 
### Tin Universe Monthly #17

Copyright 2016 Brian Williams

Published by Brian Williams at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favorite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

The sale of this book without its cover....well, is, sort of, impossible since it really doesn't have a cover but let us go through the legal spray out anyways. If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that it was reported to the publisher as "unsold and destroyed." Hands up to you who have books like this in your collection? Now that I put my hand down we can continue with the credits and copyright and legal and stuff that people just don't ever pay attention to unless it is pumping their own horn.

An Original Publication of **System* Publishing** , a **Tin Universe** book published by **System*Publishing** , a division of **System*Productions** , Melbourne, Florida. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead or living dead, is entirely and very much so in the coincidental.

**Smashwords** Edition Copyright © 2016, **Brian C. Williams** , **System*Productions**. **Tin Universe #17** , and all related titles, characters, and elements are trademarks of **System*Productions**. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. While unauthorized reproduction is sometimes needed, please remember us writers types are for the most part a poor lot just in search of a ways to tell our stories and enough money to add to our Doctor Who collections....well, at least that fits me. First Smashwords edition June 2014

Originally published as: **The Collected 6 QUOIT #1, The Darkness Bite 1 HELL, The Original Sin 1 PAYCHANCE OPENING SUNDAY THOUGHTS, The Original Sin 3 DEEPER ROSES TO FALL, The Original Sin 4 VOICES AND BULLETS, The Original Sin 5 COURSE CHANGE, The Turtle Edge 1 A SELECTION OF SPIRIT- TEACHERS PET, Wall Bound 6 PACKERS ON THE FIRST OUT**

Written and Edited by **Brian C. Williams**

Cover Photography by **Stephanie Hamlin**

Cover Model work by **Stephanie Hamlin**

Any Additional Photography by **Stainless Photography**

Cover Digital Work by **74 Images**

{Check Original Materials for more credits}
Deadline Cheat

This is the Tin Univers... actually it's a few stories from other realities. But the breaking news updates are from the Tin Universe.

_BREAKING NEWS:_ Major mega church in Florida donates a million dollars to an ad campaign to paint Beyond Humans as evil...

_BREAKING NEWS:_ To prepare for World Economy Summit reports are coming in that Australian government is raiding hotels and apartments of potential protestors...

_BREAKING NEWS:_ U.S. Congressmen says, "Pregnancy doesn't happen when a woman is raped. The body shuts itself down." Nation is silent to stupidity...

_BREAKING NEWS:_ Arsonist setting fires in California taunts police calling himself Ashes...

PACKERS ON THE FIRST OUT

Wall Bound 6

I will say this upfront, the truth of what I know about Australia and its history is very little, and that very little is based on drunken conversations with an inter-dimensional brain hacker who called himself Camilleri.

I told him more than a few times his named made me hungry for Star Wars characters on a pizza but he never got the joke.

The fact is I really don't need to know a lot to do my job. Mainly what I do need to know is: what my job is, is the employer reliable to pay me and my associates, what my going in plan is, and what my exit out plan will be.

Camilleri was full of stories with more than a few interesting points within them, least of which was that he was originally from Australia. At 18 he fell through a dimensional rip and ended up studying under a guild of brain hackers called The Pee.

It means something different there.

The Pee...

Shut up.

The Pee is a chaos group; which are composed of many races from across the dimensional span of all realities. How they got these abilities no one knows. Some have said that the Chaos Gods themselves have gifted them these abilities to operate as their agents in creation.

But no matter what the answer to their mystery is one thing's a fact. They wear really cool chrome masks.

The thing they do is travel between dimensions hacking biological systems to throw a wrench into any states of calm that they find.

Death gets a big chuckle out of watching these guys work.

A really cool thing about Camilleri himself, he's a pretty nice guy for a brain hacker. Not saying the rest of them are Hitler's but he is part of a group many label as terrorists; so his niceness stands out quite a bit.

One of those nice traits of his, best of which is him always paying for drinks, but one of those nice traits is how he likes to causally hack the brains of stupid people he enjoys spending time with and adds a little intelligence.

So here I am.

Many years later, after the days of drinking with Camilleri, I find myself sitting in a coffee café in Australia as an Australia Day parade passes outside.

Australia Day is a national celebration but the day isn't without it detractors. Though this particular Australia Day parade is unique because it's suppose to be the most inclusive to all of the people throughout the country's history that have made Australia what it is today.

And in how these things usual happen more people are angry about it being more inclusive and also a lot angry about it still not being inclusive enough than how many were angry about the early years of Australia Day.

That's just a lot of angry and proof again that when dealing with history there are no win win situations.

I keep ending up back in this country in its many histories and many forms, with my favorite being an Australia in one reality were its most famous export is Fish People Fingers.

Made from the remains of fish people.

Tasty.

I'm of the mind that Camilleri hacked in some Aussie hints while in there making me one degree smarter and those hints that keep my life a little more out of my hands than it is for most other people.

Let's get this out of the way, don't make any mistake, I'm no genius now. One degree smarter took me from picking my ass to picking my nose.

Oh, and now I can see the left over energies that temporally surround enter-dimensional travelers. I don't know why I can do this. The one time I meet Camilleri after those drinking days and I told him about this particular ability he responded with, "Oops."

If you see random people with a metallic glow about them, you too might have had an encounter with my friend Camilleri. An "Oops" encounter.

Today I'm having coffee with two people I meet because of said accidently granted ability.

One is a friend, the other my soon to be wife. I work with both of them now.

One of them is from an unstable reality called The Collected. Points of reality collected by the ancient race The Twist. Mostly paradoxes and canon issues. He's a former member of The Pee and was excelled for being the very thing they are accused of being.

My fiancé is from The Tin Universe, you might have heard of it around these parts. The place has a large hero and villain theme to it. She was working on a British cargo ship in the future when the new Pledge came into her powers. Her survival of that encounter was simply a bite of cosmic angst.

"My life can be laughable at times. But at other times I can just smile for no reason. Days like today are why I do what I do." My names Anton

When it comes to some things most people are in similar view. For a few examples most people enjoy chips on their sandwiches. It may not be popular in America but soccer is a thousand times more popular than the N.F.L.

And most of my family likes buttermilk.

Not me.

For most people it would be better to wake up alive than dead, not counting vampires, but for others there is a walk they must do somewhere between life and death. This is the only way these people can live. And they have no choice.

These people are what Angels call Packers.

No Green Bay citizenships required.

And don't go there with any fudge comments.

Packers are human beings who carry their futures with them through every step they take. They are the artists, the performers, the lovers, the seekers.

The dictators.

The visionaries.

And the revolutionaries.

Packers have one thing most humans don't. They have true passion.

They also have a unique strength within them.

All three of us have been called Packers during our travels. I take it as a compliment but my two café mates today aren't of the same mind. Then again everyone goes into things from different angles.

"Today's a story and you should take all stories as a dig into a soul." That's my friend Aasif.

"I think your brain is finally cracking."

"I dig what we do, I dig you, I dig your girl."

"Watch the digging hippy."

"What?"

"Don't dig my lady. I don't like that. I'm a jealous person."

"Alice isn't complaining."

"Alice doesn't talk."

But she does middle finger both of us for talking as if she was here.

That's called Meta Our Lives banter.

"Too bad you have another job tonight. One a day is plenty enough for me. I won't get to see you before I leave for Calgary. I wanted to stay longer, wish I could, but I have a higher profile than both of you do and I'll need to get out of the country quick after helping with this job."

She gives him a half hearted smile filled with disdain more than anything else. Working with them together can be a challenge. Good thing they are both totally professionals when getting a job done.

"Will you be back for the wedding in July?" I asked

"I'll do everything I can to be there. Though I'll have a new face so expect that. This one is getting too well known."

Alice taps her watch to Aasif. She's a stickler for never doing a job late or early. She prides herself on doing so to make a point of how professional she is. And this job is technically hers with us along for the ride.

"A few more minutes before the parade hits the right mile marker. Enough time for another round of shots."

Being enter-dimensional terrorists for hire is all about the coffee intake.

A SELECTION OF SPIRIT

YEAR ONE: TEACHER'S PET

The Turtle Edge 1

FROM BLACK:

OPENING SEQUENCE:

EXT. INSIDE MCBRIDE'S BEDROOM - - NIGHT

-Mcbride is asleep in her bed. She is sleeping peacefully, quietly, and with safety from the rest of the world in her heart.

The room is decorated in what someone who doesn't know better thinks a Japanese bedroom would look like. Its Stereotypes left, right, and center.

The camera backs away from looking at her on the bed, out her bedroom window, across her yard, and into the street that run in front of her house. Then the camera suddenly turns around to see a man in a suit, hidden by the shadows of a tree. He's looking through a pair of hunting binoculars at Mcbride through her bedroom window.

Note: You can see the reflection of Mcbride on her bed in the binoculars glass. This may not be realistic but it would look cool I think.

VOICE OVER

{A female voice}

'Mcbride Barlow is 22 years old. Most of the time she ends up being the mother figure among her friends. She wants to help people who have been hurt by life. For someone so young she has lived a life already way beyond her years. She's about to make new friends and she will need them.'

CUT TO:

CREDITS SEQUENCE:

EXT. A FOREST - - WINTER

-The forest is thick with trees and snow as the camera walks through it.

THEME POEM

{Acoustic guitar in the background with a male voice reading the poem}

'Blood is on his heart,

Not his soul,

A man carrying around a memory,

Not a demons part.

He failed once and here we are,

Not a symbol of a mistake,

But the barer of the scar,

Can a false hope spring from a coward in the sea of me?

When a strange pattern ends suddenly?

Hold on comfort heroes are there,

Statues shall or will be raised,

Only a dare....;

CUT TO:

-Mclachian looks into the camera. This isn't a behind the curtain moment breaking the fourth wall but I want it to be eerie to the viewer that he's looking at them.

VOICE OVER

{A female voice}

'Mclachian is age 23. During a weak moment he turned away instead of helping someone. That person was sacrificed and let lose a horde of evil spirits once again upon the Earth.'

FADE FROM BLACK:

EXT. Mcbride's Bedroom - - Night

-Mcbride is asleep in her bed. She is sleeping peacefully, quite, and safe, as we all do. The camera backs away from her, out the bedroom window, across her yard, into the street, and then the camera suddenly turns around to see a man in a suit looking through a pair of hunting binoculars at Mcbride through her bedroom window. The shadow from a tree is covering the man's face.

Note: This is not a rehash of the earlier scene. The angles all should be slightly different. Maybe even use different cameras to film the first one and this one. Maybe use tape for the first scene and film for this one. This is something I want to do with this series. Use simple moments, simple storytelling tricks as an attempt to make the viewer feel something's off and not right. A lot of that will have to do with how hard we work on the lighting and music so it will be important we find good talent in those areas.

DISOLVE TO:

-A brightly lit room is covered in pictures that have been glued, stapled, nailed, and thumb tacked, to the walls, ceiling, and floor. A man is scotch tapping more of the pictures on the floor; while humming a song. There are stacks of photos beside him and a bucket of raw chicken. The camera turns up and zooms in on one of the pictures on a wall. You can see that it's Mcbride.

CUT TO:

EXT. Black Apple Community College- - Morning

-This is the first day of the Fall Semester. Students, facility, and staff are arriving at the college.

VOICE OVER

{a female voice}

'50% of these students will drop out after a week. 20% will graduate. 15% will drop out a week into their last semester. 5% will graduate with a chance of doing anything with their lives. 10% will die gruesomely before the year is over.'

CUT TO:

INT. The Hibbitts History Building

-The halls are full of the young and older students that attend a community college on their way to classes, happy, full of hope, and more than a few lost.

CUT TO:

INT. The Hibbitts History Building

-Mclachian is buying a soda out of a vending machine.

Mclachian in a simple way watches all the different kinds of people and groups of people pass by him- the weird normals, the worshipers, the elitists, and even facility. He's wearing an Army jacket, a black t-shirt, blue jeans, and work boots.

MINDY

{off camera}

'Taking Western Civ.?'

-Mclachian ignores her.

MINDY

{off camera}

'Are you taking Western Civ?'

-Mclachian ignores her.

MINDY

{off camera}

'Hi, Mr. Zoned Out.'

-Mclachian opens his drink with one hand as he turns around to face Mindy.

MCLACHIAN

'Sorry?'

-The camera pulls back to show Mindy standing in front of Mclachian with a little bit of a pissed off look on her face. She's wearing blue jean overalls with a white cut off shirt, and short boots.

VOICE OVER

{A female voice}

'Mindy Simon is an 18 year old young woman who has a step sister named Trisha who is also attending Black Apple Community College. She acts like a wild girl to keep some from dealing with things. Sometimes she gets herself into situations she can't get herself out of.'

MINDY

'The book in your left hand? The one that's titled Western Civ on the cover. I was wondering when you're taking the class?'

MCLACHIAN

'In ten minutes.'

MINDY

'That would be 8:00.'

'MCLACHIAN

'Yep.'

-Mclachian rudely ignores Mindy and walks by her to go into the classroom.

MINDY

'College, where assholes don't have zits but still are dicks.'

CUT TO:

INT. The College Cafeteria, The Maddox Seat - - Later

-Mindy and her step sister Trisha are sitting in a booth talking. Trisha is wearing a green turtle neck sweater, blue jeans, and tennis shoes.

CUT TO:

EXT. School Student Parking Lot - - Evening

-Mcbride is getting in her truck. She sees a small box on the dash of her truck. She opens it. She's wearing a baseball cap, a windbreaker jacket, blue jeans, and tennis shoes.

CUT TO:

EXT. Another Part Of The School's Student Parking Lot - - Same Time

-Mclachian is flipping through his Western Civ. book standing beside his truck when from behind Sheriff Witter spins him around and shoves him against the truck. The back of Mclachian's t-shirt reads S.O.S.

Sheriff Witter is one of the youngest Sheriff's you will ever find in a small town at age 30.

SHERIFF WITTER

'I'm watching you Mclachian.'

MCLACHIAN

'That's original Sheriff.'

SHERIFF WITTER

'Cecillia Mathis died and you aren't clean from it.'

-Mclachian shoves the Sheriff.

MCLACHIAN

'I just found the body. I'll never be clean from that night Witter but I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.'

SHERIFF WITTER

'I know there is more.'

-The Sheriff grabs Mclachian by the throat as Mclachian pushes himself a step forward.

SHERIFF WITTER

'There is more.'

-The Sheriff lets go of Mclachian and walks away as the camera goes up in the sky.

MCLACHIAN

{off camera}

'There always is more."

CUT TO:

-A view of Mcbride's hands and the box. Mcbride pulls a bottle out of the box and then a card that reads, "MY BLOOD FOR YOU." Then suddenly a crack and the bottle explodes covering Mcbride's face with blood.

Then the camera pulls wider and back out of the truck as Mcbride begins to cry and she grabs an apple that was sitting in the seat and throws it through the front window of the truck.

CUT TO:

EXT. Black Apple Community College - - Night Classes

CUT TO:

INT. The Hartly Technology Building

-A computer class room with only six students in it. One of them is Mclachian and sitting beside him is Trisha. The teacher finishes handing out the weeks home work assignments and lets the class leave.

CUT TO:

INT. A Hallway In The Lawson Arts Building - - Later

-Trisha is getting a pack of gum out of a snack machine as Mclachian walks by. She notices him and jumps out in front of him to get his attention. Sort of like throwing a rock at someone to get their attention.

TRISHA

'Hi! We have class together. Well, I guess you know that we have class together because you know... We sit near each other. Side by side. In class.'

MCLACHIAN

'Yes.'

-Mclachian starts to walk away. Trisha slides in front of him again.

TRISHA

'I noticed you were having problems in class...with multitasking.'

MCLACHIAN

'I'm a one task sort of guy.'

TRISHA

'You know I could help...you, if you would want... Me to.'

MCLACHIAN

'Sorry, no.'

-Trisha ignoring what he just said.

TRISHA

'No bother, really, we could meet tomorrow after lunch.'

-Mclachian stares at Trisha's rather large smile wanting to just walk away or tell her to fuck off. With everything telling him to just walk away he doesn't.

MCLACHIAN

'Thank you.'

CUT TO:

INT. Mclachian's Hotel Room - - 2am

-Mclachian is sitting at the end of his bed reading a book for his Religious Studies class. The only thing that shows anyone is occupying the room is books spread all around the room and two old Army duffel bags which are sitting in a corner of the room.

CUT TO:

INT. In A Basement Somewhere

-Stalker person is working on a small painting. Playing on a large Tv in the background behind his painters stand is some hardcore porn.

Note: If hardcore porn is out of bounds to use how about a religious show? Both are porn in different ways.

CUT TO:

INT. The Maddox Seat - - The Next Day

-The camera starts as a young lady is buying her lunch and follows her out to the eating area where she passes Mindy and Trisha. It would be best if we could get a recognizable person to play the young lady as a sort of fake out to the viewer because we will never see her character again.

CUT TO:

-Trisha and Mindy are having lunch together enjoying each other's company. These are two sisters who love spending time together.

Trisha is wearing tennis shoes, blue jeans, and a brown pullover. Mindy is wearing a black t-shirt, a brown leather vest, tight jeans, and dress shoes.

MINDY

'Freaks And Geeks had more an impact on TV than Buffy.'

TRISHA

'Yes, not even a full season. So much impact compared to 7 seasons.'

MINDAY

'Doesn't matter how many seasons it had, Faulty Towers only had around 13 episodes.'

TRISHA

'Don't speak Freaks in the same sentence as Towers. Buffy had Alyson Hanningon, SMG, Anthony Stewart Head, Booth, Seth Green, James Marsters, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Amber Bensen.'

MINDY

'Freaks had Velma Dinkley, Sweets, James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel.'

TRISHA

'Big woop there.'

MINDY

'The truth is...'

TRISHA

'The truth is Joss Whedon and other writers like Jane Espenson are the shit. Buffy changed the way pop culture was used in all forms of storytelling. How dialogue was written. How people approached writing as a whole.'

MINDY

'Don't bore me with your Buffy. Freaks led to Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin, Green Hornet, and How I Met Your Mother,'

TRISHA

'Green Hornet?'

MINDY

'Ok, bad example.'

TRISHA

'Buffy lead to Firefly, Bones, Robot Chicken, Drones, and let's not make a mistake it's Willow that rocks How I Met Your Mother, not Segel.'

MINDY

'Buffy bore, I said no Buffy bore.'

TRISHA

'Don't bore me with your Freaks, though to be honest the real boring is the people I've meet here so far. No one speaks up in classes and the teachers seem to be barely awake.'

MINDY

'Meet anyone interesting?'

TRISHA

'One guy. I meet him in night class. I told him I'd help him with computer stuff he's having problems with.'

MINDY

'Step sis making moves. Being a tech geek hasn't gotten me so much as a look and you're hooking up.'

TRISHA

'No, just helping.'

MINDY

'What's he look like?'

TRISHA

'Rugged and...'

MCLACHIAN

{off camera}

'Like me?'

-Mclachian appears out of almost nowhere. He's standing beside their table. You only see him from the waist up.

Then the camera pulls back a bit to show all three of them.

MCLACHIAN

'But I'm really not that rugged.'

-Trisha gives a nervous smile.

MINDY

'Hi, again.'

TRISHA

'You've meet?'

MINDY

'Watch him Trisha he'll talk your ears off.'

MCLACHIAN

'Words should have importance behind them.'

MINDY

'So should a name...'

CUT TO:

-Mindy and Trisha stand up in the same time doing things way some sisters do.

MINDY

'...and I like to know the name of everyone in my sister's life.'

TRISHA

'Mindy!'

MINDY

'I worry.'

TRISHA

'His names Char...'

MCLACHIAN

'You can call me Mclachian.'

CUT TO:

INT. A Computer Study Room - - Later

-The room has only three students in it. Mcbride is sitting by herself. Trisha is explaining something to Mclachian.

TRISHA

'...all you have to really remember is...'

-A delivery man enters the room and gives a package to Mcbride. Mcbride opens it, screams, and drops it. Trisha and Mclachian rush over to Mcbride. Trisha is trying to calm Mcbride down, who's shaking and crying. She gets up and runs out of the room.

CUT TO:

-Outside in the hallway. Mcbride has fallen to her knees crying. Trisha sits down beside her.

TRISHA

'What's wrong?'

-Mclachian walks over to them. Mcbride has her hands over her eyes crying. Trisha looks up to Mclachian.

TRISHA

'How can I help?'

MCLACHIAN

'She's being stalked.'

TRISHA

'What?'

MCLACHIAN

'Look.'

CUT TO:

-Trisha is holding Mcbride as Mclachian hands her the thing that was in the package.

CUT TO:

-Back in the classroom on Mcbride's computer screen where an email reads I'M WATCHING.

CUT TO:

-Trisha is holding the object. The camera pans in on the object. It's a small painting of Mcbride nude being crucified.

CUT TO:

INT. A RESTURANT - - A Hour Later

-All of them are sitting in a booth together. In front of all of them are beverages: Mindy=cappuccino, Trisha=soda, Mclachian=coffee, and Mcbride=beer. That's subtle character building there or product placement if we can get any.

TRISHA

'How long has this been going on?'

MCBRIDE

'About a month ago I kept getting the feeling I was being followed but who doesn't get that feeling sometimes so after a little while I just told myself I was just being stupid. Then two weeks ago I got a package. It was a crate of animal hearts.'

TRISHA

'God.'

MINDY

'Any ideas who it could be?'

MCBRIDE

'No. No clue.'

CUT TO:

EXT. Outside The Restaurant

-The group is standing beside Mclachian's truck.

MCBRIDE

'Thanks for helping me. I have to admit I've been feeling really alone of late.'

-Mclachian gets in his truck

MCBRIDE

'You guys don't know me but you're here for me.'

-Mclachian starts his truck.

TRISHA

'That's friendship.'

-Mclachian suddenly drives off without a word leaving the rest of them still with a lot of questions about him.

CUT TO:

-A wide shot of Mclachian driving off in his truck as the others walking towards Mcbride's jeep.

CUT TO:

EXT. Black Apple Community College - - Night Classes

-Mcbride is getting out of her jeep when a masked man grabs her and throws her in a car. Mcbride screams for help but he keeps punching her in the chest until he finally knocks the air out of her.

He slams the cars door shut.

THE STALKER

'Is tonight the night my heart of death?'

MINDY

{off camera}

'STOP!'

-A big History book hits the stalker in the face twice before he runs off and into the wooded area that surrounds the campus.

CUT TO:

-Now you see it was Mindy as she goes to Mcbride who's on her knees in the parking lot. Mindy sits down beside her.

CUT TO:

EXT. Mcbride's House

-The lights in Mcbride's house turn off. The camera spins around to show the stalker standing in the shadows across the street.

CUT TO:

INT. Inside Mclachian's Truck - - Same Time

-Mclachian is watching the stalker.

CUT TO:

-Mindy and Trisha before morning classes.

CUT TO:

-Mcbride is the last student to get her test paper back and as she is getting ready to leave she looks at it. She is shocked to see written across it- I'M THE BLOOD. She drops the paper and backs out of the classroom as the teacher stands in the classrooms doorway looking with sinister pride on his face.

CUT TO:

EXT. Student Parking Lot - - An Hour Later

-Mindy and Mcbride are sitting on the tailgate of Mclachian's truck; while Trisha and Mclachian are standing to the side of the pickup.

MINDY

'You have to go to the police.'

TRISHA

'Or at least the Student Council.'

MCBRIDE

'I don't know. I dropped the note. I don't even have any evidence.'

CUT TO:

EXT. The Potter Faculty And Staff Building - - Night

-Outside view.

CUT TO:

INT. The Office Of The College President

-Dean Glanville, Dr. Paris, the stalker teacher Dr. Collinsworth, Mcbride, and Mindy are gathered in Dr. Paris office.

DR. COLLINSWORTH

'I have no idea Dean Glanville what she is thinking. Maybe it's because of her low grades.'

MINDY

'Bull!'

DR. PARIS

'Ms. Simon.'

DR. COLLINSWORTH

'Students tell stories. They haven't matured yet.'

CUT TO:

INT. Outside Dr. Paris Office

-Trisha and Mclachian are sitting.

TRISHA

'Do you think they will fire him?'

MCLACHIAN

'No.'

TRISHA

'Why?'

MCLACHIAN

'Things just run certain ways.'

SHERIFF WITTER

{off camera}

'MCLACHIAN.'

-Mclachian lowers his head.

MCLACHIAN

'Damn.'

-The camera pulls back to see Sheriff Witter now standing in front of them.

SHERIFF WITTER

'You're involved in this?'

MCLACHIAN

'I'm just sitting here.'

SHERIFF WITTER

'Fine stay there. I'll be back out in a few minutes.'

CUT TO:

-Back into Dr. Paris office as Sheriff Witter walks in.

CUT TO:

INT. A Hallway In The Potter Building

-Trisha and Mclachian are coming back from going after something to drink.

CUT TO:

-Mcbride leaves Dr. Paris office mad and Mindy follows slamming the door.

CUT TO:

-Mcbride and Mindy rush by Trisha and Mclachian.

MINDY

'Come on step sis.'

-Trisha follows Mcbride and Mindy. The camera now is just focused on Mclachian for about three minutes.

SHERIFF WITTER

{off camera}

'Boy!'

-The camera turns to show Sheriff Witter walking down the hallway at Mclachian.

MCLACHIAN

{off camera}

'Damn.'

-Sheriff Witter grabs Mclachian and throws him against a wall. After Mclachian falls to the floor Witter picks him back up off the floor.

SHERIFF WITTER

'I want the facts Now!! What do you know?'

MCLACHIAN

'She's telling the truth.'

SHERIFF WITTER

'And I should believe you?'

MCLACHIAN

'About this. Yes.'

SHERIFF WITTER

'You're trouble boy.'

-The Sheriff walks away.

SHERIFF WITTER

'And I will be watching you.'

CUT TO:

EXT. A Bar - - 4:30am

-Outside view of The Black Seed bar.

CUT TO:

INT. The Bar

-The bar is the sort where food is advertised but not a crumb could be found within its walls. A man is sitting at the bar singing a song.

SONG

'Something you outgrow,

Something you don't,

Like fear during rains on dry days or going through life alone,

The shining morning passion,

Something's never leave you,

Something's never thought out,

Like what he did to you or that very harsh word,

The shining morning passion,

Try to get stronger along the way,

West to the never ending story,

The shining morning passion,

Something's are like a drive around in a heart,

The shining morning passion,'

-The camera goes through the empty bar to a chair in a corner where Mclachian is sitting leaning back against the wall holding a beer.

CUT TO:

INT. Mcbride's House - - The Next Night

-All of the group is sitting on the living room couch.

MCBRIDE

'They say they can't do anything. No proof.'

MINDY

'A bunch of bull.'

TRISHA

'Is there anything we can do?'

MCBRIDE

'You guys have been great but I'm just quitting school.'

TRISHA

'No, don't do that.'

-Mindy stands up and the camera view pans out a bit.

MINDY

'He can't get away with this.'

TRISHA

'YA!'

-They all look at Trisha and laugh at her enthusiasm.

CUT TO:

EXT. Outside Mcbride's House - - A Few Minutes Later

-The group is walking to Mindy's car.

MCBRIDE

'Think of it this way. I was flunking so me quitting isn't that big of a deal. I don't think he's going to bother me anymore and out of this mess I've made three friends.'

CUT TO:

-Mindy and Trisha drive away in their car.

CUT TO:

-Mclachian is sitting in his truck with the door open as Mcbride leans against the door.

MCLACHIAN

'Are you sure your alright?'

MCBRIDE

'No, but I'm me.'

MCLACHIAN

'As long as you don't let him change you, you win.'

CUT TO:

-Mcbride smiles.

MCBRIDE

'He doesn't say much but he knows knowledge.'

CUT TO:

-Wide shot as a car smashes into Mclachian's truck from out of nowhere. Mcbride is thrown far from the truck like a kid tossed a ragdoll across the road. She lands in the front yard of an abandoned house. A lot of the houses are abandoned on this street.

CUT TO:

Mcbride is knocked out on the grass. She almost instantly starts to try to return from concussionville by the smell of the grass. It sends images through her head of gardening. And this really could do nothing for an actor to read but it happens when you are writing a script and a short story at the same time.

CUT TO:

Mclachian is bleeding in his truck knocked out also. See I can just describe a cut without going on and on and on.

CUT TO:

-Dr. Collinsworth picks a barely able to stand Mcbride up off the ground.

DR. COLLINSWORTH

'I hold a heart in my hands. You my dear will make it all go away. The line from a thousand years in the past ends here with...'

MCLACHIAN

{off camera}

'Me kicking your ad-joint I bought my degree in Tijuana ass.'

CUT TO:

-Mclachian looking brave standing all gallant. Then he falls down dizzy from his injuries.

MCLACHIAN

'Or then again.'

CUT TO:

-Collinsworth drops Mcbride and walks over and grabs Mclachian off the ground. Collinsworth's whole body begins to glow as he holds Mclachian in the air by his shoulders.

CUT TO:

-Close up of Mclachian's face.

MCLACHIAN

'Oh yeah, I have a concussion. Pretty glow.'

CUT TO:

-Mclachian hits the ground after being thrown across Mcbride's front yard.

CUT TO:

-Mclachian on his hands and knees.

MCLACHIAN

'Ok, we went from her getting ready to be hurt to me getting my ass kicked.'

-Collinsworth grabs Mclachian up by the hair of his head.

DR. COLLINSWORTH

'You are a rock in the road of destiny.'

MCLACHIAN

'Actually my families Apostolic.'

CUT TO:

-Mclachian lands in front of Mcbride just as she is getting to her feet. Collinsworth walks and stands in front of them as Mcbride helps her friend back to his feet. Then Mclachian steps in front of her to put himself between her and Collinsworth.

DR. COLLINSWORTH

{off camera}

'Champion hero. What is your Achilles?'

CUT TO:

-Mclachian steps forward.

MCLACHIAN

'Stupidity.'

CUT TO:

-Collinsworth's glow goes supernova like a human torch, but not The Human Torch, so I don't want any Disney lawsuits coming my way.

DR. COLLINSWORTH

'I now understand my family's destiny. They say your quest is only beginning.'

-He disappears into ash.

CUT TO:

-Mcbride and Mclachian lean on each other.

MCLACHIAN

'Yep.'

-Then they fall on their butts and then onto their backs on the grass. Then the sky cracks and its starts to rain. Well, if we can afford those "a human torch" and into ash effects, we should be able to afford some rain.

CUT TO:

EXT. A Hospital - - Morning

-The group leaves the hospital walking out into the parking lot. Mcbride and Mclachian are bruised up and not walking so steady.

CUT TO:

-The group walking through the hospital parking lot.

TRISHA

'This all is just....just...'

MINDY

'Way weird.'

MCLACHIAN

'Yep.'

MCBRIDE

'And it happened to us?'

TRISHA

'Well, you two got all the cuts and bruises.'

MCBRIDE

'We the bruised.'

MINDY

'We the...?'

MCLACHIAN

'Hungry.'

-The camera stops and lets them pass by.

FADE TO:

CLOSING CREDITS SEQUENCE:

INT. A Restaurant

-The camera watches the group talk as the end credits row.

QUICK CUT TO:

-A very fast series of clips from any future episodes we already have filmed by this time this episode airs.

PAYCHANCE OPENING SUNDAY THOUGHTS

The Original Sin 1

About a month ago they passed a new law. And for once this law benefited someone, namely me. The law declared that all patients, for possible legal reasons, must be tracked by cameras that are set throughout all medical buildings from the time they enter the building until they exit into the parking lot.

Before this job I didn't know there were so many rules you had to follow in a hospital. Yes I knew stuff like spitting on the floor or visiting off limits areas but its red tape after red tape, rule after rule for everyone from doctors to janitors.

One of my duties at Stendhal S. Memorial Hospital besides tracking by cameras and uploading the video files and charts for public records, one of my other responsibilities is to also make live handwritten notes that must then be scanned and placed also with the video records of each patients visit.

Been at this for six months and it's the same things week after week.

Pretty boring.

But it pays the bills.

Plus I keep two sets of notes. One is what I write as things are happening. The other is an edited version what I scan and turn in. These people would go nuts if they ever read what I originally write but that's for my untraceable hidden blog. The French eat this shit up reading about what's going on here. Every time I post a new entry BAM! There goes my visits and up go my ad rates.

Help pay some more bills.

When people first come into the hospital and register at the front desk I have a template to get me through the bore of those first steps. I use to write in my personal copies making fun of peoples looks and such but that even got boring after a few weeks.

Patient AB268DGE7778 registers and reenters waiting area. Computer systems estimate a 16 minute wait time.

Patient AB268DGE7778 is escorted to waiting room by a Safety Guard. I think that was Josh. He's a damn good guard.

Doctor Franklin enters and they begin to talk over procedures.

Here goes another one. Patient AB268DGE7778 has become violent. This being a federally funded hospital, as all are now, the law states clearly that once she resisted, all resistance is violence- the moment she became violent they had to go into course of action, they had to use force.

They went into a This Is What We Practiced Shuffle that they have to follow under law.

And under law means follow no matter what.

I know this. I've had my pay docked for not leaving my work area clean for the next shift.

The people who set all of these laws and procedures into effect went straight down one side in the voting booths. It's like they all went on a political eloping from reality to what these changes would all led to. The new pot laws really piss me off.

But now the law is the law.

The law of the land isn't a field but a cemented road.

Safety Guards were called into the waiting room where the situation was taking place. In their state supplied red uniforms with clear plastic face coverings to conceal their identities, though I'd lay a bet Josh is on shift, these Safety Guards were there to provide an atmosphere of safety for everyone.

A Safety Guard sits outside my video monitoring room at all times also. Usually some old guy. Why? I sure don't know, maybe they think I'm going to take something home to wack off to.

The patient had started screaming and punching when the doctor told her what had to happen before they could proceed but by the letter of the law once she signed the paperwork at the front desk, The Paperwork of Inquiry as the letter of the law calls it, once that happen everything had to proceed until the end point.

It's called The No Going Back Rule.

This one is sure is strong. It took four Safety Guards, one on each arm and leg to take her from the waiting room to the procedure room. It wasn't that out of the ordinary for something like this to happen so the screaming, the falling of objects off tables, the shouts of desperation and fear = Normal.

SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! I recognize her. She's on my Call Of Duty team. Her recent Call Of Duty diet must have left her weaker than normal. I heard from a friend she kicked the shit out of her boyfriend once for playing while she was BRB.

Then again who plans for this? I mean she obviously should have thought things through better but shit. Now who are we going to get to be our teams sharpshooter?

Right before they got into the viewing and procedure room the patient pulled her feet loose from the grip of two of the guards but after one wrapped his arm around her throat they just dragged her the last few feet into the room so her getting lose didn't hold things up too much.

Everyone is running on procedure so she isn't making this any better for herself.

A nurse went back as the door was shutting; she was collecting the patient's shoes and stuff that spilled from her purse that trailed down the hallway. She would hate for anything to get damaged, lost, or God forbid stolen. She is going to get written up for that. She's suppose to be with the patient at all times.

Nothing new, this sort of thing happens all the time now. A nurse here or there just does something stupid like that.

Her first sensation when dragged into the room was probably a smell of microwave popcorn. I saw Doctor Wall going in their earlier for a quick out of sight snack. Dumbass, I was watching. Now I'm reporting.

To me she looks a lot more confused than the fear most of my site readers tell me about.

It shouldn't just appear that they were prepared for this type of thing to happen. It has happen enough times for them to be fully prepared for what might happen and be very good at handling it.

Besides that fucking new nurse.

The fact is this is mild compared to other things I've recorded. Some people totally lose their shit and they have to unleash the Safety Guards in full force. That happening every so often keeps them in shape so it's a win win.

People say our lives had been pulled into this, we had given into it, and not even the concern troll was in sight if someone was looking for it. I'm no political chameleon during the elections but bills have to be paid.

But to be fair I don't think any of us pictured this as being an event in our career trajectories when we were downing car bombs and popping child rape drugs. There's only so much you can learn on the Patriot Bill.

It took all the strength the four Safety Guards had to push her down into the procedure chair and then they exhausted their remaining strength to get her strapped down. Their thoughts probably turned quickly to who had next duty at the $5dollar ER.

The $5dollar ER sucks ass. I'm happy I didn't get hired into that department. It's all dying babies and dripping gunshot wounds.

The doctor stopped the patients screaming with a small oxygen mask. That usually works. The angry words that had turned into pleading were now just a muffled noise between deep breathes behind thin plastic.

You would think they would give her a sedative with her being in this state but the law stated otherwise. The law declared she had to be fully aware of what was happening. Fully conscious of what was going on.

The doctor let the Safety Guards go; which left only himself, one nurse, and one technician in the procedure room with the patient. The law affirmed the only people and the number of people who could be in the room to make the situation as comfortable as possible for the patient.

The doctor spends a few minutes reviewing her chart.

Now I'll start adding in what I hear them say. By law they aren't suppose to say anything and remain silent but they all have big mouths.

"Just calm down. Panic helps no one. We aren't anymore happy about doing this than you are so let's just get through it."

When finished with his dialogue he nodded to the technician.

The technician pulled the sonogram machine close to the procedure chair. She looked the patient straight in the eye and smiled. Damn that was creepy.

"Don't worry, I do this all the time."

I get fucked in the ass all the time, still don't want that thing going up in me.

The technician calmly started rubbing lube all over a long probe.

The patient's eyes were dancing around as the doctor helped the technician move the machines monitor in front of the chair. Her eye looked like a puppy in a new house.

The nurse jacked the chair back a bit, moved the front up a little, and then slowly cranked the leg restraints apart.

Each peg cranked echoed in the sterile room. Though not so sterile with that popcorn smell.

The law required the procedure room to only contain what was needed. It's to be only used for this procedure and nothing else. The idiots who violate that are stupid. It's like a $17,000dollar fine.

It's also sound proof to protect the woman's privacy.

The technician handed the probe to the nurse who inserted it.

She's trying to bite at the oxygen mask because she was running out of ways to fight. Damn we are going to miss that aggression on our team.

'"Now look for a full five minutes at the monitor and it will be over."

The law states it has to be a full five minutes. They are supposed to tell her this before entering the procedure room.

She tried turning her head to the side but the doctor grabbed her face and held it so it's facing forward in line with the monitor.

A lot of people have a thing that kicks in when someone puts their hands on their face. It's called Alien Hand Syndrome. I looked that up online after Joy on 1st Shift told me about it. It's when your body feels with so much rage and if you can't get away from the contact the rage turns internal to self hatred and you start to believe the hand touching you is your own because you can destroy yourself from within even if outside there isn't any more fight for you to have.

His fingers push into her cheeks and her hatred dives inside.

"Stop struggling. You have to face forward but you can always avert your eyes."

I think this is a bunch of bullshit.

I just got an email I have to work a double shift tomorrow.

Fuck.

HELL

The Darkness Bite 1

A few weeks ago there was a story online about this lady who was working in a mortuary. You might have heard something about it. It was retweeted, shared, pinned, and talked about in funny and boring ways.

It quickly multiplied its way across the internet losing facts here, gaining interesting fictions there, but only few television networks reported anything about it. They were afraid of the content of the story.

The internet ant no afraid.

The mortuary worker was dressing a recently passed on old man. A very wealthy recently passed old man. While doing so she noticed his body had a huge erection. That's a natural thing. And sort of a God style joke that the biggest hard on any man will get is after death.

Afterwards, after the fact of fucking a dead old guy and getting caught, she told people she just saw it there and thought she might as well fuck it. There was a dick, she wanted to fuck a dick; so she fucked the dead man.

And his dick.

Now you might not expect a story to start this way but she didn't expect the dead dick to cum either. I guess that's a natural thing also.

Man nature is really fucked up.

She was sitting in a prison cell for fucking a dead guy when she came up with the idea to sue the dead old guy's family for child support.

Yep she was now packing a dead man's parasite.

You might say something like- Sometimes that's just how the world works. It's really fucked up sometimes.

Well, you haven't heard the whole story of Ms. Dead Man Fucker.

While Miss. King Handler, her real name, was in jail, awaiting her trial and waiting to hear back from her lawyer security cameras, which were placed in the room because someone suggested she might be suicidal, caught a very horrifying scene unfold.

She wasn't suicidal by the way. Her lawyer just wanted her to be kept from the rest of the prison population for as long as possible.

Plus the whole possibly being suicidal story would help sale books later.

But without those cameras we would not have seen what took place. The guards who were set to monitor her by camera claim nothing happen when they were doing their job and monitoring her cell and it wasn't until her lawyer and the warden reviewed the videos later that everyone saw what happen. Either way, what came to pass, came to pass.

She was sitting on her bunk reading through some materials her lawyer wanted her to become familiar with.

Then for a brief second the video froze into a Photoshop chrome effect before returning to normal.

But when the video did return to normal she was no longer alone in her cell. Standing in the shadows in a corner of the larger than normal suicide watch cell was a small very overweight completely naked women.

When she moved out from the shadows the camera could see that her skin was covered in huge blisters and spitting spewing sores.

She grabs King around the mouth with one hand and reaches around with the other. First she attacks ripping with her long and sharp fingernails to slash away King's shirt.

Then her finger nails start to dig into the chest flesh and when her fingernails are full of skin she started to push them into King's chest and pulled and tossed the findings onto the bunk.

First the bunk is full of chunks of flesh, then organs, and finally a few broken off rib bones.

The creature picks King up and lays her gently on the bunk. Then it reaches into her own body and pulls out a larger than normal fork and knife combo. She spits on the body and it catches fire and it burns fast and then the flames go away.

A good BBQ method.

And then there's the story about the hipster pot head neighbors of Ton Kentucky.

Ton was a work from home sports writer who freelanced for several big websites and a sports writer who never left his apartment. He had this thing about the outside world. He thought it all was out to get him- eradicate him, munch his spirit to live.

The nearest threat to his existence was his across the hall neighbors. Ton hated his noisy hipster pot head neighbors. They ironically had tattoos and ironically left their trash outside their door for days.

He watched them out of his peephole when they came home high or drunk. Or left high or drunk. Or when people came knocking at all hours of the day to buy from them.

One of the things that really bothered him about his neighbors was that they always had their door wide open. They kept it that way almost all day, every day. Didn't they know about the world? Didn't they know the world was out to get people? They were letting the world in.

Three days ago two young female hipsters were waiting outside their friend's door for their friends to show up to smoke skunk and throw around words like "retard" "black" and "bitch".

Ton hated hipsters. When he said the word hipster he said it like he was talking about Nazis or a group of finely tuned serial killers. When he typed online he typed it "Hipsters aka Nazis"

One of the young women left, he overheard, to pick up some burgers leaving her friend to sit down in the apartment buildings breezeway and flare up a cigarette.

Ton was looking through the peephole, which is where he spends about four hours out of every day, when he witnessed a hairy like shadow snap into view and grab the young woman.

The creature slit her throat. As she stood trying to scream with blood pouring down the front of her cloths the shadow thing picked up her cigarette and took a few puffs before it quickly tore her head off and started to chew on the skull.

The sound of the skull cracking and the creature making it to the soft chewing brain insides made Ton throw in his mouth a little.

He chewed that down as he watched the shadow creature as it reached its dark fingers into the skull and snacked on what was pulled out.

Ton turned his view to one side to see the woman's body still standing as if it was waiting for its head to be returned so it could continue its night of mocking fun.

This was the story he gave the police when they came today inquiring in the neighborhood about the reported missing woman.

The police thought he was high but the smell of skunk was from the apartment across from him.

Those were only two stories of the many demonic events that have grown to be a worldwide epidemic over the past few months. The first few were just seen as strange stories, unsolved mysteries, crazy illogical happening, but then more and more and everyone had to start to acknowledge that something out of the norm was going on.

There were some of the tensions that usually are there when dates are approaching that some see as the end of the world. But after the year 2000 passed with little to nothing super natural or global happening, besides the same old same old of political human maraudering, with the year 2013 approaching no one was giving it much thought. Not even that many people trying to make a quick buck off people fears.

But now people are paying attention.

Though I don't think the Mayans ever predicated skull slurping.

Skull cracking, yes. No slurp slurp though.

Six teams from six nations- the United States, Australia, Great Britain, Egypt, Canada, and Japan, have been put together and sponsored finically by the Catholic Church.

Who else has this sort of throw away income?

Making up the teams are some of the best each nation has to offer from their most brilliant and from their militaries. The teams are being sent to one of the legendary Six Gates of Hell to find out if this truly is the end times.

Two days ago at the Vatican where all the teams where gathered to share information another event took place that tried to stop these missions before they had even set off on their journeys.

That attack was stopped by a man from another world. Now he is leading the American team on an air flight to one of the gates of legend. What they find may even surprise him.

Probably wont.

But let's see.

A Grumman C-2 Greyhound U.S. Military cargo plane was going through some bumpy weather. It's a retired military freight aircraft that is used now for unofficial missions. By using a retired aircraft it gives any mission a certain amount of deniability.

The atmosphere within the plane was actually pretty relaxed. Well, as relaxed as you could be flying on such a mission and the ride being so bumpy that all asses aboard were throbbing.

At one end of the plane's cargo hold was a group of ten soldiers, with each their own specialty, made up from different branches of the U.S. military.

And at the other end some of the best scientists America had to offer.

The might and intellect was represented.

Sitting in the middle of the cargo area, alone, reading a newspaper was the wild card. A strangely dressed man who appeared to be in his mid 30's but when anyone stared into his eyes they got the feeling they were staring into history.

The man's strange dress was in description from bottom to top WWII British Army boots, a silver and neon green pinstripe suit, and sitting beside him was a very old brown winter jacket with winter gloves sitting on top of it.

The man's close cut dirty blonde curly hair and pale skin gave him a dead like appearance when he sat still for any length of time without moving.

A young soldier sat down beside Serenity. He looked hardly old enough to fuck, more less fire an automatic weapon something demonic. But he wasn't chosen for this mission because of his dead shot marksmanship. It might not be expected when looking at him but he's an explosives expert.

'That was pretty strange at the Vatican. Do you think that's going to be the craziest thing we see?' the young soldier.

Serenity tried to fold up his paper but failed and violently threw it away. He moved his hands through the air as if he was shooing it away as it fell to the floor of the cargo hold.

'On the Planet of Singing Eyes I saw the rain falling from the clouds attacked by demonic takeover.' Serenity

The young soldiers face turned paler than Serenity's. He got up and went back to join his fellow soldiers. His commanding officer gave him a look that said- I told you not to talk to him. He had experience working with Serenity.

Serenity stood and walked to the back of the plane to join the scientists who were deep into a very detailed conversation about solar radiation levels at sea level. He ignored their conversation and interrupted, 'A rather crude way to get to our destination. Even for this back shafting planet.'

The leader of the scientists, Dr. Post, looked up at Serenity, 'Your presence is a military decision but I'm still mission leader so the choice of transportation was my call.'

'Yes, yes, the Captaincy of the tugboat is still yours.'

'You're wasting my time with this prat...'

'Dr. Post, you have no idea what you're heading into.'

'And what are we heading into Mr. Serenity.'

'In all of the infinite of all realities there is only one Hell. That book you wrote about the uncountable number of realities is true. So many Earth, so many fairytale lands, and so many Heavens but only one Hell. You know why that is Doctor?'

'Why?'

'Because that place is so perfect in its evil vile nature it couldn't even be copied in an unfocused way. In the whole of everything there is nothing more clear in its undertaking than that of Hell. And if it's hungering for your would- you are done. No fight, no battle- your existence is over.'

Serenity returned to his seat and mockingly said to himself, 'Though it's not as Gaiman described it thankfully.'

The cargo plane is silent except for the sounds of the plane battling against turbulence for hours straight until the silence was broken as the pilot clicks on an open intercom so everyone can hear an incoming message.

'Reports are coming from all over the U.S. about a lot of crazy things happening. One report is about Alcatraz National Park. An hour ago a clouds appeared over the city. When the clouds turned dark they started to rain blood and bone.

After the rain stopped thousands of zombie like creatures started marching out of the prison and walking into the waters that surround the park. They are at this moment swimming out in all directions towards land fall. Local National Guard and military forces are organizing responses for when they reach land.

Another report from outside Athens lunatic Asylum is of screams of children. When investigators went inside and search every inch of the grounds they found nothing. The screaming is still going on after six hours straight.

The Dock Street Theater has caught fire, de-flamed, and caught fire again, over and over again for now on an hour straight.

More and more reports are coming in. Many more than anyone can keep track of...'

Everyone turned around when the intercom stops. Serenity flipped an off switch for it, 'Enough of other peoples fear. You will be facing enough of your own soon.'

It's been a two day foot trek through the heart of Nicaragua to a huge hole in the ground called Masaza. There are three other holes in the ground called Masaza but those are just tourist holes. This is the main hole in the ground called Masaza in Nicaragua.

'It also has another name. The Mouth of Hell.' Serenity

Dr. Post walks to catch up with Serenity and the military commander who were leading the group, 'How dramatic of you but if this is all there is we've wasted our time.'

Serenity stops everyone's march and stopping is something they all are very happy to take part in having been on the march through forests, mud, and poisonous insects for two days without many breaks.

The hole though impressive with its size, smell, and smoke doesn't look that supernatural. Things that don't look too far out of the ordinary can be some of the most dangerous.

Serenity walks over to stand by a cross, an old cross stationed at the holes edge.

'Do we go down there?' asked one of the soldiers after looking down the hole and getting a face full of sulfur and a very sweet taste in on his lips.

'There's a cave a few miles East that will lead us down to it native hole. This is just the lips of the mouth. Time to get near the throat.' Serenity

'Have you been here before? It sure seems like you know a lot about this place.' Dr. Post

Serenity turned and started leading everyone East, 'There aren't many places I haven't been Doctor.'

The trip to the cave took a few hours and the one through the cave even more hours. They entered the cave at night and came out during early daybreak. They are lucky they aren't in some old sci-fi movie because at least one would have fallen to his death and a couple found death because of a cave in behind them.

But this wasn't that sort of cave.

2nd But, this might be that sort of story.

Might.

As the last of them exited the cave the sudden shine of light pushed anger and a migraine into Dr. Post's head, 'I still don't know why my teams even here? This trips a total waste of time. Total bullshit! People need to put their stupid outdated religions away and deal with the chaos of life.'

Serenity walks toward Dr. Post who instinctively backs away from him.

'The soldiers are here for fake hope. You Doctor, you and your colleagues are here to spout nonsense about what you think is happening.'

'And why are you here then?'

'To let you know whether what we find will just kill us or your world.'

Everyone stops to stare at Serenity.

'But maybe we'll just find a closed door and all these outdated religious signs are just part of a planetary hiccup.'

Serenity turned from Dr. Post and walked back over to the real mouth of the hole, 'Stinks even the closer you get. Last time I was there I couldn't smell anything for years. Oh, and if anyone was wondering what that sweet smell mixed and taste was, it's burning flesh.'

Everyone looks at each other.

'What? It's Hell. You know all burning forever with regenerating flesh for fresh pain. What did you expect?'

Serenity pulled from his jacket pocket a large coin.

'What's that?' asked a soldier.

'A piece of Roman silver. I use to have 29 more but lost them in a bet with a redheaded woman.'

'And what are you going to do, toss it in and make a wise?' Dr. Post

'Yes.'

Serenity flipped the coin into the air and for a second it looked like as if it stopped in midair for a moment and then started to fall down tumbling side over side into the ground opening.

'What now, we await Charon?' a soldier

'No. But good for you for your known knowledge. The coin is like testing whether a standing pool is water or jet fuel. If the door is open...'

'It's jet fuel.' the knowledgeable soldier.

'On the nose. Give this man a promotion.'

There was silence, except for a sudden kicking up wind, for a good twenty minutes. The hairs on people necks and arms were paying attention. Animals, insects, and then a loud trumpet sounded from above the clouds and half of the group dropped dead leaving three soldiers, two scientists, and Serenity to remain standing.

Dr. Post dropped to his knees in tears. It was a feeling that was attacking all of them.

One of the remaining soldiers snapped the safety off his assault rifle, 'What happen?'

'It's an answer.' Serenity

'And what was the fucking question?' asked another soldier.

'Is anyone home?'

DEEPER ROSES TO FALL

The Original Sin 3

The door was fading away but it was not burning away. The flames were for sure sending a message in their existance. They were making a point, the point being that he had better stand back.

He backed off a little after shouting every profane thing he could think of to the shadow standing on the other side of the door.

Could have just said, "Leave me alone" and not caused so much anger to build.

He started to back away from the door before what was once a door dropped as ashes to the floor.

Stepping through where the door had been mere moments ago walked a woman dressed in a long see through dress that seemed to bite into the floor as she walked up to him with a train that hovered in the air behind her wiping away her footprints which were burnt into the floor.

'Noah, You can not fight.'

'All I have done in my life is fight. I only have one more thing to do before you can take me.'

'You can not barter on how this takes place. It happens. It is your time. It is as it has been since before the first life came into being.'

Noah steps in the direction of the women and noticed right away that she had no eyeballs in her sockets but instead there were little swirls of different colored lights that seemed to be playing tag with each another. He had to shake his head to keep from falling under their spell.

'You should not have wasted the chances you where given Noah Gallimore. Mortals should make the most of their lives because what awaits you afterwards has no chance of smiles if you do not. That is what I told Lord Byron before his time was up but he did not listen and he also tried to fight at the end.'

'What happen?'

'I showed him that he could not win. It's a no win sitution, simple as that.'

Noah moves right into the womens face with anger in his heart.

'And what will you do to me, kill me? I think that brain spot I had did that fine enough.'

'There are things in existance worst than death.'

'yes...'

The moments are silenced as Noah turns from the women, closes his eyes for a few seconds, and then suddendly jerks his head around again to face her, the silence is over.

'Yes, there is your other worldly Tori Amos wannabe fashion statment. There are things like losing the chance to say I love you to someone you never got to say it to before they left your life.'

The women sits down in the floor in front of Noah and he finds himself following her doing the same without really thinking about it.

A life passes away on the Earth as the strange women reaches inside her chest and pulls out a goblet filled with a brown but sort of clear liquad.

'Drink this and as long as you love her you will never die. No Angel in The Tomb or Demon in Hell can touch you. Faries of Quiot will be jeaulous of you and warriors from The Tin will fear you. Find her, tell her how you feel. But the moment you doubt your love, the moment you feel away from her spirit you will see me again. And when I come then I will come with all my fury.'

He takes the glass and the instant it leaves the women's hands she disapears. He does not hesitate and downs the liquad and yells in great pain as its effects move as fast as sin and spread throughout his body making his heart beat again, starting the raceing of blood once more.

It seemed to Noah that the liquad stopped shifting its way around inside his body but when it finds itself near his hands it hurdles each beat of new life.

He felt a itch, a small burning sensation, and then bubbles of skin began forming in lines around and around his forearms down to his hands. When the pain was over he looked to see that he now had a tattoo of barbied wire that ran around his arms starting at each elbow and twisting its way to the palms of his hands.

What passes off as a make or brake moment in a ordinary life is by far more important in what it will lead to for many in the future than what it was really all about.

Why did the Angel Of Death give back a life?

There has to be a bigger reason than a hope of love?

Doesn't there??

So if love can change the mind of Death itself, than what can it not do?

She knew the answer when she gave him the goblet.

He knew the answer before he went to the hospital that last night.

He knows now but does not care.

His life now is his love, as it may have always been.

Noah is to walk out into this world in search of happy memories and a chance to ask a question.

He does not care what answer will come.

He does not care what he will find making her happy when he finds her.

'I just need to know for sure.'

The door is healed now. Back to wooden glory from ashes. Noah grabs his camo jacket and heads out the door truck keys in his hand.

To the reaches of what only Death knows of as being all there is a smile is being seen.

A young women is kissing her husband and watching her children play; while at that same time a young man named Noah Gallimore is beginning a quest we all do at one time or another in our lives. When you have loved, be it one time or a thousand, there is always questions that you wish you had asked when you find yourself at a point of never seeing that love again.

Do you have a question? If so, ask it now before it is too late. Second chances are usually only in stories written by the broken hearted.

QUOIT #1

The Collected 6

It is a time of peace all over Quoit

And that's just when things tend to get interesting isn't it?

How does that curse go about living in interesting times?

Whenever you have any situation of quote unquote leadership which exists with unrestrained authority there will always be others behind him... or her... but not necessarily behind, maybe in a shadowy storage area somewhere under a smoke rifle factory, planning and talking outside the gaze of said unrestrained authority.

Or at least they think it is outside the gaze.

This assembly of dibley's, minus one of their number, was gathered for the intention of discussing the failing mental health of their leader and his insistence on bringing in an outcast to take part in one of their most holy pilgrimages.

It's a group of powerful men in a room that smells heavy of sulfur, gun metal, and linden wood.

And old powerful men. There is most defiantly the smell of old men.

'We all know he is already deep within the insanity and with it we expect mass beheadings, suppression of views, and a religious purging here or there. That is normal for this time of a Holy Father's life...'

'People would be sad if a little madness didn't creep in at this point.'

'But he is tainting one of our most sacred pilgrimages by this strangers involvement.'

'A man who doesn't call any place home.'

'And he is proud of it.'

'A rogue.'

'A nationless man who prays to no god or empire.'

'In the past we have been hands off with the Holy Father's dealings with this individual but information gathering, trade talks with barbarians- these are the things a recluse has a special skill for but whatever he is up to now with this man is tarnishing something important to all of The Rosary.'

'But the tradition of the insanity...'

'No matter how much he maybe into the insanity the Holy Father is still clear of thought for now. This isn't insanity, this has meaning behind it.'

'Otherwise he wouldn't have even informed the Council.'

'We are very good at waiting.

'Then to the other side of this we shall wait. Vicar Swiss please have a meeting with this individual. Try to find out what you can'

'I shall.'

'But Vicar Swiss.'

'Yes.'

'Don't do anything to bring the attention of Vicar Noble please.'

'As you wish, Vicar Rosary.'

A person who does not belong to any land, a man that calls no kingdom or empire home is considered the saddest form of life on Quoit. With all the kingdoms, nations, tribes, and armies on this planet if you are not loyal to something you just can't be trusted.

And of all the lands of Quoit the worst place for an individual without a loyalty to walk into, The Rosary would be that place.

Clatterford End is an individual. He calls no place home and bows to no king or queen or god. Some call him a mercenary, others just a nomad with no place in the world. A most unusual person for fact and he might not have a land he calls home but he does have a place in the world, a place in the course and tides of Quoit.

What that course might be he doesn't even know yet but on this trip he is here to update the High Pope on the latest news from allied lands.

But he doesn't plan to stick around that long past a minute he has to after he collects his coins.

He's not a fan of The Rosary.

And you might read me writing that several more times before this is over.

When setting your eyes on Clatterford even the sight of him doesn't fit in anywhere. From boots made from vampire skins(owning is thought to be in bad taste even in Babylonia), to a tarnished gold armor decorated with many weird symbols that no one has been able to identify, a set of Redtail hunting knives, and a helmet with the face of a Wallachian Mountain Panther. He carries his appearance in a way in which there is nowhere for him to blend into.

There are a couple of held stories about Clatterford and his life. One, he was the squire of an Assyrian Knight during the Great War who grew very angry with the world as a whole after seeing the death of his teacher and so much other bloodshed so he turned from all nations and grew into adulthood walking the world.

Another story says he was a sailor from the unknown side of the world who had sailed his ship solo through the storm barriers and washed up on the shores of The Empire Of Steam where he was taken in and schooled in so much knowledge that he developed such a lust for it he must now walk the world to feed that hunger.

Who knows if any truth exists within either of those stories and any others.

But they sure sale a lot of pulpy books in The Empire Of Steam.

One thing which is true about Clatterford for sure is that he doesn't hide from anyone.

And another true thing is that he doesn't care much for the days when he finds himself within The Rosary.

Not one of his favorite places to visit, even if he is being paid very well for his services.

I told you he doesn't care for the place.

The Rosary is the oldest civilization in all of Quoit.

Babylonia would be the oldest but most of its early history has been lost forever.

Once most of Quoit was lands that belonged to The Rosary but what was once the largest capital city in the world is now the only thing left from that ancient part of history written and not written.

"... written and not written." Writing not in the good tonight.

You can't really blame Clatterford for not caring for the Rosary. The first time the guy was here he was almost castrated for telling a Nun if she wasn't happy fucking an ugly old Archbishop that was her choice. He was charged with trying to influence a female away from the faith. He was saved from the cut of a knife by the High Pope who was in need of the services of someone with his insight and abilities.

Ever since that first task he has performed odd jobs several times a year for the Rosary High Council but mainly he deals with the High Pope only.

It's still the largest city in the world by the way but one step outside the city is stepping outside of The Rosary into other lands. It's a city nation in total and complete.

The city's human citizenry also practices the oldest form of government based on beliefs that are said go to go back even before recorded history started to be recorded.

Back that far?

Back that far.

Clatterford has no warm heart for religions which is another thing that outcasts him. He looks at people of faith the same way as looking at a zombie who hasn't noticed yet that bits of him are falling off.

Just a FYI, there haven't been any zombies on Quoit for a very long time.

Long enough for them to become a thing of legend.

The Rosary borders The Empire Of Steam, The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies, and The Mist Land Wildlands and those are the places Clatterford spends most of his time. He heads out to the other lands of Quoit but getting regular work from these places who have hired him the most in the past keep him nearby.

Mist Land Wildlands?

What was I thinking there?

Also what is proper grammar in this instance- The Empire Of Steam or the Empire of Steam or neither nor combination? I think The Empire Of Steam looks better so I'm going that way.

The Rosary is a human society united by their religious beliefs and doctrine and that type of society tends to get stall after a while and from time to time find themselves in need of being updated about things outside their walls whether they like what is going on or not, it's needed to keep their remaining lands safe and under their control.

This once great nation will do anything to keep control of their people, traditions, and remaining lands.

Even hiring people such as Clatterford is ok.

If it is done mainly in secret.

Everything with governments seems to be ok if kept in secret.

Today is a celebration of the strength of the social order in The Rosary, even if the celebration is a delusion of what The Rosary has become from what it once was, it's still party time.

All over its citizens are in celebration, a celebration called Cart Day. From even the poorest servant to High Council members everyone is wearing their finest robes. Everyone is baking goods. Families are giving out gifts to their loved ones. Charitable people are being charitable for a few days out of the year.

And the markets are filled with business like no other time of the year. Sales, sales, more sales, limited time offers, and Cart Day exclusives.

There are even a few expatriates of The Rosary who come back home for a personal pilgrimage of their own during Cart Day.

Only a few, leaving The Rosary to call another land your home tends to get you excommunicated.

This celebration is a combination of devotion, misdirection, administration, and self-indulgence.

Cart Day celebrates times gone by stories, a few actually true, but it is mainly the day of The Walks. The Walks is when five young Popes, chosen young virgin bishops, are sent out to travel all of Quoit in a pilgrimage of destiny.

If one of the Popes returns he will become the new High Pope.

You may ask- What if more than one Pope returns?

Do they wrestle?

Song contest maybe?

Well very few Popes have ever returned is the answer. It's why most High Popes grow old to be very mongering serial killerly mad king crazy ruling bastards. It's called the Holy Insanity.

Clatterford does have one thing he looks forward to when visiting The Rosary, outside of the coins he collects for work, and that's a taste for Rosarian peasant food. His favorite is a sandwich consisting of aged bread and three different kinds of dipping sauces and the only place you can get it is underground eateries called Top Pots.

Those who are poor are only allowed to eat government supplied food choices making these types of places few and hard to find. Lucky for him he is the type to know of such things.

Knowing such things that others don't know is one of his philosophies to staying alive.

This particular Top Pot is located in a hidden room within a metal works factory.

Rosary is the type of place where there are a lot of things hidden under stuff, in shadows, and behind faces.

Normally someone who wears clothes as good as Clatterford, good compared to the poor of The Rosary, would signal everyone to scatter and run for it. Though he gets people's attention entering, everyone also knows him on sight and knows he's no fan of this government or any other for that matter.

The place smelled and the air tasted a bit like the metal works being done outside the room but the closer you got to the bar the more you smelled the bread and sauces over the metallic.

There was hardly anyone eating today. Most people are out preparing or early celebrating Cart Day. This was fine with Clatterford because he'd much rather eat in as much isolation as possible before he had to deal with the High Pope and his like.

He sat himself on a stool on the side of the bar which had two attack directions protected by walls. Another problem with being an individual and outcast from most places is that most places don't care for you just on principle of you being you.

Living his life he finds a few who want him dead who haven't even met him.

He's ok with that.

The eatery keeper brought Clatterford his food. The one dish is the only thing served there so it was easy to know what people wanted. He had placed his knives on the bar top along with his helmet and was ready to start eating when the front and back doors to the place swung open in a rush and in through them marched several members of the High Pope's personal guardsmen, The Noble Guard.

The keeper and the few other people eating were quickly killed by The Noble Guard.

Not really so noble.

Several of them gathered near Clatterford who had barely raised an eye that they were able to notice.

'You were to come straight to meet with the High Pope when you entered the city. You were not to spend time eating pitiable cooking with reduced people.'

Clatterford was ready to ignore and keep eating when he noticed the head guard, a Cardinal, had his hand hovering over his sword and the others were holding smoke rifles.

He pushed his food off the table in frustration.

This is one of those bits in a story where the writer puts in stuff just to help him remember and keep track of things.

Or is that just me who has to do this?

Don't tell me! I might get sad at the answer.

Anyways this section might be a little redundant and not needed with the Appendixes that follow the story but I like this bit personally.

The Rosary government is structured into a hierarchy formed from their long history, traditions, and also in the aim of raising themselves above the normal citizens of the city and the whole of Quoit for that matter.

Each group or individual in the government is elected by vote by the station above them.

Except for The High Pope who is the destiny chosen VESSEL OF GOD O MIGHTY!

Last bit said like a preacher from deep in the American South.

A High Pope tends to live to a very old age but also the older they get the more they fall into the Pope Insanity as history has come to call it.

Some even call it the Holy Insanity.

They probably bless The Holy Shit when it's a good drop.

High Popes average about 97 years of life but 20 sane ones. Some people have speculated that the robes of the Pope or the secret sanctified meals he eats contain something that on one hand expends his life but also on the other hand drives him deeper and deeper into insanity.

Popes are of course chosen by the Cart Day pilgrimage.

Everyone on Quoit knows that.

Everyone also knows that if a Pope does survive the pilgrimage the old High Pope is retired.

What "retired" means isn't something everyone knows.

The High Council Of The Rosary is made up of senior officials, former Archbishops. When they are elected to the High Council by The High Pope they are renamed to be Vicars with part of their name being the station of responsibility. Example: Vicar Sewage.

A position on The High Council is one for life and that's why they usually end up poisoned, knifed, traditionally martyred, and crucified when a new Pope takes over.

So cool there.

Each member of the High Council is in charge of a different part of the government such as trade, the courts, sewer systems, the Swiss Guard, the Noble Guard, and exedra excedra. In total there are twelve members of The High Council.

And one ghost member that hardly anyone sees, that would be Vicar Rosary who is the head of the Council.

A very mysterious in the shadows type.

The Archbishops are teachers put into their new position of Archieness by vote of The High Council. Any place of learning no matter the sort is filled with Archbishops who are charged to teach.

Nuns are the wives of Archbishops. A Bishop cannot marry until he becomes an Archbishop. Nuns are charged with learning medical knowledge and treating the sick. After marrying a Nun must take a pilgrimage of their own to The Empire Of Steam for two years to study the newest medical treatments and become doctors, before this Nuns are just students but not Bishops because women are not allowed to be Bishops.

I'll tell you about Bishops in a bit.

I'll tell you more about Nuns much later.

The Nuns Of The Rosary are pretty fucking cool.

Cardinals are Noble Guard Commanders handpicked by the Vicar Noble to lead the protectors and defenders of The High Pope. They are usually the best of the best of their group, except when picked more because of their loyalty than their abilities or picked more because of political power than their abilities or more because of cock size than... I guess that would have to do with a type of ability.

As mentioned the Noble Guard is the personal guards of The High Pope. They are an elite group of guards chosen from the best and most loyal to the High Pope among the Swiss Guard.

Some think the Noble Guard have too much power and there are always rumors about them going around- rumors of secret goals, secret meetings, and secret handshakes.

Deans are Swiss Guard Commanders handpicked by the Vicar Swiss to enforce laws and fight for their nation. The Swiss Guard is the army and police of The Rosary government. They tend to hate and not get along with the Noble Guard because they feel they are underfunded and underpaid when they have more ground to cover in their duties.

Having the Noble Guard and The Swiss Guard walking the same paths is sometimes like having a police force and a military army trying to operate with a smaller private military group who is actually getting all of the attention and coin and power.

Is that apt? I'll try to work on it after the first draft.

Bishops or Low Bishops as some call them are students.

Damn students.

Lazy students.

Fuck them students.

From there you have business owners and then the people who work for business or government groups and organizations.

You could throw prostitutes all within all of that ranking but that's true anywhere because most people like to fuck and will pay with power and coin to do so.

I should start calling sections I write instead of stuff like Chapters or Appendixes or Prefaces, I think I should go with Clusterfucks.

One of the southernmost land areas of civilized Quoit are the Wildlands.

Ok, I might sometimes call it the Mist Lands and other times the Wildlands and while on drugs call it the Mist Wildlands.

Just let me have that one.

The Wildlands are bordered by the sea and the lands of The Empire Of Steam, The Rosary, and The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies on its northern border. The Eastern land border of the Wildlands meets the nation of Wallachia also.

Or something like that.

Geography was never my best subject.

Ok, neither was English, Fuck Off.

I included a map of all of civilized Quoit at the beginning if you missed it. I'll do this with each Quoit story. I mean this is a fantasy story after all and a fantasy story needs maps like Star Trek needs redshirts.

Star Trek went downhill a little when they tried to fix that redshirt issue.

There will also be a more detailed map of The Rosary after the story.

Speaking of maps, the five young virgin Popes will first head South out from The Rosary to Wallachia on their walk to obtain a map of Quoit to be used in their further travels. Some places consider this a antiquated tradition while others follow any news of it like a sporting event.

For generations the Wallachians have been the best map makers on the planet. They take great pains to keep them updated by the changing shape of politics. If you want to find your way by safe passage or the most interesting route you get a Wallachian map.

After they get their maps they will head in four different directions to truly start their walk in an attempt to come back laudable to be the High Pope. It's a throwing them out into the world, forcing them to walk among the good, the kind, and the cruel to return to the Rosary praiseworthy.

You might ask- Brian you said there are five young virgin Popes but you just said "four different directions" did you screw something up?

No, I didn't screw something up, at least not there, it's just one of them almost always dies traveling to get the maps in Wallachia. Wallachia may not be the most dangerous place on Quoit but the one thing all of them will learn is that they are not too many safe places.

Clatterford was lead by members of the Noble Guard to the High Popes personal worship chambers. There was about six of them to state the number in fact- three in front leading and three behind them. They had heard many stories about them and weren't taking any chances.

The High Popes personal worship chambers is also known as his personal living chambers.

Where he sleeps.

A holy place of rest.

There's a chamber pot for pissing and shitting in the room.

Sans any piss or shit at the moment.

The High Pope was sitting in the very sparse shitless room in a wooden chair covered in bear skins. It was all atmospheric for him there sitting by a fire without a robe staring into the dancing flames.

If I wasn't clear enough all his holiness was hanging out for all to see.

Hanging out there to breathe in the air.

His junk was out.

Clatterford was slightly unnerved by the way the fire light flickered across the faces of the Noble Guards stationed motionless all around the chamber. It triggered a memory of one time when he was camped out with some Dwarfs so near The Maple Maze of Babylonia that they could hear screams of giving up so clearly in the nights air he thought he could recognize the voices.

The last time Clatterford was in The Rosary he noticed the High Pope's madness was creeping further into the mind of the man who saved his dick from being a dogs dinner. And the stories he has heard since that last trip has him of the thought that things haven't gotten any better.

He wouldn't call his relationship with the High Pope a friendship but he had actually grown to like the old sod a little. Some have come to call him High Pope The Kind. But to be completely honest with me trying to not be attacking saying a High Pope is kind is sort of saying that cow dung over there isn't as stinking as the dog poop in the corner.

Clatterford sat down on an old trunk positioned near the fire. Having walked all the way into The Rosary from a side trip to the Wardawgs territory he was still pissed he hadn't gotten the chance to eat or rest yet.

But not too tired to forget who he was talking to and let a smart tongue slip despite any familiarity that had developed between them.

At least he was trying to behave himself.

He always tries.

'I am sorry I had to interrupt your dinning. I've made sure a feast is ready for you in your quarters.'

'And I'll eat every bit in honor of those your guards killed.'

Honestly that's Clatterford trying to be diplomatic.

'They must have been all caught up in the excitement of our holiday times.'

'These celebrations of yours, they seem to get larger with each one.'

'Tell me Clatterford End, why do you think that is so?'

Clatterford traced the shape of his bear with his hand thinking about his next words but with a grin he let them free, 'Because they are distractions and you need bigger and bigger ones.'

'Always bold, always wise.'

'Always stupid for a truth.'

'Not so. I appreciate your truth tongue. Not many give me truth tongue who are in my control.'

'Control tends to do that to tongues.'

The High Pope stood from his chair to warm his hands on the fire and then slowly sat back down, 'Are our allies still open to the Walk Pilgrimage?'

'The tribes of the Wildlands are as they always have been. They don't kill all visitors on sight as a rule but you never know when they might change those rules. As to Wallachia, well they have taken to testing Redtail waters again. Obviously living is boring them. Besides that everything is as it has been for a while.'

'You see normally this would be the time I would be writing out plans to send five young Popes to their deaths to keep my station but I'm no longer comfortable in my growing insanity. Our nation needs new and strong leadership. This peace will not keep forever. We must find a new High Pope from this group to prepare.'

'So fix the race but the other way around from what you normally do.'

'In a way that's what I plan to do. In the past for the most part Popes have been left to their own measures of finding survival. But I need more than blind chance this time for someone to come out of it with their life intact. I need something to help balance the task for them. I need you Clatterford End.'

'I'm not really the High Pope type.'

Both men laughed.

The guards remained silent.

It wasn't funny.

'I wish to hire you to escort them to Wallachia and help them achieve the maps. From there choose the one you think is the strongest and walk his destiny with him.'

'That sort of thing will cost a lot more than any job I've done for you in the past.'

'This is a most grave need for The Rosary. How does a city section and his pick from the Swiss Guard ranks sound? You will be given the title of Bishop and a promise that no one will hinder your activities. Whatever they may be.'

'I'm sure the Swiss Vicar would love that. Probably much the whole High Council would probably be ready to stone me.'

'Did God select them?'

'I get your point.'

'What of the offer Clatterford End?'

'Sounds like a good offer. A good offer for another man who is not me.'

'What is your price then? Name it.'

'A free day to explore the ancient archives.'

The High Pope turned from his chair to look to Clatterford with dancing flames in his eyes, 'I like you. You are always looking for an advantage others don't have.'

There are three great libraries of Quoit called The Great Libraries Of Quoit. These three depositories of knowledge would make any well worn researcher, any scholar of data, and any student of the tests wet in their garments.

The first of the great libraries is located within The Empire Of Steam. To be exact in location it's situated on the campus of Telseal University, the public university of the empire and the largest structure within the whole of the empire.

Which tells you a lot about The Empire Of Steam without knowing much more going in. The entire empire is place of scholarship.

The Teseal Library is the largest library by far in all of Quoit and also the most open. You can enter its halls without even being a citizen of the empire.

You do need a library card though.

That says even more about The Empire Of Steam.

The "anyone can enter" thing- most libraries require a library card.

The second great library of Quoit is The Library Of Babylonia.

Which sure as hell isn't open to all.

Matter of fact The Library Of Babylon is only open to members of the Babylonian military. Every day citizens, even politicians are not allowed into its doors and sure as hell foreigners aren't allowed in.

What does that say about Babylonia? That doesn't say they are kind of assholes.

But they are.

Having the second largest military, only second to The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies, Babylonia is a empire steered, moved, and impassioned by its military so everything is infused by this military sense of pride including their library.

They do have the only librarians who are armed at all times.

When they shush you, you stay shushed.

And then you have The Ancient Archives Of The Rosary which is one of the most legendary places in all of Quoit. It's the type of place where some say- that's where this legendary secret or item is kept. It sometimes can be an "out card" for something conspiracy like or stupid or a- if we had access to that knowledge the world would be different."

It's said to contain so much ancient knowledge that if used it would put The Empire Of Steam to shame.

Who knows, don't really believe that. The Empire Of Steam is pretty cool.

It has things that run only on steam.

Thus the name.

Thus the cool.

When The Rosary was the strongest nation on the planet it hoarded loads of documents and artifacts from all conquered and destroyed civilizations it had contact with. Without a wish to learn from others not-of-their-own they have hid these things away from no other eyes to see or use.

And they guard the stuff like a kid guarding toys he doesn't want to play with but doesn't want to share either.

Clatterford jumped at The High Pope's offer with a quick thought of being able to walk these torch lit underground chambers. After all the only thing he needed to do was agree to escort a group of virgins to Wallachia and get a copy of maps and then choose one out of the lot to keep alive for a walkabout and back.

Well it will be worth it if he can find what he is looking for.

And what he is looking for is something pretty special to him. An object none but a few have ever even heard mention of. He himself just found out about this items possible existence while in Babylonia doing some mercenary work.

While holding a torch with one hand he flipped through room after room of books, papers, art, and artifacts before finding what he was looking for, The Book Of Fragarach, and he found it under a pile of drawings sketched by an explorer during trips to The Three Deaths.

He tore out a page from the book and stuffed it into a pocket area hidden on the inside of his armors chest plate. The rooms guard slash librarian looked at him like he wanted to kill him but Clatterford returned his gaze with a smile because he knows all librarians have been told to not obstruct whatever Clatterford wanted to do in the archives.

What he wanted to do right now was a little dance because he was really happy as he walked the way back out from the archives. He gave a whistle hi as he passed each guard slash librarian.

He had found what he was looking for and now he only needed to do some babysitting before he could take the first step of trying to return home. The babysitting bit might take a while though. All around and back again in one year is the rules.

Sounds like the type of story some publishing in The Empire Of Steam would pay a lot of money for.

I think I've mentioned The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies before but they are a pretty unique empire as empires go. United territories might be a more precise name but The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies has more of a snap sound to it, don't you think?

When the Great War was raging and burning most of Quoit to ash a group of armies formed an alliance that was in its formation a threat to the rest of Quoit. The threat was this conflict ends now or they will move together as one across every field, every mountain, and every inch of land and claim it as our own.

The thirteen armies that make up the empire are the armies of thirteen different races of people. Each race now holds a territory within the empire's borders as their own but each also has representatives that sit in the capital city handling trade and in case a need arises unite all of the armies if something breaks the peace treaty that was signed by all of Quoit after the Great War.

Most of the rest of Quoit thinks of them as backwards because their territories aren't huge cities but small communities. People (as in mainly humans) have problems with this empire because very few humans are part of it.

Make no mistake though the rest of Quoit fears The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies whether their actions come through speech or action.

I mean any group of people who have Giants on their side should be listened to and feared.

And not fucked with.

Do not fuck with Giants. That's the lesson for today kids.

Clatterford slept very well with dreams of his past and was having a nice morning but as servants were washing his body and feeding him breakfast his nice early start to the day was interrupted by five young men entering his sleeping chambers.

He would have laughed at the sight of them standing there all dressed in their Pope Armor and full of stupidity if he didn't know most of them would be dead soon.

Ok, he did give a little chuckle when they first walked in and he caught sight of them.

'We are The Chosen Five...'

'Yes, yes, I know. I'll meet you in the banquet hall.'

They stood there staring.

'Unless you virgins wish to help clean my pits and ass you should leave and wait for me.'

After the Popes left the chamber Clatterford turned to one of the servants, a pretty young boy with fiery read hair and one eye who was washing his hands and arms, 'I think I'm starting to realize what I've gotten myself into.'

The servant opened his mouth to show Clatterford why he couldn't converse with him. His tongue had been cut out.

'I guess I also need to keep in mind who I'm working for.'

Vicar Swiss was in his Council chambers cross checking, rechecking, and signing parchments that would allow his Swiss Guards to bring in a group of heretics for questioning.

On the balcony of his chambers stood three Swiss guards with two more inside to each side of his desk. Outside of the door was two more.

People in The Rosary tend not to like Vicar Swiss very much.

Into the chambers came one of The Vicar Swiss's Dean Commanders of the Swiss Guard.

'Vicar Swiss.'

'Yes, Dean. What do you want? I'm very busy.'

'I have found a place for your meeting with the outsider. I will head there now on your orders to personally take care of any possible eyes.'

'And your spies are sure he will be heading to the markets at that time?'

'That's what was overheard by one of the servants during his breakfast.'

'Good, good, go. And Dean.'

'Yes Vicar.'

'Make it a clean setup.'

'Yes Vicar.'

There are five Deans of the Swiss Guard. The one nearest in favor is the Vicar Swiss is Dean Flavor.

Favor and Flavor, oh, I know I'm going to screw that up in the future.

He was the guy the Vicar was just talking to. He's a young guardsman who rose quickly in the ranks with a dedication and vicious streak in all of movements.

He gained favor with the Vicar Swiss when a group of anarchists made an attempt on the Vicar's life. Dean Flavor who then was an everyday Swiss Guardsmen defended the Vicar against twelve men with only two axes inside a public bathhouse.

The blood-spattered brutal proceedings of that day put a focus in the Vicar's eye when it came to Flavor. Vicar Swiss put him under one of his top Deans but after uncovering a plot to slay the Vicar by the then Dean's Flavor became the most trusted member of the Swiss Guard and whenever a task needs to be done with total trust and without worry of anything being held back he is called on.

Now he is on his way to complete another assignment by his Vicar. He was to secure a place near the busy markets for a quick secret meeting between the Vicar Swiss and Clatterford End.

What some may have seen as an issue if they would have been given this task would be the fact that only homes are within the markets. The market stalls are placed in front of homes in a rich tradition that goes by as far as recorded Rosary history.

Dean Flavor finds a suitable place behind one of the many fabric stalls. This one selling fabrics said to come from Assyria. The stall is run by a husband and wife who both once worked in the pig works before earning enough to purchase a market home.

This was very early in the morning so the markets are closed and the workers fast asleep. When you own a market stall it's your life so you work, eat, shit, fuck, and sleep and that's it. All within five feet of your stall for the most part.

Flavor didn't enter the home through a side door or a mistakenly left open window. He knocked on the door. This will be the actions of a Dean investigating anti-government activities.

When the man and women came to the door Flavor shoved his sword with such force it went through both of them.

The official report would read that he was greeted by both barring daggers.

Flavor shoved them into the home and shut the door behind him. Then he proceeded to slice the throats of both of them.

The official report would say they cut their own throats to keep from being captured and questioned.

Flavor dragged their bodies into the bedroom and shut the door. His guards would be contacted to pick them up later.

The official report would say those two were anti-government fighters with possible ties to Babylonia.

The High Pope Banquet Hall was busy with servants serving the wishes of the guests of the High Pope. The hall is actually a long way from the High Pope's living quarters but that's planned out on purpose because if you could have visitors but also keep them as far away from you as possible without insulting them wouldn't you do so?

Plus visitors sometimes want to kill you when you are a High Pope so there is no sense letting them sleep within throat slitting reach.

That's too much throat slitting talk in a little space.

Too much late night pizza for the writer.

Clatterford walks into the banquet hall and makes his way over to a Swiss Guardsman and whispers something into his ear.

The guard then gathers two others and they escort all guests and servants out of the hall. Everyone is cleared out except for the five young Popes and Clatterford who pulls down the lock supports to seal both doors to the hall.

If this was movie some of the following would be in a montage sequence.

But it's not a movie so words, words, and words.

The Popes stand up from their table as Clatterford walks into the center of the hall, 'I want each of you, one at a time, to introduce yourself and try to attack me. Give it everything you got or I will make it a whole lot worse on you.'

The Popes look at each other, a little confused, a little scared. They have heard a lot about Clatterford End since being told they would be put in his hands for their pilgrimage.

Ok, they're a lot scared.

The first one to have any courage steps forward. A blonde haired athletic looking young man, 'I am named Linus.'

'Come on then Linus.' Linus stands staring not knowing what to do. 'Fuck it Linus.' Clatterford walks over and grabs Linus by his blonde hair with his left hand and punches him three times in the side ribs between his armor platting with his right.

Then as Linus was hardly standing in a lot of pain Clatterford hip tosses him across a table.

He knocks the young man out by busting two large drink canisters against each side of his head.

As Linus lays unconscious he turns back to the other four, 'Now is there a good understanding of what I want?' They head motion a anxious yes.

'Anacletus.'

A tall bulky muscle bound young man is taken down after he throws one punch at Clatterford and is dropped with one punch from Clatterford.

'Strength is good kid, knowing how to use it is better. I've had my ass kicked by people smaller than me and whipped people twice my size."

'Petrus.'

A hairy bearded one goes down after nine punches and a head butt.

'You can at least take some punishment. You'll need that skill unless you get smarter. A starter might be using your tolerance for pain to lay a trap.'

'Clemens.'

A black young man with graying hair trades a few blows with Clatterford but after enjoying the trade off for a bit he finds out he was being led to know he was doing good as an act and falls quickly when he gives an opening.

'All of you need to learn from each other's mistakes and weaknesses. Pay attention.'

'Evaristus.'

The shortish, out of shape, mouthy one gets tossed from one end of the hall to the other before Clatterford breaks a couple fingers and punches him in the throat to shut him up.

As the Popes are trying to help each other in various degrees of injury Clatterford unbolts the doors. 'Get some rest, dump the bullshit armor, and meet me in my chambers in squire clothes tonight.'

The Great War... Maybe I should just keep saying The Great War and not go into too much detail about what happen and why?

On second thought, I'm a writer writer right now. When my skill levels improve I can be a leaver outer writer.

The Great War was when all of Quoit fallen into all out world war against the invading forces of the very ancient race The Spiders. History says this was the first time all of Quoit had ever been united against a common foe. That may or may not be the truth but it was a good rallying cry for battling The Spiders who at every turn seemed to have the mightier forces.

This war had been raged for decades, even damaging nature cutting the planet in half by two walls of storms. Stories are told that the other half is Quoit is nothing but wasteland now, every bit of life wiped from its lands by The Spiders.

Not true by the way.

It was during the third decade of the war with The Spiders when a member of the legendry travelers The 9, one called Oseike arrived on Quoit looking for a friend who in fact had just left mere decades before.

To The 9 decades can be minutes.

After seeing the destruction the war was bringing to this planet and how the future looked for the people of Quoit going against The Spiders Oseike rallied the nations like never before. He used every bit of knowledge he had of The Spiders and ways of fighting them.

But all of Oseike's work wasn't enough. They were losing the war until a group of Warlocks brought into this realm the vampire. There had never been any vampires on Quoit before. No one had even heard of them.

At first the vampires had turned the tide of war in Quoit's favor. Many natives of Quoit even volunteered give themselves up to vampirism to further their cause of defeating The Spiders. My Soul For My World was on posters and on lips all over Quoit during this time.

But soon the vampires had overrun a on their heels Spider army and the leaders of Quoit could see victory for them in the future. Also they could see a coming war with the very beings they had brought into their world. Their tipping point in the war was becoming too powerful in numbers.

After the Spiders had completely left Quoit it was learned that the vampires were readying a plan to turn on the rest of the planet to establish themselves as the rulers of all. Oseike having found this out had to act quickly and just as The Spiders had left he helped destroy most of the vampires on the planet. An act of brutality and fear so concentrated he left Quoit to never return ashamed of his actions.

Soon after this point conflict of nations started up again continuing The Great War as a war first of battling a common enemy, to battling a common too powerful ally, to battling each other for what's remaining. This is when The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies was united.

But all of that is the clichéd story possibly for another time. I know if I live long enough there are many stories I want to tell during the period of The Great War.

Clatterford is walking through the markets. He has to admit to himself it felt sort of good to knock those Popes down a peg or two. No wonder most of them never return. They are studs picked out of bad herd stock in nice painted armors and trained by bullshit Swiss Guards to be feed to a world ready to take their lives in a second.

Even though he doesn't care for The Rosary overall, their markets are some of the best on Quoit. For a nation without much interest and love for anything outside their borders they have great trade deals in place and allow as much as wanted and needed outside weapons and other religious beliefs for their markets.

You can find everything from books from The Empire Of Steam to cooking ware from The Land Of Arges. Without much work you can pick up Chameleon jewelry, Troll hammers, and Scarecrow cloaks.

Clatterford was standing bargaining with a man with a stall of spirits, fruits, and other services for some apples when he is surrounded by a number of Swiss Guardsmen. Now they are not enough to force him to do anything but enough for him not to want to bother with and just follow them when they motion for him to do so.

Anyways the only person with the pull to have him killed is the High Pope and that's because he's here on the High Pope's call; so he will let this situation move at its own course and see what happens.

He'll get his apples later.

Clatterford follows them to a home on the outskirts of the markets. From the looks of it appears to him to be a pretty new family home but since this seems to be a on the side sort of meeting out of official sightings it probably also means all the members of that family who call this home might not be in the best of health.

That's just how things work within The Rosary.

Out of the shadows in the main room of the dwelling stepped a member of the High Council Clatterford didn't recognize by name but there was no mistaking those expensive robes; which were loutish and flawless at the same time.

'I hear you gave those young unaffected shits a good bashing.'

'Well, from a people who once took part in bullfighting it's kind of surprising you train those who might lead you as bullfighters instead as if they are the bulls.'

'Yes, but the bull never had a chance of victory no matter what they did.'

'And so that's how you send out these young men.'

'But not this year?' asked the High Council Vicar

Clatterford studies him to see if his face would give away what he already knew. To anyone outside the High Pope he was just a tour guide for the young Popes.

'We on the High Council know there has to be a reason the High Pope would kick tradition away and send an independent foreigner out with Popes on their sacred pilgrimage?'

'I'm just a tour guide.'

'Only a tour guide?'

'As far as you know yes.'

Clatterford smiled, turned, and exited the home to finishing his browsing of the market stalls without much thought to what just happen. From what he has discovered in the past this is politics as normal with The Rosary.

The five young Popes still recovering from their beat downs enter Clatterford's chambers to find him sitting on the edge of the bed getting head from a male prostitute.

Also sitting, standing, and lying throughout the living quarters were women and men of various levels of undress, age, and race.

They smiled seeing the young Popes. Clatterford leaned back on his bed, 'You will put yourself in all kinds of dangers trying for your first fuck or fighting to keep it from happening. Get it out of your system tonight boys I don't plan to watch any of you die grabbing for a taste of taint or dick.'

Within every structured society or group there are acts of rebellion. Even if the place is very kind and respectful of all beliefs and life you can still find rebellion. It's natural to humans and many other races as much as eating is.

You can see it in the illegal food eateries in The Rosary or some of the anti-social acts of youth that I haven't spoken of that take place among Bishops. Not to mention the anarchists and anti-government groups that crop up from time to time, rebellion is all around us.

You can't see it clearly in Rosary but within most of those things I talked about you will find signs of the Nuns Of Rosary.

Told you they were pretty cool.

For about a decade the Nuns have run an underground rail road for rebels and the unwanted. Helped get information to places secure such as prisons and defended groups under constant attack within their nation.

They are very good at what they do and a large part of that is doing it in very secret and well run operations. Very few people outside their rank know of their secrets missions but one of them is Clatterford End. He learned of it after the instance that took place when he first visited The Rosary.

Oh, and also on the down low so to speak while away training to be doctors and nurses they also train in forms of individual combat in the underground tunnels of The Empire Of Steam.

Don't fuck with a Nun.

I want to make this clear for future reference- Don't fuck with a Nun Of The Rosary.

The next day, long after the prostitutes had left, things had crusted over, and the servants had cleaned up the night's corruption, Clatterford lead the Popes down to the Noble Guardsmen Armory

The Noble Guardsmen Armory is a large building with a rather homoerotic image of a blacksmith working with a colleague on its big ass doors.

'Knowledge is the fair-haired weapon everyone should desire, lust after, and kill for. We will pick out a weapon for each of you today from the armory but if you use it as your only weapon you will not be long for this world.'

Clatterford opened the doors to the armory and when inside he nodded his head to the blacksmith who he had spoken with earlier. The blacksmith and his assistants left the place to Clatterford and the Popes.

On the walls to one side of the smelting and forming sections were walls, rooms, and racks of shields, swords, smoke rifle barrows, knifes, axes, and spears. He let them mill around for a few minutes before snapping them back to reality.

'Pick a weapon and I'll tell you how it can help you survive and how it might just get you killed. You only get one though so choose carefully. This might be the first real choice you have had to make in your lives.'

Linus picked out a sword, Anacletus an axe, Petrus a spear, Clemens a mace, and Evaristus a carpenters hammer. In turn Clatterford asked them why they choose their weapon. And he in turn told them how to use the weapon and how this weapon could also get them killed.

Linus, 'My adaptive father told me my blood father was a member of the Noble Guard so I choose the weapon of the Noble Guardsmen.'

Clatterford, 'A sword is a fine weapon and if you are a great swordsmen you can defend yourself against any other guy with a sword. Just know that swords are no use against heaver weapons such an axe or big hammer. Always be ready with such quick thoughts. That's a lesson for all of you.'

Anacletus, 'I picked an axe because it can destroy and create.'

Clatterford, 'How poetic of you. And quite accurate also. It fits your strength Anacletus but you will need to improve your agility and hand to hand or fall as many who fought with axes have and that's to the one swing and die short life.'

Petrus, 'I picked the spear. I can use it as a staff and also defend myself against swords and even bow distance is an option.'

Clatterford, 'Yea, if you want to throw away your weapon you had better make sure you hit the target. I'd say use it as a staff mainly until you get your enemy down. Then use it to put them away.'

Clemens, 'I like my mace.'

Clatterford, 'Kinky.'

Evaristus, 'I....'

Clatterford, 'Why a carpenters hammer?'

Evaristus, 'My father was a carpenter. The first High Pope was a carpenter.'

Clatterford, 'Yep. Best of luck to you on that choice.'

Before leaving the armory he also made each one pick out a shield.

Warfare accessorizing, it is the secret of the shield in combat.

'Why do you only carry two knives?' asked Evaristus as they were walking to a Noble Guardsmen practice field to practice some hitting and screaming.

Clatterford pulls out both of his knives as if he needed them out to talk about them. Otherwise known as leading the viewer in films, 'These are the only two weapons I've found that I want to live with. I'll pick up a sword or a mace or a hammer or another man's hand to use as a weapon if I need to but to live with a weapon is akin to who you choose to marry. Fuckings fine but marrying is another story. You had better hope young Popes you have chosen well today because your religion says you only get out of marriage by death.'

He put away his blades and walked away from the Popes who started talking among themselves. He wants to help them but he's also messing with them a bit. A large part of his personality is confusing the order of things.

In two days they leave for Wallachia but tonight Clatterford is once again in the High Pope's private chambers. He wasn't planning or had been informed ahead of time about this meeting so he had to leave two prostitutes in his bed wanting and is pretty weak in his legs from drink preparing for a night of wanting.

The High Pope is in his bed with Clatterford standing swaying a little by the door. Every so often the hand from a Noble Guard would reach out from the shadows and steady him a little. The only light in the room was a small candle by the High Pope's bed.

'The protection I hired for you to give to the strongest of them ends when you return with him to our city. I fear that is when he will truly need the most protection.'

'Maybe we'll run into a Medusa and he'll sprout eyes in the back of his head.'

While Clatterford tries to stay upright talking to the High Pope the young Pope's are being herded into a room to meet with a lot of The Rosary's high ups of government and high society if there really is much separation between the two.

The day before the main celebration the Pope's have to meet and greet with these people to see who will support them by bestowing upon them a copy of their crest to carry with them. Not that it means that much to the Pope's themselves but if they do end up surviving it might hold favor for the surviving Pope and those who supported them.

The Popes are basically being passed around the room so each higher up can shake their hands and slip them a seal of approval so to speak. For anything else this will probably be the last really good meal any of them receives for a long time as Clatterford told them, 'Try to enjoy the bullshit posturing.'

Everyone knows the High Pope's personal favorite. That's why Petrus has a tattoo of the Pope's personal seal on him so not many more putting their eggs in that basic. It's considered an insult to offer your seal to the sitting High Pope's favorite.

That's really not much an ego hit to Petrus. He mainly sticks to himself in most situations and he did the same here before sneaking out early to train in spear fighting with a member of the Noble Guard who the Pope offered his services to, to help him learn spear combat.

Several members of the High Council have offered their seals to Linus. He seems to be the most popular pick among the higher ups in the government. There have always been whispers that he was the son of someone very important who died but he ended up being spared for some reason and then adapted by a good family after a cover up of his real indemnity. When he was a Bishop he keep getting opportunity after opportunity that people didn't believe he had earned. He got out of trouble too easily. He was treated like the offspring of someone very important and not just another orphan. The very choice of him for Pope was questionable, never had an orphaned person been selected before his selection. When he asked his adaptive family about these questions they always told him they didn't know. He has never been able to get the answers he has wanted.

Anacletus gets a lot of attention from the market owners. He's a big strong young man with a work day in day out appeal to him. His easy to get along with anyone deposition matches but is not contradicted by his size and strength. This is an appeal that matches their sensibilities. Matches with people who worked hard to get to each level they have gained in life.

While Clemens is getting seals from Deans and Cardinals alike because a lot of the Swiss Guard and Noble Guard come from what once was The Rosary's then slave military. After The Great War that changed but those families still keep those connections with each other.

Evaristus on the other hand is the only Pope to go without being offered a seal but per tradition the person with the lowest of offerings will be named the peoples champion. Peoples champion with a carpenters hammer as his chosen weapon. As Clatterford would say, 'Good luck with that.'

Today is the Cart Day celebration and closing out the parade is the young Popes who are being pulled by several large horses on a float that looks like a large rose. They won't be leaving until tomorrow but today is the citizens send off.

While this is going on Clatterford is off somewhere putting in some bets on which one he thinks would have the highest possibility of survival trying to take advantage of the situation fully.

The five Popes had been looking forward to this parade but some of the realities Clatterford has woken them up to are weighing heavy on each of their minds. They are smiling and waving to the crowds. As the parade comes to stopping points they sign autographs.

Each one is going into this for their own reasons. They could have left the city. There have been chosen Popes we left The Rosary to never return but these five have chosen to go on this journey. For some it's about faith; while others it's about finding their way in life. For one it's about trying to gain the power needed for revenge.

Clatterford watches them pass by having just exited a bet makers. He only hopes that book contained what he was looking for because all he sees before him is one pain in the ass moment after the other.

Appendix I: Trade.

Since the peace treaty was signed after The Great War trade all over Quoit has grown but the major force for trade is Babylonia.

Trade across Quoit has been one of the main forces behind the peace all lands have found themselves in since the Great War and it has helped Babylonia grow back into superpower it once was.

Babylonia is not only the main exporter of wood but it's the machine that turns trade on Quoit. Smartly early on after the war Babylonia invested in ideas that The Empire Of Steam has developed during the war. Ideas for better shipping, manufacturing, and production.

They signed contracts for exclusive sales rights to many things produced in The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies territories and sale thousands of good, cheap, and some downright racist stupid ways of protections against vampires.

And that not even counting their weapon sales and renting out of their own military in certain situations. Usually situations that put them at odds with The Land Of Arges.

But all nations on Quoit are taking part in an upswing in trade since the war ended. Some see it as the main reason old conflicts haven't risen once again. Others are starting to say trade is destroying the identities of nations and they want see the issue of trade as a threat to them.

All that's known is the times of now are a great time for trade but its libel in the future to be one of the pins that's pulled to try and ignite old fires and destroy the peace that so many died for.

Appendix II: Update On The Land Of Arges/Babylonia Tensions.

While most nations have seen only peace since the time of The Great War, The Land Of Arges and Babylonia have been at each other noses since before the ink had even dried on the treaty papers.

This is mainly because so many Babylonian citizens volunteered to become vampires to help in The Great War and when the vampires turned on the rest of Quoit they felt the betrayal stronger than most other nations.

Babylonia threw the first punches politically by voting against the vampires being given their own nation and when The Land Of Arges was granted a homeland that very day Babylonia transplanted thousands of forests in defense of their neighboring borders.

To be fair they weren't the only nation to do something like this. The Empire Of Steam also created a border defense in case of vampire attack in its Mayflower Forest.

But though many nations are untrusting when it comes to vampires and hold racist feelings stewed from The Great War not many try at every opportunity to hold up the growth of Arges, to try to vote against civil rights acts in other nations when it comes to vampires within those borders.

There have been sea conflicts between Arges and Babylonia and trade is non-existent thus cutting Arges off from many things because Babylonia controls so much of the trade machine that moves across Quoit.

Everyone on Quoit knows it will only take one little act by either side to start a war and because so many vampires also live within other nations many think that conflict may also pull all of Quoit into another world war.

Appendix III: Not Mentioned In Story

{Or things I forgot I mentioned}

Maxwell: The smallest nation in all of Quoit but one that has the eyes of all other nations upon it. This rich oil and mineral nation is thriving on a time of peace and building. Located in the Gulf Of Arges between The Land Of Arges and the western part of Babylonia. The good mining people so far have been protected by a warning from The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies that a trespass against Maxwell will be considered an attack on them also.

Gulf Of Arges: I just mentioned it.

The Ash Forest: One of the defense forests planted to defend Babylonia from possible vampire invasion from The Land Of Arges. Located on the western part of Babylonia. Ash wood is a repellent for vampires. If it touches their skin it burns them.

The Black Thorn Forest: The second in line of Babylonian forest defenses from aggression from The Land Of Arges. Black Thorn wood repels vampires much the same as Ash wood except crafting its hard thorns into weapons can come in very handy in crafting anti-vampire materials.

The Linden Forest: The last forest defense is this forest of Linden trees. Linden has just the same effect on vampires as the first two but this wood is very strong and most Babylonian military and government structures are crafted from it.

The Simone Mountains: A western defense for Babylonia against attack from The Land Of Arges is these mountain ranges. The stones contain ashes from thousands of burned Rosary holy men from one of the many wars the two nations have fought against each other. It's said walking through these mountains will make a vampires blood begin to boil and its organs cook. The Simone Mountains run across most of North Western Babylonia.

Cross: A small island off the coast of Northern Babylonia. This is the legendary training grounds of the Babylonian Army forces.

Babylon City: The capital city of Babylonia and one of the oldest areas on Quoit. Right there with The Rosary. Which one is truly the oldest is a yelling argument and another reason they went to war once or twice or six or seven times in the histories of these nations.

The Maple Maze: A very large maze structure in Babylonia that borders The Empire Of Thirteen Armies and The Missing Lakes. It has been said that Babylonian leaders scarified a hundred of their citizens to a warlock to create this supernatural place. This is another one of the nation's defenses.

The Missing Lakes: This water area that borders Babylonia and Assyria is a place of the missing. Really, you go missing if you enter them. The lakes are a portal to other realities but the people don't always come out the other side alive. This is another left over from The Great War with The Spiders.

Java: One of the The Three Deaths islands located off the coasts of The Land Of Arges and The Empire Of Steam. The island is made up of sentiment planet life that consume living creatures for food. By treaty it is illegal to visit or transport things to and from Java to or from any nation on fear of the deadly plant life spreading and possible taking over all of Quoit.

Ka: Another of The Three Deaths islands. Ka contains the souls of those who died by cowardice acts of their own. They hunger to take over a new body to try and lead a better life. Not a nice place to visit.

Hannya: The last of The Three Deaths islands is ruled by an immortal female warrior called Bread and her cannibal subjects who kill and eat any visitors on sight. During the initial invasion by The Spiders during The Great War the only place to drive The Spiders away to never return at all was Hannya.

The Diamond Ocean: The western coast ocean body of water got its name because of its rich deposit of diamonds at very deep depths which is why The Weed sea mer people are the only ones who can harvest this most in demand minerals.

The Weed: One of the two sea mer peoples who inhabit the oceans of Quoit. The Weed mainly harvest diamonds and destroy ships that violate their nation waters.

The Blood Ocean: This would be the eastern coast body of water. This one obtained its name because of the Redtail mer people whose skin is said to be red from generations of so much blood being split in its waters... wait, did I talk about The Blood Ocean in the story?

I remember thinking I need to remember do it?

Maybe it was a different draft of the story?

Gulf Of Moonlight: The Gulf Of Moonlight, so named after the Mist Lands tribe of werewolfs The Moonlight Tribe. Located between The Mist Lands and Wallachia.

The Mayflower Forest: The Mayflower Forest located in the northern most region of The Empire Of Steam. It's actually not a forest at all but a series of manmade mountain regions that serve as traps in case of an invasion by The Land Of Arges.

Man none of these people trust vampires.

F.Y.I., you shouldn't trust vampires.

Elves: Are an ancient warrior race that have been around longer than most any other race on Quoit. They have a territory as part of The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies. Their fierce fighting spirit can only be slightly be matched by their artistic leanings. The Elves suffered great loses during The Great War insisting always to be on the frontlines against The Spiders.

Goblins: Are sneaky little small green bunch who love mischief. They are really good at gorilla style warfare and one of the most dangerous members of The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies.

Dwarfs: Despite many beliefs Dwarfs are not deformed or stunted humans but in fact are a small race of people who stand firmly on their own ground. They are known for their intelligence and plotting ways of survival. Dwarfs have more representatives in other countries than any other race of The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies. That says a lot about them that the other territories choose them to represent the whole.

Wizards: Some people think Wizards and Warlocks are two sides of the same coin with Wizards being the good guys and Warlocks the baddies. Not true. Though Warlocks tend to have more powerful magic because they take more risks which don't always pay off, Wizards are no more righteous than they are. Wizards though do have something the others of the Thirteen Armies crave and that's knowledge of other worlds and realities.

Fairies: The smallest members of The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies. Fairies are very connected to nature and are said to have more ways of healing people than any other methods used. They keep very much to themselves but being the size of a child's pencil eraser you really wouldn't know them if they were there if they didn't wish for you to. Contrary to popular myths they are not naturally good. Fairies in fact can be very nasty if you get on their wrong side. Their favorite choice of torture is to bury themselves inside creatures and eat them alive for days.

Screamers: Once they were Wizards, Witches, or Warlocks who somehow got possessed by a song. Now they work as travelling musicians but are also very talented assassins. Also called Banshees by other members of The Empire Of The Thirteen Armies.

Hawks: Really strange members of The Thirteen Armies because even though they fly and have giant wings, their wings are not what gifts them with the ability to fly. That ability seems to come from an ancient curse against their family line.

The Civatateo Tribe: A tribe of Witches locate in The Wildlands. This tribe of Witches have gone a long way to train people in the safe use of magic and safe interactions with nature and the supernatural. Where Warlocks are about using magic and Wizards are about learning magic, Witches are about understanding its very nature.

The Karen Tribe: A Wildlands tribe of Warlocks who have sheltered themselves from the rest of Quoit because of the damages done to the planet during the time of the Great War. They are trying to keep the type of knowledge that did that sort of damage to the world to themselves to keep that magic from ever falling into the wrong hands again.

The Moonlight Tribe: This Wildlands tribe of werewolfs are probably the most warrior like of any of the tribes in this loose alliance. Most werewolves died during The Great War being used as foot soldiers during many battles with The Spiders. They held lines like no one else but their people paid a deadly price time after time.

The Pilgrims Of Porth: This peaceful monk tribe in the Wildlands area are a order dedicated to lives of peace and reflection. They garden, they make wine, they write books- you know the normal monk stuff.

Charmel Royal Castle: The castle to the Royal Family Of The Vampire Nation Of The Lands Of Arges. Now that's a long fucking title. I'm sure not going to say that many times in the future. The Land Of Arges is long enough. Will probably go with Arges most of the time.

*Brief Note: Though many races have gathered in one general location together after the treaties of The Great War such as vampires in The Lands Of Arges and werewolfs in The Moonlight Tribe it's not like they have to do this. Many races have members all over Quoit but it just became nature that human nations tend to contain mainly humans and so on. Some have seen this as to why Quoit is seeing peace now but others think this self imposed segregation is just a pot boiling ready to explode.

Appendix IV: The Collected And Quoit.

The Collected is made up of points of reality collected by the ancient race The Twist. They are one of the first races to come into creation at the beginning of all of existence.

Their motives are confusing but some have said they collect realities in an attempt to try and save them from The Spiders Of Time. No one really knows why they do this but these points of time can only exist in the same universe parallel like writers working within a shared tightly woven continuity but ignoring it for the most part while at the same time acting like they are keeping it all together.

Maybe The Twist are just writers frustrated with canon wank?

*you might ask yourself- Is he going to do these Appendixes for every Quoit story. Maybe? I don't know? It seems like one of the fun things you get to do when writing a fantasy story.

VOICES AND BULLETS

The Original Sin 4

There are only a couple things that make me really uneasy. For the most part I'm a pretty steady person- Pretty solid. Once I was fifty yards from a bear and you know what? Nothing, my heart rate didn't move a bit.

Ok, some may say an addiction might make a person a little off but I don't think a mild Pagophagia addiction is really that bad. Who does it hurt? Might make you uneasy but not me.

When I was fourteen I developed an uneasy feeling when it came to dealing with heights. It came about because of something that happened when my mom and I were visiting some of my relatives in Houston.

I had the misfortune of having to spend the day with Aunt Jodi's crazy new boyfriend James.

We had heard stories about James before we made the trip down to Texas. All of her now grown kids were totally against the relationship and didn't have anything nice to say about him.

We would find out for ourselves why they had those strong feelings.

While my mom and Jodi where out settling some family paperwork issues involving some property in Austin that they hadn't previously known the family owned, I was left with James and he had plans for us for that day.

James plans were more or less him taking me around to all the local conspiracy locations to rant about the government, black helicopters, and how there was absolute proof that the British Royal Family where in fact members of an ancient race of lizard people.

If a fifty-four year old bald man who dresses like a college professor but has the mind of spoiled tomatoes, and has a hard on for every conspiracy his feeble mind can give in to, if such happens were you find yourself in the care of such as man as described you should not allow him to take you up into a glass skyscraper, with a elevator on the outside of the building also totally made of class from ceiling to floor.

The reason for this warning isn't because you should take care that he might touch you in that place that doesn't exist on most dolls... or action figures.

And people wonder why sex confuses teenagers so much and they end up doing stupid stuff when the urges hit.

I give this warning because if this were to happen to you at the age that I was on this day and you might think it is funny to jump up and down on the glass elevator floor playing scare the adult because this adult isn't all there.

The same thing you did to your brother's wife on that ferris wheel at the country fair by rocking it back and forth causing her to piss herself.

Yes, she pissed herself.

The crazy tend not to care enough to piss themselves.

The crazy are those who still have a lot of the very young in their minds. A lot of that early creation madness. They believe in impossible things and don't know when you should really be afraid.

James laughed at me and what I doing, and then proceeded to pull a flashlight from the inside pocket of his jacket, there because of his job as a night watchmen, and started to slam it against the glass floor of the elevator.

The elevator moved up and up and up. I pressed button after button trying to get it to stop as he slammed the flashlight down time after time until it broke but the floor also now had a crack the length of an adult index finger.

After see the crack he showed he started stomping with his work boots targeting the now growing splinter and that's when we got to our floor, the doors opened, and I jumped off ready to piss myself.

He followed me off the elevator laughing.

I never told anyone that story. His relationship ended with Aunt Jodi when she found a bunch of child porn on his computer. He denied knowing how it got there; she knocked him out with a zip drive across the face.

Heights make me uneasy.

But that's nothing compared to what happens when I'm around two old people sucking face fast and furious. That makes my stomach go into complete upset and my brain into memory recall.

This unease was hammered into my psyche when I was in college. That being only a few years ago but I was different then. I was going through my experimenting phase so to speak. I was seeing if anything would stick from drinking, drugs, and internet searches for fetishes to try out for a jog in the small college community I was living in.

From time to time I would find myself in a sticky situation of varying degrees of dislike and like...alike because of my need to plant seeds and spoil fields.

Yes there was drunken nights that left me with little more than my underwear. And that walk home in rain and lightning in my Flash shorts made me sort of have a bad taste for the spirits.

I took in some drug usage that twisted my mind for a few days to where I still don't understand the differences between to, too, and two. Must have burned out the brain cell that stored that bit of information. I also think I damaged the part of my brain that tells me I should stand and pee because I always sit and push down without a thought.

And then I come to the fetish exploration. Mainly those encounters came up roses or at least with a new found interest in once in a life time and never again experiences. But one night does stand out among all the leather was sticky.

One night I found myself caught inside a cage at a fetish meet and greet hoping to have a bride like the look of me and beg for the key.

But instead of a rough hookup with an audience watching everyone was reacting to some really disturbing cosplay between two people dressed as the Joker and Batgirl.

I was a captive audience all by myself to see old deep tongue action... and more. One totally naked and the other dressed like a Victorian Brighton Beach visitor. Wrinkled fingers moving down into a pair stripped pants and the rest my brain wiped away. Though if it hadn't taken up the task I would have done the job myself with an ice pick and a hammer.

But even more than heights or old fuckers making out, what really makes me uneasy is crowds.

More than anything else I don't like crowds.

Even crowds of four or five people make me a little uneasy. I'm not a shut in but that's the difference from being very uneasy and being outright stricken with panic attacks. I can go to concerts but don't like to unless it's one of my favorites. I could attend a sporting event but would rather watch on TV.

This bottomless fun fact about me has nothing to do with any deep seated trauma or event in my life. It only has to do with a simple feeling. Not a feeling I can't identify. I didn't I have to have a shrink pull at me to get words to puke their way out.

I know this feeling good and understand it completely as I would the faults of a love and hate.

Crowds bring out a part of me that wants to open the emergency door on a plane or jump off the ledge of a building. A part of me that loves the wrecks in NASCAR and wishes someone would die on Ice Road Truckers.

The closes I've ever gotten to acting on these feelings is almost jumping off a Gambling Boat once over a young lady with a kid. But that doesn't count. And the kid wasn't mine FYI. That moment can be blamed, every inch of stupidity, on two Mexicans and a lot of Tequila shots.

And with that being said today didn't come about because of something special happening. It was just a slow burn. I get that burn from time to time when people who have access to information, in the age of information, keep themselves blind to what's going on because of how it may benefit them personally.

Usually I take care of that burn by watching a marathon of Sergeant Cribb along with a whole pizza and pitcher of ice tea.

The crowd that was gathered outside the Palm Bay Civic Center was nothing like me but they also weren't all the same despite all of their homemade signs and matching t-shirts and shouts that could barely be heard over canned misleading details.

These people were old and young. They were rich and poor. Some decidedly well-informed and some very much dim. But each and every one of them has two things in common. One, all of them are angry at the way the world is going and Two, all of them need someone else to tell them about the world and what is the best way to deal with the issues facing our shared futures.

The few people who know me well might ask why I'm sitting on one of the high ramps in the skate park connected to the civic center listening to all of them.

I have to say I've always wanted to climb up on one of these things and look down despite my unease with heights. I've never skated in my life but I like to stand in other peoples jumping points. It makes me see the world from more angles.

If any of my friends turned up I would say I'm here for the entertainment or just out from visiting the library across the road. The last bit is the truth because I just returned the latest book by Maureen Johnson but that wasn't the main reason I came here today. It's a mixture of entertainment and anger.

I came here also to listen in person. It's all being recorded but no matter what's on television or print it has a bit of fantasy to it. I want to see for myself that these people who think these things were real.

Those same friends who may or may not know me would never guess what I had planned for today but it all had been planned. I know they will question first if it was random, if I had planned this entire thing out ahead of time.

No, I can see where some of your thoughts maybe going. No, I haven't showed up with several concealed weapons and a plan for mayhem to slash across the blue of the day in a bloody off the chuff moment.

No, this was a plan much more cutting than any bullet. Bullets aren't rare in America. Discourse is.

I'm just tired of people remembering my generation for Kim Kardashian and It Gets Better internet videos.

It doesn't.

This won't make anything better but maybe I will get my point across.

I'm here to listen but I also have something to say.

Here he comes on stage.

I know what it's like to be obsessed with things. I have a record of every sports video game I've ever played. I'm serious. For example I have football records for leagues I created for myself and friends even going back as far to when I played with my brothers on electronic shaking football.

It's an old school game.

Ask your parents.

I've keep records of hundreds of Super Bowl winners. Tons of stats. Most dominated by Bo Jackson on Tecmo Bowl but even up to last night playing the latest Madden release.

The only person who knows about this obsession of mine, of my current set of friends, is my girlfriend Morgan.

But that's just one of many things that make her shake her head at me.

And if you are wondering where she is, she's with her family at Disney for Thanksgiving.

Yeah, I don't understand it either but Thanksgiving is also what has brought this crowd to this spot today to hear this man speak and in effect it has brought me here today to listen and take part in the world finally.

Before we get on with things I don't want to say everyone should do what I'm about to do but God even thinking about it has my heart beating to the point of me wanting to throw up.

We can never sit within ourselves with the line of thinking that we will leave the talking up to others.

At least if I said I was going to poison a Supreme Court Justice I would own it and do something with those words unlike one certain right wing ass wipe.

I've come here and soon I act but I wish to take in some of it first.

"... today's America is all about you having to do without because a bunch of spoiled government employees think they are better than you. See I don't think they deserve to have benefits when you don't have benefits. I don't think they should be overstuffed with your tax paid wages while you struggle day to day."

The crowd is really starting to get worked up and he's wearing his Uncle Sam outfit so this is money ball time.

I have to give it to guys like this. They have a stage presence that I'll never have.

"...America has offered up redemption to so many of those who are dragging down this country. They have pushed away opportunities of salvation. They want to normalize sin with every chance they get. Take an eraser to those Ten Commandments your grandmother has on her kitchen wall."

I'll paraphrase- 'Let me offer up your enemies to you.'

"Fool you, fool you, and Washington are laughing behind your back. They have taken away your prayer in school. And don't think God isn't watching. They are pushing their agendas into your life. Betrayal after betrayal. You didn't ask to pay for someone else's crack habit and you didn't ask to help someone murder an unborn child but these people they have put blood on your hands and I don't know about you but that makes me angry."

The crowd is eating this up because he is saying just what they want.

"You didn't ask for someone to whisper into your wife or husbands ears about what right is for your marriage. God has already decided that. It's a vile situation for them to be putting these things into your lives."

Got to love some good old fashion American faith based love for domestic abuse.

"The food and manufacturing industries are so over regulated that you are losing your jobs. Take minimum wage for example..."

Did you know before he became a walking mouth piece this guy was a reporter for a second rate cable news show that mainly focused on celebrity freak outs?

"There are those who hate the very people dying for our remaining freedoms. Those that truly matter are attacked with lies and closed hearts. I've been to Iraq, I've been to Afghanistan, and I have been to Cuba and even the mean streets of riot ridden London. America's embrace has made those places safer. Changed them. I walked down many of a road as if walking down the dirt roads of my home town in Kentucky."

Funny that, when I saw him touring Afghanistan with cameras following everyone was wearing vests. Kentucky must be a lot rougher than I ever found it to be.

"People want to compare me to this person or that. I have those I have learned from. I know intelligence and it's not spoken from the mouths of any welfare line or student loan free loader I tell you that truth. I didn't bring holy hate down on this country and neither did you. God's fury is pointing storms and malevolence at evil.

See just like you I am a simple man who loves America. I know you do too and we don't want this country to make packs with the devil like others have and we have to change before Heaven shakes our foundations for what we have let happen in our land of red, white, and blue."

I'm surprised they didn't have fireworks go off with that cue.

"And before I end this meeting of like minded good hearted Americans I want to tell you something many are afraid to say. This country is being attacked. It's being hunted. It's in the sights of many who want it to go to dust. Those who want the colors of the flag to burn to ash but we can't let that happen. We, you and me, we have to put them in the crosshairs..."

Speaking of cues, that's mine.

I stood up and pulled out the wireless microphone I stole from a friend's house. It wasn't easy. A lot of internet research made it easier but it worked proven by the fact that I tapped on it a few times to send out some very loud feedback.

That worked fine as an attention getter.

"I have a question for you Mr. Basso. Do you really believe the things you are saying? Because frankly if you do I'll shut up right now but I really don't believe anyone could be that stupid."

A bunch of his people came running over towards me but one of the smarter ones stopped them from trying to pull me down in front of the TV cameras. I heard them shouting, "The cameras! The cameras!"

Basso walked over to the edge of the stage on the side closes to me.

"Let him talk. I'm fine with an open dialogue."

Yes you are, when you think someone is surrounded on your battlefield.

"If that was true you sir would truly be a unique individual in the political community. I don't believe it though."

"You asked if I believe the things I've said here today and in the past and the answer is Yes."

The crowd really cheered him there.

And they booed me when I turned to them and gave a big smile.

I'll give him the next step.

"Son, you stand up there in your black clothes all angry and ready to say what to me?"

"I could just scream things at you in anger?"

"Well, let's be honest the only reason kids your age are doing sit ins and getting arrested or running your mouths online is because you are bored by the wealth this great nation has given up way to freely to a lot of people who don't deserve it. Spoiled equals nothing better to do."

"I guess the protesters who were beaten, some close to death recently in Virginia for protesting fracking were spoiled to death?"

"Another example of liberals declaring war on good wholesome values like mining. Miners have for so long been a backbone of this country. Good hard working people for generations sacrificed their lives to earn money to support their families and people like you want to protest those hard working values. I love coal and I'm not ashamed of it. I might like ducks and trees and the environment but people, people are who I really like."

He got a big reaction for that.

"No one wants to take away anyone's job. But you people know that. You also know screaming 'Your Jobs' 'Your jobs' to people living check to check will blind them to tomorrow so you can quickly rape today under the surface and surround tomorrow for more attacks."

"You should be ashamed of yourself young man using words like rape."

"What like your best friend in Kentucky who recently said 'There's a difference between legitimate rape and false rape."'

"He was misquoted on that. The liberal media..."

"Oh, yes, The Liberal Media. The spectra of The Liberal Media creeping around like a plague. That's one of your trump cards isn't it. When one of you suggested using a probe to rape shame a woman seeking an abortion, it's the media running away with a story. When your bunch is pushing laws to pull back women's rights and voting rights and civil liberties you scream that the media is stirring these things up when you want to talk about the economy."

"We aren't the ones obsessed about gay rights."

"But you are obsessed about gays getting equal rights."

"Equal Marriage, right, that's what you're going to bring up next? Liberals act like being gay is normal."

The crowds starting to just yell things out no matter which one of us is talking.

"Marriage is scared."

"Yes, let's keep blacks from marrying whites."

"I didn't say anything about..."

"Same wording, different decade."

"Young man..."

"Young man. I love how you try to gain upper ground calling me 'young man.' I guess if I was a woman you would say Ms. or Madam or something along those lines." I lean forward for effect, "And if I was black it would be boy."

The crowd is now screaming in rage. I can't even make out words but feel it coming.

"See, young man." He enjoyed saying that. He thinks it gave him something, "These people are feeling real anger. That's not fake. That's not made up. Not that self-entitled nonsense people such as you like to go on about. But you are much too young to even understand how stupid your words are."

"Yes, self-entitled lazy people. Lazy to want a chance at a safe working environment. Lazy to want enough food to feed their family. Lazy to expecting a country that they pay into to help out when they have been knocked down. Forget about those people because they are just a percentage number and wash your hands of their lives."

The crowd surges over more towards my side of the parking lot and with another fake smile I bring their volume up. The security guards are starting to have a really hard time holding them back.

His people in the crowd are trying to quite people down so he can speak again.

Now he is down to pointing at me so he's feeding into this.

"What's your name son?! What's your name?!"

"My names Sam and I don't want an American dream, I want an American reality check.'

I could see him looking to the cameras. He doesn't like that they are now focused on me fully and not dancing back and forth between us.

"I'm just a stupid young loud mouth who wonders why in a time of great economic struggle you are so focused on dividing our nation. You might not be in favor of abortion or gay rights or government social problems to help people struggling but you focus on attacking these things because when it comes to fix something you don't believe anything is broken. It's basically a stalling tactic. It's like letting a child starve but telling it every five minutes that food is on the way. You don't want America to eat, you don't care if America starves, you just want your good old club ways to continue."

"I love America."

"I would choose the napkin by a good meal in every household before I would a flag in every house."

"It makes me truly sick to see how desperate for handouts this country has become! No matter what you say the good people of this country will survive because they aren't afraid to work! They will die working hard if need be!"

The crowd is actually getting quieter as the volume of his voice goes up and up.

"And you aren't afraid to let people die to get what you want. A few hundred families go homeless- who cares you get to make numbers look good by laying off government employees. People die waiting to get treatment- who cares you get to party with all those drug company reps. You shout out at all nations and religions not your own- who cares you don't have to defend those words on a battlefield."

"........."

I never expected that. The man who can talk a mile even when no one can hear him is silent.

Then my own words stopped.

At first I thought someone had thrown something at me and hit me in the head because I was having problems keeping my balance. Then my hearing departed, left me, but when I fell to my knees I saw the blood going down my arm.

For some reason my first thought was to turn and look at him, not check my own well being, but all I saw was a crowd of men standing over a body on the stage.

Wasn't expecting this?

COURSE CHANGE

The Original Sin 5

Following Document Is A Right To Read Act-1 Article

Viewing Without Proper Access Is A Treasonable Offense

To: All

From: Senator Jeb Z. Asthelly

My fellow Senators Attendants of America the state of our nation is one where there is a race class war brewing and that's not the only interior war on our sightlines. Our country is going to be fractured after this election no matter the outcome. We just don't know how many pieces it will be broken into.

That is unless we enlighten smarten up and do some heavy lifting in the thinking department. That stirring that's there to rip apart everything we have held dear for the long life of this nation isn't coming to the surface, it is right there walking the fields of glory liberty.

We wrestle and fight over issues such as abortion, universal free healthcare, birth control, gay rights privilege, the economy, military spending, taxes, crime, and many more issues and our country is on the edge of a burning Hell future that smells like melted pride righteousness.

Heaven Natural selection is our gradual, non-random, course change that must be followed. Our male genetic stock is strong now. Our eyes and minds are fresh with the love blood of war and the smells of victory battle. Now isn't a time for lukewarm actions. Now isn't the time for backsliding faith patriotism. What the time now is for is for America to fulfill its hard built prophecies destinies.

Our destinies say we must build a stage upon this world. We will have that stage built by those who don't see the U.S.A. stars and bars for what it is. We will set upon that stage the choice of being an American or being the rest of the world.

The auto ignition of our future is not our own faults and failures but the faults and failures of the rest of them the world. This is not our reaction but a course change to the failings of others who have steered us and we need to grasp it because they will not stop pushing until we are pushed into a dark pit of evil history.

That pit will be filled with only legends of what America was and could have been.

I really don't understand why people can't see the truth.

Pretty clear from where I'm the truth is sitting.

I hope you see it.

I see it.

It's hard for me most of America to comprehend when something is right in front of us that we don't take hold of it for the benefits it holds for all of our country.

Our nation was birthed from one of the greatest empires to ever grace this planet. It is our birth right and destiny not to stand on the dirt of other nations to defend but to show the sight of might. We must empire build.

It's manifest destiny marked fate.

I propose we start by doing away with state independence statehood. Though this part of our long history has served us well in building a nation, it also flies into the face of making this country the best it can possibly be. Statehood will stop us from acting against terrorist attacks, protesters dissenters, or insurgents. We cannot be united in one view if there are many. This is common sense being applied.

Next we need to build our military and continue to build it to strengthen our forces as defenders of our borders, not just in thought, but in view. There shouldn't be a citizen that has to walk home from a family gathering or drive back from work without seeing and knowing comfort in the sight of our brave men and women walking to defend their peace of mind.

For the criminals that overburden our prison system it shall be military service in foreign campaigns or death. The same should be applied to those who cannot pay taxes or who choose to take the life of an unborn child. We must start making people pay back for the freedoms they say they wish to have. Live your life anyway you wish within the rule of law but there is a price.

Building a stronger military force for actions into foreign lands, which we will need, is the answer to almost all of our problems. The poor, the mislead, the confused all can find a home among the ranks of the warriors of this great nation.

We have a united religious view belief and that is one of our country. God set out a chosen people in the past and for those that was what religion was for. His chosen people now need no religious doctrine because we have a flag and a set of ideals that truly capture what he wants for all people.

Put down your Bibles and Korans books and pick up your American sword and shield.

Our nation needs to strike fast and first to build our empire starting with many nations facing distractions in the world.

Where we see revolutions, we should see oil.

Where we see financial crisis, we should see new holdings.

And where we see a people screaming for a taste of what we have in America, we should answer those screams with our dove spears branches.

In the nations we are currently in we must take a control freedom under our rule or bleach brush them from the Earth method of dealing with these situations. Some people just don't want better lives. The price of these crusades missions will be nothing to your purses dollars.

Chant with me

ARCTIC OIL,

ARCTIC OIL.

Chant with me

SPICES,

SPICES.

Chant with me

GOLD,

GOLD.

If you are born within our North American grounds and not somewhere which is not completely separated by water or other nations you are a citizen of the empire. No matter your race, previous social stature or female pre-pregnant other living natures you are an American and you will contribute to the empire to make it stronger.

We all will have the same tattoo on our arms for the world to see that we are united in our just march. It's a clear statement of a commitment to our mission to keep this country strong.

Not one American is to be thrown to the side. We all will build this. From the simple minded to cripple bound. All shall serve in different ways.

We will not turn away from a genius, we will use every great mind for our march.

You want the best education in the world, you will have it serving the empire.

Now I'm anobody, just one Senator, but the words of nobodies have awakened the minds of many people in history. From the Black Forests of Europe to the Holy Lands voices spoke out to be seized by the citizenry for the benefit of those who would be the potential world survivors redeemers.

Document Archive, Imperial American Library

Government Official Access Only

Not For Public View

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### Tin Universe #17 And The Covers Of The Tin Universe

### Interview with Brian C. Williams and Stephanie Hamlin

Question: First Brian, could you tell me a little about the thinking behind the covers for the main Tin Universe Monthly issues?

**Brian:** When I decided to prelaunch the monthly series one of my personal rules for doing it was I needed to make the covers more fulfilling for the viewer and myself. I've always loved fake propaganda stuff for movies and books so I researched a lot of real propaganda posters, ads, and flyers. The N.S.A. was probably baiting to my search history during those days :) With there being a very political slant to the Tin Universe stories as events effect the world and world events effect the stories I thought it would be a good theme for this year. I also think it works good to foster more creative ads in that the ads for each release are the posters posted at different places to hint even further at the political climate of the world of the stories. I created almost all of the covers over a four day period last year, the exception being the cover for Tin Universe Monthly #17. I had a cover and created this one as an alternate cover a few months ago getting the chance to work with a friend but loved it so much I trashed the other one.

Question: With recent violence did you ever think about using a different cover for Tin Universe Monthly #17 or using this cover for another issue since the covers aren't directly connected to the story inside?

**Brian:** No. If I ever believed this message was needed then I would be doing a disservice by delaying it. I would ask when aren't women being told by some rich fucking white guy what's best for their lives? What day would be best so these men aren't made uncomfortable?

Question: You have to admit, it could be triggering?

**Brian:** I'm not dismissing it might make people uncomfortable. A friend told me the other day she thinks "triggering" is now being used to censor things that need to be talked about like violence against women, breast cancer, and war crimes. I've seen that some but personally I look at it like watching some documentaries. I've been shook pretty hard by some documentaries that brought back up some fucked up stuff that's happen to me but I honestly I ask tagging things triggering, isn't that shielding things you want to be exposed? I read the book Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers and there is a scene in that book that triggered a memory I had from high school and I was basically crying for days because it. I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack. It shook me so hard my nerves were shot and I couldn't focus on anything, including breathing, but personally I would never want any kind of label on that to "protect" me.

Question: Will the propaganda covers for Tin Universe Monthly continue past this year?

**Brian:** I don't even know if the series will continue or not. Around Oct. I will look at download stats, response, and what my life is like at the time to see if it will continue. I do want to say I've never before had this much fun writing and creating in my whole life. But as to the covers, right now my thinking is for each year to have its own theme. I have some ideas about next year's theme but its all pretty much up in the air.

Question: Stephanie, if people are here they probably know a little about Brian. Do you want to tell us a little about yourself and how you got into modeling and photography?

**Stephanie:** Modeling and photography are fairly new hobbies for me. Several years ago, a friend of mine who is a photographer, approached me about doing a few head shots. I thought I was savvy enough to take very glamorous, professional photos. They came out well but I needed a lot of prompting. I enjoy it because most people assume its not really a skill- you look at the camera and the photo happens. Completely opposite. It requires lots of talent on both ends of the lens.

Question: How did you two end up working together on this cover?

**Stephanie:** Brian and I corresponded months ago about the cover. He was interested in some photos I had taken of myself and I was thrilled! He's always been a good friend so it wasn't even a question.

Question: I'll ask this of both of you starting with Stephanie. I've seen a couple people comment that this cover glorifies violence against women, what do you think about that notion?

**Stephanie:** Social visibility of issues such as domestic violence are integral to eliminating it. I want to believe that our society has a propensity towards less domestic abuse but the truth is social tolerance of these issues is a parallel disease. Domestic violence and violence against women is an "iceberg phenomenon" - what we see is only the tip and the majority lies below the water line.

**Brian:** I think sometimes we fall into a trap that is a whitewashing redirection of an issue under the trip of it being too harsh to shine a light on. Don't you just find it questioning that torture porn movies aren't glorifying violence against women but if a movie or a piece of art tackles the issue in a real way IT'S TOO MUCH TO HANDLE. That redirection is done with forethought and planning.

Question: With violence against women so much in the media's attention right now, where do you think art exists in the fight to keep this subject burning in people's minds?

**Brian:** Art is a weapon. People hate when I say that but it is and should be used as such. The media is paying attention now because it's trending and that's the sum and total of how much the mainstream media truly cares about the societal approval of women being constant targets of violence. If CNN really cared about tackling this issue they wouldn't be so much of the problem. It would be a focus every day for them, but now it's just a blip, but those who do really care and this must include artists must listen to the voices speaking, learn, and use their own voices to make a stand. Art as a pill works wonders, art as a blunt weapon wakes people up.

**Stephanie:** Art is valuable because its an important medium to everyone in some way. The goal is to inform and sensitize the public to the seriousness of violence towards women and in family situations, promote knowledge and understanding, and eliminate the norms that perpetuate violence in our society. Its terrifying to the degree we allow this to happen to women and blame them for it later.

Question: Some would say art and entertainment is part of the problem?

**Brian:** It is and that's why it should also be part of the fight to end this mindset. It's like when people say men are part of the problem. Yes. We are the major part of the problem and that's why we need to first shut the fuck up, second listen and learn, and then third be a part of fight to change things.

**Stephanie:** Absolutely. Its fighting fire with fire. Our culture is inherently sexist and in order to reverse that; men can be feminists but its difficult work. They're so afraid of being emasculated by the word so they say " human rights" instead. Sorry guys, we can just say "Let's talk about making things better for the human race" when women are the ones losing their rights. It has to be about women.

Question: Do you think there is going too far when it comes to subject matter like this on the cover?

**Brian:** Yes but that doesn't mean you shouldn't tackle the subject matter. When did artists get to be such cowards? You might make a mistake? You might get yelled at? You might end up being wrong? Well, ok, I guess you should just sit on your hands then? That's why nothing gets done in the world, people use the excuse of but, but, but. I'm sorry but if you're not tackling diversity or violence against women in you art because you might make mistakes then your real fear is you might have to rethink things and learn something and look at the world in a different way.

**Stephanie:** I interviewed for a job once and a phrase the hiring manager used has resonated with me: "Feelings are okay, actions are not." So fuck it. The topic is difficult to digest so the artists shouldn't be all daisies and ponies and glittery hearts when addressing it?

Question: Do you think there's a difference from a woman doing this type of art and a man?

**Brian:** Yea, that's kind of... well, should go without saying. It goes back to the whole educating thing. When you tackle any subject matter you educate yourself but your education continues also after the art is done. Sometimes intent fails so be open to seeing that. Be open to listening. If you aren't open to further education then you are truly only doing it for shock reasons.

**Stephanie:** Some Nancy Grace will always be around to criticize it though. I think educating is key. This is where societies have traditionally failed in this arena.

Question: Should we expect more covers like this in the future?

**Brian:** The propaganda covers will continue until the end of the year. As I've said I think this cover is my favorite. It has a lot to do with working with a talented friend but also because it was just a good pairing of a really good in your face photo that inspired what I put with the image.

Question: Any projects we should be looking for upcoming from either of you?

**Brian:** I'm just one delusion of grandeur after the other.

**Stephanie:** That's why my hair is so big. Its full of secrets.
Note From The Author

_What I learned While Writing This:_ I wrote this during a month which had me in the middle of a three week process and back and forth of whether I had a job or not ending with ?????; so my memories with the story involve that and the response about the cover also. The biggest lesson I've learned is actually from something a baseball coach use to tell us "Act like you've done it before" when it came to getting too up or too down or being afraid during a game.

Update to first paragraph: I have one more interview about the job but it really looks like I'm going to get that job but all of these interviews and trips made me miss my deadline this month so I decided to give Tin Universe readers something special...well, I think it's something special. Here in #17 you get eight stories including short stories, vignettes, and even a TV pilot script written and released in 2012 and collected as SUSHI WRITING WITH CROWD EDITING 2012. 30,000 words in one collection that's normally on sale for $1.00usd but here you get it for free. A trip across other realities connected to the Tin Universe as a begging sorry for missing the deadline with the story I meant for this month.

Thanks for reading,

Brian C. Williams

https://twitter.com/hangofwednesday

http://underthetrainingbook.blogspot.com/

Other Stories by this author

Tin Universe Middle Grade Series

{Yearly middle grade series}

Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #1

Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #2

Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #3

Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #4 *COMING 2016

Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #5 *COMING 2017

Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #6 *COMING 2018

Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #7 *COMING 2019

Tin Universe Monthly  
{Monthly series that birthed the Tin Universe. More adult stories on a sort of, not so sort of monthly basis}

Tin Universe Monthly #1

Tin Universe Monthly #2

Tin Universe Monthly #3

Tin Universe Monthly #4

Tin Universe Monthly #5

Tin Universe Monthly #6

Tin Universe Monthly #7

Tin Universe Monthly #8

Tin Universe Monthly #9

Tin Universe Monthly #10

Tin Universe Monthly #11

Tin Universe Monthly #12

Tin Universe Monthly #13

Tin Universe Monthly #14

Tin Universe Monthly #14b 2014 April Fools Special

Tin Universe Monthly #14c 2014 Easter Special

Tin Universe Monthly #15

Tin Universe Monthly #15b Extra Stuff In April Special

Tin Universe Monthly #16

Tin Universe Monthly #16b Memorial Day Special

Tin Universe Monthly #17

Tin Universe Monthly #18

Tin Universe Monthly #19

Tin Universe Monthly #20 A First Shot Fire, Part Two

Tin Universe Monthly #21 A First Shot Fire, Part Three

Tin Universe Monthly #22 A First Shot Fire, Part Four

Tin Universe Monthly #23 A First Shot Fire, Part Five

Tin Universe Weekly

{A 2015 experiment in micro fiction. The series will return but for now these stories will be incorporated into Tin Universe Monthly... When it comes out}

Tin Universe Weekly #223 *RETURNING 2017

Tin Universe Tales

{This series of full length novels will be self-contained stories focusing on a certain part of the Tin Universe}

Tin Universe Tales #1 *COMING 2017

Tin Universe Presents

{A every other year Tin Universe story collection. Will feature stories set in the Tin Universe from all genres and all possible ways of storytelling.}

Tin Universe Presents #1 *COMING 2018

### READING ORDER

Tin Universe Monthly #1

Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #1

Tin Universe Monthly #2

Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #2

Tin Universe Monthly #3

Tin Universe Middle Grade Series #3

Tin Universe Monthly #4

Tin Universe Monthly #5

Tin Universe Monthly #6

Tin Universe Monthly #7

Tin Universe Monthly #8

Tin Universe Monthly #9

Tin Universe Monthly #10

Tin Universe Monthly #11

Tin Universe Monthly #12

Tin Universe Monthly #13

Tin Universe Monthly #14

Tin Universe Monthly #14b 2014 April Fool's Special

Tin Universe Monthly #14c 2014 Easter Special

Tin Universe Monthly #15

Tin Universe Monthly #15b Extra Stuff In April Special

Tin Universe Monthly #16

Tin Universe Monthly #16b Memorial Day Special

Tin Universe Monthly #17

Tin Universe Monthly #18

Tin Universe Monthly #19

Tin Universe Monthly #20 A First Shot Fire, Part Two

Tin Universe Monthly #21 A First Shot Fire, Part Three

Tin Universe Monthly #22 A First Shot Fire, Part Four

Tin Universe Monthly #23 A First Shot Fire, Part Five

