass like an intricate spider web, and shards of the tube flew back and caught Ephesus in the face and in his arm, with which he had shielded his eyes. The glass stood in its arachnid form.
Ephesus thought himself ruined for a moment, until he remembered the baton. Two steps before the door Ephesus grabbed the baton out of his last pocket and threw it through the glass, then jumped through it himself.
His jacket sustained innumerable tears from the glass spikes that had survived the explosions and baton, but thanks to clever folding and ducking his skin escaped the serrated edges. He only had to land a fifteen foot fall.
The next post is Philli: Part 27
Then the elevator began moving back up again. Ephesus thought quickly. They had probably already got wise to the destruction of the other elevator, and would begin searching the shaft for him or for other clues at any moment. There was no way of getting cover in this shaft, except for one place.
Before the elevator could get too far up Ephesus jumped down to the roof of the one he had caused to free fall. He slid quickly across it and into side of the shaft. There the ladder was exposed.
It really was his only place to hide. With one pair of doors blasted permanently open and elevator lift chords swinging free, as well as a couple of bodies laying outside, the shaft wouldn't escape attention for long.
Up the ladder he climbed, hoping to find a hatch before he reached the roof. Only about twenty feet up he found his first option. A hatch in the side with a padlock. The padlock was old and rusty, Ephesus doubted that even a key would open it in such a state of disrepair. Ephesus tugged on the lock, creating as much tension as he could between it and the loop it's arc ran through. He drew the metal baton out of his pocket and rang on the lock's arc as hard as he could. It rang in his hand but only chipped away at some of the rust.
Again and again he smashed the two together against the walls, until finally the lock gave way. Ephesus carefully opened the door through which he could now pass. He figured the loud pinging and ringing of his attack on the lock might have been heard outside.
He was greeted with a most unusual sight. It was a regular office, complete with fancy chair and large screen computer. A few blue and red LED lights blinked silently, giving the room its only illumination besides the green glow of the power button on the computer tower. Ephesus hopped through the small opening and closed it behind himself. Looking at the door he saw that the door, from the office side, appeared to be a filing cabinet. It was an escape hatch.
Ephesus knew he had reached floor two, the floor for which he had been unable to get at the floor plans. All he needed was to get out of the building. Ephesus shed his lab coat and hung it neatly over the desk chair. He was dressed in regular clothes underneath. He had brought his over-stuffed jacket, but emptied its pockets. Now he filled them with all that used to be in the lab coat. Even with the slowed speed with the awkwardness of all the pockets, he might be able to escape by stealth.
He cautiously opened the door and peeked out into the massive room beyond. It was all cubicles, from wall to wall. The office into which Ephesus had crept was the only exception to the rule in what was otherwise nothing more than a massive room of office space.
The click of the door had attracted attention. There were no office workers in the room, wherewithal the fire alarm and the surge of soldiers to all floors after the fugitives. Ephesus caught sight of the shadow of a guard carrying a gun coming around a corner to investigate just in time to move away from the crack between the door and the wall.
The footsteps indicated that the patrol man was coming straight for the office. Ephesus thought of his metal baton. He positioned himself immediately behind the door with his hand on the knob. He drew his hand deep in his pocket and clasped it around something thin and cool as metal, but the baton was not there. He had put it in a lower pocket.
But it was too late. The guards shadow appeared under the door and Ephesus executed a different plan.
He jerked the door open, making a tenth of a moment's eye contact with the startled guard. Instantly Ephesus cast down one more of his explosive phials, then slammed the door in the guards face. Before the door was even shut the explosion went off, blasting the door open again. The edge of the door caught Ephesus full in the face and knocked him to the ground with a cracking sound.
Ignoring the pain in his jaw Ephesus got up and ran out the door. He threw each of the last of his exploding tubes in every direction, the smoke and fumes and blast keeping the other guards at bay as they rushed to the scene.
He took the last of his magnesium-acid explosives and threw it at the glass wall that made the outside of the building. The explosion shattered the glass like an intricate spider web, and shards of the tube flew back and caught Ephesus in the face and in his arm, with which he had shielded his eyes. The glass stood in its arachnid form.
Ephesus thought himself ruined for a moment, until he remembered the baton. Two steps before the door Ephesus grabbed the baton out of his last pocket and threw it through the glass, then jumped through it himself.
His jacket sustained innumerable tears from the glass spikes that had survived the explosions and baton, but thanks to clever folding and ducking his skin escaped the serrated edges. He only had to land a fifteen foot fall.
The next post is Philli: Part 27
New Content Questionairre
Hey there readers, it's me again with a couple of questions.
But first, a few observations.
I'm a perfectionist. Nothing is good enough for me. I am also a statistics obsessive. Those two combined perpetually make me seek more readers and page views. So I looked at some of those other blogs, the ones with hundreds of followers, and wondered what it was they had that made so many come and read. I checked Aubrey Hansen's, too
It's unique content. And while, obviously, my stories are unique, they require a certain knowledge of Red Rain to be able to appreciate. The story of the Four Golems, which appears to be the next upcoming tale, may change that somewhat, but mostly I wanted to see from you, in comments, what recommendations you have for other content.
I hope to soon start doing occasional movie and book reviews. Primarily my reviews though won't be content oriented, but mostly message oriented, so they should be more like analysis than reviews. Who would like to hear my ideas on the latest Batman, for instance?
All other suggestions are welcome as well...
Monday, July 30, 2012
Crook Q Part 42
With all the explosions and hacking and deceit, Ephesus figured that by
about now the police and guards would have figured out what had
happened.
Then suddenly Ephesus' elevator began to drop. Ephesus thought, "Well, either Nic's luck is working for me, or else the ruling power in which I actually believe is. I am inclined to the second."
The elevator continued slowly down. Ephesus lay on top of the hatch, trying to listen if to see if he could figure out who or what was moving it.
"A blasted good escape attempt, for sure."
"Why didn't the..." Ephesus' eyes bulged slightly at the curses that punctuated every sentence.
The second voice continued to ask why they hadn't been told there were prisoners a few floors up, and a third voice interjected, equally colorfully, that it was because they weren't ever told anything. A general chorus of affirmative obscenities responded.
A smaller voice was just barely discernible over the clanking the elevator made on its way down. "Whatever group it is that's making trouble, they're larger and smarter than we ever thought."
Silence reigned for a few moments. The first voice questioned, "Are you so foolish as to question the strength of the United to crack-down on these folks?"
"No, not so foolish, so rational. Remember that story the broke a year ago? A huge transmitting station on Mars engaged in secret projects, making weapons. And then those two elderly fugitives that it took the United nearly six months to catch? Two men old enough to have grandchildren made more heists and prison breaks than any hero of the last war."
"There are no war heroes. War is an evil."
"And there will be no war as long as the United lives."
Together all the guards agreed, and Ephesus' head made a clunk on the top of the elevator as it reached the bottom. The doors opened and the boots all surged out. Ephesus was left in the shaft, ten feet from being on the one floor he needed to reach to escape.
Then the elevator began moving back up again.
The next post is Crook Q: Part 43
Then suddenly Ephesus' elevator began to drop. Ephesus thought, "Well, either Nic's luck is working for me, or else the ruling power in which I actually believe is. I am inclined to the second."
The elevator continued slowly down. Ephesus lay on top of the hatch, trying to listen if to see if he could figure out who or what was moving it.
"A blasted good escape attempt, for sure."
"Why didn't the..." Ephesus' eyes bulged slightly at the curses that punctuated every sentence.
The second voice continued to ask why they hadn't been told there were prisoners a few floors up, and a third voice interjected, equally colorfully, that it was because they weren't ever told anything. A general chorus of affirmative obscenities responded.
A smaller voice was just barely discernible over the clanking the elevator made on its way down. "Whatever group it is that's making trouble, they're larger and smarter than we ever thought."
Silence reigned for a few moments. The first voice questioned, "Are you so foolish as to question the strength of the United to crack-down on these folks?"
"No, not so foolish, so rational. Remember that story the broke a year ago? A huge transmitting station on Mars engaged in secret projects, making weapons. And then those two elderly fugitives that it took the United nearly six months to catch? Two men old enough to have grandchildren made more heists and prison breaks than any hero of the last war."
"There are no war heroes. War is an evil."
"And there will be no war as long as the United lives."
Together all the guards agreed, and Ephesus' head made a clunk on the top of the elevator as it reached the bottom. The doors opened and the boots all surged out. Ephesus was left in the shaft, ten feet from being on the one floor he needed to reach to escape.
Then the elevator began moving back up again.
The next post is Crook Q: Part 43
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Philli Part 26
Now both sides think I am dead to them."
We stood awkwardly next to each other for a moment, I swallowing his story, he my reactions. Finally I let myself hug him, and we both cried for it all.
By time our awkward hug was over, I realized how tired I was. I practically fell to the floor when he let go of me, barely making it to my chair. I looked at Cea, but she was studying something pinned to the wall. I was too tired to look up again.
Stanyard offered the next helpful bit of information. "You are in the second basement of my business. It legally only has one. Keep that in mind if you are talking while down here. I'll get you both something to lie down on."
I had already found something: the floor. By time he was back I was nearly asleep and didn't even hear him come in. All I remembered was the blanket being laid over me and then the occasional whine of Cea's breathing as she bedded down near me. I dreamed of bangs and bullets, gags and dark cloth hoods.
After only an hour I awoke with a start, just stifling a cry. I watched Cea's body as she twitched and jumped her way through sleep. Neither of our brains was ready to relax.
I couldn't get back to sleep, so I sat still for a while trying to digest what we had done today. I kept feeling the spot in my hair that was missing from the bullet that had passed so close.
It was too long since I had thanked God properly for all of His blessings. Feeling that spot in my hair reminded me of that, and then of how long it had been since I read my Bible. Hopefully Stanyard would have one.
I walked at crawling speed over to the wall Cea had been studying. It had a big map, a few feet across each side, that didn't even cover the whole city. Next to it, where Cea had been looking, was a digital picture frame. The picture already displayed was of Mira and Stanyard as kids, many years ago. I flicked to the next one. It was of them two again, and even though it was out of focus I definitely recognized the old concrete wall of Street 17 camp.
I realized I was snooping outside my business, so I flipped it back and went to look at something else. There was a huge pile of papers, with ashes lightly scattered on the top. Apparently it had been the burning pile. But something on the top of one of the pages caught my attention.
It was the running header of whatever document this had come from. "Behavioral Regulations of RIUN." I couldn't guess what it stood for, but I read on, not even curious, just not wanting to be bored.
I learned by the third paragraph that RIUN stood for Religious Individuals Undergoing Naturalization. The rules list was immense. I guessed the section I was reading was on holiday observance. "On the occasion of a holiday formerly observed by the religious individual, the United benevolently recommends that no special effort be made to avoid recalling the date, but also that no celebration or recollection of the holiday be observed. To observe such a holiday would be to relapse into old thought patterns from a bygone era, but to specifically avoid them likewise recognizes their existence."
It disgusted me, so I flipped a few papers deeper. "If anyone ever asks how a RIUN lived prior to initializing naturalization, no answer should be given. It is best to ignore that such a life existed, and indeed, such is not truly living. This and other such questions should only ever be answered if asked by a United official trained in dealing with religious concerns or for purely academic concerns in religious studies."
I jumped ahead again. "If a RIUN begins to realize tendencies toward returning to the practice of a forsaken religion, or any other one it is recommended they seek counsel from a trained Religious Counselor certified by the United government. These individuals have the knowledge, resources, and power to help struggling RIUNs..."
I jumped ahead once more. I hated what I read too much to stay on it too long, but couldn't take myself away. Was this life on the Outside? At the last page I saw a diagram with two shapes. They were like tall rectangles with semi-circles on the tops. The header in deep, large, black lettering read, "Atheism Made Easy for the Previously Religious via Similar Metaphors. Figure 10: The Ten Commandments for the RIUN.
"1. You shall not allow for any dependency on a deity, in regular life or in difficult circumstances.
"2. You shall not allow yourself to celebrate days set apart as special in your former religion.
"3. You shall not permit unnecessary practice of daily rituals or routines from your former religion.
"4. If such rituals are unavoidable, such as the washing of hands, they shall be done whilst reciting these ten laws.
"5. You shall obey the United before all other institutions."
I hated it, but couldn't stop.
"6. You shall not seek contact with those who practiced your same former religion.
"7. You shall not consider as part of your identity the fact that you once practiced another religion.
"8. You shall not ever speak of your former religion as having had benefits, nor the lack of it as a problem.
"9. You shall not judge the behavior of others by the restrictions of your former religion, only by the laws of the United.
"10. You are a part of the United, which brought you out of ignorance. Your first allegiance is the government which set you free."
The cry and puke instinct was coming back again.
The next post is Crook Q: Part 42
We stood awkwardly next to each other for a moment, I swallowing his story, he my reactions. Finally I let myself hug him, and we both cried for it all.
By time our awkward hug was over, I realized how tired I was. I practically fell to the floor when he let go of me, barely making it to my chair. I looked at Cea, but she was studying something pinned to the wall. I was too tired to look up again.
Stanyard offered the next helpful bit of information. "You are in the second basement of my business. It legally only has one. Keep that in mind if you are talking while down here. I'll get you both something to lie down on."
I had already found something: the floor. By time he was back I was nearly asleep and didn't even hear him come in. All I remembered was the blanket being laid over me and then the occasional whine of Cea's breathing as she bedded down near me. I dreamed of bangs and bullets, gags and dark cloth hoods.
After only an hour I awoke with a start, just stifling a cry. I watched Cea's body as she twitched and jumped her way through sleep. Neither of our brains was ready to relax.
I couldn't get back to sleep, so I sat still for a while trying to digest what we had done today. I kept feeling the spot in my hair that was missing from the bullet that had passed so close.
It was too long since I had thanked God properly for all of His blessings. Feeling that spot in my hair reminded me of that, and then of how long it had been since I read my Bible. Hopefully Stanyard would have one.
I walked at crawling speed over to the wall Cea had been studying. It had a big map, a few feet across each side, that didn't even cover the whole city. Next to it, where Cea had been looking, was a digital picture frame. The picture already displayed was of Mira and Stanyard as kids, many years ago. I flicked to the next one. It was of them two again, and even though it was out of focus I definitely recognized the old concrete wall of Street 17 camp.
I realized I was snooping outside my business, so I flipped it back and went to look at something else. There was a huge pile of papers, with ashes lightly scattered on the top. Apparently it had been the burning pile. But something on the top of one of the pages caught my attention.
It was the running header of whatever document this had come from. "Behavioral Regulations of RIUN." I couldn't guess what it stood for, but I read on, not even curious, just not wanting to be bored.
I learned by the third paragraph that RIUN stood for Religious Individuals Undergoing Naturalization. The rules list was immense. I guessed the section I was reading was on holiday observance. "On the occasion of a holiday formerly observed by the religious individual, the United benevolently recommends that no special effort be made to avoid recalling the date, but also that no celebration or recollection of the holiday be observed. To observe such a holiday would be to relapse into old thought patterns from a bygone era, but to specifically avoid them likewise recognizes their existence."
It disgusted me, so I flipped a few papers deeper. "If anyone ever asks how a RIUN lived prior to initializing naturalization, no answer should be given. It is best to ignore that such a life existed, and indeed, such is not truly living. This and other such questions should only ever be answered if asked by a United official trained in dealing with religious concerns or for purely academic concerns in religious studies."
I jumped ahead again. "If a RIUN begins to realize tendencies toward returning to the practice of a forsaken religion, or any other one it is recommended they seek counsel from a trained Religious Counselor certified by the United government. These individuals have the knowledge, resources, and power to help struggling RIUNs..."
I jumped ahead once more. I hated what I read too much to stay on it too long, but couldn't take myself away. Was this life on the Outside? At the last page I saw a diagram with two shapes. They were like tall rectangles with semi-circles on the tops. The header in deep, large, black lettering read, "Atheism Made Easy for the Previously Religious via Similar Metaphors. Figure 10: The Ten Commandments for the RIUN.
"1. You shall not allow for any dependency on a deity, in regular life or in difficult circumstances.
"2. You shall not allow yourself to celebrate days set apart as special in your former religion.
"3. You shall not permit unnecessary practice of daily rituals or routines from your former religion.
"4. If such rituals are unavoidable, such as the washing of hands, they shall be done whilst reciting these ten laws.
"5. You shall obey the United before all other institutions."
I hated it, but couldn't stop.
"6. You shall not seek contact with those who practiced your same former religion.
"7. You shall not consider as part of your identity the fact that you once practiced another religion.
"8. You shall not ever speak of your former religion as having had benefits, nor the lack of it as a problem.
"9. You shall not judge the behavior of others by the restrictions of your former religion, only by the laws of the United.
"10. You are a part of the United, which brought you out of ignorance. Your first allegiance is the government which set you free."
The cry and puke instinct was coming back again.
The next post is Crook Q: Part 42
Philli Part 25
What Miss Hansen thinks of this development could prove very important eventually... (no pressure there Aubrey).
I must have fallen asleep, or else been knocked unconscious during the ride, because I awoke to feel the van still. The bag came off my head, and through my blindfold I could tell that there was not much light in whatever room I was.
Then a voice I once knew came to me, as though from beyond the grave. "Hello there, Phil."
I had difficulty remembering it. I hadn't heard it in what felt like years. It had left us so long ago.
"Welcome to Standard Pizza Parlor."
To the escape place?
"Sorry about all the trouble. We had to make it seem like a regular capture."
Cea's voice came in. "For the love of it man, take off her gag and stuff. Do you really expect her to respond still gagged?"
"I just don't want her attacking me. She's a spirited one, unless she's changed."
"I didn't know her as long ago as you maybe, but I would bet she hasn't changed. Maybe just got a little more extreme."
"You untie her," the voice from my past said.
"Why me?"
"She isn't going to kick you in the face."
Cea's hands undid my gag first. I was so glad to be able to breathe normally again. That wet rag had been nasty indeed. Then she undid my hands and feet, even the handcuffs. Lastly she took off the blindfold.
There he was. A year older but looking like several had past. My old classmate Stanyard stood there looking me up and down.
"Yep, it's me, Phil."
I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what I wanted to say. I wasn't sure I wanted to say anything. He had left us. Signed the file, was adopted out, and had never sent a single message back. What were we doing with him? I looked at Cea, all my questions written on my face.
She just looked at me nearly blank. Her look only told me to be polite and respond. So I did. "It's... It's good to see you again, Stanyard."
"Oh come on, I know it's not, but thanks for saying so."
Cea interjected, "It's good to see anyone who doesn't wear a United officer badge."
Stanyard smiled and shrugged. "If that's the standard, an awful lot of people are good sights."
I still sat silent.
Stanyard squatted down against the wall opposite me. "Look, Phil, this isn't our high school. Just say what you want to say, so I can know what you're thinking. It's worse for us both for you to just sit there."
I swallowed and said back, "You left us." A stupid thing to say, it being so obvious. But he understood.
"Yes, I left you, but thank God I never left the faith."
"You signed the file."
"And it was the worst mistake I ever made."
"You never sent back any messages."
"It might surprise you to learn that Outsiders aren't allowed to contact Unaccepted, especially not those adopted out, at least if you want to get your citizenship by good behavior."
"So you're a citizen of the United now."
"Yes, complete with all the rights and privileges. And costs."
He was able to say it all too easily. "You signed the file. You left us. You never spoke back. Everyone at Street 17 figures you might as well be dead to us."
"And it is for all of our best that it seem that way."
I couldn't take that. I stood up. "What do you mean? Your dad has hardly seen the light of day since you left. His attitude has grown only more sullen. Everyone in our school watched as two of their leaders, two of the oldest, sold out and went for the world. How is that better?"
I looked down and saw that Stanyard was crying, through a smile. "Because God is bigger than my stupid mistakes. He turned me around after I got out." He stood up next to me.
"How?" I snapped at him.
"How many of us do you see here?"
It hit me. I asked shakily, looking down into space right through Stanyard's body. "Where's Mira?"
He shook his head. "Not even I know. She hasn't sent a word to me in months."
"Sent? She doesn't live with you?"
"I moved out of the adopted family as soon as I could, when I turned eighteen. She moved out even faster."
I didn't get it.
"She met some guy from the United peace-keeping military. I don't think I ever got his name. Ran off with him before it was even legal."
"So... so that turned you?"
"I saw what I was just like, just in a slightly greater degree. I wanted to keep my faith but not my practice. When she did that, I saw that it couldn't last much longer. I either had to live by my faith or let it die."
"So what did you do?"
"So here I am. I run an underground unit, one of the finest I know of. All kinds of malcontent sons of the United, Unaccepted and Outsider alike follow me." I looked into his eyes with a mix of amazement and admiration. He went on. "That's why it's best I seem dead to Street 17. If they knew about me, if I used my covert methods to converse with you, I'd be found in an instant. Now both sides think I am dead to them."
We stood awkwardly next to each other for a moment, I swallowing his story, he my reactions. Finally I let myself hug him, and we both cried for it all.
The next part is Philli: Part 26
I must have fallen asleep, or else been knocked unconscious during the ride, because I awoke to feel the van still. The bag came off my head, and through my blindfold I could tell that there was not much light in whatever room I was.
Then a voice I once knew came to me, as though from beyond the grave. "Hello there, Phil."
I had difficulty remembering it. I hadn't heard it in what felt like years. It had left us so long ago.
"Welcome to Standard Pizza Parlor."
To the escape place?
"Sorry about all the trouble. We had to make it seem like a regular capture."
Cea's voice came in. "For the love of it man, take off her gag and stuff. Do you really expect her to respond still gagged?"
"I just don't want her attacking me. She's a spirited one, unless she's changed."
"I didn't know her as long ago as you maybe, but I would bet she hasn't changed. Maybe just got a little more extreme."
"You untie her," the voice from my past said.
"Why me?"
"She isn't going to kick you in the face."
Cea's hands undid my gag first. I was so glad to be able to breathe normally again. That wet rag had been nasty indeed. Then she undid my hands and feet, even the handcuffs. Lastly she took off the blindfold.
There he was. A year older but looking like several had past. My old classmate Stanyard stood there looking me up and down.
"Yep, it's me, Phil."
I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what I wanted to say. I wasn't sure I wanted to say anything. He had left us. Signed the file, was adopted out, and had never sent a single message back. What were we doing with him? I looked at Cea, all my questions written on my face.
She just looked at me nearly blank. Her look only told me to be polite and respond. So I did. "It's... It's good to see you again, Stanyard."
"Oh come on, I know it's not, but thanks for saying so."
Cea interjected, "It's good to see anyone who doesn't wear a United officer badge."
Stanyard smiled and shrugged. "If that's the standard, an awful lot of people are good sights."
I still sat silent.
Stanyard squatted down against the wall opposite me. "Look, Phil, this isn't our high school. Just say what you want to say, so I can know what you're thinking. It's worse for us both for you to just sit there."
I swallowed and said back, "You left us." A stupid thing to say, it being so obvious. But he understood.
"Yes, I left you, but thank God I never left the faith."
"You signed the file."
"And it was the worst mistake I ever made."
"You never sent back any messages."
"It might surprise you to learn that Outsiders aren't allowed to contact Unaccepted, especially not those adopted out, at least if you want to get your citizenship by good behavior."
"So you're a citizen of the United now."
"Yes, complete with all the rights and privileges. And costs."
He was able to say it all too easily. "You signed the file. You left us. You never spoke back. Everyone at Street 17 figures you might as well be dead to us."
"And it is for all of our best that it seem that way."
I couldn't take that. I stood up. "What do you mean? Your dad has hardly seen the light of day since you left. His attitude has grown only more sullen. Everyone in our school watched as two of their leaders, two of the oldest, sold out and went for the world. How is that better?"
I looked down and saw that Stanyard was crying, through a smile. "Because God is bigger than my stupid mistakes. He turned me around after I got out." He stood up next to me.
"How?" I snapped at him.
"How many of us do you see here?"
It hit me. I asked shakily, looking down into space right through Stanyard's body. "Where's Mira?"
He shook his head. "Not even I know. She hasn't sent a word to me in months."
"Sent? She doesn't live with you?"
"I moved out of the adopted family as soon as I could, when I turned eighteen. She moved out even faster."
I didn't get it.
"She met some guy from the United peace-keeping military. I don't think I ever got his name. Ran off with him before it was even legal."
"So... so that turned you?"
"I saw what I was just like, just in a slightly greater degree. I wanted to keep my faith but not my practice. When she did that, I saw that it couldn't last much longer. I either had to live by my faith or let it die."
"So what did you do?"
"So here I am. I run an underground unit, one of the finest I know of. All kinds of malcontent sons of the United, Unaccepted and Outsider alike follow me." I looked into his eyes with a mix of amazement and admiration. He went on. "That's why it's best I seem dead to Street 17. If they knew about me, if I used my covert methods to converse with you, I'd be found in an instant. Now both sides think I am dead to them."
We stood awkwardly next to each other for a moment, I swallowing his story, he my reactions. Finally I let myself hug him, and we both cried for it all.
The next part is Philli: Part 26
Philli Part 24
I jerked back and a bullet
tore off hair and bounced off the door. Then one from the opposite end,
Cea's corner, lodged struck the wall just above my head and ricocheted
right past my face. I started praying again.
Cea kicked the door into the stairs back open. Instantly popping a shot in the face of an officer that had just rounded the corner of the stairs. I tried not to look at the blood, but even as we ran by him some of his blood splashed on my leg. I wanted to cry and puke all over again. I just followed Cea.
There were footsteps just barely behind us as the peace-keepers tried to catch us on the stairway.
At one of the landings Cea turned and fired, then immediately ran on. The shot forced them to stop for a second, and we gained maybe a few feet. Cea was nearly out of bullets now, too, and I wasn't much better for ammo.
Finally we reached the lowest floor and jumped into the parking garage I had arrived in. This time there were cars everywhere. We ran between and behind these, bullets crashing through glass and over our heads constantly.
Other elevators and doors into the garage were opening and soldiers cautiously exiting. Now they were checking their corners and keeping cover as though they expected their quarry to be armed and ready to shoot. Cea and I jumped behind a huge van, hoping against logic that they hadn't seen us.
Bullets crashed through glass over our heads, spreading debris everywhere.
I turned towards Cea. I felt nearly paralyzed with fear. I think I was crying already.
Cea whirled to check my angle. Then her glance fell on my face. She set down the guns, and lay with her body flat to the asphalt. She motioned me to do the same, and even as I did the bullets whined ever closer. I think even the soldiers could hear me balling.
Cea touched the side of my head and I looked at her. She said, "Come now, Philadelphia. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, and of power, and of a sound mind. If He sets before us an open door, no man can shut it. And if He has not set open that door, no one can pass through it."
I heard screeching and then the hiss of van doors opening. Before Cea or I could say anything more we were picked up and dragged into another of the huge vans. We were bound and gagged and hand-cuffed.
The doors shut again and we were in perfect darkness, a thick cloth bag over my head. It felt like an execution, at least as much as I could guess what that was like.
We waited in the dark van silently, not even knowing if there were other guards inside or not. There was loud discussion going on outside. We lay still even longer until I heard the door of the parking garage opening again, and we were shooting out just as we had come, except more rudely tied and my bag of things still in our cell. It was a good thing my daddy had told me to leave my reader at home.
I must have fallen asleep, or else been knocked unconscious during the ride, because I awoke to feel the van still. The bag came off my head, and through my blindfold I could tell that there was not much light in whatever room I was.
Then a voice I once knew came to me, as though from beyond the grave. "Hello there, Phil."
The next post is Philli: Part 25
Cea kicked the door into the stairs back open. Instantly popping a shot in the face of an officer that had just rounded the corner of the stairs. I tried not to look at the blood, but even as we ran by him some of his blood splashed on my leg. I wanted to cry and puke all over again. I just followed Cea.
There were footsteps just barely behind us as the peace-keepers tried to catch us on the stairway.
At one of the landings Cea turned and fired, then immediately ran on. The shot forced them to stop for a second, and we gained maybe a few feet. Cea was nearly out of bullets now, too, and I wasn't much better for ammo.
Finally we reached the lowest floor and jumped into the parking garage I had arrived in. This time there were cars everywhere. We ran between and behind these, bullets crashing through glass and over our heads constantly.
Other elevators and doors into the garage were opening and soldiers cautiously exiting. Now they were checking their corners and keeping cover as though they expected their quarry to be armed and ready to shoot. Cea and I jumped behind a huge van, hoping against logic that they hadn't seen us.
Bullets crashed through glass over our heads, spreading debris everywhere.
I turned towards Cea. I felt nearly paralyzed with fear. I think I was crying already.
Cea whirled to check my angle. Then her glance fell on my face. She set down the guns, and lay with her body flat to the asphalt. She motioned me to do the same, and even as I did the bullets whined ever closer. I think even the soldiers could hear me balling.
Cea touched the side of my head and I looked at her. She said, "Come now, Philadelphia. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, and of power, and of a sound mind. If He sets before us an open door, no man can shut it. And if He has not set open that door, no one can pass through it."
I heard screeching and then the hiss of van doors opening. Before Cea or I could say anything more we were picked up and dragged into another of the huge vans. We were bound and gagged and hand-cuffed.
The doors shut again and we were in perfect darkness, a thick cloth bag over my head. It felt like an execution, at least as much as I could guess what that was like.
We waited in the dark van silently, not even knowing if there were other guards inside or not. There was loud discussion going on outside. We lay still even longer until I heard the door of the parking garage opening again, and we were shooting out just as we had come, except more rudely tied and my bag of things still in our cell. It was a good thing my daddy had told me to leave my reader at home.
I must have fallen asleep, or else been knocked unconscious during the ride, because I awoke to feel the van still. The bag came off my head, and through my blindfold I could tell that there was not much light in whatever room I was.
Then a voice I once knew came to me, as though from beyond the grave. "Hello there, Phil."
The next post is Philli: Part 25
Crook Q Part 41
Smyrna shrugged. "Plan C." That plan meant jumping.
Nic vetoed it. "We had that plan in case we got a few more floors down. Dropping eighty-four feet is not conducive to escape."
Ephesus whispered, "New plan."
"And what's that one?" Nic asked.
"Drop to the elevator you two. Find the emergency exit and kick it in. We're going down the fast way."
All three of them jumped onto the roof of the elevator, catching themselves against the steel cord that held it up. Dr. Smyrna found the spot that was meant for escaping out of the elevator, then kicked it in. Nic leaped straight in and gave the elevator the command to the return to the first floor. But nothing happened. "Blast! They turn off the controls during emergencies." He looked up and snapped off the camera that hung in a corner of the elevator by whopping it with his gun.
"No matter." Ephesus calm and small voice barely fell into the elevator. "Dad, get inside."
"No son. Let me do it. They can't do anything to me worse than they've done before."
"You're right."
Ephesus took one step toward the hatch into the elevator, then grabbed his dad and tripped him headfirst into the hole. Nic caught him on his way down and restrained him.
Now Ephesus was yelling, "The magnetic repulsion brakes will catch you softly at the bottom. Just hold onto the walls and keep your head tucked in."
Then he jumped over to the roof of the elevator, drawing one of his explosive tubes out of his coat.
Just then one of the peace-keepers showed his head in the elevator doors. With a lucky shot Ephesus caught his bomb just below the guard's feet, the blast taking care of him.
Taking out two more Ephesus through for where the cords attached to the elevator. The first blast did little but break the sealing and foundations, but with the second he severed the cord that held the elevator.
Unlike old models of the elevator, this one did not rely so much on multiple cords or on pulleys to keep the elevator from free-falling. Instead, a magnetic repulsion brake would activate at the bottom, guaranteeing a nearly soft landing for the elevator. It was more expensive, but considered more reliable.
The elevator plunged all seven floors down, with Smyrna's anguished and angry voice trailing out of it. Ephesus stood at the top of the other elevator. It was time to come up with yet another new plan. He couldn't just blow up the cord on his own elevator. He would be too near the explosion.
By now the stairs might be clear enough for him to make it down alone, or they might be crawling with guards. With all the explosions and hacking and deceit, Ephesus figured that by about now the police and guards would have figured out what had happened.
Then suddenly Ephesus' elevator began to drop. Ephesus thought, "Well, either Nic's luck if working for me, or else the ruling power in which I actually believe is. I am inclined to the second."
The next post is Philli: Part 24
Nic vetoed it. "We had that plan in case we got a few more floors down. Dropping eighty-four feet is not conducive to escape."
Ephesus whispered, "New plan."
"And what's that one?" Nic asked.
"Drop to the elevator you two. Find the emergency exit and kick it in. We're going down the fast way."
All three of them jumped onto the roof of the elevator, catching themselves against the steel cord that held it up. Dr. Smyrna found the spot that was meant for escaping out of the elevator, then kicked it in. Nic leaped straight in and gave the elevator the command to the return to the first floor. But nothing happened. "Blast! They turn off the controls during emergencies." He looked up and snapped off the camera that hung in a corner of the elevator by whopping it with his gun.
"No matter." Ephesus calm and small voice barely fell into the elevator. "Dad, get inside."
"No son. Let me do it. They can't do anything to me worse than they've done before."
"You're right."
Ephesus took one step toward the hatch into the elevator, then grabbed his dad and tripped him headfirst into the hole. Nic caught him on his way down and restrained him.
Now Ephesus was yelling, "The magnetic repulsion brakes will catch you softly at the bottom. Just hold onto the walls and keep your head tucked in."
Then he jumped over to the roof of the elevator, drawing one of his explosive tubes out of his coat.
Just then one of the peace-keepers showed his head in the elevator doors. With a lucky shot Ephesus caught his bomb just below the guard's feet, the blast taking care of him.
Taking out two more Ephesus through for where the cords attached to the elevator. The first blast did little but break the sealing and foundations, but with the second he severed the cord that held the elevator.
Unlike old models of the elevator, this one did not rely so much on multiple cords or on pulleys to keep the elevator from free-falling. Instead, a magnetic repulsion brake would activate at the bottom, guaranteeing a nearly soft landing for the elevator. It was more expensive, but considered more reliable.
The elevator plunged all seven floors down, with Smyrna's anguished and angry voice trailing out of it. Ephesus stood at the top of the other elevator. It was time to come up with yet another new plan. He couldn't just blow up the cord on his own elevator. He would be too near the explosion.
By now the stairs might be clear enough for him to make it down alone, or they might be crawling with guards. With all the explosions and hacking and deceit, Ephesus figured that by about now the police and guards would have figured out what had happened.
Then suddenly Ephesus' elevator began to drop. Ephesus thought, "Well, either Nic's luck if working for me, or else the ruling power in which I actually believe is. I am inclined to the second."
The next post is Philli: Part 24
Friday, July 27, 2012
A New Thread III
Hey friends, we have new stories brewing. Three new stories that we are ready to begin drafting. But there is one catch. We will only do 1. And which one should I do? Notice my new poll over there =====>
See? There are four options. But you know nothing about them... allow me to dispel the problem! Read on to see how you can help decide what the new story thread will be!
See? There are four options. But you know nothing about them... allow me to dispel the problem! Read on to see how you can help decide what the new story thread will be!
Crook Q Part 40
Nic took charge, "Now for Plan A. To the stairs!"
There would be hundreds of other lab coat clad scientists exiting the building. All they had to do was keep their heads down and pass through unnoticed. At least for Plan A.
Immediately out the door they were greeted with their first day time, lights-on view of the interior of the research center. Like many hotels it had a columns of open space surrounded by rooms, though the rooms were much large and the column smaller. Two twin elevators ran in a metal black shaft that obscured the column of air. To the left was their stairwell.
They moved quickly but quietly, trying to look as though they were afraid of fire and not capture. They passed the fire alarm. It was behind a pane of glass that read, "In case of emergency, break glass." Next to it hung a metal baton a few inches long, obviously for use in breaking the glass. Smyrna smashed through the glass and pulled the alarm, then yanked the baton off the chain. In close quarters, he at least had a skull-cracking weapon
They pushed through the normally locked door into the emergency stairwell, but before they were down even to the first landing they were challenged by a man in uniform. "What's going on here?"
Nic barked through his mustache, "Explosion went wrong! Tenth and ninth floors," he feigned a cough, excellently, "chemical fire. Your officer needs you."
The soldier seemed confused. "Where is he?"
"Tenth floor, the lab on the diagonal opposite these stairs. Just came from talking to him."
The guard leaped up the stairs three at a time. Nic and Ephesus forged ahead down to the next floor. Another fire alarm. Nic smashed that one open and pulled the alarm down. Down two more flights of stairs they ran, until they met the crowd.
Surging down the stairs in a slow and organized fashion was a jam packed glut of scientists, moving at barely a stair every second. Smyrna nudged Nic, "We could just go for going down with them. Safety in numbers."
Nic sneered, "Before this slew of aged medicine-men gets to the bottom they'll be on to everything, and they won't let a single of them out, let alone us at the back of the group. Plan B."
They charged out of the stairwell and went of the elevator shaft, elbowing scientists and peace-keepers left and right. No one asked questions until they stopped in front of the elevator doors. One of the scientists who was on his way out accosted them, "Can't you read? In case of emergency, use stairs?"
Nic stepped next to him and said, "Nope. Can't read." In an instant he smashed the man's head with the butt of his gun. Then another door opened and a flood of scientists poured out of that lab. Ephesus took his father's baton and pried the elevator doors separate just barely an inch, then Nic shoved in an explosive tube. Ephesus whacked it the baton and leaped away. as the doors blasted apart. They looked in and saw the elevator had stopped one floor down. They wanted the ladder in the shaft.
Looking at the wall too which the ladder they had seen on the floor plans was affixed, they were sorely disappointed. It was surrounded by a metal casing, meant to keep climbers in. In this case, it functioned to keep escapees out.
Smyrna shrugged. "Plan C." That plan meant jumping.
Nic vetoed it. "We had that plan in case we got a few more floors down. Dropping eighty-four feet is not conducive to escape."
Ephesus whispered, "New plan."
Next post is Crook Q: Part 41
There would be hundreds of other lab coat clad scientists exiting the building. All they had to do was keep their heads down and pass through unnoticed. At least for Plan A.
Immediately out the door they were greeted with their first day time, lights-on view of the interior of the research center. Like many hotels it had a columns of open space surrounded by rooms, though the rooms were much large and the column smaller. Two twin elevators ran in a metal black shaft that obscured the column of air. To the left was their stairwell.
They moved quickly but quietly, trying to look as though they were afraid of fire and not capture. They passed the fire alarm. It was behind a pane of glass that read, "In case of emergency, break glass." Next to it hung a metal baton a few inches long, obviously for use in breaking the glass. Smyrna smashed through the glass and pulled the alarm, then yanked the baton off the chain. In close quarters, he at least had a skull-cracking weapon
They pushed through the normally locked door into the emergency stairwell, but before they were down even to the first landing they were challenged by a man in uniform. "What's going on here?"
Nic barked through his mustache, "Explosion went wrong! Tenth and ninth floors," he feigned a cough, excellently, "chemical fire. Your officer needs you."
The soldier seemed confused. "Where is he?"
"Tenth floor, the lab on the diagonal opposite these stairs. Just came from talking to him."
The guard leaped up the stairs three at a time. Nic and Ephesus forged ahead down to the next floor. Another fire alarm. Nic smashed that one open and pulled the alarm down. Down two more flights of stairs they ran, until they met the crowd.
Surging down the stairs in a slow and organized fashion was a jam packed glut of scientists, moving at barely a stair every second. Smyrna nudged Nic, "We could just go for going down with them. Safety in numbers."
Nic sneered, "Before this slew of aged medicine-men gets to the bottom they'll be on to everything, and they won't let a single of them out, let alone us at the back of the group. Plan B."
They charged out of the stairwell and went of the elevator shaft, elbowing scientists and peace-keepers left and right. No one asked questions until they stopped in front of the elevator doors. One of the scientists who was on his way out accosted them, "Can't you read? In case of emergency, use stairs?"
Nic stepped next to him and said, "Nope. Can't read." In an instant he smashed the man's head with the butt of his gun. Then another door opened and a flood of scientists poured out of that lab. Ephesus took his father's baton and pried the elevator doors separate just barely an inch, then Nic shoved in an explosive tube. Ephesus whacked it the baton and leaped away. as the doors blasted apart. They looked in and saw the elevator had stopped one floor down. They wanted the ladder in the shaft.
Looking at the wall too which the ladder they had seen on the floor plans was affixed, they were sorely disappointed. It was surrounded by a metal casing, meant to keep climbers in. In this case, it functioned to keep escapees out.
Smyrna shrugged. "Plan C." That plan meant jumping.
Nic vetoed it. "We had that plan in case we got a few more floors down. Dropping eighty-four feet is not conducive to escape."
Ephesus whispered, "New plan."
Next post is Crook Q: Part 41
Philli Part 23
Cea had snatched her gun
back and popped a shot straight into the head of the lead soldier. The
other two jumped back. "Switch guns!" She barked and tossed me hers. I
slid mine to her. Hers was lighter.
Then a small metal ball about the size of a baseball rolled up to us.
My fervent prayers were interrupted by Cea's cry. "Grenade!"
That surely didn't sound good. I assumed the thing was going to explode.
Cea snatched it up from the ground and threw it back over the dead body of the first guard that had tried a charge. I watched it's flight until Cea yelled at me, "Get back behind the door!"
I jumped back as more bullets flew, then a flash and a bang. Tiny shards bounced everywhere. One scratched across my leg.
Then a new projectile flew in at us. A longer and thinner one. I looked at it wondering what Cea would do about this one. She just turned and looked at the door.
Then it went off. A massive bang left my ears ringing and I fell to my knees. A flash of white light blinded me and I just lay there, holding my gun like a kitchen knife.
I heard the floor vibrate as the two guards came for me. One of them was either laughing or yelling, but I could hear him making a noise.
I lifted up my gun, glad I couldn't see a thing except a blinding whiteness and greyish forms. I squeezed the trigger.
The butt end of my gun crashed into my forehead with recoil, but my bullet met a different body. One of the forms fell over and screamed. The other one fell backward as I heard a dull thud, the garbled form of a bang from Cea's gun.
My vision started to clear when Cea jerked me up and pulled me through the door into the narrow stairwell. "I got the key from one of those. Nice shot. You should try shooting with your eyes shut more often."
Had I just killed someone? I had to know. "Did I...did I...just..."
Cea was pulling me down the stairs. I felt like I was going to cry and puke at the same time. She went on, "You only have two shots left. Never fire your last one. If they know you're out they won't be afraid."
"just kill...did I kill?"
"No. It was a gut shot."
I had recovered my senses now. "So I didn't kill, just maim someone."
"If that's helpful to you look at it that way. If it's not just pretend I did it."
A bang came from down the stairs. A door had opened below us.
"Let me cock your gun, Phil." I handed it to her without thinking. A bang came from above us. A door there, too."
Cea's head jerked that way as footsteps came from both directions.
"Never mind that!" She said as she yanked me through a door out of the stairwell. We stood in the doorway.
"Check the corner, Phil."
I did what Cea had done. Pressing myself against the wall and peeking for half a moment. I jerked back and a bullet tore off hair and bounced off the door. Then one from the opposite end, Cea's corner, lodged struck the wall just above my head and ricocheted right past my face. I started praying again.
Next post is Crook Q: Part 40
Then a small metal ball about the size of a baseball rolled up to us.
My fervent prayers were interrupted by Cea's cry. "Grenade!"
That surely didn't sound good. I assumed the thing was going to explode.
Cea snatched it up from the ground and threw it back over the dead body of the first guard that had tried a charge. I watched it's flight until Cea yelled at me, "Get back behind the door!"
I jumped back as more bullets flew, then a flash and a bang. Tiny shards bounced everywhere. One scratched across my leg.
Then a new projectile flew in at us. A longer and thinner one. I looked at it wondering what Cea would do about this one. She just turned and looked at the door.
Then it went off. A massive bang left my ears ringing and I fell to my knees. A flash of white light blinded me and I just lay there, holding my gun like a kitchen knife.
I heard the floor vibrate as the two guards came for me. One of them was either laughing or yelling, but I could hear him making a noise.
I lifted up my gun, glad I couldn't see a thing except a blinding whiteness and greyish forms. I squeezed the trigger.
The butt end of my gun crashed into my forehead with recoil, but my bullet met a different body. One of the forms fell over and screamed. The other one fell backward as I heard a dull thud, the garbled form of a bang from Cea's gun.
My vision started to clear when Cea jerked me up and pulled me through the door into the narrow stairwell. "I got the key from one of those. Nice shot. You should try shooting with your eyes shut more often."
Had I just killed someone? I had to know. "Did I...did I...just..."
Cea was pulling me down the stairs. I felt like I was going to cry and puke at the same time. She went on, "You only have two shots left. Never fire your last one. If they know you're out they won't be afraid."
"just kill...did I kill?"
"No. It was a gut shot."
I had recovered my senses now. "So I didn't kill, just maim someone."
"If that's helpful to you look at it that way. If it's not just pretend I did it."
A bang came from down the stairs. A door had opened below us.
"Let me cock your gun, Phil." I handed it to her without thinking. A bang came from above us. A door there, too."
Cea's head jerked that way as footsteps came from both directions.
"Never mind that!" She said as she yanked me through a door out of the stairwell. We stood in the doorway.
"Check the corner, Phil."
I did what Cea had done. Pressing myself against the wall and peeking for half a moment. I jerked back and a bullet tore off hair and bounced off the door. Then one from the opposite end, Cea's corner, lodged struck the wall just above my head and ricocheted right past my face. I started praying again.
Next post is Crook Q: Part 40
Crook Q Part 39
The dead body of the the United leader remained animated involuntarily
by the electricity jumping through his body. Nic began to chuckle....he had stopped laughing, and said calmly through his mustache. "I've been waiting decades to laugh like that."
Neither the elder Smyrna nor Ephesus knew how to react to that. Nic just knelt down and began going through his pockets. The clothes emitted a nasty combination of burnt flesh and sweat. In disgust Nic drew back his hands. "He's bit too messy to go through." Calmly he took the gun out of the dead man's hand. With the electrical shock, the man's hand hadn't gotten a death grip on it.
Nic ejected the magazine. "There's only one bullet in here."
Smyrna asked, "Why would a man carry a gun with only one bullet?"
Ephesus answered quietly, "It's probably a suicide weapon. If he needs to shoot himself. Or else just bring someone down with him. Suicide or revenge."
Smyrna swallowed in disgust. Nic smiled, "Your son knows more about the life in the Outside than any of us would expect, or so it seems, doctor. Now that I have my gun, you can load up on the explosive flasks."
Nice emptied his pockets of all but three of the glass tubes of fire, giving a dozen to Ephesus, and a few to Smyrna. Nic continued, "In the event of capture, just through crack one of these open on your head, and it will all be over. The explosive goes off on hard impact. I assume you both have hard enough skulls for that."
Smyrna muttered back, "We don't believe in suicide."
"No matter. If they catch any of us it will be straight to the chop-block, if we are lucky."
Smyrna replied, "We don't believe in luck, either."
"Well, I hope for your sakes that if favors you anyway. Luck isn't so malevolent as to curse all who don't believe in it, unlike other ruling powers of which I had heard. Now out the doors. Ephesus, throw the switch."
Ephesus bounded over to his computer screen, impatiently waiting as the monitor turned on. With one click all the lights in the building flashed and sirens blazed. "Not a bad hack job if I do say so myself. Until they catch on pretty much door towards the exits will be open."
Nic took charge, "Now for Plan A. To the stairs!"
There would be hundreds of other lab coat clad scientists exiting the building. All they had to do was keep their heads down and pass through unnoticed. At least for Plan A.
Next post is from Phili: Part 23
Neither the elder Smyrna nor Ephesus knew how to react to that. Nic just knelt down and began going through his pockets. The clothes emitted a nasty combination of burnt flesh and sweat. In disgust Nic drew back his hands. "He's bit too messy to go through." Calmly he took the gun out of the dead man's hand. With the electrical shock, the man's hand hadn't gotten a death grip on it.
Nic ejected the magazine. "There's only one bullet in here."
Smyrna asked, "Why would a man carry a gun with only one bullet?"
Ephesus answered quietly, "It's probably a suicide weapon. If he needs to shoot himself. Or else just bring someone down with him. Suicide or revenge."
Smyrna swallowed in disgust. Nic smiled, "Your son knows more about the life in the Outside than any of us would expect, or so it seems, doctor. Now that I have my gun, you can load up on the explosive flasks."
Nice emptied his pockets of all but three of the glass tubes of fire, giving a dozen to Ephesus, and a few to Smyrna. Nic continued, "In the event of capture, just through crack one of these open on your head, and it will all be over. The explosive goes off on hard impact. I assume you both have hard enough skulls for that."
Smyrna muttered back, "We don't believe in suicide."
"No matter. If they catch any of us it will be straight to the chop-block, if we are lucky."
Smyrna replied, "We don't believe in luck, either."
"Well, I hope for your sakes that if favors you anyway. Luck isn't so malevolent as to curse all who don't believe in it, unlike other ruling powers of which I had heard. Now out the doors. Ephesus, throw the switch."
Ephesus bounded over to his computer screen, impatiently waiting as the monitor turned on. With one click all the lights in the building flashed and sirens blazed. "Not a bad hack job if I do say so myself. Until they catch on pretty much door towards the exits will be open."
Nic took charge, "Now for Plan A. To the stairs!"
There would be hundreds of other lab coat clad scientists exiting the building. All they had to do was keep their heads down and pass through unnoticed. At least for Plan A.
Next post is from Phili: Part 23
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Philli Part 22
Cea took it out of my hands and cocked it quickly. She clicked a button on the side.
"No more safety, in more ways than one. Don't pull that trigger unless you mean to. And if you mean to, you sure better."
It felt like a movie. Just not one about fish.
Everything moved so fast. Cea leaped to the doorway and checked down the hall as far as she could see. Nothing was there, except a camera. With a bang there wasn't even a camera left. "Phil, check the other corner."
How do I check a corner?
Cea rolled her eyes again at my incompetence and jumped to the other side of the door. "Clear." She said, and ducked out the door, turning right.
I followed right behind her, my gun pointed at the ground. I had always been taught to carry kitchen knives that way, and this was far more dangerous.
Cea kicked at the door we had come up through. The metal of it rang, almost seeming to laugh at our feeble attempt at escape.
Cea got down on her knees and investigated the crack of the door. "Simple deadbolts."
She placed her gun directly against the crack of the door and shot. The bullet bounced back and knocked the gun out of her hands. The door just chuckled.
Boots were pounding down the opposite side of the corridor. I flattened into a doorway and Cea did the same just as they turned around. Cea's pistol still lay on the ground.
Three of them with big, black, metal guns. They didn't even offer surrender, just started spraying bullets around. The little balls of hot metal rolled around on the floor. I stuck my left hand out in the open and shot without even looking.
The recoil nearly broke my arm as it was thrust back against the door. But I was glad for it, as a stream of bullets flew by my small degree of cover.
Cea had snatched her gun back and popped a shot straight into the head of the lead soldier. The other two jumped back. "Switch guns!" She barked and tossed me hers. I slid mine to her. Hers was lighter.
Then a small metal ball about the size of a baseball rolled up to us.
My fervent prayers were interrupted by Cea's cry. "Grenade!"
Next post is from Crook Q: Part 39
"No more safety, in more ways than one. Don't pull that trigger unless you mean to. And if you mean to, you sure better."
It felt like a movie. Just not one about fish.
Everything moved so fast. Cea leaped to the doorway and checked down the hall as far as she could see. Nothing was there, except a camera. With a bang there wasn't even a camera left. "Phil, check the other corner."
How do I check a corner?
Cea rolled her eyes again at my incompetence and jumped to the other side of the door. "Clear." She said, and ducked out the door, turning right.
I followed right behind her, my gun pointed at the ground. I had always been taught to carry kitchen knives that way, and this was far more dangerous.
Cea kicked at the door we had come up through. The metal of it rang, almost seeming to laugh at our feeble attempt at escape.
Cea got down on her knees and investigated the crack of the door. "Simple deadbolts."
She placed her gun directly against the crack of the door and shot. The bullet bounced back and knocked the gun out of her hands. The door just chuckled.
Boots were pounding down the opposite side of the corridor. I flattened into a doorway and Cea did the same just as they turned around. Cea's pistol still lay on the ground.
Three of them with big, black, metal guns. They didn't even offer surrender, just started spraying bullets around. The little balls of hot metal rolled around on the floor. I stuck my left hand out in the open and shot without even looking.
The recoil nearly broke my arm as it was thrust back against the door. But I was glad for it, as a stream of bullets flew by my small degree of cover.
Cea had snatched her gun back and popped a shot straight into the head of the lead soldier. The other two jumped back. "Switch guns!" She barked and tossed me hers. I slid mine to her. Hers was lighter.
Then a small metal ball about the size of a baseball rolled up to us.
My fervent prayers were interrupted by Cea's cry. "Grenade!"
Next post is from Crook Q: Part 39
Crook Q Part 38
Smyrna went to the door into the apartment. He found it open and Dr. Nic sitting on the floor working on the door mainframe.
"What's going on, Nic?"
Nic turned one more screw and re-affixed the plate that hid the control
panel. "You'll find out. Just go make things look normal out there."
Smyrna turned to leave, then whipped around again, "And Nic, Ephesus found how to unlock all the doors, at least temporarily. He can trip off the buildings emergency settings. That could buy us a few moments of confusion."
"We'll do it as we go out the doors here." Smyrna began walking away. Nic whispered loudly,
"And tell your son not to try to come through this door from the outside, or you either."
"And tell your son not to try to come through this door from the outside, or you either."
Smyrna looked at the doctor awkwardly, then shrugged and left.
The Smyrna father and son waited around, feigning to be working on Red Rain some more. Then the intercom came on, "The representative will be up in a moment, floor nine."
Ephesus flipped his switch to speak, "Thank you, miss. Tell him to expect a breakthrough when he arrives." He chuckled to himself after he switched off the intercom.
Dr. Smyrna was not comfortable working in the lobby of their lab, afraid that the deceit might show on his face when the representative arrived. "I am going back to the explosives room. Why don't you join me? We can make lots of noise and appear to be busy."
Ephesus reluctantly left his computer, turning off the screen so that the floor plans would not be in plain sight. They both retreated to the back room.
They did not, however, make lots of noise. They were to tense to even pretend to work.
The door to their lab opened with the standard chirp. With the door slightly ajar they heard the representative mumble, "Guess those Christians must have taught him humility."''
The in-lab intercom came on. It was Nic's voice, "Not at all, Mr. Representative sir of the High and Mighty Realm of the United, may it last ten thousand years. I have the model I was bidden to show thee in my personal office."
The representative sniffed. "An odd place for scientific pursuit."
"The best breakthroughs are often made in bedrooms, Mister Illustrious."
The representative's stiff shoes clunked across the smooth floor. "And where are your two Christians, Nic?"
"Killed them. Needed test subjects for the weapon. If you are required to present their bodies or something I could probably bottle up their remains. Do you think I have assimilated well?"
The seal on Nic's door was opened, and out floated his voice, bearing a ring of triumph the Smyrnas had never noticed in it before. "The scientist welcomes you to the indestructible carrot project."
Nic sat in an office chair, looking out the window, his face away from the door. The representative stood in the doorway, glowering. He did not like this new version of his prisoner. "I hope you have a better number than three."
Nic did not turn, but rather said smoothly, "I have a series of numbers better than three. Three. Two." The representative drew his gun and aimed at Nic as he turned his face towards him. "One."
Instantly the doors smashed shut on the representative. Blue streaks of voltage belted across the doorway, twitching the politician's body uncontrollably. He couldn't even scream.
Nic got out of his chair and stepped closer. The dead body of the the United leader remained animated involuntarily by the electricity jumping through his body. Nic began to chuckle.
A chaotic and hideous laugh echoed through the lab, shaking small appliances and glasses of water. Even the floor reverberated with Nic's maniacal enjoyment. Father and son ran out of their position in the back room and watched as Nic, still cackling, pressed his hand against the door sensor and ended the stream of volts. The doors re-opened. His recording played again.
Before it was done he had stopped laughing, and said calmly through his mustache. "I've been waiting decades to laugh like that."
Next post is from Philli: Part 22
Next post is from Philli: Part 22
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Crook Q Part 37
I've been dreaming of this scene since the inception of this story, or nearly so... let's see how I do it. Get ready for the turning point. [Edit: that scene will have to happen next post... since this one went long]
There it was. Dr. Smyrna had been so close. So close indeed. All he
needed was a few extra atoms there, a few neurons there, and the old
Christian would have invented the most deadly weapon of all time.
But now Nic had done it. Red Rain.
The alarm clock went off just as it did every day. Nic awoke and listened for a moment, as he had every morning since he was in high school. Both the Christians still snoring. Time to get to work.
"The scientist welcomes you to the indestructible carrot project."
That would need to change.
Nic went to the explosives room and made several more of his exploding magnesium concoctions. In a fit of anxiety he checked his lab coat chest pocket. The microchip was still there. Into the side pockets he stuffed the little flasks of explosives. Lab coat would be the best camouflage in the building, no matter their route. Underneath he wore the standard drab grey garments the United gave all their prisoners on work leave.
Nic turned toward the apartment and jumped as he saw Ephesus was awake.
"Good morning, doctor," the young man said. "Think my dad and I can borrow a few of those?"
"If we get a gun you can have most of them."
"Are you a crack shot?" Ephesus asked with amusement.
"You'd better hope I am. Unless I miss my guess none of you have ever held a gun."
"I did once. Ambrose let me hold his gun just so I could know how weak I was because I didn't have one. He used to be more into his mind games."
Nic laughed. "He hasn't changed. He has just met his match in us."
Dr. Smyrna emerged from the apartment carrying one of his tighter shirts. "Nic, you might want this if we get out of the building. Drab grey will have you spotted in an instant. Civilian clothes is better for camouflage."
"Right you are." Nic took the shirt and folded it, stuffing it into a pocket. "You two know the plan?"
Both of the others nodded. Nic sniffed, an expression of derisive contentment. He went on, "Just keep close watch on whatever cameras you can hack, Ephesus."
Ephesus sat at the computer all morning. Nic nervously amassed exploding flasks until all his pockets were fairly bursting. He continued to give harried advice, "Just remember. Stealth is the key."
Smyrna continued scratching away at decay chains and reactions. He explained, "It will be best if they think we worked until the bitter end."'
Nic snapped, "There will be no bitter end. Now I will go set up the last straw. If he arrives let me know."
Ephesus had hacked his way into their security mainframe. He watched on a few small windows some key cameras, and on the other half of the screen he worked on their settings. He motioned his dad over. "Go tell Nic, quietly, that I have found the switch for unlocking all the doors at once. This could make all our plans more viable. It's the switch for when there is a fire or something."
Smyrna nodded. "We will add that to the plan."
Smyrna went to the door into the apartment. He found it open and Dr. Nic sitting on the floor working on the door mainframe.
"What's going on, Nic?"
Nic turned one more screw and re-affixed the plate that hid the control panel. "You'll find out. Just go make things look normal out there."
Philli Part 21
I am beginning to design new plot lines which involve Philli and Cea being "removed" for sake of ease of writing. Not really.
Cea had already put down the phone before I blinked. "Now, Philli, we need to get ready for that monitor guy. He'll be in in a..."
The door flew open.
We both sat on the floor awkwardly considering what to do. For about two seconds there was silence.
"Nice cell phone." The statement from the guard did little to break the tension.
Cea looked straight back into his face. "Nice beard."
Suddenly he kicked me aside. His powerful leg launched me several feet away as he grabbed Cea's neck. He rudely hoisted her up by that grasp, as she clutched at his powerful hands, then he wrapped his spare arm around her chest, binding her arms in.
I didn't know what I had to do, but I did it anyway.
Without thinking I was on top of him, yanking his beard back. He twisted around angrily, and as one of his arms left Cea to swat at me one her's jerked free, grabbing his ear and yanking his head back around the other way.
He through Cea to the floor. As she slid across the smooth surface he drew a gun. Even as the trigger clicked my foot got his shin. His shot went straight into the floor as he doubled over.
Cea was back up and took a full swing of he leg into his face, flipping him back over. I jumped onto his sprawled out arm, jarring the gun out of his hands with that pain.
He rolled on top of me for his gun. I kicked up between his legs and he rolled off. Before he was ready again Cea had jumped on his head. I heard an awkward cracking sound that nearly brought my dinner back through my mouth. Then a bang with a dull thud.
Blood pooled around the monitor's head. Cea reloaded.
"Where'd you learn how to use a gun?" I asked. A stupid question in the situation.
Another bang. A guard had come to the doorway. "Neither Nic nor I ever really liked the United," she said.
She cocked the gun again and whispered hotly, "Check the other guard's body. Keys, guns, maps, anything useful."
Check his body? Did she want me to grope over a dead man's body?
She rolled her eyes as she went to her knees and did it herself. She frisked him quickly. "Cea, there's a gun in his hand?"
"You won't be able to get that one out. There's nothing stronger than rigor mortis."
I thought back to school. That was when people's muscles tightened as they died.
I head something heavy and metal slide to me. A gun.
Cea looked at me, "Cock it. Pull back on the slider on the top."
I tried, but it wouldn't go.
Cea took it out of my hands and cocked it quickly. She clicked a button on the side.
"No more safety, in more ways than one. Don't pull that trigger unless you mean to. And if you mean to, you sure better."
It felt like a movie. Just not one about fish.
Cea had already put down the phone before I blinked. "Now, Philli, we need to get ready for that monitor guy. He'll be in in a..."
The door flew open.
We both sat on the floor awkwardly considering what to do. For about two seconds there was silence.
"Nice cell phone." The statement from the guard did little to break the tension.
Cea looked straight back into his face. "Nice beard."
Suddenly he kicked me aside. His powerful leg launched me several feet away as he grabbed Cea's neck. He rudely hoisted her up by that grasp, as she clutched at his powerful hands, then he wrapped his spare arm around her chest, binding her arms in.
I didn't know what I had to do, but I did it anyway.
Without thinking I was on top of him, yanking his beard back. He twisted around angrily, and as one of his arms left Cea to swat at me one her's jerked free, grabbing his ear and yanking his head back around the other way.
He through Cea to the floor. As she slid across the smooth surface he drew a gun. Even as the trigger clicked my foot got his shin. His shot went straight into the floor as he doubled over.
Cea was back up and took a full swing of he leg into his face, flipping him back over. I jumped onto his sprawled out arm, jarring the gun out of his hands with that pain.
He rolled on top of me for his gun. I kicked up between his legs and he rolled off. Before he was ready again Cea had jumped on his head. I heard an awkward cracking sound that nearly brought my dinner back through my mouth. Then a bang with a dull thud.
Blood pooled around the monitor's head. Cea reloaded.
"Where'd you learn how to use a gun?" I asked. A stupid question in the situation.
Another bang. A guard had come to the doorway. "Neither Nic nor I ever really liked the United," she said.
She cocked the gun again and whispered hotly, "Check the other guard's body. Keys, guns, maps, anything useful."
Check his body? Did she want me to grope over a dead man's body?
She rolled her eyes as she went to her knees and did it herself. She frisked him quickly. "Cea, there's a gun in his hand?"
"You won't be able to get that one out. There's nothing stronger than rigor mortis."
I thought back to school. That was when people's muscles tightened as they died.
I head something heavy and metal slide to me. A gun.
Cea looked at me, "Cock it. Pull back on the slider on the top."
I tried, but it wouldn't go.
Cea took it out of my hands and cocked it quickly. She clicked a button on the side.
"No more safety, in more ways than one. Don't pull that trigger unless you mean to. And if you mean to, you sure better."
It felt like a movie. Just not one about fish.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Philli Part 20
Wow, back to Philli's voice. This one will be fun... speaking in FpF, First-person Female.
This is admittedly, a short post, but it is a transition to writing these two intriguing characters again, and I found a great cliff-hanger. Tomorrow I will bring out all that good stuff. Lord willing. :)
"You might need a gun. You might need a knife. You might just need to run. But you need to do all you can. Okay?"
I nodded. "But Cea... it doesn't make sense."
"Life doesn't make sense. Blame sin for that. The gospel doesn't make sense. Thank God for that. Your situation doesn't make sense, now follow God's lead and run for the open door."
I lifted my head. I could do it now.
Cea tapped in the last few numbers, and the tone beeped out of the phone as the call went through.
Cea and I waited a few seconds, then the dial tone stopped. Cea looked at her phone. "I still have service here. He must not have been able to pick up."
"Who was it?" I asked.
Cea looked at me sideways. "I can't tell you that. That's how the underground works, not just you."
Just then a call came in. "Oh, it's him!" she cried. I still wondered who he was.
Then I heard the voice. Ephesus.
Cea saw my face beaming with excitement. She smiled, acknowledging that I was right. I wondered what my brother was doing with an illegal cell phone himself, and what he had done with it in the past, but figured that was protected under underground secrecy.
Cea spoke quickly into the phone, "Yes, but this is quick. We're getting out of here in a few minutes. Going to the pizza place. We'll be gone soon, one way or another. Your sister loves you and your dad, and I love Nic."
The pizza place. So silly.
Cea had already put down the phone before I blinked. "Now, Philli, we need to get ready for that monitor guy. He'll be in in a..."
The door flew open.
This is admittedly, a short post, but it is a transition to writing these two intriguing characters again, and I found a great cliff-hanger. Tomorrow I will bring out all that good stuff. Lord willing. :)
"You might need a gun. You might need a knife. You might just need to run. But you need to do all you can. Okay?"
I nodded. "But Cea... it doesn't make sense."
"Life doesn't make sense. Blame sin for that. The gospel doesn't make sense. Thank God for that. Your situation doesn't make sense, now follow God's lead and run for the open door."
I lifted my head. I could do it now.
Cea tapped in the last few numbers, and the tone beeped out of the phone as the call went through.
Cea and I waited a few seconds, then the dial tone stopped. Cea looked at her phone. "I still have service here. He must not have been able to pick up."
"Who was it?" I asked.
Cea looked at me sideways. "I can't tell you that. That's how the underground works, not just you."
Just then a call came in. "Oh, it's him!" she cried. I still wondered who he was.
Then I heard the voice. Ephesus.
Cea saw my face beaming with excitement. She smiled, acknowledging that I was right. I wondered what my brother was doing with an illegal cell phone himself, and what he had done with it in the past, but figured that was protected under underground secrecy.
Cea spoke quickly into the phone, "Yes, but this is quick. We're getting out of here in a few minutes. Going to the pizza place. We'll be gone soon, one way or another. Your sister loves you and your dad, and I love Nic."
The pizza place. So silly.
Cea had already put down the phone before I blinked. "Now, Philli, we need to get ready for that monitor guy. He'll be in in a..."
The door flew open.
Crook Q Part 36
Alright, readers, my brother helped me realize I had left a few plot holes and mistaken turns in this story, away from my original plan. This version will remain unchanged as I tie those holes shut and seal them off and what not, but we have decided that in the revised/published version I will .... revise it. Without further ado... watch me solve those plotholes.
"I will come tomorrow morning. I will want to see evidence of your progress, not showmanship. Got it?"
Nic paused for effect, his grin growing. "I assure you, sir, that we are
beyond two percent progress." Instantly he switched off the call.
"And now, gentlemen," Nic continued, regaining his regal bearing, "we will prepare for the representatives arrival."
Dr. Smyrna was not fully onboard. "Nic, I've hit a wall with these acid-base reactions. There's just no working with them. I feel that there might be a solution, but I just cannot hit it. There's no way we can be ready for his arrival in only a few hours. You have to tell me what is going on."
"I do not have to tell anyone what is going on. But I choose to anyhow. To prepare for his arrival, we must prepare for our escape. I brought him in here so that we can use him to get out. I figure he will have keys, or at least enough power to get through a few doors."
Ephesus volunteered immediately. "I will get those floor plans back up."
For the remaining hours of the afternoon the threesome poured over the floor plans, memorizing them and plotting their escape route. They made alternate plans and memorized those. Plans if they were armed or unarmed, had keys or didn't, had a hostage or not.
As they finished their business, and Dr. Smyrna began to rub his eyes with tiredness, Nic lingered at the computer, feigning interest in what was on its screen. Both members of the Smyrna family could tell that he wanted to get back on it in private, so they retired to bed.
Before Nic's recorded voice was done echoing, he had sat at the computer and was pounding away at the keys. As a "Loading" bar came on the screen he quietly crept to the stack of papers Dr. Smyrna had been working with. Something he had said that morning had caught Nic's mind, and he had an idea.
For ninety minutes into the night Nic read and typed and clicked and read more. Then he had it.
As the final logarithms were computed on the screen, elation spread across Nic's face, before he would dare let it into his heart. The purple loading bar seemed to crawl, all the slower to Nic's mind than reality. The bar filled. Why do the bars always reach full before they are done?
For several seconds the full bar lingered, then the screen went blank. Nic shuddered. Could it have killed the computer?
Then a blank white screen. A high whine out of the computer tower. Nic twitched to see if anyone heard that unbearably loud noise.
An image on the screen. A chain of spheres of different sizes and colors. They exploded, bouncing around and breaking. Red balls smashed into blue ones which became different colors and bounced all over the screen.
Nic remembered when he was a kid. Screen savers they had called them. Entertaining little devices where things bounced around to keep the screens from dying. He had loved watching them. But this was no screen saver.
For a full five minutes of real time the balls bounced back and forth, representing the atoms and molecules of his newest concoction. The five minutes on the computer represented nearly twenty-four hours of elapsed time.
There it was. Dr. Smyrna had been so close. So close indeed. All he needed was a few extra atoms there, a few neurons there, and the old Christian would have invented the most deadly weapon of all time.
But now Nic had done it. Red Rain.
Crook Q Part 35
Greetings, readers,
I am beginning to get back into my writing swing, after about a week out I am finding myself somewhat sloth to get back to writing like I mean it. That may lead to a series of Crook Q posts as opposed to Philli posts until I can get back in the swing of things.
Ahh, I just set my lap top (affectionately known as my "lappy") on my lap again, and that works better for me than the desk. Don't know exactly why. Though my left leg is getting a bit hot since I played a PC game right before this post, so the compie is a bit hot.
Without further jabbering, Crook Q.
Oh, and soon I mean to film the skits I performed last week (forgot each day while I was there) so I will be getting my accomplice around again soon to do that.
I am beginning to get back into my writing swing, after about a week out I am finding myself somewhat sloth to get back to writing like I mean it. That may lead to a series of Crook Q posts as opposed to Philli posts until I can get back in the swing of things.
Ahh, I just set my lap top (affectionately known as my "lappy") on my lap again, and that works better for me than the desk. Don't know exactly why. Though my left leg is getting a bit hot since I played a PC game right before this post, so the compie is a bit hot.
Without further jabbering, Crook Q.
Oh, and soon I mean to film the skits I performed last week (forgot each day while I was there) so I will be getting my accomplice around again soon to do that.
The two younger men exchanged a glance, and Nic just said, "We will dawn a new day, soon, Ephesus."
Ephesus yawned. "Tomorrow morning,
maybe." He too went back to the bedroom and left Nic's voice lingering
as Nic took to the computer keys.
When Smyrna and Ephesus awoke the next morning, Nic was already at the computer again, if he had ever left. Wordlessly the father and son went to work, Ephesus choosing to work with his father to get a better handle on what kind of fake substance he could concoct that would appear real.
The computer began making beeping noises ever few seconds. Ephesus turned and saw Nic's head at an awkward right angle, depressing many of the keys at once, which caused the beeping.
With disdainful foreknowledge Ephesus asked, "Did he even come to bed last night?"
Smyrna just shook his head and kept pounding away at his decay chains and acid-base reactions, a curious mix of advanced and high school chemistry.
Ephesus looked back and forth between his job and his curiosity. He set down his pen and said resolutely, "I'm gonna find out what he's been doing."
Smynra caught his son's eye, giving him a glance that very clearly recommended against this action. Ephesus proceeded to the computer.
He surveyed the screen a full fifteen seconds before returning. "He's been blowing his mind hacking around in United files. Searching their Unaccepted directories. I think he's daft."
Smyrna snorted, "We've known he's daft for a long time. It's just that his good days have made us forget what his bad days were like."
Ephesus decided not to remember those days on Mars when Nic had thrown test-tubes and smashed hard drives in frustration. He muttered, "Cea was the only one who could calm him down, that or Carnegie, depending on the day. Never knew which one he needed. He acted like a baby without its mother."
Smyrna said, "Don't be so quick to judge. Whatever bothers him it is more than a question of electrons or acids or bases or weapons."
"Yet that is where he goes for his solution."
"He has an abscess in his heart. It hurts him too much to go near it."
Ephesus turned with a skeptical eye to his father. "That or he's sleep deprived." Ephesus flicked a glass of ice and water off the edge of the counter where they were and let it crash to the ground, shattering.
Nic sat bolt upright and began pounding at his keys again, until he realized it was morning. He said, "You two finish creating our mock of Red Rain. I am going to take a nap. When you have enough information to pass a check from Unionists, wake me, and I'll call that patriotic clown."
Ephesus and Smyrna didn't take long to come up with something that wouldn't actually work. They made it all appear good, added some fake dates to their volumes of paper to make it appear they had been at this angle for days, then woke Nic. It was still only a couple hours after noon.
Nic took the folder of information they gave him when they woke him, and after a few glasses of water in his face he was ready to call the representative.
He clicked the communicator on and waited for its whining hum to reach a high enough pitch that it was ready. He addressed the microphone, "Operator, this is floor nine. The representative's office, if you please."
A female snarky voice at the end of the line answered, "And what if I don't please."
Nic smiled. "We are making weapons, darling, and if it doesn't please you to make our calls we always have need of test subjects."
The dial tones progressed rapidly and in the next minute Nic was through to the representative. "Hello, Mister Representative of the High and Illustrious and Glorious United. This is Q, and I've got it."
"Really? How fortunate, I was about to put the stamp on your removal orders. You got me by about ten seconds."
"Of course I did. I never fail with a deadline."
"A dead line would be a good way to put it, now that you say so."
Nic ignored him. "Should I fax you the papers... oh, I am sorry, I forgot you aren't scientist. Should I fax one of your fluffy Unionists the stuff and see if he can understand it?"
The United Representative would not tolerate that. "Aww shut up. I will come by tomorrow morning and want to see a demonstration. What will you use as a test subject?"
Nic thought of the operator downstairs, but restrained himself. "It is not exactly done..."
The line crackled with silence. "Explain to me this concept of it not being done."
"Well, you see, sir, our supplies here are limited, and we need to do some expensive physical tests of our progress so far to see if we have a potentially powerful weapon or not yet."
"You mean you want more from us?"
"And it is terribly expensive, the substance we need next. We need a sub-atomic accelerator, and..."
"I will need to see a prototype first."
"Well, the younger Unaccepted scientist you sent me has created a modeling program for our computer that shows how it works. But it's terribly large, and our connection to your internet is so slow."
"I will come tomorrow morning. I will want to see evidence of your progress, not showmanship. Got it?"
Nic paused for effect, his grin growing. "I assure you, sir, that we are beyond two percent progress." Instantly he switched off the call.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Crook Q Part 34
"I came within an arm's reach of saving the world from tyranny, and here
you are with a microchip that could undo the whole bastion of injustice,
and all you have to say," his voice cracked, "is, 'to live is Christ?'"
Smyrna sat on the ground behind Nic. He had lost his balance from the
push. Nic stood bent over Ephesus' who was still on his chair.
Ephesus looked up into Nic's awkwardly close face and said, "Yes."
Nic slowly but immediately turned away from the younger scientist, left staring at the approving look from Dr. Smyrna. Nic mumbled, "Anyhow, let's talk about something less metaphysical. Would the
floor plans you exited have anything to do with the cutting ourselves
off of a monster?" He turned tapped a shortcut of keys that brought up the most
recently closed windows.
Now Ephesus smiled. Working with Nic was something he hadn't done in a long time. "Yes. We're getting out at first chance.
"Do not be too quick there, Ephesus. We will get out when the time is right. And I think I know when that will be."
Dr. Smyrna was concerned for his daughter, "How soon will that be, Doctor Nic?"
"Patience is a virtue, old man." He paused. "I need a breakthrough."
Smyrna retorted, "We've needed that a long time. It won't come any easier than it has these last few days."
"Yes it will. With a little help from Ephesus."
"What am I going to do?" the youngest scientist asked.
"Hack that modeling program. Change its rules. Make it so that we can send them documentation of a nearly complete success. Tell them that an expensive catalyst is all we need to be done."
Smyrna spoke slowly, "What are you trying to pull, Nic?"
"It is better that you not know. I doubt you are very skilled in lying to the government when it comes to anything other than Bible transmitting."
Smyrna grumbled. "And proud of it." He went immediately to the bedroom, leaving Nic's voice echoing into the room where Ephesus and Nic still lurked.
The two younger men exchanged a glance, and Nic just said, "We will dawn a new day, soon, Ephesus."
Ephesus yawned. "Tomorrow morning, maybe." He too went back to the bedroom and left Nic's voice lingering as Nic took to the computer keys.
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Crook Q Part 33
Well folks, I am back. An awesome week in Chicago on a missions trip during which the team ambushed me to celebrate my birthday three weeks in advance. And now back to Red Rain. I will pick up with Nic probably because I can write him at 9:55 at night. Philli is just too.... too... Phillish.
Ephesus smiled proudly just as Nic had done so many times when he had the Smyrnas at their disadvantage. "That, Doctor Nic, is a virus. A powerful one, a little more powerful than the one you had on Mars, and more powerful than the toy of one you recreated on this computer."
Dr. Smyrna asked his son, "And what is that for?"
Ephesus lost his smile and stared into space. "The only way to cut yourself off from a monster and avoid getting assimilated back in."
"Well done, my little prodigy. You will learn my methods yet."
"Not your methods, Nic. I would never stoop to panocidal terrorism to accomplish the Lord's goals."
"Okay, fine. If your God objects to efficiency, so be it. Another reason I doubt him."
Smyrna butted in, "Enough. We've argued this same territory a million times before. If we must argue it again, just wait for it to come out sometime when we've all slept." Smyrna began walking toward the apartment, but Nic did not move.
"Tell me, Ephesus. You are so powerful. You control my virus. You can create chemical compounds most consider untenable." Ephesus braced himself. Nic stepped forward, almost pleading, losing his composure, "Tell me, Ephesus, why you insist on being Unaccepted, when for your brains the United would drop all charges if you'd only work for them. Tell me, why, when you wield weapons more deadly than any warrior ever, why you insist on never using them?"
The two geniuses stood in tight deadlock, staring each other down. Nic's mustache masked his broken composure, and Ephesus' placid expression defied his inner turmoil.
"You ask such simple questions sometimes, Nic, for being such a genius. To live is Christ. And though he could, with only a word, have undone all that was ever made and burnt everything that was ever alive, he didn't."
Nic grabbed Ephesus' collar, "Why must you insist on following such a failure? Even if he was incarnate God, he's a failure. All around you are hurting people bereft of any kind of joy. What did he do for them? If he had so much power, why didn't he just defeat all evil and all death and all..." Smyrna touched his shoulder from behind. Nic stopped talking and tossed the elder man's arm away, whirling around on Ephesus again, "What lame kind of god can do less than even I? I came within an arm's reach of saving the world from tyranny, and here you are with a microchip that could undo the whole bastion of injustice, and all you have to say," his voice cracked, "is, 'to live is Christ?'"
Smyrna sat on the ground behind Nic. He had lost his balance from the push. Nic stood bent over Ephesus' who was still on his chair.
Ephesus looked up into Nic's awkwardly close face and said, "Yes."
Ephesus smiled proudly just as Nic had done so many times when he had the Smyrnas at their disadvantage. "That, Doctor Nic, is a virus. A powerful one, a little more powerful than the one you had on Mars, and more powerful than the toy of one you recreated on this computer."
Dr. Smyrna asked his son, "And what is that for?"
Ephesus lost his smile and stared into space. "The only way to cut yourself off from a monster and avoid getting assimilated back in."
"Well done, my little prodigy. You will learn my methods yet."
"Not your methods, Nic. I would never stoop to panocidal terrorism to accomplish the Lord's goals."
"Okay, fine. If your God objects to efficiency, so be it. Another reason I doubt him."
Smyrna butted in, "Enough. We've argued this same territory a million times before. If we must argue it again, just wait for it to come out sometime when we've all slept." Smyrna began walking toward the apartment, but Nic did not move.
"Tell me, Ephesus. You are so powerful. You control my virus. You can create chemical compounds most consider untenable." Ephesus braced himself. Nic stepped forward, almost pleading, losing his composure, "Tell me, Ephesus, why you insist on being Unaccepted, when for your brains the United would drop all charges if you'd only work for them. Tell me, why, when you wield weapons more deadly than any warrior ever, why you insist on never using them?"
The two geniuses stood in tight deadlock, staring each other down. Nic's mustache masked his broken composure, and Ephesus' placid expression defied his inner turmoil.
"You ask such simple questions sometimes, Nic, for being such a genius. To live is Christ. And though he could, with only a word, have undone all that was ever made and burnt everything that was ever alive, he didn't."
Nic grabbed Ephesus' collar, "Why must you insist on following such a failure? Even if he was incarnate God, he's a failure. All around you are hurting people bereft of any kind of joy. What did he do for them? If he had so much power, why didn't he just defeat all evil and all death and all..." Smyrna touched his shoulder from behind. Nic stopped talking and tossed the elder man's arm away, whirling around on Ephesus again, "What lame kind of god can do less than even I? I came within an arm's reach of saving the world from tyranny, and here you are with a microchip that could undo the whole bastion of injustice, and all you have to say," his voice cracked, "is, 'to live is Christ?'"
Smyrna sat on the ground behind Nic. He had lost his balance from the push. Nic stood bent over Ephesus' who was still on his chair.
Ephesus looked up into Nic's awkwardly close face and said, "Yes."
Friday, July 13, 2012
Crook Q Part 32
Just then from behind them they heard the whisper of his voice, "The
scientist welcomes you to the indestructible carrot project." It was
followed by the tap of Nic's feet.
"Alright, what are you two Unaccepted up to on the computer after I retire?"
With an expert hand Ephesus cleared everything off the computer screen. He and Dr. Smyrna stood in silence staring at Nic, who was quite sight with half-developed bedhead and untrimmed mustache. Then Ephesus saw what was in his hand.
Nic saw the glance and explained, "I was sleeping like a normal person when out of the blue I hear a ringing noise. It won't stop and seems to be coming from someone's trunk. So I opened the trunk and just as I did the ringing stopped." Nic tossed a small rectangle of metal and plastic at Ephesus, who caught it, his eyes wide. "It appears, Ephesus, that you just missed a call from one 'Caesar' whose phone number and name very much resembles that of my sister before the United recreated the phone system. I am dying to know what you are up to."
Dr. Smyrna stared at his son with as much surprise as Nic had had when he heard the phone ringing.
Nic sneered, "Why don't you call her back? Something must be important if she'd call you on your illegal phone while you're in custody yourself."
Ephesus stared back at his former boss blankly.
"Or maybe I should call her back? Your pass code is only four digits long. It wouldn't take me too long to get through it."
In a nearly dead voice Ephesus answered, "No, I'll call and see what's going on."
Ephesus opened his phone with the code 0712 and then with a few taps was calling "Caesar" back. She picked up.
"Hello, Caesar. I missed your call?"
"Yes, but this is quick. We're getting out of here in a few minutes. Going to the pizza place. We'll be gone soon, one way or another. Your sister loves you and your dad, and I love Nic." She hung up.
Ephesus put the phone down slowly.
Nic's anger was wearing off as his curiosity overrode him. "So. What did my sister want to tell you?"
"They're escaping from custody, apparently right now. The underground will be hiding them."
Dr. Smyrna appeared hardly surprised at the revelation of Ephesus' other hobbies.
Nic had one more question. "And what is this that I found with your illegal phone? An illegal micro chip?"
Ephesus smiled proudly just as Nic had done so many times when he had the Smyrnas at their disadvantage. "That, Doctor Nic, is a virus. A powerful one, a little more powerful than the one you had on Mars, and more powerful than the toy of one you recreated on this computer."
Dr. Smyrna asked his son, "And what is that for?"
Ephesus lost his smile and stared into space. "The only way to cut yourself off from a monster and avoid getting assimilated back in."
"Alright, what are you two Unaccepted up to on the computer after I retire?"
With an expert hand Ephesus cleared everything off the computer screen. He and Dr. Smyrna stood in silence staring at Nic, who was quite sight with half-developed bedhead and untrimmed mustache. Then Ephesus saw what was in his hand.
Nic saw the glance and explained, "I was sleeping like a normal person when out of the blue I hear a ringing noise. It won't stop and seems to be coming from someone's trunk. So I opened the trunk and just as I did the ringing stopped." Nic tossed a small rectangle of metal and plastic at Ephesus, who caught it, his eyes wide. "It appears, Ephesus, that you just missed a call from one 'Caesar' whose phone number and name very much resembles that of my sister before the United recreated the phone system. I am dying to know what you are up to."
Dr. Smyrna stared at his son with as much surprise as Nic had had when he heard the phone ringing.
Nic sneered, "Why don't you call her back? Something must be important if she'd call you on your illegal phone while you're in custody yourself."
Ephesus stared back at his former boss blankly.
"Or maybe I should call her back? Your pass code is only four digits long. It wouldn't take me too long to get through it."
In a nearly dead voice Ephesus answered, "No, I'll call and see what's going on."
Ephesus opened his phone with the code 0712 and then with a few taps was calling "Caesar" back. She picked up.
"Hello, Caesar. I missed your call?"
"Yes, but this is quick. We're getting out of here in a few minutes. Going to the pizza place. We'll be gone soon, one way or another. Your sister loves you and your dad, and I love Nic." She hung up.
Ephesus put the phone down slowly.
Nic's anger was wearing off as his curiosity overrode him. "So. What did my sister want to tell you?"
"They're escaping from custody, apparently right now. The underground will be hiding them."
Dr. Smyrna appeared hardly surprised at the revelation of Ephesus' other hobbies.
Nic had one more question. "And what is this that I found with your illegal phone? An illegal micro chip?"
Ephesus smiled proudly just as Nic had done so many times when he had the Smyrnas at their disadvantage. "That, Doctor Nic, is a virus. A powerful one, a little more powerful than the one you had on Mars, and more powerful than the toy of one you recreated on this computer."
Dr. Smyrna asked his son, "And what is that for?"
Ephesus lost his smile and stared into space. "The only way to cut yourself off from a monster and avoid getting assimilated back in."
Philli Part 19
"Don't take any wooden nickels from uh... Uncle..."
The first voice provided the response, "Dennis!"
Cea hung up the call.
After she hung up she sighed, "I guess I did ask for an insecure line we could afford to lose."
"That was... strange."
"Yes, but not to uncommon for the underground. There are a lot of weirdos who work with us."
"Cea, what exactly is the 'us' you're talking about?"
Cea smiled at me. "It's Christians and others who don't like what the United are doing, who will use any means regardless of legality to stop them."
"You mean, like, assassins and agents and..."
"Not quite like that Philli. We may be outside the law, but not amoral. We never choose death or destruction when we can avoid it. But enough talk for now, Philli. The guy who monitors our bug will be in soon to check on it, and he probably intercepted that last call, too. When he does, we have to be ready, but first I have to call one more number."
"What do you mean, 'be ready,' Cea?"
"I mean when he comes in we have to get out. Hopefully he carries a gun."
Guns. I did not like the direction this escape was going. "So we are going to shoot our way out?"
"As far as we need to. Mostly we are concentrating on the 'out' part and not so much the shooting."
She punched in a few number and then stopped. She was trying to remember the last few digits and all of her codewords for this contact.
"I'm not shooting anyone. I couldn't."
Cea set down her phone and grasped my shoulders. "Phil, what would your Daddy or Ephesus do if they had a gun and someone had a knife to your throat?"
It was awkward to say, but I knew what they'd do. "They'd shoot."
"And now Phil, the situation is reversed. The United has a knife to your family's throat, and against Nic. Only we aren't just standing by. We are the knife. We have to do whatever we can to get out of the hands of the United, even if that means stabbing them ourselves. Now you probably won't get a gun, but if you do and you need to use it, you must use it and without thinking. Got it?"
I couldn't answer her verbally. I couldn't shoot someone. I didn't want any of this.
She read my thoughts, "This is not about you, Philli. This is about your family. You know how hard your dad tried to make sure he could stay with you when he was being summoned to Mars? You know all the risks you and he took copying Bibles? It's time for you to do the hard thing and get outside your zone Philli."
I shook me head, "No."
Cea grew livid, "Philli. For years you have lived behind walls set up for you by the United as a blessing from God to keep you safe. For years you have been threatened with interrogation and electric pistols. Now you are outside those walls, and it's more than investigations and pistols and kidnappings that you have against you. I can't get you out of here if you won't give me everything you can do. Got it?"
I couldn't accept it. She went on. "Philadelphia, what does your name come from?"
I answered shakily, too nervous to explain as deeply as I could, "From a church in Revelation."
"In Revelation, the church is facing something a lot worse than we are. God promises them an open door which none can shut. But will you run through it? In Wing 74 you set off a bomb to save your family, and only Nic was hurt, and he got better. You may need to do more."
I resisted. "The world is a dark place, Philadelphia. For years you have enjoyed hiding away from it. No one was watching you and you didn't need to expose yourself to the darkness. Now they're coming for us, and you need to be strong. God called Joshua to go out with the javelin and strike down the enemies. You might need a gun. You might need a knife. You might just need to run. But you need to do all you can. Okay?"
I nodded. "But Cea... it doesn't make sense."
"Life doesn't make sense. Blame sin for that. The gospel doesn't make sense. Thank God for that. Your situation doesn't make sense, now follow God's lead and run for the open door."
I lifted my head. I could do it now.
Cea tapped in the last few numbers, and the tone beeped out of the phone as the call went through.
The first voice provided the response, "Dennis!"
Cea hung up the call.
After she hung up she sighed, "I guess I did ask for an insecure line we could afford to lose."
"That was... strange."
"Yes, but not to uncommon for the underground. There are a lot of weirdos who work with us."
"Cea, what exactly is the 'us' you're talking about?"
Cea smiled at me. "It's Christians and others who don't like what the United are doing, who will use any means regardless of legality to stop them."
"You mean, like, assassins and agents and..."
"Not quite like that Philli. We may be outside the law, but not amoral. We never choose death or destruction when we can avoid it. But enough talk for now, Philli. The guy who monitors our bug will be in soon to check on it, and he probably intercepted that last call, too. When he does, we have to be ready, but first I have to call one more number."
"What do you mean, 'be ready,' Cea?"
"I mean when he comes in we have to get out. Hopefully he carries a gun."
Guns. I did not like the direction this escape was going. "So we are going to shoot our way out?"
"As far as we need to. Mostly we are concentrating on the 'out' part and not so much the shooting."
She punched in a few number and then stopped. She was trying to remember the last few digits and all of her codewords for this contact.
"I'm not shooting anyone. I couldn't."
Cea set down her phone and grasped my shoulders. "Phil, what would your Daddy or Ephesus do if they had a gun and someone had a knife to your throat?"
It was awkward to say, but I knew what they'd do. "They'd shoot."
"And now Phil, the situation is reversed. The United has a knife to your family's throat, and against Nic. Only we aren't just standing by. We are the knife. We have to do whatever we can to get out of the hands of the United, even if that means stabbing them ourselves. Now you probably won't get a gun, but if you do and you need to use it, you must use it and without thinking. Got it?"
I couldn't answer her verbally. I couldn't shoot someone. I didn't want any of this.
She read my thoughts, "This is not about you, Philli. This is about your family. You know how hard your dad tried to make sure he could stay with you when he was being summoned to Mars? You know all the risks you and he took copying Bibles? It's time for you to do the hard thing and get outside your zone Philli."
I shook me head, "No."
Cea grew livid, "Philli. For years you have lived behind walls set up for you by the United as a blessing from God to keep you safe. For years you have been threatened with interrogation and electric pistols. Now you are outside those walls, and it's more than investigations and pistols and kidnappings that you have against you. I can't get you out of here if you won't give me everything you can do. Got it?"
I couldn't accept it. She went on. "Philadelphia, what does your name come from?"
I answered shakily, too nervous to explain as deeply as I could, "From a church in Revelation."
"In Revelation, the church is facing something a lot worse than we are. God promises them an open door which none can shut. But will you run through it? In Wing 74 you set off a bomb to save your family, and only Nic was hurt, and he got better. You may need to do more."
I resisted. "The world is a dark place, Philadelphia. For years you have enjoyed hiding away from it. No one was watching you and you didn't need to expose yourself to the darkness. Now they're coming for us, and you need to be strong. God called Joshua to go out with the javelin and strike down the enemies. You might need a gun. You might need a knife. You might just need to run. But you need to do all you can. Okay?"
I nodded. "But Cea... it doesn't make sense."
"Life doesn't make sense. Blame sin for that. The gospel doesn't make sense. Thank God for that. Your situation doesn't make sense, now follow God's lead and run for the open door."
I lifted my head. I could do it now.
Cea tapped in the last few numbers, and the tone beeped out of the phone as the call went through.
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