tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24948682627087175332024-03-08T13:02:54.425-08:00Poems by GregI write poems to pass the time, and sometimes it turns out well. Updates most weeks, usually on Tuesday.
2011 was a year for narrative works, generally using standard poetic tools.
2012 will be focused on homophonic and backwards/forwards pieces.Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-38782327524515698252014-06-17T12:26:00.000-07:002014-06-17T12:26:01.473-07:00Chapter 13<div id="yiv9387098914yui_3_16_0_1_1403020282373_2793" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
Chapter 13</div>
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From the diary of the documentarian:</div>
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The weeks following the hostage situation at P LADS were chaos. Not only did the world have to learn to live with unicorns and werewolves, but the religious gods, all of them, were back. And they were pissed at having been suppressed for a millennium or so. Alien worship (by humans or otherwise) was not tolerated. </div>
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Those that would not renounce their faith in the space-faring, "gods," suffered a variety of fates. The God of Abraham turned them into salt. Hades put some down with Sisyphus. And so on. The Raeliens did not fare well.</div>
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The Watcher did not like learning that it was expendable, and joined forces with Earth. Every Watcher in the universe soon came along. It turns out that The Watchers also had abilities that had been suppressed. They have a hive mind and a shared memory, both of which are instantaneous over any distance. This is scientifically impossible, so the visitors replaced it with a slower, but understood, form of long-range communication. Part of the shared memory was erased so that The Watchers didn't know what had happened. </div>
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Of course, that changed when the suppression devices in our solar system were destroyed. The Watchers remembered everything. The Watchers had originally been a crab-like species. As they entered into the Industrial Age, they were enslaved by a time-traveling civilization. The Watchers were heavily modified to observe while using very little energy, and to stay dormant indefinitely after energy ran out. When the time-travelers returned, The Watchers filled them in on what had been happening. The time travelers left once and never returned. The Watchers went dormant, and were later recovered by, "the gods," and used for essentially the same purpose. After a review of letters and other information sent from the future, it looks like one of The Watchers was behind the entire timeline shift. </div>
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Other races had stories of magic and fairy tales, and came to visit Earth to see if their old stories had any truth to them. Most of them stayed in our solar system. A few races came in warships after hearing that the visitors wouldn't help us, but they surrendered quickly when actually gods tore their ships into shrapnel. </div>
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Before the visitors came, Earth was a lonely planet full of bickering people believing in things for which there was no evidence. The visitors opened our eyes to a multitude of living worlds, cured cancer, feed the hungry, and gave many something tangible to believe in. Now the real gods are back, and Earth has suddenly become a multi-racial force in the galaxy. </div>
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A lot has happened in the last couple of years. It's going to take a long time to really absorb all of it. Tomorrow, I'm interviewing an angel. </div>
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Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-81561070723985654802014-06-10T10:36:00.003-07:002014-06-10T10:36:22.040-07:00Chapter 12<div id="yui_3_16_0_7_1402411856119_10" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px; padding: 0px;">
Chapter 12</div>
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From the diary of the documentarian:</div>
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I was in the right place at the right time. I was waiting to speak with someone at PLADS, the Planetary Laser Asteroid Defense System, when a determined group of armed men and women forced their way into the facility, taking hostages, including myself. They said they knew that I would be there, because they'd been getting letters too.</div>
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The gunmen led us into the control room, which they quickly seized. PLADS is also a communication node for The Watcher, and a connection was established.</div>
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The gunmen knew I was doing a documentary on the visitors, and at that point had me start recording. </div>
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"We have control of the laser and are entering targets. Put us on with one of your gods. Now."</div>
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"It will take a few moments to establish a connection. Please wait."</div>
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After a minute an image of one of "the gods," appears. It's floating, as they tend to do, with its atrophied muscles, cybernetic attachments, cloud of nanintes, and force-field bubble. A visitor, in all of its grotesque glory. </div>
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"No, not that mind talking- out loud. This will be documented."</div>
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"If you fire on us or one of the Followers, we will destroy the facility you are in. If you fire at The Watcher, we will not return to your planet."</div>
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"What, The Watcher is expendable?"</div>
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"We salvaged their race. An individual is insignificant."</div>
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"Well, we're not aiming at anyone. We're going to fire on the compression devices you placed in our solar system. Both of them."</div>
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"Those are for safety. Your planet was extremely dangerous before those were in place. We recommend against doing that. If you do so, we will not come back to help you again."</div>
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"It's time for people to see the truth. Fire at the fire target."</div>
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The laser fires silently into the sky. After about twenty minutes, target hit is confirmed. The gunman doing the talking turns directly toward me. </div>
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"This recording is going to be heard around the world. Some of you might notice, just now, that you feel different. ESP, magic, other abilities are innate to humankind. The visitors have been suppressing these abilities in us for about a century. Also, the world now has a larger population. All those things that went bump in the night weren't just stories made up by ignorant peasants in the dark ages."</div>
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"It is impossible for you to detect that which you have just destroyed. How are you doing this?"</div>
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"Once, there was a future. Some of The Followers found out that you hadn't told us everything. They sent messages back to us, knowing that it would eliminate the future in which they lived."</div>
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"This may not be a stable paradox. Stop at once."</div>
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"Fire at the second target."</div>
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"We will maintain The Ten Thousand that travel with us, but otherwise we are terminating relations with your species. If your kind approaches us we will be forced to defend ourselves. Watcher, return to the Nexus for reassignment."</div>
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The image flickered off. The phone call to moon traveled at the speed of light, but took several minutes to be received. The laser had a more distant target. We all watched the screen that showed the laser heading toward the target.</div>
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A SWAT team and negotiators were outside the building. The gunmen promised that no one would be hurt and they would surrender as soon as the second target was hit.</div>
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Time passed. The laser, finally, hit the target.</div>
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That was the day everything changed.</div>
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Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-10508594270766115452014-06-03T10:21:00.003-07:002014-06-03T10:21:32.004-07:00Chapter 11<div id="yiv6236605545yui_3_16_0_7_1401807541807_12" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
Chapter 11</div>
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<br /></div>
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From the diary of the documentarian:</div>
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I didn't say anything during the interview because my opinions are not the point of a documentary. But, I thought Susanne was disturbing. Bald, naked, with artificial parts on here head and in her arm. Talking about nanites, little robots, racing through her body. An opera singer fluent in several languages that no longer has a desire to sing, and finds speaking distasteful.</div>
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She was renowned enough that the public knew about her. She gave the visitors a song and they cured her ovarian cancer, because she really wanted to have kids. Now she has no desire to have children, or any, "relationship," or, "drama."</div>
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<br id="yiv6236605545yui_3_16_0_1_1401807541807_2639" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401807541807_4677" id="yiv6236605545yui_3_16_0_7_1401807541807_12" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
Did the visitors have some way to measure awe when the chose The Ten Thousand? Did they gather the largest amount of genetic variation, or were they looking for the most obedient and the most zealous?</div>
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<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401807541807_4679" id="yiv6236605545yui_3_16_0_7_1401807541807_12" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
Susanne isn't the only one. Reports of others among The Ten Thousand tell similar stories. I might share a genome with them, but they don't seem human. They appearance and behavior is so... alien. They live forever and don't have pain. </div>
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Is that our future? While others might look forward to such radical changes, I'm a more old-fashioned. I can't get the image of Susanne out of my head. It gives me the creeps.</div>
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I got another letter today. Same crackpot handwriting. This one was short. It read, "You are not the only one that has received letters. The big change will happen soon. Be ready, you will have something new to document."</div>
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<br /></div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-69761069156994940512014-05-28T10:14:00.000-07:002014-05-28T10:14:07.161-07:00Chapter 10<div id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
Chapter 10</div>
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<br /></div>
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First, I would like to note some background on The Ten Thousand. They were chosen from a much larger pool of volunteers. We are told that the selection was entirely about genetic diversity. Even before the ships left, The Ten Thousand had already started changing. </div>
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The changes were minor on Earth. They had, "maximized their genetic potential," so that they would not have to worry about cancer, or multiple sclerosis, or schizophrenia, or any number of other maladies. In a few cases this led to changes in skin tone, more hair, less hair, weight loss, weight gain, and so on. The Ten Thousand saw these as minor, certainly nothing of concern compared to cancer. </div>
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Now follows the transcription for my talk with one of The Ten Thosand. They are on a ship orbiting a distant planet. This transcription has been edited for clarity, as the speech of the subject was difficult to understand.</div>
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Interview with Susanne Knopfler</div>
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<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3037" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2709" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Sorry if I'm hard to understand. I haven't talked since I left Earth."</div>
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<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3039" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2711" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Not even singing? You were a renowned opera singer."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2712" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3041" /></div>
<div id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"No, nothing. Too many languages. It's easier to just think and have the technology translate."</div>
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<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3043" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2715" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Do you miss it? Talking? Singing?"</div>
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<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3091" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2717" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"No. You might not understand, but physical vocalization seems clumsy. Vulgar, almost. Few races do so."</div>
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<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3095" /></div>
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"You look a lot different. Why are you naked?"</div>
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<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3097" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2721" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Oh? I didn't even think about that. Clothes get in the way of our enhancements. There's no need for them anyway. Temperature is controlled."</div>
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<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3239" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2723" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"You're not embarrassed?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2724" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3302" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2725" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Things are different here. There's no need for sex, The Gods have the human genome on file, they can produce perfect children whenever someone wants one. It's much simpler without the relationships and the drama, don't you see?"</div>
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<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3367" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2727" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"It sounds like society is a lot different up there."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2728" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3369" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2729" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"It makes me a little sad that we lucky few have been lifted up, but the rest of you are left behind in your old ways, without The Gods."</div>
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<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3371" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2731" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"What are those... enhancements?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2732" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3585" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2733" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"The neural head net provides shortcuts for synaptic pathways, as well as connecting us to the translation functions and so, so much knowledge."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2734" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3587" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2735" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Did that hurt?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2736" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3589" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2737" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Nothing hurts here. This on my hand, it's an IV port for nanites, among other things. The nanites maintain us. We might live forever."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2738" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3682" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2739" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"If you live forever, are there still going to be perfect babies being made?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2740" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3684" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2741" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"I don't know. I don't want children. The Gods have lifted me up, blessed me, and I'm too busy spreading the joyful news of The Gods to be thinking about children."</div>
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<br id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_1_1401206983714_3373" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2742" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"You've really changed a lot. How long have you been gone, relatively?"</div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_3360" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2742" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"I have lived ten years relative to the one you have lived since we left."</div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_3490" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2742" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Wow. You look younger now than you did then. If I didn't know you were about fifty, I'd guess about twenty."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2742" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_3492" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1401296598004_2742" id="yiv4644130907yui_3_16_0_7_1401206983714_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"I have The Gods to thank for that."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-21673936592633250872014-05-20T10:38:00.002-07:002014-05-20T10:38:52.276-07:00chapter 9<div id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
chapter 9</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
From the diary of the documentarian:</div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2778" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
The Watcher mentioned dimensional compression, just like that crackpot letter that came a few weeks ago. Coincidence or conspiracy? </div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2875" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
Anyway, off to the next interview. This should be a colorful one.</div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2877" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
Interview with Bud Spackle, found of The Guns and God Club</div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2931" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"I understand some of your members got arrested last year."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3124" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Yeah, some of our boys did. We weren't hurtin' nobody."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3128" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"There was a lot of gunfire, even a Howitzer."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3130" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"It didn't even scratch those demons. We should have been supported, not arrested."</div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3202" /></div>
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"Demons?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3204" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Yeah. Coming here, giving people whatever they want. What's the price? Calling themselves gods..."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3206" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"The Followers called them gods. They never referred to themselves."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3208" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"I don't give a damn. The Lord created us in His image. Those demons are after our souls!"</div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3402" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Your entire county agreed with you, as I recall."</div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3589" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"That's right. We're good God-fearing folk down here. The Devil can't come where he ain't welcome, and those demons never stepped a foot in out county."</div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3591" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Places that were helped by the visitors do seem to be better off, as far as health, economy, and quality of life."</div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3924" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"I'd rather have my soul. I saw a video of one of the actual so-called gods. Beelzebub, Lord of Flies. The bastard was surrounded by a cloud of flies! It's clear as day they're evil."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_4028" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"It was explained that those were nanintes, which work in tandem to maintain their bodies indefinitely." </div>
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<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_4138" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"You can't believe anything from the Father of Lies! If they come back, we'll shoot at them some more!"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_4250" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Last question: what do you think about The Ten Thousand?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_4252" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Fools. They're not being taken, 'out among the stars.' They're heading straight for Hell, pure and simple."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_2590" id="yiv9654403123yui_3_16_0_7_1400598807166_13" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yui_3_16_0_1_1400604197991_3126" /></div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-13748778888971320862014-05-13T12:36:00.003-07:002014-05-13T12:36:18.285-07:00chapter 8<div id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
Chapter 8</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1704" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
The Watcher is a satellite left by our visitors. It monitors Earth as it orbits, and is capable of communicating directly with the visitors. It also serves as a source of information and something of an ambassador, communicating with people at several communication nodes around the world.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1706" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
Interview with The Watcher, communication node 7</div>
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<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4001" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1708" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"A lot of people have wondered: are you alive?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1709" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4093" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1710" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"I am sentient."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1711" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4141" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1712" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Is that the same thing?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1713" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4143" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1714" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"I was not placed here to debate philosophy."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1715" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4145" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1716" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Okay... are you a machine?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1717" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4203" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1718" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"I am antonymous." </div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1719" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_10_1399995429464_40" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1720" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"You can do whatever you want?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1721" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_10_1399995429464_44" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1722" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Correct."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1723" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_10_1399995429464_48" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1724" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Why do you stay?"</div>
<div id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_10_1399995429464_52" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1726" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"My purpose is to serve The Gods that repaired me. In return they will take my consciousness into the next universe."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1727" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_10_1399995429464_56" /></div>
<div id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"I thought The Gods made you. We have heard there are Watchers orbiting other planets."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1729" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4373" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1730" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"The Gods did not create, they maintain. We were dormant when found."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1731" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_10_1399995429464_65" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1732" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"What exactly is your, 'purpose?'"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1733" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4375" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1734" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"To watch. To communicate if necessary."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1735" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4469" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1736" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"What would make it necessary?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1737" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4471" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1738" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"A newly evolved sentient lifeform. A scientific advancement that The Gods do not already possess."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1739" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4897" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1740" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"That doesn't sound like anything that will happen anytime soon. Can you communicate with The Followers on the ships?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1741" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4899" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1742" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"It requires more resources. I am talking to many of your kind right now. You would have to schedule an appointment."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1743" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4904" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1744" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"How many people are you talking to."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1745" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_4906" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1746" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"35,047."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1747" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_5041" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1748" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"It would be nice to see how The Ten Thousand are doing. How do those ships work, anyway?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1749" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_5057" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1750" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"The ships are surrounded by a protective bubble of time and then compressed into a three-dimensional representation of this universe. They travel and then return to four dimensions."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1750" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1750" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Wow. Can you talk to them when they're, uh, compressed?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1750" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1750" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"No. But during much of the time you perceive, they are performing missionary work."</div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1750" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yui_3_16_0_1_1399998942006_1750" id="yiv4986524664yui_3_16_0_1_1399995429464_3825" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
"Thank you for your time. Now, about that appointment..."<br /></div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-70243147424056546742014-05-06T10:09:00.004-07:002014-05-06T10:09:34.145-07:00Chapter 7<br />
<div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2582" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
Chapter 7</div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2583" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3684" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2584" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
Interview with Dominic, prime minister of Haiti</div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3713" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<span id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_3668">"So, tell me about </span><span id="yui_3_13_0_9_1399394270117_18" style="font-style: italic;">la vigne</span>."</div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2864" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"<span id="yui_3_13_0_9_1399394270117_26" style="font-style: italic;">La vigne</span> was my gift from the gods. I sang them a lullaby and told them my family was hungry. They gave me a seed to plant."</div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2867" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Just one seed for this giant plant?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2871" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Yes, just one."</div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2873" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"How fast did it grow?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2875" /></div>
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"Very fast. Within two years it was the only vegetation on our island."</div>
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"The only? What about the island's ecosystem?"</div>
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<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2956" /></div>
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"You think I give a shit? The Dominicans on the other half of the island bitch about <span id="yui_3_13_0_9_1399394270117_46" style="font-style: italic;">la vigne</span>, but for us Haitians it was a blessing."</div>
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<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Do you worry about having an alien plant covering your island? Are there risks?"</div>
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<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_3083" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"It's not dangerous, it's nutritious. Everyone has enough to eat now. My family, we didn't always have food. Sometimes we would mix dirt with shortening and salt, fry it, and eat it. Now we eat all we want, and have plenty to export."</div>
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"Do other countries allow the import of such an exotic food?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_3183" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Some don't. Many do. Have you had it? There's nothing else that tastes quite like it."</div>
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<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_3285" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Still, don't you ever miss the birds, the insects, and the other animals that used to live in Haiti?" </div>
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<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_3321" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Do I miss the songbirds? I guess. But it doesn't matter. The gods took samples of every living thing. They could recreate Haiti, as it was, in a day if they wanted to. Besides, they're carrying all of that DNA in their databases, into eternity."</div>
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<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_3431" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"So, for you, there is no significant downside of having your island overrun with one species other than humans."</div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_3545" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1399394270117_2585" id="yiv4051072228yui_3_13_0_1_1398787272630_3677" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Correct. We are doing much better than we were before. We are the richest nation in the Caribbean. Your country has a saying, 'Don't look a gift horse int he mouth.' Well, this is better than a horse. It has much better flavor."</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-43211739624184677602014-04-29T08:59:00.001-07:002014-04-29T08:59:08.359-07:00Chapter 6<br />
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chapter 6</div>
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From the diary of the documentarian:</div>
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I received a strange letter in the mail today. It was strange, first of all, that someone would send a hand-written letter, but that's not all. It was dated about three-hundred years in the future. </div>
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It's probably someone's idea of a joke, or someone hoping to get mentioned in the documentary. Or it's from a conspiracy nut. Lots of people did not trust the visitors.</div>
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<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398784270013_3036" /></div>
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Anyway, the letter, purportedly written on a remote multi-species research colony by a very old member of The Ten Thousand, said that magic was real. Gods were real, too. As well as telepathy, angels, vampires, and spontaneous human combustion. </div>
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The letter goes on to explain that the visitors are purely 4th dimensional beings, actual gods and other mythological beings are purely 5th dimensional, and we are somewhere in the middle. The visitors, of course, have suppression devices scattered throughout the universe to, "compress," things into four dimensions. </div>
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It says the visitors can't figure out how the magic of the fifth dimension works, so they fear it. They would fear us, too, if the suppression devices were systematically destroyed. With magic, we may be able to save all of our race, not just ten thousand. Don't trust The Watcher!</div>
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<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398784270013_3395" /></div>
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Blah, blah, blah. Lots of amazing stuff in that letter, but there's no evidence to back up any of it. Like I said, probably a bunch of crap, but still the most interesting things I've read lately.</div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-62082372009267395762014-04-22T14:24:00.001-07:002014-04-22T14:24:34.376-07:00chapter 5there's so much pollen that I get itchy every time I go outside. so there's two chapters today as a result of being coped up.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3910 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2568 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2431" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
Chapter 5</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3911 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2569 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2432" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
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Interview with Dan, a Follower that stayed on Earth</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3913 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2571 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2434" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3470" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3914 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2572 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2435" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Is your name really Dan?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3915 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2573 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2436" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3480" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3916 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2574 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2437" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"It is now. You humans don't have enough teeth to pronounce my birth-name."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3917 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2575 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2438" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3508" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3918 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2576 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2439" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Why did you stay behind?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3919 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2577 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2440" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3510" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3920 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2578 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2441" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Your planet reminded me of home."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3921 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2579 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2442" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3512" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3922 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2580 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2443" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Why is that?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3923 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2581 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2444" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3514" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2582 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2445" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Clouds. Weather. The star rising every day. I had grown to miss the sky. There is no sky in space."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2583 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2446" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3995" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2584 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2447" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"What do you do here?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2585 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2448" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3997" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2586 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2449" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"I'm a local attraction. You humans pay to see me, talk to me. I'm one of the few Followers that stuck around."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2587 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2450" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4075" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2588 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2451" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"You have told others that you are dying. Don't The Gods have ways to prolong life?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2589 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2452" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4087" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2590 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2453" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<span id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_10_1398189448718_30">"We don't call them gods. We call them </span><span id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_10_1398189448718_46" style="font-style: italic;">gnoshkth</span>, The Mighty. They have a some eternal life... techniques, but it is not our way. Our culture is full of conflicts, and fighting for life by yourself is the honorable death."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2593 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2456" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4186" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2594 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2457" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Have your people been Followers for very long?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2595 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2458" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4496" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2596 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2459" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"No. I was young when we met <span id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_10_1398189448718_55" style="font-style: italic;">gnoshkth. </span>We were an empire back then."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2598 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2461" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4571" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2599 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2462" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"There's no more empire?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924
yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2600 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2463" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4675" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2601 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2464" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"No. When <span id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_10_1398189448718_67" style="font-style: italic;">gnoshkth </span>came, they freed all of our slave races, and helped them in various ways, like they did for you humans."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2603 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2466" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4937" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2604 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2467" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"That must have been difficult, losing all the slaves."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2605 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2468" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4941" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924
yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2606 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2469" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"It let to... a disagreement. There was war, briefly. When our entire fleet was destroyed, we were impressed."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2607 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2470" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4943" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2608 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2471" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"That's when your people became Followers?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2609 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2472" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4946" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2610 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2473" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Around then, yes. We have a saying, 'March with the strongest clan.' That was them."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2611 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2474" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4948" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2612 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2475" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Did your people start using slaves again after the mothership left?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2613 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2476" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4950" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"No. A Watcher was left behind, just like yours. Also, we'd been given an automated workforce. No more slaves, just robots."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_3219" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"How did it feel when the empire fell?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_3368" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"It was odd. We crave battle and conquest and domination. I'm not the only one that misses being among powerful clans, fighting for supremacy. But after <span id="yui_3_13_0_5_1398199839223_31" style="font-style: italic;">gnoshkth</span> left, we had no need to pillage. All of our people had everything they required."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_3859" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"I've heard that your people aren't as loyal as other Follower races. Is that true?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_4019" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"For now, we follow The Mighty. If we find someone stronger, we'll join them and go back to the old ways. We are at, what do you call it, a cease fire."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_4183" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"A cease fire with The Mighty?"</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_4185" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2614 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2477" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"A cease fire with everyone. Even you humans. Perhaps one day your people will bow to us, but I won't see it. I'm dying. It's really my only regret about death."</div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2615 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2478" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_4952" /></div>
<div class="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_3924 yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398195107474_2616 yui_3_13_0_1_1398199839223_2479" id="yiv8252848458yui_3_13_0_1_1398184830003_3428" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br /></div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-58979009554834898212014-04-22T11:35:00.003-07:002014-04-22T11:35:28.119-07:00Chapter 4<br />
<div id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_4522" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.66666603088379px;">
Chapter 4</div>
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<br /></div>
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Interview with Sandra Cook, injured veteran</div>
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"So, you went to the visitors?"</div>
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"Yes, I did."</div>
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"Why?"</div>
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"I lost an arm and a leg in the war. I had some prosthetics, but they weren't perfect. People were saying that the aliens would help people who brought them gifts."</div>
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"Some people said they would answer prayers."</div>
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"Yeah, well, people said it a lot of different ways. Me, I'm a Wiccan, and I think they just like to help people."</div>
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"What did you give them?"</div>
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"A bottle of wine I'd been saving for a special occasion. Things didn't get more special than those days."</div>
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"Did you go on the mothership?"</div>
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"Oh, yeah. One of The Followers took me up and fixed me up real good."</div>
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"What was the ship like?"</div>
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"Meh. I didn't see much of it. Hallways, doorways, lights... nothing very otherworldly about it."</div>
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"Did it hurt when they performed the, uh, procedure?"</div>
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"Not a bit. I was scanned as I walked to the procedure room. I only knew that because The Follower told me. He was one of the weird ones, looked like a pine tree on tentacles."</div>
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"What did they do?"</div>
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"Well, first Mr. Pine Squid said me in an empty room, and he went off with the bottle of wine. About ten minutes later he came back with an arm and a leg for me."</div>
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"Ten minutes?"</div>
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"Ten minutes. I had my phone with me. I'd hoped to take some pictures, but I didn't see anything particularly interesting. Pine Squid apolgized that it took so long, said there was a line at the synthesizer."</div>
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"Then what?"</div>
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<span id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_9_1398179068697_99">"The body parts he brought fit perfectly. It didn't hurt at all, they just sort of adhered to my stumps."</span></div>
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<span id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_9_1398179068697_101"><br id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_5185" /></span></div>
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<span id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_9_1398179068697_106">"Were they real, you know, muscle and bone?"</span></div>
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<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_2630" id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_4522" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"I don't know what they were. Or are. At first they were cold, rubbery, and albino-pale. But! They worked just like my original limbs had. No more hook hand or teeter-knee for me!"</div>
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<br id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_5191" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_2632" id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_4522" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"I can't tell where these prosthetics are attached."</div>
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<br id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_5193" /></div>
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"They're more than just attached, they're permanent. After a week, they had the same color as the rest of my skin and started growing hair."</div>
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<br id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_5311" /></div>
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"Are they any different than your other limbs?"</div>
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<br id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_5313" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_2638" id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_4522" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"No, mine aren't. I know some people asked for super strength and stuff, but I just wanted to be whole again."</div>
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<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_2640" id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_4522" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"What do you think happened to the wine?"</div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_2641" id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_4522" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
<br id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_5565" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_13_0_1_1398189448718_2642" id="yiv7402332356yui_3_13_0_1_1398179068697_4522" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 18.399999618530273px;">
"Haha... they drank it? They synthesized it? I hope they enjoyed it. They helped me get my life back, and I'm thankful. I pray for their safe journey."</div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-34218090896138053202014-04-15T12:23:00.001-07:002014-04-15T12:23:33.856-07:00chapter 3the last story I worked on, I looked stuff up. My characters followed actually highways through actual towns. I figured out travel times, checked out weather averages, and looked up other stuff like filtering radioactive water. it was somewhat tedious. <div>
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it's a lot quicker when you just make everything up.</div>
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chapter 3</div>
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Interview with Claude LeBlanc, former bishop in the Raelian church</div>
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"Can you tell us what the Raelian church is?"</div>
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"Raelians believe that humans were created by extraterrestrials, who guided us with messengers such as Buddha and Jesus. One day, if our society becomes peaceful, the extraterrestrials will welcome us."</div>
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"You no longer believe in that?"</div>
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"One of the first things our visitors established was that they were not the creators of all things. They made it quite clear. For me, this was too much at odds with a basic Raelian tenet."</div>
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"But a lot of Raelians were enthusiastic. They were among the first to apply to be in The Ten Thousand."</div>
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"People of many religions, not just Raelians, chose to emphasize part of their beliefs and ignore others to link the visitors to their faith system. Judeo-Christians pointed out that their God lived in the heavens above, and liked the promise of salvation, even if it didn't quite line up. For the Hindus, several of The Followers resembled gods and demigods. And so on."</div>
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"Tell us about The Ten Thousand."</div>
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"The visitors determined that a population of ten thousand humans would be genetically sustainable. They had a lottery for those that were interested in leaving Earth with them, to act as missionaries and to bring humanity with into the next universe."</div>
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"The next universe?"</div>
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"Yeah, that's another thing that got twisted around to fit different ideologies. The visitors told us they came from a previous universe. When it was nearing its end, they found a way to remove themselves form existence, and re-emerge in the middle of the following universe. Buddhists glossed over some of that and called it enlightenment. Some Christian groups mashed it up with eternal salvation."</div>
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"Previous universe? How can they, 'leave existence?' How old are they?"</div>
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"They claim this is their fourth universe, and they started taking Followers with them in their third universe. This would make them billions of years older than we are. As to how they could leave existence, well, you know how they are."</div>
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"How's that?"</div>
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"They don't get into the details. Powered by thousands of stars, and blip! They disappear, and then blip! They come back in a younger universe. It's like the technology they left behind, we were shown how to use it, but not how it works."</div>
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"I think we might be straying off topic with all of this. Did a lot of Raelians leave the church when you did?"</div>
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<br id="yiv7645445101yui_3_13_0_1_1397577553075_3814" /></div>
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"Yeah, I wasn't the only one. We'd been visited by, 'The Gods,' and dozens of races in The Followers, and not one of them claimed to have created us."</div>
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"Did you seek to be one of The Ten Thousand?"</div>
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"No, I didn't. I'd just lost my religion. I figured I needed to find something to believe in here on Earth before I had any business heading to Heaven."</div>
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Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-40251817433019040992014-04-08T14:40:00.004-07:002014-04-08T14:40:46.253-07:00Chapter 2<br />
here you go, in all its unedited glory. I couldn't think of a cool thing to end on.<br />
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Chapter 2</div>
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Interview with Mike Blum, Professor of Neurobiology</div>
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"So, Professor, did the were the aliens really telepathic?"</div>
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"I... don't care for the term, 'telepathic.' It's been popularized in comic books and science fiction as an evolved method of communication, but The Gods achieved this strictly through advanced technology."</div>
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"Is that like a universal translator? Like Star Trek?"</div>
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"No. The Gods said they will learn our languages as they travel to the next sentient planet, but they didn't use translation software. In our own history, when two or more groups interact, the language of the dominant group is learned. When Rome ruled Europe, everyone spoke Latin. Native Americans now mostly speak English. And so on."</div>
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"Has anyone learned to speak the language of the visitors?"</div>
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<br id="yiv7376637785yui_3_13_0_9_1396975630238_44" /></div>
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"I'm not sure. That's not really my area."</div>
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"So if they didn't speak our language, we didn't speak theirs, and they didn't communicate with some evolved telepathy, what's left?"</div>
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"Technology we can comprehend but are not advanced enough to replicate. You see, when I speak, your ears hear it. Your brain attaches meaning to words and phrases and tone of voice. The Gods sent minute electrical pulses directly to our brains, bypassing the ears and the brain's interpretation of words. Communication in the most direct form, freed from language entirely."</div>
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"Electricity to the brain? Is that dangerous?"</div>
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"It could be, but The Gods seem to have mastered the use of it. No people or animals are known to have died as a result of speaking to the followers or The Gods. I've personally studied dozens of brains and could not find a hint of damage. Our bodies send out electrical signals to do just about everything, and The Gods found the perfect amount of volts and amps to interact with us."</div>
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"Okay then, how did they understand us?"</div>
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"Sensitive sensors did the same thing in reverse. They could scan our brain and interpret the electrical signals it made as we formed sentences. They did the same with elephants, dolphins, primates, crows- anything they deemed intelligent enough. Again, communication without language to get in the way. It's really quite remarkable."</div>
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"Everyone remembers when one of The Followers was invited to a talk show and said, 'The Gods can see through your eyes and ours.' Do you remember that?"</div>
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"Yes, I do."</div>
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"What did that mean? Did they mean it literally, and is that even possible? A lot of people felt a little uncomfortable, like they lost their privacy."</div>
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"Yes, I think it was said literally. If they can understand what electrical impulses in our brain mean as far as communication, then it's quite possible they can interpret the electrical signals in our optic system. It's still a matter of debate, but that's what I think they meant."</div>
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"Does the thought make you uncomfortable?"</div>
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"I find the idea more fascinating than uncomfortable. They might have looked through the eyes of every living creature on Earth without any of them feeling a thing. I think it's a bit intimate, in a way. How can you know someone better than to literally see through their eyes, or hear through their ears? Could they feel our pain, or share in our joy?"</div>
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"That's all good theory, but what about it? The visitors left lots of gifts behind, do you think we'll learn to use them soon?"</div>
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"I don't think those of us on Earth are going to be able to reverse-engineer anything in our lifetime. There are a lot of brilliant people working on it- I've even taken a crack at those scanners they used- but it's way beyond us."</div>
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"What about The Ten Thousand?"</div>
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"Who knows? They left with the mothership. They might have already been taught all sorts of amazing things. You'd have to talk to The Watcher to know anything like that."</div>
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"Do you think The Watcher is alive? As a neurobiologist, do you have any theories on how it thinks?"</div>
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"I've never talked to The Watcher. It doesn't sound alive from what I've read, but no one's sure if its partially or entirely robotic, or some sort of lifeform we simply don't have locally. I have no ideas on how it thinks. This stuff The Gods left behind is going to take a long time to figure out. We're going to have many generations of people asking the same questions that you are today."</div>
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Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-88491044966824008172014-04-01T16:07:00.002-07:002014-04-01T16:07:59.044-07:00new story, chapter 1<br />
I'm starting a new story today, and should be adding a new chapter about every week. I'll say that it's loosely similar to World War Z in that it's transcriptions of oral interviews. The subject matter is completely unrelated, and since I only read World War Z once (eight years ago), there's probably not going to be many similarities in style. <br />
<br />
Anyway, here's the first chapter. I don't have a title yet.<br />
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When the aliens came to Earth, there was no invasion. They weren't interested in body-snatching, or laying eggs in our stomachs, or plundering the planet's resources. They did not enslave humanity, secretly infiltrate our governments, or blow up the white house. The aliens, in their myriad shapes and sizes, came for a completely different reason. They came as missionaries. </div>
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I have taken in upon myself to create a documentary about our year with, "The Gods," and their followers. I will interview people from around the world to show the different ways that people reacted. </div>
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Interview with Barbara Henkel, asteroid hunter for NASA</div>
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"Hello Barbara. Thank you for meeting with me," I began.</div>
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"Yes, of course. What did you want to know?"</div>
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"Were you the one that spotted the mothership? Did anyone have any idea what it was?"</div>
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<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2827 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2547" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
"Yes, I was the one that spotted it. It was crossing the solar system very fast- and it was huge- and headed right for Earth. You must remember how big it was; once it entered our orbit it was like a second moon."</div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2828 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2548" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2829 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2549" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
"Yes, I remember. What did you do after you spotted it?"</div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2830 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2550" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2831 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2551" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
"I think I said, 'Holly shit!' If it had been an asteroid we'd all be dead. There was no time to do anything about it; that Bruce Willis moive was all nonsense. Then I called a few people; we have to report that kind of thing."</div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2832 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2552" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2833 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2553" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
"Then the emergency broadcast went on, right?"</div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2835 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2555" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
"Yes! The window before impact- what we thought would be impact- was about fifteen minutes. Me and my colleagues spend most of our time looking through telescopes at nothing, and suddenly I reporters were on the phone asking questions, and it was live on television! Every station!"</div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2836 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2556" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2837 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2557" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
"What did you say on the broadcast?"</div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2838 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2558" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2839 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2559" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
"Not much. I could say that something huge was coming at us fast, but there was no time to speculate on the composition of the object. I couldn't offer any advice to survive the impact, because that would have been impossible. I know NORAD hiked up their threat level; but that was just for show. The reporters asked a lot of questions I couldn't answer, and then the mothership decelerated at a fantastic rate shortly before it would have struck the planet."</div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2840 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2560" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2841 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2561" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
"Did you suspect aliens at that point?"</div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2842 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2562" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580
yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2843 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2563" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
"I didn't know what to expect, everyone was excited and scared that day. Once it stopped moving everyone could look at it, and the reporters moved on to other experts. A lot of people figured it had to be something alien, but me, I didn't care, I was just happy it wasn't an asteroid."</div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2844 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2564" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2845 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2565" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
"What did you do after the ship was in our orbit?"</div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2846 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2566" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2847 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2567" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
"I went back to work. Something amazing had just happened, and I didn't want the moment to be ruined by some rogue asteroid that no one had eyes on."</div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2848 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2568" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396377076654_2580 yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396392805119_2849 yui_3_13_0_1_1396393364639_2569" id="yiv8635441967yui_3_13_0_1_1396370616878_2597" style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 13.600000381469727px;">
<br /></div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-90236380877393288812014-01-14T07:53:00.002-08:002014-01-14T07:53:48.760-08:00Chapter 9Chapter 9<br />
<br />
<br />
They took 34 north, through more
mountains, to give a wide berth to Boulder and Denver. The mountains
interfered with radio waves, so they were alone. They noticed more
and more animals, from bison to bear to fox, that were flourishing in
the new world. Some were clearly mutated. Some were animals that
they hadn't seen outside of zoos.
<br />
They drove right through Ester and
Lyons, though a few people did wave. At the larger town of Loveland,
they were stopped by a group of people holding a sign that read,
“Welcome, Lewis and Clark!” “They spelled our names wrong,”
complained Louis.
<br />
They mayor of Loveland led the group.
Word had been spreading over the radio of two guys driving around,
and the mayor had been expecting them. He eagerly asked to look at
their map. “We sent a few scouts in all directions when the long
winter ended,” the Mayor explained. “Most of them didn't come
back. We don't have the speed that you have, or a Geiger counter.”
Many townspeople copied the map and gave them gifts in return. Some
would head the way that Clarke and Louis had come from to seek family
and oppurtunity. Others asked fro rides and deliveries further along
the way.
<br />
This became more common with each
community they came upon. A map with a safe route was connecting
isolated groups, and they were all looking for something. In Fort
Morgan they were stopped by a group of about fifty men in Harley
Davidson attire riding bicycles. One of them did the talking for the
group. “I'm Spike. We run a delivery route between here and
Weldona, and we'd really like to know about more safe routes. We
love these roads, but we would love to have a larger range.” The
Harley Davidson riders had been riding together on the way to a
convention. They had all traded in their hogs for pedal power, and
the two communities they helped loved them.
<br />
Clarke and Louis took much longer than
anticipated to get near Topeka. They were giving rides to strangers,
swapping stories, and making deliveries that weren't too far out of
the way. They had become radio famous, and everyone they met wanted
a look at the map. Before, they had just been two college kids with
a cool car project. Now, they were really making a difference.
“Maybe someday,” Louis mused, “we'll even be internet famous.”<br />
<br />
Clarke did most of the driving because
Louis loved playing around with the Geiger counter and changing their
course as needed to avoid hazards. On a rainy day, with batteries
running low, they were stopped in Manhattan, Kansas by an unhappy
looking fellow under a Sponge Bob umbrella. Louis questioned the use
of an umbrella in the land of a pineapple under the sea as Clarke
rolled down the window. The man had news about Topeka.Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-37464852074464103102014-01-14T07:52:00.002-08:002014-01-14T07:52:37.131-08:00Chapter 10After significant delay, I've finally gotten back to this story. This is the last chapter. I'm going to edit the entire thing a few times before I call it finished, but I'm not going to edit every blog post with edited versions. If anyone is interested in the complete, edited, finished final copy contact me through facebook or other means.<br /><br />Chapter 10<br /><br />First the man led Clarke and Louis into
the city hall, where a welcoming committee sat. Topeka had not been
nuked. Their buildings and infrastructurewere intact, but everyone
was dead. Some country had, for some reason, aimed chemical weapons
at Kansas. Wanda, the mayor, lamented the pristine buildings full of
goods that could not be accessed. “Doesn't mustard gas, or
whatever, dissipate over time?” asked Clarke.<br />
Wanda didn't know. An old timer that
introduced himself simply as The Veteran said that they didn't know
what the places had been hit with, so they didn't know how long it
would take before Topeka was safe. Or if it would ever be safe.<br />
Next a man and a woman addressed
Clarke and Louis. This meeting had clearly been practiced. The
man spoke first, pointing to several specimen jars on a shelf, “We
kept track of animals that ventured into Topeka. We collected
several that died at various intervals after leaving Topeka. Someone
should be able to analyze them.”<br />
The woman cleared her throat and took
over, “Our daughter, Cindy, was studying chemistry and one of the
University of Illinois campuses. It was near the middle of Illinois,
but not near Springfield or anything very big. They're supposed to
have a pretty good chemistry program there.”<br />
Everyone in the room stared at Clarke
and Louis expectantly. Wanda realized it might be a little
unnerving, so she spoke up, “We'd appreciate if you could help us,
after coming all this way. I can understand that you might need some
time to think it over. Gretel, can you pu them up at the hotel for
the night?”<br />
Clarke and Louis were treated to a
generous dinner and a spacious room with a stocked fireplace.
Several bottles of wine had even been sent up to their room. “I
guess they really want whatever is in Topeka, “ Clarke mused.
“Yeah, they must love that orange stuff,” replied Louis. They
talked about it for a while. Champaign, Illinois was much farther
than they had traveled so far. They had, however, nothing but
support from each new town they came across. The car was in good
shape.<br />
“You know,” Clarke thought out
loud, “We did tell Emma we'd check out Ames, Iowa for her husband
if we were in the area.”<br />
They made their decision and had a
toast to celebrate.<br />
<br />
<br />
The townspeople stocked the car up
with supplies for the long journey and cheered as the two drove away.
They had a real plan now, not a vague notion of what happens after
college, not driving to a randomly chosen small city, but something
concrete. “We're on a mission from God,” Louis stated, after
they sang along to The Blues Brother's soundtrack. Louis and Clarke
were on the road, looking for a way across the country. Their story
had begun.<br />
It was a bright day, and how could it
get any better?Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-75598204259125866562013-11-12T10:43:00.003-08:002013-11-12T10:43:39.544-08:00Chapter 8<br />
This is the longest chapter so far. Ten chapters just might finish it out.<br />
<br />
<br />
Chapter 8
<br />
<br />
<br />
Clarke found a phone book at a
deserted gas station, “Lou, I can't remember the last time I
actually used a phone book.”<br />
“I know. This is just like it's
1984.”<br />
“The year, yes. The book, no.”<br />
“Didn't I tell you? I used to be in
the Big Brother/Big Sister program.”<br />
Granby was not a large town,(the sign
read 1663), but it had a mechanic with auto parts. A few townsfolk
helped them push for the last stretch. “I heard about you guys on
the radio!” A boy said. He wasn't helping at all, but tagging
along happily, “They said it was so sunny that your car went a
hundred miles an hour and jumped canyons all the way across New
Mexico!” Louis smiled, “We were trying to outrun the mutant
killer tumbleweeds.”<br />
Doc, of Doc's Auto, was lounging in
his garage, throwing lug nuts into a can and drinking whiskey. “What
are you doing?” Louis asked.
<br />
“Playing lug nuts. Point is to toss
lug nuts in a can without knocking it over.”<br />
“That sounds boring,” Louis
replied.<br />
Doc shrugged, “It don't take no
batteries like Game Boy. It's catching on a little bit, people are
buying lug nuts off me now. Been slow.:<br />
“Say,” began Clarke, “We have a
bent control arm that needs replacing. Could you help us out? We'd
be happy to do some work for you, run some errands, that sort of
thing.”<br />
“Well,” Doc slugged the rest of
the bottle down, and threw the bottle in to a rather impressive pile
of broken glass, “I could think of a few things. It's getting'
dark now, how 'bout you boys come back tomorrow morning around noon?”
Doc fished another bottle of whiskey from some corner of the garage,
“I got plans tonight.”<br />
“You know anywhere we can spend the
night? It gets chilly in these mountains,” Clarke asked.<br />
“You can stay in the liquor store
down the street. I moved all the hooch to my garage, so there's lots
of room for you two in there.”<br />
“Do you think he's going to fix it
right? He looks like a drunk,” Louis stated as they stretched out
in the dark liquor store. Doc had negelcted to take the snack items
out of the store, and they helped themselves to peanuts and jerky.
<br />
“I hope so, because he's the only
mechanic in town,” Clarke answered, “But it shouldn't take too
long. I don't think he gets a lot of customers lately.” They
bundled up and slept until dawn. They partly woke because of the
light beaming in, and partly because they were cold. They ate, then
headed back to Doc's to see what they could do. They knocked, but
there was no answer. “He might still be asleep. We can try again
in an hour,” Clarke suggested. Clarke hunched himself up and
wrapped his arms around himself to stay warm. Louis thought the best
way to stay warm was by doing cartwheels. A stray cat regarded him
uneasily.<br />
“Can cats do cartwheels?” Louis
asked, dusting his hands off on his jeans.<br />
“Of course not. Cats do catwheel,”
Clarke replied coolly.
<br />
They waited, and waited, and played
lug nuts with some kids, and finally, around noon. Doc opened his
door. At the moment he was hodling a can of beer. “Well,” Doc
said scratching his stubble, “I got some work for you boys
alright.” Clarke was tasked with tilling the soil where the
Dumpster and receiving bay had been. Doc wanted to plant corn to
make his own bourbon. Louis was sent in the yard to gather lug nuts
from wheels, as well as valve caps from the tires. “Lotta people
ridin' bikes now, and they can use these caps too!” Doc explained.
He liked working on bicycles. They were lightweight and simple, and
he made it sound like working on their car was a huge inconvenience.
<br />
Clarke had hard work to do, but it
kept him warm. Louis had a more leisurely approach, stopping every
now and then to talk to the stray cat and make cartwheel motions.
They worked for hours. In this same span of time, Doc had found a
car with a control arm that would work and got it up on jacks. After
that he sat in a chair and drank Jack Daniels. Clarke approached
him, “Are you goint to work on the car, or not?”<br />
“I'm feelin' a bit under the
weather,” Doc said, tapping the bottle. “It's not safe to mix
car jacks with Jack!” Doc laughed. Clarke did not.<br />
On their way to the liquor store, a
woman with two young children approached them. “I saw you sleeping
in there. Why don't you stay at my house? If you chop some wood for
me, I have a couple of couches by the fireplace.” The woman, Emma,
was having a hard time raising two sons without a husband, running
water, or toilet paper. They chatted with her, and found out that
Doc's cousin Larry had owned the liquor store. Larry had been out of
town for his honeymoon and given Doc the keys to the store, just a
few days before the world lit up.
<br />
The next morning they helped Emma
around the house. They had hours before Doc roused himself, and
Clarke had a plan. “Okay Louis, you're the affable one. I'm
thinking that you can be a drinking buddy for Doc today. Offer to
get him drinks all the time, make a lot of toasts, whatever. After
he passes out, we can fix the car ourselves. I don't trust Doc.”
Louis didn't like be deceptive, but he did like having a good time,
so he agreed to it.
<br />
As soon as the door was open, Louis
strolled in smiling. “Hey Doc! I got lots of lug nuts for you
yesterday, how about I get a few beers?” This sounded like a great
idea to Doc, certainly better than working on their car.<br />
“Sure thing! Beer makes the best
breakfast!” Doc laughed. Louis laughed. Clarke quietly grabbed
some tools and went out in the yard. The car on jacks was a junker
without an engine, but the front suspension was in good shape. He
removed the tires and rotors, and then went back to the garage for
some different sockets. Doc was already drunk, and telling Louis
about a guy in town trying to convert his bus to steam power. Doc
was so engrossed his alcohol-fueled conversation to notice Clarke's
activities.<br />
It didn't take Clarke very long to
finish removing the control arm. Just for good measure, he took the
tie rods and ball joints too. The ones on their car could very
likely have been bent or damaged as well, he wouldn't get a good look
at it until Doc was passed out and he could work in the garage, where
their cat sat. Clarke went back to the garage, where Louis and Doc
were singing, “Piano Man.” He shouted to Louis that he'd be at
Emma's house. Louis nodded and pushed another drink into Doc's hand.
<br />
Clarke helped Emma with a few things,
ate some lunch, and took a nap. Louis roused him a few hours later.
They only had a few hours before sunset, but they were so familiar
with their car that they had he front suspension replaced and
everything put back together before they had to turn on the work
lights. They lowered it off the jacks, happy. Doc snored on a beat
up chair.<br />
While they had been working, a heavy
snow had started. They decided to give it a try the next day when,
hopefully, there would be better visibility. It would be another
night at Emma's for them. Emma's husband had been away on business
when the bombs fell. “Where was he?” asked Louis.<br />
“Ames, Iowa,” was the response.
“But I don't think he made it. He was diabetic,” Emma continued.
Diabetes, or more accurately, people with diabetes, had nearly been
wiped out. The facilities that manufacturd insulin, if they were
still operating, had lost the global shipping and distribution
systems that people relied on. “If you're ever up that way, can
you show him how to get home? His name is David.” They all knew
the goal was Topeka, but Clarke said they'd ask around if they
changed their minds. Who knows? Topeka might just be a big hold in
the ground.
<br />
Doc was waiting for them at noon. “I
don't recall all the details, but it looks like I finished fixin'
your car.” Doc was drinking, as usual. Just how much booze did he
have left? “Tried to take it for a spin, but it won't start. I
think your solar junk might be broke.” Clarke gave a half smile;
it must have been the breathalyzer that kept the car off.<br />
<br />
“Well,” Louis said, “It's
because the steering whell is coded to our finger prints. It's an
anti-theft feature.” Doc had never heard of such a thing, but when
Louis sat down and it cranked right up, he was a believer. And so
they left Granby. Though it had only been a few days, that had been
their longest stop on the road to Topeka. They felt restless to move
past the drunk mechanic, the hard working Emma, and the stray cat
that, according to Louis, could be seen doing cartwheels in his side
mirror.Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-64084086439195872732013-11-05T17:49:00.001-08:002013-11-05T17:49:10.366-08:00Chapter 7Back on track this week. I also have a headstart on the next chapter, and an outline of what'll happen in it. I like to be a little ahead, makes things go more smoothly. <br />
<br />
Chapter 7<br />
<br />
<br />
They left at dawn, their electric
motor silently moving them along the empty highway. The mountains
would have set up a lovely sunrise, if it wasn't snowing. Clarke
rounded a corner and braked hard, swerving around a large animal in
the road. The car started to spin on the snow before stopping very
suddenly as the driver's side front tire smacked into a tree. A
little bit dazed, Clarke asked, “Was that a buffalo?!”<br />
“I think so. I've never seen them
in the wild. You know, the Indians were so eco-friendly, they ate
every part of a buffalo.”<br />
Nervous about the condition of the
car, and a tweaking a little from adrenaline,, Clarke only replied
with, “Whatever you say, Louis.” Clarke and Louis both got out
through the passenger door to inspect the damage. There was some
minor scratches to the body, a damaged solar panel, and, worst of
all, the control arm was obviously bent control arm. With the slope
of the road, the switchbacks, the inch of snow that had already
fallen, and possibly other fauna romping along, the car was not
driveable.
<br />
By the map, it looked like they were
only a few miles away from Granby, Colorado. Clarke volunteered to
push first, and they switched every half mile. One of the nice
things about their car, especially in the mountains, was the weight.
For a solar-powered car, the less weight the better. Most of the
body had been replaced with pricey carbon fiber paneling. The
gasoline engine, radiator, gas tank, and all the other typical parts
weren't present, because they used a simple electric motor. The
backseat cushions had been removed, along with cupholders, rear
seatbelts, and even the overhead light. Pushing a car through the
Rockies is hard work, but at least they had a little less to puch.<br />
“You know what's great about
horses?” Louis said between pants on one of his turns to push, “You
dno't have to push them when they break down. You just let them take
a nap.”<br />
“I'm glad that wasn't shown in the
Western flicks. Tombstone would have been really boring if half of
it was footage of sleeping horses.”<br />
“It would have been innovative!
Like panda cam, but earlier.”<br />
“Oh yeah. It would have been like
that thing on cellphones, when we had cellphones, shown on the
internet, which doesn't seem to work lately. Now that I think about
it, sleeping horses sounds like a great show. Hell, turn it into a
play. We can tour across the country.”<br />
<br />
Whoever was steering (their job was
arguably as hard as pushing) got to play with the iPod. They'd been
listening to the same music for over a year now, and on a whim Louis
tried the radio. They were surprised to find stations broadcasting
from numerous small towns. They heard local news of the communities,
live music from singers and musicians (Western music was making a
comeback in these parts), and, from Steamboat Springs, something
unexpected. “...and for listener's East of Steamboat Springs, keep
an eye out for an electric car. There's two guys trying to find safe
passage to Topeka, and if they're successful there may be a path for
the rest of us too. Wish them luck.”Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-62419415681938931842013-10-22T20:58:00.002-07:002013-10-22T20:58:23.988-07:00chapter 6I've been bucking the porcelain bronco the last few days and felt run down. I'm also preparing for a trip this weekend. In conclusion, just one chapter this week. Even as I write this stuff I'm struck with how different it will be after editing. Editing and revising is what takes boring rocks and makes them into pretty trinkets.<br />
<br />
Part 2: The Beginning<br />
<br />
<br />
Chapter 6<br />
<br />
<br />
Clarke and Louis headed Southeast,
passing through a number of towns as they drove away from the Salt
Lake City metropolis, eventually ending up on Highway 40. They'd
seen small groups of people as they passed, struggling but not giving
up. They waved, but didn't stop. They'd been cooped up for a little
over a year and it was nice to cruise along. The towns gave way to
hills, buttes, and flat desert. “I like big buttes and I cannot
lie...” Louis sang, mispronoung buttes. After a few hours they
stopped to stretch at Starvation State park. “Cheerful place to
stop. Lovely,” Louis said. Clarke tested the reservoir there,
and it was safe to drink so they filled up several empty bottles.
Clarke marked the reservoir as clean on his map.<br />
Clarke had been marking a lot of
things on his US highway atlas. Salt Lake City was crossed out with
an X. Detours were noted when they left to highway to avoid pockets
of radiation, or dormant traffic pileups. The fallout was spread
unevenly, moved by wind and rain. It tended to settle in low areas,
but there were no hard and fast rules. Their Geiger counter was in
constant use as they drove.
<br />
Returning to their car with the water
bottles, Clarke and Louis saw three men and two women leaning against
their car. “Uh, hi. We just came for some water. Who are you?”<br />
A man with dark sunglasses and a bow
slung over his shoulder smiled. “I'm a state park ranger here.
These other folks are on a long-term camping trip. Nice wheels,”
the ranger said, kicking the back tire. “Where you boys headed?”<br />
Louis just shrugged. “We're heading
East, to see if Topeka still stands,” Clarke replied.
<br />
“That sounds safe enough. You two
stay away from the Navajo Nation on your way. They weren't hit like
most other places. Most of them are alright, but some of the
younger, angrier ones are venturing out to pick fights and settle old
grudges.”<br />
“We'll keep that in mind,” Clarke
said. Louis, apparently bored with the conversational topics, was
drawing on the ground with a stick.
<br />
“Say, you wouldn't mind taking some
meat and fish to Duchesne for me, would you? It would save me
several trips on the bicycle, and my wife'll get you two some lunch.”
Clarke agreed and loaded the backseat with as much as there was
room. He realized that these people weren't really out here camping,
they were hunter-gatherers. Fish, forage, return to town to feed the
rest. A state park with a large reservoir could do a lot to help
support the town of Duchesne.<br />
They drove the short distance to town
and unloaded the prize. The wife indeed gave them a hearty lunch.
While Louis argued with the wife about the best Romero movie and what
her zombie escape plan was, Clarke studied the maps. They were far
enough away from Navajo country that he wasn't worried about any
troublemakers there. He knew they'd have to avoid Colorado, and
Boulder, and maybe even Colorado Springs. Just how many nuclear
missiles had gone off? There was no way of knowing. They would stay
on Highway 40 for quite a ways, and then turn onto Highway 34 to go
through the mountains well North of Boulder.
<br />
The air vents for the AC, along with
the vents in the trunk to regulate battery temperature, had been
thoroughly cleaned. The AC was off, though. “I heard that nuclear
winter would decrease world temperatures by ten degrees farfignugen,”
Louis said proudly. Clarke knew he meant Fahrenheit. Louis
remembered hearing that climate change had risen temperatures by ten
degrees in the last century. Nuclear winter seemed to be,
ironically, the quickest way to reverse global warming.
<br />
Clarke and Louis pass through the town
of Roosevelt and Vernal, seeing more groups of people looking for
food, looking for water, and looking hungry. Most of the next few
hours are open country and big skies, the same scenery the boys have
seen all their lives. “What are we going to do when we reach
Topeka, assuming it's in one piece?” Clarke asked. “Settle down?
Start a delivery service?”<br />
Louis ansered in his ussual fashion,
“We could be the fastest pizza delivery around! Way faster than
horses and bicycles.” The truth was, neither knew anything about
Topeka. They'd essentially picked a small city and figured the rest
would fall into place as it came.
<br />
They stopped for the day in Steamboat
Springs, Colorado. Population: 12,000. They followed some signs to
the Edgemont Ski-In, Ski-Out resort, where they found half of the
buildings frozen in the middle stages of construction. The completed
sections were large and impressive. No one was skiing. “I guess
it's not tourist season,” mumble Louis. They parked by the
entrance and went to see who was inside.<br />
Juanita was insdie. She explained
that the place was going to be a ritzy place for skiing tourists, but
they'd run out of both construction supplies and tourists. Clarke
and Louis made a deal to fill several gallon jugs full of water from
the river a few miles away in exchange for lodging (in one of the
finished rooms) and some food. When Juanita found they had a
vehicle, she found more containers to fill and kept them busy hauling
water for hours.
<br />
Over a dinner of rabbit, pine nuts,
and wild mushrooms, Juanita told them a story. “This story was
told to me by a young man pasing through. He was looking for
adventure. He said there was a bridge across a river far to the
South. Cars piled up in a gigantic crash. Story goes, both sides
were too busy watching the mushroom clouds in their rearview mirrors
to see what was right in front of them.”<br />
“Might be they couldn't see through
a duststorm,” Clarke offered, “Those blast waves stireed up a
mess of wind for months.” Juanita shrugged, “Perhaps, but that's
not very interesting.” She nudged some of the wood in the
fireplace. “The cities, the places we used to have stories about,
they're all gone. We need new stories now.”<br />
Clarke and Louis chatted with Jaunita
as the fire burned lower. After the sunset, there was little reason
to stay awake, and they had just gotten up to go to bed. “Wait, “
said Jaunita, “If you two tell stories to others, tell them about
me, and tell them about the bridge. It might spark a rush of
tourism,” she said wryly, retreating to her own room.<br />
<br />
<br />
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-85424204389879137592013-10-16T11:16:00.003-07:002013-10-16T11:16:54.071-07:00chapters 4 and 5Sorry, I know it's a day late. I was almost done with chapter six and was hoping to finish it yesterday to have a whopping three chapters at once, but then I started playing Blood Dragon. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It's turning out to be a young-adult appropriate story. No sex, no violence. Not sure if I'm going to ocntinue the story after Topeka or not. We'll see.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm going to reinforce a few themes in editing. Right now I know what they are but I haven't worked them in throughout in a comprehensive way. I suppose I'll have to write the story and fill in the finer things afterwards.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Anayway, chapters four and five:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Chapter 4<br />
<br />
<br />
BOOM<br />
<br />
<br />
BOOM<br />
<br />
<br />
BOOM<br />
<br />
<br />
Clarke woke with a start, his first
thought of bombs falling. As he turned on his light and woke up a
bit, he realized the sounds were coming from the barricaded store
entrance. Someone, or something, was banging on the doors.<br />
As far as “something,” Clarke
hoped it wasn't more rats. Rodents had found some way into the store
and were getting into the food. Some of the infiltrators looked
perfectly healthy, while others bore tumors and other reminders of
the world outside the walls. For lack of anything better to do the
refugees sppent a lot of time patrolling the grocery section, chasing
and trying to bash the invertible vermin. These extermination
efforts were not very successful.
<br />
Everyone that had been sleeping was
now awake (without daylight, people slept whenever they felt like
it). The group converged at the entrance, where Raul was arguing
with Steve. “He's gotta be a zombie. Look at him, shambling,
skinny, and his skin is all damaged. Maybe from bites” Out of the
gaps in the barricade one could make out a man, wobbly on his feet,
with red sores on his skin. He was bald, he was holding some kind of
box, and a puddle of vomit was at his feet. He looked confused, but
kept banging.<br />
“Actually, his symptoms are
consistent with radiation sickenss,” Steve started to explain. He
loved being the smart one in the room. His explanation was cut off
by the man outside, “Please! My cat!” He yelled, holding his
box a little higher. Clarke realeaized it was a cat carrier, with
some sort of sheet metal covering it. Lead? “We need to let him
in, Raul,” Clarke said. “He's not a zombie.”<br />
“But maybe he's a vampire!” Louis
chimed in, but it was obvious he was joking because he was
dismantling the barricade as he said it. “Is it safe to let him
in? Will he make us sick too?” A worried girl named Cindy asked,
holding her swelling belly. Cindy and Dave had been cashiers,
casually dating just a few months ago. Now Cindy was pregnant. No
one knew the anaswer to her question. The reading selection at their
disposal didn't cover these sorts of scenarios.
<br />
“Look,” said Louis, “He's dying
out there. In the movies they hose people down that have been
exposed to radiation. We might be able to help him.” The
barricade was shoved aside, the door was opened, and the man
collapsed forward. The box clattered as it hit the floor and a
startled yowl could be heard within.
<br />
The man, delirious, was taken to the
back and tended to as best they knew how. They imitated whatever
they'd seen in the movies, and put the man to rest on a pile of
blankets. The box was indeed lined with lead, and the cat, spared
the fate of its master, was released. Cindy named him Shabby Tabby,
and the vermin problems would soon be a thing of the past.
<br />
They took turns watching the man, who
was clearly deteriorating. Leafing through his wallet, Raul
announced that their non-zombie guest was named Aziz. Clarke and
Louis were playing cards near Aziz one night when he sat bolt
upright, “The car, I left it in the car!” Clarke and Louis put
folded their hands and tried to calm Aziz. “Don't worry, you're
safe in here. It's okay,” Clarke told him soothingly.<br />
Aziz kept agitatedly babbling about
the car. “Do you think he'll calm down if we show him our car?”
Clarke ventured. “Well,” Louis replied, “We'll try that first,
and if that doesn't work I'll get some Hot Wheels from the toy
department.” The two of them supported Aziz and led him toward the
garden center. Most of the others followed; something new was
happening, and that didn't happen much.<br />
When Aziz saw the car, he fell silent.
A curtain seemed to lift from his ruddy face. He said the first
coherent things since he arrived, “This winter won't last forever.
When the sun is back, you have to leave this place. You have to move
on, and show others- other survivors-” Aziz vomited on the floor,
and then collapsed, apparently drained by his moment of clarity.
Clarke and Louis looked at one another. Leave? To where? Show what
to survivors? They hadn't thought beyond the day-to-day tasks in a
long time.<br />
Two days later, Aziz died.<br />
<br />
<br />
Chapter 5<br />
<br />
<br />
Some people handled the dark quiet of
Wal-Mart habitation better than others. Donna had lost her family,
and had been pretty catatonic for eight months. The sky was now
clearing enough to distinguish day and night, but this did not cheer
her. She missed her family. She didn't know what to do without
them. One day she said she was going to try to look for them, and
walked out the door. Donna never came back.<br />
Cindy's pregnancy was obvious now.
Her and Dave had read the two books about babies at the store, and
asked questions to everyone. There was an anxiousness in the air,
and a tinge of hope. Sundays were reserved for casual spiritual
reflection for anyone that wanted to join in. For the most part,
everyone agreed that the world-ending events described in holy books
had not occurred. Therefore, the world hadn't ended. It went on,
and they with it.<br />
“It could have been The Rupture,”
Louis pointed out. “You know, the good people went to heaven and
Earth was left with atheists and outlaws. Shabby Tabby, THE BEAST!”
Cindy picked up Shabby, “This guy? He's way too cuddly. And I
think you mean the rapture.”<br />
“The Raptor? That sounds
horrifying,” Louis parried. Moods were certainly improving. Louis
insisted that sunflowers were sprouting in the garden center, and
told everyone how they'd power up the car. No one fell for it.<br />
“Where are you going to go when the
sun comes back?” Raul asked. “Probably to the East,” replied
Clarke. “California had a lot of major cities, so that's probably
a mess. Arizona and Nevada have massive fires every year withou the
help of bombs, so they're probably devastated too. North is
tempting, but there's a lot of open nothing in Wyoming and Montana,
and we might run out of supplies.”<br />
“I, for one vote that we go to the
place in Kansas. The one that makes that orange drink, uh, Tampico,”
Louis said. “Topeka?” clarified Clarke, “It might have been
spared, actually. That's not a bad idea, just don't expect any
oranges.”<br />
Over the last few months of nuclear
winter, Clarke and Louis ventured outisde with their Geiger counter,
helping find water, fertile ground, and safe areas for the ones that
would stay behind. Cindy gave birth to a boy, which Dave named
Wolfosaurus. Steve tried explaining why this name was inaccurate,
but no one listened. Dave and Cindy moved to a vacant gas station
just down the road to raise their family in.
<br />
In time seeds did sprout in the garden
center, and then outside planting began. Raul led Dave, Cindy,
Steve, Clarke, Louis, and the rest in starting over. Dubbed by Louis
as the Walmartians, they would make it. Especially if zombies came
to town.<br />
The car was moved back outside in the
warm, beautiful sun. Louis said he might have become an albino from
the extended dark period. Clarke ignored him and checked the air
pressure on the tires. Louis was cleaning the windows. The
batteries were recharged and the car was ready to go.
<br />
“Good luck out there. I hope you
find what you're looking for,” Cindy told them, holding Shabby
Tabby. Dave was holding Wolfosaurus. Goodbyes were said all around.
Clarke and Louis were looking for their way, the open road, and
maybe a safe haven of more than ten people.<br />
They headed East.</div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-84040979657340934272013-10-07T18:38:00.001-07:002013-10-07T18:38:45.422-07:00chapters 2 and 3this is easy to write. ideas just keep moving it along, and I had a few hours to type today. keep in mind, this is still a very rough first draft. A and B are now named Clarke and Louis, respectively.<br />
<br />
Chapter 2<br />
<br />
<br />
This was not part of the plan. Go to college, get a kick ass
job, and life is great. Nuclear bombs weren't part of the American
dream they'd been eating. They got back in the car, thankful for
sunglasses but still with blind spots from seeing one dozen suns.
They turned off the music; it wasn't helping.
<br />
“Do we have anything stronger than Coke?” Clarke asked,
leaning his head on the steering wheel. “No,” Louis replied
soberly, “The breathalyzer, remember?” The university had helped
come up with most of the funding for their solar-powered alterations,
and as a requirement of doing so demanded a breathalyzer be
installed. If breath had too high BAC, the engine would turn off, or
just not start.
<br />
“Damn,” Clarke said, “Just... damn.” He turned the car
back on, turned around, and sped back the way they had come. Their
families, their friends, their professors... everyone and everything
they knew was in Salt Lake City. They had to know what happened
there.<br />
Once they got back on the interstate, things slogged
considerably. Cars were packed on both sides, fleeing the city, or
seeking the city, everyone was looking for something. Safety. Loved
ones. Answers.
<br />
It was a quiet, slow journey. Clarke and Louis were both wracked
with tumultuous thoughts and fears. As they approached Salt Lake
City, the air became heavier with smoke. The general direction of
the city burned a dark orange with thick black clouds. Ashes started
to rain on the the windshield. Clarke turned on the wipers to see
better, but he knew this would ruin his air filter. Clarke sighed,
“Loius, I'm sorry but I have to turn off the air. These ashes will
plug up the air intake. I don't know if this stuff is radioactive,
so we should keep the windows shut too. It's going to get hot in
here.”<br />
With a grave expression, Louis reached to the pilfered Geiger
counter and pulled the tigger. It chirped immediately. Louis
frowned. “What's it read?” Clarke asked, worried. “100
microsieverts,” B replied, consulting the chart that came with it,
“The same dose as a chest x-ray, except this is continuous.”
<br />
Clarke pulled on to the shoulder, dazed, “Well... what do we
do? We're still miles away from downtown. Everyone we know is
further in...”<br />
“We have to turn around.” It was hard to see Louis acting so
seriously. He was usually goofy, “Salt Lake was obviously hit.
Anyone at the center is gone, and anyone much closer than we are is
going to be seriously irradiated.” They both knew they had to
abandon the people and places they loved. To do otherwise was
suicide, but it was still a heavy decision. They would never get a
chance to say goodbye.<br />
In a grim mood, Clarke got onto the opposite lane, and started
heading away. “We passed a Wal-Mart a couple miles back.” The
ash fell steadily and the skies, so bright only a few hours ago, were
darkening to a black hellishly lit by fires below. The Wal-Mart in
question was nearly surrounded by burning buildings, while somehow
not catching itself. A trick of the wind, perhaps.<br />
They would survive. Everything they knew was gone, and the
future, well... they couldn't think too far ahead. Despair hung
around their necks, longing, loss, and uncertainty. The Wal-Mart
paking lot was deserted. Apparenly when the world ends people don't
go shopping.<br />
<br />
<br />
Chapter 3<br />
<br />
<br />
Clarke, Louis, and about ten employees made up the entire
population of Wal-Mart refugees. Everyone appreciated the potential
value in a solar-powered car, so the first order of business was to
get the car indoors. It was just a little too big to fit through the
garden center doors, so the side mirrors had to be removed. The
battery was disconnected and the interior side panels were removed.
The speaker grill covers were take off, along with the speakers, to
expose the nuts holding the mirrors on. The car was rolled inside.
The doors were locked and barricaded to withstand the strangely
strong winds blowing outdoors<br />
Outside it grew even darker, and there was no power indoors. A
desperate lot, the refugees were quick to follow any leader. The
manager of the store, Raul, knew what to do, “Don't worry, I've had
a plan for this kind of thing since I started here pushing shopping
carts in.” They gathered flashlights and batteries so they could
see what they were doing, then Raul directed them to use the camping
stoves and salt to start curing all of the meat. They did this while
scarfing ice cream. The frozen stuff had to be dealt with now,
because the freezers had no power.
<br />
“See,” Raul explained, “Anyone that's seen Dawn of the
Dead, or played Left 4 Dead, or knows anything about zombies, has a
plan in case the shit hit the fan.” A single, middle-aged man with
no family, Raul had little reason to mourn, and, in fact, saw the
apocalypse as a bit of excitement far beyond the usual Wal-Mart fare.
<br />
“I totally had a plan for zombies!” Louis piped in, while he
and a few others used tools to dig a well in the floor of the stock
room. “I was going to go to one of those shrines with the eternal
flame, 'cause, you know, zombies are really flammable. Then I was
going to eat beans all day and easily eliminate any zombie that
wandered in.”
<br />
“Can zombies enter a shrine?” asked Clarke. “That's holy
ground, even if you were proudly flatulent.”<br />
“They're ZOMBIES, not vampires,” Louis chided, rolling his
eyes. After a few days, the fires had mostly stopped burning, but
the sky was completely black. Anyone passing in a vehicle might now
even see the store with the raging winds blowing ash all over. The
only way to tell time was by clock and calendar. Air temperatures
began to fall. Nuclear winter was setting in.<br />
Some of the refugees drank heavily, and for good reason. Raul
tried his best to keep everyone occupied. Everyone worked together
to dump bags of dirt onto the floor of the garden center and spread
seeds. Three was no sun now, but someday there would be, and the
glass ceiling there would make a perfect greenhouse. They had a few
bonfires in the garden center using wooden palettes. They cooked and
drank and drank and sang along to the iPod in the car until the
batteries in the trunk had drained.
<br />
After a few weeks, it was too cold to stay in the garden center
all the time. The group bundled up in clothes and blankets and
relocated. “Hey,” Clarke asked one day (or possibly night) as
the group played cards and board games. “I played <i>Fallout 3</i>,
and all the water was radioactive. How does this Brita water filter
fix it?”<br />
Raul didn't know because it
didn't involve zombies, but a somewhat awkward teenager named Steve
had the answer. “Well,” Steve said, snuffling his nose, “Water
isn't radioactive, it's particles in the water that are dangerous.
Activated carbon filtering removes the particles, and that's why our
well water, from an irradiated aquifer, is safe for us to drink.”
He looked proud to have chipped in. The poor kid really missed his
pet gerbil, and hadn't had much of a life off the internet before
now.<br />
<br />
There was no water pressure, so
pits were chiseled into the floor for toilets. When they were used
up, they were filled in and covered to contain the smell. A couple
of months passed with Raul as leading his motely bunch as best as
anyone could. Secretly, he hoped for a zombie or two to knock on the
door just so he could really feel like he was accomplishing something
amazing.
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-42889373907466414592013-10-01T20:26:00.000-07:002013-10-01T20:26:27.413-07:00On the Road (working title)I had an idea for a story (or a book if it goes long enough, we'll see) a year or so ago. I came up with a few ideas but never typed anything. I figured I'd give it a whirl. The base premise is two guys with a solar-powered car driving around what's left of America after nuclear winter ends. They'll meet interesting people! They'll hear interesting stories! Some humor will be in there along the way. We'll see how it goes. Here's the rough (no edits or revisions done) of the first chapter.<br />
<br />
On the Road (working title)<br />
<br />
<br />
Greg Thomas<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Part 1: The End<br />
<br />
<br />
Chapter 1<br />
<br />
<br />
It was the brightest day imaginable, how could it be better?<br />
A and B had just driven on to the salt flats of Utah. Their
solar-powered project car was a joint senior capstone, and this was
their third test drive. With the latest round of tinkering, their
goal was to get it up to a sustained fifty miles per hour for six
hours. A nice, leisurely test drive to finish their engineering
degrees.
<br />
On such a sunny day, they could drive until nightfall, and even
later with the battery reserves in the trunk, but there wasn't any
reason to. As long as they could show that the converted Ford Taurus
was a viable alternative to gasoline, they'd graduate with honors,
get great jobs, and make lots of money. At least, that was the plan,
and it was going well so far.<br />
“Why the hell did you bring a Geiger counter?” asked A, after
setting the car on cruise control. B was pointing the device in
every and making noises like it was a laser pistol.<br />
“Haven't you ever seen the movie 'Them?” Giant ants in the
desert. It's a classic. With this, I'll be able to see them
coming!” B explained.<br />
“If they're giant, ants couldn't we see them through the
windows?” A replied, turning the AC up a notch. He had grown well
used to B inanities.<br />
“Not if they're invisible. Radiation can do that, you know,”
B patiently pointed out.<br />
“I must have missed that lecture. Hey, pass me one of those
Cokes.” B grabbed two Cokes out of the cooler in the back and
popped the tops. They each took a nice long gulp.
<br />
There wasn't much to see out here. Mountains in the distance,
but otherwise just a huge expanse of flat glaring sand. A could
probably take his hands off the wheel, there was nothing to hit, but
there was the odd race now and again. Their car hummed along
wonderfully, with the passengers comfortably passing through the
wasteland.
<br />
“You know, I don't know how the settlers got through this
place. It's desolate. I don't remember it from in Oregon Trail,”
B wondered whimsically.<br />
“Dude, we're in Utah. Not Oregon.” Batteries were fully
charged from the sunlight. Speed had been maintained for one hour
now.<br />
“I think they're sister cities,” B said nonchalantly. “Hey,
we rigged this up to power my iPod over the weekend,” B said,
fishing an iPod out of his pocket. “Let's get some tunes going!”
Soon, Led Zeppelin was coming out of the speakers. B sang along,
“When the levee breaks, I'll have no place to stay...”<br />
A flash in the rearview mirror. “Was that lightning?” A
asked his companion, turning the music down. The brightness was
unbelieveable. A few seconds passed, then a brighter flash, from the
right. A turned off cruise control and stopped the car. “There
was only sun in the forecast...”<br />
They both got out of the car. B had the Geiger counter in hand,
but looked serious for once. They stood baking on the hard salt,
scanning the horizons. Bright flashes seemed to have sprouted all
around- but not lightning. Clouds were forming in dreaded mushroom
shapes. The iPod had been left playing, the doors half-open, “Crying
won't help you, praying won't do you no good...”<br />
<br />
It was the brightest day imaginable, and things could not be more
dire.Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-33396327298363052192013-09-10T19:39:00.000-07:002013-09-10T19:39:26.290-07:00Oh, Not You AgainI'm going with trite rhymes again this week. I'd like to have a conversation about why, use of rhyme, and so on, but this isn't a very good place to do so.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Oh, Not You Again</u></b><br />
<br />
I knew someone from there<br />
I can't remember who<br />
They bored me half to death<br />
(that is, at least, half-true)<br />
<br />
I don't recall just how<br />
Their little talk explained<br />
A single reason to<br />
Engage in their refrain<br />
<br />
With lengthy stories that<br />
Aroused no sentiment<br />
Another day had passed<br />
Another yawning spent<br />
<br />
Perhaps some sunny day<br />
We'll meet again, us two<br />
And you'll remember me<br />
While I've forgotten you<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-58138378244817493062013-09-03T12:27:00.003-07:002013-09-03T12:27:56.296-07:00One for the DogsMy mother suggested I write a poem about dogs. What is there to say? I kept things very simple; it could fit on a Hallmark card. The upside of predictable rhymes is that it took about five minutes to write. Perhaps next week I'll try something more challenging.<br />
<br />
<br />
One for the Dogs<br />
<br />
The wagging tail<br />
The lolling tongue<br />
The love of play<br />
The need to run<br />
The friendly eyes<br />
The fluffy fur<br />
A few things that<br />
I love dogs for<br />
<br />
I'll talk to him<br />
In loving tones<br />
He'll be right there<br />
When I'm alone<br />
I'll brush him soft<br />
I'll throw his balls<br />
We'll go for walks<br />
'Cause we're best pals<br />
<br />
<br />Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-39725045615709115142013-08-27T13:56:00.002-07:002013-08-27T13:56:45.545-07:00The Internet<b><u><br /></u></b>
<br />
<b><u>The Internet</u></b><br />
<br />
I found I found it founded<br />
(and not so carefully)<br />
In young confounded logic<br />
And multitudes of memes<br />
Within this social meltdown<br />
Of watching cats by day<br />
A very vocal billion<br />
With nothing much to say<br />
<br />
And don't forget the pornos<br />
Because they paved the way<br />
For tweets and likes and comments<br />
For boredom on display<br />
So keep your smart devices<br />
With all the internet<br />
Connect me to my footsteps<br />
They are more permanentGreg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2494868262708717533.post-28284378701645703512013-08-20T14:45:00.001-07:002013-08-20T14:45:18.306-07:00MonumentThe hardest part of writing is staring at the blank page with no ideas. After I get a line, a rhyme, a homophone, or something to begin, it's not so bad. Some weeks I come up with something I like. A lot of the time I find myself writing without a great deal of satisfaction other than keeping the tools sharp, so to say. <br />
<br />
In any case, this week's efforts keep sharp the tools of basic rhyme and meter.<br />
<br />
<div id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<b><u>Monument</u></b></div>
<div id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_56" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
I biuld a monument</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_57" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<span id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_72">For things that had passed through</span></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_59" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
A shifty gust</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_60" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
A migrant moth</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_61" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
A memory of you</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_62" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_76" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_63" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
And resting on the top</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_64" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
In Western-facing view</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_65" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
A followed whim</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_66" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
A brief embrace</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_67" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
A timpani of two</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_68" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_89" /></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_69" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
I built this edifice</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_69" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
Of sand and dusk and dew</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_69" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
For melted wax</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_69" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
For ended songs</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_69" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
For shifting motes of blue</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_69" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_69" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
The tide comes rolling in</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_69" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
To claim what rites it's due</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_69" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
My monument,</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_69" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
My sacrament</div>
<div class="yui_3_7_2_38_1377032311048_69" id="yiv1289019313yui_3_7_2_38_1377012793569_39" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;">
I knew it would pass too</div>
Greg Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04119198943019100657noreply@blogger.com0