A billion and a half miles away, as the crow flies, a small dull gray ship sank through the dense methane clouds of Saturn’s moon Titan. It sank undetected through that thick twilight haze, settling in a small valley. Like a chameleon the ship shifted color to match perfectly the umber and brown landscape. It even mimicked the pale yellow and white patches of Methane snow.
Titan was still a pretty primitive place. There were a few colonies, but mostly for bio-researchers. It was one of the few worlds environmental activists had succeeded in protecting from the exploitative aims of the Corporation. Life was just emerging there, crude as it was, mostly near warm volcanic vents. Indeed, the whole place was akin to some primordial soup. It was the perfect place for Thomas to regroup and plan the eventual takeover of the solar system…
To be continued…
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Angry Jasper: Fifty-five
Kate fell back against the pillow and tussled sheets with a satisfied groan. Her arms and legs were still tangled in Jasper’s. For a moment they both wallowed in their post-coital bliss. Jazz was spent, but these few hours of uninhibited passion with Katy managed to sweep away the abuse of the last several days.
Their naked bodies were bathed in the blue green light of Europa’s subterranean ocean. They lay together in the softly lit pod as strange and beautiful creatures swam by. The air was heavy with the scent of sweat of their lovemaking. Her musky perfume enveloped him, and for the first time in a long while Jazz almost felt like he was home, whatever that meant.
Kate had managed to retrieve some of the unclaimed credits to her account. With a little help from Jazz she had purchased a new ship. The question was now where would she go. There was just too much to think about. For the moment it was enough to simply enjoy being close to Jazz.
“Well,” she stretched, “the earth was destroyed and millions of souls lost, but I got a new ship and got laid, so that’s something.”
“What about you and me?” Jazz said, groggily.
Katy scoffed. She wasn’t at all sure what she would do now, but she was certain of one thing. “You and me? We’d kill each other.”
“Why the hell would you say something so stupid?”
“Because you fail to comprehend the obvious, brain donor!”
“Witch!”
“Dickless!”
“Sow!” Jazz groaned. He had gone too far with that one. He wanted to take it back, but it was far too late. She grabbed his hairy nipple and twisted it hard. Jazz yelped with pain and smacked her hand away. He rolled out of bed and retreated to the other side of the pod. Kate glared at him.
“That;s for being such a shit!” she snarled.
Jazz laughed. He laughed so damn hard that his sides ached.
“You’re right,” he conceded. “We’d kill each other.”
She scooted from the bed and went to him. He gently touched her flushed face. Kate’s lips were soft and moist against his. She sighed with pleasure as he held her tight. There was a forlorn look on his face. He just looked so sad and lost. Kate’s heart went out to him.
“Don’t be a pussie,” she said.
He nodded and looked away at some dumb lumbering sea creature against the pod. Its sucker was trying to devour the pod before moving on.
“Will I ever see you again?” he asked.
“Told you, Jazz, you’re the best lay I ever had.”
That was the last thing he said to her. She turned and wrapped a sheet around her naked body. Jazz only nodded as she left the pod. He went to the bed. The memory of their passion was written in the swirled and crumpled sheets. There was still the depression in the pillow where her head had been. He breathed deeply, taking as much of her that still remained in the room before it was filtered away.
“Yeah, the best.”
Their naked bodies were bathed in the blue green light of Europa’s subterranean ocean. They lay together in the softly lit pod as strange and beautiful creatures swam by. The air was heavy with the scent of sweat of their lovemaking. Her musky perfume enveloped him, and for the first time in a long while Jazz almost felt like he was home, whatever that meant.
Kate had managed to retrieve some of the unclaimed credits to her account. With a little help from Jazz she had purchased a new ship. The question was now where would she go. There was just too much to think about. For the moment it was enough to simply enjoy being close to Jazz.
“Well,” she stretched, “the earth was destroyed and millions of souls lost, but I got a new ship and got laid, so that’s something.”
“What about you and me?” Jazz said, groggily.
Katy scoffed. She wasn’t at all sure what she would do now, but she was certain of one thing. “You and me? We’d kill each other.”
“Why the hell would you say something so stupid?”
“Because you fail to comprehend the obvious, brain donor!”
“Witch!”
“Dickless!”
“Sow!” Jazz groaned. He had gone too far with that one. He wanted to take it back, but it was far too late. She grabbed his hairy nipple and twisted it hard. Jazz yelped with pain and smacked her hand away. He rolled out of bed and retreated to the other side of the pod. Kate glared at him.
“That;s for being such a shit!” she snarled.
Jazz laughed. He laughed so damn hard that his sides ached.
“You’re right,” he conceded. “We’d kill each other.”
She scooted from the bed and went to him. He gently touched her flushed face. Kate’s lips were soft and moist against his. She sighed with pleasure as he held her tight. There was a forlorn look on his face. He just looked so sad and lost. Kate’s heart went out to him.
“Don’t be a pussie,” she said.
He nodded and looked away at some dumb lumbering sea creature against the pod. Its sucker was trying to devour the pod before moving on.
“Will I ever see you again?” he asked.
“Told you, Jazz, you’re the best lay I ever had.”
That was the last thing he said to her. She turned and wrapped a sheet around her naked body. Jazz only nodded as she left the pod. He went to the bed. The memory of their passion was written in the swirled and crumpled sheets. There was still the depression in the pillow where her head had been. He breathed deeply, taking as much of her that still remained in the room before it was filtered away.
“Yeah, the best.”
Angry Jasper: Fifty-four
“Hey, kids, we’re home,” Jazz announced, more to himself than to anyone else. It felt sort of homey seeing everyone that way. The others stirred reluctantly. Kate pulled herself from the tangle of arms and legs. Skull boy groaned and turned over in the hammock. Buzz was content with a moment’s peace and quiet. Kate pulled underwear from the crack of her ass and came up behind Jazz. She looked out at the growing moon before them. It filled the ship with a heavenly golden light. She ran her hands across Jasper’s shoulders and kissed the top of his head.
“Sleep well?” he asked.
“Died,” she said with a groan and stretched out her sore back. In fact her whole body had taken one hell of a beating, and she was feeling it now.
“Miss anything?”
“Naw,” he replied. “Pretty smooth. You guys were sacked out.”
“First real sleep in some time.”
“Wanna wake ‘em?”
“Naw. Let ‘em go.”
Jazz nodded and smiled to himself. “Gotta say, it’s kind of nice, havin’ a full house, so to speak.”
Kate looked back and mused, almost lamented. “About the closest we ever had to a real family.”
There was more traffic now. Freighters and supply ships came and went from the huge methane harvesters floating among Jupiter’s tumultuous cloud layers. They were closer to Europa than to the great gas giant, but still it dominated the view with it’s terrific size. They were already passing around to the dark side of the planet. Stunning aurora patterns were replaced my monumental flashes of bright blue-white lightening. Jupiter never failed to amaze Jazz.
“What about the kid?” asked Kate..” Got no home, no parents anymore.”
“Shame,” he joked. “Well, reckon I’ll have to kill him then.”
Kate smacked the back of his head for such an awful remark. She didn’t let him see the smile on her face. After all, it was a jerk thing to say, but it was funny.
On one of the console screens was a small schematic of the solar system that showed their trajectory from Earth. The planets were completely out of scale of course, but where the Earth once was there was merely a number dots. A single disk, an orphaned moon, drifted among the debris of the world. Katy touched the screen as though she could feel them. The word left her lips like a sudden horrible realization.
“All those millions of souls,” she lamented, “snuffed out in an instant.”
Jazz hadn’t cared much for the place, and thought the end of that crap-heap of a planet was long overdue. He didn’t though sat it, knowing full well that Katy had left a part of herself there. He was a space kid, and never felt anything in particular for Earth, but for Kate it would always be home. For once he didn’t cram his foot in his mouth and suck hard on it.
“Sure sucks,” he said.
Katy frowned, though Jazz couldn’t see. It was a dumb remark, but she wouldn’t bust his chops over it. At least he was trying. In fact, except for remarks about her physical attributes and certain sexual talents over the years, it was one of the nicest things he’d ever said to her. She rubbed the back of his head.
“Yeah, Jazz, it sure does.”
Racing around the planet at close to 20,000 miles per hour jazz had to speed up a little to catch the icy little moon. Europa was a stark and inhospitable world, at least on the surface. Deep ridges cut across a broken landscape of frozen ice flows, scarred by craters being slowly reclaimed by Europa’s ever-changing surface. With the same face blasted continuously by Jupiter’s lethal radiation, all the portals through the Icy crust lay on the dark side of the moon. They were large steel and concrete tubes and channels cutting through miles of dust and pulverized space debris. Each opened into a subterranean ocean fifty miles deep. Clustered around each portal, like grapes on a dark and watery vine, were dozens of little colonies. It was the perfect place to hide.
“Sleep well?” he asked.
“Died,” she said with a groan and stretched out her sore back. In fact her whole body had taken one hell of a beating, and she was feeling it now.
“Miss anything?”
“Naw,” he replied. “Pretty smooth. You guys were sacked out.”
“First real sleep in some time.”
“Wanna wake ‘em?”
“Naw. Let ‘em go.”
Jazz nodded and smiled to himself. “Gotta say, it’s kind of nice, havin’ a full house, so to speak.”
Kate looked back and mused, almost lamented. “About the closest we ever had to a real family.”
There was more traffic now. Freighters and supply ships came and went from the huge methane harvesters floating among Jupiter’s tumultuous cloud layers. They were closer to Europa than to the great gas giant, but still it dominated the view with it’s terrific size. They were already passing around to the dark side of the planet. Stunning aurora patterns were replaced my monumental flashes of bright blue-white lightening. Jupiter never failed to amaze Jazz.
“What about the kid?” asked Kate..” Got no home, no parents anymore.”
“Shame,” he joked. “Well, reckon I’ll have to kill him then.”
Kate smacked the back of his head for such an awful remark. She didn’t let him see the smile on her face. After all, it was a jerk thing to say, but it was funny.
On one of the console screens was a small schematic of the solar system that showed their trajectory from Earth. The planets were completely out of scale of course, but where the Earth once was there was merely a number dots. A single disk, an orphaned moon, drifted among the debris of the world. Katy touched the screen as though she could feel them. The word left her lips like a sudden horrible realization.
“All those millions of souls,” she lamented, “snuffed out in an instant.”
Jazz hadn’t cared much for the place, and thought the end of that crap-heap of a planet was long overdue. He didn’t though sat it, knowing full well that Katy had left a part of herself there. He was a space kid, and never felt anything in particular for Earth, but for Kate it would always be home. For once he didn’t cram his foot in his mouth and suck hard on it.
“Sure sucks,” he said.
Katy frowned, though Jazz couldn’t see. It was a dumb remark, but she wouldn’t bust his chops over it. At least he was trying. In fact, except for remarks about her physical attributes and certain sexual talents over the years, it was one of the nicest things he’d ever said to her. She rubbed the back of his head.
“Yeah, Jazz, it sure does.”
Racing around the planet at close to 20,000 miles per hour jazz had to speed up a little to catch the icy little moon. Europa was a stark and inhospitable world, at least on the surface. Deep ridges cut across a broken landscape of frozen ice flows, scarred by craters being slowly reclaimed by Europa’s ever-changing surface. With the same face blasted continuously by Jupiter’s lethal radiation, all the portals through the Icy crust lay on the dark side of the moon. They were large steel and concrete tubes and channels cutting through miles of dust and pulverized space debris. Each opened into a subterranean ocean fifty miles deep. Clustered around each portal, like grapes on a dark and watery vine, were dozens of little colonies. It was the perfect place to hide.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Angry Jasper: Fifty-two
The pressure was unbearable now. Skull boy collapsed screaming, his cries lost to the grinding pressure and the violent shuddering of the planetoid and the strain of the engines. Kate was crawling, fighting with every ounce of strength to pull herself into the locker. Behind her, Jazz managed to shove the boy into locker. It sealed instantly as he slammed the door shut. fighting for air, and feeling as though his body might turn itself inside out, Jazz saw the door close and seal behind Kate as well.
The wounded ship bucked and kicked hard away from the dissolving chuck of rock and Ocean. Jazz screamed in pain. Clamping his hands tight over his ears in a vain attempt to keep his eardrums from bursting. He closed his eyes shot, but felt sure his eyes would explode from their sockets.
Jazz fumbled with the handle of the nearest locker. The pain was excruciating. His fingers felt as if they were swelling outward. Warm blood ran from his nails. Jazz fought one last time, knowing that this was likely his last chance. With all his might he hauled himself into the locker and pulled it closed. He fought for breath even as the door pressurized with a squealing hiss. With that fresh oxygen flooded into his lungs. He gave a long low groan, and would have cussed if he had the strength. Somewhere in the back of his mind he hoped Buzz could wrestle the ship away from the planetoid. His body could have cared less at that moment as he passed out cold.
Maury watched helplessly from his chamber at the center of the wheel as part of the smashed weapon, a piece roughly the size of an old Naval destroyer hurtled straight for him. There was no hope of escape, and Maury knew his fate was sealed. He hung his fat ugly head and moaned.
“Mother f…”
He and his chambers were vaporized by the impact. The wheel structure sort of collapsed around it, sort of like ball thrown into a net. This net didn’t hold, though. It buckled and snapped and ripped itself to pieces, spilling thousands of souls into space, like the Assessor and his wife, Marge. They instantly freeze-dried in the near absolute cold of space, then evaporated into dust. Madame had just dropped her slacks in the toilet when the calamity flung her out into space, bare-assed for all the Universe to see.
One small chunk of Earth fell steadily towards the sun. Somehow a part of Crawford remained intact. Just west of the train tracks and crossroads was a small ranch. Long abandoned, world leaders had once been summoned there to confer with a President whose name no one could recall any longer. If only folks could have seen that his own brand of politics set the stage not only for the rebellion, but for the rise of the Corporation as well. Indeed, it set in motion the long chain of events that doomed the planet and eventually led to its final destruction.
Crawford fell steadily towards the sun, the little ranch and the graffiti covered gravestone beneath the old cedar bough protected on the dark side of the chunk of earth. The stone was a study in kitsch, with big marble pillars. In the center of the gravestone was a larger than life picture of the long passed president. He was smirking, as though filled with contempt for damn near everyone. Like the Sphinx, his nose had been shot away by vandals.
There was a small shack by a creek not far from the gravesite. It was empty now. The bleached bones of the last of the president’s ancestors were scattered on the floor where he had died alone and in shame. A bible was open on the table next to a pair of spectacles and a dusty tin cup.
It evaporated as cinders and then as constituent atomic particles stripped of character and distinction. Curiously the shack was the last to be consumed. The words on the page of the book seemed fitting, and somehow prophetic:
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given onto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death; and with beasts of the earth…”
The wounded ship bucked and kicked hard away from the dissolving chuck of rock and Ocean. Jazz screamed in pain. Clamping his hands tight over his ears in a vain attempt to keep his eardrums from bursting. He closed his eyes shot, but felt sure his eyes would explode from their sockets.
Jazz fumbled with the handle of the nearest locker. The pain was excruciating. His fingers felt as if they were swelling outward. Warm blood ran from his nails. Jazz fought one last time, knowing that this was likely his last chance. With all his might he hauled himself into the locker and pulled it closed. He fought for breath even as the door pressurized with a squealing hiss. With that fresh oxygen flooded into his lungs. He gave a long low groan, and would have cussed if he had the strength. Somewhere in the back of his mind he hoped Buzz could wrestle the ship away from the planetoid. His body could have cared less at that moment as he passed out cold.
Maury watched helplessly from his chamber at the center of the wheel as part of the smashed weapon, a piece roughly the size of an old Naval destroyer hurtled straight for him. There was no hope of escape, and Maury knew his fate was sealed. He hung his fat ugly head and moaned.
“Mother f…”
He and his chambers were vaporized by the impact. The wheel structure sort of collapsed around it, sort of like ball thrown into a net. This net didn’t hold, though. It buckled and snapped and ripped itself to pieces, spilling thousands of souls into space, like the Assessor and his wife, Marge. They instantly freeze-dried in the near absolute cold of space, then evaporated into dust. Madame had just dropped her slacks in the toilet when the calamity flung her out into space, bare-assed for all the Universe to see.
One small chunk of Earth fell steadily towards the sun. Somehow a part of Crawford remained intact. Just west of the train tracks and crossroads was a small ranch. Long abandoned, world leaders had once been summoned there to confer with a President whose name no one could recall any longer. If only folks could have seen that his own brand of politics set the stage not only for the rebellion, but for the rise of the Corporation as well. Indeed, it set in motion the long chain of events that doomed the planet and eventually led to its final destruction.
Crawford fell steadily towards the sun, the little ranch and the graffiti covered gravestone beneath the old cedar bough protected on the dark side of the chunk of earth. The stone was a study in kitsch, with big marble pillars. In the center of the gravestone was a larger than life picture of the long passed president. He was smirking, as though filled with contempt for damn near everyone. Like the Sphinx, his nose had been shot away by vandals.
There was a small shack by a creek not far from the gravesite. It was empty now. The bleached bones of the last of the president’s ancestors were scattered on the floor where he had died alone and in shame. A bible was open on the table next to a pair of spectacles and a dusty tin cup.
It evaporated as cinders and then as constituent atomic particles stripped of character and distinction. Curiously the shack was the last to be consumed. The words on the page of the book seemed fitting, and somehow prophetic:
“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given onto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death; and with beasts of the earth…”
Angry Jasper: Fifty-one
Kate just couldn’t hold on any longer. Only by the grace of god had she managed to keep from being thrown to her end when the boulder struck. She couldn’t see Jazz and figured he either didn’t make it and had high-tailed it off the planet while he still could. She didn’t blame him, and actually felt a certain relief that one of them would survive.
Skull boy was slipping away. She might have been able to hold on and save herself by letting go of the kid, but it just wasn’t something she could do. She looked at Buzz. There was this sort of spiraling terror in his electric blue eyes.
“I’m gonna miss you, partner,” she said solemnly.
“You too, kiddo,” said Buzz. With that her fingers slipped from the beam, and with the boy fell helplessly. Buzz watched until she disappeared from view, swallowed in a billowing cloud of dust.
Jazz had steered the ship under them, hiding beneath the dust cloud. He thought it would be funny and could only imagine the look on their faces when they landed on top of the ship. He felt the double thump as they hit the fuselage and almost pissed himself laughing.
Kate and Skull boy landed on their feet, surprised to be standing on the hull of the ship. Kate knew in an instant Jazz’ signature sort of schoolboy humor and cherished the thought of getting even somehow. She pulled the boy over to the canopy and could see Jazz shoving crap out of the way in the cluttered cockpit, making room for the others. Buzz dropped onto the hull a moment later, his mechanical eyes blinking hard at disbelief. He looked up at Kate.
“I have never been so happy to see that gruff bastard in I don’t know how long,” said the robot of Jazz.
“You and me both,” Kate replied.
Jazz opened the cockpit. The planet was coming apart rapidly now. One by one everyone scrambled into the ship. It was a tight fit, but somehow they all managed to cram inside. Buzz was already at the controls, the ship racing skyward. he hoped the ship would pressurize in time before the humans lost consciousness or worse. It was a moment in which he could feel their fragileness.
Buzz gunned the engines, pushing them to the limit. Below them the planet tore itself to pieces. Great jets of pulverized rock and flame shot into space, chasing, and even blasting past the ship. The planet was still more or less a sphere, but of a hundred monstrous pieces smashing and grinding against one another.
“Come on, baby,” Jazz said as he pushed Buzz out of the seat and slid in behind the controls, as though he could coax another few hundred miles an hour out of the ship. Suddenly, free of the atmosphere the ship lurched hard. At better than twelve hundred miles per second, the fastest he had ever gone this close to a planet, it would still take the better part of five minutes to reach the moon. He doubted it would be enough to save them.
. The planet’s core exploded, signaling the ultimate demise of the planet. Realizing there was no chance to outrun the titanic chunks of earth rushing towards him jazz turned the ship hard. He figured one of two things would happen. Either they smashed like a bug on a windshield or they would make some sort of landing, however hard, that might protect them from the worst of the shock and debris. Instead they plunged into what remained of Pacific Ocean still clinging to a chunk of earth.
The ship plowed through six thousand feet of ocean at blinding speed. They hit the floor with a teeth noshing bang, in what should have been catastrophic. The horrendous sloshing of the ocean, as the jagged planetoid shuddered, dulled the impact enough that it was at least for the moment, survivable.
They had barely come to a stop when seals suddenly began popping all over the ship. Kate, Buzz, jazz and Skull boy could do little more than watch in horror as icy cold sea water seeped in through a dozen hidden ruptures.
“Now we’re gonna drown?” Kate bitched.
But Jazz wasn’t out of fight yet. He hadn’t survived this long to just lay down and die. He had one last card left to play, and if that didn’t cut it, well then maybe then he’d call it quits.
“The storage lockers,” he pointed to a half dozen pressurized containers at the back of the ship. The water was at their knees already It would be tight, but there was just enough room in each to hold a person. He turned to Buzz. “Can you fly us out of here, tin man?”
Buzz rolled his eyes. He was just about to answer when they broke through the surface and out into space again. Without an atmosphere the ocean was quickly boiling away. Air rushed through the busted seals out into space. With it the pressure dropped quickly. Jazz popped open the first locker and was already fighting to fill his lungs. In minute or so each of them would lose consciousness. Death would follow quickly.
“Quick, no time to lose!.” Jazz was already shoving Kate and the boy to the lockers. The ship groaned terribly. Buzz pushed the engines to the limits, using the planetoid to shield them from the biggest chunks of debris. Behind hime the others stumbled towards the lockers, gasping for any air.
Skull boy was slipping away. She might have been able to hold on and save herself by letting go of the kid, but it just wasn’t something she could do. She looked at Buzz. There was this sort of spiraling terror in his electric blue eyes.
“I’m gonna miss you, partner,” she said solemnly.
“You too, kiddo,” said Buzz. With that her fingers slipped from the beam, and with the boy fell helplessly. Buzz watched until she disappeared from view, swallowed in a billowing cloud of dust.
Jazz had steered the ship under them, hiding beneath the dust cloud. He thought it would be funny and could only imagine the look on their faces when they landed on top of the ship. He felt the double thump as they hit the fuselage and almost pissed himself laughing.
Kate and Skull boy landed on their feet, surprised to be standing on the hull of the ship. Kate knew in an instant Jazz’ signature sort of schoolboy humor and cherished the thought of getting even somehow. She pulled the boy over to the canopy and could see Jazz shoving crap out of the way in the cluttered cockpit, making room for the others. Buzz dropped onto the hull a moment later, his mechanical eyes blinking hard at disbelief. He looked up at Kate.
“I have never been so happy to see that gruff bastard in I don’t know how long,” said the robot of Jazz.
“You and me both,” Kate replied.
Jazz opened the cockpit. The planet was coming apart rapidly now. One by one everyone scrambled into the ship. It was a tight fit, but somehow they all managed to cram inside. Buzz was already at the controls, the ship racing skyward. he hoped the ship would pressurize in time before the humans lost consciousness or worse. It was a moment in which he could feel their fragileness.
Buzz gunned the engines, pushing them to the limit. Below them the planet tore itself to pieces. Great jets of pulverized rock and flame shot into space, chasing, and even blasting past the ship. The planet was still more or less a sphere, but of a hundred monstrous pieces smashing and grinding against one another.
“Come on, baby,” Jazz said as he pushed Buzz out of the seat and slid in behind the controls, as though he could coax another few hundred miles an hour out of the ship. Suddenly, free of the atmosphere the ship lurched hard. At better than twelve hundred miles per second, the fastest he had ever gone this close to a planet, it would still take the better part of five minutes to reach the moon. He doubted it would be enough to save them.
. The planet’s core exploded, signaling the ultimate demise of the planet. Realizing there was no chance to outrun the titanic chunks of earth rushing towards him jazz turned the ship hard. He figured one of two things would happen. Either they smashed like a bug on a windshield or they would make some sort of landing, however hard, that might protect them from the worst of the shock and debris. Instead they plunged into what remained of Pacific Ocean still clinging to a chunk of earth.
The ship plowed through six thousand feet of ocean at blinding speed. They hit the floor with a teeth noshing bang, in what should have been catastrophic. The horrendous sloshing of the ocean, as the jagged planetoid shuddered, dulled the impact enough that it was at least for the moment, survivable.
They had barely come to a stop when seals suddenly began popping all over the ship. Kate, Buzz, jazz and Skull boy could do little more than watch in horror as icy cold sea water seeped in through a dozen hidden ruptures.
“Now we’re gonna drown?” Kate bitched.
But Jazz wasn’t out of fight yet. He hadn’t survived this long to just lay down and die. He had one last card left to play, and if that didn’t cut it, well then maybe then he’d call it quits.
“The storage lockers,” he pointed to a half dozen pressurized containers at the back of the ship. The water was at their knees already It would be tight, but there was just enough room in each to hold a person. He turned to Buzz. “Can you fly us out of here, tin man?”
Buzz rolled his eyes. He was just about to answer when they broke through the surface and out into space again. Without an atmosphere the ocean was quickly boiling away. Air rushed through the busted seals out into space. With it the pressure dropped quickly. Jazz popped open the first locker and was already fighting to fill his lungs. In minute or so each of them would lose consciousness. Death would follow quickly.
“Quick, no time to lose!.” Jazz was already shoving Kate and the boy to the lockers. The ship groaned terribly. Buzz pushed the engines to the limits, using the planetoid to shield them from the biggest chunks of debris. Behind hime the others stumbled towards the lockers, gasping for any air.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Angry Jasper: Fifty
Someone else might have said it was because he loved her that Jazz refused to give up. Might have been because, in this whole crazy universe, the stars and planets and billions of years of history had conspired to bring Kate and Jazz to this moment. It was as if to confirm that they were meant to be with one another. That they were destined not to perish on that doomed planet, and that the power of love could overcome any obstacle. Truth was, he was looking at her rack, and the thought of never seeing those cha-chas again was too much to bear.
Katy looked over, her face painted with terror. It wasn’t a look Jazz recalled ever seeing there. It said that she was nearly out of hope. She strained to hold on. Skull boy was a burden she just couldn’t bear any longer.
“Stop looking at my boobs,” she snapped. “This might be a good time to come up with a plan!”
The ship skidded along the riverbed, bouncing and banging off various obstacles. Boulders and debris crashed all around. Any one of them could easily smash the ship, or the bridge for that matter. Even if they didn’t it was apparent the ship would tumble past out of reach. Jazz looked wildly around. He was running out of time in more ways than he could count.
A large beam angled away over the river. It was flat on one side and if he could swing his body enough there was a better than even chance he could reach it. On the down side, there wasn’t a whole lot to hold onto, and if he missed, well, best not to think of the negatives.
Jazz swung back and forth for a little extra momentum. He let go and for a moment was airborne. It didn’t last long. Jazz landed hard, catching the beam in the gut and knocking the breath out of him. Hauling him self up Jazz half jogged, half skidded along the beam. He’d only gone a couple of yards before one of those boulders crashed into the bridge flipping him into the air.
At that moment the ship appeared directly beneath him. Jazz yelled and knew he’d hit hard. He slammed onto the rear of the craft and nearly bounced free. At the last instant he held tight to one of the stabilizers. He was getting too damn old for this crap, he thought, scrambling over the fuselage to the cockpit. He climbed in and pressed the ignition and nothing happened.
“You son of a …!” he hit the button again and this time the engines roared to life, and not a moment too soon.
Katy looked over, her face painted with terror. It wasn’t a look Jazz recalled ever seeing there. It said that she was nearly out of hope. She strained to hold on. Skull boy was a burden she just couldn’t bear any longer.
“Stop looking at my boobs,” she snapped. “This might be a good time to come up with a plan!”
The ship skidded along the riverbed, bouncing and banging off various obstacles. Boulders and debris crashed all around. Any one of them could easily smash the ship, or the bridge for that matter. Even if they didn’t it was apparent the ship would tumble past out of reach. Jazz looked wildly around. He was running out of time in more ways than he could count.
A large beam angled away over the river. It was flat on one side and if he could swing his body enough there was a better than even chance he could reach it. On the down side, there wasn’t a whole lot to hold onto, and if he missed, well, best not to think of the negatives.
Jazz swung back and forth for a little extra momentum. He let go and for a moment was airborne. It didn’t last long. Jazz landed hard, catching the beam in the gut and knocking the breath out of him. Hauling him self up Jazz half jogged, half skidded along the beam. He’d only gone a couple of yards before one of those boulders crashed into the bridge flipping him into the air.
At that moment the ship appeared directly beneath him. Jazz yelled and knew he’d hit hard. He slammed onto the rear of the craft and nearly bounced free. At the last instant he held tight to one of the stabilizers. He was getting too damn old for this crap, he thought, scrambling over the fuselage to the cockpit. He climbed in and pressed the ignition and nothing happened.
“You son of a …!” he hit the button again and this time the engines roared to life, and not a moment too soon.
Angry Jasper: Forty-nine
They ran along old Michigan Avenue, slowed by Buzz who lagged behind on those stubby little legs. Scrambling over heaping mounds of debris and dodging falling stone Jazz was of a mind to leave the robot behind, but Kate wouldn't hear of it. When Jazz reminded her Buzz was an obsolete bucket of bolts and moldy wires she froze in her tracks and refused to budge. Jazz kicked at a stone and threw up his arms in frustration.
“Remind me again why I risked my ass to rescue you from your fiancé, the monster?”
“You tell me, Jazz.”
He knew what she was asking. “Not on your life!”
Plasma bolts blasted the broken cityscape, drawing nearer. Jazz ignored them, favor instant vaporization to the hell Kate was attempting to put him through.
“Say it, Jazz, or we all fry on this godforsaken street.”
“Oh, do me a favor, lord!”
A bolt of searing hot plasma whipped high overhead, cracking like a deafening whip. Kate stood her ground, refusing to flinch or move a muscle. But it wasn't the imminent threat of death that got him, but the murderously cold stare that broke him.
“I friggin love you, all right,” he said, literally going down on one knee (Because he knew she wouldn't accept any less.).
Kate cocked her head and gave a satisfied smile. “Now was that so hard?”
She'd barely finished the words when a fissure opened up beneath her feet. That satisfied smile turned to shook as the earth disappeared beneath her feet.. Jazz was already diving towards her, catching Katy, quite by accident, with both hands around the throat.
She held tight to his wrists, straining to breathe beneath his grip. Far below, where the ground dissolved and fell away the rebel lair opened up disgorging bodies and everything else into the widening abyss. Jazz ignored it, digging his toes into the dirt to keep from being dragged over the edge with Kate. At the last moment Skullboy and Buzz fell upon his legs and dragged him back from the chasm. Jazz strained and shouted and pulled Kate up. She pulled free of his grip and rubbed her neck.
“I think you actually enjoyed that,” she coughed.
Jazz stood and helped her stand. Tumbling into hell with my hands around your neck? It's been a fantasy of mine for years!”
the battled the shattering planet all the way down the avenue until at last they came to the dry river bed. Jazz spotted the ship, where it was half buried in the bank. It was dented in a few places and covered with dirt and debris, but thankfully none the worse for wear. The ship had been through some tough scrapes, a lot tougher than crashing into that bank. But things were about to get a lot tougher. Jazz was less worried about the ship than he was about his own ass, and the others too.
They had just reached the twisted wreckage of the Michigan Avenue Bridge when the ground suddenly pitched sharply skyward. Whole buildings dislodged from the earth and slid or tumbled towards the dry lake bed, now hundreds of feet below. The four of them clung desperately to a bridge support. It was all they could do to hold on.
Reaching the ship seemed all but impossible now. The rain of debris from above grew and grew until it all seemed utterly hopeless. Jazz could feel those precious final minutes pounding away in his chest. It was all he could do just hold on and keep from being pummeled and smashed like a grape as the city and the planet disintegrated around them.
The beam of energy was weakening now, but the damage to the planet was irreversible. The crust had shattered like an egg, and the planet might have survived if that was as far as things went. But the beam sliced a hole deep into the mantle until the molten core poured into the breach. It threw the planet out of balance, like a loaded pair of dice. The entire planet shuddered violently, but this time it wasn’t resistance to the beam but a death throe.
When the earth pitched upwards it had dislodged the ship from the riverbed. Jazz watched as it began to slide down the steep bank towards the bridge. Clear to the other side of the river, it was too damn far away for all of them to reach together. At the pace of their progress Jazz didn’t see much chance in reaching it before it slid away forever. What really got him was that the thing didn’t simply tumble away where it was gone forever. Instead it sort of teased him, bumping, catching and skidding along the slope of the bank.
“Ain’t gonna make it,” he told himself. He looked over at Katy. She had a hold of the kid and it was all she could do to hang on. Next to her, clinging tight to a support, the pudgy little robot was all but useless.
“Remind me again why I risked my ass to rescue you from your fiancé, the monster?”
“You tell me, Jazz.”
He knew what she was asking. “Not on your life!”
Plasma bolts blasted the broken cityscape, drawing nearer. Jazz ignored them, favor instant vaporization to the hell Kate was attempting to put him through.
“Say it, Jazz, or we all fry on this godforsaken street.”
“Oh, do me a favor, lord!”
A bolt of searing hot plasma whipped high overhead, cracking like a deafening whip. Kate stood her ground, refusing to flinch or move a muscle. But it wasn't the imminent threat of death that got him, but the murderously cold stare that broke him.
“I friggin love you, all right,” he said, literally going down on one knee (Because he knew she wouldn't accept any less.).
Kate cocked her head and gave a satisfied smile. “Now was that so hard?”
She'd barely finished the words when a fissure opened up beneath her feet. That satisfied smile turned to shook as the earth disappeared beneath her feet.. Jazz was already diving towards her, catching Katy, quite by accident, with both hands around the throat.
She held tight to his wrists, straining to breathe beneath his grip. Far below, where the ground dissolved and fell away the rebel lair opened up disgorging bodies and everything else into the widening abyss. Jazz ignored it, digging his toes into the dirt to keep from being dragged over the edge with Kate. At the last moment Skullboy and Buzz fell upon his legs and dragged him back from the chasm. Jazz strained and shouted and pulled Kate up. She pulled free of his grip and rubbed her neck.
“I think you actually enjoyed that,” she coughed.
Jazz stood and helped her stand. Tumbling into hell with my hands around your neck? It's been a fantasy of mine for years!”
the battled the shattering planet all the way down the avenue until at last they came to the dry river bed. Jazz spotted the ship, where it was half buried in the bank. It was dented in a few places and covered with dirt and debris, but thankfully none the worse for wear. The ship had been through some tough scrapes, a lot tougher than crashing into that bank. But things were about to get a lot tougher. Jazz was less worried about the ship than he was about his own ass, and the others too.
They had just reached the twisted wreckage of the Michigan Avenue Bridge when the ground suddenly pitched sharply skyward. Whole buildings dislodged from the earth and slid or tumbled towards the dry lake bed, now hundreds of feet below. The four of them clung desperately to a bridge support. It was all they could do to hold on.
Reaching the ship seemed all but impossible now. The rain of debris from above grew and grew until it all seemed utterly hopeless. Jazz could feel those precious final minutes pounding away in his chest. It was all he could do just hold on and keep from being pummeled and smashed like a grape as the city and the planet disintegrated around them.
The beam of energy was weakening now, but the damage to the planet was irreversible. The crust had shattered like an egg, and the planet might have survived if that was as far as things went. But the beam sliced a hole deep into the mantle until the molten core poured into the breach. It threw the planet out of balance, like a loaded pair of dice. The entire planet shuddered violently, but this time it wasn’t resistance to the beam but a death throe.
When the earth pitched upwards it had dislodged the ship from the riverbed. Jazz watched as it began to slide down the steep bank towards the bridge. Clear to the other side of the river, it was too damn far away for all of them to reach together. At the pace of their progress Jazz didn’t see much chance in reaching it before it slid away forever. What really got him was that the thing didn’t simply tumble away where it was gone forever. Instead it sort of teased him, bumping, catching and skidding along the slope of the bank.
“Ain’t gonna make it,” he told himself. He looked over at Katy. She had a hold of the kid and it was all she could do to hang on. Next to her, clinging tight to a support, the pudgy little robot was all but useless.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Angry Jasper: Forty-eight
Maury’s spy charged into the open before the others could react. Jazz groaned and climbed to his feet, and started after him but Skull boy, with all his might, knocked him hard to the ground again. Jazz turned and had half a mind to slug the kid, just for good measure. The hell with it, he thought and reeled back to clobber the kid. By now Maury’s spy was half way down the street by now. Jazz doubted he could catch the guy, even if he ten years younger, a time he was in the best shape of his life.
“You let him get away, you little brat.”
“No, look!” Skull boy pointed as a huge plasma bolt cleaved through the street. The spy saw it too, an instant before he disappeared forever, incinerated in the blink of an eye. Hell, there wasn’t even a puff of smoke. Just like that even the myriad atomic particles comprising his body ceased to exist.
“Kid, I don’t know if I should thank you or smack you!”
“Thank you works fine,” said the boy.
Buzz, meantime, had been observing the spectacle and found a certain haphazard pattern to the plasma bolts. They came in pulses, waxing and waning with gaps in between. He made a quick calculation. It was precise or perfect by any stretch, but the littlest robot figured it was the only chance remaining.
“I think we’ve got a few minutes here, if we can reach the ship by then.”
“We’ll see,” Jazz dusted himself off. “No time to lose.”
Jazz went first, moving carefully from the relative safety of the underground into the wide boulevard. Once the street had been dubbed the Magnificent Mile, but there wasn’t anything magnificent about the place now. Stumbling into the open he looked askance at the blinding beam. It left Jazz dazed and rubbing the image burned momentarily into his retina. More that that, the radiant heat from the thing was almost unbearable. It singed at his hair and flesh, and was growing quickly in intensity. Here and there dry brush had begun to smoke.
The sound was just as terrible. A continuous thundering roar was followed by a horrible ripping sound that grew louder and nearer. Together they shook the street so that it was almost impossible for Jazz to keep his feet. Walls collapsed all along the ruined boulevard. He didn’t have much hope that this would turn out good, but he kept his mouth shut and waved for the others to follow.
.
He caught Katy just as she emerged. He tried to throw a hand across her face and keep her from looking at the beam. They struggled a moment before she grabbed his hair with both hands and gave him a violent shake.
“What the hell are you doing?” she shouted above the din.
“The beam, don’t look at it!” he cried.
She batted his hand away, and had half a mind to smack him.
“I’m not stupid,” she shouted above the din. “What kind of idiot would look at the beam?”
Jazz chafed at the remark. “Didn’t want you to look at it?”
“God, no!”
“Not even a little?”
Kate frowned and shook her head. “You looked at it, didn’t you?”
“So what if I did?”
“That’s cause you’re stupid.”
“Maybe we could discuss this later,” said Buzz.
An ear-shattering roar eclipsed the thundering beam as a deep crack tore apart the earth’s crust just to the west. The ground whipped like a snake throwing Jazz, Katy and the others hard to the ground. Steam, dust and spouts of red hot magma unleashed spit a thousand feet into the air. Boulders and stones, from deep inside the planet rained down, some as big as houses.
“What the hell is that?” said Jazz.
“The planet, it’s breaking up,” Buzz announced. “By my calculations we have ten minutes to get off the planet. No more.”
“It’ll take that long to get to my ship.”
“We’d better haul ass then,” said Kate. To the east a new crack opened. Magma flowed into the dry Lake Michigan basin.
“What’s the verdict, Skull boy? Are we going to make it?”
“Depends how fast you can move, old man.”
Jazz raised a hand, but held back at the last minute. “God, I hate this kid.”
“You let him get away, you little brat.”
“No, look!” Skull boy pointed as a huge plasma bolt cleaved through the street. The spy saw it too, an instant before he disappeared forever, incinerated in the blink of an eye. Hell, there wasn’t even a puff of smoke. Just like that even the myriad atomic particles comprising his body ceased to exist.
“Kid, I don’t know if I should thank you or smack you!”
“Thank you works fine,” said the boy.
Buzz, meantime, had been observing the spectacle and found a certain haphazard pattern to the plasma bolts. They came in pulses, waxing and waning with gaps in between. He made a quick calculation. It was precise or perfect by any stretch, but the littlest robot figured it was the only chance remaining.
“I think we’ve got a few minutes here, if we can reach the ship by then.”
“We’ll see,” Jazz dusted himself off. “No time to lose.”
Jazz went first, moving carefully from the relative safety of the underground into the wide boulevard. Once the street had been dubbed the Magnificent Mile, but there wasn’t anything magnificent about the place now. Stumbling into the open he looked askance at the blinding beam. It left Jazz dazed and rubbing the image burned momentarily into his retina. More that that, the radiant heat from the thing was almost unbearable. It singed at his hair and flesh, and was growing quickly in intensity. Here and there dry brush had begun to smoke.
The sound was just as terrible. A continuous thundering roar was followed by a horrible ripping sound that grew louder and nearer. Together they shook the street so that it was almost impossible for Jazz to keep his feet. Walls collapsed all along the ruined boulevard. He didn’t have much hope that this would turn out good, but he kept his mouth shut and waved for the others to follow.
.
He caught Katy just as she emerged. He tried to throw a hand across her face and keep her from looking at the beam. They struggled a moment before she grabbed his hair with both hands and gave him a violent shake.
“What the hell are you doing?” she shouted above the din.
“The beam, don’t look at it!” he cried.
She batted his hand away, and had half a mind to smack him.
“I’m not stupid,” she shouted above the din. “What kind of idiot would look at the beam?”
Jazz chafed at the remark. “Didn’t want you to look at it?”
“God, no!”
“Not even a little?”
Kate frowned and shook her head. “You looked at it, didn’t you?”
“So what if I did?”
“That’s cause you’re stupid.”
“Maybe we could discuss this later,” said Buzz.
An ear-shattering roar eclipsed the thundering beam as a deep crack tore apart the earth’s crust just to the west. The ground whipped like a snake throwing Jazz, Katy and the others hard to the ground. Steam, dust and spouts of red hot magma unleashed spit a thousand feet into the air. Boulders and stones, from deep inside the planet rained down, some as big as houses.
“What the hell is that?” said Jazz.
“The planet, it’s breaking up,” Buzz announced. “By my calculations we have ten minutes to get off the planet. No more.”
“It’ll take that long to get to my ship.”
“We’d better haul ass then,” said Kate. To the east a new crack opened. Magma flowed into the dry Lake Michigan basin.
“What’s the verdict, Skull boy? Are we going to make it?”
“Depends how fast you can move, old man.”
Jazz raised a hand, but held back at the last minute. “God, I hate this kid.”
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Angry Jasper: Forty-six
“You’re the bounty hunter.” Said Thomas.
“Call me a jealous boyfriend.”
“Why didn’t you let him kill me?”
‘Thought about it, but my fight ain’t with you-for now.” Jazz pushed past Thomas, who quickly disappeared in the chaos. Jazz should have dropped him when he had the chance. He would come to regret that oversight, but that was to be a fight for another day.
The conspirators were now fighting a running battle with Thomas’ guards. The fight turned into a bloodbath as dozens were cut down in the wicked cross fire. Several of the guards turned on Jazz as he reached Kate’s side. He blasted them all before turning her over.
“Jazz?” she said, surprised.
“No time to talk, we have to get out of here.”
Maury’s man appeared at that moment. He felled two gunman with clean shots off the hips, like some gunslinger of old. Jazz blinked with surprise. The men had come up so quickly that in the confusion Jazz hadn’t noticed them.
“Thanks,” he said, lifting Kate into his arms.
“A deal’s a deal,” he shouted above the din.
At the center of the hall, amid the death and wild confusion several conspirators managed to surround Thomas. As they raised their weapons he transformed into something ghastly and unspeakably monstrous. Thomas’ eyes swelled and long spider-like legs appeared. The conspirators reeled back, momentarily taken aback by this sudden hideous revelation. Just as they raised their weapons Thomas’ razor-sharp legs sliced them to pieces in the blink of an eye.
Jazz nearly tripped over Buzz. Holding Kate as he was he didn’t see the robot until it was nearly too late. He hated that damn machine. More than once Jazz had to restrain himself from kicking it right in that smart mechanical mouth. Jazz stopped quickly enough, but Buzz kept going, obviously disoriented and overwhelmed by the madness all around. He ran head long (no pun intended) right into Jazz’ family jewels. Hard enough that Jazz nearly dropped Katy on the damned thing.
“Careful with those!” jazz winced. “They’re near and dear to my heart!”
“Closer to your brain,” said Kate. “Put me down. I can walk.”
“Katy!” came a terrifying cry from the far end of the chamber. It was Thomas, caught in some grotesque transition between human and creature. As his mouth opened wide, calling for Kate in an almost agonizing sort of way, strange black things slithered out. He started for them, those deadly spider legs clacking and clamoring across the floor, skewering or tearing to pieces anyone who got in the way. Jazz urged the others on and prepared himself for what he knew was certain death. His little ARP would do little more than piss the creature off. Only a blistering fusillade from the rallying conspirators drove Thomas back and chased him from the cathedral.
They were running out of time now. The Government man grabbed Jazz by the collar an dragged him towards the nearest escape, behind Kate and Buzz and Skullboy. “We have to get off the planet!”
Maury’s spy led the way, guiding them through the impossibly complex and disorienting maze of tunnels and passages. Jazz prayed the guy knew where he was going. Behind them something large charged through the passage. It shook the walls and made a sickening grinding sound as it forced its way through the narrowing tunnel. Jazz turned and came almost face to face with one of Thomas’ minions. It struck at him with those murderous legs, missing Jazz by inches. The thing cried in frustration, all by wedged into the tunnel. Indignant and not the least bit impressed with his first close encounter of any kind, jazz grabbed his crotch, spit and dispatched E.T. with two well placed mercury rounds.
“Call me a jealous boyfriend.”
“Why didn’t you let him kill me?”
‘Thought about it, but my fight ain’t with you-for now.” Jazz pushed past Thomas, who quickly disappeared in the chaos. Jazz should have dropped him when he had the chance. He would come to regret that oversight, but that was to be a fight for another day.
The conspirators were now fighting a running battle with Thomas’ guards. The fight turned into a bloodbath as dozens were cut down in the wicked cross fire. Several of the guards turned on Jazz as he reached Kate’s side. He blasted them all before turning her over.
“Jazz?” she said, surprised.
“No time to talk, we have to get out of here.”
Maury’s man appeared at that moment. He felled two gunman with clean shots off the hips, like some gunslinger of old. Jazz blinked with surprise. The men had come up so quickly that in the confusion Jazz hadn’t noticed them.
“Thanks,” he said, lifting Kate into his arms.
“A deal’s a deal,” he shouted above the din.
At the center of the hall, amid the death and wild confusion several conspirators managed to surround Thomas. As they raised their weapons he transformed into something ghastly and unspeakably monstrous. Thomas’ eyes swelled and long spider-like legs appeared. The conspirators reeled back, momentarily taken aback by this sudden hideous revelation. Just as they raised their weapons Thomas’ razor-sharp legs sliced them to pieces in the blink of an eye.
Jazz nearly tripped over Buzz. Holding Kate as he was he didn’t see the robot until it was nearly too late. He hated that damn machine. More than once Jazz had to restrain himself from kicking it right in that smart mechanical mouth. Jazz stopped quickly enough, but Buzz kept going, obviously disoriented and overwhelmed by the madness all around. He ran head long (no pun intended) right into Jazz’ family jewels. Hard enough that Jazz nearly dropped Katy on the damned thing.
“Careful with those!” jazz winced. “They’re near and dear to my heart!”
“Closer to your brain,” said Kate. “Put me down. I can walk.”
“Katy!” came a terrifying cry from the far end of the chamber. It was Thomas, caught in some grotesque transition between human and creature. As his mouth opened wide, calling for Kate in an almost agonizing sort of way, strange black things slithered out. He started for them, those deadly spider legs clacking and clamoring across the floor, skewering or tearing to pieces anyone who got in the way. Jazz urged the others on and prepared himself for what he knew was certain death. His little ARP would do little more than piss the creature off. Only a blistering fusillade from the rallying conspirators drove Thomas back and chased him from the cathedral.
They were running out of time now. The Government man grabbed Jazz by the collar an dragged him towards the nearest escape, behind Kate and Buzz and Skullboy. “We have to get off the planet!”
Maury’s spy led the way, guiding them through the impossibly complex and disorienting maze of tunnels and passages. Jazz prayed the guy knew where he was going. Behind them something large charged through the passage. It shook the walls and made a sickening grinding sound as it forced its way through the narrowing tunnel. Jazz turned and came almost face to face with one of Thomas’ minions. It struck at him with those murderous legs, missing Jazz by inches. The thing cried in frustration, all by wedged into the tunnel. Indignant and not the least bit impressed with his first close encounter of any kind, jazz grabbed his crotch, spit and dispatched E.T. with two well placed mercury rounds.
Angry Jasper: Forty-five
Jazz and Skull boy reached the hall just as the tide of emotion was reaching its frenzied peak. He spotted several of the coup leaders. The rest, no doubt were scattered through the chamber. Once the coup began Kate would be caught in a deadly crossfire. Nearby Maury’s man had been caught in the surge and was fighting his way through the crowd. Jazz recognized him as the man he’d seen slipping from the ship during the battle on the surface. As he brushed past Jazz wondered why he seemed in such hurry to leave.
“Wait here,” Jazz told the boy. Jazz shoved his way through the bodies straining for a glimpse of their leader, as if it might rescue them from hopelessness, as if his words and the air breathed from Thomas’ lungs would restore them to life again. Jazz caught the guy at the edge of the crowd and dropped him with a well place shot to the kidney.
“Where the hell are you going?” Jazz took the guy in a headlock.
“I hate crowds,” Maury’s man groaned through gritted teeth. He was still fighting for breath.
“And I hate smart asses, so you better come clean.” Jazz twisted the guy’s neck a little farther until the bloke gave up.
“All right, all right,” he said through gritted teeth and blinding agony. “Maury’s gonna hit this place hard. Everything, the whole damn place will be toast, and everyone in it.”
“You led him right to this place,” Jazz had half a mind to snap the guys neck.
“Yes, I admit it. But they’ve abandoned me, and if you can get me off this planet I’ll see that you are handsomely rewarded.”
Jazz remembered the beating his ship had taken. It had been through worse. If he could get to it there was a better than fair chance of getting off this charcoal brisket of a planet.
“Know the way to the surface?”
“I do.”
“If you want out of here then you’re gonna have to do something for me.”
“Anything!”
Jazz let him go and pointed to Kate among the ocean of frantic admirers. “She comes with.
“You’re insane! That would be suicide,” the guy scoffed.
“Non-negotiable.”
“Let me up!” the guy exclaimed. Jazz reluctantly released Maury’s spy. They stood facing one another a moment. “You swear you have a ship.”
“Help me get the Space Whore and I can get us off the planet.” Skullboy appeared from the crowd. He drew up close to Jazz. The spy grimaced and looked to Jazz as if to ask what exactly that was. Jazz only shrugged.
“We’ll need some help if we’re getting her out of this madness.” Around them the crowd surged and roared with feverish excitement.
“What did you have in mind?”
The Spy drew two ARP-21s from beneath his cloak and reluctantly shoved one into Jazz’ hand. Quickly Jazz explained about the coup and pointed out two of the nearest conspirators. He had barely finished when several shots from somewhere cut down one of Thomas’ men, right beside Kate. An instant later gunfire resounded throughout the hall, joined quickly by screams nd the predicatble tsunami of the panicked.
An ARP round clipped Kate’s shoulder and slammed her sideways into Thomas. Losing his footing Thomas spilled into the crowd which was now fighting a desperate battle for escape. He came up face to face with one of the conspirators, staring down the barrel of his weapon.
“Et tu, you load of hybrid dung?” what else was there to say? Suddenly the man’s eyes went wide, a fraction of an instant before he pulled the trigger. The man’s eyes rolled back and he toppled forward into Thomas’ arms. There were two fist size holes in his back. Thomas looked up into Jazz’ eyes. He knew instantly.
“Wait here,” Jazz told the boy. Jazz shoved his way through the bodies straining for a glimpse of their leader, as if it might rescue them from hopelessness, as if his words and the air breathed from Thomas’ lungs would restore them to life again. Jazz caught the guy at the edge of the crowd and dropped him with a well place shot to the kidney.
“Where the hell are you going?” Jazz took the guy in a headlock.
“I hate crowds,” Maury’s man groaned through gritted teeth. He was still fighting for breath.
“And I hate smart asses, so you better come clean.” Jazz twisted the guy’s neck a little farther until the bloke gave up.
“All right, all right,” he said through gritted teeth and blinding agony. “Maury’s gonna hit this place hard. Everything, the whole damn place will be toast, and everyone in it.”
“You led him right to this place,” Jazz had half a mind to snap the guys neck.
“Yes, I admit it. But they’ve abandoned me, and if you can get me off this planet I’ll see that you are handsomely rewarded.”
Jazz remembered the beating his ship had taken. It had been through worse. If he could get to it there was a better than fair chance of getting off this charcoal brisket of a planet.
“Know the way to the surface?”
“I do.”
“If you want out of here then you’re gonna have to do something for me.”
“Anything!”
Jazz let him go and pointed to Kate among the ocean of frantic admirers. “She comes with.
“You’re insane! That would be suicide,” the guy scoffed.
“Non-negotiable.”
“Let me up!” the guy exclaimed. Jazz reluctantly released Maury’s spy. They stood facing one another a moment. “You swear you have a ship.”
“Help me get the Space Whore and I can get us off the planet.” Skullboy appeared from the crowd. He drew up close to Jazz. The spy grimaced and looked to Jazz as if to ask what exactly that was. Jazz only shrugged.
“We’ll need some help if we’re getting her out of this madness.” Around them the crowd surged and roared with feverish excitement.
“What did you have in mind?”
The Spy drew two ARP-21s from beneath his cloak and reluctantly shoved one into Jazz’ hand. Quickly Jazz explained about the coup and pointed out two of the nearest conspirators. He had barely finished when several shots from somewhere cut down one of Thomas’ men, right beside Kate. An instant later gunfire resounded throughout the hall, joined quickly by screams nd the predicatble tsunami of the panicked.
An ARP round clipped Kate’s shoulder and slammed her sideways into Thomas. Losing his footing Thomas spilled into the crowd which was now fighting a desperate battle for escape. He came up face to face with one of the conspirators, staring down the barrel of his weapon.
“Et tu, you load of hybrid dung?” what else was there to say? Suddenly the man’s eyes went wide, a fraction of an instant before he pulled the trigger. The man’s eyes rolled back and he toppled forward into Thomas’ arms. There were two fist size holes in his back. Thomas looked up into Jazz’ eyes. He knew instantly.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Angry Jasper: Forty-four
Thomas stood before the gathered masses like some sort of perverse messiah. Like a corrupted Caesar he gazed over them. They would be the vanguard for the conquest of the solar system, the unsuspecting cannon fodder that would clear the way for his alien hordes. And though many of them would be only too eager to follow him from planet to planet until the Corporation was annihilated, they had no idea that their existence was just as negotiable. Thomas raised his arms and spoke. He knew the one weapon certain to seduce them into doing his bidding. His voice thundered through the cavern.
“The Lord gives us, not because he loves us. He shows us the way of hate to protect and guides us through dark days. We are his seed, spewed out onto the cold dead Earth that it may soak in and bring forth his armies, and dry clear. He is disgusted with us and cruel to us, as any good father must be if his children are to grow strong. God has a filthy mind. How else could he conceive of all this? He is a god of love, fear him or die!”
It was a mixed reaction to be sure. There were pockets of thunderous applause, and others who thought there was something not quite right about the whole thing. Of those, most just went along quietly.
Thomas continued. “You are all witness to history. This is a new day for the rebellion and the beginning of the end of the Corporation. Soon they will not be safe on any planet, nor any moon in the solar system!”
Now most of the crowd was with him. The conspirators, scattered throughout could only wonder what that would mean for the coup. They could only hope that they could be swayed by evidence that Thomas was not who he claimed, though just who he was they did not have the foggiest idea. There was no stopping now, though, even if the crowd turned and tore them all limb from limb. The plan had begun, they would have to act together or die alone. Their fates were sealed.
“By all that is holy,” Thomas’ voice cracked, “we gather in this inauspicious chamber to celebrate this marriage, the final ascension towards victory! Every great society must have a face to rally behind. Once the Earth rallied under the banner of my great ancestor, Yakov!”
The crowd was roaring now, surging towards Thomas and Kate. The conspirators were pulled along with the enthralled mass. It was all but certain the act they were about to commit would end in brutal reprisal , bloody sacrifices to Thomas’ oratory orgy.
“Rome had Caesar,” Thomas roared above the crowd. “And behind every great man is a great woman who will rule beside me, who will bear the next generation of my lineage. You may not know her name now, but she has served the rebellion, bravely working among the Corporation’s highest echelons. And now Katy-did will stand beside me for the final great battle! Humble servants, cockroaches, who will feed on the carcass of the Corporation, maggots of change, I give you Katy-did!”
He took her hand and pulled her to the edge of the alter beside him. Below her a churning mass of dejected humanity, rose in a frenzy at Thomas' thrown scraps of hope. Grown men wept and climbed upon the backs of others for a chance to touch his feet, or hers. Kate looked at Thomas with alarm. This wasn’t the rebellion she knew. They weren’t soul-numbed fools that could be manipulated and exploited for a single man. They were once a proud, individualistic lot, who found common cause in their common good. Now they were orgasmic slaves to a personality. Thomas was entranced, swelling at the sight and power before him...and not in a good way.
“The Lord gives us, not because he loves us. He shows us the way of hate to protect and guides us through dark days. We are his seed, spewed out onto the cold dead Earth that it may soak in and bring forth his armies, and dry clear. He is disgusted with us and cruel to us, as any good father must be if his children are to grow strong. God has a filthy mind. How else could he conceive of all this? He is a god of love, fear him or die!”
It was a mixed reaction to be sure. There were pockets of thunderous applause, and others who thought there was something not quite right about the whole thing. Of those, most just went along quietly.
Thomas continued. “You are all witness to history. This is a new day for the rebellion and the beginning of the end of the Corporation. Soon they will not be safe on any planet, nor any moon in the solar system!”
Now most of the crowd was with him. The conspirators, scattered throughout could only wonder what that would mean for the coup. They could only hope that they could be swayed by evidence that Thomas was not who he claimed, though just who he was they did not have the foggiest idea. There was no stopping now, though, even if the crowd turned and tore them all limb from limb. The plan had begun, they would have to act together or die alone. Their fates were sealed.
“By all that is holy,” Thomas’ voice cracked, “we gather in this inauspicious chamber to celebrate this marriage, the final ascension towards victory! Every great society must have a face to rally behind. Once the Earth rallied under the banner of my great ancestor, Yakov!”
The crowd was roaring now, surging towards Thomas and Kate. The conspirators were pulled along with the enthralled mass. It was all but certain the act they were about to commit would end in brutal reprisal , bloody sacrifices to Thomas’ oratory orgy.
“Rome had Caesar,” Thomas roared above the crowd. “And behind every great man is a great woman who will rule beside me, who will bear the next generation of my lineage. You may not know her name now, but she has served the rebellion, bravely working among the Corporation’s highest echelons. And now Katy-did will stand beside me for the final great battle! Humble servants, cockroaches, who will feed on the carcass of the Corporation, maggots of change, I give you Katy-did!”
He took her hand and pulled her to the edge of the alter beside him. Below her a churning mass of dejected humanity, rose in a frenzy at Thomas' thrown scraps of hope. Grown men wept and climbed upon the backs of others for a chance to touch his feet, or hers. Kate looked at Thomas with alarm. This wasn’t the rebellion she knew. They weren’t soul-numbed fools that could be manipulated and exploited for a single man. They were once a proud, individualistic lot, who found common cause in their common good. Now they were orgasmic slaves to a personality. Thomas was entranced, swelling at the sight and power before him...and not in a good way.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Angry jasper: Forty-Three
The great hall was like something from a vagabond romantic’s dream. It was packed almost to overflowing. The guests and onlookers, a motley mix of refugees, fighters and assorted scum gathered to either side of the long aisle. There were an explosive assortment of expressions, scowls, cold or hungry stares and stoicism. Security was tight, but in a pandemonium they would be easily trampled or swept aside by the sheer number of people.
Katy stood in the shadows of a passageway looking down at the scene. Thomas was late, taking care of something or other. She was nervous. Katy had never been this nervous before, not even when she was banging Corporation security officials for the rebellion. Her stomach was doing somersaults. Katy swallowed a bit of air and made herself burp, which helped a bit.
This was a mistake, she thought. Supporting and propping up Thomas was a mistake. He was not beloved by the people, and that wasn’t likely to change. And now the revelation that he was far more than an alien, but the butcher for hundreds, perhaps thousands of poor young women, whose bodies had been mere vessels for his insidious invasion.
“My dear,” Thomas appeared in the passage quite by surprise, starling Kate. She turned abruptly, laying a hand in a vain attempt to still his pounding heart. Thomas seemed please to have evoked that reaction. As usual he was flanked by several of his lieutenants. “I am terribly sorry. A woman should never have to wait on her wedding day. Pressing business. You understand. The trappings of leadership.”
“Let’s just get this over with.”
“Ah, and they say romance is dead!” Thomas laughed. “You’re nervous. It’s to be expected.”
Katy stood in the shadows of a passageway looking down at the scene. Thomas was late, taking care of something or other. She was nervous. Katy had never been this nervous before, not even when she was banging Corporation security officials for the rebellion. Her stomach was doing somersaults. Katy swallowed a bit of air and made herself burp, which helped a bit.
This was a mistake, she thought. Supporting and propping up Thomas was a mistake. He was not beloved by the people, and that wasn’t likely to change. And now the revelation that he was far more than an alien, but the butcher for hundreds, perhaps thousands of poor young women, whose bodies had been mere vessels for his insidious invasion.
“My dear,” Thomas appeared in the passage quite by surprise, starling Kate. She turned abruptly, laying a hand in a vain attempt to still his pounding heart. Thomas seemed please to have evoked that reaction. As usual he was flanked by several of his lieutenants. “I am terribly sorry. A woman should never have to wait on her wedding day. Pressing business. You understand. The trappings of leadership.”
“Let’s just get this over with.”
“Ah, and they say romance is dead!” Thomas laughed. “You’re nervous. It’s to be expected.”
Angry Jasper: Forty-two
Maury beamed. Normally it might have ticked him off to be interrupted as he knocked one off in front of the entire Universe. The Identicals arrived with the news just as his man-goo corrupted the finely polished glass of his office. With a mighty groan the milky droplets joined the myriad expanse of the galaxy, before oozing to the floor. He turned, still holding himself with thumb and fore-finger and sneered at the Identicals.
“Better be figgin' important!”
In unison the Identicals swallowed hard, pushed the eyeglasses against their nose and nodded.
“We have received coordinates for the rebel stronghold, and the location of Thomas,” said the first.
There is other news that will please your Excellency,” said the other.
Maury's hairy flab glistened with a fine sweat from his exertion. He covered himself with a towel and turned back to the Milky Way. He waved his hand in the air impatiently.
“Well, out with it!”
The weapon will be ready to fire much sooner than expected,” said the other Identical.
More turned. His expression was animated and thrilled even more so than during his orgasm. He was like a cruel little child delighting in the sadistic butchery of an innocent kitten. The towel slipped away. He hardly seemed to notice.
“well, why didn't you say so?”
Fire control estimates two hours, said the first. “Our spy in the rebel headquarters is requesting to be evacuated as soon as possible.
“He is awaiting a secret transmission,” said the second identical. “He can be to the surface in one hour. Shall I tell him to proceed, Excellency?”
“Send the following transmission,” Maury turned away, clasping his chubby little hands behind his back. “Your heroism and ultimate sacrifice for Corporation is well noted.”
“That's it?” asked the Identicals in unison, stunned at Maury's utter disregard for one of his finest and most loyal men.
“Send it or don't send it,” Maury snapped. “I don't give a damn one way or the other. What I do care about it that weapon working and the destruction of the rebellion. As for our asset on the planet...he was dead the moment he landed on the planet.”
“Better be figgin' important!”
In unison the Identicals swallowed hard, pushed the eyeglasses against their nose and nodded.
“We have received coordinates for the rebel stronghold, and the location of Thomas,” said the first.
There is other news that will please your Excellency,” said the other.
Maury's hairy flab glistened with a fine sweat from his exertion. He covered himself with a towel and turned back to the Milky Way. He waved his hand in the air impatiently.
“Well, out with it!”
The weapon will be ready to fire much sooner than expected,” said the other Identical.
More turned. His expression was animated and thrilled even more so than during his orgasm. He was like a cruel little child delighting in the sadistic butchery of an innocent kitten. The towel slipped away. He hardly seemed to notice.
“well, why didn't you say so?”
Fire control estimates two hours, said the first. “Our spy in the rebel headquarters is requesting to be evacuated as soon as possible.
“He is awaiting a secret transmission,” said the second identical. “He can be to the surface in one hour. Shall I tell him to proceed, Excellency?”
“Send the following transmission,” Maury turned away, clasping his chubby little hands behind his back. “Your heroism and ultimate sacrifice for Corporation is well noted.”
“That's it?” asked the Identicals in unison, stunned at Maury's utter disregard for one of his finest and most loyal men.
“Send it or don't send it,” Maury snapped. “I don't give a damn one way or the other. What I do care about it that weapon working and the destruction of the rebellion. As for our asset on the planet...he was dead the moment he landed on the planet.”
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Angry Jasper: Forty-one
“Somebody is gonna pay for this,” Jazz, doused in that awful gruel, shivered hard and nearly heaved.
His mood continued to turn, until it stunk worse than a carcass in the sun, and almost as bad as the filth he’d just eaten. A part of Jasper reveled in being a sour cuss. He half wanted to see just how low his mood could go until he just turned himself inside out and disappeared from the friggin’ world. To hell with Katy, he thought. What did he need of some space trollip, an interplanetary slag, a gin guzzling Ionian skank? The solar system was full of easy women. They were a credit a dozen. Hell, the simple fact that she was the best lay he'd ever had just meant that Jazz had not had enough women yet. The fact that he loved her—well, he would just have to get over that schoolboy crap.
The thought led him down a long lonely road towards the end of his life(which didn’t seem so far off at that moment). With a long, low groan he sagged against the pole and wished it was all over now. But that just wasn’t like Jazz. It wasn’t like him to quit anything. That he was about to quit on the only person who ever meant anything to him, no matter how much she stomped on his heart, well that was just unacceptable.
It suddenly struck him that the coup against Thomas would take place at the wedding. If they stood any chance at all of succeeding it would have to take place where they could capitalize off the confusion that was sure to follow. They would have to strike hard and fast, and with lethal determination. That meant anyone anywhere near Thomas would be toast. Kate was in trouble, and Jazz doubted she had any idea the size of the turd storm coming her way.
“Screw that!” he exclaimed.
Jazz rallied himself once more and rose to his feet. He yanked hard once and then a second time, ignoring the pain and fatigue in his shoulders. It was probably the stupidest thing he could have done. Something big came loose from the ceiling above him. Jazz caught sight of it at the last instand and swung around the pole as a huge chunk of concrete and stone crashed to the floor where he had been standing. At that moment the door opened and Skullboy entered as casually as if he was coming home from school.
“I'd like to speak with a manager,” Jazz managed a quip. “This place is dangerous, and the food sucks!” The guard frowned stoically, already pulling the door closed again. Skullboy walked up to Jazz with a fresh plate of gruel. He held it close to Jazz’s face. It smelled even worse than the previous batch.
“Get’s better with age,” Jazz winced.
“Eat it!” said Skullboy.
“Eat it yourself.”
“Eat it.” The boy shook the plate a little, spilling some on Jazz’s boot. He was just about to bitch when he saw the key hidden within.
The kid seemed to delight watching Jazz fish for the key with his face. When he had it Jazz managed to turn the key round using his lips and tongue with surprising dexterity (Katy didn’t love Jazz for his money). With that he pushed it into the lock. His heart leapt when the shackles sprung open. Jazz pulled them off and almost thought he could hug the kid, no matter how ugly he was. Almost.
“Wait a minute,” something suddenly occurred to Jazz. “Why didn’t you just unlock the shackles, instead of making me wrastle around in that crap?”
“More fun that way.”
“Remind me to smack you later,” Jazz replied. “For now let’s figure a way out of here.”
His mood continued to turn, until it stunk worse than a carcass in the sun, and almost as bad as the filth he’d just eaten. A part of Jasper reveled in being a sour cuss. He half wanted to see just how low his mood could go until he just turned himself inside out and disappeared from the friggin’ world. To hell with Katy, he thought. What did he need of some space trollip, an interplanetary slag, a gin guzzling Ionian skank? The solar system was full of easy women. They were a credit a dozen. Hell, the simple fact that she was the best lay he'd ever had just meant that Jazz had not had enough women yet. The fact that he loved her—well, he would just have to get over that schoolboy crap.
The thought led him down a long lonely road towards the end of his life(which didn’t seem so far off at that moment). With a long, low groan he sagged against the pole and wished it was all over now. But that just wasn’t like Jazz. It wasn’t like him to quit anything. That he was about to quit on the only person who ever meant anything to him, no matter how much she stomped on his heart, well that was just unacceptable.
It suddenly struck him that the coup against Thomas would take place at the wedding. If they stood any chance at all of succeeding it would have to take place where they could capitalize off the confusion that was sure to follow. They would have to strike hard and fast, and with lethal determination. That meant anyone anywhere near Thomas would be toast. Kate was in trouble, and Jazz doubted she had any idea the size of the turd storm coming her way.
“Screw that!” he exclaimed.
Jazz rallied himself once more and rose to his feet. He yanked hard once and then a second time, ignoring the pain and fatigue in his shoulders. It was probably the stupidest thing he could have done. Something big came loose from the ceiling above him. Jazz caught sight of it at the last instand and swung around the pole as a huge chunk of concrete and stone crashed to the floor where he had been standing. At that moment the door opened and Skullboy entered as casually as if he was coming home from school.
“I'd like to speak with a manager,” Jazz managed a quip. “This place is dangerous, and the food sucks!” The guard frowned stoically, already pulling the door closed again. Skullboy walked up to Jazz with a fresh plate of gruel. He held it close to Jazz’s face. It smelled even worse than the previous batch.
“Get’s better with age,” Jazz winced.
“Eat it!” said Skullboy.
“Eat it yourself.”
“Eat it.” The boy shook the plate a little, spilling some on Jazz’s boot. He was just about to bitch when he saw the key hidden within.
The kid seemed to delight watching Jazz fish for the key with his face. When he had it Jazz managed to turn the key round using his lips and tongue with surprising dexterity (Katy didn’t love Jazz for his money). With that he pushed it into the lock. His heart leapt when the shackles sprung open. Jazz pulled them off and almost thought he could hug the kid, no matter how ugly he was. Almost.
“Wait a minute,” something suddenly occurred to Jazz. “Why didn’t you just unlock the shackles, instead of making me wrastle around in that crap?”
“More fun that way.”
“Remind me to smack you later,” Jazz replied. “For now let’s figure a way out of here.”
Friday, May 21, 2010
Angry Jasper: Forty
Kate should have known her world was about to take a decided turn for the horrible when Thomas’ guards sealed off either end of the dark tunnel. Not that mny dared this way, but it was obvious that what he wished to show her wasn’t something he wished many others to know. She could feel the oppressive heat and humidity coming off the heavy iron door. It looked like some sort of prop from a schlocky Twentieth Century Medieval movie. It was set deep in ragged bedrock. The entrance was low and arched. Moss grew long and heavy from the stones, but with a sickly quality, as if it was afflicted by whatever Thomas held or had hidden inside.
A shiver ran through her. Thomas went to the door and ran his long spindly fingers across it in an oddly and creepily sexual way. His expression was fluid. He looked t her and seemed about to burst. The only question was, thought Kate, was what might jump out of that zombie-like body.
“So why bring me here?” she asked.
“Something you must see.”
“I can only guess,” she said.
His voice was low and seedy. “Never in a million years, my dear..”
The lock look primitive enough, but obviously there was much more to it. Thomas pressed his hand to a smooth place hidden deep in shadow beside the door. The rock lit up and scanned the full length and breadth of Thomas’ hand. It was obviously some sort of bio-metric mechanism, but of a sort and sophistication Kate had never seen before. The latch on the door opened with an audible clang and the door swung heavily back. Not much enough to see, especially for the dull yellow-green light within, but enough that she was instantly hit by the stale must of putrefied bodies.
“Dear god!” Kate raised a hand to cover her nose and mouth.
“God?” Thomas laughed mockingly. “There is no god, Kate. God resides,” he began, drawing her to the door, “in the eternal competition for each species’ survival.”
Thomas pushed open the door and shoved he into the chamber. Kate stumbled forward, skidding and slipping on the slick and slimy floor. The light was low and hazy. It took her eyes a moment to adjust. It took her brain a few seconds longer.
She swooned and felt dizzy as her mind swam and spun fighting to accept, or not to accept, what her eyes beheld. She blinked once and turned abruptly to Thomas and the door, gauging her chances of escape. The look in his deadly black eyes-an insects soulless eyes- had the futility of any attempt abundantly clear. Kate turned back to the horror before her, doing her damnedest to stifle a scream.
It wasn’t a chamber, at least not in the sense someone had carved it from the bedrock. Rather it was a natural formation, though what it had become now was anything but natural. Kate was standing between the open legs of a desiccated corpse that she could only assume was a woman. Hundreds of bodies were strewn or piled across the floor where, for the most part they had been stripped to bone and sinew. The mass of them formed a huge pile at the center of the room, where it appeared they had been tossed like old chicken bones after being devoured.
There were other, fresher corpses, all women, cocooned in grayish orange webbing to the rocky walls. Their distended bellies had been ripped open. Horrifying like hybrids, part human child and part spider were hungrily devouring their hosts. One woman, Kate noticed was still alive. She thrust her arms out from those rgged trappings and screamed as one of those disgusting spider-children ripped itself from the poor woman’s belly.
“Tell me again why I never had a kid?”
“You’ll bear my children.” Said Thomas.
Kate’s sly and ready smile, there in the worst of circumstances failed her completely now. “Interested in a loveless marriage?”
He laughed loudly. It thundered in the chamber, startling the insect-child hybrids, who squealed and scurried away into the shadows, or slithered back inside their long dead hosts. It was a belly laugh that went on a little too long. Kate choked back bile noting the darkly yellow urine stain spread across the front of Thomas’ gown.
“Now I’m turned on,” she said with ample disgust under her breath.
“Dear, this isn’t your fate,” he said. “This will form the vanguard of our army, but you and I, we will create a new royal class, a species all our own. It will be the next phase in the evolution of both our species, which will rise beyond this little system to create and empire across this corner of the galaxy. You and I, my dear will be Adam and Eve to a new civilization.”
Kate couldn’t look at him. She was trapped in the horror of the chamber, and of the terrible vision Thomas’ voice evoked and predicted.
“And if I say no?” she said.
Thomas moved behind her. His cold, calloused slithering fingers held her throat. His slimy tongue circled and explored her ear. He bit down upon the lobe, enough to draw blood. His breath carried the fresh scent of decomposition. Kate felt faint, but sadly unconsciousness never rescued her.
“Dearest,” he said, lapping at the trickle of blood at her neck, “that was not a question nor a choice.”
A shiver ran through her. Thomas went to the door and ran his long spindly fingers across it in an oddly and creepily sexual way. His expression was fluid. He looked t her and seemed about to burst. The only question was, thought Kate, was what might jump out of that zombie-like body.
“So why bring me here?” she asked.
“Something you must see.”
“I can only guess,” she said.
His voice was low and seedy. “Never in a million years, my dear..”
The lock look primitive enough, but obviously there was much more to it. Thomas pressed his hand to a smooth place hidden deep in shadow beside the door. The rock lit up and scanned the full length and breadth of Thomas’ hand. It was obviously some sort of bio-metric mechanism, but of a sort and sophistication Kate had never seen before. The latch on the door opened with an audible clang and the door swung heavily back. Not much enough to see, especially for the dull yellow-green light within, but enough that she was instantly hit by the stale must of putrefied bodies.
“Dear god!” Kate raised a hand to cover her nose and mouth.
“God?” Thomas laughed mockingly. “There is no god, Kate. God resides,” he began, drawing her to the door, “in the eternal competition for each species’ survival.”
Thomas pushed open the door and shoved he into the chamber. Kate stumbled forward, skidding and slipping on the slick and slimy floor. The light was low and hazy. It took her eyes a moment to adjust. It took her brain a few seconds longer.
She swooned and felt dizzy as her mind swam and spun fighting to accept, or not to accept, what her eyes beheld. She blinked once and turned abruptly to Thomas and the door, gauging her chances of escape. The look in his deadly black eyes-an insects soulless eyes- had the futility of any attempt abundantly clear. Kate turned back to the horror before her, doing her damnedest to stifle a scream.
It wasn’t a chamber, at least not in the sense someone had carved it from the bedrock. Rather it was a natural formation, though what it had become now was anything but natural. Kate was standing between the open legs of a desiccated corpse that she could only assume was a woman. Hundreds of bodies were strewn or piled across the floor where, for the most part they had been stripped to bone and sinew. The mass of them formed a huge pile at the center of the room, where it appeared they had been tossed like old chicken bones after being devoured.
There were other, fresher corpses, all women, cocooned in grayish orange webbing to the rocky walls. Their distended bellies had been ripped open. Horrifying like hybrids, part human child and part spider were hungrily devouring their hosts. One woman, Kate noticed was still alive. She thrust her arms out from those rgged trappings and screamed as one of those disgusting spider-children ripped itself from the poor woman’s belly.
“Tell me again why I never had a kid?”
“You’ll bear my children.” Said Thomas.
Kate’s sly and ready smile, there in the worst of circumstances failed her completely now. “Interested in a loveless marriage?”
He laughed loudly. It thundered in the chamber, startling the insect-child hybrids, who squealed and scurried away into the shadows, or slithered back inside their long dead hosts. It was a belly laugh that went on a little too long. Kate choked back bile noting the darkly yellow urine stain spread across the front of Thomas’ gown.
“Now I’m turned on,” she said with ample disgust under her breath.
“Dear, this isn’t your fate,” he said. “This will form the vanguard of our army, but you and I, we will create a new royal class, a species all our own. It will be the next phase in the evolution of both our species, which will rise beyond this little system to create and empire across this corner of the galaxy. You and I, my dear will be Adam and Eve to a new civilization.”
Kate couldn’t look at him. She was trapped in the horror of the chamber, and of the terrible vision Thomas’ voice evoked and predicted.
“And if I say no?” she said.
Thomas moved behind her. His cold, calloused slithering fingers held her throat. His slimy tongue circled and explored her ear. He bit down upon the lobe, enough to draw blood. His breath carried the fresh scent of decomposition. Kate felt faint, but sadly unconsciousness never rescued her.
“Dearest,” he said, lapping at the trickle of blood at her neck, “that was not a question nor a choice.”
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Angry Jasper: Thirty-Nine
He would have been better off in that cell, Jazz thought. His arms were handcuffed around an old steel beam. Skull Boy was on the floor nearby enjoying the last few bites of a chocolate bar. Jazz eyed the bar hungrily and would have given a nut for just one bite. He had not eaten since leaving Madame ’s the day before and could feel the ache of hunger in his bones. Skull Boy gobbled down the last of the chocolate, filling his cheeks and knowing full well how much he was torturing Jasper..
Worse than hunger, Jazz needed to take a mean piss. He beat his forehead against the beam, hoping the pain would stem the pressure. Jazz sworn under his breath. Banging his head did little to alleviate his burgeoning bladder, and gave him one hell of a headache to boot!
“Had enough to eat?” jazz asked, loathsome.
“Couldn’t eat another bite!” the boy rubbed his full belly, that gruesomely deformed face smeared with chocolate.
They were alone. The others had gone off, leaving them in some kind of storage chamber. By the looks of the boxes and crates this is where the conspirators stockpiled weapons for the coming coup. The rebel conspirators had hidden jazz and the boy just as Thomas’ freaks arrived. They wound up here, which Jazz still wondered if it was preferable to having his throat cut or submitting to whatever cruel fate Thomas’ men had in store for him. He sighed and pressed his cheek against the beam.
“This worked out pretty good for you, kid.”
Skull Boy didn’t answer. Jazz still couldn’t get use to looking for too long at the kid. Hell, he could even find a sort of odd beauty in the simpleness and efficiency of a cockroach, even some odd attraction to a fat horny old toad. But the kid…a lion would need a blindfold to keep from gagging on this one.
“Thought you could see the future?” he asked. “How come you didn’t see this?”
The kid looked off across the chamber, his eyes wide, as though transfixed on something. “I can see it. Don’t mean I have to talk about it.”
“News flash, kid,” Jazz snapped. “I’m the one who’s supposed to save you.”
“So?”
“Maybe you could help me little!”
“Why? I don’t like you.”
“How am I supposed to get us out of here shackled to this post, huh?”
“Relax,” said the boy. “Everything is going as it should.”
“Maybe you could clue me in a little?”
“Better this way,” he said.
“How do you figure?”
“Well for one, you can’t screw anything up this way.”
“That don’t make no dam sense!”
The kid turned. Those creepy dark eyes blinked once and then twice as they fixed upon Jazz. “Gets boring seeing the future all the time. So what? I see stuff happen and then it happens. Where’s the fun in that? Like watching a movie and every couple of minutes someone comes in and says, okay this is what will happen now. More fun to play with the future a little bit. Maybe I screw up and it goes another way. Now that’s fun!”
“You’re an odd critter.”
The door opened and Jazz looked up. A stepped inside and tossed an old tin plate at his feet. A fair amount of the gray-green slop at the bottom splashed onto the floor. It stunk to high heaven. Jazz wasn’t at all certain someone hadn’t already barfed his meal back up.
“What the hell is that?” he grumbled as the guard led Skull boy from the cell.
“Lunch,” replied the guard with a detestable grin.
“Flush the toilet for seconds?” Jazz words were lost as the door slammed shut. he looked at the plate and thought he saw something moved there. Just the thought of eating it made his stomach squirm, but beggars can’t be choosers, he thought. Besides, if he was going to get out of there and off the planet he would need every once of strength he could muster.
He studied the top of the beam where it met the stony ceiling. There was a little gap around beam, enough that he could wiggle it back and forth a bit. Not a lot, but enough that Jazz figured with a couple good tugs it might come loose enough for him to get his arms over the top. Looking back at the door once more, Jazz pushed away the plate with his left foot and got into a good strong stance. Holding tight to the shackles he rocked up and back several times for a little momentum. Jazz could hear the ancient concrete cracking and crumbling above him. He counted to three, checked one last time to be sure no one was near the door and yanked as hard as he could.
“Holy crap!” he groaned in pain, and falling back against the pole. Damn right something would give with a few more tugs. If Jazz didn’t bring the whole damn ceiling down on his head he was bound to dislocate both shoulders!
That was a waste, he told himself. Jazz slid to the floor onto his butt and eyed the gruel on the plate. This time he was sure something moved in the slop. He shook his head, and with a frown kind of tipped sideways. Jazz strained and stretched to get closer. The stink rose up to meet him fully, assailing his nostrils, bringing tears to his eyes and choking him.
It smelled like something a dead body would crap out. The stuff was vile, and worse the closer he came. Jazz fought the urge to gag and pushed his face into the lumpy lukewarm liquid. Something slithered into his nose, then retreated just as uickly. It helped to groan for some reason, as if that made the substance slithering down his throat easier to bear. He had eaten some nasty things over the years, but this just beat all.
A few good swallows was about all he could handle. Jazz sat up trying to spit the worst tasting chunks from his mouth. The stuff covered his face, dripped in to his eyes and leaked from his hair down the inside of his shirt. It felt alive there, slithering like creepy-crawlies down his body. Something caught in the back of his throat. Jazz hacked it up and spit it across the room, where it recovered and scurried away into the darkness.
Worse than hunger, Jazz needed to take a mean piss. He beat his forehead against the beam, hoping the pain would stem the pressure. Jazz sworn under his breath. Banging his head did little to alleviate his burgeoning bladder, and gave him one hell of a headache to boot!
“Had enough to eat?” jazz asked, loathsome.
“Couldn’t eat another bite!” the boy rubbed his full belly, that gruesomely deformed face smeared with chocolate.
They were alone. The others had gone off, leaving them in some kind of storage chamber. By the looks of the boxes and crates this is where the conspirators stockpiled weapons for the coming coup. The rebel conspirators had hidden jazz and the boy just as Thomas’ freaks arrived. They wound up here, which Jazz still wondered if it was preferable to having his throat cut or submitting to whatever cruel fate Thomas’ men had in store for him. He sighed and pressed his cheek against the beam.
“This worked out pretty good for you, kid.”
Skull Boy didn’t answer. Jazz still couldn’t get use to looking for too long at the kid. Hell, he could even find a sort of odd beauty in the simpleness and efficiency of a cockroach, even some odd attraction to a fat horny old toad. But the kid…a lion would need a blindfold to keep from gagging on this one.
“Thought you could see the future?” he asked. “How come you didn’t see this?”
The kid looked off across the chamber, his eyes wide, as though transfixed on something. “I can see it. Don’t mean I have to talk about it.”
“News flash, kid,” Jazz snapped. “I’m the one who’s supposed to save you.”
“So?”
“Maybe you could help me little!”
“Why? I don’t like you.”
“How am I supposed to get us out of here shackled to this post, huh?”
“Relax,” said the boy. “Everything is going as it should.”
“Maybe you could clue me in a little?”
“Better this way,” he said.
“How do you figure?”
“Well for one, you can’t screw anything up this way.”
“That don’t make no dam sense!”
The kid turned. Those creepy dark eyes blinked once and then twice as they fixed upon Jazz. “Gets boring seeing the future all the time. So what? I see stuff happen and then it happens. Where’s the fun in that? Like watching a movie and every couple of minutes someone comes in and says, okay this is what will happen now. More fun to play with the future a little bit. Maybe I screw up and it goes another way. Now that’s fun!”
“You’re an odd critter.”
The door opened and Jazz looked up. A stepped inside and tossed an old tin plate at his feet. A fair amount of the gray-green slop at the bottom splashed onto the floor. It stunk to high heaven. Jazz wasn’t at all certain someone hadn’t already barfed his meal back up.
“What the hell is that?” he grumbled as the guard led Skull boy from the cell.
“Lunch,” replied the guard with a detestable grin.
“Flush the toilet for seconds?” Jazz words were lost as the door slammed shut. he looked at the plate and thought he saw something moved there. Just the thought of eating it made his stomach squirm, but beggars can’t be choosers, he thought. Besides, if he was going to get out of there and off the planet he would need every once of strength he could muster.
He studied the top of the beam where it met the stony ceiling. There was a little gap around beam, enough that he could wiggle it back and forth a bit. Not a lot, but enough that Jazz figured with a couple good tugs it might come loose enough for him to get his arms over the top. Looking back at the door once more, Jazz pushed away the plate with his left foot and got into a good strong stance. Holding tight to the shackles he rocked up and back several times for a little momentum. Jazz could hear the ancient concrete cracking and crumbling above him. He counted to three, checked one last time to be sure no one was near the door and yanked as hard as he could.
“Holy crap!” he groaned in pain, and falling back against the pole. Damn right something would give with a few more tugs. If Jazz didn’t bring the whole damn ceiling down on his head he was bound to dislocate both shoulders!
That was a waste, he told himself. Jazz slid to the floor onto his butt and eyed the gruel on the plate. This time he was sure something moved in the slop. He shook his head, and with a frown kind of tipped sideways. Jazz strained and stretched to get closer. The stink rose up to meet him fully, assailing his nostrils, bringing tears to his eyes and choking him.
It smelled like something a dead body would crap out. The stuff was vile, and worse the closer he came. Jazz fought the urge to gag and pushed his face into the lumpy lukewarm liquid. Something slithered into his nose, then retreated just as uickly. It helped to groan for some reason, as if that made the substance slithering down his throat easier to bear. He had eaten some nasty things over the years, but this just beat all.
A few good swallows was about all he could handle. Jazz sat up trying to spit the worst tasting chunks from his mouth. The stuff covered his face, dripped in to his eyes and leaked from his hair down the inside of his shirt. It felt alive there, slithering like creepy-crawlies down his body. Something caught in the back of his throat. Jazz hacked it up and spit it across the room, where it recovered and scurried away into the darkness.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Angry Jasper: Thirty-Eight
There were voices up ahead. They were the low voices of conspiracy. .It would have been nothing to double back and go around, but a boyish curiosity got the better of Jazz. He looked at skull boy for some indication this would lead to trouble. Then again, it was difficult to imagine that things could get any worse. He motioned for the kid to stay as he crept closer to the voices.
There were three men in a lower chamber, rebel soldiers. They were huddled together. They were discussing an attack of some sort. It was simple math for Jazz to figure out they intended to off Thomas. With Kate at Thomas’ side, she would be fair game, and no matter how much of a bitch she was Jazz just couldn't let that happen.
They all looked distraught and deeply conflicted. Their little conspiracy, and the secrets they kept tp one another and about Thomas had taken a terrible physical tool on eat man. Their eyes were dark and withdraw. Jazz knew the look well from years of battling space pirates. These were men fully resigned to their cause and to death.
“I’ll act alone if I have to,” said the first man.
“As long as we all agree this is probably a suicide mission,” said another, “undoubtedly for our families as well.”
“But if we succeed,” said the third. By his demeanor Jazz took him to be in charge.
The second man laughed miserably and spit into the shadows. “Succeed? This will split the rebellion.”
“If the people knew the truth.”
“They will if the plan succeeds.”
“And if it don’t?” the second wasn’t convinced.
“Then god help humanity.”
Just then Jazz felt the muzzle of an ARP at his temple. To call what happened in his gut a sinking feeling would have been an understatement. He just about shi…he groaned.
“Tell me that’s you, kid?” he said loud enough that the men in the chamber drew weapons and turned suddenly. He glanced from the corner of his eye. Skull boy stood a short distance away with a dumb smirk on his face.
“You couldn’t have warned me?” Jazz sneered.
“Don’t worry,” the kid said, indifferent.
Jazz was shoved to his knees as the others rushed up the stairs. He so wanted to make a smart ass remark, but these guys weren’t like that forlorn gaggle of Corporation guys back in that first cell. The wrong word here was certain to get him killed. Then again, Jazz would have found it hard to believe they’d let him live after what he had just overheard.
Someone pulled a knife. A hand wrapped around Jazz’ forehead and yanked it back, exposing his neck. The cold sharp blade of a hunting knife pressed against his windpipe. All the while Skull boy stood passively, almost gleefully, as though this was some odd sort of street theater.
“Cut his throat,” said the first man.
“What about the kid?” said another.
“No witnesses,” said the leader.
“Don’t makes us any better than Thomas and his lot,” said the second man. “I won’t lose no sleep over this guy, but the kid?”
“If you don’t have the stomach?” the first man snarled.
“I don’t have the stomach for it either,” Jazz offered.
The leader thought a moment. His eyes avoided Jazz. “We can’t take any chances. Sorry, kid.”
Jazz felt the knife blade pressed into his flesh. His mind spun madly for anything that might spare him, if only to die in a less painful and gruesome way. “Wait! The kid, he’s psychic, or clairvoyant, or something.”
The kid gasped. “Are you crazy?
“Suck it, kid,” said Jazz. “I’m trying to save our asses here.” the knife cut into jazz’ flesh. Glistening droplets of crimson blood appeared. The warm fever of regret ran through Jazz. Suck it kid. Those were to be his last poignant words?
“You won’t cut his throat,” skull boy blurted. “I mean you could. I would, but you won’t.”
“Watch me,” said the man with the knife. Jazz tightened his body, clenched his teeth. He was determined not to scream, not to give this bloke the slightest satisfaction. He clenched his butt cheeks too. He didn’t want to die with a pant load of crap either.
“Wait!” the commander raised a hand. The blade still pressed at Jazz’ throat. Blood trickled in rivulets under his collar and into his shirt, running down his body. “Tell me, kid. Why are you so sure we would dispose of both of you?”
“It is true,” the boy replied, “I can see the future, and in about fifteen seconds you’ll hear Thomas guards coming. They’re coming for me and Angry Jasper. You’ll make the decision that we have some value.”
The guy almost bought it and started to laugh. “Careful where you step, boys, the bullshi…”
Suddenly footsteps thundered in the passageway. The men looked at one another as if to ask if that had been fifteen seconds, just as the kid predicted. The leader shoved the barrel of his ARP under Jazz’ chin and leaned close.
“You and the kid now share a second birthday and a second chance at life. Mess up and I’ll put both of you down without hesitation.”
There were three men in a lower chamber, rebel soldiers. They were huddled together. They were discussing an attack of some sort. It was simple math for Jazz to figure out they intended to off Thomas. With Kate at Thomas’ side, she would be fair game, and no matter how much of a bitch she was Jazz just couldn't let that happen.
They all looked distraught and deeply conflicted. Their little conspiracy, and the secrets they kept tp one another and about Thomas had taken a terrible physical tool on eat man. Their eyes were dark and withdraw. Jazz knew the look well from years of battling space pirates. These were men fully resigned to their cause and to death.
“I’ll act alone if I have to,” said the first man.
“As long as we all agree this is probably a suicide mission,” said another, “undoubtedly for our families as well.”
“But if we succeed,” said the third. By his demeanor Jazz took him to be in charge.
The second man laughed miserably and spit into the shadows. “Succeed? This will split the rebellion.”
“If the people knew the truth.”
“They will if the plan succeeds.”
“And if it don’t?” the second wasn’t convinced.
“Then god help humanity.”
Just then Jazz felt the muzzle of an ARP at his temple. To call what happened in his gut a sinking feeling would have been an understatement. He just about shi…he groaned.
“Tell me that’s you, kid?” he said loud enough that the men in the chamber drew weapons and turned suddenly. He glanced from the corner of his eye. Skull boy stood a short distance away with a dumb smirk on his face.
“You couldn’t have warned me?” Jazz sneered.
“Don’t worry,” the kid said, indifferent.
Jazz was shoved to his knees as the others rushed up the stairs. He so wanted to make a smart ass remark, but these guys weren’t like that forlorn gaggle of Corporation guys back in that first cell. The wrong word here was certain to get him killed. Then again, Jazz would have found it hard to believe they’d let him live after what he had just overheard.
Someone pulled a knife. A hand wrapped around Jazz’ forehead and yanked it back, exposing his neck. The cold sharp blade of a hunting knife pressed against his windpipe. All the while Skull boy stood passively, almost gleefully, as though this was some odd sort of street theater.
“Cut his throat,” said the first man.
“What about the kid?” said another.
“No witnesses,” said the leader.
“Don’t makes us any better than Thomas and his lot,” said the second man. “I won’t lose no sleep over this guy, but the kid?”
“If you don’t have the stomach?” the first man snarled.
“I don’t have the stomach for it either,” Jazz offered.
The leader thought a moment. His eyes avoided Jazz. “We can’t take any chances. Sorry, kid.”
Jazz felt the knife blade pressed into his flesh. His mind spun madly for anything that might spare him, if only to die in a less painful and gruesome way. “Wait! The kid, he’s psychic, or clairvoyant, or something.”
The kid gasped. “Are you crazy?
“Suck it, kid,” said Jazz. “I’m trying to save our asses here.” the knife cut into jazz’ flesh. Glistening droplets of crimson blood appeared. The warm fever of regret ran through Jazz. Suck it kid. Those were to be his last poignant words?
“You won’t cut his throat,” skull boy blurted. “I mean you could. I would, but you won’t.”
“Watch me,” said the man with the knife. Jazz tightened his body, clenched his teeth. He was determined not to scream, not to give this bloke the slightest satisfaction. He clenched his butt cheeks too. He didn’t want to die with a pant load of crap either.
“Wait!” the commander raised a hand. The blade still pressed at Jazz’ throat. Blood trickled in rivulets under his collar and into his shirt, running down his body. “Tell me, kid. Why are you so sure we would dispose of both of you?”
“It is true,” the boy replied, “I can see the future, and in about fifteen seconds you’ll hear Thomas guards coming. They’re coming for me and Angry Jasper. You’ll make the decision that we have some value.”
The guy almost bought it and started to laugh. “Careful where you step, boys, the bullshi…”
Suddenly footsteps thundered in the passageway. The men looked at one another as if to ask if that had been fifteen seconds, just as the kid predicted. The leader shoved the barrel of his ARP under Jazz’ chin and leaned close.
“You and the kid now share a second birthday and a second chance at life. Mess up and I’ll put both of you down without hesitation.”
Monday, May 17, 2010
Angry Jasper: Thirty-seven
Even more mysterious were the men who appeared, seemingly from nowhere. Their allegiance to Thomas began from the moment they first appeared among his so-called royal guard. They were men with no history and no past, and as dangerous if crossed as their leader. Perhaps more so, since their duty was blind, and not at all diverted or confused by their leader's politicking, nor any of the burdensome guilt humans laid the foundations of morality and ethics upon. Stranger still was the way the usually paranoid Thomas accepted them without question to his inner circle, while men of long reputation were purged or disappeared almost immediately.
The clock was ticking for Buzz and Kate. Really, it was ticking inside Buzz’ head. It sounded like a hollow tonk, tonk, tonk, like someone tapping a ladle against brass pot. Buzz ignored it the best he could. He just had to run the results on Thomas’ DNA once more.
He’d finished the first test about an hour before Kate left to marry Thomas. The results just seemed so absurd she wouldn’t have believed him anyway. She would have just told him to run the test again, so this was sort of like cutting out the middle man.
Buzz' methodology was, in both tests, beyond meticulous. IN FACT, IT WAS FLAWLESS! When the final test was complete Buzz sat on the edge of the bed staring at them, dumbfounded. He shook his head back and forth for the longest damn time, and wished he'd been programmed for laughter. Instead that need grew as a certain tension in his core.
“Well, I’ll be a son of a piston engine,” he remarked. Buzz forced himself to sort of hiccup, in an odd rattling sort of way. Tension sometimes heated his core and made him a bit gassy. It smelled a little like WD-40 and ozone, reminding him that barely sixty or so generations separated him from a Twenty-first century riding lawnmower.
Buzz was more than surprised by the results. These weren’t simply a cross-section of Thomas’ DNA. Buzz was looking at history. More than that, he was looking at perhaps the greatest discovery of mankind. Of that there could be no mistake.
Most of the genetic markers were consistent with hybrid DNA. It wasn’t altogether different from Human DNA, except some of the pieces were arranged just a little differently. After all, the difference between Humans and other so-called lower animals was essentially nothing. A matter of percentages that could be counted on one hand
Not that being a hybrid, or even part hybrid would be enough to exclude Thomas’ claims to royalty. Might well have been that a his mother, or an aunt or a grandparent had been a hybrid. Of course there was a time when a schoolyard taunt about one’s mother being a hybrid would have been enough to get a smart-ass busted in the chops. Not anymore, though, lots of decent folks had buffalo, mule, elephant, baboon or leopard in their blood.
At a glance Buzz might have guessed human/alligator hybrid. It was hard to tell for sure since those creatures had been extinct for the better part of two centuries. From what little Buzz knew for sure about genetics Human/Reptile hybrids had gone out of fashion decades ago. All too often offspring came out scaly, cold-blooded and unable to adapt well. A number of times mothers had nearly died giving birth to large eggs forming in the womb. It was the last three markers that Buzz found the most shocking. Two bore similarities to, ancient crustaceans, the forbearers of crabs and the like. The last was the marker of an arachnid; a spider, for crying out loud!
Buzz’ computer clicked loudly as he struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. Alligator was bad enough, but these markers seemed to indicate that he was part crab and part spider. If anyone had tried such a ghastly experiment it was unknown to Buzz. What he was seeing was, well, it was flippin’ impossible!
Buzz paced the room. The answer was more than he was ready to admit. There had to be another explanation, but he’d run the test twice and the results had been the same every damn time!
“E.T. phone home!” he said aloud.
So Thomas was an alien. It made perfect sense, and all the pieces of the puzzle fell quickly into place for Buzz. The rebellion was the only safe place he could slip into the solar system undetected. But for a hand full of isolated and forgettable Corporation run colonies, like Pluto’s Charon, or some rough and tumble outpost among Neptune’s rings, or Cygnus Prime, it would have been far too difficult to infiltrate the Corporation genetic security systems.
Kate had said he intended to sue for peace with Govenor Maury and come to terms. No doubt it was a ploy to surrender the planet in exchange for some position with in the Corporation council. That done he could bring in billions of his kind across the frontier.It was an invasion, that much Buzz was certain of, and Thomas was just the beginning. Buzz started for the door. He would have to find a way to warn Kate.
The clock was ticking for Buzz and Kate. Really, it was ticking inside Buzz’ head. It sounded like a hollow tonk, tonk, tonk, like someone tapping a ladle against brass pot. Buzz ignored it the best he could. He just had to run the results on Thomas’ DNA once more.
He’d finished the first test about an hour before Kate left to marry Thomas. The results just seemed so absurd she wouldn’t have believed him anyway. She would have just told him to run the test again, so this was sort of like cutting out the middle man.
Buzz' methodology was, in both tests, beyond meticulous. IN FACT, IT WAS FLAWLESS! When the final test was complete Buzz sat on the edge of the bed staring at them, dumbfounded. He shook his head back and forth for the longest damn time, and wished he'd been programmed for laughter. Instead that need grew as a certain tension in his core.
“Well, I’ll be a son of a piston engine,” he remarked. Buzz forced himself to sort of hiccup, in an odd rattling sort of way. Tension sometimes heated his core and made him a bit gassy. It smelled a little like WD-40 and ozone, reminding him that barely sixty or so generations separated him from a Twenty-first century riding lawnmower.
Buzz was more than surprised by the results. These weren’t simply a cross-section of Thomas’ DNA. Buzz was looking at history. More than that, he was looking at perhaps the greatest discovery of mankind. Of that there could be no mistake.
Most of the genetic markers were consistent with hybrid DNA. It wasn’t altogether different from Human DNA, except some of the pieces were arranged just a little differently. After all, the difference between Humans and other so-called lower animals was essentially nothing. A matter of percentages that could be counted on one hand
Not that being a hybrid, or even part hybrid would be enough to exclude Thomas’ claims to royalty. Might well have been that a his mother, or an aunt or a grandparent had been a hybrid. Of course there was a time when a schoolyard taunt about one’s mother being a hybrid would have been enough to get a smart-ass busted in the chops. Not anymore, though, lots of decent folks had buffalo, mule, elephant, baboon or leopard in their blood.
At a glance Buzz might have guessed human/alligator hybrid. It was hard to tell for sure since those creatures had been extinct for the better part of two centuries. From what little Buzz knew for sure about genetics Human/Reptile hybrids had gone out of fashion decades ago. All too often offspring came out scaly, cold-blooded and unable to adapt well. A number of times mothers had nearly died giving birth to large eggs forming in the womb. It was the last three markers that Buzz found the most shocking. Two bore similarities to, ancient crustaceans, the forbearers of crabs and the like. The last was the marker of an arachnid; a spider, for crying out loud!
Buzz’ computer clicked loudly as he struggled to make sense of what he was seeing. Alligator was bad enough, but these markers seemed to indicate that he was part crab and part spider. If anyone had tried such a ghastly experiment it was unknown to Buzz. What he was seeing was, well, it was flippin’ impossible!
Buzz paced the room. The answer was more than he was ready to admit. There had to be another explanation, but he’d run the test twice and the results had been the same every damn time!
“E.T. phone home!” he said aloud.
So Thomas was an alien. It made perfect sense, and all the pieces of the puzzle fell quickly into place for Buzz. The rebellion was the only safe place he could slip into the solar system undetected. But for a hand full of isolated and forgettable Corporation run colonies, like Pluto’s Charon, or some rough and tumble outpost among Neptune’s rings, or Cygnus Prime, it would have been far too difficult to infiltrate the Corporation genetic security systems.
Kate had said he intended to sue for peace with Govenor Maury and come to terms. No doubt it was a ploy to surrender the planet in exchange for some position with in the Corporation council. That done he could bring in billions of his kind across the frontier.It was an invasion, that much Buzz was certain of, and Thomas was just the beginning. Buzz started for the door. He would have to find a way to warn Kate.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Jangry Jasper: Thirty-six
Buzz tapped his forehead in frustration as thousands of files and articles downloaded from the Worm-net, which was very much akin to the ancient internet, but used wormholes to circumnavigate trillions of miles of solar system in seconds. To his great disappointment there simply wasn't much known about Thomas. There was little in the way of any sort of revelation. Buzz had even managed to hack a couple of secret Corporation files, but it was obvious they were as much in the dark about him as everyone else.
Thomas Claimed to be ancestor of the great profit from Branson, Yakov Smirnoff. For years everyone believed the fuzzy bearded Russian émigré was simply a fool, a two-bit jokester with a fully accent who made a career telling the same stale Cold War jokes about his Mother Russia:
“In Soviet Russia, the government controls corporations. In America corporations controls the government!”
Little did anyone suspect that Yakov was as gifted a thinker as Descartes or Foucault or Socrates. He was an oracle and a prophet to the coming doom about to befall the planet. For centuries devout followers of Yakov Smirnoff would recite is jokes, mimicking the accent, some of them sporting the signature beard and a hand-me-down suit and marvel at the brilliance.
One detail was certain. Thomas was the lone survivor of a mysterious blast that destroyed the rebel stronghold at Branson. The place had been under direct attack for many months. But one night, during a lull in the battle something large descended like a meteor from space. It struck the stronghold full force, with a resulting blast heard half way around the world. There seemed little doubt that the Corporation was responsible for the calamity, though they vehemently denied any responsibility for the act. Six days later Thomas stumbled into a rebel patrol searching for survivors.
Buzzed searched his archives and discovered a copy of the patrol’s report:
ACTION REPORT: January, 30, 2517
The Unit reached Springfield at the edge of the blast zone. The city is all but obliterated. The patrol encountered small bands of survivors fleeing towards enclaves along the old Mississippi basin. Constant threats from Corporation ships forced our unit to take refuge in the city before proceeding towards Branson. Expectations were low for encountering any further survivors. The ground here is devastated, as though an asteroid struck. On the sixth night a lone figure stumbled into our perimeter from the direction of the blast zone. Despite several warning shots the obviously disoriented male continued before collapsing. Subject held in isolation and refused, or was unable to speak despite repeated interrogation. When he could speak once more it was rudimentary, like an infant learning to speak.
Subject claimed ancestry to the Smirnoff lineage. No way to verify claim any longer due to complete destruction of region. Reached Branson on the tenth day, but the area was blasted clear to the bed rock. Came under Corporation attack soon after reaching area. Withdrew without locating any more survivors. Subject, named Thomas, handed over to command at base.
Of course, the news that Thomas was related to the great Yakov was met with great skepticism. In battle he proved himself as brave and ruthless as that short and swarthy lot he claimed heritage. In the right light he might have even passed as a descendent. The image of a valient Yakov had been honed through the centuries into a heroic and virtuous figure and Thomas seemed intent on recreating that legacy. Little else remained of the man, though some small bits of his brilliant oratory skills remained, mere glimpses into his more whimsical and human side. They were traits apparently not passed on to this ancestor.
Thomas' exploits in battle certainly were enough to get him recognized, and even praised, but Thomas’ career might well have ended there. He might have run out his days as a zealous commander, but for one powerful attribute: Ruthless ambition.
Indeed, there were many who would have, quietly to themselves, characterized it as murderous ambition. There were not a few who took offense when he described himself as prince, whose destiny was to rise as king over the rebellion, and thus taking his ancestor’s rightful place. Rivals met with mysterious demise, fell in suspicious Corporation ambushes, as though someone had tipped the enemy, or succumbed to some ailment or other-usually resulting in a fiery crash that erased all possible evidence. Critics and enemies met even harsher fates. Branded as traitors, often with transparently forged evidence, the poor souls who ran afoul of Thomas were summarily executed or simply disappeared.
Thomas Claimed to be ancestor of the great profit from Branson, Yakov Smirnoff. For years everyone believed the fuzzy bearded Russian émigré was simply a fool, a two-bit jokester with a fully accent who made a career telling the same stale Cold War jokes about his Mother Russia:
“In Soviet Russia, the government controls corporations. In America corporations controls the government!”
Little did anyone suspect that Yakov was as gifted a thinker as Descartes or Foucault or Socrates. He was an oracle and a prophet to the coming doom about to befall the planet. For centuries devout followers of Yakov Smirnoff would recite is jokes, mimicking the accent, some of them sporting the signature beard and a hand-me-down suit and marvel at the brilliance.
One detail was certain. Thomas was the lone survivor of a mysterious blast that destroyed the rebel stronghold at Branson. The place had been under direct attack for many months. But one night, during a lull in the battle something large descended like a meteor from space. It struck the stronghold full force, with a resulting blast heard half way around the world. There seemed little doubt that the Corporation was responsible for the calamity, though they vehemently denied any responsibility for the act. Six days later Thomas stumbled into a rebel patrol searching for survivors.
Buzzed searched his archives and discovered a copy of the patrol’s report:
ACTION REPORT: January, 30, 2517
The Unit reached Springfield at the edge of the blast zone. The city is all but obliterated. The patrol encountered small bands of survivors fleeing towards enclaves along the old Mississippi basin. Constant threats from Corporation ships forced our unit to take refuge in the city before proceeding towards Branson. Expectations were low for encountering any further survivors. The ground here is devastated, as though an asteroid struck. On the sixth night a lone figure stumbled into our perimeter from the direction of the blast zone. Despite several warning shots the obviously disoriented male continued before collapsing. Subject held in isolation and refused, or was unable to speak despite repeated interrogation. When he could speak once more it was rudimentary, like an infant learning to speak.
Subject claimed ancestry to the Smirnoff lineage. No way to verify claim any longer due to complete destruction of region. Reached Branson on the tenth day, but the area was blasted clear to the bed rock. Came under Corporation attack soon after reaching area. Withdrew without locating any more survivors. Subject, named Thomas, handed over to command at base.
Of course, the news that Thomas was related to the great Yakov was met with great skepticism. In battle he proved himself as brave and ruthless as that short and swarthy lot he claimed heritage. In the right light he might have even passed as a descendent. The image of a valient Yakov had been honed through the centuries into a heroic and virtuous figure and Thomas seemed intent on recreating that legacy. Little else remained of the man, though some small bits of his brilliant oratory skills remained, mere glimpses into his more whimsical and human side. They were traits apparently not passed on to this ancestor.
Thomas' exploits in battle certainly were enough to get him recognized, and even praised, but Thomas’ career might well have ended there. He might have run out his days as a zealous commander, but for one powerful attribute: Ruthless ambition.
Indeed, there were many who would have, quietly to themselves, characterized it as murderous ambition. There were not a few who took offense when he described himself as prince, whose destiny was to rise as king over the rebellion, and thus taking his ancestor’s rightful place. Rivals met with mysterious demise, fell in suspicious Corporation ambushes, as though someone had tipped the enemy, or succumbed to some ailment or other-usually resulting in a fiery crash that erased all possible evidence. Critics and enemies met even harsher fates. Branded as traitors, often with transparently forged evidence, the poor souls who ran afoul of Thomas were summarily executed or simply disappeared.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Angry Jasper: Thirty-five
They had come to kill Jazz, men from Thomas’ mysterious and infamous elite guard. There could be no loose ends, after all. There should be no chance that anyone would interfere with Thomas’ rise to power, or his ultimate plan. It wasn't personal. These were the burdens of power. For political power is an animal that saw in every ambitious man a threat, and every honest man a liar. Perhaps most dangerous of all was a man of unknown character. Jazz was, for Thomas and the rebellion, unknown, and most certainly a character.
The guard Jazz had left unconscious in the cell was just coming around when the men arrived. He feigned a dumb smile and winced at the pounding hurt pulsing through his head. Truth of it was, the poor fool was terrified and trembling worse than he could ever recall. The look of these men, their faces like costume death masks, their putrid smell and merciless eyes brought to mind all manner of hideous fates. They were only confirmed when the commander noticed the open cell door and fumed.
“You let him escape!”
“I, uh, they must have jimmied it somehow,” the guard swallowed hard.
“And how did he overpower you?” the commander shouted, the tones and frequencies of his voice seeming to split and tear themselves in two before coming back together.
The guard looked to each of the men, his throat sudden too dry and hollow to speak, even if he could form a semi'cohesive excuse. The commander’s eyes were as black as night, like a cat’s eyes at night. The guard instantly thought hybrid, but then saw something else that caused him to stumble backwards. He bumped into one of the others and saw that same thing in his eyes as well. The breath fled from his lungs, and he knew what was about to happen.
“What a day,” he groaned as something appeared from the commander’s side. It was a blur really. It reminded him of, well, a spider’s leg, but was far too fast to see clearly. In the blink of his eye the guard’s head was separated from his body. Strange, the poor fool thought as his head tumbled through the air, he was still cogniscent of what was happening. Oh, there was ample confusion, to be sure. The blur of landscape and shadows processed slowly in that confusion. The best he could figure was that he was spinning in midair, rather than sailing across the passage way. As luck would have it he landed forehead first against the thigh of his dying body and rolled upright so that he was looking directly at the commander. It wasn't the commander though, but something….At that moment the world faded to a painless and merciful darkness.
“I want the bounty hunter found,” ordered the commander. “Whatever it takes.”
“Commander,” said one of the others, “there was a boy in the cell also. I assume...”
“Both of them. Bring them both to me, whole or in pieces, but do not fail me on this!” snapped the commander. He glanced down upon the guard's head, and into those lifeless eyes. He spit and kicked the head hard, connecting at the right temple. The head sailed away into the shadows where, unseen, it smashed against the wall with a sickening splat.
The guard Jazz had left unconscious in the cell was just coming around when the men arrived. He feigned a dumb smile and winced at the pounding hurt pulsing through his head. Truth of it was, the poor fool was terrified and trembling worse than he could ever recall. The look of these men, their faces like costume death masks, their putrid smell and merciless eyes brought to mind all manner of hideous fates. They were only confirmed when the commander noticed the open cell door and fumed.
“You let him escape!”
“I, uh, they must have jimmied it somehow,” the guard swallowed hard.
“And how did he overpower you?” the commander shouted, the tones and frequencies of his voice seeming to split and tear themselves in two before coming back together.
The guard looked to each of the men, his throat sudden too dry and hollow to speak, even if he could form a semi'cohesive excuse. The commander’s eyes were as black as night, like a cat’s eyes at night. The guard instantly thought hybrid, but then saw something else that caused him to stumble backwards. He bumped into one of the others and saw that same thing in his eyes as well. The breath fled from his lungs, and he knew what was about to happen.
“What a day,” he groaned as something appeared from the commander’s side. It was a blur really. It reminded him of, well, a spider’s leg, but was far too fast to see clearly. In the blink of his eye the guard’s head was separated from his body. Strange, the poor fool thought as his head tumbled through the air, he was still cogniscent of what was happening. Oh, there was ample confusion, to be sure. The blur of landscape and shadows processed slowly in that confusion. The best he could figure was that he was spinning in midair, rather than sailing across the passage way. As luck would have it he landed forehead first against the thigh of his dying body and rolled upright so that he was looking directly at the commander. It wasn't the commander though, but something….At that moment the world faded to a painless and merciful darkness.
“I want the bounty hunter found,” ordered the commander. “Whatever it takes.”
“Commander,” said one of the others, “there was a boy in the cell also. I assume...”
“Both of them. Bring them both to me, whole or in pieces, but do not fail me on this!” snapped the commander. He glanced down upon the guard's head, and into those lifeless eyes. He spit and kicked the head hard, connecting at the right temple. The head sailed away into the shadows where, unseen, it smashed against the wall with a sickening splat.
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