Dr.Washington watches the footage from the Smallwood 1 satellite, the last stand of General Jordan. Safe in the confines of the World Military Force observation facility. Dr.Washington stands quietly, both of his hands strategically placed on the countertop of the computer terminal. "For the love of God!" exclaims Lt. Franklin. "You can say that again!" responds Dr.Washington. "For the love of God!" responds Lt. Franklin. Dr.Washington turns and shoots Lt. Franklin an annoyed glare. "I didn't mean literally! You don't seem to grasp the concept of sarcasm, do you, Lieutenant?" said Dr.Washington. "Sorry, Dr.Washington! It's just that I am in awe of what I am watching!" said Lt. Franklin. "I am too, Lt. Franklin, I am, too!" said Dr.Washington. "There is no way they can win, can they?" said Lt. Franklin. " If they were regular people, this would have been over! But they aren't, and I hate to say it, but we will lose!" said Dr.Washington. "Surely the General has a plan!" said Lt. Franklin. "I'm afraid Lt. Franklin that this is his plan!" said Dr.Washington. "Can we do anything to help?" said Lt. Franklin. Dr.Washington looks at the video screen as an impending slaughter is about to take place before his very eyes on live video. " Pray! We can pray!" said Dr.Washington.
What remains of the World Military Force rushes on into battle. They run through the dirt and scattered asphalt. General Jordan is leading the charge. He knows that this battle will end with his ultimate defeat. But as a lifetime soldier, there is no better fitting end. "Chaaaarrrrrrgggggeeeee!!!!!!" yells out General Jordan. His remaining soldiers follow suit and yell out in unison," CAAAAARRRRGGGGEEEE!!!!!" It was almost as if General Jordan was leading a cavalry charge. Patiently waiting on the other side of the field, The White Dragon holds his Scavenger army at a standstill. This mesmerizing power that The White Dragon has over the Scavengers is mind-boggling. He lifts his right hand out in front of his chest. He extends his index and middle finger and swipes them to the left as if he were on a dating app. The first two rows of Scavengers, numbering 200, ready themselves for battle. They snarl like rabid dogs, complete with drool. They stop their feet in the dirt like a horse. A few even let a screeching noise that rivals an eagle. "Go and get them! But take it easy, I want to savor this battle! Let them win!" said The White Dragon. The White Dragon taps his open hand to his chest and lets this small Scavenger force-free. The remaining Scavengers stare blankly and observe as the 200 pawns rush towards General Jordan and his army. For the White Dragon, this is not a slaughter. It is a chess match.
Captain Deitrich keeps her small force moving forward into the downtown core. A large pile of rubble from a crumbled building blocks their path. She looks around and see's a clear road. This one seems to have no obstructions. It takes them off the direct passage towards their destination to Chomerplex Cinemas and Project Slingshot. It takes them off course towards the riverbank and Spadina Crescent. "Why don't we just climb over the rubble?" said a cocky private in his twenties with blond hair. "It's too dangerous! There is no telling how unstable the rubble might be!" said Captain Deitrich. "Well, which way do we go then?" said the cocky blond-haired private. Captain Deitrich extends her right hand and points to the direction she was looking at earlier. "We go that way! Come on. We have no time for debate! Let's get moving!" said Captain Dietrich. The small force of soldiers led by Captain Deitrich turn to their left and go along their way. They pass the abandoned Saskatoon City Hall, all overgrown with vines and shrubbery. A common sight throughout the entire city, except for two places. The soldiers look on in awe at this site as they pass on their way towards the riverbank.
Emil sits up like the WWE's The Undertaker in a match. Greg, having tried to sit up, falls back into the pile of shit. "Son of a bitch! Can you get him to stop doing that?" yells Greg. "You know I can speak for myself!" said Emil as he slowly stands. Greg places his hands on the ground and pushes his body up. He looks at his hands. Which now, like his clothes are full of feces. Greg looks at his hands covered in human waste and wipes them off on the grey-colored bathroom stall door. He rushes over to the sink, turns on the tap, and proceeds to scrub his hands. The Silver Serpent walks around the newly reborn Emil and inspects each inch of Emil's features. "How do you feel?" asks The Silver Serpent. "Stronger! Much stronger and hungry!" said Emil. "That's positive! We will get you something to eat! I think we have some food left in the backpacks?" said The Silver Serpent. "No thanks! I don't want that!" said Emil. "What do you want then?" said The Silver Serpent. " Raw meat, preferably living!" said Emil. Greg turns off the faucet and shakes the water off his hands. " God, I can still smell the shit on my hands!" said Greg. "It is probably the crap on your clothes that you smell!" said Emil. Greg lifts his hands to his face and sniffs them. "Nope, they do not stink! Guess you were right!" said Greg. "I rest my fucking case!" said Emil. " I am going to go and change my clothes. I have some fresh clothes in my backpack!" said Greg. "And when you do, burn the ones you have on!" said Emil. "Fuck you!" said Greg as he flips off Emil before leaving the bathroom. The Silver Serpent puts his arm around Emil and says," Come, my friend! Let us find out what you can do!" " I've got one question?" said Emil. "What is it?" said The Silver Serpent. "Are those assholes still here? I want to pay back that little bitch for killing me! And she would make a great snack!" said Emil. " No, they are gone, and I don't know where?" said The Silver Serpent. "I know where! They went to project slingshot," said Emil. "Well, that would be great if we knew where it was?" said The Silver Serpent. "I do! It was all laid out in the journal!" said Emil. "Well, well, well! Let us have a chat about that, and then we will go and get you that fresh meat you crave!" said The Silver Serpent. Emil nods his head, and he and The Silver Serpent exit the bathroom laughing maniacally.
The group of eleven soldiers turns onto Spadina from off of 3rd Avenue. "So this was the only way around?" arrogantly remarks the cocky young private. "Captain Deitrich stops, turns around, and shoots a glare so nasty that it could cut through steel. "Are you questioning my decision private? Because it sounds like you are!" said Captain Deitrich. "Yes, I am! I mean, if we had a man leading us, we would be where we need to be already!" said the cocky young private. Captain Deitrich walks up to the cocky young private. Looks up at him into his dark brown eyes and said," You need to correct yourself right now, soldier!" "Why? I am just speaking the truth!" said the cocky young private. "Once again, I am asking you to apologize! Or I will put you in your place!" said Captain Deitrich. The cocky young private stares down at her. Trying to use his 6ft 4inch body and muscular physique to intimidate the 5ft 4inch Captain Deitrich, but it does not! "What are you going to do? Hit me, little girl? Remember you chose me to be in this group!" said the cocky young private. Captain Deitrich turns away and takes one step, then the cocky young private said," See! No balls! A man like me should be using this group and not some woman!" Captain Deitrich turns around and kicks the cocky young private square in the balls with her steel-toed army boots. The cocky young private hunches over from the searing pain. Captain Deitrich now has him in a vulnerable position and delivers a stiff uppercut to the cocky young privates' jaw. The cocky young private goes flying backward like a leaf in the wind. As he falls to the ground, the other soldiers in the group look on in awe. A few even chuckled at the dose of karma given to the cocky young private. Captain Deitrich stands over him and remarks," Who has no balls now?... Get up and get back in line! And don't you ever question or disrespect me again!" The cocky young private slowly pulls himself up as the other soldiers laugh at him as they start to follow Captain Deitrich. "Hurry up, private! We don't have all day for you to lie around with your wounded pride!" said Captain Deitrich. The cocky young private gets up and gets back into formation, humbled by this experience. As they approach the Bessborough hotel, the soldiers notice that the building is not like the others they have seen. No sign of overgrown vines or crumbled framework. The exterior looks almost brand new. Standing in the remains of the park, they notice a coyote. This sight is not new as the wildlife has refurbished their numbers since the plague. Captain Deitrich stops, as do the rest of the soldiers. The coyote stares at her, sending a shiver to her soul. She knows that this is a death omen. The scared young private approaches her and says," Why did we stop?" She does not say anything. She stares into the cold eyes of the coyote. A branch falls from one of the nearby trees scaring the coyote, and it runs away. "Captain, is anything wrong?" asks the scared young private. " No! I'm feeling a little tired, and I think we could all use a rest!... Soldiers, we are going to catch some sleep in that hotel there, and then we will be on our way!" said Captain Deitrich. The soldiers all nod their heads in agreement as they follow Captain Deitrich to the hotel entrance.
Hannah, an avid movie fan, stands in the middle of the theatres' lobby, staring up at the ceiling." Wow! This is quite the theatre!" exclaims Hannah. "I agree! This place is pretty cool!" said Keith. Graham walks up to the group and says," Yeah, it is something! There is even a lounge upstairs and along with three more movie theatres." "How many are in here?" asks Grace. " Oh, there are fifteen screens in this place," said Graham. "Which one do we need to?" asks Maria. Graham places the sack with the journals on the ground, opens it, and sifts through them. After about three minutes, he finds the journal he was after. Graham then starts to search through the journal with great care. He slams the journal shut and exclaims," Son of a bitch!" "What's wrong?' asks Paulina. "My genius dear old dad never gave the exact location of the time machine!" said Graham. "Not even a clue?" asks Keith. "Yes, there is a clue! But it is so cryptic!" said Graham. "What is it? Maybe we can figure it out? I am pretty good at movie trivia!" said Hannah. "Okay, let's see if you know? Flashback to the past! To a happy time in life. This theatre was his sanctuary. It was his happy place when he needed to beat the blues from not having a wife!" said Graham. Hannah stands and thinks, as do the others. After about twenty minutes of searching for the answer, Keith said," I cannot figure that out! Can any of you?' everyone but Hannah nods their heads in agreement. "Have you figured it out, Hannah?" asks Maria. Five more minutes pass, and Hannah responds," I have got nothing! I do not know what that means! I don't think anyone does!" "Oh, there are two people that do! One is my dad Pops, and the other is Jack," said Graham. " Jack?" responds Paulina. "Why would Jack know?" asks Grace. " Because the question is about him!" said Graham. "It's about Jack? Why?" asks Hannah. "Oh, there is more to Jack than you know!" said Graham. "Sure wish we had him here!" said Keith. "Me too! If he were still alive, he could tell us!" said Graham.
The wall of fire slowly grows shorter as the Citizen army stands at attention, waiting. Samuel looks on impatiently, waiting for the right time to send in his minions. "Oh damn! It looks like you won't be able to have a war today! Guess that means that you won't need me, so you might as well let me go! But don't be too heartbroken about it because you can always send me a letter, and I will be here to watch you fail again!" said Preston. Samuel walks over to Preston seated on the ground, kneels in front of Preston. The hideous burn scars on Samuel's face are right in the direct line of sight for Preston and look like a maze. Preston can't help but stare and desperately hold back the vomit building up. Samuel places his large, scarred hands-on Prestons shoulders and said," Oh yee of little faith! Do you really think that I would let some fire stop me? Look at me and tell me that!" "It is all I can do not to look at you, you walking testament to fire safety!" said Preston. " I'm so glad that you aren't enjoying the view! I thought it would be fitting to torment you with it, seeing it was your great, great grandfather that did this to me!" said Samuel. Samuel's words leave Preston speechless. Samuel stands up, looks at Paul, and says," Send them in!" "But master the firewall is still high! The disciples could most certainly die!" said Paul. "True, the non-believers will die! But those that have faith in me will survive. Like me, they will sustain this trial by fire to affirm their faith! And then the true believers will be marked as the chosen ones as I was!" said Samuel. Paul bows to Samuel like a loyal servant and replies," Yes, my lord! As you wish! And I will be with them to show my faith in you! Please forgive me for doubting you." Samuel walks up to Paul, places his left hand on Paul's head, and makes the sign of the cross, saying," I bless you, my son. Your faith will bring you through this, and I accept your apology. Now go and get my prize!" Paul walks to the army of Citizens and starts to march them towards the wall of fire. "Brothers and sisters! The time has come. Let us pierce through this wall and prove our faith in our savior, Samuel! Cry havoc! And Let slip the dogs of war!" yells Paul. The army of Citizens all cheer and start to march at the wall of fire. Samuel looks at Preston with an arrogant glare to brag about his power. "My great, great grandfather did that to you?" asks Preston.
"Are you ready?" asks Delphine. Jack looks over the controls to the General Electric M134 Minigun. A confused expression comes over his face. Delphine readies herself by positioning the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle, ready to start firing. Having not heard a response from Jack, she breaks her concentration. Delphine turns to see Jack struggling to find the controls. "Oh, for the love of God! What are you doing?" asks Delphine. " I'm a little confused! I don't exactly know how to use one of these!" said Jack. "I thought you knew how to use a gun?" said Delphine. "Yeah, a handgun! Not a fucking Minigun! I'm not the Terminator, you know!" exclaimed Jack. Delphine jumps up on the flatbed trailer and aggressively guides Jack's hands to the controls. " Here are the controls! They are right here, behind the gun! It couldn't be more obvious! You look through the sighting on the top of the minigun. Press the trigger, and bag there are tons of dead people! It's already powered up, and you have tons of ammo!" yells Delphine. " Okay! You don't have to get so mad! I am not as versed as you in these things!" said Jack. Delphine looks around at the firewall. She knows that soon enough, the Citizens will be coming. Delphine realizes that Jack is right. He never had the training she did. If not for Dean, she wouldn't have known how to do this stuff. She knows that she should tell Jack about this part of her life. Maybe after, if they can get through this. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to yell at you. It is just that we are kind of in a tense situation. And I need you to be ready!" said Delphine. Jack can tell that Delphine is concerned. And that is why she got so mad at him. He also can sense that there is something that Delphine is hiding. And it might be the reason for the way she has been acting. "It's all good! I understand what you are saying. If I were in your shoes, I would have done the same," said Jack. "Looks like we had our first fight as a married couple, haha!" said Jack. "Haha, I guess we just did!" said Delphine. Jack and Delphine look into each other's eyes, getting lost and forgetting about the imminent attack. Their faces inch even closer to kiss. Before their lips are about to touch. In this seemingly weird romantic moment. The kiss is interrupted by the sounds of thousands of Citizens screaming their battle charge. Jack and Delphine break their gaze to see the first of many Citizens penetrate the four-foot-high flame wall. "Here we go! I will cover the back half of the farmyard while you concentrate on the front!" said Delphine. Jack places his hands on the firing controls of the Minigun, and said, "You got it, Sarah Connor, let's rock and roll!" Delphine rolls her eyes, laughs, readies herself for the first of the Citizens to come through her half of the farmyard.
About one hundred citizens penetrate the firewall. Instantly the fire covers their bodies. They scream in pain but, fueled by their desire to prove themselves to Samuel. The Citizens run towards Jack and Delphine. Jack presses the trigger on the General Electric Minigun. The humming sound of the weapon firing mixes with Delphine's firearm. The burning Citizens are met quickly by the bullets of both guns. Pieces of dirt go flying in the air from some missed shots from Jack's weapon. The ones that hit tear the burning bodies of Citizens in half. Some heads explode, some limbs are severed. The bodies of Citizens lie in the farmyard, burning like some sick cannibal barbeque. As quick as Citizens run through the firewall at Delphine, she takes them down with no more than one to two shots. The majority of the kills are in the head by a single bullet. This pattern continues for the next fifteen minutes. Citizens would run through the firewall, catch on fire themselves, run at Jack and Delphine, and get shot. In no time, there are over three hundred burning corpses of Citizens scattered around the farmyard. " How long do you think we can keep this going?" asks Jack. "I don't know? But we have to take as many down as possible! Right now, we have the firewall to help. But as soon as that starts to fall, we might be screwed!" said Delphine. Delphine quickly removes the empty clip from her M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle and places in a new one. Jack looks at the firewall measuring the height. As he continues to mow down members of the Citizen army. All he can think of is how much it would help to have Graham here and the others.
Graham stands staring down the two hallways at the multiple entrances to each of the twelve theatres. Keith approaches him and asks," So, you left really sudden without asking our question." "I did answer your question!" said Graham. " Did you? What you said was really vague!" said Keith. " And that is all I am going to say, at the moment!" said Graham. Keith starts to walk away. Keith knows that this is all the info that he will get from Graham about Jack. Keith gets about three steps from Graham when he stops, turns, and stands right in front of Graham. Looking up at Graham's mountainous stature, Keith exclaims," Look, I and the others have had it with all this secrecy! We get that there is stuff that you think that we can't handle! But we have seen and heard some pretty rank shit so far on this trip! And we haven't left yet! We still don't know why we are out here? Why Jack never told us his name when he recruited us? All of us came out here on pure faith and a promise by Preston that we would have an adventure in exploring the old city. And it has been an adventure! A seriously fucked up one! We lost five people, well four because Emil is no loss. Hannah almost died, and so did Maria! The only time we find out shit is when something happens for us to be informed! I thought that by now, you would trust us the whole truth and not more secrets!" Graham looks down at Keith with a cold glare. No one has talked to him like that since his late wife. Graham is part annoyed and part impressed. It doesn't take long for the annoyed part to take hold. Graham grabs Keith by the shirt collar and lifts him. "Look, you little shit! When I am ready to tell you all, I will! If not for Jack and myself, none of you would be alive!" Maria sees the confrontation happening and runs over. Maria grabs Graham by the arm and says," Graham let him go, please!" "Not until he apologizes!" said Graham. "Keith, apologize!" said Maria. By this time, the others in the group have gathered around. "I will not! He is the one that needs to apologize! And to start telling us the truth!" said Keith. "Why should I? When you show no respect and appreciation!" said Graham. " I thought you were a nice guy! But you are nothing but a hotheaded bully!" said Keith. "Oh, you think so! Well, if you want a bully, here you go, you little wimp!" said Graham as he tosses Keith three feet down the east hallway of the theatre. Keith lands hard on the torn carpet and lets out a scream of pain from the force of it all. Maria enraged by this, doesn't say a thing. She hauls off and uppercuts Graham to the jaw. The force of her punch sends Graham flying back into the glass casing outside the Imax theatre that would display which movie was playing. Graham slowly slumps to the floor and passes out. Maria runs to see how Keith is doing as the others look on in shock. Keith slowly tries to get up. Maria approaches said," Hold on! I will help you!" Maria grabs Keith by the hands and slowly helps him to his feet, and the two start walking back to the others, who are still staring at an unconscious Graham. Keith seeing Graham lying on the floor, says to Maria," That was some punch!" " Meh! I really didn't put too much on it to tell you the truth!" said Maria. "I pity the person you put all your effort into hitting! Thank you!" said Keith. Maria laughs, and said as she looks at an unconscious Graham," You're welcome! Maybe Graham will get some time to reflect on his actions!" Maria, with Keith's right arm over her shoulder, starts to walk back into the lobby. Keith is moving slowly from the pain of the impact. "Come on guys, leave him be!" The rest of the group follows Keith and Maria into the lobby and take a seat against the old concession counter.
In his unconscious state, Graham's mind drifts back to the year 2022. The steam from the hot shower he has just finished has steamed up the bathroom mirror. Graham takes the hand towel hanging beside the sink and wipes off the mirror. He stands and stares at his reflection in the mirror. Graham takes a few deep breathes, and as Graham tries to strengthen his damaged lungs. This task proves fruitless, as after only two deep breathes, he starts to choke and struggle to breathe. It seems that the hot shower has further weakened his lung capacity. The breathing mask he was given sits on the back of the toilet tank. It sits there taunting him silently. With all his healing abilities, this is one injury that is impossible to repair. For a man who prides himself on his health and fitness. This is a hard pill to swallow. Graham reaches for the mask and starts to stumble as he begins to blackout. Graham fights with all his might stretching his fingers to grasp the mask. His vision starts to slip away. Graham fights it till finally, he can grab the ventilating mask. He places it over his mouth and nose. The struggle pays off, but also too much. Graham collapses on the floor. He lays there for about fifteen minutes when he finally regains consciousness. The first thing he see's when he awakens, is the last family photo before Jessie died. Graham slowly lifts himself off the ground and into his feet. He walks into the empty bedroom. On the bed lies two large suitcases filled with all his clothes. And a big duffle bag filled with all his father Pops' journals. He grabs the jeans and dark black t-shirt off the bed and puts them on. Graham takes the suitcases and duffle bag into the garage and loads them in his truck. He walks back into the kitchen and stands there looking around. All he can think about is how quiet his house now is. There used to be so much life and laughter here. Now, gone! Heather is still in the hospital recovering from the cure. He can't bear to say goodbye to his one and only daughter. So he has left it up to Jack to do for him. Graham takes one last deep breath, closes his eyes, and says," Goodbye, house! Thanks for the memories!" Graham wipes the tears from his eyes and moves towards the garage door. He climbs into his blue Dodge Ram 4x4, starts the engine, and drives away. In his rearview mirror, he sees the open garage door.
Jack gets back to his home in Martinsville. He stands outside watching the military vehicles parking up and down the block. The soldiers and scientists run out of them with large metal briefcases dressed in protective medical gear. These people go from door to door up and down the street, administering the cure to the plague. Jack stands and also wonders how he is going to have it go unnoticed that he cannot die. He walks up to his side-door entrance, unlocks it, and steps inside.
Jack walks up the steps to his living room and drops his backpack down by the couch. He goes over to the kitchen and opens the cupboards below the sink. He grabs a bucket, sponge, and bleach, along with a box of garbage bags. Jack fills the bucket and starts to wash the kitchen cupboards. He spends most of the day cleaning his house washing, vacuuming, dusting, and disinfecting the duplex. He packs up all the newspapers, pizza boxes, and empty liquor bottles. In no time, the little duplex is all clean and organized. Jack walks outside and even scrubs off the red P in a circle that said he had the plague off the duplex. Looking for a moment of relaxation, Jack goes back inside and sits down on the couch. He opens his backpack and begins to unpack it. Inside he finds a letter from Graham. Jack does not remember getting a letter from Graham. And realizes that Graham must have slipped it in his backpack. On the back of the envelope is a sticky note that reads," Jack, can you please give this letter to my daughter Heather! It explains the whole truth to her of what happened!" Jack knows that this is the hardest thing to do! But Graham was always very honest, and upfront with his daughter. But, he knows that if he gives her this letter. She will not only be a target for people looking to find the journals. But also go and try and find her father in a dangerous abandoned city. Jack gets up off the couch and takes the letter to the kitchen sink. He pulls out a box of stick matches from one of the kitchen drawers and lights it on fire. The letter burns up very quickly as the ashes fall into the sink. Jack grabs his cell phone and texts Graham's sister-in-law Kerry, "Hello, Kerry! This is Jack Graham's friend. I am sorry to tell you that Graham died. He caught an advanced variant of the plague and died before the cure was ready. It was quick and painless. Please accept my condolences. His last wish was that you take care of Heather. Please let me know if you need anything." Jack places his cell phone down on the kitchen counter, walks downstairs to his bedroom, and falls asleep.
Graham parks his blue Dodge Ram 4x4 in the underground parkade of Midtown Plaza mall. He grabs his two suitcases and the duffle bag and begins to walk up the ramp from underground. Graham makes his way through the abandoned cars of the above-ground parking lot and towards the Bessborough Hotel. The journey there while short was quite eerie. Empty streets boarded up windows, smashed windows, abandoned cars, and the haunting sound of the wind blowing. As Graham nears Spadina Crescent and the Bessborough Hotel, he stopped by the sight of two coyotes. One is standing on the hood of a car. The other is eating the corpse of a body on the pavement. In the American Navajo culture, that says if a coyote crosses your path, turn back and do not continue your journey. If you keep traveling, something terrible will happen to you. You will be in an accident, hurt or killed. Graham shakes his head and says as he walks towards the Bessborough," Oh well! What other bad thing could happen to after all of this?"
Graham slowly starts to regain consciousness, the pounding of a headache beating like the drum in a heavy meat band. Graham hasn't had a feeling like this in over two hundred years. His vision is even a little blurred and believes he has a concussion. Graham lays there with his face still on the old dusty, torn blue carpet. He blinks a few times to try and get his vision straight. Graham's vision starts to return to normal, or so he thinks. He starts to see flashes of what looks like a person standing over him. He cannot make out who or what it is he is seeing, but Graham knows that he must have a concussion. So he keeps his body where it is and closes his eyes a few more times, and falls back asleep.
Captain Dietrich and members of her small unit gather at the front entrance of the old abandoned hotel. The cocky young private looks up at the marquee before entering and says," Bessborough Hotel! That's a weird name for a hotel!" "Come on, Private, get in here! It is getting dark! The city is no place to be after dark with evening storms, wildlife, and Voyagers roaming around!" said Captain Deitrich. A surprised look comes over the face of the cocky young, private, and he remarks," What the fuck are Voyagers?" There is no response from Captain Deitrich, she has already gone into the Bessborough hotel, leaving the cocky young private standing all alone outside. Some loose concrete from one of the crumbling buildings falls and echoes through half dark street. This startles the cocky young private who quickly runs into the hotel following his fellow soldiers.
As he enters the cocky young private is oblivious to his surroundings. Looking back at the front entrance, he says," I think there is something out there! It could be one of those Voyagers you mentioned! By the way, what are Voyagers anyway? I have never heard of those!" The cocky young private bumps into Captain Deitrich, just standing there along with the other soldiers frozen in place. "Sorry, Captain!" said the cocky young private. Captain Deitrich says nothing, as do none of the other soldiers. "Captain, are you all right?" said the cocky young private as he taps Captain Deitrich on the shoulder and even shakes her a bit. The glowing red eyes of Emil emerge from the dark. The only light in the darkened room. Then like a sadistic northern star, the Silver Serpent's silverish blue glow illuminates the lobby, and he says," They cannot hear you! They are in a comatose state. A little gift my friend here possesses." "What do you want?" asks the cocky young private. " We just want to invite you all to dinner!" said the Silver Serpent. "Who are you guys? Are you Voyagers?" asks the cocky young private. "No! That is a myth! A myth told to keep people out of the city. Stories told of sewer-dwelling cannibals, to frighten people, from wanting to search for the lost Pops Brilliant journals," said the Silver Serpent. The cocky young private still scared, asks in a crackling voice," I see! I would be happy to stay for dinner! What are we having?" Emil reaches with his talon-like fingers, grabs hold of the scared young private, and looks into his eyes. The blood-red eyes of Emil, while menacing, are eerily hypnotizing. In no time, the cocky young private is just like his compatriots. Emil places him with the other soldiers. "That is quite the buffet!" said Emil. "And it is all for you!" said the Silver Serpent. The Silver Serpent walks up to the cocky young private, looks into his blank face, and says," You are! You all are! Cattle for my friend here, so I guess you can say that we are Voyagers!... Bon appetite, my friend!" The Silver Serpent taps on the shoulder of Emil to ring the dinner bell. Emil walks over to the cocky young private and with his razor-sharp talons for finger. Emil rips the abdomen of the cocky young private. The intestines spill out onto the floor like a landslide, and the blood flows out like a river with it. Emil pulls out the live first and starts eating it like a wild animal. The body of the cocky young private remains standing upright in place. With only the color of his skin changing from tan to a pale white.
Samuel watches on in great interest as his loyal followers continue to sacrifice their lives without question. In great numbers, they run through the wall of fire and with certain death. His level of sadistic behavior is unbelievable. Samuel has no problem with doing this to get what he wants. He cares nothing about his followers. Only his end goal of capturing Delphine and Jack. The smell of the flesh of his dead followers burning fills the air with a pungent aroma. The smell of burning flesh would cause an ordinary person to gag. But not Samuel! Samuel actually lifts his face in the air and takes in a deep breath, and says," Do you smell that, Preston? That's the smell of loyalty and success!" A disgusted look comes over the face of Preston as he responds," You are one sick son of a bitch! And your followers are just as nuts as you! How can anyone follow you?" "My young friend! I not sick! I am a genius! I am an above-average man with a plan. These people recognized it and chose to follow me. After the plague decimated the east. Those left were looking for leadership. Abandoned and scared, they turned to me. And they will do anything for me!" said Samuel. Preston, while knowing that Samuel is insane. He does have a valid point. The world was in shambles, the east abandoned, and with no leadership available. The people left there would turn to anyone exhibiting it. In the air, the sound of the gunfire coming from the farmyard and the screams of death and pain. Preston looks up at Samuel, his eyes closed, with a big devilish grin on his face, enjoying his handy work. " You may have a point of what you said, but I still think you are fucking insane!" "Think that way if you must! But soon, you will see my superior intellect!" said Samuel. " I don't, fucking think so!" said Preston. " Just like a Brilliant! Full of profanity and a lack of faith!" said Samuel. "Who are you?" asks Preston. Samuel smirks at Preston and says nothing. He only continues to listen to the sounds of war.
Jack looks over at the ammo case. He can see that he is close to running out. He turns to Delphine and yells out over the noise of the gunfire," I need to change out the ammo case! I am almost out!" Delphine jumps up on the flatbed platform, catching a glimpse of the ammo Jack has left to use. "You cover me! I can change it out quicker than you can!" said Delphine. Jack nods his head and says," Got it!" Delphine places her as M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle in Jack's hands. She quickly begins to change out the ammunition case. Jack acting as if he were Rambo shoots down the flame-covered Citizens as they approach with surprising accuracy. Delphine catches this feat skill and can't help but feel a little turned on. As she finishes loading the Minigun's ammo, Delphine yells out to Jack," It's ready!" Jack tosses the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle back into the hands of Delphine. She catches it, removes the empty clip, and loads a new one all in a matter of a few seconds, then begins to fire at approaching Citizens. Jack takes his place back behind the controls of the General Electric M134 Minigun. Before he sets fire upon the invaders, Delphine yells out," When this is all over, we are so having sex!" A big smile comes over the face of Jack. He says nothing but the word," Yeaahhhhh!!!!" Jack presses the trigger on the Minigun and continues to mow down the Citizens as they come through the firewall, the whole while the wall of fire starts to get lower.
Samuel, too notices the wall of fire has started to lower. The smile on his face grows even bigger. He knows now that his victory is soon at hand. Preston observing the battle sees the carnage that is taking place. Preston knows that the wall of fire has been aiding the Citizens' adversaries. And that the Citizens have suffered massive losses. Whoever these people are. These Adam and Eve that Samuel speaks of. They are, at present, winning the battle. And if that wall can hold up, then Samuel and will be defeated. There is one thing that bothers Preston. And that is the confidence of Samuel. "You are studying me! That's good! It is good to observe one's adversaries to look for weakness. I do it all the time!... I hope you like what you see!" said Samuel, who starts to whistle an old tune. This tune is hauntingly familiar to Preston. He knows it! But can't seem to remember it.
Graham sits up, his head has stopped spinning, and his vision seems to have returned to normal. He blinks his eyes a few times to test them and see if he still can see the strange flashes of light that looked like a person. Graham blinks his eyes seven times and looks around. Nothing! Just as he thought it was a side effect from a temporary concussion. Thank God for his accelerated healing powers. He feels no sign of a concussion. The only thing he hears is the laughter of the others in the group. He is startled by the voice of Maria coming from the washroom behind him. " Look who is awake!" said Maria. "Yes! I am sorry for the way I was acting earlier! It is hard to tell people I don't know that well some of these secrets that I keep!" said Graham. "It's alright! I forgive you! You know we all have secrets and trauma from our pasts. But you know what helps? It helps to share them! To let it all out and feel free!" said Maria. " Graham nods his head in agreement and says," You're right! It is just I don't think that you all can handle what I have to say! In fact, I think you all might be even more upset when you hear it!" Maria places her hand on Graham's shoulder and said," Why don't you let us decide! We might surprise you!" "Okay!" said Graham. "And I think you better apologize to the others as well!" said Maria. "I was thinking the same thing," said Graham. A sense of relief comes over Graham's face, and then fear and curiosity. Once again, Graham sees the mysterious figure of light. But this time it is behind Maria. Maria is saying something, but Graham is so focused on this figure of light. He is oblivious to what she is saying. "Shall we go then?" said Maria. "What? Sorry I just spaced out for a second," said Graham. "I was saying let's go and sit with the others, ready?" said Maria. "For sure!" said Graham. "Are you alright?' asks Maria. "I'm fine! Still a bit woozy, from that punch you gave me! You sure pack one hell of a wallop!" said Graham. "Haha, thanks! Let's go!" said Maria. Graham looks back where he saw the figure of light behind Maria and notices it is gone. "Yes, let's!" said Graham.
Graham follows Maria to the other members of the group. They are seated around in a circle like they are sitting around a campfire. "Look who is back from his timeout! How are you feeling?" said Keith. With his head hung low from embarrassment. Graham is ashamed of the way he acted earlier. "Embarrassed and ashamed! I am really sorry for my behavior! There is no excuse to act like that. You trusted me, and I betrayed that trust! And I promise you all that I will tell you everything!" said Graham. Hannah stands up and says," We have been talking as well, and we realize that maybe we pushed too hard. I better than most know the pain of reliving old memories that hurt! And sometimes one lashes out!... We accept your apology." "Thank you! I want to personally apologize to you, Keith. I shouldn't have assaulted you like that! I'm sorry!" said Graham as he extends his hand in friendship and contrition to Keith. Keith stands and shakes Graham's hand and says," It is all good, my friend!" "Thank you, and like I said I will tell you all what you wanted to know!" said Graham. "Awesome! But before you do that, how about another one of those Pops Brilliant stories to really make up for it! Haha!" said Keith. Graham laughs and says," For sure! Now where we? Oh yeah, Pops had just agreed to start working on his improvements to the time machine!"
Mr.Pervus reads through the latest file reports on the ongoing investigations and daily intelligence reports. It has been two years since the Kennedy assassination. And still no sign of Harold or evidence that Agent Regina is Tendersnatch. Oswald was what he said he was, and that is a patsy. Framed by Harold and the financial and political backers who were the ones responsible for the Presidents death. Since that time, Pops has made some progress with the time machine, between keeping up appearances with missions and trying to get evidence on Agent Regina. The Prime Minister barely let Mr.Pervus keep his job as head of the CBC. And has been on a very short leash. If not for Pops' plan, the Prime Minister would have replaced him. In just two days, the Prime Minister and the government of Canada will unveil the new permanent Canadian flag. Mr.Pervus cannot afford to have any slip-ups. He reaches over and presses the button to the intercom. " Miss. Sutherland, where is Pops?" asks Mr.Pervus. "He is with Mr.Palawko and Mr.Wilcox working on Project Slingshot. Did you want to see him?" said Miss. Sutherland. "No! I do not want to disturb him. He will be coming up soon anyway. Where is Agent Regina?" said Mr.Pervus. There is a long pause before Miss. Sutherland responds," At present, we have no idea of his whereabouts?"
In a remote, secure location somewhere in the Nevada desert. In what has become known as a Survival Town or Doom Town. An old, unused military town used for nuclear bomb testing sits. Not destroyed by American Military On the surface, there is no sign of anyone around. Old 1950's style homes filled with all the furnishings of a suburban home. In those homes also are creepy, white mannequins dressed in clothes of that era. On the outside, there are Fords, Buicks, and Chevy's in driveways and on streets. Those same mannequins sit behind the wheels of the cars. While some lie on the ground, blown down by the desert wind, all scratched and broken. Tumbleweeds blow down a replica of the main street. Anyone who would be driving through here would not think of it other than abandoned. These old military testing sites, known as Survival Towns. Part of Operation Teacup, set at varying distances from the blasts to test the impact and effects of the explosions, these towns were built. But, this one, in particular, was never touched. It was nowhere near the others in the Yucca Flat in the Nevada Desert. This town was built over a large, underground base by Harold and his contacts in the United States who share his equal ambitions. The sort of hideout for a supervillain from a James Bond movie. A place that no one would find.
One hundred feet below the surface lies Harold's hideout aptly named The Colony. It is ten thousand square feet in size. And ten stories deep. A structure of steel, concrete, and space-age plastic. Something you would see in a science-fiction movie. The Colony is home to Harold, his associates, old cars, weapons, a swimming pool, gym, and running track. An entire floor dedicated to the training of his followers and one to his private art collection. He has in there some of history's most famous artifacts thought to be lost or a myth. The ark of the covenant, the holy grail, the library of Atlantis, and the spear of destiny are all in his collection. Buried deep in the walls are tons of explosives, that when detonated. Make the appearance of a nuclear bomb going off. Lastly, on the tenth floor is Harold's private quarters and an underground lightspeed train system like the CBC has.
On the tenth floor, in a large conference room with a hundred-foot high definition viewing monitor, sits Harold, his secret business partners, and Tendersnatch at a triangular table. These are all men from powerful corporations, politics, and royalty. They want what Harold wants, and that is power. The sound of a toilet flushing kills the dead silence of the room. Out walks Agent Stevens, the same agent from Dallas, when Pops was detained, after the Kennedy assassination."Damn chili, does it to me every time!" said Agent Stevens. The strong, pungent smell of the shit that Agent Stevens just took spreads into the conference room. Ted Daniels, a big wig at Westfire Arms, waves his hand in front of his face to brush the smell away. " I think you should have sprayed air freshener!" said Ted Daniels. "Yes, I agree! But we need to get this meeting underway. I will take care of the smell so we can have the meeting!" said Harold. Harold pushes a blue button on a control panel by his chair, and a lemon smell covers the shit smell in an instant. "There, that's much better! Now to business! Gentlemen, our plan is working perfectly! The CBC has been hanging by a thread since the Kennedy assassination. We have planted many members of our organization in their ranks," said Harold. "What about Pops Brilliant? He seems to be onto us or Tendersnatch in general!" said General Orsos. "Unfortunately, we have had a hard time finding out what Pops is up to! But rest assured, we have a plan for my dear baby brother as well!" said Harold. "How can you be sure? He is onto your man, and it is getting harder to throw him off the trail!" said Agent Stevens. "I know what he is working on?" said Tendersnatch. The room goes silent as everyone at the table looks at Tendersnatch. "Well, don't leave us in suspense, Tendersnatch! Tell us all what my baby brother is doing!" said Harold. " It took some investigating, but with the help of a tracker and hidden camera, I put on Pops. I have found out that Pops is working on modifying the CBC's time machine," said Tendersnatch. The whole room erupts in deafening shouting."What the fuck! If they get that running! Then they can undo all we did! Hell, they can even find us out! " said Ted Daniels. "Yes, I agree! This will be disastrous!" said General Orso. "Gentlemen! Please be quiet! I am sure that my number two has a plan?" said Harold. Very quickly, the room gets silent, and Tendersnatch said," Yes, I do! To ensure that Pops and the CBC do not do that, we are building our own. And to add a bit of insurance, we plan to sabotage the time machine. I need you to trust me! Do not lose faith yet! I have not let you down all this time, and I won't now!" said Tendersnatch. The men at the table all nod their heads in compliance. Needless to say Tendersnatch, everyone here has faith that you will do this! But I feel you can use a little help on this!" said Harold. Tendersnatch is confused by this action. Harold has never given him help before. "
Harold, Sir, I work alone! You know this! I don't need some peon getting in my way!" said Tendersnatch. The door to the conference room opens, everyone turns their heads to see the five-foot-two, toned, and curvy frame of the sandy blond-haired Vivian Sexsmith. With a look of confidence and a ton of arrogance, she flaunts her body as a weapon sticking her firm c-cup breasts out. "Who are you calling, peon? Small dick!" said Vivian Sexsmith. "Tendersnatch! Meet your new partner, Vivian Sexsmith!"
"With all due respect, Harold! I do not need any help! Especially from some woman! She should be at home, barefoot and pregnant!" said Tendersnatch with a snide tone to his voice. Vivian moves towards Tendersnatch, gives him a cold stare, and says," What makes you think that? Have you ever heard of the women's movement?" "The only movement you should do is to the kitchen!" said Tendersnatch. "You shouldn't say that! Miss.Sexsmith is not your average person, Tendersnatch!" said Harold. "She doesn't look like much!" said Tendersnatch. Vivian Sexsmith tilts her head from side to side, cracking the bones in her neck. She walks closer to Tendersnatch, stares intently into his eyes, and in the blink of an eye grabs his penis. She twists it and pulls it from side to side. In a sick and perverted way, Tendersnatch, while feeling extreme pain, is also sexually aroused. The more Vivian twists turns and pulls on his penis. The more he loves it! It isn't long until he climaxes, shooting a huge load of semen in his shorts. No woman has ever been able to do this to him. Vivian feels Tendersnatch climax and let's go with a disgusted look on her face. "You are one strange man! I have never had that happen!" said Vivian. " I am no ordinary man!" said Tendersnatch. Vivian gets a half aroused smile on her face. She knows that she may have just met her perfect match. Usually, most men are just playthings of pain and pleasure for her. And no man as ever survived this kind of torture like Tendersnatch has. But she cannot let him think he has the upper hand and is superior to her. So as quick as a cat, she kicks Tendersnatch square in the dick. The semen splatters all over the inside of Tendersnatches underwear, completely soaking it. Some even leak down his leg onto his oxford dress shoes. Tendersnatch leans over to look, and Virginia uppercuts him. Tendersnatch falls against the conference table. A stream of blood, coming from his upper lip. Tendersnatch stands up, casually wipes the blood with his left hand. Looking at the blood in his hand, Tendersnatch said, "I enjoyed that!" Harold, seeing this, says," I think you two need to get better acquainted! Get cleaned up and go into town for lunch!" Tendersnatch and Virginia do not argue with Harold. They nod their heads and in sync, say, "Yes!" Tendersnatch says to Virginia, "After you! I insist!" "Thank you!" said Virginia. Virginia walks out of the room, followed by Tendesnatch. She shakes her hips from side to side, catching the attention of every man in the room. As the door closes, Harold says," That was entertaining! Now back to business!"
"Gentlemen, I apologize for that little scene!" said Harold. Donald Xavier, a heavier-set man with a bad comb-over of blond hair wearing a black suit and a red tie that hangs past his crotch, stands. " Harold! I just wanted to say that I traveled a long way. A very long way!" said Donald Xavier. A confused look comes over the face of Harold, and he said," And your point is?" "Nothing! I just wanted to point out that I came out here a long way!" said Donald Xavier. "Okay!? That was totally uncalled for!" said Harold. " And I also wanted to say that I build buildings! Great, big, beautiful buildings. Buildings so tall that people often compare them to my penis!" said Donald Xavier. " Thank you, Donald, for that! I know that you represent big business and real estate! And that you think you have a big penis, totally unrelatable but okay! Now, if we can continue?" said Harold. Just as Harold is about to start talking, he is once again interrupted by Donald Xavier, who says," Did I tell you about me winning president of the New York corporate business council? It was a huge landslide win! Huge! And so many people came to the swearing-in ceremony. More than any other ceremony! " Harold had had enough, he points to Donald Xavier, and one of his guards walks up behind him and grabs Donald. Another henchman walks up and places a piece of duct tape over his mouth. He then proceeds to tape him to the chair. "Thank you!... Sorry gentlemen, I could not take that anymore! The constant bragging is annoying! Back to business!" said Harold. "Yes! What do you have planned?" asks General Orso. Harold leans back in his chair. He looks over the people at the table and says," We plan to ruin Pops' reputation! And we plan to do it at the unveiling of the new Candian Flag!" "I see! So why the help for Tendesnatch?" said Ted Daniels. "Call her insurance! Miss. Sexsmith is just as cunning and dangerous as Mr.Tendersnatch! Maybe even more! And I figure that two heads are better than one!" said Harold.
Having just finished cleaning himself up, Tendersnatch steps out of his quarters in the Colony. Outside of his room, Virginia Sexsmith waits for him, leaning against the wall. Her arms crossed, having stood there for the past 20 minutes and an irritated look on her face. "It's about fucking time! You are worst than a woman!" said Virginia. "You do realize that you are a woman and are mocking yourself?" said Tendersnatch. "NO! I didn't realize that?! You mean the tits and vagina don't make me a woman? Although you have man tits and not much of a dick from what I grabbed! Are you sure you aren't a woman?" sarcastically remarks Virginia. Tendersnatch's face goes red with anger, like the shade of a tomato red. He swings his left hand striking Virginia across the face with such force that she slams into the concrete wall. She lets out a high-pitched moan of ecstasy. This show of force strangely turns her on as it did to Tendersnatch earlier." Don't ever mock my manhood ever again! I am bigger than average I will have you know, you mouthy whore!" said Tendersnatch. Virginia gives Tendersnatch a lustful look and says," There you are! That's the Tendersnatch I heard of in legend!... Come on, big boy, let's get going!" Virginia stands up, and as she walks by Tendersnatch, she slaps him in the cock. "What a woman!" said Tendersnatch, who follows her.
The two sexual sadists from opposite ends of the gender pool make their way into Harold's private garage in the Colony. It houses some of the latest and rarest popular cars from the past thirty years. Harold, a collector, considered these cars his favorite possession. Besides himself, Harold only ever let one other person drive one of his cars. Virginia walks up to the metal lockbox containing the keys to all the automobiles. She opens it up and looks at them, choosing one. " Umm! What do you think you are doing? Harold only lets me drive his cars!" said Tendersnatch. "Well, you can make that two!" said Virginia. Virginia Sexsmith must have really impressed Harold thinks Tendersnatch. Virginia yells out," There you are!" Virginia removes the keys to a convertible red 1965 Ford Mustang. "Come on, let's go!" said Virginia. Tendersnatch is speechless by this woman. He follows her halfway down the massive 500ft by 500ft garage, to the Mustang is parked ten cars from the key box. "Give me the keys I will drive!" said Tendersnatch. "Not a chance! You might cum in your shorts again! And I am sure Harold won't be pleased with that?" said Virginia Sexsmith. "I'll have you know that I have driven most of these cars down here and never have done that!" said Tendersnatch. Virginia opens the drivers' side door and slides in. She puts the key into the ignition and starts the engine. The car, more than a cruiser than a bruiser, still was a status symbol. The base two-barrel, 225 horsepower 289 V8 engine echoes throughout the garage. "GET IN!" demands Virginia as she continuously revs the engine. Tendersnatch, knowing that he will never win an argument with Virginia, complies and jumps in the passenger seat. "Good boy!" said Virginia as if Tendersnatch were her pet dog. Tendersnatch shoots her a disgusted look. Virginia shifts the Mustang into drive and peels out, leaving tread marks on the concrete floor. The car quickly zips down the long lane towards the ramp out. In no time, they are on the inclined ramp, lit like an airport runway. As they get past the halfway point of the ramp, the ceiling opens, revealing the sunshine of the world above. Virginia presses the accelerator, and as they exit the bowels of the Colony the Mustang flies through the air. The car lands with a thud on the compacted desert dirt and speeds away towards the town of Smallwood.
Pops looks up from his journal, looking over the plans to the improvements to the time machine. Orvan Wilcox comes up behind him, smelling of bacon, sweat, and marijuana. His granny glasses hanging on the edge of his nose. Pops catches a whiff of Orvans odor and says," I can't put my finger on it?" Orvan, confused, says," What is it? Is there something wrong? Do we have to start over? Man, we were, almost done!" Pops, not moving his face from the journal, casually says," We are done!" "Then what's wrong?" said Orvan. " I am suddenly overcome with the urge to eat nachos and burgers!" said Pops. Orvan stands there with a confused look. Pops looks up from his journal, turns to Orvan, and says," Dude, you are literally making me high just sitting next to you!" "Sorry, it helps me focus, and I was running late this morning and didn't have time to shower!" said Orvan. Pops pats Orvan Wilcox on the back and says," It's all good, Orville!" "That's Orvan!" said Orvan Wilcox. "Yeah, yeah! Whatever Orville!" said Pops. Orvan chooses not to debate his name with Pops. For the past two years, Pops has not gotten his name right or Frank Palawko's, calling Frank Fritz. What matters is that they get the improvements Pops designed to the time machine done. And they are almost done! Or are they think Orvan. "So, is the time machine ready?" said Orvan. Pops looks down at his journal at the plans and replies," Yes, we are! We need to do one thing first!" 'What is that?" asks Orvan. "Test it, of course, Dr.Chronic!" exclaims Pops. "When are we doing that?" asks Orvan. Pops hops off his stool, his eighteen-year-old body at its full growth. He stands there muscular but yet with that slight bit of belly. His brown hair still as thin as ever, all 5ft 7inches of him. " Right fucking now!" said Pops. Pops makes his way towards the center of the room. He inserts the vials of the blood samples into their slots. The machine is similar to the one Pops made himself. Orvan hooks up a syringe to the vein on his right arm. Pops does likewise and says," Hit the switch!" Orvan flips the toggle switches on the control panel in front of him, followed immediately by pressing the large green button on the bottom of the panel. The time machine starts to hum as it powers up. Within seconds a large beam of light out of the projector lens opening a hole in time. Pops unhooks the syringe and walks into the time door. Where he has gone, Orvan knows not! Only Pops knows that. He inputted the coordinates. As Pops disappears into the hole of time. The door in time closes soon after, signaling that Pops has reached his destination.
The rip in time opens up four years into the past. The time is 1961, late in the evening. The place is Tendesnatch's residence in Old Town. This is the moment in time Pops has had in his sights since he created his own time machine. The rip in time opens in a park near Tendersnatch's home so that no one was to see it, especially Tendersnatch and Harold. The hole in time closes soon after he exits it. A timer on his arm that looks like a wristwatch starts a countdown for when it will reopen. The timer reads fifteen minutes. Pops figures that this should be enough time to stop the murder of his mother and get the evidence he needs that his partner Agent Regina is really Tendersnatch. From the park, Pops sees his mother Karen's 1961 Dodge Dart pull up. "Perfect timing!" says Pops to himself. Pops runs across the park, all the while watching Karen walking towards the front door of the man she knows as Agent Regina. Pops knows that he doesn't have much time and hurries as fast as his body can take him. One might not know it but, Pops is quite fast on his feet. Like a cheetah, Pops runs across the grass of the park. His eyes set firmly on the front door of Agent Regina's residence. He sees Karen enter and knows that he does not have much time. Pops quickly approaches the steel gate of Agent Regina, aka Tendersnatch's house. Pops leaps over the gate as if he were an Olympic runner. Then up the steps to the front door and enters the house. As he enters, he sees Karen peering through the crack of the separation doors. Pops taps Karen on the back as he whispers, "Don't move and don't say anything! Quietly turn and back away. If they hear you, they will kill you!" Karen, frozen with a rush of fear, knows that voice and slowly backs away from the separation doors. She knows that that is the voice of her son Pops. Karen turns to see a face she somewhat recognizes. This cannot be her son Pops! He is only fourteen. This person before has to be at least eighteen of nineteen. Pops whispers," Hello ma!" Karen whispers," Pops? Is that you?" "Yes, but from four years in the future! You have to get out of here! If you don't, they will kill you!" said Pops. Karen runs her right hand along Pops face. "You've gotten so big!" said Karen. "Well, I am almost eighteen. Look, mom. I don't have much time. You need to get into your car, go to see Mr.Pervus, and tell him what you saw. If you do that, it will not only save your life but the lives of many others. And also help us catch Tendersnatch there in the living room!" said Pops. Karen can see the fear in her sons' eyes. Something that she has rarely seen before. Pops looks at the timer watch on his wrist and see's that he has a little over a minute left. "Hurry, mom! Go!" whispers Pops. Karen nods her head, and as she takes one step, it lets out a loud creak on the floor. Frozen with fear Karen, says to Pops," Sorry!" In an instant, several bullets pierce through the back of Karen, exiting her chest. One of the shots hits her heart, killing her instantly. As she falls to the floor, she whispers, "I love you!" Pops wants to scream and kill Harold and Tendersnatch right then and there, but he only has enough time to get one piece of evidence. He will deal with them both when he gets back. Pops quickly pulls out a small camera from his pants pocket, runs to the separation doors, and snaps a picture of Harold and Agent Regina together. "Gotcha, assholes!" As he runs out the front door, Harold and Agent Regina, aka, Tendersnatch see him and Karen's dead body. The timer watch starts to beep rapidly, and the time door opens, swallowing up Pops and closing immediately behind Pops. "Who was that?" said Tendersnatch. Harold calmly looks at his loyal agent and said," That was my baby brother!" "That can't be? There is no way? He looks so much older!" said Tendersnatch. " That's because he is not from this time!" said Harold. "He's from the future? That's impossible?!" said Tendersnatch. "Oh, it's possible!... Well, well, little brother! It looks like you have a new toy! And soon, I will have one too!" said Harold.
Pops reappears, back in 1965, and as the rip in time closes, Pops storms up to his desk and angrily flips the desk. "Son of a bitch!" said Pops. "What happened?" asks Orvan Wilcox. "I failed! I had the chance to fix it all, and now that chance is gone! She was about to leave the house and still got shot and killed!" screams Pops. Orvan stands there, not knowing what to say. He knows that Pops is talking about his mother, Karen. There is not an agent in the CBC that does not know what happened to Karen. It makes sense that Pops would go back to this moment in time, and logical. That moment in time is the perfect point. A point where all that has happened to this point could change for the better. Pops sits on the ground and starts to cry. Orvan walks over to him and sits down beside him. He places his arm around Pops to comfort him and allows Pops to let out his sadness. "I'm sorry, Pops!" said Orvan. "I've now lost her twice! When I get my hands on that fucking small dicked asshole, I am going to kill him!" said Pops. "And I hope you do! You know it is said that there are certain moments in time. Moments that are meant to happen. One's that can't be changed. They are there for a reason, a purpose. Think of it like a river. A river can only flow in one direction. Sure, you can cause ripples, but those are only temporary. the water still corrects itself and flows where it is supposed to. There is a bigger purpose here! Whether it is in your lifetime or in your children's. Time and the universe has a strange plan we don't understand. I know it hurts like hell, and can't imagine what you are going through! But, I promise you it will get better!" said Orvan. Pops wipes the tears from his eyes, sniffles thinking about Orvan's wise words. Pops being a logical person, knows that Orvan is right. "Thanks, Orville! You know I think all that pot has made you even smarter!" said Pops. "Well, it helps! It's more of a way to think deeply," said Orvan. "Guess I should call you the chronic philosopher, haha!" said Pops. "That I can live with! By the way, Mr.Pervus wants to see you as soon as you got back," said Orvan. Pops gets up and makes his way to the elevator. He enters it and makes his way to see Mr.Pervus and give him the evidence he found.
The large oak bookcase separates in two to reveal the secret elevator in Mr. Pervus' office. The elevator opens, Pops leans against the back wall of the elevator. His head hung down low, looking at the green-tiled floor of the elevator to hide his red eyes. Mr.Pervus looks over quickly from the file he is reading and says," Come in Pops!" Pops saying nothing lifts his head and walks into Mr.Pervus' office. He sits down in one of the red leather armchairs in front of Mr.Pervus' desk. Mr.Pervus notices the redness in Pops' eyes, knowing that he had been crying, says nothing about that. In fact, he knows why Pops had been crying. Orvan Wilcox called him while Pops was on his way up. Mr.Pervus knows that Pops should bring it across and not him about the failure of saving Karen. Pops sits silently in the chair for about two and a half minutes. Then Pops breaks the awkward silence and says," I failed!" Mr.Pervus closes the file he is looking at, places it on the desk in front of him. He leans back in his large brown leather office chair and said," Failed at what? Is it the time machine? Did your improvements not work?" "That's not it, Pervus! The time machine works fine, better than ever, in fact!" said Pops. Mr.Pervus knows that Pops is upset because Pops has never called him by his real last name. " Then what is it?" asks Mr.Pervus. " I went back to try and stop my mother from being killed. I almost had her ut of the house, but she still got shot and killed!" said Pops. Pops fights back the tears in his eyes from pouring out. Only a few stray tears run down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Pops! I know it was hard on you the first time it happened. But to have it happen again and have to see it this time. I cannot imagine the pain you are feeling! But you got the machine to work, and you can always try again!" said Mr.Pervus. Pops shakes his head in disagreement and says," No, we can't! We only get one shot at it! After that, time is set, and the door to that place in time remains locked forever!" "Well, we can still change the Kennedy assassination now that your machine works?" asks Mr.Pervus. Pops once again shakes his head in disagreement and says," I'm afraid not! You see, that point in time was the perfect nexus point where all that was wrong could be made right. Where history could be changed for the better!" Mr.Pervus' face goes white with fear. He knows that the Prime Minister is not going to like this at all. "Shit! You mean there is no way we can go back to Dallas 1963 and change Kennedy getting killed?" said Mr.Pervus. "No! If we do that, we could make things worse in our present! Not that it already isn't! But, it could get a whole lot chaotic!" said Pops. "This is not good! What do we tell the Prime Minister?" said Mr.Pervus. Pops pulls the camera from his pocket, places it on Mr.Pervus' desk, and says," With this!" A confused look comes over the face of Pervus as he asks," What is this?" Pops gets up from the chair and walks over to the front of Pervus' desk. Pops says," Proof! Proof that Agent Regina is Tendersnatch!... I can't wait to take that little prick down!" Mr.Pervus' face goes from fearful to happy, and he says," This is great! And you will get your chance if we knew where he is?" "Oh, I know where he is!" said Pops. "Where is he?" asks Pervus. "He's on vacation, remember? He is supposed to be back before the flag unveiling. I wish I knew where he was? If I did, I would go and get him! " said Pops.
The red 1965 Mustang pulls up to your prototypical small-town bar. Tendersnatch and Virginia Sexsmith exit the car. Tendersnatch looks at the sign above the doorway that says Joes Bar & Grill. "Of course it is named Joes!" said Tendersnatch. "Do you have a problem with the name? It's much better than your name! I can't imagine anyone eating at a place called Tendersnatch! That name sounds like more of a brothel for virgin hookers!" said Virginia. "Hahaha! You know you have quite the mouth on you!" said Tendersnatch. "Yeah, I know! And guess what? You will never find out just how good my mouth is if you keep up with the attitude, you chauvinist pig!" said Virginia. Tendersnatch notices a sign on the front entrance door that says all firearms and dogs must remain in your truck."Now I know I'm in a redneck town! Why do you want to come in here? There has to be a restaurant or diner somewhere around here?" said Tendersnatch. "Oh, suck it up! This place is as good as any. Besides, I feel like a drink with my meal!" said Virginia. Tendersnatch opens the front door for Virginia and says," Okay, if we must! After you!" " Thanks! You could almost pass for a gentleman!" said Virginia. "Don't expect this all the time!" said Tendersnatch. Virginia walks in the front door, followed by Tendersnatch, who sarcastically said, " Yee-haw!"
The bar room is dimly lit, the smell of stale beer and greasy burgers fills the air. In the corner, the jukebox plays the Marty Robbins song Devil Woman as they enter. Could this jukebox have a mind of its own? Or perhaps fate has a funny sense of humor? Either way, it couldn't have been better music for Virginia Sexsmith to enter too! To make matters even funnier, she turns to Tendersnatch and shoots him a mischievous smile and a wink. The deadly dup make their way across the yellow tile floor toward a booth in the back of the bar with torn brown leather seats. The bar contains eight other customers, all locals and more than likely regulars. Which all happened to be men ranging from 40 -60 years old. They are all dressed in blues jeans, cowboy boots, and flannel shirts. Not used to seeing a woman in there. Or anyone dressed the way that Tendersnatch and Virginia Sexsmith are. Tendersnatch in a light grey suit, white shirt, and blue tie with oxford dress shoes and sunglasses. Virginia is wearing a short-sleeved white blouse with an open v-neck exposing her firm c-cup breasts and a black skirt that ends above her knees and red high heels. Every man in the room stares at them as they sit down. Virginia noticing this says out loud," Hey, shitkickers, you never seen a woman in here before, or do you prefer farm animals?" The men in the room all turn their attention back to their drinks. A blonde-haired waitress, sporting a bouffant in her late 40's approaches. Wearing the same attire as the others in the bar and a friendly smile. "Hi y'all, my name is Tammy! What can I get for ya?" Tendersnatch had been observing their waitress as she stands there. He can tell that she is in her 40's, lived here her whole life, probably has some beer-bellied husband, and a former beauty queen of these parts. He can also tell that she has maintained her good looks, which could mean she has no kids. Virginia quickly answers and saving time orders for both of them. "We will have two whiskeys, straight -up and two steaks please?" said Virginia. "You got it, hun! By the way, I love your outfit!" said Tammy, the waitress. "Thank you! Yours is not bad either!" said Virginia with a smile and a wink for Tammy. Tammy smiles back, giggles, and says," I will be right back with your order!" Tendersnatch turns to Virginia and says," Were you flirting with her?" "Yes, I was! What? Do you have something against a person being bi-sexual?" said Virginia. Tendersnatch, turned on by Virginia's confidence and admiring her toughness, says," Not at all!" "Good! But it really wouldn't matter what you thought! I like boys and girls. I like freaky, hot aggressive sex. There is nothing that I haven't tried. From BDSM, strap-ons with both girls and on guys and anal. And in all of that, I am in control!" Tendersnatch is even more impressed at this point. What a woman, he thinks to himself. It is at this point that five guys in their 30's walk-in. They are locals by the acknowledgment that the bartender gives them. They all stand about six-feet tall with muscular, rugged frames and beards. They begin to grab Tammy and surround her, saying lewd and disrespectful comments. Virginia sees this, not saying a thing to Tendersnatch, she gets up and walks over to them. Tendersnatch from the booth watching says as Virginia approaches the group of men," This should be good!" Virginia taps one of the men on the back and says," You are keeping my order from getting to my table. And I am hungry. I get very cranky when I don't eat on time! So, if you don't mind, let the lady pass!" The Cromagnon looking redneck whose name she could care less says," Oh look fellas! We got us a high-class piece of ass!" "Charming! And by the way, I would never let you see my ass!" said Virginia. The same nameless redneck grabs Virginia by the shoulders and says," Don't knock it till you try it, sweetheart!" Virginia smiles sadistically and says," Come closer. I have something to tell you!" The nameless redneck bends down, face to face with Virginia, and said," What? Do you want me to kiss you sugar tits?" In a deep and sinister tone, Virginia says," I don't like being called sweetheart!" Virginia proceeds to headbutt the redneck in the nose, followed by a kick to the groin. As he falls to the floor, two more of his crew come at Virginia. One of the men takes a swing at her. Virginia avoids the punch and grabs his arm. She slams his face into the metal railing of the bar and separates his shoulder. The other man is met with a roundhouse kick to the head. In an instant, three men are on the ground. The fourth man runs at Virginia. She slides under his legs and kicks out the back of his knees, sending him to the ground immediately and screaming in pain. The last redneck looks at Virginia and says," You're a feisty one! You need a real man to tame you! And I think I know how to!" "Oh, please! Why don't you go back to fucking your cows!" said Virginia. "You have a mouth on you! I think it's high time someone shut it!" said the last redneck. He pulls a switchblade from his pants pocket and opens the blade. He lunges at Virginia. She avoids the blade of the switchblade, grabs his arm, and knocks the knife from his hand to the floor. Virginia kicks him square in the groin and as he is hunched over against the bar from the pain. Virginia picks up the switchblade from the floor and stabs the redneck in the shoulder blade. He screams out in pain, "BITCH!" "Thank you!" said Virginia who, immediately roundhouse kicks the last of the rednecks to the face. He falls to the floor with a thud. Everyone in the bar is in awe. Tendersnatch lightly claps in approval of Virginia's actions. A beeping noise comes from his pocket, and he pulls out a device that looks like a modern-day smartphone. He reads the message on it and gets up, and walks towards Virginia. "We have to get going!" said Tendersnatch. "Okay!... This is for the steaks, and the rest is for you!" said Virginia. Virginia places a fifty-dollar bill in front of Tammy that happens to have her phone number on it. "Thank you!" said Tammy. "It was my pleasure!" said Virginia, who winks at Tammy as she exits the bar.
Tendersnatch waits patiently, leaning up against the 1965 red Mustang as Virginia approaches. "This better be important! I was about to get laid!" said Virginia as she climbs in behind the steering wheel. Tendersnatch slides in the passenger seat and says," Harold wants to see us!" "Enough said!" exclaims Virginia. Virginia starts the car and revs the engine. She places it into drive and speeds away, squealing the tires and leaving tread marks on the pavement.
The 1965 Mustang convertible flies down the single-lane asphalt road. Then turns down a red dirt road towards the entrance of The Colony. A large hole opens up in the desert, revealing the entrance to The Colony. Virginia speeds down the long ramp to Harold's underground facility. As they near the bottom of the ramp, Virginia speeds up. "I think you are supposed to slow down!" said Tendersnatch with one hand on the door handle and the other on the dashboard. As the car reaches its parking spot, Virginia slams on the brakes and turns the steering wheel sharply. The Mustang slides in perfectly into its parking spot. Virginia shifts into park and shuts off the engine. She looks over at Tendersnatch his face is all white with fear, not saying a word. "See, I told you we would be alright! Hope you didn't shit your pants!" said Virginia slapping Tendersnatch on the leg.
Standing nearby watching this all is Harold. He walks up to the car before Virginia and Tendersnatch could exit. He places his hands on the drivers' side door and stares first at Tendersnatch and then at Virginia. The look on his face quite like that of a disappointed parent, stone serious and stern. Tendersnatch, who usually is the first to speak his mind to Harold, says nothing. He only stares at the ground like a child who knows that he has done something wrong. Virginia looks up at him straight in the face and says," What? What is it? You don't like my park job?" Harold's face breaks its stone-like demeanor, and he starts to laugh. Tendersnatch looks up from the ground, a surprised look on his face. He cannot believe it! He thought that he was the only one that could talk to Harold that way? "I loved it, Miss. Sexsmith! That was quite an impressive piece of driving! Tendersnatch, see why I partnered her with you? You two are exactly alike!" said Harold. "That's what I have been telling him!" said Virginia. "From what I've seen, I can totally see that!" said Tendersnatch. "You two need to get on the train and get back to Toronto! It's time to put our plan into action!" said Harold. Harold moves away from the car door and opens it to show some sort of chivalry towards Virginia. " Who do I say Virginia is?" asks Tendersnatch. "That's easy! You say that she is your new girlfriend!" said Harold. "I don't know if they will believe that?" said Tendersnatch. Virginia places her head against Tendersnatch's shoulder and says in a sweet, flirty tone," Oh honey! How could you think that? We make a cute couple!" This bit of sweetness has two effects on Tendersnatch. The one is disgust the sweet voice sickens him. The sickening starts to make Tendersnatch feel aroused, and an erection can be seen growing in his pants. Harold notices this and says," By the look of that erection, I'd say you believe it too!" Virginia looks down at Tendersnatch's pants and says, "Yup! I agree!" "Good! Now you two get going, and Virginia, try not to make any scenes as you did in the bar!" said Harold. "You knew about that?" asked Virginia. "How did you know about that?" asked Tendersnatch. " You should know by now that I have eyes everywhere! Now go!" said Harold as he walks away.
Mr.Pervus stands by the large, tinted picture window of his opulent office. He looks out on the bustling city streets of Toronto. Pops sits in the leather armchair writing his latest invention in his journal. The room is dead silent. But that silence does not last for long. Miss. Sutherland's voice comes over the intercom speaker like the voice of God. "Mr.Pervus. I just heard from Agent Matthews at the California train station. Agent Regina has just arrived and is on his way back!" said Miss. Sutherland. "Thank you, Miss. Sutherland! Tell Agent Roberts in our station to send him right up when he gets here!" said Mr.Pervus. "I will inform him! But there is one problem!" said Miss. Sutherland. "What is it, Miss. Sutherland?" asks Mr.Pervus. "He has brought someone on the train with him, a woman!" said Miss. Sutherland. Pops, hearing this, is overcome with an expression of surprise. Pops mouth's the words, "What the fuck!" Mr.Pervus, also shocked by this news, says," Did I hear you right? Did you say that Agent Regina has a woman with him?" "Yes! Apparently, she is his girlfriend!" said Miss. Sutherland. "Okay! Well, send them both up when they get here!" said Mr.Pervus. "I will tell Agent Roberts to inform them both!" said Miss. Sutherland. Pops gets up from his chair and walks toward Mr.Pervus. "A girlfriend? And he took her on our train? This seems all too suspicious!" said Pops. "I agree! You go and get those pictures developed so we can bust him. And I will deal with this new issue!" said Mr.Pervus. "Okay! I can't wait to see the look on his face when we arrest his ass!" said Pops. "Me too!... Now hurry, we haven't much time! The lightspeed train will be here in a couple of hours!" said Mr.Pervus.
"Why did you stop?" exclaims Keith. Graham's stare is fixed on the same glowing blurred figure that he thought he saw earlier. This time it is a lot clearer. He sits there shocked and silent. "Hey! Are you alright?" said Maria waving her hand in front of his face. Graham sits stone-faced, not answering. "You think he is dead?" asks Hannah. "Nah! He is still breathing!' said Liam. Once again, Keith asks," Graham! Why did you stop? Is everything alright?"Graham does not say a thing. He stands and walks away from the others towards the glowing blur. "Where is he going?" asks Maria. "I don't know? He is walking towards the bathroom. Maybe he has to poop!" said Keith. Maria slaps Keith across the shoulder and says," Oh my God! I can't believe you said that?" "What? What's so wrong with that? Everyone poops! I'm sure that Graham is fine. He probably just needed to stretch his legs." said Keith. They all watch as Graham walks down the long corridor. Where one hundred and fifty years ago, people stood and waited to get into the movie theatre.
Samuel looks on at the wall of fire. He looks at the continuing massacre of his followers at the hands of Delphine and Jack. It is then that Samuel sees something that brings a big smile to his face. That being the sound of thunder that shakes the ground around them. "Perfect! The good Lord has blessed us!" said Samuel. " What do you mean? It's just a thunderstorm! There is no rain!" exclaims Preston. "Wait for it!" said Samuel. It is just then that the skies open up. A wall of water like Niagra Falls pours down, extinguishing the flames of the firewall. "Oh, thank you, merciful God, for helping us, your children, to defeat the non-believers and fulfill your prophecy!" said Samuel. Preston shakes his head and says," Religious nutbag!" "Soon, you will believe brother Preston! Brother Paul, lead us all into victory"! said Samuel. Paul nods his head and yells," Brothers and sisters, their defenses are down! Charge!!!!" A collective battle cry rings out over the booming thunder, and the Citizens march on into Delphines' farmyard.
The White Dragon looks on at the last of his Scavengers, dying at the hands of General Jordan and his remaining forces. "Sir! We did it! They are all dead! We can take down the White Dragon!" said a scared young private. General Jordan stares at the face of the White Dragon. The White Dragon stares back and flashes General Jordan an evil grin. "Oh shit! I don't think we have won anything!" said General Jordan. The White Dragon starts to glow brighter and brighter, powering up his energy blast. " Close your eyes, soldiers! It will all be over soon!" said General Jordan. It is then that the White Dragon fires a blast of energy at General Jordan and his soldiers, turning them to ash. The White Dragon walks over to the pile of ash that was once General Jordan. He picks up the only thing that survived, General Jordan's metal lighter. The White Dragon places it in his pocket and kicks the ash pile scattering it to the winds. He then looks around at his dead Scavengers and begins to powerup again. He lets off a blast of energy like a small nuclear blast turning the dead Scavengers to ash as well. He walks out of the dust towards the Bessborough and says," Thank you! That was fun! But I can handle this myself now. Your services are no longer needed!" As he walks into the city, the White Dragon starts to hum the theme from The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly.
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