This was meant to be submitted to a contest. But I misread the deadline and missed it by 12 hours! *The prompt was 'steampunk romance' and the suggested length was less than 1,000 words. I have a much longer version, a 'director's cut' if you will, that needs some polishing but I'll get it posted here eventually too. And yes, it is steampunk, its supposed to be full of cliche' and corniness. Enjoy I implore you for comments and critiques. With a powerful shove Andrea Cunningham was hurled from the airship. Her auburn curls whipped around her face as she fell. The emptiness beneath her feet drove her heart into her throat until her hand caught the edge of the gaping hole in the ship's hull. From the corner of her eye she saw the monocled man jump from the ship past her, parachute in hand. That instinctive glance was her downfall. She lost her grip and fell screaming vainly into the rush of the buffeting wind. With a jolt that wrenched her shoulder a firm hand grasped hers and her descent stopped. Looking up she saw the dark locks and amber eyes of Mr. Hawkins, his entire body dangling from the ship, secured only by his robotic arm. What had started as an innocent attempt to seduce and steal a pocket watch from a one armed man had landed her in the middle of a terrorist plot. Mr. Hawkins, fortunately for her, had proved more formidable with one arm than most men with two, owing a great deal of that to the marvelous brass and steel prosthetic that now anchored them to the ship. In the mere hour they had known each other she had saved his life once and now Hawkins had saved her twice. With surprising strength he pulled her up and allowed her to climb back into the aircraft, where she in turn helped him aboard. They both quickly rushed to the bomb secured below the helm. Inspecting it closely, Hawkins looked up at her. “I'm afraid it’s no use Miss Cunningham, there’s not time. Without that key, yours will be the last face I look upon on this earth.* Though I couldn't wish for a finer sight.” Andrea's heart fluttered childishly. She smiled slyly back at Hawkins and reached into her waistcoat pocket. “You mean this key?” Hawkins' eyes widened. Being an expert pickpocket, not to mention escape artist did have its perks despite being wanted in several countries. “What can I say, I'm a girl that likes shiny things,” she reached down and gently touched his mechanical arm. Moments later the blinking lights and meters on the device dimmed and both Hawkins and Andrea breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to face her Hawkins drew Andrea close. “Your an amazing woman Miss Cunningham, despite the bounty placed on you,” his tender voice was nearly a whisper and she felt her cheeks flush. “Would a woman like you ever be able to...” “Yes?” “...land this boat on her own?” “What!” Andrea exclaimed stepping away. “Well I can't simply let them escape like that,” Hawkins appeared baffled, nearly offended at her resistance. He walked quickly to the gaping hole blasted in the wall and looked after the escaping terrorists. “I'm sure you can manage, and the port will radio in to help you, I have no doubt.” Speechless Andrea could do little more than watch. “It was a pleasure Miss Cunningham,” Hawkins' adjusted his spectacles as he stood with heels on the edge.* “I do hope we meet again.” He winked at her then jumped back from the ship and plummeted after the criminals below. Andrea rushed to the edge and watched him fall, watched him wait till the very last moment before opening his chute. Her grimace of fury slowly softened as she pulled a gold object from her pocket. Mr. Hawkins’ pocket watch was indeed a fine specimen, and would fetch a handsome price. Pulling the watch chain out fully, Andrea found a cord affixed to the watch chain.* It certainly had not been there when she had slid the watch from Mr. Hawkins pocket. Attached to the cord was a small card which read: A.C.~ New Portland Square, September 15th 7 pm. ~H The dimples in her cheeks emerged as she grinned and tapped the card against her hand. It was a trap of course, Mr. Hawkins obviously worked for Her Majesties service. But the only thing that could be more exciting that escaping such a trap would be the chance of finding that it wasn't one. Besides, New Portland was lovely in the fall.
SHARD-SEEKERS HANDBOOK Welcome adventurer on your first journey as a shard seeker. Make no mistake that while the path you have chosen is a truly profitable one there are many dangers involved and it behooves all to be well informed. Included in this document are the basics of what you will need to know to get your start making your fortune as a seeker. Seeker Contracts The first thing a beginning seeker will need to do is to sign on with one of the major trading companies. This will provide you with start-up funds and basic equipment to get you into deep space. Contracts typically last 3 cycles or until the death of the seeker, whichever comes first (typically the latter). Some seekers have had success as independents, however, this requires that they own their own equipment and already have the necessary experience. Basic equipment: Shards/Shard Fields Shards were discovered in deep space last century. These high density crystals emit a peculiar radiation that interacts with nature at the sub-quantum level. They are found in many sizes and a variety strengths. There are are three main types of field that can be generated from shards. De-energizing/defensive shield – These fields convert any energy including, laser blasts and kinetic energy, into matter. The efficiency of this transfer is proportional to the strength of the shard, the intensity of the field at the point of impact and the amount of energy to be converted. Middle range energy impacts, such as bullets and energy blasts are stopped easily, while interactions at the farther ends of the spectrum, such as a stealthy knife strike or a nuclear explosion will pass through the field more effectively. Energizing/Blast field – Essentially the opposite of a defense shield; this field converts a percentage of matter into a stream of radiation that follows the trajectory of the original object when it contacted the field. Again, the efficiency of the transfer is proportional to the intensity of the field, and the strength of the shard. In general the efficiency is much lower than a defensive field and results in a blast more akin to a pulse laser than an atomic bomb. Tachyon field - Sub quantum Tachyon energy was discovered to flow between the stars in celestial winds. Tach-fields harness these currents and translate them into kinetic energy, moving shuttles, skiffs and shard seekers on glowing energy sails across and between the planets. Field Focusing Elements The energy emitted by shards is generally diffuse uneven and useless, however, certain materials have been discovered that can channel these energies into more refined fields. Carefully managed electrical currents can further tune and modify these fields. Thus, any of the three major field types can be generated with only two elements;a shard and a focusing element. Stories have been told of stranded seekers fending off Fyer attacks with only a single shard and a bone torn from a decapod as a focusing element. AI Most space journeyers are familiar with the AI system. These programs, though they seem sentient, are simply advanced algorithms designed to protect their owners from the psychological strain of deep space journeys and to manage the necessary background operations important to life in space. Such tasks include gravity simulation, life-support and shuttle-craft interface. E-Suit E-suits are standard issue and many times your E-suit will be your only defense against the extremes of the space void. Made from the still living hides of Fyers the suits manage temperature extremes and pressure inside the suit by the advanced biology of their gas-phase circulation. Small tears and scratches are usually repaired by the cells of the suit itself but there are automated functions added to the suits to make quick, though temporary repairs that will preserve life. These systems and the general health of the suit are managed by your AI. Suits are generally fitted tightly to the body and sometimes retain the luminous properties of their original owners. Shard Harness Shard seeking requires equipment that is highly maneuverable, simple and dependable. Early seekers depended on small shuttle craft and standard space suites to traverse the planets and asteroids in search of shard-creatures. However, this often led to seekers dying on distant rocks due to failed engines and damaged equipment. To reduce these unfortunate fatalities the shard harness was devised. Harnesses provide another layer of protection from the extremes of space for the head and core of the wearer and house multiple shards to reliably provide power and various energy fields. Though not designed for interstellar travel, when combined with simple field focusing devices the shard harnesses allows seekers to travel at high speeds and generate specialized fields without any complex external machinery. Interstellar Fauna Specters Specters are space faring creatures of varying sizes mostly found in the deep space regions of the Outer Rim. Little is known about them save that they are often very hostile. The scans that have been obtained show they are unique in that no biological components have ever been detected within them. They are made up exclusively of shards and shard-like crystalline structures suspended in a field of electromagnetic energy. Despite their wealth and magnitude of shards, it is advised that NO SEEKER EVER ATTEMPT TO HARVEST SHARDS FROM A SPECTER. Specters emit long range hull piercing energy blasts, move quickly in the air and on ground, can arrange themselves into various forms and have been reported to be capable of some sort of teleportation. To date, no specter has been killed or restrained. When encountering these entities it is advisable to flee immediately. In dire circumstances the creatures can be temporarily destabilized by a targeted blast to their core energy center. The nature of their hostility is unclear in that unlike other, more organically based creatures, they do not make use of the shards of their victims. Instead these entities seem to mount coordinated assaults on deep space outposts and settlements leaving no survivors without taking so much as a single shard. Their level of sentience and intentions toward humanity are a topic of much debate. Fyer-Flies These luminescent many-winged creatures were once thought to be docile drifters in space. “Fyers”, as they are often called, revealed their true nature with the emergence of shard technology. Moving in pods of 5-20, these creatures scour the galaxy for asteroid bound shards and and will use their powerful blasters to mine them from rock and shuttle-craft alike. Swarms of the creatures have been known to descend on unsuspecting shard powered craft and tear them to pieces with no regard for human life. Despite their incredible speed and their ferocity in the presence of shards, they are a profitable prey for seekers due to their relative fragility, wealth of internal shards and the usefulness of their hides in making bio-active E-suits. Because of their high-pressure gas-phase circulation system a well aimed shot to pierce their main body will essentially detonate the creatures (careful aim is a must if their valuable hides are to be salvaged). Each adult Fyer can be expected to yield 3-8 shards. Decapods Resembling oversized isopods from earth, decapods are the staple shard source for seekers. The creatures live in symbiosis with a remarkably space tolerant fungus that hitchhikes along with them as they drift between asteroids. Once a decapod crash lands on an asteroid or planet the fungus grows out and covers the area in a thick blanket of slime as it slowly degrades its environment. As it does so it breaks down rock and debris into energy and the chemical building blocks that nourish itself and the decapods. The first decapod will become a queen and scour the nearby landscape for shards and a location to set up her hive. Once she has obtained enough shards to provide for her offspring she will begin generating smaller clone like drones. These drones will continue the work of harvesting shards while the queen metamorphosizes into her final stage capable of generating new queen eggs and blasting them back into space where they will drift indefinitely until they encounter new ground to colonize and repeat the cycle. Decapods are aggressive and armed with shard enabled energy blasters. Unlike fyers, dacapods have substantial defenses in the form of thick stone-encrusted exoskeletons and defensive shard fields that render long range energy blasts useless. The main technique for harvesting decapods involves very close range attacks from within their shields and piercing their bodies either from beneath or from above between their protective scales. Decapod drones can be expected to house 6-10 shards while Queens can contain as many as 600, however, queens are rarely harvested as the larger decapods tend to have more substantial defenses. You will likely encounter a range of other space adapted species in your travels, however these have not been fully documented and cannot be described here. Be advised that most interstellar species depend on shards as much as you and will likely be eager to commandeer your shards for themselves.
Having recently become aware of my gift of ordinal linguistic personification, I feel compelled to inform you all about a horrific heresy embedded within our own multiplication table. Although most of you apparently cannot see it, all of the single digits carry on their lives in a sensible relationship with one another. Whether adding subtracting dividing or multiplying they all behave according to their personalities and interact with predictable results. EXCEPT in the case of 4 times 8. You notice that I said about that the numbers interact in sensible relationship. Notice that I did not say that they relate in harmony. Harmony is far from the truth, these numbers lead their lives in constant drama and conflict with one another that rivals that of the infamous Greek gods. There are distinct sides and a constant battle between good and evil. This battle is led on the side of good by the noble 1 and 2 who are the pillars and foundations of all sensible math. On the contrary side, evil has no distinct leaders, but is personified by insidious numbers such as 9, but is more commonly manifests itself in certain contexts and equations. Such equations include 7 – 4 = 3 in which case the cool and suave Seven overpowers the dainty feminine Four. Seven is not inherently evil, but in this case he clearly takes advantage of another number. The end product as you can see is a clear loss for good in that Three is an odd number and the route of power hungry Nine, the sneaky sultry Six, and border line insane Twenty-one. In multi-digit numbers evil appears again in the form of numbers such as 13. 13 is obviously unlucky, but he is also dangerous in that he is a prime number meaning that his strength comes from within. Furthermore, Three, which would be pure evil were it not for its necessity in creating a multitude of equations, has sequestered the pure but helpless One to itself to further strengthen its selfish purposes. But, Four times Eight is just wrong. It is an affront to all reasonable numbers both good and bad. To begin with, a conflict between 4 and 8 is almost inconceivable. Despite being spirited, Four has no real power because all numbers divisible by Four are also divisible by Two. As you can imagine, Four has no unique personality of her own but simply mirrors the latest trend proffered by other numbers (and in particular the noble heroine Two). In a similar way Eight is even more obtuse, with little regard for is appearance she is neutral in almost cases and does very little on her own despite being a relatively large and strong number. Thus, in the case of Four times Eight you have two placid unmotivated numbers supposedly in conflict. We just can't allow this foolishness to go on. Furthermore, if the equation is forced through the result is the hideous 32. What is 32? Sandwiched in between two prime numbers it leads with the devious and often corrupt Three, but then is followed by the righteous queen of numbers Two. 32 is an ugly, unnatural number. Three and two added together create Five, the enforcer of law among numbers, which might be considered good, were it not for the fact that 32 is completely indivisible by Five. This is a bad omen for 32. No other pair of multiples culminates in a 32 with the exception of the pure and innocent 16 (which is where the Fours table should have stopped). As you can see, 32 is alone and rejected by all other numbers; and for good reason. I implore you all in the name of good and decent math to stop the madness and to veto, ban and boycott Four times Eight. Email this to 16 / 4 other people or you will have 7 + 6 for 3 x 9 years.
Hey all, Here's a super nerdy post for all you techies out there. I'm really a novice at all of this and there may have been better methods (which I would love to hear) and there may also be problems I have not yet encountered that others may be able to predict. Essentially what I have done is created a personal, portable, operating system configuration on a portable hard drive. It allows me to work in a consistent environment with all of my personal files, software, and settings by plugging into any computer that will boot from a USB. In addition the system is designed to be a portable clone of both my work computer (on which which I cannot install Ubuntu due to policy) and my home computer and have all of the files from both available to me wherever I am. Tools used: Computer capable of booting from USB 320 GB Iomega eGo portable HD (Nicknamed DataFlask) Ubuntu 10.04.1 Live CD (downloaded and burned .iso to CD) Additional Software: GParted Unison Truecrypt Step 1: Partitioning This was done using GParted on the Live CD. The first thing to do was to create the partition set-up on the portable drive. In order to keep my backed-up/synced folders accessible to the windows systems the first partition is left as a ~300 GB NTFS formatted partition. Next comes the boot partition; a 512 MB ext2 partition flagged as 'boot'. And finally the ~20 GB extended partition with a ext4 section and the swap area. Here is an attempt at a graphical representation: | 300 GB NTFS | 512 MB ext2 *boot || < extended | ~20 GB ext4 | swap | /extended > || Step 2: Ubuntu install From the Ubuntu Live CD I installed Ubuntu. Using manual partitioning, I selected the portable drive and designated the ext2 partition to mount from /boot and the ext4 partition as the root ' / '. IMPORTANT on the last page of the install wizard I selected the 'Advanced' option and designated the ext2 partition (sdc3 in my case) to be where the boot loader (Grub) is installed. On restart I was able to log into Ubuntu on the portable drive with no problem. Also, and most importantly, I did not erase the MBR on the HD of the computer I was working on (at least not on the second try). Had I not selected the advanced option and designated where the boot loader would be, I would not be able to load Windows, or any system, without having the portable drive plugged in to the computer that did the installing. Step 3: Setting up Security Because this portable drive (which I will refer to as 'DataFlask') was going to contain all of my personal files and information the first thing I did was install Truecrypt. Using Truecrypt I created a 100 GB encrypted file on the NTFS partition (FYI: this took several hours). Because truecrypt works across platforms (i.e. works on windows and macs) and the file is located on the NTFS partition, all of my files are securely encrypted but still accessible on the external drive when I'm not running the Ubuntu operating system. I can just plug the DataFlask in while running windows and it functions like a regular external HD. Step 4: Setting up file syncing To sync my files between computers and the DataFlask I chose to use Unison ('sudo aptitude install unison-gtk') because, again, it is a cross platform software, and because it will sync both ways between folders. Using Unison I synced my user folder under windows (C:/Documents and Settings/usrname) to a file I called 'Work' within the truecrypt volume. I then went home and synced my home user folder to a separate folder in the truecrypt volume called 'Home'. At this point I had a mountable, portable Ubuntu system with access to all of my personal files on whatever computer I boot into into. Also, the files are still accessible when plugging the DataFlask into a system already running Windows or MacOS (although I haven't tested it on a Mac). As an added benefit the DataFlask and Hard Disks of each computer serve as back-ups for one another; protecting my files should one of the drives fail. Step 5: Making it easier on myself I found it most efficient to save files to the truecrypt volume while operating in Ubuntu and then sync to the 'real' (permanent) HD before shutting down. I put two folders on the Ubuntu desktop labeled 'Work' and 'Home' respectively. Within each I put links to the 'Desktop' and 'MyDocuments' folders on the synced folders for each windows computer within the truecrypt volume. This allows quick access to the files I care about in an organized way. Drawbacks/problems I've found: Obviosuly, start-up is not as fast as it would be if install on the computers own HD. It takes about 2 min total on my work machine. There is a scary blank screen that stares at you in between choosing the OS in Grub and visibly seeing Ubuntu load. However, being used to older computers running WindowsXP, I've actually been impressed by how quickly Ubuntu gets up and running and once up, everything zips along great. The Ubuntu system itself is not encrypted, therefore files saved anywhere other than the truecrypt volume are vulnerable should the drive get stolen. I'd love to hear ideas on how to retro-encrypt the Linux system. GParted seems to cause errors in the disk, even when not touching the partitions on the DataFlask. This results in unstable mounting of all media drives while using Ubuntu and failure to load Ubuntu on restart. Running fsck on the system drive either before rebooting using -force or using the Live CD seems to fix the problem when it crops up. I'm considering scripting fsck to run on every boot since it is so quick and easy. Because the boot set-up is arranged in a sort of awkward way (at least to me) I once ran into trouble when I tried to update to Ubuntu 10.10. Doing this broke Grub and would drop me at the Grub rescue command line instead of loading. Someone with more experience with grub and boot loaders probably could have fixed it, but despite my best efforts I couldn't and ended up reinstalling everything. Unison sometimes runs into trouble with permissions discrepancies, probably due to the differences between how Windows and Lynux deal with them (?). Running Unison from the command line using: unison syncfile -perms=0 fixes the problem. I've been using this tool for the past 6+ months or so and its been absolutely amazing. Everything I want is at my fingertips whenever and wherever I want it. Very useful for a graduates student that often brings work home. Let me know your thoughts and how something similar could be done more simply or flaws and problems I haven't spotted yet. Thanks! ~JG
She found Tak’s shuttle near the edge of the camp. Tak was a plump man with knobby features and unkempt hair. His eyes widened above his puffy cheeked smile as he saw Andromeda approach. “Ande’ my dear! I’m so glad you made it, how has that lattice I made for you been working?” Ande’, as she was called by her friends, smiled but said nothing as she approached. She ducked under the canopy and proceeded behind counter littered with various tools of the man’s trade. She plopped a large dirty bag onto the only open space on the counter and stared as Tak reached for it inquisitively. He started to open the bag, but the smirking woman shook her head slowly, and motioned below the counter. Tak nodded in reply and stooped slightly as he unveiled the hidden object out of sight of the busy street. His gasp was audible as his hand contacted the smooth surface of the crystal. “My stars Andromeda!” he gasped as he flipped the bag fully open, “Where did you find this!” “On the outer rim,” she shrugged finally letting her beautiful smile fully escape. “You’re still searching out there?” he said softly, looking into her soft eyes. The smile vanished quickly, but Tak hardly noticed as his attention returned to the novel shard. “It must be a level seven or, or more. I’ve never even heard of one this size, or hue,” His eyes were wide, “It’s more than a shard; its a discovery. Even with the cuts this will ensure that you never have to wander those ‘roids again! Well done Ande’, well done!” “I want it harnessed Tak; I’m going back,” she was resolute and did not waver when he looked up at her incredulously, his many lensed spectacles raising high on his forehead. “But Ande’ this is worth a fortune, I... I don’t even know if I can harness it.” “You’re the best shard-smith in the galaxy Tak, the only one who could do it.” Tak’s eyes did not leave the heavy object in his hands as she spoke. It was true that he was an excellent shard smith. His role in these uncharted space territories was to refine the energy of the rough crystals brought to him by shard seekers. By technology similar to that of the tach-rods shard smiths harnessed the shards in delicate metallic settings redistributing their energies into an even aura. “I suppose,” he muttered to himself. “You can do it, I’ll pay you whatever it takes,” finally the shard-smith looked up, his hazel eyes meeting hers. “No, no, I won’t take money for this,” he looked again at the shard as it rested in his large hands. It was bigger than a dinner plate, and had a massive weight which belied its density. To harness such a shard, to control its energy, would be an honor for the craftsman. “Thank you Tak, I’ll never forget this,” “Of course my dear,” Tak said absently as he turned and made his way up the ramp of his shuttle, never looking away from the large crystal in his hand, “If it can be done at all I’ll tag you when its finished. You can come and have it installed into your harness then.” Ande’ watched him as he disappeared into his mobile workshop.
Andromeda looked above her. The subspace currents were outlined in her goggles, revealing one saving opportunity. “There's a stray current four meters above us,” she shouted to Daniel, even though he could have heard her whisper, “It'll carry us right at Hawkens if we can catch it. On my mark I want you to cut defensive shielding and put all the fields from my suit into catching that current!” Andromeda couldn’t afford to lose this match. She didn't wait for Daniel to reply. She swung her legs over her head in a flip that carried her upward. As she righted herself she gripped the remaining tach-rod in her good hand, and disengaged it from her feet. “Now Daniel!” she cried as she directed a full strength field to form in front of the rod. She could see the soft glow of her suit fields between her and her tach-rod as Daniel submitted to her orders. As predicted she caught the current and was carried rapidly towards her opponent. Andromeda cried out as she put every once of her energy into the assault and began to hurl bolts at Hawkens as she sped toward him. Though Hawkens was quick enough he didn't attempt to escape her path. Redoubling his attack he sent a volley of energized arrows through his field as quickly as he could. The blows knocked Andrmoeda about threatening to divert her course, and pummeled her field as they rematerialized into dust on impact with her field. A glancing blow finally skewed her trajectory exposing her vulnerable side. She felt a searing heat as a final beam of energy collided with her shard harness inches away from her shoulder blades. “Your harness has been damaged. Auxiliary systems offline,” Daniel reported almost immediately. Ande’ tightened her grip around her tach-rod, but it produced no field. “Daniel, we’re going down!” Andromeda flailed violently as she began to descend faster and faster toward the ground. “Commencing emergency field buffering,” came Daniels voice again. Andromeda’s shards dimmed briefly before returning with an intense glow that created an orb of light around her. Like a falling star she streaked toward the ground trailed by the glow of energy that bathed her. The earth seemed to be speeding up toward her, and she had no more time react to the imminent impact. As her glimmering field reached the earth ahead of her, a loud hissing and rumbling could be heard. The ground cratered on contact with the orb and a burst of dust appeared within the field as Andromeda’s inertia was converted by the field. Though much of her inertia was absorbed her impact was violent as her body fell into the large hole created by the shard field. Dust covered and bruised she crawled from the pit. Looking up her cold blue eyes met those of her new apprentice standing above her in the sand as the words escaped her lips. “Damn.”
“How’s the weather Daniel,” Andromeda spoke into the air as she continued on. “The space currents are strong today, and blustery, you can probably generate a de-atomizing field of fifteen percent before you start to get pulled by the tachyon currents,” came the reply of her A.I. that only she could hear. “It must be very blustery; I’ve notice you’ve been having trouble maintaining a steady gravity sim’. This is going to make flying and fighting at the same time tricky,” she commented back. “Agreed,” replied Daniel, “I will try to keep you steady by tuning your fields focused by your suit itself, but you will have to use the tach-rod fields with skill to keep upwind and get your shots off without being pulled off course.” “That’ll be tough if the currents keep shifting,” Andromeda adjusted a setting on her goggles, and observed as the sub-atomic currents were visually represented to her vision. “I’m glad you decided to show-up Ande’,” Donnavan’s voice disrupted her assessment. She turned to see the seedy rep from Charles Gateway making his way towards her followed closely by Aaron. “So where’s your guy? You don’t expect that kid to take me, do you?” Andromeda motioned toward her intended apprentice. “No, no my dear,” Donnavan replied. He turned to a crowd of rough looking shard seekers gathered on the edge of the nearby dueling field. “Five hundred credits to whoever can best the young woman here!” he shouted. Several heads turned and men began to come forward. “I’ll take her down for three hundred and a keg!” shouted a rider from the back of the group. The crowd parted to reveal a dark haired man, average in build, in a worn and battered shard harness. He was well known to Andromeda, who cursed under her breath. “Ah, very well Mr. Hawkens, 300 credits and the finest beer I can find! We have a deal,” Donnavan smirked. Donnavan and the others moved back as Andromeda and her challenger approached the field. Each leaned their long rail guns against a nearby rock, close to the crowd. Andromeda checked her belt to ensure she had enough ammunition. As expected every spare inch not holding a satchel or holster held a tapered metal bolt. Hawkens meanwhile reached to the quiver on his back and quickly counted the long needle like arrows it held. He shrugged, apparently satisfied with the number, and spoke to Andromeda in a low tone as they both made their way out into the field. “I heard about Ben. You still searching the rim?” Hawkens asked looking straight ahead as they walked. “Whenever I’m not dealing with **** from Donnavan,” she sighed before continuing, “Your still a sucker for a keg I see.” “What’s a boy to do?” Hawkens gestured his arms to the sides as he began to back away, pacing the distance to his starting mark. “It’s nothing personal, ‘K?” Andromeda shouted across the field as she clipped a tach-rod to her feet. “Never is Ande’, never is,” Hawken replied while attaching a cord to two of the opposing ends of his double tach-rod. He gave the bow string a pluck and smiled at Ande’. “Ready when you are Hun’.” “Cut the Grav-sim Daniel, just keep me steady and safe” she said quietly. Without another hesitation Andromeda leapt into the air as the two tachyon fields formed in front of her rods. She grabbed a bolt from her belt and hurled past her hand and the field in front of her, straight towards her opponent. As the bolt passed through the glowing aura a hissing burst could be heard and the solid object disintegrated into a blast of energy. The explosion streamed along the trajectory of the vaporized bolt as though it were fired from a gun. A pico-second later it reached its target and collided with Hawkens’ own field projected in from of his modified tach-rod bow. A spray of sand could be seen as the energy was harmlessly converted back to matter. “You’ll have to do better than that!” Hawkens shouted as he too leapt to the skies and the crowd below began to cheer. The pair flitted above the dune, spiraling about each other, getting a feel for the subspace winds and their opponents pace. Andromeda surfed gracefully on one glowing sail while steering with another in her hand held. Hawkens glided through the skies on his single larger hand-held field and used short field pulses from his boots to guide his path. A blast of energy leapt out at Andromeda as Hawkens paused to release an arrow. He was faster in the air and could fight at longer range with his bow, but Andromeda had agility on her side. Andromeda dodged the blast, and rounded to the east. As much as she had tried to avoid it the winds were against her already, she tacked in quick zigzags as tried to make way headway against the subspace winds. Unable to both navigate with her fields and aim them at Hawkens, it was all she could do to dodge his blasts as they sped towards each other. Just at the point where the two would collide Ande’ dodged to the side and barrel rolled around as her opponent passed beneath. She didn’t have time to waste with Donnavan’s little game. She needed to end this quickly. “Daniel, off,” she said as she watched Hawkens zip below with speed that would be hard to match. If she were going to catch him she would need an element of surprise, and a stunt that her faithful A.I would certainly interfere with. Andromeda’s fields disappeared, and she flipped gracefully as she began to freefall headlong towards the ground several hundred meters below. The pull of the planets gravity accelerated her descent until she was plummeting to the ground at breath-taking speed. In the sky above Hawkens was slowing to search out his target. Ande’ waited until she reached terminal velocity a mere few hundred meters above the ground before re-activating her fields. The sub-space winds caught her glowing sails and she was instantly ripped out of her downward trajectory. Large plumes of sand erupted behind her as she skimmed past the planets surface. The G-forces of her graceful arc threatened unconsciousness as she was slung back into the skies directly toward the unsuspecting Hawkens. “Wake-up Daniel,” She was hurtling at her opponent now, and the speed she had gained from her freefall was too difficult to manage on her own. She could see Hawkens eyes now as he searched the horizon. She had him right where she wanted him. An instant later they collided. The tach-field ahead of her faded as its energy blended with that emitted by Hawkens shard harness. Her outstretched fist, still clutching her tach-rod, struck him firmly in the stomach. Hawkens doubled over with the impact and looked in surprise as his adversary continued to push past him. It wasn’t that she disliked Hawkens, in another setting she would have backed him to the death as any fellow shard seeker would. She just couldn’t afford to miss a shot, and besides, she had a lot of aggression to work out of her system. The promise of a black-eye was delivered with a second slug from her free hand as she continued past. Andromeda, still carried by her momentum, continued upward as the disoriented Hawkens began to fall. Ande' quickly hurled a barrage of bolts at him as her upward ascent reached its peak. But Hawkens too experienced to remain dazed for long. He recovered quickly, blocking her shots and launched an arrow of his own at her as he fell. The currents suddenly shifted as the blast of energy approached, and Andromeda reacted with her defensive sail to avoid being blown off balance. The mistake cost her. She tried to swing the field at her feet around to block the blow, but was too late. The direct hit threw her further into the air. “****! Daniel, what happened!” “I diverted as much of your suit shields as possible to de-energize the blow, however you have suffered some damage,” replied the familiar voice as calm and steady as ever. Another beam of energy narrowly missed the girl now beginning to fall through the air. Andromeda reactivated her tach-rods and swung around to face her opponent. Hawkens was circling from a good distance, taking advantage of his greater accuracy at range. Just then the rod in Ande’s hand began to shake. She gripped tighter but the shuttering grew worse. A snapping sound came from her glove and the tach-rod burst out of her grip. “Damn it Daniel!” She bellowed at the disembodied voice. “The pneumatics in your right glove have gone off line,” Daniel informed her. Carried by its energy field the long pole blew out and away from her reach like a kite cut from its string. Unable to focus the energy emitted by her shards as it moved out of range, the sail-like field dissipated and the rod plummeted to the ground. The blasts from Hawkens were still coming. Andromeda swung her feet repeatedly using the only remaining field at her feet to deflect the blasts. She threw a couple bolts of her own between her boots, but it was no use. She couldn't hit him at that distance. “Daniel,” she cried after another blast from Hawkens nearly hit her, “I'm a sitting duck out here. We need to get in range!”
These still need a lot of work but I'll make some edit them up soon: Ande streaked over a mountain range surfing through the air at breakneck speed as she was propelled by the currents that billowed against her two tachyon fields. She spotted her target as she rounded a tall spire of stone that stood above the ridge like a watchtower. Down on a level field on the planets surface a flurry of activity was taking place. As she approached she could make out the shapes of a variety of ships and shuttles littered about like a small village. The makeshift streets were bustling with people, and other solar riders could be seen coasting through the skies on glowing sails like bees hovering about a hive. She made her approach and landed just outside the busy camp. Many others outfitted in shard harnesses greeted her as she passed. Others kept close to their shuttles as they called out the value of their wares to anyone who might be listening. The rendezvous was like a mobile market catering to shard seekers such as her. “Have you seen Tak?” she asked one of the more quiet shop keepers who sat with his chin propped in his hands. “Ahh, Andromeda, good to see you’re still alive! Your a bit late you know the rendezvous started two weeks ago. I believe Tak arrived last week sometime. He set up shop on the east side,” the grubby old shop keeper commented. “Thanks,” Andromeda replied turning toward the direction of his gesture. “Oh, have you heard? Both Charles Gateway and Phalenx Co. have cut their rates by a third. The other buyers have cut by nearly twice that.” called out the trader as she walked. “Damn,” she muttered as she continued walking without looking back. *** She spent the rest of the day buying and trading. Her pod sold for a fair price, and with the addition of some of her savings she picked up a two-man pod with more cargo room and greater agility. She planned to be deepspace for a long time on her next voyage. She also gathered a number of other supplies to sustain her in the barren void. Next, Andromeda stopped in to the Charles Gateway Trading booth to sell off her other shard crystals. She stood haggling with the dealer when a familiar voice interrupted from behind her. “I thought we contracted you to find shards, Miss Cunningham,” the voice was smooth and cruel. Andromeda turned around to face the man. He was clad in a clean new vapor suit with a blue cloak that hung from his shoulders. His finely groomed and curled mustache mirrored his wicked smile. “From what I hear you’ve been gallivanting about the far reaches of the outer rim and only have a handful of shards to show for it.” “I’ve done enough to fulfill my contract with you people. Charles Gateway doesn’t own me,” she had little patience for the company representative who knew nothing about star travel, shard collecting, or what it was like to lose a partner. “A mere thirty shards just barely covers your contract. When we hired you I was under the impression that you were the best in the business.” “Maybe you should spend less time listening to **** on the street and more time getting your hands dirty like the rest of us,” Andromeda retorted. “Tsk’, tsk’, my dear, we all have our role to play, and mine is to make sure you mangy vagabonds bring your returns back to Charles Gateway,” the man approached the attendant to whom Ande’ had been dealing and inquired about the trade. “Go to Hell Donnavan, I’m done here anyway,” Andromeda turned back to the glaring sands of the market. “Not so fast Ande’” Donnavan called after her. His smile had faded; he was no longer interested in games. “You may have brought in enough shards to keep your contract, but that doesn’t fulfill all of your obligations with Charles Gateway.” The younger woman stopped in her tracks and cursed under her breath. “You haven’t yet taken an apprentice,” he continued. “Not now Donnavan, I can’t have some wet behind the ears green-stick tagging along with me. I don’t have time for this,” she turned again and started to march away. “Seven hundred credits is hardly enough to get you back to the rim, not to stay for any length of time anyway.” Donnavan’s devilish smile returned. Again she paused. He was right. She had spent her savings on the new pod and the first part of her supplies, but it only bought her three weeks on the rim at best. “You know I can adjust that for you. Let’s say I gave you full price on those shards you just sold us, forget about the cuts. That would buy you an extra four weeks at least.” “What’s in it for you,” she scowled. Corporate traders like him were scheming bastards out to line their own wallets. “I have a very special apprentice for you, my cousin Aaron here,” as he spoke a man approached him in a brand new shard harness. His equipment was top of the line, but didn’t fit him well, making him appear clumsy. It was immediately clear to Andromeda that he had never gathered a shard in his life. “Go to Hell Donnavan,” Andromeda replied again as she walked away. “What’s the matter dear, still mourning that poor sap you left behind out on the rim?” before Donnavan finished speaking he found himself racing backwards as a glowing energy field pushed him violently through the market. On the other side of the field the enraged Andromeda tightly gripped her tach-rod as they both sped through the crowds, knocking over tables and pushing aside small shuttles. With a violent thud Donnavan’s back collided against the side of a massive cliff well outside the market. He could see the rage of the young woman through the glowing energy field that pushed against him, pinning him to the rock. Aaron few up from behind using a pair of short hand held tach-rods. The glowing field disappeared. Donnavan looked up just in time to meet Andromeda’s fist as it collided with his face. “Wait, wait,” he cowered. The rookie landed with a thud behind her and grabbed Andromeda’s arm as she readied for another blow. She threw the boy off with ease as his balance was poor in his oversized suit. “Ande’ wait, lets make a deal,” Donnavan pleaded again. “Why would I deal with an asshole like you?” she replied backing off slightly as her temper cooled. That first punch had felt really good. “For one, this little outburst could cost you your contract, and another, I know how badly you want to get back out there. But I’m not letting you go off without fulfilling your obligations.” “You’ve got five seconds,” she replied coldly glancing at the youthful amateur as he struggled to get back on his feet. “What say we settle it the way you shard seekers do, with a friendly contest,” Donnavan rose to his feet still holding his bruised chest and checking his rapidly swelling eye, “I can’t compete with you, obviously, but I’ll provide someone who can. If you win you can trade your shards at full price plus a thousand credits and be on your way. If my man wins you get the same only you take the boy with you when you go.” Andromeda glared at the man. “Have your man meet me on the east plane at noon.” As the sun began to reach its peak on the desert planet Andromeda made her way to the east end of the trading camp. She glared at the ground as she walked. There were many more important things she could be doing than a stupid duel, but if it got her out of the tight spot she found herself in, she would give it a shot. On the plain several make shift stations had been set up for shard seekers to test their skills. She passed a rifle range where several men were showing off. Three men stood side by side holding rifles nearly as long as the men were tall. Their targets could not be seen in the distance but each concentrated as they aimed through the small scopes attached to each rifle. A brief whir broke the silence followed by the deafening ring of de-atomized matter. The sound coincided with a brilliant flash at the muzzle of two of the rifles and two brilliant streams of energy that blazed into the distance. “What the,” the third man shouted sounding somewhat inebriated. “Helps if you turn your shard field on,” one of the others called to him chuckling as he loaded a steel bearing down the four rails of his rail-gun. He and his companion laughed while the misfiring drunk grumbled and checked his equipment. “I’ll go check the targets, maybe he actually hit it with the bullet itself! HOLD FIRE!” the third man cackled and shouted as he charged his tach-fields and skimmed off down range. “Morey, didn’t your A.I. tell you your field was off?” the remaining man asked the drunk. Morey grumbled something about ‘turning the @&% A.I. off’ and continued to check his gun and shard harness for some imaginary defect. The other key property of the fields that could be generated from the radiation of shards was the way in which they altered matter and energy. The tach fields, as they were called always faced the shards from which they originated. In a peculiar trick of physics energy moving into a field towards the shard would be absorbed and converted to matter. Conversely, matter pushed through a field away from the shard would be converted into pure energy. These were the fundamental principals by which all weaponry, both defensive and offensive, were based.
I write this little post, not as an attack against the post written by Jon in his own blog, but as something inspired by it. I was actually surprised to hear that atheists are timid of expounding their beliefs. I feel the same way about my Christianity, but then, I run in mostly atheist circles. It actually took a lot of courage for me to post this, so don’t think that I’m coming down on other beliefs. I was just inspired by Jon’s courage and wanted to try and do the same for my own sake. My only intent is to challenge myself to present my views clearly, and to challenge friends, including Jon, to continue thinking about their own views and the views of others. I agreed with almost all of Jon’s points in that they are valid, however, I don’t reach the same conclusions as he does. I’ll try to address them by point here: 1. Lots of Gods. Though not stated directly, it was implied that because there are a large number of gods to choose from that that somehow suggests that none of them are true. I don’t think that Jon meant to say this, but as I read his post it did seem to be accidentally implied. This type of argument if it were made, and I have heard it other places, would be a sort of middle ground fallacy and doesn’t really hold water. 2. Tradition and scores of believers do not make something true. I totally agree with this sentiment. It is not a good reason for believing in God. It might be good reason to consider believing in God, since so many people agree on the existence of some sort of god or gods, but it does not make for good evidence. Ironically, this majority rule is the precise mechanism by which the scientific community accepts and rejects theories. Evidence is always dependent upon interpretation and even in science the most commonly accepted interpretation is generally considered to be ‘true’. 3. The Bible is inconsistent and flawed. I find this argument to be debatable, but I don’t think such a debate would really further us. Instead I would contend that, whether or not it is flawed, one should really look at the possibility of the book being ‘inspired’ based on its rather unique history and content. 4. The last points made by Jon argue that miracles and testimonies are not empirically provable and subjective. Thus, they do not make good evidence for the existence of God. I would agree with this and encourage anyone who stands on such a faith to dig much deeper. As I have written it we are still left with no reasons to believe in God. We do, however, have a couple of reasons to investigate the possibility of his existence. From here I would like to make a few more points that give further reason to investigate: 1. The universe is amazing. Beauty is an abstract concept that could be considered an evolved aspect of the human mind. The beauty of the universe goes far beyond that however; it encompasses a magnificence that stretches from the cosmic to the quantum, and beyond. It is not merely aesthetic, but also mathematical. The dynamics of physics can be described in equations that will astound you by their symmetry and elegance. To look at the universe through science and see only a cold dead machine takes a mind that is already extremely biased against the proposition of God, in my opinion. 2. Humans are misfits in the natural machine. I think Agent Smith said it best when he said “Humans are a virus.” We do not follow the natural laws of balance and are quickly outpacing our resources. In addition we are the only creature known to exhibit compassion to such a level that we can nearly block the effects of evolution on our species. There is certainly something peculiar about the human species. Does this point to God? Not directly, but a divergence from the natural order of the sort that we represent does suggest that there may be something beyond that natural order that effected us so. 3. Explanatory power. There will never be enough evidence to prove or disprove the existence of God. As such other criteria must be employed. I find the belief in God to have explanatory power in the universe, and in my personal life. Yes, science has done and will continue to explain many of the mysteries of the universe. But science can only tell us what happens, it cannot broach the subjective ‘why’ of the universe. Without a why we go the way of Nietzsche into meaninglessness and despair. Within the heart of all men is the hope for purpose and meaning in the universe, some envision the culmination of the evolution of the universe and a sort of transcendence, while others place their hope on the supernatural. Having investigated the tenants of Christianity I find that it has the power to explain the ‘whys’ of humanity more sufficiently and beautifully than any other belief system. I was going to go into a discourse on the underdetermination of theory by evidence, and how that really handicaps any use of evidence or a lack thereof. But I think that that would be more distracting from the point I would like to make. In essence, I see the universe as a transcendently beautiful machine and humanity as a peculiar anomaly, both of which demand some sort of explanation or ‘why’. Naturalism, by definition, limits itself to explaining things in terms of natural interactions. As such it is not really capable of answering such existential questions. Defining what makes a painting beautiful or peculiar tells you nothing of the meaning behind it or the purpose behind the artist. Studying a car will lead you to the conclusion that it takes people places, but on its own it cannot tell you why it would do so who would need it. I am left with the conclusion that naturalism will not answer my questions. The answers are to be found either in the tenants of some other belief system, or are not there at all, as I’m sure Nietzsche would contend. Each must make their own search for the answers to their questions, but remember this: You will find whatever kind of god you look for, even a non-god. But the God of the Universe will find you, if you let Him. Those are my thoughts, not complete or waterproof as presented, but a good effort I hope
02-06-09 This was an old note I posted on Facebook some time ago... Ever have something on your mind that won't let you focus until you express it somehow? Yeah, I've got one. I don't usually like to write theological things on my own page b/c I feel like I tend to be really esoteric about this stuff, and don't trust my writing skills. I worry that my friends who aren't familiar with the fundamentals of my belief system, could mis-interpret my statements, and make a wrong judgment on Christianity (and on me). I am deathly afraid of being put in a box. That's another blog in itself, and in light of that, those of you who are not familiar with, or in disagreement with the concepts of human depravity and the grace of Christ, you may want to go back to surfing for videos on YouTube. So at the risk of rudely awakening some people to the other side of me here's what's on my mind: I've come to a new place in my walk with God. I can't say its a better or worse place, just new. You see I used to think I was pretty good, and had the sin thing under control. I didn't lie, cheat or steal. I had the majority of my bad habits under control, and there wasn't any particular thing that the Lord had been really working on me to change about my life. But I knew I couldn't be perfect, after all I am still human. So, I prayed that God would show me where the remaining sin in my life lay. *Note to self – If you ask the Lord to show you your problems He will gladly and promptly oblige... So they say that when you squeeze a tube of toothpaste what's inside comes out; and if you squeeze a person what's inside of them comes out. Yeah, I got squeezed, and I don't like what came out at all. Turns out for all my good habits, discipline, and moderation, in the right situation I will lie, cheat and steal pretty much every time... Its been a hard lesson, but I've learned that God's forgiveness is not about things I've DONE, its about what I AM. I can modify my behavior and look good, but I cannot change the fact that I am still pretty much rotten at my core. Eldridge (one of my favorite Christian authors) might disagree with me, but I think it's a technicality/semantics issue. Christ does give us a new and good heart to live from, but it is something that needs to be nurtured and cultivated (the ongoing process of redemption), so that it can overcome the old heart that will remain in some form or another until we are fully restored when we finally meet Christ. Its easy to ask someone to forgive you for something you did; the event is in the past and you can promise never to do it again. But have you ever had to ask someone to forgive you for what you ARE?? Imagine asking to be forgiven for something horrible that you did, that you and the offended party both know you will do again, and again, and again, because it is a part of your being. Its as if an incurable clepto asked you to forgive them for stealing your most precious possession. There's no doubt they did it, no doubt that they are sorry, but they are guaranteed to do it to you again. Are you going to let them back into your house?? I don't think so. But that's exactly what Christ does. We say “Hey God, I'm sorry that what I did caused you to have to be brutally murdered on my behalf, can you forgive me?” and he always says YES, even though he knows that we are going to do the same thing with the same consequence again tomorrow because its just a part of what we are. I can't even wrap my mind around that kind of Love, but I'm glad its there. The other missing piece that I'm still trying to understand is the redemption process thing. In theory Christ should be working on the rotten crap in us, and I've now learned that that work is about a lot more than behavior modification. I understand that we can overcome our ugly nature with the help of Christ (and now I know, only through Christ). But what does it look like? How do I pursue it? What is redemption about if its not behavior modification? Let me know if you've figured it out...
A million bits of shattered glass lay strewn on the street. Glittering in the sun they refracted a million more stars of every color imaginable onto the cold grey concrete. The bits of glass watched the shadow pass, as a dark bird landed among them. The raven was ugly and misshapen, but had an affinity for shiny objects. It picked up one of the glittering pieces in its beak, but dropped it quickly as the shards began to shift and move in concert. The bird flitted away several paces and watched as the shimmering fragments coalesced and began to take form, jingling and tinkling as they flowed over one another. “Hey there! Get back here!” shouted a voice. The bird squawked at the man approaching but continued to watch the distinct shape form out of the glass. The man arrived just in time for the glass man to be reborn. He scooped up the bird and placed it in a nest of grass and twigs set in a large cavity where his chest should have been. “Excuse us,” said the strange man with the bird, “We didn’t mean to disrupt your oblivion.” The glass man just looked at him. In a world of rock and tree people, this man was rather different. He was made of a thousand bit of random things, stones, old bottles, cogs, and twisted wire. The glass man tried to reflect him, but could not. “What are you?” he questioned abruptly. “Me? I’m not entirely sure. I guess you could call me a man of Many Things. My friend here is called Fear,” the man replied still tending to the bird in its oddly placed house, “and you are?” “I am Glass Man,” the younger replied, his colors shifting rapidly as he averted his eyes from the unusual impenetrable visitor. “I very much doubt that,” Many Things still hadn’t looked up from his pet, and seemed to speak more to himself than to the boy. “Put that those away, flames hardly suit you, and I know you don’t really mean it,” Glass flinched at the abruptness of the man’s words. As Glass watched the man’s appearance morphed in a blink to reflect the scarlet fire he had become when his identity had been challenged. The burning duo shifted in sync to a blushing pink hue before Many Things morphed back to himself, leaving Glass alone in his tender vermillion. Many Things looked about, not seeming to notice Glass’s discomfort. “Would you like to have a sit?” he said casually as he strolled towards a nearby bench. Glass wanted nothing to do with this man, but felt oddly drawn by his peculiarity. He walked stiffly and stood beside the bench on which Many Things now reposed. An awkward silence spread as Many Things sat and smiled at the sun above. Glass shifted his feet, and started to speak. “I can’t quite say what your glass is like, but there really aren’t many folk out there quite like us.” Many Things broke the silence first. He sighed and rested his elbows on his knees, staring at the ground with hands clasped. The awkward bird clambered from its nest, now tipped sideways and climbed up onto his back. Many Things shifted appearance again, this time becoming transparent for a split second before returning to his smiling self “But there are more than you might think.” Glass saw the mottled green he had become and forced himself into a resolute grey, taking on the facsimile of granite. Many Things looked up at him still smiling, “No worries mate.” “Would you like to hear a story?” Many Things continued, looking out at the grounds before them. Glass didn’t have a chance to respond before Many Things started in. “I once thought I was a man of glass. I felt different, and I was ashamed. I everyone wanted to see their reflection in me, but no one could show me my reflection. I couldn’t feel for myself and so I filled myself with the bits of others. But reflections are not real and when there were no others around I felt odd and didn’t know how to appear. I felt like I was the only one like me in the world; it was a lonely existence. Eventually I fell in love; and with a Flame no less. She was brilliant you know; a passionate fire. I tried to be something for her. I even pasted bits of rock to my brittle skin, but it didn’t work. Then I tried reflecting her beauty back to her as best as I could, that was a mistake. No one can stand to see their full self, not all at once. I’m afraid my reflection only dimmed her light, and without anything of my own to give her she waned until she was only a barely burning ember, nearly as alone and empty as I was.” “Thats when I became the Empty Man. I had nothing to give, nothing to live for, I wasn’t the shattering type, so I just ran. I ran and ran until I could run no further. There are lots of runners out there you know, all with different reasons. I swore that I would not stop until I became something real, something new.” “And that’s when it happened. In my race I came across a Traveler. He told me that he traveled the wilds of the earth collecting things of value. I believed him because his worn shoes and scars consented to his tale.” “The Traveler gave me a burlap bag tied with a red cord. He said he had searched high and low for the thing it contained, even risking his life. Then he gave it to me.” “I wasn’t sure what else to do so I took the thing, and continued on my way. I opened the sack and to my surprise Fear burst out of it. A mangy wild beast he was at that time, he disgusted me more than anything I had ever seen. Nasty too. He attacked me almost instantly. I barely escaped with my life.” “Oh, I see, so you eventually tamed your ‘fear’,” Glass motioned with air quotes as his exterior became frosty. “If he was tame, I wouldn’t have been chasing him just now, would I?” Many Things smirked and continued, “No, Fear stalked me for a while, always haunting me as I ran. Then, as you say, the tables turned and I stalked him back. I tried catching him, taming him, but the more I tried the stronger and more violent he became.” Glass sighed, wondering where the story was going and how much more he would have to endure. “At last it came down to it, and I just couldn’t take anymore. I decided to subdue the lousy bird or die trying. Fear and I fought a long time, a really long time,” just then Glass noticed the scars on the man’s arms and back. The raven was now picking at bugs in the grass as Many Things watched and continued talking. “It ended in a stale mate, both of us too weary and injured to continue, and that’s when it happened,” Many Things looked up at Glass. “We were both to weak to survive without each other’s help. And so for the first time we had to help each other.” “Now, I offer Fear shelter and whatever food I have to share, without restraint mind you, and he brings me trinkets that give me substance and replace the glass. He still strays now and again, but I always follow. I care for him and he cares for me. That’s how I became a man of Many Things.” Many Things looked up at the sky. “Some of us are born with hearts that cannot be restrained; that are so wild they are lost or abandoned along the way. I think Fear and I must have been separated early, before my memory begins. But we weren’t made to be glass men, you and I, glass men aren’t made to last.” Many Things stood suddenly from his repose. “It’s been nice chatting, but I’m on my way back to my Flame. It’s been far too long. Now where did that damn bird get too?” Both men looked around but the raven was no where to be seen. “There he is! Little bastard.” Many Things pointed off across the field as fleeting black feathers disappeared into the forest. “Here we go again!” “Good luck kid, I hope to see you around again someday,” called the strange man as he darted off across the field towards Fear. As he ran great wings made of the assorted bits that composed the man of Many Things grew from his back. Glass watched until he flew out of sight, a tumult of waves swirling through his transparent body. He turned to leave and a dim yellow light began to glow from his eyes as he caught sight of a small card left on the bench. ‘153 East Main’ was scrawled on the card in messy print. Glass put the card in his pocket not knowing what else to do and continued back to his home. Many weeks later, Glass was strolling through the grey city, mirroring its coldness. He was looking down at his feet and so nearly collided with the man in his path. “Oh, excuse me,” said Glass looking up. His eyes met the cool grey pair of a weather worn man with a tattered beard and an immense pack on his back. He of course tried to reflect the man, as was his habit, but for the second time in his life found that he could not. A flashback of the prior encounter with Many Things leapt to his mind as sparks surged through his transparent frame. His hand went to his pocket where the card still remained. He looked up and saw the street sign which read ‘East Main’ in large letters, white on green. Glass looked back at the man, who still had not spoken. The stranger had set down his walking stick and was quickly rummaging through his massive pack. He turned back quickly to Glass who was now a scintillating black and white. The man bore no expression, only a brown sack tied with a thin red cord.
Metal collided against metal and a spark flashed into existence within the dark confines of the metal lined space. It reached out to its surroundings and unleashed the burning anger of yet more fiery sparks. The cascade continued and within an instant an explosion was pressing outward on the confines of its cell. The heavy barrier surged forward. Compelled by the fire behind it the lump of lead quickly accelerated ahead of the flame. Crushed and conformed by spiraling steel tracks it was forcefully ejected from the barrel of the gun and freed into the open expanse. The air came crashing into the chamber with a violent crack. As quickly as it came the fire faded from existence, never noticed, never remembered. Meanwhile, the bullet tore through the atmosphere like a dull blade through flesh. It beat its way through the wall of air faster than it could react, faster than sound. The bullet quickly left its origin behind and found its target. Cotton, flesh, a glance of bone. The speeding shard tore through the progressively dense layers of his body, slowing ever so gradually as it bore its indifferent path through his flesh. Finally the projectile was forced to rest, hedged and enclosed again, but this time not by cold brass and steel, but by living flesh. His senses were quickened beyond his belief by the impact and the trauma around him. Every sight, every sound rushed into him as he fell. The very scent of the air, full of gunpowder, sweat and blood seemed alive and pungent as his head struck the ground. His open eyes could see the boots of comrade and enemy alike rushing forward and back, like branches tossed in a turbulent wind. There was shouting and screaming everywhere, so much so that he was unaware of his own morbid cries. The battle continued on in indifference, but that mattered little... He had a struggle of his own. The noise of gunshots and the shouts of desperate men faded into the background until they were no more than rain falling on a tin roof. His beautiful wife and baby were with him in his mind. There was so much he regretted! So much he wished he could have made right. But even those thoughts began to fade, and though he tried to cling to the memory of his loved ones, his world took on a new form. He could still feel the pain in his flesh and hear the chaos about him but something else was pressing upon him. A tightness was surrounding his mind, crushing down on him now. The world was growing dim, losing its color as it does at dusk’s peak. The weight of his death was more than he could bear, squeezing his being into nothingness. He wished he could explode to release the terrible constriction. A vibrant light flashed and a searing pain coursed through his body. The fallen soldier gasped. The pressure had slacked, allowing his mind to take in its surroundings. His eyes tried to focus but could not. The air was somehow different. It felt like he was breathing again for the first time. With difficulty and pain he inhaled the strange new atmosphere around him. The death dulled crashes of war were now overshadowed by crowing roars and screeches of nightmarish terror. Something, hunched over him. It slashed at him and another stream of vibrant pain coursed his being, another degree of relief from the crushing pressure washed over him. The war was even further away now. Or was it? As his vision became clearer, he could see the shadowy images of men charging in battle and fallen on the field. But they all seemed so small now, like toy figures on a great dark table. About them flashes of unnatural light exploded incessantly. A fleeting object darted across the sky close above him. These were not birds or planes. Nor were the giant figures he could now see leaping across the miniscule battle field anything like men. He did not remember any of this during the battle. His eyes still could not see clearly, but it was apparent that great beastial entities darted about and above the battlefield on which his body lay somewhere between life and death. The thing above him rose to strike again, but was prevented as another horrible creature rushed over them both with blinding speed. The dying soldier was knocked aside as the creatures tumbled, locked in ferocious battle. In the violence of the attack he had been freed him from the crushing confines of his fading mortal body. There was no time to enjoy the freedom as hideous living nightmares rushed towards him from all directions. He was grabbed from quickly behind and hefted into the air. Whatever had him was still fighting off the darker more insidious beasts that his eyes could now more clearly see. Upwards the attackers leapt, trying to reach his savior’s - or captor’s - helpless cargo but the thing was too great for them. He could not make out what it was that held him, but it was certainly not human. No, the humans were far below now, mere ants among the giants set about in a greater, more violent war around him. The human struggle seemed futile in such a setting. His escort turned quickly to reveal another monstrosity making its way towards them through the fray. This assailant was larger and darker than the rest, clearly a formidable match for that which restrained him, clearly bent on bringing trouble their way. An excruciating light blinded the soldier once again. For a moment the man could see nothing. He felt himself lurching upward as the un-earthly creature moved under him. His eyes began to adjust; his savage courier was scaling what seemed to be a beam of brilliant light. Upward they climbed with blazing speed through the sky. He could see the flashes of the larger battle below as the creatures there continued their raging struggle. Dark beasts leapt to follow them while others hurled bursts of energy into the sky. But they were far below now, their efforts were vain, and for that the soldier was grateful. Onward the pair climbed, one a helpless passenger the other a thing of untold myth with intentions unknown. The world of giants was far below now and the monstrous cries blended with the ever present background of the mortal war. The horizon could be seen black and dirty against brilliant white. It curved downward at the edges. Above and around him other vibrant living things could be seen moving among channels of light. Below him dark figures still surged in violent conflict. The creature was silent as they progressed; climbing, almost swimming through the beam of brilliant energy. The horizon below now arched downward like a bow bent at the ready. Was that the curvature of the earth was seeing? It couldn’t be, he could still plainly make out the moving giants below. Presently, the curling edges of the battlefield curled under and met to form an irregular orb. Its darkness throbbed and contorted as the battle raged within and upon it. But it was diminishing now, both in size and quality. As the travelers continued their ascent the atmosphere around them increasingly teemed with likewise speeding creatures of various indescribable sorts. So intense was the life energy he was surging into that the hideous battle below seem quiet and empty. The world of his birth seemed still less alive. Everything he had ever known on earth paled by comparison. It felt like he had walked from a barren desert into a tropical jungle and further again into an unknown intensity of life. The light ahead was blinding, almost searing. A vast expanse of new sounds, scents and colors were flooding his senses. It was as though the very air were a living organism that filled the universe, that was the universe. It made the world he had known, even the life he had lived seem vain and grey. He wasn’t sure he could take any more of this contrast to his own small insignificance. But there wasn’t much choice; he was being brought into the very source of light and life, passing beyond unknown planes of reality. Somewhere in the distance he heard someone calling his name. It sounded familiar. Was it from below, where his body lay lifeless in that plain empty world? Or from beyond the impenetrable glare? He understood where he was being taken. But what consumed his mind now was what would happen once he got there...