M. Short's Blog, page 7

Dark Space

Christopher having a restless night rose from his bed looking at his clock on the nightstand glaring 0400 hours. He thought to himself, “This is going to be a long day. I should try to get more rest.”

While the argument raged in his head, to rest or not to rest, the not to rest side won in short order. He rose from his bed toward the sonic shower to try and wash away the thoughts that haunted him last night. He emerged from the shower slightly refreshed, being able to gather his dreams and lock them away in his emotional box once again.

As he put on his flight suit artillery rounds were firing at targets on the surface of Planet 623. During the shelling he grabbed a bowl of his favorite cereal, drenched it in something that looked and tasted like milk.

As he sat there eating his cereal the shelling grew in its intensity. Under his breath, “I guess I need to wrap this up they will be here soon.”

He grabbed his helmet from the table next to his quarters’ door and exited his room, walking toward the Star Fighter hangar.

Now, in his Star Fighter, helmet on, canopy closed, he prepared for launch. Then the light in front of his Star Fighter illuminated, after which hurled him into the dark space to protect his Battle Starship from hostile Space Fighters. Another day of cheating death set before him. As he engaged the enemy Space Fighters he prayed the same prayer he had prayed for the past three years, “Lord get me out of this alive one more time”.

An Unwilling Author

After being medically retired my world as I had known it vanished. I centered my life until that time around my flying and my family. Fortunately for me, I has a family that supported me and picked me backup when I was down.

My grandson Anthony one day showed me a video game he was playing on his tablet. It was a 6 vs 6 game with robots battling other teams. It looked interesting and Anthony was wanted me to play on his team and I just can’t say no to my grandchildren.

So, Anthony and I played together. After some months Anthony’s focus turned to other games, but I kept playing.

Soon I found myself in the top tier of the game and included into a Clan. The Clan was a great bunch of guys that enjoyed the game and the comradery of the members as much as I.

We would play and talk on discord for hours with players from all over the world. Here I found once again the comradery that I missed from my days of flying.

This new comradery inspired me to write a short story, which I shared with the rest of the Clan. Once they read the first story they were asking when I was writing the next one? One story soon turned into 5, then 20, and then finally 49 short stories.

When I finished the short stories, the Clan asked when the book was coming out.

Now, as an unwilling author, I self-published my first book Cry Havoc on KDP. As my medical condition took its toll. I could no longer play, but I continued my writing.

Now I enjoy the comradery of other indie authors and those that enjoy my books.

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MY KRYPTONITE

In 1978 I was flying helicopters in the Gulf of Mexico for the oil and gas industry working seven days on and seven days off.

With my two daughters age seven and four. My time home was important to me, my wife and my daughter.

My daughters were my kryptonite. I tried to be strong and say no but with those enormous eyes looking up at me I grew weak. The only words that I could utter were, “Sure you can.”

But as Superman had to shield himself from his kryptonite, so did I.

I found my shield on the first day I returned home. from my seven days at work. As I entered the house my daughters came running to me, “Daddy, Daddy can we do go to the water park?”

There surround by not one but two pieces of kryptonite. I could feel my strength flowing out of my body, then suddenly their mother appear as if by magic, “I told you girls since you did not do you chores you would not go to the water park. And you mister we need to talk.”

The girls walked away disappointed, but my shield was not yet firmly in place. After the girls left the room my wife turned to me, “You’re gone for seven day and I am the one making all the decisions. You cannot just waltz in here and tell the girls they can do something when I’ve specifically told then NO. From now on you and I will debrief as if you are still in the Army each time you come home. Until we conclude our debrief, you will tell the girls nothing. Is that Clear?”

With the shield was secured, no longer did I suffer from my KRYPTONITE. Afterwards when the girls came to me I stood strong and said, “Ask you mother. If it is OK with her, them we can.

Life Lesson #38

The Sick Stag

A Stag had fallen sick. He had just strength enough to gather some food and find a quiet clearing in the woods, where he lay down to wait until his strength should return. The Animals heard about the Stag’s illness and came to ask after his health. Of course, they were all hungry, and helped themselves freely to the Stag’s food; and as you would expect, the Stag soon starved to death.

The Moral of the Story: Good will is worth nothing unless it is accompanied by good acts.

Been there. I even have the t-shirt.

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The Chicken or the EGG

Through time many have vigorously discussed which came first, the Chicken or the EGG. The subject has not yet been settled. I would conjecture that there was not one chicken but two chickens were first, one hen and one roster. For it takes one hen and one roster to insure the continuation of the species. Now while a hen lays eggs daily, the roster is tirelessly trying to fertilize each egg.

A hen’s work is dust to dawn but a roster’s work is never done. Today, if you peer into a barnyard you may see dozens of hens but only one roster, exhausted barely able to move, but the dedicated roster even at the point of death will not cease, will not falter he will carry on his sole mission in life even if it kills him.

And so, my theory is the question is not which came first the Chicken or the Egg, but how many hens and how many rosters can before the EGG?

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The Magical Bean

There may be others out there that may disagree with me, but for me this magic bean is the most sought after bean in all the world. This magic bean has been associated with religion. Possessing the ability of sustaining the one who drank the fragrant brown liquid during fasting of Ramadan. This magical bean has also been associated with the birthday of Mohammad were stories account Mohammad was given the magical bean by the Arch Angel Gabriel as a drink to replace wine which was forbidden in the faith.

From its origins in the country of Ethiopia this magical bean has founded many legends in the world. One such legend revolves around a disciple of  Sheikh Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhili’s, named Omar. Known for his abilities to heal the sick through prayer was banished from Mecca to a desert cave near Ousab city. There, starving, he ate red berries on a nearby shrub. They were bitter to him, so he tried roasting them only to find the berries very hard. Next, he boiled them and from that magical bean flowed a fragrant brown liquid sustaining Omar’s life for many days. When the stories of the magic bean reached Mecca Omar, was asked to return and made a Saint.

Sufis in Yemen used the beverage as an aid to concentration and thought the magical bean a spiritual intoxication when they chanted the name of God. They used it to keep themselves alert during their nighttime devotions.

Similarly, this magical bean was banned by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church some time before the 18th century then reinstated in the mid-19th century.

This magical bean also noted by the merchant Philippe Sylvestre Dufour in the 10th century CE. Then by a Persian physician know as Rhazes in the West, but information on the preparation of the beverage derived from the magical bean dates several centuries later. He found that among its properties was that it drove away fatigue and lethargy, and brought to the body energy and vigor.

This magical bean coffee bean is now found in many parts of the world and enjoyed by millions daily.

Sniff, Sniff

As a special teams pilot in Vietnam flying for the Battalion operations (S3) I was always subject to some odd missions even for the Army. One such odd mission was a Sniffer Mission. Yes, I did said Sniffer. The Army tried many things in Vietnam with helicopters, but a sniffer mission, that was the onecraziest yet.

On this mission we were to survey, with this sniffer machine, an area in Tay Ninh province. close to the Cambodian border. There were reports of battalion size movement in the area, but hunter killer teams could not find them moving in large formations. So, the next illogical step was to try and sniff them out.

A sniffer machine works on tracing ammonia smells that is given off by human and animal perspiration, but in order to have the machine detect these ammonia odor, I must fly the aircraft at 40 knots and on the treetops. At this altitude and airspeed the helicopter is in the kill zone for small to medium weapons fire. Regardless to say I was not a happy camper pulling this mission.

The morning of the mission I landed at 0700 hours in Tay Ninh City at the compound of the Blue Max, a company of hunter killer teams, to have the machine attached to my helicopter and pick up my gun escort. As the machine was being installed, they briefed us about the survey area and the type of grid search pattern they would use. When the briefing concluded, the sniffer machine was ready to go. I took off for the search area with one Cobra gunship and one OH-6 LOCH. When we reached the area myself and the LOCH descended to the treetops and slowed to 40 knots of indicated airspeed.

Our grid search started along a dike line and would continue north to the Cambodian border. But we never made it that far. After only 100 yards along the dike, we had a big hit on the sniffer, but no weapons fire. The operator of the machine said, “Go around and come back over this area again. I want to confirm this as a positive reading.”

As we made our turn back to the area the hair on the back of my neck was standing straight up and my butt cheeks had a tight hold on my seat. I barked, “Be ready boys.”

The hairs on the back of my neck never lie and they didn’t lie to me this either. When we came back over the contact area we were lit up. As soon as I heard the first round hit the aircraft I nosed the helicopter over to gain speed and get out of range of the weapons fire.

Over the radio you could here the LOCH driver exclaiming, “Taking Fire Taking Fire Identify smoke.”

The Cobra driver replied, “Roger, I have Goofy Grape.”

LOCH said, “Confirm Goofy Grape. Put your rockets just south of the smoke.”

Cobra replied, “Rolling in hot.”

As the Cobra was firing rockets into the contact area my self and the LOCH took up a position clear of the area. I confirmed no wounded and all engine instruments in the green.

The Loch driver asked, “Have you had your cherry popped?”

I replied, “Twice. “Why do you ask?”

Loch said, “Well, you just made your third time. Looks like your tail boom has taken a whole clip of AK rounds.”

I replied, “Great. When we get back to base the crew and i can play connect the dots.”

Cobra interjected saying, “Ladies you ready to go back to base? I need more rockets.”

Afterwards troops were called in to sweep the area. And my crew, we called it a day.

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Are There?

As a science fiction writer, I dream up aliens all the time. But are there aliens really out there on their own world wondering, are there really aliens out there? NASA tells us that there are possibilities of 500,000 to possibly one billion systems that could have a planet with earth like conditions.

Let’s just take the smaller number of 500,000 star systems possible of sustaining Earth like conditions on one planet in the system. Now for those of you who are scoffing at me, what if NASA told you there is a possibility of 500,000 rocks with a five dollar bill under it on Earth, how many of you would be looking under rocks? Possibilities of alien life is too great to say there are no such things as aliens. People just like you and me. Not the weird looking aliens I or any other sci-fi writer could dream up. People made in Gods image like us. They may even speak French, or some other weird language. But they would be aliens, right?

Now if you watch Ancient Aliens and I do, but with a salt shaker by my side. The program presents you with ancient cave and rock paintings depicting alien visitations along with numerous accounts of alien spaceship sightings. Maybe our ancestors were trying their hand at science fiction writing then as well, who knows. As for the sightings of alien spacecraft, your guess is as good as mine.

So, for the doubters out there let’s say that all of this is a hoax. There are no aliens traveling around on spaceships and the drawings are our ancestors’ first attempt at science fiction writing. I’ll give you all of that. But what if there are other people like us, in God’s image, on a big blue ball, not traveling around in spaceships? Just sitting in their living rooms watching the news about their Hubble telescope peering into space and the possibilities of alien life in the galaxy. Would you thinking change from not there to are there?

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Can’t take it with You.

My Grandfather told the story of a miserly man that wanted to defy nature and indeed take his riches with him. When the miserly man became ill he ask for his two trusted employees and the local Priest to attend him at his bedside.

When the three were by his bed he gave each a case containing one third of his wealth. After placing the case full of money in each one’s hand he said, ” Upon my death before they close the casket you all are instructed to place the cases into the casket.” Each one nodded in agreement and left with the cases.

Two weeks later the miserly man died. All three were notified of the miserly man’s death and were given the time and place for the funeral. As the service was coming to a close all three men placed their cases in the casket. At the repast the two employees went to the Priest.

The first employ with a bowed head said, “Priest, I must confess. I took out two thirds of the money that was in the case before I placed it in the casket.”

The second employ interjected in a remorseful tone, “I must admit as well, I took one half of the money in the case before I placed it in the casket.”

The Priest shook his head and said, “I am disappointed in you both. I placed a check for the full amount in the case.”

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What do you call Flies in Honey? DEAD!

Flies & the Honey an Aesop Fable

A jar of honey was upset and the sticky sweetness flowed out on the table. The sweet smell of the honey soon brought a large number of Flies buzzing around. They did not wait for an invitation. No, indeed; they settled right down, feet and all, to gorge themselves. The Flies were quickly smeared from head to foot with honey. Their wings stuck together. They could not pull their feet out of the sticky mass. And so they died, giving their lives for the sake of a taste of sweetness.

The Moral of the Story: Be not greedy for a little passing pleasure. It may destroy you.

When I read this fable by Aesop it reminded me of the times in my life when instant gratification had dealt some nasty blows to me and my family. One must always consider the consequences of their actions. Actions and consequences are linked at the hip. You cannot have one without the other imposing either pain or enjoyment. Good thought-out actions produce great consequences. The inverse is true for those of us who do not do our research.

One may ask how can you research a decision or much less an action that needs to be done in seconds not days? The answer. Your mind is the fastest computer on earth. A simple question of one’s self could be, “What happened the last time I did this?”

Small toddlers know after touching a hot plate not to do it again. Pain, either through personal experiences, observing others pain personally or reading stories of one’s pain can be great lessons not soon forgotten. As we grow older these lessons of either physical or emotional pain collect in our memories which can be recalled in milliseconds. When making a decision to act or respond to a personal conversation just ask yourself the one simple question, “What happened the last time?”

Your brain will respond quickly to your request. Don’t ignore these memories. They are videos of your life. What do you call a person who watches the same video expecting a different ending? Answer: A FOOL.

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