Matthew S. Williams's Blog, page 155

Pappa Zulu – Chapter 36

“Grief can’t be shared. Everyone carries it alone. His own burden in his own way.”

-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Saunders looked up from the ground. The world shook around her, and some faces were yelling down at her. She couldn’t hear them over the sound of the waling that filled her ears. That, and the high pitched whine which was echoing through her head. Nothing seemed to be clear, nothing free of the rollicking waves that threatened to tear everything apart.

A hard slap landed on her face, and the noise abruptly stopped. Slowly, the whine subsided and she could hear where it was coming from. They were her screams, and the voices yelling at her was coming from Majorca and Whitman.

“Sergeant! Sergeant! Can you hear me?”

She took a deep breath, her eyes going black for a second and slowly readmitting the light of day. She could see a bumper to her side, and the bodies of several men running about her. Fatigues and combat gear, Kevlar vests and helmets. She looked around some more and realized the bumper was there’s, their trust Humvee relieved of its cammo netting.

She knew where she was. They were blocks away from where it the engagement went down. She couldn’t recall how she had made the transit from there to here. But a terrible feeling hung over her, an impending sense of panic that loomed at the edge of her mind.

She looked back into the faces of the men standing over her, Majorca and Whitman. She smiled and took another deep breath, putting her hands out to them.

“I’m fine…” she said, and they hoisted her up. A slight pain shot through her ribs and she groaned. Whitman placed his hands on her shoulder.

“Careful, Sarge. You took a good wallop back there. Medic said you’d be fine, said you must have nine freaking lives.”

She laughed, got only mild pain from it. She knew he had to have been worried for Billy to have cleaned up his language like that. She was also becoming aware of a bad headache and reached up to undo her chin strap.

“Whoa, I wouldn’t take that off just yet, ma’am. LT has ordered us to load up. Best stay in your gear until we get out.”

She obliged, but questions began to form in her mind. The most obvious one dribbled out of her mouth fast.

“What happened back there?”

There was some hesitation, then Whitman jumped in. “That uh… Bradley fighting vehicle opened up on us. Some of the cars we were using for cover went up. You got caught near one and the explosion kind of… knocked you on your ass.”

Majorca laughed anxiously. “Yeah, you went a little ragdoll there. Luckily, medic said you didn’t break anything, including your neck. And Grayson managed to get your ass moving.”

“Grayson?” she said, looking to her right. Somehow, she knew to look there, saw the Sergeant in the midst of yelling in someone’s face.

“Yeah, who knew. He’s pretty good in a pinch.”

Saunders nodded. She noticed something else about their current disposition. Their platoon looked several grunts shorter, and she couldn’t help but notice their squad did too.

That impending sense of panic began to close in. The last few moments before things went a little dark…

“Oh God… where’s Mill? Where’s Jones?”

Whitman and Majorca both looked away, the darkness falling over their eyes. It all came flooding back, the bullets, the carnage, the Bradley firing. And then a moment that too terrible to remember, but which was there at the edge of things. The darkness was like a wall, holding back the images, but the taste of it was flooding her senses…

“Oh God…” she repeated. They were dead. Her men, and they had fallen in right before her.

And then it threatened to break. She could see blood and gore, pushing from behind that dark wall. She had to push to force it back, to keep it at bay. Now was not the time, she knew. In the thick of things, still surrounded by enemies, they were no time to break down. No time to remember.

“What happened to those Victors? The one’s that were sighting us?”

“Dead ma’am,” Majorca said firmly. “Rest of the platoon nailed the M2 with a bunch of rockets. Crew never got out. Fuel and ammo went up, all hands killed.

“Deader than roadkill,” added Whitman. She could detect the faintest edge in his voice as well.

“What about the other one?”

“Never saw the LAV, must have bugged out. Same with those foot mobiles that were still fighting. Seemed to gather what was left of their tank crew and then left.”

Still in the area. It really brought no relief to know that the Victor that had killed her comrades was gone, all hands aboard her killed. But it was better than the alternative. Knowing that the other one was still operational and out there somewhere, that was unpleasant.

The feelings she wanted to feel, anger, satisfaction, a desire to eradicate the last of the assholes responsible; none of them were coming. Mainly, she just felt cold, wobbly, like she was barely holding together and a stiff wind would shatter her. Make her fall all to pieces.

Again, not something they had time for.

“Help me up,” she ordered. Whitman and Majorca looked at each other, then leapt to their feet. They grabbed her hands and hoisted her to her feet. Her world went a little dark again, the blood rushing to her head too quickly and she felt incredibly stiff and sore. She tried to put a foot forward, but something made her freeze.

The thought of moving treads, or a turret searching for her. Her entire body felt like it would itch now, but instead it just felt cold and numb. The feeling of exposure was potent and all-consuming, like she was sitting dead in the middle of someone’s crosshairs.

“You alright, Sarge?” Majorca asked, rushing to her side like she was going to fall.

“I”m fine. Just trying to get to the cab.”

“Want help?”

“No!” she said, raising her arm defensively. “I’ll be fine. Are we loaded?”

“Yes, ma’am. LT’s asked for wheels up in one mike. We don’t want to linger with that LAV still out there. Replacements are here and ready to go.”

Replacements? she wanted to say. But one look toward their vehicle told her all she need to know. Two fresh grunts from down the line, the one’s Sergeant Lindsay could afford to part with, no doubt. She saw there name tags and recalled something of their whereabouts. She nodded to them each in turn. Both had been members of sixth, under Sergeant Bonham before he had bought it at the edge of town.

One was thick and stocky, brown of complexion and still pretty green, name of Batista. The other one was a pale, scrawny thing named Morris. He looked ever greener than Batista, if that were possible, and she felt an immediate wave of contempt roll over her. Newbies had a way of getting killed all the time, and veterans were falling around them right now. No telling how long these boys would last. She had no desire to pussy foot around them or make them feel at home.

“Which of you is my gunner?” she asked.

The stocky one raised his hand. “I am, Sarge.”

“Then get the fuck into your gun well, Private,” she said angrily. “And you,” she said, pointing to the taller of the two. “You’re covering our right rear sector, yes?”

He nodded.

“Then get in the back, where you belong. We’re wheels up in less than one mike.”

Whitman and Majorca looked at each other warily. Neither wanted to say anything, even if it seemed obvious to them.

“Where’s my gun?” she snapped at Majorca.

“In the cab?” he said, and reached down to grab his SAW.

Feeding the belt from the ammo box into the chamber and slapping it shut, he raised it to his side and snapped out a salute. Saunders returned it, and he promptly ran to the back left of their vehicle. Whitman did the same, issuing a guileless salute and then heading for the cab to jump in the driver’s seat. Neither wanted to irk her at the moment, and carried on like good soldiers.

Good thing, she thought. They simple didn’t have time for anything else.

Top Stories of 2012

As Dec. 31st fast approaches, I find myself thinking about New Years resolutions. And part of that is taking stock on what’s been accomplished in the past year. For me, one of those resolutions was to stay current and share all the new and exciting news from the field of science and tech all my followers people; to the best of my abilities, that is.

In keeping with this, I wanted to create a list of the most important developments of the last year. Many sites have produced a top 10, top 12, even a top 7, list of what they thought the most significant accomplishments were. Well, I wanted to do one of my own! Opinion varies as to what the biggest leaps and bounds were over the course of the last year, and I’ll be damned if I don’t get my say in. Lord knows I’ve spent enough time reading about them, so here’s my comprehensive list of the greatest inventions, developments and advances made during 2012.

I think you’ll all agree, the list packed with stories that are intriguing, awe-inspiring, and even a little scary! Here are the top 12, as selected by me, in alphabetical order:

3D Printing:

As far as tech trends go, this one has been in the works for some time. However, 2012 will be remembered as the year that 3D printing truly became a reality. From tree-dimensional models to consumer products to even guns, 3D printers have been featured in the news many times over for their potential and frightening abilities.

However, one of the greatest potential uses will be in the field of artificial cartilage, organs, and even food. As the technology is refined and expands to the field of organic molecules, just about anything can and will be synthesized, leading to an era where scarcity is… well, scarce!

Bionic Implants:

Perhaps the years biggest achievement came in the form of bionic prosthetics, artificial limbs which are calibrated to respond to the nerve impulses of the user. As a result, amputees, veterans and accident victims are able to receive artificial limbs that act like the real thing.

The most notable case was Zak Vawter who scaled the 103 flights of Chicago’s Willis Tower using an artificial leg. In addition, two men in Britain had their sight restored after undergoing the first ever case of retinal surgery where bionic implants were placed in their eyes.

Brain Implants:

In September of 2012, scientists grafted an implant onto the brain of Chimpanzee, enhancing its brain power by ten percent. This consisted of an electrode array that was attached to the cerebral cortex of several monkey subjects, researchers were able to restore and even improve their decision-making abilities.

The implications for possible therapies is far-reaching, such as with brain injuries and cognitive disorders. But additionally, it also heralds the beginning of an era where human beings will be able to enhance their intelligence, recall, and memory retention.

Commercial Space Flight:

Though not yet fully realized, 2012 was a big year in terms of commercial space flight. For example, Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic announced the first successful fully-loaded “glide test” of SpaceShipTwo, the rocket craft that will be taking passengers into low orbit as soon as all the kinks are worked out of the design.

In addition, Reaction Engines announced a breakthrough with the design of their hypersonic engine, which they claim will be fitted to their proposed spaceship – the Skylon. Capable of achieving speeds of up to Mach 5, this new craft is expected to be able to take off from conventional airfields, propel itself into low orbit, and deliver supplies to the ISS and make commercial trips around the world. No telling when either company will be conducting its first real suborbital flights, but the clock is ticking down!

Curiosity Rover:

One of the years biggest announcement was the deployment of the Curiosity Rover on the Martian surface. Since it landed, the rover has provided a constant stream of scientific updates and news on the Red Planet. Though the Mars Science Team did not find the “earthshaking” proof organic molecules, it did make a number of important discoveries.

Amongst them was solid evidence that Mars was once home to large rivers and bodies of water. Furthermore, the x-ray lab on board the rover conducted studies on several rock and soil samples, determining what the chemical and mineral composition of Mars surface is.

Faster-Than-Light Travel:

In the course of speaking at the 100 Year Starship, scientists at NASA began working on the first FTL travel system ever. Long considered to be the stuff of science fiction, physicist Harold White announced that not only is the math sound, but that his team at NASA had actually started working on it.

Relying on the concept of the Alcubierre Drive, the system involves expanding and contracting space time around the ship, allowing it to move faster than the speed of light without violating the Law of Relativity.

Geo-engineering:

In October, the world’s first – and illegal – act of geo-engineering took place off Canada’s West Coast. The product of a “rogue geohacker” named Russ George, who was backed by a private company, the project involved the dumping of around 100 tonnes of oron sulphate into the Pacific Ocean. This technique, known as ocean fertilization, was meant to stimulate the growth of algae which metabolize carbon and produce oxygen.

The experiment, which is in violation of two United Nations moratoria, outraged many environmental, legal, and civic groups, many of whom hail from Haida Gwaii, the traditional territory of the Haida nation, who had enlisted by George as part of a proposed “salmon enhancement project”. Though illegal and abortive, the act was the first in what may very well become a series of geoengineering efforts which will be performed the world over in order to stay the progress of Climate Change.

Google’s Project Glass:

2012 was also the year that augmented reality became… well, a reality (oh dear, another bad pun). Back in April, Google unveiled its latest concept device for wireless and portable computing, known as Project Glass. Combining an active display matrix, a wireless internet connection and a pair of shades, Google managed to create a device that looks like something straight out of cyberpunk novel.

HIV and Flu Vaccines:

When it comes to diseases, HIV and the Flu have two things in common. Until 2012, both were considered incurable, but sometime in the near future, both could be entirely preventable. In what could be the greatest medical breakthroughs in history, 2012 saw scientists and researchers experiment with antibodies that have been known to fight off HIV and the flu, and to good effect.

In the former case, this involved using a new process known as Vectored ImmunoProphylaxis (VIP), an inversion of the traditional vaccination method, where antibodies were introduced to mice. After allowing the antibodies to reproduce, researchers at Caltec found that the mice were able to fight off large quantities of the virus. In the latter, researchers at the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute in Riems Island, Germany used a new RNA-based vaccine that appeared to be able to fight off multiple strains of flu, not just the latest mutation.

Taken together, these vaccines could bring an end to a common, but potentially deadly ailment, and signal the end of the plague of the 20th century. In addition, this could be the first in a long series of developments which effectively brings all known diseases under our control.

Medical Implants:

2012 also saw the culmination of several breakthroughs in terms of biomedical research. In addition to the world’s first medimachine, there were also breakthroughs in terms of dissolving electronics, subdermal implants that dispense drugs, and health monitoring patches.

Little wonder then that Cambridge University announced the creation of the Center for the Study of Existential Risk to evaluate future technologies, or that Human Rights Watch and Harvard University teamed up to release a report calling for the ban of “killer robots”. With all the potential for enhancement, it could be just a matter of time before non-medical enhancements are a reality.

Mind-controlled prostheses:

Researchers at BrainGate created a brain-machine interface that allows users to control an external device with their minds. The first person to use this revolutionary new system was Cathy Hutchinson, a stroke victim who has been paralyzed from the neck down for 15 years, who used the robotic arm to drink a cup of coffee.

This news, combined with other advances in terms of bionic prostheses, could signal the end of disability as we know it. Henceforth, people with severe injuries, amputations and strokes could find themselves able to make full recoveries, albeit through the use of robotic limbs.

Self-driving cars:

2012 marked an important year as three states (California, Nevada, and Florida) made autonomous vehicles legal. Self-driving cars, once perfected and produced en masse, will help with traffic congestion and significantly reduce the chance of auto accidents through the use of GPS, radar, and other technologies.

*               *               *

All in all, it’s been an exciting year. And with all that’s been accomplished, the future is certainly looking a lot more interesting and even frightening. What is clear is that predictions made for some time now are becoming realizable, including replication, a cure for all known diseases, advanced robotics, implants, cybernetics, and even post-humanism. Regardless of where one sits on these developments, be you pro, con, or neutral, I think we can all agree that it is an exciting time to be alive!

Happy New Year to all, and here’s hoping 2013 proves just as interesting, and hopefully a lot more peaceful and sound. And may we ALL find ourselves able to keep our New Years resolutions and build upon all we’ve accomplished so far. And of course, with all the potential for medical and technological enhancements that are coming, I sincerely hope we can find ways to improve ourselves on a personal level too!

Pappa Zulu – Chapter 35

“This is as true in everyday life as it is in battle: we are given one life and the decision is ours whether to wait for circumstances to make up our mind, or whether to act, and in acting, to live.”

-Omar N. Bradley

Screaming came from multiple directions, and was only audible in between the hail of heavy gunfire. When the Abrams fired its cannon, she felt the earth shake and her ears rang for several straight seconds.

Every instinct she had told her to stay low and keep hugging the dirt. But their was a field of fire around her, and its only purpose was to divert the enemy from their location. Others were caught in the fight and would die if they didn’t respond.

She spotted her squad and began yelling back at them. She could see from the formation of their mouths that some were screaming. Raising her voice to its absolute maximum, she barked out the orders they needed to hear:

“First Squad! Weapons free! Take down that column now!”

They didn’t respond. Her own body didn’t want to oblige her orders either. But she knew as squad leader, doing it herself was the only way to get them to act right now. She had to force herself to take a knee and began sighting down the length of her weapon at a fresh target.

They were several to choose from. The dozen or so foot mobiles had taken cover behind the cars parked in the street and were firing from multiple positions. Her first shot came to her in a haze of slow-motion fire and confusion. All of them looked marked now. Every single one of them was a mere target now, men destined to die at her hands… or not. It all depended on her aim. Grabbing hold of the 203 on the front of her weapon, she squeezed the trigger and absorbed the kickback of the air burst shell.

A few meters away, a car exploded and sent some men to the ground and others running for cover. Her aim had been true and it had had the desired effect. Not only did she take out two marked men, but it also had the effect of getting her squad to their feet and firing their weapons.

From the far end of the street, the LT’s squad used the few seconds her grenade had bought them to move up. She spotted their man with the AT-4 as he moved forward, taking a covered spot and launching another rocket. The Abrams chassis was rocked again as it impacted near the bottom end and sent the engine completely ablaze.

Again, the turret retaliated with another blast for its gun that sent everyone down and covering their ears. The resulting Sabot round smashed through several cars and cut one Braun’s men in half. But worse was the spray of machinegun bullets from the turrets .50 cal operator. At the moment, the squad still thought their enemy was coming from the LT”s direction. It wouldn’t long before they realized the truth, which meant Saunders squad had only a few seconds…

Looking to Majorca, she pointed at the turret.

“Private, take out that gunner!”

Majorca raised his SAW and sprayed several bursts in his direction. Bullets rang out and ricocheted off the armor, a few striking true and sending the gunner back inside. She heard a voice shout from the street, calling out their position and ordering his men to shift their fire.

“Take cover!” she yelled.

Her head met the earth again as bullets arched overhead. She could identify the lot of them from the sound they made, slicing past her body. She looked out to her left and noticed someone still standing, and heard another object slicing the air a second later. It was coming from the standing man’s location.

“Jones! Get down!”

Too late, Jones had launched his rocket and was left standing when she gave the order. Bullets rang out all around him and turned his cover into a splintered mass. Five-five-six rounds, from the sound of them, and plenty of them to boot. His rocket impacted the Abrams again on its right side, taking the rest of the tread out and leaving it dead in the street.

“Jones!”

Mill pounced from his spot at the hedge and landed on Jones, sending him to the ground. It seemed to happen in slow motion, his every movement accentuated and magnified on her senses. Like so much else that was happening around them, it seemed that the flow of events was inexorably altered by the addition of carnage. With the mortality hanging in the balance, no second passed without a full and complete account.

More shots rang out above them, twenty millimeter slugs turning the last of their tree cover into mush and raining splinters down on their heads. Dirt followed as additional rounds impacted in the ground around them and tore through the sodden earth. She heard screams as men in second squad were ripped open, torn pieces of fabric and flesh landed amidst the dirt and slivered wood.

On the street, the tank was now effectively dead in the water, which meant the M2 and LAV were stuck on ahead. And faced with the inability to move back and engage the ones shooting all the rockets, they now seemed intent to take it out on first and second squads.

She kept her head as low as she could and yelled for the others to stay low. But her attuned ears recognized the sound of another two-oh-three going off in the street when it rang out. Looking up, she saw Braun’s squad moving ahead, fifth squad coming up from their rear to reinforce them. Together, they were popping off rounds into the street, but only the first volley were explosive. The second and third began to explode in a hail of grey and blue smoke…

She looked to the enemy line next, who were taking cover rather than withdrawing. With their tank immobilized but still operational, they were choosing to fight it out rather than fall back. The only way she and her people were making it out with some artificial cover over their heads. It must have worked because the fire was beginning to thin, bullets still flying but the heavy slugs letting up. The ground rumbled again, but not from the force of hot metal impacting on it.

Braun’s voice sounded on the comm. “Viper One One, we’re puffing smoke. Start falling back to our position by the numbers!”

She looked to Mill, who was in the process of ripping Jone’s vest and fatigues open. She saw the stains of red blood pouring forth. She muttered a curse under her breath, knowing they couldn’t move at the moment.

Rickson called to her from his spot further down. “One One! We’re Oscar Mike! Move out, we’ll cover for you!”

Saunder yelled back to him. “Negative on that, One Two. We’ve got a man down.”

It was Rickson’s turn to curse under this breath. He looked to the path of retreat and nodded back to her. “Alright, give us some covering fire. We’ll get to the rear and provide cover for you when you’re ready.”

She looked to Jones, still bleeding and sputtering on the ground. Majorca and Whitman were keeping up the fire from their positions, spraying into the cloud of smoke to keep the enemy pinned down. She raised her weapon and joined them, firing off fresh grenades and slugs into the miasma.

“One Two, move out! We’ll be right behind you!”

“Don’t linger!”

She got barely a sight of their backs as second squad pulled out and headed back to where the LT and the bulk of their platoon was now located. Her eyes were now fixed on her own weapon and the plumes of flames her own people were throwing up. She looked away only once, to check on Mill’s progress getting Jones ready to move.

“Ready?” she said, pausing to load a fresh mag in her SCAR. Mill got Jones balanced on his shoulder raised his thumb to her. “First Squad, move out!”

Together, they ran, leaving the obliterated tree and bush cover and running into the street. Shots rung out behind them from multiple sources, muzzles flashing ahead of them to cover their retreat.

Another cannon blast. Her ears rung again, but her feet kept moving. Only once did she look back to make sure Mill was still behind her. Her leg took a hot sprinkling of asphalt as the bullets followed her and struck the road around her.

“Keep moving!” she yelled. She could barely hear herself anymore. Repeated booms at close range had left them just short of perforated, but they were still in working order too. Until they were safe and under cover, her body wouldn’t quit. She had ordered it into action, and it would oblige.

Up ahead, she spotted their platoon emerging from cover. Braun raised his first and opened it wide, then motioned to the lawn across the street. All together now, they were being ordered to head back to where they stashed their Humvees, cutting across the properties once again to find cover. She couldn’t hear the words coming from his mouth, but the energy with which they were being conveyed told her volumes. It was a look repeated on the faces of every Rattlesnake that was getting to their feet and ready to move.

And then, their faces changed. No words emerged from their mouths, just the look of panicked disbelief. She turned her head to see…

Mill and Jones obscured much of the street behind her, but just over Jone’s lolling head, she could make out the chassis of an M2 emerging from the cloud of smoke, moving up from the adjoining street. Her face went cold as she realized the armored vehicles had circumvented their little roadblock and were now outflanking them. The rest of her body followed when it began firing…

“Get down!” she screamed, thought too late. Mill’s stomach exploded, blood and guts flying in all directions as a well-placed slug tore through him from behind.

He fell.

Jones fell with him.

Saunders could barely hear the sound of her own wailing…

The Future is Here: The Microsoft 3D “Holodesk”!

Hang onto your hats! Of all the future concept videos to be produced by high tech firms of late, this one has the potential of being the most badass! It is known as the Holodesk, a prototype system that allows users to interface with a computer by seemingly manipulating 3D objects with their hands. The result of ongoing research over at the Sensors and Devices group at Microsoft Research Cambridge, the Holodesk is one of several 3-D based concepts that are expected to take to the field in coming years.

According to Microsoft website, the group has “the goal of understanding how advances in technology will impact traditional computing and the ways in which people use and interact with computing devices.” Using technology adapted from their popular and award-winning Kinect gaming system, Microsoft has developed this new device which it believes will fill a niche market in computing.

Amongs them are physics students, who will use this system as a possible “playground” to test hypothesis involving subatomic particles and atomic models. It is also believed it will be useful for people who conduct remote collaborative studies from long distances, and to test out 3-D models of various kinds. TechNet blog even had one suggestion on one of its comment boards where a user claimed it could be slowed down so that he or she could learn how to juggle.

Per the MicrosoftResearch Youtube channel, the Holodesk is described as follows:

HoloDesk is a novel interactive system combining an optical see through display and Kinect camera to create the illusion that users are directly interacting with 3D graphics. A virtual image of a 3D scene is rendered through a half silvered mirror and spatially aligned with the real-world for the viewer. Users easily reach into an interaction volume displaying the virtual image. This allows the user to literally get their hands into the virtual display. A novel real-time algorithm for representing hands and other physical objects, which are sensed by the Kinect inside this volume, allows physically realistic interaction between real and virtual 3D objects.”

Check out the video of the Holodesk in action:

The Revengers: Operation Pimp Daddy – Takedown!

Hello again superheroes! Operation Pimp Daddy continues, and we are in the thick of things now. Last time, our heroes Judgement, Panacea and Captain Smackdown were approaching St. John’s Cathedral with the intent of ambushing the notorious Pimp William “Billy Bob” Holstein. Unfortunately, things went a little awry as a certain someone (Father Michael) changed the game by confronting the target a bit too early. Gun fire resulted, and our heroes were forced to storm the church to assess the situation. Here’s what happened…

*               *               *

They ran up the steps. Each footfall was like an eternity as the noise coming from within reached a crescendo. In no time at all, the doors slammed open and people ran in all directions. Smackdown, Panacea and Judgement were forced to duck and cover as they were nearly trampled by all the people coming their way.

Men, women, children, and the elderly. Scarcely anyone didn’t cross their path. Inside, the sound of gun fire continued, three more shots ringing out.

“Captain!” screamed Judgement. His skin began to crawl with gold webbing as the fear and panic fed his powers. His hair similarly grew out, white and straw-like. Emerged in a sea of panic, he drew strength to himself, but the fact that he could press forward and attack was also driving him mad.

“Hang on!” Smackdown replied. At the moment, the hail of human bodies, flailing arms and screams were an impenetrable wall; but at the moment, they had no choice but to weather it and wait. Forcing them aside would cause untold harm, and they already had an uncertain number of gunshot victims toiling inside.

“I can fly in!” Panacea yelled, pointing to one of the stainglass windows that loomed above them. Smackdown spotted the panel that was opened and just large enough to admit her. Though at the moment, breaking through one entirely seemed tolerable. 

“Do it!” he yelled, raising his weapon. Summoning all the power she could to herself, she shot up from the steps and positioned herself on the window ledge. Looking ahead, Smackdown noted that the crowd was also beginning to thin out somewhat. Inside, he could see some traces of a white fur coat and the glint on a silver gun. It looked like they finally had a line on their target.

Smackdown lowered his weapon and called to Judgement. “Judgement! Can you see him? Do you have a line on him?”

Judgment looked on ahead, his eyes widening with grim pleasure. “I got him!”

“Good! You take him, I’ll get his body guards!”

At once, the three of them moved. Judgement leapt forward, propelled by the power of his own telekinesis. Smackdown rushed through the last of the stragglers and quickly assessed the scene.

True to form, Billy Bob was standing there in the middle of the Nave, his gun raised and his body draped in the hideous white fur coat he was known to carry. To either side, two thugs were standing, their own weapons poised and at the ready. Before them was the body of Father Michael, blood streaming from his chest from two fresh wounds.

He could feel a terrible sinking sense forming inside him, threatening to consume him. All at once it came flashing back – a broken body, a bleeding wound, a light beaming down to mark the pale face of a poor young man left for dead…

It didn’t last. In the thick of it, Judgement had sprung into action and drew their fire. Six bullets came from Bob’s men and stopped dead in front of the beastly man’s face. His eyes narrowing, all six projectiles turned into hot lead and dissipated before him. He growled and hurled a psychic wave at them, turning the force that had propelled the bullets at him back at his attackers.

“Feel my wrath!” he bellowed, sending hot lead and energy into their faces.

Billy Bob was knocked flat on his back, his two escorts thrown clear and landing several meters beyond. All screamed from the searing pain of hot lead in their faces, but Billy seemed to have taken the worst of it. He lay moaning while the other two slowly pulled themselves to their feet.

Overhead, Panacea sailed down and landed in the center between the pews, kneeling to place her hand on Father Michael. The old man groaned under her touch, and his body jerked as healing energy flowed into him.

Smackdown gave his head a strong shake. The sudden flurry managed to snap him back to the present and he raised his weapon. The situation was far from resolved, at the moment, his colleagues were handling everything between them. Attempting to resolve that, he spotted the two thugs who at that moment were busy getting to their feet. Their guns were long lost, but both had thought to bring backup weapons for the occasion and were in the process of arming them. One produced a knife while the other fetched a set of brass knuckled from their belt buckle. Raising his weapon, Smackdown charged up his tazer rifle and fired two shots.

One by one, the men screamed as the tazer needles from his weapon struck them in the chests and delivered several thousand volts directly into their nervous systems. They fell to the floor, arms flailing and every muscle spasming uncontrollably. In the center, sprawled across the floor, Billy Bob looked up from a pool of his own blood, his nose broken from the blast Judgement had given him. No sooner did he taken a knee that Judgement grabbed him again, raising him off the ground with another wave of psychic energy.

Suspended above the floor, Billy Bob struggled but could do nothing to free himself from the grip. And all his efforts only made it worse, Judgement extending another invisible hand to clamp him tightly. A small, guttural cry escaped his lips as the pressure closed around him and threatening to break his ribs.

Smackdown gave his head a shake to right himself and nodded to Judgement. “You got him?” he asked.

Judgement hummed an affirmative.

“Good. We need him alive. But if he moves… punish him.”

“With pleasure,” Judgement said with a smile.

“How is he?” he said, nodding to Father Michael next. Kneeling next to him, Panacea looked up and shook her head.

“He took two to the stomach. He’s alive, but bleeding internally.”

“Can you save him?”

“Of course, it’s just going to take some time.”

Smackdown eyed Billy Bob, still hanging in the center of the room, and nodded. There were no sirens in the distance, but that would change presently. He knew they didn’t need to get the good father up and walking again, just healthy enough for the paramedics to bring him the rest of the way back. Alas, he knew Panacea wouldn’t go for that. Nothing short of his full recovery would satisfy her right now. He knew how she felt…

He knelt down by Panacea and looked the father in the eyes. The old man looked mighty stunned and disheveled, and just the slightest bit guilty too.

“Father?” he said. “Can you hear me?”

The old man looked to him and nodded.

“You took a serious hit there, but you should be fine. Our dear friend here does good work.”

He looked to her, his eyes becoming mystified and taking on a distant quality. “What is she?”

Smackdown looked at Panacea, who smiled modestly back at him. Under the circumstances, it was clear the father might interpret this as something of a divine intervention. It seemed cruel to dispel that notion. Still, the Captain concluded that honesty would be appropriate.

“She’s… special, Father. Its probably best not to speculate too much on the issue.”

That didn’t dispel the look from his eyes. He still looked entirely awestruck, like he was staring at the divine itself. In time, he began to laugh to himself, his body retaining more of its natural color.

“He’s almost there,” she said, noting the sirens in the distance. “Just a little bit longer.”

“A little bit longer is all we have…” The sirens were getting closer. Smackdown looked to the doors and wondered just how much they had before police and SWAT would be parking out there, proceeding into the church to and opening fire on anyone who looked the slightest bit threatening.

He eyed Judgement next, who at the moment looked anything but innocuous. One look at him would cause any peace officer to open fire, and he knew how that would turn out. The last thing they needed was some police officers ending up in the emergency room. Enough had gone wrong with this op already…

Smackdown looked back to the Father and noted his lively appearance. The wounds in his chest had begun to close and the only blood now was what was already staining his robes. He began to moan, another good sign since it meant his nerves were firing on all cylinders.

“Alright, that’s good enough,” he said. “Let’s get a hold of Billy Bob and make -”

He was just about to say make tracks, but a sudden slamming noise ahead of them interrupted him. The loud thud was followed by intense screams of pain and the noise of laughter. Bob was the source of the former, whereas Judgement seemed to be taking great pleasure in it.

“What the hell was that?” Smackdown yelled to Judgement. The big man simply shrugged.

“He moved. I punished him.”

Smackdown grumbled. He ran to Bob’s side and noted that he still had a pulse. But in addition to his broken nose, he now appeared to be sporting a broken arm. He looked back at Judgement again with scorn in his eyes.

“He’ll live…”

Smackdown grumbled. He hated it when colleagues got literal! Grabbing Bob by the scruff of his fur coat, he hoisted the man to his feet and began pulling him to the doors.

“Get him in my car! I got to ask a favor of the Padre here!”

Judgement moved forward to take hold of the pimp’s broken body. Smackdown pulled him back and shook his head.

“No, not you. Panacea, get him squared in the back of my car. See what you can do about his injuries too. I want him alive and well for his interrogation.”

“You got it, Captain.” She looked at Judgement and smirked, who growled in return. Grabbing Bob around the waist, she quickly lifted herself into the air and sailed for the front doors. Judgement followed, making it to the door with a few, powerful strides.

Alone, Smackdown knelt by the Father and helped him sit up. The sirens were getting mighty close now, their klaxons echoing off the faces of every building nearby. He had barely a moment to spare, but certain considerations had to be given, and warnings issued. The good Father had risked his life for them, had placed the mission in jeopardy, and was still needed for one final task. There was hardly time to discuss all that, but the last item was indispensible…

“Okay, Father. Here’s how it is. Any moment now, police and special weapons teams are going to come through that door. When they do, they are bound to have plenty of questions for you. I think, under the circumstances, it would be best if we got our story straight.”

“Our story?” he said, smiling. “Our story begins with me confronting a group of thugs, then goes on to have me getting shot, then being rescued by bunch of men and women in strange outfits wielding all kinds of strange powers.” He frowned and gave his head a shake. “What could I possibly tell them that could account for all that, and still sound believable?”

Smackdown cleared his throat. The Father was feeling better and his mind was clear. Perhaps it was a mistake to heal him so thoroughly. The semi-conscious were always so much easier to deal with!

“Father, if you tell them what happened here-”

“They’ll what? Come looking for you? Start scouring the city looking for people for masked people in capes?”

Smackdown considered that a moment and shrugged. “Well, I-”

The Father raised his hand to interrupt. “I shall tell them what happened, my son. I shall tell them that a man of ill-repute was in my church, that I made the mistake of confronting him, and when he decided to shoot me, heavenly avengers came down from on high and saved my life. They dispatched his thugs and then carried him away to issue judgement.” He raised his hands in a questing gesture. “What else can I say?”

Smackdown wanted to disagree, wanted to argue the point, citing the need for secrecy and security. He and his colleagues were agreed, until they had made their presence felt in the underworld, until they had instilled suitable fear in the city’s drug lords, crime barons and corrupt officials, it was best to remain a secret. An enemy who did not know who was hunting them or what they wanted was far more unstable than one who did. Alas, there was no time. The nearest siren sounded mere blocks away.

“Father, I-”

“My son, I am a warden of the church. I believe in angels, in miracles, the immortality of the soul. At least twice a week, I serve parishioners what I tell them is the flesh and blood of a man who has been dead for two thousand years. Do you honestly think I would tell policemen anything other than the truth of what happened here tonight, or that they, in their infinite cynicism would believe me?”

Smackdown had to concede that much. Already, he could imagine the furious speculation that would be going on tomorrow in all corners of the city, and how that mystique could play into their hands. But again, time was factor…

“Fine! Tell them what you must. But next time we come asking for your help, please leave the heavy lifting to us.”

“Evil must be confronted in all its forms,” the Father said unapologetically.

“Yes, but next time it could be someone else who absorbs the bullet. You think about that next time you confront an evil man.”

The Father looked ready to respond, but Smackdown didn’t stay to hear him. Running for the backdoor, he cleared it just in time to see Judgment waving to him from the passenger seat.

“Let’s go! They’re practically on top of us!” he yelled. Outside the car, Panacea released her hold on Bob’s arm and gave him a thumbs up.

“He okay to transport?” Smackdown asked as he jumped across the hood and into the driver’s seat.

“He’ll live. He’ll be might ornery when he wakes up though.”

“That’s okay. I got me one hell of a mood adjuster.” Smackdown nodded to Judgement, who smiled in turn. Even Panacea smiled.

“See you at the house?”

Smackdown nodded. “Race you there!”

Panacea jumped straight into the air and flew off with the sound of a sonic boom. Smackdown slammed the gas petal and aimed them for the nearest side street, leaving the lot outside of the church mere seconds before the first patrol car pulled up…

*               *               *

Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion!

Domicile 4.5 Featured in Siren’s Call!

Good news everybody! Awhile back, I was complaining rather vocally about how a number of magazines were turning my short story – Domicile 4.5 – down for publication. And wouldn’t you know it, out of that morass of whining came an offer. It seems that a friend and colleague of mine, Nina D’Arcangela, and her colleagues run a webzine named The Siren’s Call. After taking a look at my story, she ventured that it, or half of it, would be just fine for their November issue.

And here she is! In addition to half of Domicile 4.5, the action chapter of the story, a number of very poignant and exciting shorts appear within. All of were written by indie writers and amateur literary, people of greater experience and talent than myself. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Nina and her buds for including me in the November issue, and consider myself flattered that I was featured amongst these other writers.

I also want to thank the Karma gods for reminding me that the all-important rule still applies. While the meek may inherit the Earth, its the vocal who get results! Check out the issue by clicking on the link below, and feel free to let anyone featured in the issue what you though of their work.

The Sirens Call Publications Issue #6

The Nokia Human Form

Hello all! As you may recall, Nokia made a rather interesting announcement back at the Consumer Electronics Show in 2011 with the promotional video for the Kinetic Device – a flexible smartphone which responds to user commands through twists and bends in the device’s frame. However, it seems that the telecommunications giant wasn’t satisfied with displaying their upcoming line of smartphones.

In addition, they saw fit to produce a future concept video for what they have named the Human Form. This is a futuristic smartphone which also boasts the new “bend and flex” method of use, touchscreen technology, and has a frame that is (in the words of the company) “humanized”. In essence, this means that the phone is extremely user friendly and intuitive, responding to the user’s own manipulations, touch and gestures, while the frame itself acts as a single display device.

But the biggest surprise, for my money, is the tactile feature which allows users to “feel” images. What this means exactly is a bit unclear, but the promotional video seems to be suggesting that the phone will be able to simulate sensations, allowing a person to literally feel features of the image. This sort of technology not only requires a surface which is capable of adjusting its own properties down to the micro level, but an internal processor which is incredibly smart, perhaps even on the order of an AI.

No telling when Nokia plans to begin developing this phone for commercial use. Obviously, the promo video was designed to build upon their current project of building flexible smartphones and touchscreens. But given the current pace at which digital devices are developing, we could be seeing smartphones very much like this one before the decade is out. So save your pennies, because they aren’t going to come cheap!

Check out the promotional video in its entirety below:

Pappa Zulu – Chapter 34

“Fear attracts attack.”

-Edwin Louis Cole

The M2 emerged at the far end of the street. Half a dozen foot mobiles, an entire infantry squad, flanked it. They were moving together in close formation, moving with a purpose. And their direction was certainly indicative enough.

“Someone definitely spotted us,” said Whitman. “They’re trolling for us.”

“Only a matter of time, really,” replied Jones. “We;re not a special ops unit, we’re not cleared for this kind of shit.”

“Speak for yourself, kid. We cut our teeth on this kind of play a long time ago.”

It was Mill offering this insight. Saunders finally decided to intervene. The bastards were making far too much noise and they still had a job to do.

“Shut the fuck up, boys,” she said. “Just like stalking a deer or a Whiskey. Keep your head low, your mouth shut and don’t do anything to give away your position.”

The others nodded and lowered their heads some more. Up ahead, second squad was eying the convoy from the ground and training their weapons on the foot mobiles. And off in the distance, third and fourth were taking aim with their AT-4s while father one, the remainder of their platoon kept watch on the road for any stragglers or reinforcements. The line was baited and hooked, all they needed now was proper execution to made sure only the right people got snared.

One well-placed shot with a rocket would take care of the armored vehicle, they knew. But once it went up, every enemy grunt in the region would know where they were. But unfortunately, it and its compliment of infantry were between them and their Humvees. What’s more, there was no way they’d be getting out of the east end of town without alerting them, not since the enemy squad began going over their tracks.

IR imagining, TOW missiles, twenty-mil fire, she thought, taking stock of the vehicles offensive capabilities. Hell, the moment they turned their keys and started up their trucks, they could expect to be lit up in an instant.

As usual, part of the squad was providing eyes on target, the rest laid in wait and prepared Saunders keyed her comm. “Viper One One to Viper Actual. Enemy unit is proceeding u p Fairview to our location. Spot six foot mobiles providing cover. Armed with Mike Four Alpha Ones and Hotel Kilo four-one-sixes.”

Braun’s reply came back a second later. “Spot any Mike-two-oh-threes?”

“Negative on two-on-threes, sir. No grenade launchers, over.”

“Roger that. Standby to engage…”

Saunders released the mike and looked to her boys. Pointing to her eyes, jabbing two fingers at the enemy formation and then issuing a closed fist, she wordlessly instructed them to pick out their targets and wait for the go order. They nodded and took aim behind from the bushes, the balance of them training their SAWs and rifles while Jones kept their AT-4 handy. Picking out her spot at the left side of the hedge, she knelt down and positioned her SCAR in front of her nose, her sights trained on the grunt who was farthest left in the squad.

All other things faded from view within seconds of picking her target. All the other men walking along the course of the road, the vehicle behind them… everything. All she could see was this one, helmeted soldier and all the vestments they carried. In his hands, he bore an HK416, a pretty standard issue in the old days.

For just an instant, it seemed like an absurdity that she was aiming the red reticule of her sight on the man’s head. In a moment, she would shoot to kill, but the unwanted thoughts remained. What was he thinking? Who exactly was he? What combinations of things had he been told to bring him to this point in time, to this confrontation between herself and him? Did he even know what he was fighting for? Did she for that matter?

All questions which never came up when dealing with the Whiskeys. Aside from how they were going to secure their next meal and avoid the sun, they didn’t seem to hold much in the way of thoughts in their heads. At times, they could surprise you, she knew. But never did they show the slightest signs of loyalty to anything other than herd instinct. Not once did they exhibit the slightest trace of betrayal.

One could always trust them to go with their gut. On that, they never disappointed or strayed…

“Hold up,” said Braun over the link. Saunders shook off her thoughts and instantly became aware of everything around her. “Ah, standby…” he said a second later, and she felt suddenly nervous. The enemy was getting closer. The only reason to not pop them now was because something else was happening beyond them.

Saunders let go of her stock and reached for the mike. Out the corner of his eye, Mill saw her moving and looked in her direction.

“Sarge… What’s going on?”

“Don’t know… keep your eyes on them. Anyone spots us, we got no choice but to start shooting.”

“Few more seconds, it won’t matter either way,” he said, and went back to his sights. She could hear his breathing becoming short. She knew how he felt. It was never comfortable letting live enemies get too close. No one could tell when exactly they would get wise and react. It was much the same with the Whiskeys, but live soldiers had far better reaction time.

And they were armed.

Mercifully, Braun came back within a few seconds. “All Vipers, be advised. We have enemy reinforcements proceeding up from the church.”

Saunders sighed. Braun was referring to the Mormon church from the intersection ahead, where fifth squad had taken up position. As the nearest cross-road, it was the perfect place to spot the armored columns. From the sounds of it, more units were heading their way. Perhaps Whitman was right, somebody had called in a sighting. How stupid of them to think they could avoid detection until now.

“Viper One Five has eyes on a Mike-One-Alpha One, and Lima Alpha Victor and twelve foot mobiles.”

Saunders felt her breath go even shallower. The enemy squad was almost upon them, and from they were being told, they had a Abrams tank, another armored vehicle and two more squads behind them. Ideally, they might be able to contain that amount of troops, but there simply weren’t enough rockets in their platoon to deal with that kind of armor…

“First squad, interrogative, can you and second disengage?”

Saunders keyed her mike, shaking her head even though there was no way Braun could see her. “Negative, Viper One Actual. Enemy is upon us, we are immobile.”

“Stay seated and wait for them to pass,” he said cautiously. “We cannot risk an engagement at this time.”

Saunders released the mike and motioned to her squad to go prone. Up ahead, second followed them and laid their weapons down, hugging the ground and hoping the enemy would mistake their camouflage for foliage.

Few kept their heads up, fearing their eyes and goggles might give them away. Saunders, for her part, kept her head up. As the Bradley neared and the ground rumbled, she had to keep her eyes trained. She watched her target saunter by, talking idly to the other men as if he hadn’t just experienced a close shave with death. The sound of the Bradley’s treads drowned about everything out, but she thought she heard the sound of laughter.

The rumbling passed slowly as the squad and their vehicle passed their position alongside the road. She felt that itchy, vulnerable feeling again. Having the enemy in their blind spot was known to do that, one’s entire backside feeling exposed until they were safely in the distance.

Only when the rumbling was gone did she feel safe enough to raise herself into a crouch. Up ahead, she could see the formation Fifth Squad had spotted, and it was presently moving their way. Seeing it for herself, it looked far worse than the described. The LAV was menacing enough with its twenty-millimeter cannon and compliment of machine guns, swiveling back and forth, surveying the street. But the real impression came from the Abrams located just behind it. Every angle on its turret looked like an impenetrable wall, impossibly thick and sharp looking. And to make matters worse, the cannon extending from the front was a menacing bastard, a single shot enough to take out any one of their vehicles.

Roll past, she said silently. Head on past and bother us no more.

She ducked her head this time and waited for the terrible rumbling to cease. The ground shook beneath her and she could the muffled complaints coming from her left. Some of the boys were hugging the ground extremely hard, and she felt sick with worry for them. No doubt they were feeling the same nervous tingle, running up and down their spines. Just waiting and wondering if the rumbling would cease and be replaced by the terrible hail of automatic fire.

But in a sense, the rumbling was also quite soothing. Under different circumstances, it might have been reassuring to feel war machines that bore friendly insignias rolling by. And evening the rumbling itself was kind of nice, its rythmic vibrations providing a certain…

Oh fuck you! The feelings of worry were dashed when she realized what her squad mates were doing. She had heard about this before, but being a girl, it was not spoken of openly in her presence. She knew now why they were hugging the ground so tightly, why they were moaning, and how it had nothing to do with fear. Were it not for the twenty ton war machine passing them by, she might have smacked them in the head.

Oh well, something to do if we make it out of here in one piece.

Keeping her head down, she breathed slow and waited for the rumbling to pass. She waited and noticed a change before long, but it was not the one she desired. Instead, of rolling off into the distance, as the M2 had, it stopped completely. That could only mean one thing. The second convoy, with its armored fist and its many grunts providing cover, had stopped in the middle of the road.

Braun was on the comm a second later and confirmed her worst fears. “Viper One One, this is Viper One Actual. Be advised, enemy victors have stopped ten meters from your position. We got eyes on foot mobiles, beginning to reconnoiter, over.”

“Oh shit,” she muttered. She wanted to look up, but dared not. At ten meters from their current location, there was no telling what they’d see. Even a few inches of movement could give away their position. Looking to her left, she spotted her boys who were suddenly looking very nervous themselves.

“Hold your position, Viper One One,” he went on. “Standby…”

Saunders rolled to her side and breathed very slowly, in and out, in and out… Her breaths came shallow and she could feel a burning sensation in her chest now. She could barely bring herself to worry about her squad anymore. Mill and Whitman were both looking in her direction and were registering total panic. It was then that she realized she hadn’t even given them any orders.

“Stay low,” she whispered. “Just hold still and don’t make any noise.”

Her heart leaped when she heard a branch crack not far away. The reconnoitering grunts were coming in their direction, spotting long the hedges. Within seconds of hearing the footfall, she spotted a helmet too, the muzzle of a HK pushing through a bunch of sprigs.

She grabbed her rifle and pulled it close. Sliding her hand underneath, she took hold of the trigger and stock and aimed it gently in the direction of the approaching soldier. He inched forward another foot and she saw got a good glimpse at his entire head, helmet, goggles, and the lower half of his face.

In her mind, something clicked as she realized it was her target. Their was no point in questioning who he was or what he was doing here. She now knew with grim certainty that this man was marked by some power greater than herself.

She was going to kill him. There was simply no choice in the matter.

She took hold of the trigger and eased the muzzle in the direction of his face. One shot was all it would take to bring him down and set their entire world on fire. She had her finger ready and began to pull…

The LT’s voice sounded in her ear. “Viper One Four, weapons free!’

The head turned ninety degrees to the rear. Cracks and thunderous roars opened up and his body tensed, the sound producing a convulsion in his body which attempted to lower him out of harms way. It was too late. Saunders finger closed the remainder of the distance and fired a slug clean into his cheek. Blood sprayed out the hole in an aerosol mist and he fell to the ground.

A cacophony of noise filled the air. More cracks of gunfire, more burst of flame, and more pounding explosions. She felt everything through the ground and some of it felt like it could lift her clear from the earth. And yet, above her, it felt like a solid wall had settled in. A sheet of noise and exploding air that made it impossible to look up without losing her head. And all around her, men were screaming as the chaos exploding in their ears and filled their sense. One was even screaming to her, though she couldn’t make out the words.

The world had indeed caught on fire. It’s foundations crumbling around her…

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays folks! I certainly hope everyone is having a nice and relaxing time, although I admit that’s not too likely. When are the holidays EVER relaxing? You’ve got family, travel, last minute shopping, planning, preparations, lots of cooking, the fact that everything’s closed, driving in bad weather, and of course all that concern over the weight you’re putting on!

But in and around all that, I like to think there’s plenty of opportunities for joy and fun, and hopefully some serious swag! Speaking of which, I may have already announced that I got this super new computer! Already, I have given it the litmus test, testing my super-demanding games on it. And they run FAAAAST! I’ve been blowing shit up and firing off guns with the best of them. Next time I play multiplayer, aint nobody gonna be booting me on a count of lag!

And then there’s the little fondue pot I got, which is specifically designed for baking Bries. And some red pepper jelly on top of that, which ought to make for some serious eats! And of course, some much-needed outdoor gear, and some toys for our cat Jasper – who, by the way, hates to travel! And though we love our families very much, we are quite happy to be back in our own place. Jasper is especially happy; he spent the first hour after we got back marking everything. It was as if he were saying “This is mine! And this is mine! And this is mine!”

Also, I’d just like to take this opportunity to rub it in on all those apocalyptic folks. Hey y’all, guess what? The target time and date came and went and do you know what? WE’RE STILL HERE! Seriously, don’t you people get tired of being wrong? Yes, a new year is rolling around is a few days and (God willing!) we can look forward to another year of failed apocalypses.

Hope everyone has something nice planned for the evening of the 31st! See ya’ll in the New Year!

Revengers: Operation Pimp Daddy Proceeds!

Welcome back, Revengers! As you know, our ongoing mission to rid the city of evil and thwart its evildoers is proceeding as planned. As you are also no doubt aware, our latest mission concerns the notorious pimp and scumbag William “Billy Bob” Holstein. After years of enlisting and abusing the city’s vulnerable, he has expanded his repertoire to include blackmail and the drug trade. Naturally, we have reason to worry, and reason to take him down…

Thus far, our point lady has been Panacea, who was kind enough to provide some in depth-surveillance on the subject and his movements. His brothels have been located, his base of operations – a restaurant co-owned with “respectable” entrepreneur Gus Darby – and his route getting to and from the one to the other. However, his drug labs, where a new super-addictive and potent narcotic is being produced, remains a mystery to us. Therefore, top priority must be given to located this place and destroying it. The city is already overrun with poisons!

As per her last field report, Panacea indicated that Billy Bob’s nightly route from Darby’s bistro took him home by way of an underground tunnel which is hidden underneath one of our city’s overpasses. This tunnel leads, eventually, into the basement of St.John’s Cathedral, located in the city’s Old Irish district. After confronting Father Michael, the resident priest, and determining he was not involved, she was able to secure his cooperation with our endeavor.

Naturally, as a man of faith, Father Michael wanted guarantees that Billy Bob would be brought down without excessive violence. In exchange, he agreed to alert our group as to when Billy Bob would be passing through again. Myself, your humble Captain, Judgement and Panacea have been waiting for the signal for several nights. And last night, it finally came…

“The night was cold and wet, unforgiving in it’s own right, and indiscriminate. Those who chose to use it as cover for their insidious activities felt its bight. Unfortunately, so did the innocent people who had no choice but to toil beneath its oppressive weight.

But tonight, the evening had new plans in mind, plans of a discriminate nature. Plans which involved carefully laid revenge. And from multiple vantage points near St. John’s Cathedral, its guarantors watched and waited…

“How much longer do we have to wait?” asked one through the comlink the team was using. For what felt like forever, he had been drawing in the night’s dark energy to himself, charging his inner stores with the life force he would need to unleash hell.

“At ease, Judgement,” replied the Captain. “Panacea has ears on the entire thing. The second we get the go ahead from the good father, we’ll move.”

“I still say he can’t be trusted.”

“He’s trusting us too. Don’t forget that.”

The comlink did not convey the grumbles coming from Judgements end, but Smackdown imagined he could hear them and smiled. It was never easy, coordinating multiple assets, especially ones with super-powers. But coordinating the likes of Judgement with Panacea, that would be a minor miracle in itself.

Alas, he knew they were both needed on tonight’s op, and both had their reasons for wanting to be here. For Panacea, this was about stopping the man who put all those girls through hell, turning them from desperate souls with nowhere to turn to the wretches she saw every night walking the streets and lying in gutters.

For Judgement, it was about stopping the flow of drugs and other poisons the notorious Billy Bob was pushing. That and the fact that he had been freely abusing innocent girls for as long as he had… Suffice it to say, he wasn’t sure Bob would be making it through the night without extreme pain. Another reason he needed Panacea on hand, her healing abilities would surely be needed!

“Eagle’s Nest to Captain,” the comlink became active again. It was Panacea’s voice on the other end.

“Read you loud and clear, Eagle’s Nest,” he said, using the call signs they had set for the op. “What’s the view like?”

“I have ears on our good father,” she said. “The sermon’s about to begin.”

“Let me hear,” he commanded. Within seconds, the audio bug she had implanted became audible to every member of their team.

“Good evening everyone. So nice to see so many familiar faces here tonight. I am glad for the turnout, as this is a rather special evening…”

“Oh, he’s there alright,” said Judgement, clogging up the line.

“Cut the chatter, big Jay, the man’s talking,” said Smackdown.

“C’mon, listen to that leadup. He’s giving us the green light.”

“Wait for it, my hasty friend!”

The debate ceased and Father Michael’s words began to stream through the link again, a particular theme beginning to form.

“In these times of uncertainty, we often look to each other for support and guidance. We remind ourselves that in days where evil, torment and woe are the norm that the only things we can count upon is our faith and each other. But what if we were to learn that the very causes of these evils and torments were among us?”

“Um, Captain…” Panacea said over the line. Smackdown didn’t reply, simply listened in. He too was concerned. The nature of the sermon seemed to be straying from what they had agreed on.

“What if the forces of evil were among us, hiding in plain sight, and fooling us with their phony smiles and their false charity? What if, we were to learn, that we were blind to such acts merely because we were too foolish to see it in our midst? I confess, my parishioners, that their is much evil in this world that I have failed to see. Evil which operated beneath my very nose, within THESE VERY WALLS!”

“Shit, he’s jumping the gun!” said Smackdown.

“Are we a go?” asked Judgement. Smackdown hesitated. It sounded very much like the Father was about to confront Billy directly, something they had specifically asked him not to do. Takedowns were tricky, not something to be done by unskilled people.

“We’re a go,” he said, jumping from the car. “Follow me in, I’m making for the front doors in under one mike.”

Smackdown from the rear of his car and opened the trunk. Grabbing a hold of his tactical shotgun, he was sure to snag a few flashbangs and snag them onto his belt. From behind, Judgement moved to his side through a series of leaps and bounds, assisted as he was by his telekinesis. With some practice, he had learned to hurl himself as easily as he could foreign objects.

Panacea, meanwhile, descended from above, taking the ground from her perch above the bell tower. She drifted easily from the steps to the car, taking a spot at their side.

“What’s happening now?” she asked. Smackdown pushed the comlink in his ear deeper to hear what was happening within.

“We have evil among us!” the father screamed. “And it resides… right there!”

Yelps began to arise from a hundred sources at once, the sounds of fearful revelation. They were followed by loud screams and angry declarations, the unmistakable sounds of mass panic.

He released the link. “Crap! He’s made Billy! We have to go before- “

The sounds of multiple shots resounded from within the Cathedral. Smackdown, Judgement and Panacea all looked to the front door with a sense of dread. All of their faces wore the same expression…

What had just happened?

*               *               *

Tune in next time for the exciting continuance of Operation Pimp Daddy and the ongoing adventures of the The Revengers!