Matthew S. Williams's Blog, page 154

Pappa Zulu – Chapter 38

“ In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins.”

-Ulysses S. Grant

Block by block, street by street, they proceeded forward. The convoy moved in a leapfrogging fashion, never daring to overreach their cover or extend their advance too quickly. It was just like their advance on foot from earlier, the addition of wheels doing little to alter the procedure.

And due to their recent tangle with an armored column, the task of guiding them forward fell to third squad. Positioned in front, Viper One Three saw to their advance, popping forward at intervals to scout the route and make sure no one was waiting to outflank them, or that they might accidentally chance upon a defensive position.

In third position, first’s vehicle idled one car length behind them. Whitman sat at the wheel and breathed steadily, looking pretty damn stressed at this point. Waiting on others to clear their path, all the while worried about buying it from enemy forces, was just the worst combination of tedium and worry one could ask for. At their windows, everyone else monitored their sectors, Saunders aiming her SCAR out the passenger side window and eying the Cypress trees that lined the nearest property.

Up above, Batista scouted their fore and periodically checked their .50 cal. The constant clicking was driving Saunders nuts. A single check was all that was needed before an engagement. Obsessively triple-checking was just likely to jam it up at this point.

“Mill! Cut that out, man! You’re driving everybody…” Whitman yelled. His face promptly blanched and he ducked his head. “I-”

Saunders raised her hand to him, not bothering to look. “Batista. You’re gun in working order?”

“Uh, yes ma’am,” he said back.

“Then leave it the fuck alone and keep your eyes open! There’s hostiles in the wind. Don’t want to be tinkering with your weapon when it’s time to start shooting.”

“Yes ma’am,” he repeated.

The incessant clicking and clacking stopped abruptly. And for next several seconds, they waited in silence, the engine idling and everyone feeling the palatable tension in the air.

Third squad moved ahead just then, having cleared another intersection without spotting additional hostiles. Second squad moved immediately thereafter and they proceeded up behind her, the entire convoy moving on ahead for another block or so. Still no contacts or sign of their friend from earlier, and they were getting close to the highway again, the big crossing point where things were expected to get dicey.

“All Vipers, this is Viper One Actual, start picking up the pace. We clear Sierra Romeo Six-Eight in less than five mikes, over.”

From the front, every Humvee in the line began to pick up speed. Their route was mapped out in advance, the next few turns all taking place through a series of side streets that would lead them to highway 68. It was just visible through a line of properties now, and for all appearances, it was clear. However, that could change quickly, in even less time than it would take for them to close the distance.

“Viper One Actual, this Viper One Five. Spotted LAV at our rear, sir.”

Saunders felt her heart spike. Her face flushed slightly, but felt very cold.

“Viper One Actual to One Five. Have they made contact, over?”

She waited fearfully for the response. She hated what her nerved were doing to her right now. At one time, she would have thought that fear was the worst feeling ever. She now knew better. Fear was normal, but when you couldn’t control it, that was the worst.

“Negative, One Actual. LAV does not have eyes on us.”

Saunders felt a wave of overpowering relief, the kind that was too intense to feel comforting. She wiped the cold sweat from her face and tried to breath easy. What the hell was the matter with her? Why was this proving so hard for her? Was it too much to ask that all this shit wait until after they were out of danger to fall on her?

Apparently so. Where the hell is Braun when she needed him? Suddenly, she worried that she had told him to back off too soon. She had no idea how he was dealing with Jones and Mill’s death, but if he had any kind of handle of it, she certainly wanted to know how.

“Alright, here we go…” Whitman said, his feet tapping anxiously on the floor. The Humvees were lined up at the last stop before they would make a run for it. Third squad pointed their bumper out from under the cover of the trees that lined their side street, the front end illuminated by the light of day. Their gunner turned to face north, everyone else monitoring their sectors and giving the NCO the all clear. He was sure to radio it back.

“Sierra Romeo Sixty-Eight is clear, sir.”

“All Vipers, move on up. We’re Oscar Mike until we reach the west side of town.”

“Alright,” Whitman said happily, hitting the gas as soon as the vehicles in front of them began to move. This time, there were no stops. From the cover of the side street, into the sunlight, and out on the open road. They struck a small bump as they got onto the road proper, Batista groaning as he was thrown sideways in his gun well. He quickly righted himself and came about to scan behind them.

“Awful quiet out there, for a change,” said Morris. “Anybody else get more nervous when that happens?”

“You and everybody else, Private,” said Majorca with a scoff. Whitman looked about ready to say something too, but stopped himself and simply shook his head. Saunders saw the look in his eyes and knew what he was thinking. It was the sort of observation Jones would make, the kind he would give him hell for. That was always the way of FNG’s, they always seemed to voice aloud the obvious sentiment the old soldiers knew from experience. Only now, it was someone else uttering those words, someone far more green than Jones had been.

In fact, Jones was only an FNG in the sense that he was the newest amongst them. He had earned his veteran stripes, and the respect of his colleagues. When the smoke and ashes had set on that last engagement of theirs, they had come to realize that it was his rocket that had finished off the Abrams that was firing at them. That move may have saved the LT and fourth squad, who had already taken losses from several well-placed Sabot and HEAT rounds. Word was, he might be getting a posthumous commendation as a result once they this was all over.

All that, and they had never let him forget he was the runt of the group. How fucking unfair was that?

It made one want to scream and yell at the new guy, make him understand exactly how unworthy he was of the departed soul he was meant to replace. But that too would be terribly unfair. Making the living feel bad about the fact that they were stepping into someone else’s shoes made no sense. They weren’t asking to fill their role, it was being thrust on them. That in itself was hard enough without anyone tearing into them constantly.

And, she thought, reminding him of how little he knew compared to the last guy wouldn”t alleviate the guilt she now felt. If anyone deserved to be yelled at, it was her. Or possibly Braun even. Or perhaps she should just blame the enemy, or whichever cocksucker had sent them into battle in the first place. Surely it was they who deserved to be blamed for all who fell now, seeing as how it was their decision to wreck shit up that had led to all the debacles of the day.

Who knew? Blame was like a coiled rope that way, extending farther and farther the more one pulled at it.

“Viper One Three to Actual, spotting the turnoff up ahead. Spotting additional hostiles setting up a roadblock, over.”

“Roger that, One Three. Combat deployment on my mark, prepare to engage, over.”

Saunders drew in another breath and raised her SCAR, opened the grenade breach to pop in a 203 round. The grenade trembled in her hands and she dropped it on the floor. Grunting, she reached down to fetch it.

“Alright, Sarge?” Whitman asked.

“I’m fine,” she barked, grabbing the grenade in a vice-like grip and slamming it into the breach. She slammed it shut and then wrapped on Batista’s leg. “Gunner, make ready. We got hostiles up ahead.”

He cocked his weapon, again, and replied in the affirmative. She could hear the sounds of weapons being brought to the ready behind her. Everyone was good to go and just waiting for the opportunity.

Once more unto the breach, she thought, with a curious set of comfort. So long as trouble kept coming their way, she wouldn’t have to focus on the shit that had gone down earlier. And if enough came at her, she might just forget about it altogether. Wishful thinking, she knew, but she needed something to cling to as they approached the next engagement.

Moon Probes End Mission With A Crash/Bang

As part of NASA’s ongoing Lunar studies, and perhaps to assist in the eventual creation of a lunar outpost, NASA’s latest Lunar satellites – known as Ebb and Flow – ended their mission with a crash and a bang on Dec. 16th, at precisely 5:28 p.m. EST, which was confirmed by the sudden loss of radio contact.

After launching back in September with the intention of mapping the gravitational field of the Moon, the satellites ended their mission by intentionally crashing down rather than waiting for the inevitable orbital decay. The purpose of this mission, which cost taxpayers a hefty $500 million, was to gain insight into the moon’s internal structure.

In what is known as a “targeted impact”, the flight controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory guided the satellites into the side of a mountain-like section of a partially buried crater rim near the moon’s north pole. After conducting their mission close to the Lunar surface, it was known that the satellites orbits would decay and they would eventually crash on their own.

With their fuel nearly exhausted and the mission’s scientific observations complete, mission managers opted to burn the last of their propellant and crash the satellites, rather than risk that they might one day fall to the surface at or near a so-called “lunar heritage site,” including six where manned Apollo missions landed and more than a dozen where unmanned U.S. and Russian probes touched down.

In addition to their compliment of scientific instrumentation, each spacecraft also carried cameras used by middle school students to photograph the lunar surface. This was all part of a project sponsored by Sally Ride Science, a science education company founded by the late shuttle astronaut.

The spacecraft hit the moon in darkness and even though they were moving at some 6116 km/h (3,800 mph), mission managers did not expect any observers on Earth to see a flash or any other telltale signs of the impact. But NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will be on the lookout for any signs of fresh craters during subsequent passes over the region.

Source: news.cnet.com

A Curiosity Christmas!

Hey all! It’s a new year, a new day, but hopefully, there’s still some holiday cheer to go around! And in that spirit, I thought I’d share some news which came in over the holidays concerning Curiosity’s mission to Mars. For the rover, Christmas was celebrated at a location dubbed “Grandmas House”. Well, technically it spent it at Sol 130, a designated point in an area known as “Yellowknife Bay”. This area is a small depression located in the geographic region known as Glenelg, some 400 meters from “Bradbury Landing” where it first put down.

It is in Yellowknife Bay that Curiosity has been engaged in searching for its first target site to drill for a rock sample. The purpose of this to test out the rover’s high powered hammering drill, a test which has been put off because the Mars Science Team feared that the rock samples at other locations were not optimal. But the Glenelg area – which lies at the junction of three different types of geologic terrain – features a different type of geologic terrain compared to what Curiosity has driven on previously.

While there, Curiosity snapped a series of panoramic pictures of the area, which NASA compiled into the photos seen here and at the top. The rover also used its the APXS X-ray mineral spectrometer, ChemCam laser and MAHLI hand lens imager to gather initial science characterization data on the region and its rocky outcroppings. As you can plainly see, Yellowknife Bay was aptly named, being quite similar in appearance to its namesake here on Earth.

Hard to say what Curiosity will find once its begins drilling, but NASA is sure to be raving about it, either way. Everyone knows those Mars Science Laboratory people can’t keep anything a secret, even when they’re not sure they’ve got anything. Yes, MSL, that was a veiled reference to that “Earthshaking news” story you got us all excited about. And to answer you’re next question, no, I haven’t gotten over it yet. Can’t you tell?

Stay tuned for more news from the Red Planet! And while you’re at it, check out the video below where MSL team member Colette Lohr, the Tactical Uplink Lead, provides the latest video update on the Curiosity rover.

Source: Universetoday.com, (2)

More Future Phones

The last decade has seen some real interesting developments in the field of digital technology and telecommunications. Perhaps too interesting! When one considers the kind of over-saturation  that has taken place with smartphones in recent years, not to mention the cavalcade of proposed concepts that are expected to take the field in the next few, one could get the impression that were moving too fast.

But that’s the nature of technological progress, it’s an iterative process that’s subject to acceleration. And of course, just because we’re being bombarded with countless proposals doesn’t mean they are all going to come true.  But what is clear is that the smartphones of the next generation are going to have a few things in common.

For example, flexible concepts are likely to be all the rage, as are touchscreens which have become the current mainstay. In addition, the phones are likely to be miniaturized even farther, some to the point of being paper thin and even collapsible. Transparencies are also a common concept, as are holographics and the ability to morph into other shapes.

In the end, its an open sea, and people will be free to pitch any and all combinations of these basic ideas. And there’s no telling which one’s will catch on and which one’s won’t. But one thing is clear. The end results are likely to be mighty cool and are sure to complicate our lives much, much more! And here are just some of the proposed concepts that are we likely to be seeing in the next few years…

Cobalto:

Mac Funamizu’s “Cobalto” has taken the cell phone concept way into the future, with an almost all-glass design. The phone would feature 3D imaging that could make Google Maps even more useful, as demonstrated here.

Dial:

Jung Dae Hoon’s “Dial” concept takes the rotary phone of the ‘good ol’ days’ and combines it with mobile technology and modern jewelry sensibilities.

Kambala:

A pop-up phone! Ilshat Garipov’s “Kambala” is a fascinating concept that features a center piece that can pop out to fit into your ear, making it an earphone. In theory, it will also have the ability to match your skin tone, rendering it almost invisible.

The Leaf:

Anastasia Zharkova’s organic “Leaf Phone” melds aesthetic creativity with functionality. The winding stem of the leaves could be wrapped around a user’s arm, wrist, neck, or other body part.

Mobile Script:

Aleksander Mukomelov’s “Mobile Script” phone starts with a stylish and sleek small screen, then reveals a larger touchscreen hidden within the phone’s body to meet all of your media device needs.

Morph:

Nokia’s “Morph” phone uses nanotechnology to create a flexible body and transparent screen that can be molded to whatever shape is the most convenient for its user. The nanotech could even clean itself.

Packet:

Emir Rifat’s “Packet” phone won first place at the Istanbul Design Week 2007. The tiny phone starts off at 5 cm square, then folds out as needed for different functions.

Pebble:

At first glance, this entrant into Fujitsu’s cell phone design contest looks like an ordinary paperweight. Actually, it’s a cleverly disguised phone. As the picture shows, the small black dot can be transformed into a keypad, media panel or web browser depending on what corner of the plastic handset you drag it to.

Sticker Phone:

Liu Hsiang-Ling’s “Sticker Phone” has a solar panel on the back of the phone and a curved surface that will allow it to stick to a window via suction to charge. Plus, you won’t lose your phone somewhere on your desk.

Visual Sound:

Suhyun Kim’s stylish “Visual Sound” voice-to-text concept phone for deaf people is a huge step from current systems like teletypewriters.

Window Phone:

Designed by Seunghan Song, this “window phone” concept will reflect current weather conditions on the screen. To input text, you just blow on the screen to switch modes, then write with your finger as a stylus.

Source: Huffington Post.com

X-47B Stealth Drone Completes Sea Trial

For some time, the US Navy has been conducting tests on a new stealth drone known as the X-47B Unmanned Aerial Combat System. A vast improvement over earlier generations of drones like the Predator and the Reaper, this new vehicle combines jet propulsion, autonomous control, and a stealthy fuselage in one package, making it the most advanced unmanned aerial vehicle in the world to date.

In its latest trials, the drone completed a series of test trials which were in preparation for its first take off and landing from an aircraft carrier. This consisted of seeing whether or not the drone had any “sea legs” – basically, if it is capable of fitting on a carrier deck and remaining in place while the ship is performing maneuvers at sea.

All of this took place over the course of the past few weeks aboard the USS Harry S. Truman, where a prototype of the X-47B was towed by flight deck tractors, taxied on the flight deck, and had its digital engine controls tried out amidst the rampant electromagnetic fields that are common on a carrier. This last aspect was of particular concern, as developers and naval personnel weren’t sure if the carrier’s radars would interfere with the drone’s remote controls.

According to Mike Mackey, the program director for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, the most hostile electromagnetic environment on Earth happens to be “on the deck of a Nimitz class Navy aircraft carrier”. By proving that it can fit and function aboard, the navy now knows with some certainty that they will be able to deploy these drones to all corners of the world to take part in military actions, reconnaissance, and ongoing anti-terrorism efforts.

Naturally, this and other developments relating to the X-47B have got many people feeling nervous. Unlike the Predator and Reaper, this new class of UAV is autonomous and not controlled by a remote operator. No telling how this might fit in with Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter recent promise that measures will be taken to ensure that all killer robots will have a human at the helm. Could it be that all that was merely a political promise? For shame!

Plans to conduct the first take off and carrier landing are scheduled for some time in 2013. By 2014, they also hope to have successfully conducted an autonomous aerial refueling of the craft as well. Anyone feel scared? I kind of feel scared…

Source: news.cnet.com

Pappa Zulu – Chapter 37

“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.”

-Niccolo Machiavelli

The morning was especially dewy and wet, not at all what one would expect in the midst of the desert. And yet, behind the veil of mild humidity, a dry wind was rolling in from the east behind them. It was like an assist from on high, foretelling of success; assuming one wanted to see it that way.

But then again, superstitions were for enlisted men. And given the dangers they were facing to clear a path for them, they were entitled to them. Officers were another matter, men who were required to ensure for success in advance.

His ears were directed to the west. He could hear explosions going off, the rattling of machine gun fire and rifles. The proximity was cause for some concern. Reports coming in over the wireless had indicated that there was still fighting on the western edges of town, as was to be expected. However, this sounded less than five meters away. Was this something he would need to raise with the CO?

Speaking of which, from the edge of the landing field, two men began to approach him, one man with silver leafs on his shoulders and a sergeant major in tow. He walked to meet them, preparing for the rudimentary pleasantries.

First came the salutes, then introductions. “Colonel Graph,” the commanding officer said. “Welcome to the front lines.”

“Colonel Montag,” he replied. “Sounds like were right in the middle of things. Should I be concerned?”

“No, sir,” he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Just a little mopping up. Some elements made a desperate attempt to slip past our defenses before they were fully deployed. My men are taking care of them as we speak.”

Graph nodded and looked at the building behind them. The facade was peppered with holes and scorch marks from where HE rounds and rocket-propelled grenades had struck. By and large, it was still intact. A minor blessing in itself.

“I trust the base is secure though?”

Montag turned to give the building a casual glance. “Of course. The defenders put up a desperate fight, but we managed to take it and its command staff intact. They are waiting inside for you.”

“Excellent,” he said. “I assume from that that they are alive and well?”

“As ordered,” the Colonel replied, less than happily. “They put up quite the fight too. We took some losses as a result.”

Graph smiled curtly. “I don’t imagine I need to remind you how important they are. Each and every one of them will have their names inscribed on the National Monument.”

Montag frowned. “Which one would that be?”

Graph waved casually. “The one that’s being commissioned for all the fallen of this war. Those who fell in Operation will have a special place on it, I assure you.”

Montag turned and nodded to the Sergeant Major. He turned on his heel and gestured to a squad of black-clad men who were standing not more than a few meters away. The Sergeant Major turned and whistled to a group of men who were waiting a few meters away. A full squad began to march forward, each of them armed with MP5′s and dressed in black fatigues. He noted the emblem on their shoulders quickly.

“Ah, Team Stormcrow. Your reputation precedes you.”

The lead man nodded to him and said nothing. Even with his goggles raised, his mouth was still covered, only the dark brown eyes visible. Men of few words. He could appreciate that. However, he needed an answer to his next statement, and was sure to word it as such.

“Where are they being held?”

“Inside,” he said. “Basement level. We cleared out some rooms for them.”

“Good work.”

Graph noticed another soul approaching them out the corner of his eye. He quickly looked in its direction and noted another Sergeant approaching them, heading directly for Montag. He whispered something in his ear, the Lt. Col immediately becoming visibly irate.

“Sergeant Bracho, will you show the Colonel inside? I have matters to attend to.”

“Sir!” he said, snapping out a salute, then gesturing in Graph’s direction. “Right this way, sir.”

Stormcrow fell in at their sides and the lot of them proceeded inside without another word. Graph was sure to toss a look in the Lt. Col’s direction before they reached the doorway and headed within. Following the NCO, he had proceeded to one of the many armored vehicles that littered the base, he was now on the line with one of his units, barking orders at them. Graph managed to catch just enough to make sense of the sudden interruption.

“I don’t care! Maintain eyes on that unit or I will have your bars! Choppers on-site and will provide assistance, over.”

Graph smiled. Mopping up indeed…

The Revengers: Operation Pimp Daddy – Conclusion!

Warning!

The following is a transcript of the interrogation taking place by Captain Smackdown of known pimp, pusher and murderer, William Holstein – aka. Billy Bob. Revengers Panacea and Judgement on hand to assist. All transcriptions have been edited for content but appear otherwise unaltered. The following material is of a highly sensitive nature and is not a matter of public record. Any sharing of this material will result in immediate expulsion from the Revenger League.

*               *                *

Smackdown: Billy? Are you awake? I need you to be awake, Billy…

(Muffled noise)

Smackdown: Ah, good. I was beginning to wonder . You took quite the nasty spill back there, I worried you might be out for days.

Holstein: Wha- where am I?

Smackdown: You’re safe, Billy, for the moment. However, I’m going to ask you some questions, and depending upon the quality of your answers, that might change.

Holstein: Who the **** are you people?

Smackdown: You don’t remember? We’re the people who witnessed you shoot Father Michael. We’re also the people who disarmed you, broke your arm and your nose, and then healed you so we could have this little chat with you… Well, technically, he broke your nose and your arm.

(Scream)

Smackdown: Calm down, Billy. Fear makes him look a lot scarier. If you want him to stay on an even keel, I suggest you cooperate.

Holstein: …Or what?

(Slam)

Judgement: Didn’t he just explain that to you?

Smackdown: Easy now… The “or what” of it is, Billy, if you don’t cooperate, I’m going to reintroduce you to our friend, Judgement here. Right now, myself and this lovely lady are the only ones standing between you and him. She’s the reason you’re even conscious right now. She managed to put you back together after he broke you. And once he’s done with you a second time, I’ll have her do it again. Then I’ll let him go at you again a third time, and a fourth, and as many times as it takes for you to start talking. After awhile, the psychological trauma of having your bones broken over and over and over again will start to get to you…

Holstein: You… you can’t do this!

Smackdown: Oh yes we can, Billy. And we will do it, as many times as are necessary for you to tell us everything about your operation. And I mean everything – the pimping, the pushing, the prostitution, the drugs you’ve got under development, and your ongoing relationship with Gus Darby.

Holstein: What the hell’s that supposed to mean? You calling me some kind of ***? I aint got nothing going on with Darby!

(Pause)

Panacea: Captain, do I have to heal him again? He kind of sounds like he could use beating.

Holstein: Man, **** you *****! Yeah, I seen hoes like you all over town! You think I’m scared of you? (spits)

Judgement: You son of *****!

Smackdown: Judgement, no-

(Thrashing. Thuds. Crunching noise.)

Holstein: (screams)

(Quiet)

Smackdown: That’s… great. That’s just great. Now we gotta go through all this again! That’s just great!

Judgement: You warned him.

Smackdown: I know! Somehow, I thought he’d be smarter than that.

Panacea: One second, I’ve got it.

(Time elapse, 1 hour 15 minutes, 3 seconds)

Smackdown: Okay! You’re awake again, shall we try this again? Billy, stay with me here! (smacking noise) Billy! Don’t go out on me again or you’ll wake up in a much worse position.

Holstein: Wha… wha… (Screams)

Smackdown: (multiple smacking noise) That’s good, you remember our friend here. Now I suggest you show some more respect to Panacea, because right now she’s the only friend you got. I stopped liking you the moment you started ******* around with us! And trust me when I tell you, she could rip you in half, she just chooses not to.

Holstein: (sobs)

Smackdown: That’s a good boy… Now, do you remember what I asked about before?

Holstein: (sobbing) no…

Smackdown: We want to know everything about your business. We want locations of brothels, drop points, contact names, we want the location of your drug dens, we want all the dirt you’ve got on Darby. We want to know where your men are and how many you got. And to top it all off, we want you to get the hell out of dodge and never lay a hand on a young woman again. Do you understand?

Holstein: I… I can’t…

Judgement: Bone-breaking time!

Smackdown: NO!

Panacea: At ease, big guy. I think he wants to cooperate, he’s just saying he can’t. Is that right?

Holstein: They’ll kill me…

Smackdown: Who?

Holstein: Who do you think? The Brotherhood… they’re the guys that tell me where to find the girls. They moved awhile back, said they were taking a piece of everything in the city. I had no choice! But I just turn them out, use them to work in their clubs and as runners. They said they wanted my girls to sell the stuff…

Smackdown: You mean that drug you’re developing?

Holstein: Not me! It’s not my stuff, they just set me up with one of their cook operations. I was supposed to use my girls to distribute. Cops always go easier on tricked out girls, but they never talk! They NEVER talk! They know what the Brotherhood will do to them!

Panacea: And you

Holstein: No, I swear! I just keep em in line. Pick em up when they’re on the street, give them a trade-

Judgement: You call selling their bodies for smack A TRADE!

Holstein: The lot of them would be dead if it weren’t for me!

Smackdown: The lot of them die because of you, Billy. Sooner or later, they do something to displease you and end up in the gutter, we’ve all seen it? Would you like to review some of your more colorful victims? (photos landing on the table) Take a look! Take a look at what lividity and exposure do. Take a look at how the eyes turn all milky and grey. (more photos) And here’s what they look like when they’ve been disposed of off the beaten path.

Holstein: No!

Judgement: Look at them! LOOK AT YOUR HANDY WORK!

Holstein: (Screams) I swear! I never meant to hurt them! But some of them… they started sneaking samples for themselves… without permission! The Brotherhood said they had to go… No hos can be allowed to steal, they said! I only did what they told me to do!

(Pause, sobbing)

Panacea: You’re a disgusting man, Billy. A weak, disgusting man. But you’re also telling the truth, aren’t you? You killed these girls on their orders, and you did it because your a coward. You really and truly are afraid of what they’ll do to you if you don’t.

Judgement: What about the Father? What was his crime?

Holstein: Man, I didn’t do nothing! Those guys that were with me, they aren’t even my men! The Brotherhood sends them to me, says they are supposed to protect me. But I know what they’re there for! They make sure I don’t step out of line! And they’re ******* crazy man, you saw that! They see the Father making for me, and they shoot him right there.

Panacea: I hate to say it, Captain. But he seems to be telling the truth about that too.

Judgement: How do you know? Since when did your dossier include telepathy?

Panacea: Never, Judgement. But I do happen to have something that lets me know when people are being honest and when they are being disingenuous. It’s called empathy, you should look it up sometime.

Smackdown: Not now, you two. We still got a job to do… Billy! Look at me! You give us what we want, and we can talk about protection for you. And I’m not talking about police or witness protection. I’m talking about us.

Judgement: Captain!

Smackdown: I don’t see a way around this. As it stands, you’re partner, Mr. Darby, is already being investigated. Those men of yours, the Brotherhood men, they were arrested on charges of attempted murder. Word on the street is they spilled on you. They told the police you shot the Father, that you and Darby have a relationship, that you’re responsible for the better part of drugs and prostitution in the city.

Holstein: Wha- No way! They’re Brotherhood men, they never talk!

Smackdown: Well, my guess is that the Brotherhood is looking to cut its losses with you after the shooting in the Cathedral. You want to live, you better help us get to the root of them. You let us know everything you know about their operations, we shut em down, and then you can leave and go about making a new life for yourself, sans the smut, of course!

Judgement: (aside) Or we could just let him go, let the Brotherhood do what they want to him and work our way up to the next scumbag on the food chain.

Panacea: Animal!

Judgement: Bleeding heart!

Smackdown: Not so fast! We’re not letting him go until he gives us something we can use.

Judgement: And then?

Smackdown: Then we’ll discuss the possibility of using him as bait.

Panacea: Uh, Captain…

Smackdown: Safely, of course. We only want to use him if we can to lure bigger scum into the spotlight, not to have them kill each other off. That would be wrong…

Panacea: (uncertainly) Thank you…

Smackdown: So Billy! What’s it going to be? I think its fair to say we just became friends again. And we’re really the only ones you got right now. You can stick with us, and maybe live to see the New Year. Or, we can let you go and you can try to convince the Brotherhood that nothing happened here tonight, and you didn’t tell us that they were the ones doing all the pimping and the pushing in this city. Your choice…

Holstein: Oh God…

Judgement: Little lat to pray, shooter boy…

Smackdown: What’ll it be?

Holstein: Fine… just don’t let them kill me, please!

Smackdown: We won’t, Billy. You can count on us. We might have to take guys like you down from time to time. But we’ll never let you down, not once you’ve put your trust in us.

Panacea: That’s a promise, Billy. Consider yourself lucky you know us…

Judgement: I think I’m gonna be sick… We’re seriously bringing this ******* under our protection?

Smackdown: Hey, don’t worry about it. You guys got off to a rought start. By the end of the week, I imagine you two will be… good friends!

Judgement: (growls)

Smackdown: That’s the spirit!

2012 In Review!

The end of the year, in review, as provided by the nice folks at WordPress.com! I have to say, 2012 was pretty good to this little blog o’ mine! In addition to me getting the bulk of my current followers, I also received the vast (and I mean VAST) majority of my views in this one year. Consider… of the a grand total of 186,878 hits, over 180,000 took place between Jan. 1st 2012 and today.

Not only that, but of the 769 posts I’ve made since the sight went up, 670 were put up in this last year. Wow… I do love to go on, apparently. To top all that off, 2012 was the year that I published my highest articles of all time. The first was “A Tribute to the Joker” (which remains my top grosser) which currently holds the top spot at 27,974 views. Second place went to “Bath Salts and the Zombie Apocalypse” with 25,697, and rounding up third was “Zombie Guns or How to Prepare for World War Z” at 6,049. Fourth place went to “Dystopian Science Fiction” which earned 4,775 views and is the only article on this site to have been “Freshly Pressed”.

Yeah, its good to see all this stuff in review. It helps you take stock. It also lets you know what you’re doing right and what people seem to like the most. Judging from these hit counters though, I’d say people like sociopathic clowns, zombies, and guns way more than they do classic literature. Hmm… Should I be worried?

Here’s an excerpt:

About 55,000 tourists visit Liechtenstein every year. This blog was viewed about 180,000 times in 2012. If it were Liechtenstein, it would take about 3 years for that many people to see it. Your blog had more visits than a small country in Europe!

Click here to see the complete report.

NASA Takes on “Gangnam Style”

NASA recently took a challenge to produce a music video parodying Psy’s “Gangnam Style”. Entitled “NASA Johnson Style!” the song takes its name from NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, a facility which houses educational programs for interns and students aspiring to progress further into the field of space science. It was there that this video was made, by several such young people who were very inspired (or perhaps had too much time on their hands).

According to the video’s description, the eclectic group of youths claimed that the parody was intended to “inform the public about the amazing work going on at NASA and the Johnson Space Center.” And in addition to its cheeky lyrics, the video also features some rather famous characters, such as veteran astronauts Tracy Caldwell Dyson, Mike Massimino and Clay Anderson.

Check it out!

Source: Cnet.com

New Anthology Sample!

Boy, its been awhile since I posted anything from my group’s anthology. But, since it is something I am committed to do doing on my site, I always feel the need to post sample updates whenever they become available. And here is the latest from one of my own contributions to the anthology (titled “Yuva”), the fourth installment to be exact. I imagine there will be two more like it before the story has reached fruition and “The Torch”, as it is called, will be complete.

Hope you all enjoy it, and I really hope people will come on out to support Yuva once it too is completed and available for purchase/download. I’m hoping to make it available in both paperbacks and ebook format, and of course, there will be promotional discounts. But that’s another day and we still need more contributors before it can happen. If you’re an indie, there are still a few spots open…

*               *               *

The door slid open, admitting the faint light of the room’s nighttime bioluminescent units. Muktari stumbled in, his eyes set on the desk at the far side of the room, where his satchel and compad rested It was a bit of an effort to make it there without knocking anything over, and yet he found his way to his chair within a few minutes.

Muktari had been drunk exactly three times in his life. The first two occurred in university while studying abroad. Being in the company of some many young men who were either not members of the faith, or who had turned their backs on its more rigorous elements long ago, had sufficed to get him to indulge then. But after discovering there was little in inebriation, he had quickly put a stop to that.

The third time was tonight. After the first drink with Mazzini, he had quickly found his way back to the front where the company shuttle was awaiting him. After hopping in the back and ordering the automated driver to take him home, he had indulged heavily in the private stock that was kept in the back. There was no trace of the whiskey Mazzini had coaxed him into drinking, but he found plenty of another generic variety to sip on. No soda water was needed, as he wanted the full, punishing effect of it.

It was somewhere between the old opera house and his hotel he realized the true purpose of such poison. The use was to be found in its abuse. The infliction of pain and torture upon oneself, not to alleviate pain or worry, but to punctuate and drive it home. He had to admit, it was genius, in a bleak and sardonic sort of way.

But were human beings if not lovers of irony and masochism?

Setting his eyes on his satchel, he pulled out his compad and flexed it a few times to activate its bio cell. The light came on and the image of its welcome screen was projected into his visual field.

Meşale, he typed on the virtual keyboard, and was rewarded with a desktop. He called up all his files on his presentation and eyed them despondently. The images of the five planets arrayed from left to right suddenly seemed like a terribly lost cause, a fool’s hope that he made the unfortunate mistake of sharing with others. Running his hand over the screen, he took the entire file in hand and began drifting it towards the icon of the trash in the lower right corner. It hovered directly above the icon, darkening it… and there it waited.

He wanted so badly to destroy it all, to remove all traces of the proposal and all the difficulty such ideas was bringing him. He wanted to forget about everything that had happened in the last week, to start fresh and stop feeling like a fool who was shouting at the rain. He was so tired of staking everything – his life, his job, his reputation, his future – on gambits that got him nowhere.

Really, what made him think that Zimmerman, or anyone for that matter, would have taken it seriously? Could it have been the fact that after years of doing the same thing, over and over, that he was beginning to suspect there was no future to be had here at home? Was it that deep down inside, all empirical evidence pointed towards the same outcome and all attempts to defer or delay it seemed futile? Was it really so absurd, with all he saw happening around him on daily basis, to plan for the worst? And who could fault him for looking further, given the audacious but still limited plans for Solar Colonies?

In business school, they still taught young academics that ambition and initiative were the keys to the success. Was it so wrong to think that that still applied? Would he be calling them tomorrow and demanding that they revise the curriculum to teach conformity and affability instead?

His nerve faltered and he pulled the file away from the trash. Taking a deep breath, he did his best to get his head together and proceeded to the lavatory. Some cold water on his face, and some mineral water in his belly, and he was sure to feel better. He also needed to get out his night clothes, as they were ruffled and beginning to stink of self-pity.

The door chimed. His head snapped around in a hurry and he felt his heart leap. Between the fatigue and alcohol, he was in no shape to be startled. Sighing, he proceeded to the room’s common area and approached the front door. It chimed again…

“Who’s there?” he asked irately.

“An interested party,” came a female voice through the comm. Muktari frowned. What could possibly the meaning of this, he wondered.

When he reached the door, several possible answers came to mind. It slid open to reveal the woman from earlier, the one he had left Mazzini with at the afterparty. At the time, he had suspected her of being an industrial spy, or possibly a professional. He now suspected the former, as there was little chance she had passed on Mazzini in order to seek him out. Mazzini was not known to turn his nose up at a fine lady who would deign to ask for money before performing an act he held so dear.

“Magid Muktari?” she said.

“Yes,” he replied, putting his arm to door frame, blocking her entry. “How may I help you?”

“Actually, I was thinking it was I who could help you.”

“I’m not sure what you’re selling, but I can tell you I’m not interested.”

She smiled at that, exposing to perfectly ordered rows of white teeth. Another very impressive and pretty feature she boasted. It was little wonder she was sent out to deliver messages.

“I can assure you, I’m not here to solicit anything. I’m just here to relay a proposal.” She looked past him into the common area. “May I come in?”

Muktari looked behind him to the couch and considered his options. He could slide the door shut, leaving the lovely lady out in the corridor. Or he could invite her in, hear her out. Aside from being rude, the former option seemed downright needless seeing as how he had nothing else planned. And an offer might be just what he needed, given his prospects.

Stepping out of her way, he ushered her in and made his way over to the dispenser in the far corner of the room. “Can I offer you something? Coffee? Tea? Mineral Water? Perhaps some poison?”

“You look like you’ve had your fair share yourself,” she said, sitting on the couch and getting comfortable. Muktari shook his head, began filling two glasses with mineral water and some ice cubes.

“So… what’s so important that you chose to bother me at this late hour? Was my friend not entertaining enough for you?”

That made her smile again. He had to admit, she had a very pretty smile, and the way she was seated right now showed just enough leg to intrigue him. Perhaps it was the alcohol thinking for him. He offered her a glass and sipped from his own.

“Oh, Mazzini is quite charming. But I didn’t come to this city to enlist him. It was your presentation that I wanted to hear.”

“You mean the lecture on Oceanic Enhancement?” he said, shrugging and taking a sip from his glass. “Not my work, specifically. I merely presented the relevant findings, based on the company’s ongoing efforts.”

“Not that one,” she said. “I was referring to the one you presented to your boss, Mr. Zimmerman, less than a week ago.”

Muktari stopped in the midst of sip. He was worried he might choke. He stared over the edge of his glass for a few seconds and carefully lowered it. The lady smiled again and placed her glass down on the table in front of her.

“Ah, I see you I have your attention now. I can imagine you’re also wondering how I knew about it?”

 Muktari cleared his throat. “The thought crossed my mind.”

“Our sources are very good. And company gossip has always been a prime source of intel. One scarcely needs sources at all when people speak so freely.”

Muktari wasn’t sure how to respond. He shuffled awkwardly and cleared his throat.

“What was not being spoken of so freely was the fact that you are also scheduled to be transferred to Oslo. That information came at a price, but it was a good investment, in my employer’s opinion.”

Muktari saw where this was going now and saw an opportunity to respond.

“And who is this employer, pray tell?”

She reached into a small fold in her dress, invisible to the naked eye, and pulled out a card. She laid it down on the table carefully and slid it in his direction. Muktari snatched it up in his left hand and held it up, depressing one corner to activate the display chip within.

A small presentation video began, colorful graphics dancing around and showing a name.

Harding International, it said. Muktari’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open a few centimeters. When he looked back at the lady before him, he glared intently at her, a frown forming on his face.

“Who are you?”

Again, that smile. “Seriously, you don’t recognize me? Don’t you read the trade pages?”

He frowned harder. It was a rhetorical question largely, just about everyone was familiar with the Harding family and their holdings. And aside from the slight tan she had picked up, it was not hard to see the resemblance to her father.

“Not that ones that deal exclusively in global capital and investment,” he said firmly. “Why would your father be interested in exoplanet colonization?”

She spread her hands before her. “He likes to think he sees things in people, in ideas. It’s what built our family empire after all. And he also liked to enlist people who can do the same, who see potential in things down the road.”

She let that linger in the air for a moment, during which time, Muktari could think of nothing to say. He was hit by a wave of self-satisfaction and found he couldn’t speak. Naturally, he did his best not to show it, but knowing that a corporate headhunter was interested in his work could not help but inspire a certain sense of self-satisfaction. He had to wonder if Zimmerman had sources of his own implanted in Harding, whether or not they would get wind of this and wonder if it was an indication to start taking his proposals more seriously…

But alas, such feelings were tempered by the fact that he knew nothing about what Harding or his people had in mind here. What’s more, he knew enough not to trust any offer at face value. Regardless of how bleak his future looked with Zimmer and Associates, he still needed to proceed as if he were in a position of strength, unwilling to settle too quickly or easily.

“So what does your… father want of me?” he asked firmly. “Is this to be a matter of intellectual property, buying up and patenting an idea so it can be turned into cash once it becomes profitable?”

She didn’t smile this time. Instead, she rose to her feet and extended her hand to him.

“Nothing so crass. But if you’re interested in making your proposal again, to someone who is genuinely interested and willing to listen, then I’ll arrange a meeting?” She looked to her hand, back at Muktari. “Sound fair?”

Muktari looked at her hand as well, cautiously, and then took it in his. “Alright. I will meet with him. But no guarantees. I hear Oslo is very nice this time of year.”

“It is,” she said, smiling very broadly. He was almost dazzled by her two rows of impeccable teeth.