Book 2: A Time Of Awkwardness-Chapter 7: Secret Truths

Sirens ring out their high-pitched wailing, and red lights flash like a strobe bulb. Heavily armed guards scramble around wearing N15 disposable medical masks to protect them from an unseen threat. Amongst the guards are soldiers. They wear a full-face-covered mask similar to a gas mask. Their purpose, to watch over the frozen population of the cryo-prison. This task is normally pretty tedious for the fact that the inmates are all in a cryo-sleep. Or as they would call them consicles. The frozen inmates do nothing but linger in their cryo-sleep, awaiting their eventual defrosting for a parole hearing, a pardon, or a release. The reason for the heavily-armed presence was to keep any potential jailbreakers out. That is if they were able to find the prison. You see, the cryo-prison is in such a secret location that no one knows it even exists. But it is better to have a little prevention so that a more severe problem does not arise. The guards, scientists, and soldiers are not concerned about the prisoners. They are busy packing up the facility. Their expertise is needed elsewhere. That being the World Trade Convention Centre now converted into a scientific research facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Their skills are needed to combat the plague. It serves no purpose for them to be there when the world's population is in danger of being permanently being wiped out. They run by the rooms containing the futuristic-looking plastic polymer capsules containing the frozen bodies of the inmates. Each cell has one of these capsules that resemble something out of Star Trek.

 As the last truck is loaded, an African-Canadian soldier in his early twenties, resembling an offensive lineman, stands.  He turns to a well-groomed caucasian scientist with short sandy blonde hair and said," Shouldn't someone stay here to take care of the consicles Dr. Astor.?" "Don't worry, soldier! This facility contains a gamma generator that will power this place for thousands of years!" said Dr.Astor. " What if someone finds this place and releases one of these monsters?" said the soldier. " There is no worry of that! I don't think anyone will ever find this place!" said Dr.Astor. "Do you think anyone will survive the plague? Or are we on the verge of extinction?' said the soldier. A solemn look comes over the face of Dr.Astor, who lets out a deep sigh and says," It doesn't look good! This virus spreads fast and has a 100% mortality rate. But we got to try! If humanity survives, it will be a small amount. And this place will remain a secret. We will be the only ones that know about it! And these inmates will be forever frozen!" The soldier nods his head and says," I understand!" Dr. Astor pats the soldier on the back and says," You better get in the truck and get going! You have a long journey ahead of you, and I have to finish packing my lab and head on my way!" said Dr. Astor. The soldier shakes the hand of Dr. Astor and heads towards the passenger compartment of the military truck. Dr.Astor watches as the last truck drives away. He turns and walks back into the cryo-prison. 

Dr. Astor walks up to one of the cell doors, opens it, and walks in. He stands over the cryo capsule. On the capsule is the number 999. Dr.Astor wipes off some of the frost from the thick plastic window. He stares at the frozen face of a man with massive burn scars on his face. Then begins to hum the tune Moody River. This moment is quickly interrupted by the sweet voice of his wife Dr.Susan Astor. He turns to see her thin athletic frame standing in the doorway. Her brown hair, flowing down her back all wavy-like. Dr.Kevin Astor is speechless at the sight of his beautiful wife. How could a woman like her love a man like him? He is such a lucky man. "Are you alright?' said Susan. "I am fine! Just getting one last look at this son of a bitch! Have to make sure his cryo-chamber is working properly. Wouldn't want him to wake up!" said Kevin. "Okay! When you're finished here, I will be waiting in the jeep," said Susan. "Okay! I will be right there!" said Kevin. Susan leaves the room, and Kevin refocuses his attention to the cryo-chamber. "You will never see the light of day again! This tube will be your tomb! My father's legacy and your connection to him end. Enjoy your eternal sleep!" said Dr.Kevin Astor. Dr.Kevin Astor leaves the cell and closes the thick metal door behind him. The echo of the metal door slamming shut gives off an eerie feeling of solitude and fear. 

Samuel looks on as his loyal minions encroach on Delphine and Jack. A large grin is still on his face. The sound of the gunfire and screams of his followers yelling out their battle charge. Mixed with the sound of the rain and thunder clapping gives an eerie feeling up Prestons' spine. He looks on to see Jack and Delphine taking down incoming Citizens. "You know what? I don't think you are going to win!" said Preston. Samuel looks down at Preston, the burn scars on his face more noticeable. "You are back to this again! I already told you that you are wrong!" said Samuel. "By the looks of it, I think you will be wrong! Because those two are kicking your sorry ass!" said Preston. "Always so confident you Brilliants are! Look into my eyes and tell me if you think I am scared that I will lose?" said Samuel. "I would try, but your face looks like melted cheese and pepperoni on a pizza! So those girls, you know your tart trio who wanted to give me an STI. Are they blind because I don't know any woman would not puke at the site of that! Or you naked!" said Preston. The rain pours down even harder, and Samuels' long hair is now stringy. He turns his attention back to the battle in the farmyard and says," You know your great grandfather was just as quick-witted as you! It's a shame that you don't have his brains because you might actually then be a worthy opponent!" A confused look comes over Preston's face. And wondering how in the hell does Samuel know his great grandfather Pops. "Who in the hell are you?" said Preston. Samuel quickly flashes a sadistic smile in Preston's direction and says," You'll find out soon!" 

Jack stares down the site of the General Electric Mini-gun. He turns in a 180-degree direction, killing oncoming Citizens. Behind himDelphine quickly goes through the ammunition of her M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle. She drops her weapon, pulls out two Glock ACP's, and begins firing at Samuel's army. But it seems that the more they kill. More keep coming. Jack looks down at his ammunition supply. He notices that he is running low and will not have enough to keep this battle going. " I've got some bad news!" said Jack. "What is it?" asks Delphine. "I am almost out of bullets!" said Jack. "There is more in the barn!" screams Delphine. As Jack turns to fire the Mini-gun, he notices that the barn is blocked by approaching Citizens. "Duck and switch sides!" said Jack. He mows down the zealot army in an instant. "Cover me!" yells Jack. " Here, take this!" exclaims Delphine. Delphine throws Jack one of the samurai swords from the weapons bag on the Mini-gin's platform. Jack catches it and removes the sword from its sheath. With two hands firmly grasped on the handle of the samurai sword, Jack runs towards the barn. Two Citizens approach Jack. He swings the samurai sword at their midsection, fatally slicing them. Blood instantly pours out of their abdomens, and their intestines spill out on the ground. Jack, shocked by his actions, looks at what he has done and says," Gross!" Jack runs towards the barn doors and enters.

Jack quickly runs into the dark, empty barn. He feels along the wall with his hand and grabs the handle to the breaker panel. The lights illuminate the barn. The addition of the light gives way to all the treasures hidden within Delphine's barn. While the stalls would normally contain cattle or horses. These stalls house more weapons and ammunition. Jack notices in one of the stalls something large in size covered with a tarp. He walks up to it and lifts the tarp to see a tank circa 2019. "Well, that shouldn't shock me!" said Jack. He walks away from the tank and finds two replacement ammo canisters. Jack picks them up and walks out of the barn.

As Jack exits the barn, he witnesses the sheer awe of Delphine engaged in hand-to-hand combat with several Citizens. It is almost poetic how she moves, taking down her opponents with kicks and punches, some throwing knives in between to strike down incoming Citizens. The blades hit their targets perfectly, either in the chest, throat, or forehead. This scene is something out of an old 1990's martial arts movie. Jack, being caught up in Delphine's actions unaware of the impending Citizens about to ambush him. Suddenly they strike! With the sharp blow from a wooden club to the back of Jack's head, he falls to the ground face first. Jack, his vision a little blurred from the blow to his head, slowly lifts his face from the mud. The pouring rain, washing it from his face partially. Out of the corner of her eye, Delphine sees what has happened to Jack. "JACK!!!" yells Delphine. This brief moment breaks her concentration on the battle she is engaged in. A loud clap of thunder rolls. It sets the stage for what happens next. That being a kick to Delphines' abdomen followed by a blow to the right side of her head. She is subdued quickly by the Citizen army like a swarm of killer bees. They tie Delphine's hands and feet to prevent her from defending herself. Jack tries to regain his bearings and tries to stand. His attempt is thwarted by another shot to the back of his head, knocking him out. The army of Citizens lets out a loud cheer at their great victory. After, thousands of their ranks have been killed by these two. Paul stands up on the flatbed trailer beside the General Electric M134 Minigun and says," Brothers and sisters! We are victorious! As foretold by Samuel, our great leader, the prophet and chosen one! Now let us take Adam and Eve to him! Praise Samuel!" "PRAISE SAMUEL!!" yells out the Citizen army as the rain drenches them.

Hearing his army of loyal followers cheering on their victory brings a big shit-eating wicked grin to Samuel's face. He turns to look at Preston, his burn-scarred face looking like the skin of an avocado. "You see, nonbeliever! I told you that the Lord is on my side! And soon you will see the truth and believe!" said Samuel. "Not bloody likely, Freddy Krueger! Personally, I think it is the devil that is on your side and that before this is all said and done, you will meet him!" said Preston. "Heathen! Still have doubt in your heart! Well, maybe this will change your mind!... Bring the doubting Thomas. We are going down to the farmyard," said Samuel. Two Cromagnon looking henchmen pick up Preston and follow Samuel as he makes his way down to the farmyard. 

The strong wind howls through the empty wilderness of northern Manitoba. The earth is a much emptier place since the plague. It has been eighty years since the cure saved the remaining 1.5 million people of the world. Since that time, the earth has very few large cities left. The remnants of most of the planet's cities sit abandoned. There are small communities here and there in small towns. But for the most part, the people of the earth reside in Master Cities. Call it fear of another virus outbreak or just a sense to keep what is left of humanity alive. The earth's population has increased by 10,000 in that time that they could tell. There are people in the abandoned zones and no way of counting them. The numbers come from the Master Cities and rural communities. The ones in the abandoned zones have resorted to cannibalism. Their minds have lost touch with reality from the conditions they live in. That is why the people in the Master Cities have abandoned them. The last group to venture into an abandoned city was never heard from again. They became the food supply for these people. Occasionally these cannibals would eat rats when their regular food source was nowhere to be found. These people adopted tribe mentality and hunted other tribes. With their food source running out, two members of the Dundas Tribe have taken a journey out of Toronto. Their search has led them across the border into northern Manitoba. The land is ripe with thick bush and lakes. As the sky turns purple, they realize that they must find shelter. Their search leads them to the vine-covered entrance to the old cryo-prison. 

The two travelers from the Dundas tribe from the abandoned city of Toronto pull away at the vines as the rain starts to pour down in the distance. All around them, lightning strikes hit the ground, and the thunder shakes the ground like a massive earthquake. "Man, these vines are thick, Simon!" yells the one traveler. "Hurry up, Paul! The storm is closing in on us! If we get hit by one of those lightning strikes, we're done for!" said Simon. Paul feverishly pulls at the vines with all his might. The vines don't give up easily. Paul struggles and yanks at the plants. A loud clap of thunder shakes the ground and steals Paul's attention away from his task. He looks behind him to see the storm drawing closer. A bolt of lightning hits the ground only fifty feet away from them. Paul turns his attention back to the vines. "Could you help me before we both get french fried?" said Paul. Simon noticed the urgency of their dilemma helps Paul in pulling at the plant life. Another bolt of lightning hits the ground. This time twenty feet away from them. Their tenacity pays off as the vines finally start to come free. They are surprised by a thick metal door with a code panel entrance and not a cave. "What in the actual fuck are we supposed to do now? There is no way we are getting in there unless we have a code! To which I seriously doubt you have!" said Simon. Another round of thunder rolls and shakes the ground knocking Simon and Paul off their feet. On their backs. The rain starts to pour on the two men. Just when they thought that they were screwed. It was more of a stroke of good fortune. A bolt of lightning hits the metal door breaking the 5-inch steel locking bar like an acetylene torch. The metal door swings open. Simon and Paul, knowing that they just avoided certain death, choose not to tempt fate. They stand up quickly and run into the open door. As they step inside the old cryo-prison a bolt of lightning strikes the ground where they had been. 

Simon looks at the open door. The hot metal smokes and hisses as the rain cools it down. "Don't think we can close this?" said Simon. "No, we sure can't! There is no way to secure it shut. The lightning made sure of that!" said Paul. "Well, let's check out this place and see what we can find," said Simon. Paul removes the hood from off his head and unzips the tan camouflage army jacket. Simon follows suit, and the two men start to walk down the dimly lit corridor. "What is this place?" said Paul. "I don't know? Most likely an old abandoned government facility from the 21st century!" said Simon. "How do they still have lights? Wouldn't all power be turned off?" said Paul. " It must run on gamma energy," said Simon. "They had that back then? I thought that wasn't discovered until the 22nd century?" said Paul. "Well, there is lots that we don't know! But I do know that the government had lots of secrets after the plague. Thought they were rumors? Guess not!" said Simon. The two men keep walking down the corridor. Simon notices the lever to a power panel. He walks up to it and switches it on. The whole building becomes fully illuminated. "This place looks like a prison! But it can't be? It has to be an old military base!" said Paul. Simon walks up to one of the cell doors, wipes the decades of dust off the door to reveal a number on it that reads 105. "What does that mean?" asks Paul. "I do not know? Must be some sort of classification?" said Simon. "Then it has to be an old military base?" said Paul. Simon wipes the dust off the dust from the cell window and see's the cryo-chamber. "I don't think so?" said Simon. Paul looks through the window on the cell door and exclaims, "Holy shit!" "What is it?" asks Simon. "I heard that there was a cryo-prison. But I thought that it was just an urban legend!" said Paul. "It can't be? It has to be just some sort of military experiment?" says Simon. "Let's go and find out then!" said Paul. Paul looks for a door handle or some way to open the cell door. "What are you doing?" asks Simon. "I'm trying to find a way in Einstein!" exclaims Paul. Simon points towards a security panel next to the cell door. "Over here, eagle eyes! Good luck with that!" said Simon. What Simon is referring to is that the security panel contains a three-tier redundancy to enter the room. The first is a retinal scanner, second is a biometric scanner requiring a handprint. And the last is a seven-digit security code. Paul looks at it and exclaims," Pfft! That's child's play!"  "If you can get past that security system, then I will strip naked, cover myself in honey, and sing I'm a Little Teapot!" said Simon. "Deal!" exclaims Paul. The two men shake hands. Paul removes a jackknife with an 8-inch blade from his back pocket. He extracts the blade from the knife handle begins to remove the screws from the security panel. It doesn't take him long to perform that task. In no time, Paul has the cover to the security panel removed and is sifting through a forest of wires. "Don't electrocute yourself!" said Simon. Paul ignores Simon's sarcastic remark and keeps searching. "There you are!" exclaims Paul. Paul sticks the blade of the jackknife onto a section of a circuit board. A spark shoots out, and the door to the cell opens up. Paul retracts the blade of his knife and places it back into his back pocket. He turns to Simon and says," Try and not get bit by bees when you do that dance! Although if they bit your pecker, it might help with its size!" "Yeah! Yeah!... Where did you learn how to do that?" asks Simon. " Trade secrets, my friend! Trade secrets!" said Paul. Paul pulls open the door to the cell, and he walks in, followed by Simon. 

Simon and Paul walk up to the cryo-tube covered in frost. Simon cleans some of the frost from the cryo-tube and sees' a name on it. "Samuel! Is that who is in here?" asks Simon. Paul looks at the tube and wipes away more of the condensation, revealing more words. He shakes his head and says," Nope! It says, Samuel Industries!" "What is that? I never heard of them?" asks Simon. "It is a company that made these. Back in the 21st century, they were a big tech conglomerate. After the fall of humanity, they changed their name to Excalibur and helped build the Master Cities. It makes sense that you wouldn't know who they are! You are so young!" said Paul. "You aren't much older than me!" exclaims Simon. "Yeah, well, my father told me about all this stuff! He used to work for them," said Paul. Simon's eyes grow big and bright as a revelation dons on him. "That's how you were able to open that lock!" exclaims Simon. "Yup! My old man kept us safe as the virus raged on! He wouldn't let my siblings on social media. There were too many conspiracy theories about the plague being a hoax!" said Paul. "What's social media?" asks Simon. " It was a place where people went to bitch about politics, share photos of themselves and connect with friends while looking for strangers' approval," said Paul. "How old are you?" asks Simon. "I am twenty-five, two years older than you!' said Paul. " How do you know about this stuff then?" asks Simon. " Paul shakes his head at Simon's stupidity and says," Were you not listening? My father! He told me, obviously! I will tell you more later. Now let's see what or who is in here!" said Paul as he wipes the ice crystals from the window of the cryo-tube. A dim blue light glows inside the tube to reveal a burn-scarred face. Simon and Paul look at him with great awe. "This is the cryo-prison! It's real!" exclaims Paul. Simon feeling a bit apprehensive, and fearful said," I wonder what he did?" "It had to be something horrible! I heard that only the worst of the worst were sent here!" said Paul. "Do you think there are more tubes in this place?' said Simon. "There has to be! The number on the door must mean that he is prisoner 105!" said Paul. "Let's go and see what if there are any more of these!" said Simon. Paul stands transfixed by the face of Prisoner 105 and doesn't hear Simon. "Hey, Paul, did you hear me?" said Simon. "Sorry! What did you say?" asks Paul. "I said, let's go and check to see if this place has more of these tubes and whatever other goodies we can find!" exclaims Simon. " Yeah, let's! Or we could defrost this guy, and he could tell us!" said Paul. Simon shakes his head and says," I don't think we should! He looks kind of creepy!" Paul shoots Simon an annoyed look and remarks," Dude! We're cannibals! That doesn't get more creepy than that!" "Yes! I know! But this guy is a whole level of scary!" said Simon. "How do you know maybe he isn't?" said Paul. "We need to find food! Not another mouth to feed! Besides, he looks totally unedible!" said Simon. Paul realizes that he is not going to win this argument and says," Okay, I guess you are right! Let's go and check this place out!" "Great!" said Simon with a childlike exuberance. Simon quickly runs out of the room. Paul pauses for a moment, takes a step forward, turns his head back toward the cryo-tube, and says," I'll be back later!" Out in the corridor, Paul can hear Simon yell out, "Are you coming?" "Yeah! Yeah, I'm coming!" says Paul as he exits the room. 

Jack and Delphine sit restrained with rope, their hands, and feet securely bound. The remaining Citizen army surrounds them, waiting for their leader to arrive. Jack and Delphine sit in the mud as the rain continues to pour down upon them. Their clothes drenched from the downpour cling to their respective bodies. Rainwater streams down Jack's bald head in rapid succession. He looks over at Delphine, her long blond hair still in a ponytail, all stingy from the rainwater. The green t-shirt she is wearing clings to her ample breasts. Jack knows that he shouldn't stare but can't help but look. He shifts his glare up Delphines swan-like neck and then her ocean-blue eyes. Delphine notices this, and she gets a confused look on her face and says," What?" "Sorry, I couldn't help but stare! You look so beautiful!" said Jack. "Oh please, I am covered in mud! My hair is soaked and makes me look like a drowned cat! Oh, and I almost forgot the most important thing! I am tied up sitting in the pouring rain and mud by a bunch of psychopathic, religious, semi-cannibalistic cult members!" said Delphine. "Yeah, but that makes you even more beautiful!" said Jack. "Delphine shakes her head and says," You are one interesting man, Jack! I have always said that! I should be weirded out, but I am flattered! Can I give you a tip, though?" "Sure!" said Jack. " My eyes are up here!" Jack chuckles and says," Sorry, I didn't mean to stare so long!" said Jack. "It's all good! We are married after all!" said Delphine with a laugh. Jack starts to chuckle too. The remaining Citizen army is confused as to why Jack and Delphine are laughing. Why would these two be laughing? They lost, and yet they are happy for some reason? 

The Citizen army parts like Moses parting the Red Sea as Samuel. He walks towards his prize of Jack and Delphine. Behind him, his henchmen carry Preston, his hands and feet bound to a long pole. Like he was a pig on a spigot on his way to be roasted. Samuel reaches his destination as a bolt of lightning strikes and the thunder rolls, shaking the ground. A fitting entrance to announce this blight on humanity's presence. He shoots a cold stare in the direction of both Jack and Delphine. They stop laughing, and Delphine says," Hello, scarface!" "Cute! Ever the smart-mouth aren't you woman?" said Samuel. "It's better than being a monument to not play with fire! Tell me, how did that happen again? Was it while you were naked, masturbating to sheep fucking while you were reading the bible?" said Delphine. A collective look of shock comes over the face of the Citizens. No one has ever talked to the Messiah Samuel like that! Samuel, himself will not have this. He will not be talked to like that! A fake hearty laugh comes from Samuel's mouth. The Citizens start to laugh along with him, not wanting to be disloyal. Even Jack and Delphine laugh. "You're funny woman!" said Samuel. "Well, I try!" said Delphine as the laughter continues. "No! You are! Isn't she funny, brothers and sisters?" exclaims Samuel. His followers nod their heads in agreement. Samuels' laughter shifts to seriousness, and a psychotic look comes over his face. He reaches back and strikes Delphine across the face, knocking her over into the mud. "Hey! Don't touch her!" yells Jack. "Oh, look at Adam here, being noble and chivalrous!" said Samuel. "It is better than being a walking talking piece of shit that hits women!" said Jack. Samuel walks up to Jack and strikes him, sending his face into the mud as well. Samuel stands over the two captives with a twisted, maniacal look on his face. "How is that for equal opportunity for you?... No one, especially a woman, disrespects me! A woman is to keep her mouth shut, wait on man, and bear children! Oh, I forgot you, cannot have children! Or can you?" said Samuel. Delphine looks up and says, "You hit like a little bitch!" "You didn't answer me, woman! Come on Eve, tell us all the gospel truth!" What Samuel is referring to is that back before the plague. Delphine had a complete hysterectomy to remove cancer back in the second decade of the 21st century. But with the blood transfusion, she received from Graham. Her uterus had been regrown. Delphine shoots Samuel a cold glare and said," You sick fuck!" " Oh, did I touch a nerve? I see you found a new playmate or is it an old one?" said Samuel. " Jack sits up and exclaims," Look, asshole!  I don't care who you are but, when I get free, I am going to end you!" "Oh, how cute! You think you are a man! All noble and standing up for his lady!" said, Samuel. "Let me loose, and I will show you how much of a man I am!" said Jack. Samuel bends down and whispers into Jack's ear," You really don't know your woman, do you? But you will find out!" Samuel stands, looks at his army of Citizens, and says as he walks away," Bring them to camp!" Two large men pick up Jack and Delphine, throw them over their respective shoulders and follow Samuel back to his tent. The Citizen Army follows like ants.

Graham follows the spectral form into theatre number six at the end of the east hallway. The rest of the group standing near theatre number one by the lobby watch in great interest. "What is he doing?' asks Keith. Maria looks at him with confusion and says, "What makes you think I would know that?" "Well, you two have become good friends, it seems!" said Keith. Maria's face gets red with frustration. She can tell by Keith's words that he is jealous. Any woman can tell when a man is jealous. They aren't very subtle about it! "I ought to hit you, gilipollas! How dare you insinuate that I am cheating on you with Graham! Men!!! Always jealous!" Keith grows silent as he realizes that he has been an idiot! A jealous fool! Maria is the best thing to happen to him. His stupid male pride and jealousy could cost him that if he doesn't apologize. Keith hangs his head in shame and says," I am sorry! I did not mean to accuse you of being unfaithful to me! I am a stupid, stupid male! I have no excuse for that other than jealousy." Maria is shocked. Never has she met a man that is willing to admit that he is wrong other than her papa. She can tell that his apology is sincere. Not a phony one that most men would give. She places her hands gently on Keith's face, kisses him, and says, " It's all good, my love! But if you ever do that again. I will knock you out like I did, Graham!" " And I will gladly accept it! As I will deserve it!" said Keith. "I love you!" said Maria. "I love you too!" said Maria. " Oh, my god! You two don't even fight like a normal couple! Now, if you two are done looking into each other's eyes and after disagreeing for five minutes. Can someone please find out what the fuck is up with Graham!' said Paulina. Hannah feeling a sense of duty to help the man who helped her says," I will go!" Hannah doesn't want to admit to the others, but she had seen the spectral image too. It seems that when Graham healed her with his blood, she has developed a psychic connection with Graham. "Are you sure? I can go or come with you?' said Grace. " It's alright! I will be fine, besides someone has to do it. And he did save my life, so it only seems right to see what's troubling him!" No one argues with Hannah's logic. They all just nod their heads in agreement as she starts to walk toward theater six at the end of the long hallway.

Graham walks into the dimly lit confines of movie theatre number six. Cobwebs cover the town leather theatre chairs and dust so thick it hangs like icicles from the ceiling fill the room. Graham looks up at the 45-foot movie screen. His mind drifts back to a time before the plague. When the theatre was filled with families, couples out on dates, groups of friends, and a solitary person out to see a movie. Then it is like he is transported back in time. The cobwebs and layers of dust disappear. The seats are like brand new and filled with people. Graham turns to the movie screen and sees' a film playing. Not just any film, though. It is a film called A Matter Of Time. A tear comes from his eye as he sees the credit on the big screen.  The words read, screenplay by Jack Chomers. This was the movie that Jack won an Oscar. Graham scans the seats at the imaginary people sitting there. He sees himself and his wife Jessie cuddling with her long brown hair on his muscular shoulder and a big bag of popcorn on his lap. What a beautiful memory. If only the world had taken the threat of the plague seriously, then maybe others could have memories like this. Maybe the world wouldn't be a post-apocalyptic horror movie. A tapping on his shoulder breaks his memory, and the images disappear. It is back to a dusty cobweb-filled room. Graham turns to see the petite frame and angelic face of Hannah standing there. " Are you okay?' asks Hannah. "I'm fine! What makes you think there was anything wrong?" said Graham. "The fact that you walked away with a shocked expression on your face gave it away! You don't have a good poker face, you know!" said Hannah. " That bad, hey?" asks Graham. "One of the worst I've seen!" said Hannah with a laugh. Hannah's laughter lifts Graham's spirits, and he starts to chuckle as well. Hannah looks around at the old movie theater and says," It must have something to come see a movie here?" "It really was! A great experience! There were new movies every week, and summer was the blockbuster season with all the biggest and best popcorn flicks! Depending on the movie, you had to buy your ticket early. Wait, you have a movie theatre in Martinsville, don't you?" said Graham. "Yes, but not like how you describe it! There are no new movies anymore, and the theatre is only half full. The theatre is nice, built in the old-school 1930's style. But I have always wanted to see the 21st-century style I only read about. Never thought I would ever see one, and now I have!" said Hannah. "Yeah, it was something! Jack would be here faithfully every Tuesday night for cheap movie night. It's what made him become a screenwriter!" said Graham. Hannah's jaw dropped as she figures out by Graham's words who Jack is. "You mean Jack is Jack Chomers? Oh my God!! I love his movies! He's almost as good as Justin Chomitzky!" said Hannah. "Yup! He sure was! Jack had a lot of talent, and if the plague hadn't happened, he would have had a long and storied career! You know my wife Jessie and I saw A Matter Of Time when it premiered here!" said Graham. "Shut the front door! That movie is a masterpiece! I cannot believe you saw it when it first came out?" said Hannah. "Well, I am almost 200 years old!" says Graham with a laugh. "True! So why did you come down to this theatre for? Is this the one that has the time machine?" said Hannah. " No! I just felt like taking a walk," said Graham. There is a moment of silence for about a minute and a half. Hannah then says," Didn't find that spectral figure you saw, hey?" Graham is shocked. How did Hannah see it too? "You saw it?" said Graham. "Yup, but never got a good look at who or what it is!" said Hannah. "Me neither! I thought so for a moment and followed it in here, but now it's gone!" said Graham. " Well, maybe we will find it later on? Come on back to the lobby. The others are worried about you!" said Hannah. Graham looks around, nods his head, and said," Okay!" Hannah shoots him an innocent smile, and the two of them exit the theatre.

As the metal door to the theatre slams shut and echoes out in the empty room, the large dust icicles fall from the ceiling. The power comes on in the projector room above, and soon an image appears on the screen. That image is of the very movie that Graham was reminiscing watching over one hundred and fifty years ago. If he had stayed a few minutes more, then he would have seen a clue on the screen that would lead him to Project Slingshot. That clue being some script before the picture that said," Keep one eye on the past and one eye on the future. But always live in the present!" The projector shuts down and leaves the room, again abandoned and in silence. The very spectral figure that Graham and Hannah were looking for reappears. It comes through the projector room wall and moves down the stairs. It stops in front of the movie screen and disappears.

The Citizens carry Delphine, Jack, and Preston into Samuel's tent. The appearance of the tent is like the throne room of a King's Palace. A large throne made from a mixture of human bones, gold, precious stones, and iron. The throne sits on a 3ft platform. Samuel sits on his throne like a king,  proud of his conquest. Two armed neanderthal-looking thugs with a height of over six feet and the body of a wrestler. They stand guard in front of Samuel, their long hair propped up in a man-bun, their arms crossed to make themselves look intimidating. In their hands, they each hold a machete and blank clueless look on their face to show their lack of intelligence. Jack, Delphine, and Preston's bindings are cut, freeing them from the poles that they had been carried on. Their bodies fall to the dirt floor of the tent with a thud. "Welcome to my tent! So glad you could drop in!" said Delphine. "Haha! You are a laugh riot!" said Delphine. "Yeah, you are a barrel of laughs, scarface! You ever heard of hospitality?" said Jack. "You must have confused me with someone who cares!" said Samuel. "And you must have confused me with someone who doesn't want to kick your ass!" said Delphine. "Cute! Very cute! Your words only show your lack of respect," said Samuel. "And you taking us against our will only shows yours!" said Preston. Samuel stands up from his throne, walks down the three steps, and stands in front of his three prisoners. He places his hands on Preston's shoulder, flashes a devilish grin, and knees Preston in the stomach. The blow to his stomach causes Preston to fall to his knees and get the wind knocked out of him. Hunched over, he coughs and tries to regain his breath. Samuel looks down at him and says," No one said you were guests! You are the prophecy!" "What do you want?' said Delphine. Samuel walks up to her. He grabs Delphine by the neck with his scarred left hand and lifts her off her feet. Looking into her deep blue eyes, he maniacally stares. " You will show me some respect, woman! I sparred your life and the lives of your friends!" said Samuel. "Delphine fights for air and to get free of Samuel's death grip. Jack knows that, like himself, Delphine cannot die. But if it's one thing that Jack has always hated, it is men who abuse women." Let her go, you walking piece of shit!" exclaims Jack. Samuel throws Delphine to the ground and says as he turns his attention to Jack," How noble! Much like the last one you had!" A confused look comes over the face of Jack. What exactly is Samuel talking about? Delphine coughing herself, looks up at Jack with a look of embarrassment. "Oh, she never told you? Well, I will! Eve and I have met once before. She was with a man who I believed was named Travis? We had been watching Eve for a while and knew about her gifts. We thought that Travis was you. Long story short, we had the trapped, and Travis being all noble, sacrificed himself for Eve's life. And we cooked and ate him later that evening!" said Samuel. With tears in her eyes, Delphine yells," You are all sick fucks!" "She is speechless! It is a first that you don't have a witty comeback!" said Samuel. "What do you want with us then?" said Jack. "That is simple! I want immortality and the chance to spread my word!" Jack's face fills with confusion, and he blankly stares at Samuel. "I can see you are confused! Let me tell you a story!" said Samuel as starts to walk towards his throne. Samuel stops, turns around, and says, "But first this!" Samuel strikes Jack with a hard right cross that knocks him to the ground with his friends. "There, now it is even! I have you all on your knees!" Samuel walks toward his throne, sits down, and says," Now where do I begin?... Oh, I know where!"

The doors of the lightspeed train open up, and out steps Agent Regina and Virginia Sexsmith. On the platform to greet them is Mr.Pervus and Pops. Their collective mouths drop in awe at the site of Virginia's curves in the tight tan dress she is wearing. As Agent Regina and Virginia walk along the platform to Pops and Mr.Pervus, the CBC agents they pass all have the same reaction. Virginia lowers her sunglasses and gives the agents a seductive wink. Agent Regina notices this and whispers," What are you doing?"  Virginia leans into Agent Regina to give off the impression that they are in love and quietly says into his ear," It's psychological warfare, you fucking idiot! Just watch and learn!" Agent Regina gives a fake chuckle and quietly speaking into Virginia's ear," Blow me, you whore! If you want to see how it's done? Watch and learn!" Virginia notices that they are approaching Pops and Mr.Pervus. She presses her firm, curvaceous body against Agent Regina and whispers to him," Even if I could find it! I wouldn't do it! Or maybe I will bite it off and do you a favor of not having to suffer the embarrassment of having such a small dick!"

Mr.Pervus extends his hand to welcome Virginia. "Hello! Welcome to Toronto! I am Mr.Pervus," said Mr.Pervus. Virginia lightly grasps Mr. Pervus' outstretched hand and says," It's nice to meet you too! I'm Virginia, but I am sure you probably knew that? It is nice to meet you too!" Mr.Pervus lets out a hearty laugh and says," Yes, I did! But I did not want to make it too obvious!" Virginia, Agent Regina, and Mr.Pervus all start to laugh. Pops lets out a boisterous laugh that echoes throughout the platform. With all four feigning interest in this first meeting. Pops suddenly stops laughing like a car braking at a red light and says with a serious face," Seriously, we did know that you are coming! And on a different note, Vagina! How could you let someone who is not a CBC agent on this train? No one outside of the agency is supposed to know about it, and our agency? Well, other than other government agencies and officials." Agent Regina places his hand on Pops muscular shoulder and says," Wow, Pops! Have you been working out?" "Don't change the subject!" said Pops. "I'm not! I am only complimenting you!" said Agent Regina. " Yes, I have, as a matter of fact! Now please remove your hand from my shoulder!" said Pops. "Wow! Someone is quite testy!" said Agent Regina. "Yeah, well, no offense Miss. Sexsmith, but I don't know where his hands have been?" said Pops. "Haha! Isaac told me that you were a barrel of laughs, but he didn't tell me that you were quite so handsome!" said Virginia. Pops had been studying Virginia's body language, and one of his best talents has been being able to know a phony when he meets one. And he knows for sure that Virginia is one of those! Is she worse than his two-faced partner? Only time will tell, he thinks to himself, and with a phony demeanor of his own says," Well, thank you! It doesn't take much with old Vagina here to compare to!" Everyone laughs, including Agent Regina. Pops knows for sure that something is amiss. That these two are up to something! "No, Pops, I actually work in the Vegas department of the CBC. But I am originally from Calgary, Alberta," said Virginia. " Oh, redneck country! Or, as I call it, Canada's version of the deep south, complete with tons of racism! But then again, that is most of western Canada to a tee! So, how did you two meet?" asks Pops. Virginia is stunned by Pops' bluntness. It is the first time she had ever been taken back by someone's words. She tries hard not to snap back in anger and thinks to herself, that she can play this game too! "Yes, I have to agree on how you put that Pops! That is why I moved away from there!" said Virginia. Very well played, Pops thinks. "You didn't answer me! How did you two meet?" said Pops. " Well, Isaac and I knew each other as kids and lost touch after his family moved away. And when he checked in at the Nevada station, I instantly recognized him and was surprised that he was a CBC agent as well!" said Virginia. " So I asked her out for later that evening, and we spent most of our time together. It was then I knew that this was fate, and two days ago, we were married!" said Agent Regina. Pops and Mr.Pervus stand there stunned as Virginia flashes the large diamond ring. Pops fights with every ounce of his being. The urge to call him a liar and expose him right there and then for his dual identity and for killing Karen. But he needs to follow the plan. And he now needs to find out who Virginia is? "Congratulations! That is a beautiful ring!" said Mr.Pervus. "Yes, it sure is! Congrats, Vagina!" said Pops. "You two must be tired from your journey? Why don't you go up to the bridal suite, and we can get better acquainted later!" said Mr.Pervus. "Thank you! We are tired!" said Virginia. Agent Regina and Virginia grab their luggage and head towards the elevator as Pops and Mr.Pervus wave at them. "See you later!" says Pops. The elevator door closes, and Pops turns to Mr.Pervus and says," I think I am going to puke!" "Me too, Pops! Me too!" said Mr.Pervus. "We need to find out more about her!" said Pops. "I agree!" said Mr.Pervus.

Agent Regina, aka Tendersnatch, presses the button the elevator floor button. "Did you think they bought it?" said Tendersnatch. "No! I don't think they did! Especially Pops!  He is on to us! Especially you!" said Virginia. "I know that he is!" said Tendersnatch. " Since when?" asks Virginia. "Since I killed his mother, and then he confirmed it when he saw me do it!" said Tendersnatch. "I don't get it? He suspected you after you killed his mother and then saw you do it?" asks Virginia. " The time machine! He got it going and came back in hopes of stopping it but instead failed. That is when Pops saw me killing Karen and also saw me with Harold!" said Tendersnatch. Virginia shakes her head in disbelief. " No wonder Harold had me help you! Well, at least he didn't get any photo evidence?" said Virginia. An uncomfortable silence fills the elevator. Tendersnatch bites his lower lip and says," Yeah, you see!" Virginia rolls her eyes and says," Oh, my god! He got photos of the two of you! Men! Guess we have to find those too!" "They can only be in one place!" said Tendersnatch. "And where is that?" asks Virginia. "In Pervus' office, of course!" said Tendersnatch. "Great! Not only do we have Pervus and that little shit Pops on our scent! But we have to find those pictures. And still, find a way to ruin the unveiling of the new Canadian flag! Piece of cake!" said Virginia. The elevator door opens directly in the bridal suite, and Tendersnatch says," After you!" Virginia exits the elevator, closely followed by Tendersnatch.

Pops and Mr.Pervus exit the elevator and step into the confines of Mr.Pervus' grand office. They are greeted by the face, Miss. Sutherland, standing by Mr.Pervus' desk. "Well, hello, Miss. Sutherland! What brings you in here?" asks Mr.Pervus. Miss. Sutherland says nothing. She only points to the large picture window. Mr.Pervus looks and sees a figure standing in his perch. He can't quite make out who it is, and he must refocus his eyes. "It's good to see you again! Bet you thought that you wouldn't see me again?" said Agent Banning. It had been quite some time since Agent Banning was expelled for being a double agent. A look of shock comes over the collective faces of Pps and Mr.Pervus. Pops breaks the silence and exclaims," What the fuck? How did you get out of prison? Better yet, how did you get in here?" Mike Banning only laughs and replies," I see you haven't lost your charm Pops or grown any hair!" Pops starts to lunge at Mike Banning when the sound of the office door opens, and Prime Minister Pearson enters, followed by his security detail and Mr.Fratner. "I see you have met Mr.Banning!" said Prime Minister Pearson. "Yes, we are old friends, actually, and we were getting reacquainted!" said Mike Banning. "Old friends, my ass! Bastard here is not my friend! He took money from the Russians and tried to weaken our position in the world. And he tried to get me fired!" exclaims Pops. "Yes, I know! But, he has served his time!" said Prime Minister Pearson. "Yes, I am fully rehabilitated! I am sorry, Pops, for what I did! I acted out of anger and would really like your forgiveness!" said Mike Banning as he extends his hand in friendship. Pops gives Mike a cold stare that could cut glass. "There is no fucking way I am shaking your hand!" said Pops. "Oh, come on, Pops! I know you don't trust me and have every right not to trust me! If I was in your shoes would feel the same. But can't you find it in your heart to forgive me?" Pops thinks about Mike Bannings' words for a brief second and says," NO! Wait! HELL NO! There is no way I am shaking hands as nothing happened! What do you expect from it? Your job back?" No! Just your forgiveness! I have a new job already," said Mike Banning. "Where the garbage dump? Because that is where you belong!" said Pops. "No, Pops! He is working for my office assisting Mr.Fratner here. He and Mr.Fratner are old friends, and when Mr.Fratner told me about Mr. Banning's situation, I decided to give him a second chance. And you should too!" said the Prime Minister. Pops shakes his head in disbelief. He knows that he has to do this as much as he hates having to. Pops sticks out his hand and shakes Mike Bannings' hand. " Sorry for what I did!" said Mike Banning. Pops grins and whispers," And I'm sorry too! Sorry for not pissing in your face instead of on your pant leg!" The two mens' grip tightens as they shake the hands of each other. " There, doesn't that feel better?" said Prime Minister Pearson. "Yes, it does!" said Pops with a phony smile. "Good! Because he is going to be working closely with you all on the flag day security," said the Prime Minister. Mr.Fratner points at the time on his watch to Prime Minister Pearson. "I'm sorry, gentlemen! We have to get going. I have an important meeting. Sorry to lay this all on you in such a hurry! But I needed to clear any bad blood there might be between Pops and Mike. Come on, Mike," said Prime Minister Pearson. "Bye, Pops! It will be so nice getting to work with you again!" said Mike Banning in a slightly sarcastic tone. The Prime Minister and his entourage leave the room. Mike Banning being the last to exit, flashes a devilish smile at both Pops and Mr.Pervus as he closes the office door behind him.

"Oh great! The universe has to keep adding more assholes in our path!" exclaims Pops. "You can say that again!" said Mr.Pervus. "Did you know about this?" asks Pops. "If I did! I would have told you! It is much as a surprise to me as it is you!" said Mr.Pervus. Pops walks over to the leather armchairs and falls back into one of them. Mr.Pervus walks over to his large, tinted picture window. He stands with his back to Pops, looking out the movie screen-sized window, and says," I don't know what kind of game is being played here, but I think you and I better be prepared for anything!" Leaning forward, in his chair, Pops said," I agree! All of these things smell of Harold!" "Do you think they saw you in the past?" said Mr.Pervus. "I am sure of it!" "Then we better take steps to protect the time machine. Maybe hide it in a secure location that no one knows about!" said Mr.Pervus. " I agree, and I know the perfect place for that!" said Pops. "Where?" asks Mr.Pervus. "The last place on earth anyone would ever think of going!" said Pops. "Good! You handle it! Move it, and don't tell anyone where you hid it. Especially me!" said Mr.Pervus. "Okay! You got it!" said Pops. "I don't know about you, Pops? But I have a strange feeling that something is going to happen tomorrow!" said Mr.Pervus. "Me too! The question is, who is going to do it?" said Pops.

Tendersnatch walks out of the opulent bathroom that, with its large jacuzzi tub, gold and marble fixtures is fit for royalty. He walks through the large sitting room that would give Buckingham Palace a run for its money. He steps into the large master bedroom with a four-post kingsized bed and gold silk sheets. Looking around the room, Tendersnatch searches for his luggage, but it is nowhere to be found. He wonders if he even brought it in the master bedroom? No, he is sure that he did! In fact, he had put his suitcase on the bed. Virginia, working diligently on placing her long blond hair in a ponytail. Watches Tendersnatch this while seated at the makeup table. She stands up and says," Did you forget something?" "Yeah! I could have sworn that I placed my luggage here!" says Tendersnatch while pointing at the bed. " I moved it!' said Virginia. "You moved it?" asks Tendersnatch. "Why would you do that?" asks Tendersnatch. " Because I get the bedroom! You can sleep on the couch in the sitting room! I already put your luggage in there!" said Virginia. Tendersnatch turns around and sees his luggage in the sitting room by the couch. "Once again, why would you do that? What if Pops or Mr.Pervus came up here or anyone else from the agency? We are supposed to be married!" said Tendersnatch. Virginia walks up to Tendersnatch, knees him in the groin, and then digs the tip of her high heel shoes into his chest. With a psychotic look in her eyes, Virginia glares down at Tendersnatch and says," Let us get this straight! I find you disgusting and repulsive! I would never let that cocktail weenie between your legs near me!" Tendersnatch grows more and more turned on by this show of force by Virginia." Do you understand me?" asks Virginia as she digs her heel into Tendersnatch's chest even harder. Tendersnatch, sporting a full throbbing erection in his pants, starts to moan in ecstasy. Virginia sees this and can't help but be aroused. With every turn of her heal into Tendersnatch's chest, she orgasms more and more. "YES! YES! YES! You like that, don't you, you sick fuck!" exclaims Virginia. "Oh yes! Keep dig that heel in deeper!... DIG IT BITCH!" exclaims Tendersnatch. The sounds of this sick and twisted form of sexual arousal echoes throughout the hotel room. To anyone in other rooms, they might mistake the noises as normal, intense sex. But it's anything but that! After about five minutes of this, Tendersnatch's erection explodes like Mt.Vesuvius. Virginia not to be outdone orgasms so hard that she drenches Tendersnatch. She removes her heel from Teendersnatch's chest, and as he stands wiping the vaginal juices from his face, says," Don't expect that again! Now, go and clean yourself up! We have a flag day to ruin!" Tendersnatch starts to walk toward the bathroom. He stops, turns, and slaps Virginia across the face. She lifts her head up, wipes the blood from her lip, licks it off her fingers, and returns the favor to Tendersnatch, knocking him back to the ground. He lifts himself to a seated position, and Virginia says as she walks to the ensuite bathroom," Now get out of here! I'm done with you!" Tendersnatch stands up and says as he walks out of the room," What a woman!"

Mr.Pervus presses the button to the intercom on his desktop. " Miss.Sutherland! Can you please get Mr.Palawko up here?" said Mr.Pervus."Yes, sir! Would you like Mr.Wilcox as well?" said Miss. Sutherland. "No! Just Mr.Palawko, please!" said Mr. Pervus. "I will get right on it, Mr.Pervus!" said Miss. Sutherland. Mr.Pervus opens the file on his desk and starts to flip through it. The file he is reading is one of two that are of great importance. The one he is reading is the one on security for tomorrow's flag day security. The other is Virginia Sexsmith. Mr.Pervus opens up the file on Virginia and looks back and forth, studying both files simultaneously. His studying is interrupted by the opening of the elevator in his office. Mr.Pervus looks up from his work and turns his large, brown leather office chair to greet the chiseled face of Frank Palawko. "Greetings, Mr.Palawko!" said Mr.Pervus. "Hello to you as well, Mr.Pervus," said Frank Palawko. Frank takes a couple of steps toward the armchairs at the front of Mr.Pervus' desk but, Mr.Pervus stops him' hand held up like a stop sign. "No need to be seated, Mr.Palawko! This will only take a second!" said Mr.Pervus. Frank feeling a bit nervous, shuffles his feet as Mr.Pervus pauses in silence while closing the files on the desk. " I need you to do something?' said Mr.Pervus. "What is it, sir?" asks Frank. "I need you to follow Agent Regina's new wife around and report back to me and only me!" said Mr.Pervus. "Okay! Is there anything else?" said Frank. "No, just that! Be careful not to be seen!" said Mr.Pervus. Frank knows better not to question this request by Mr.Pervus. But one thought can't help but cross his mind! Why would Mr.Pervus ask him to shadow someone? And why would it be Agent Regina's new wife? He does know one thing, and that is that this must be a serious matter. Frank turns to step back into the elevator but pauses. He turns back around and says," Can I ask why, sir?" Mr.Pervus leans back in his office chair, his hands placed in prayer formation, said," What I am about to tell you! Only a handful of people know about it! Agent Regina's new wife, I believe, isn't who she says she is!" said Mr.Pervus. "And who would you think she is?" Frank. " She is Virginia Sexsmith! Deadly assassin and chameleon! She makes Tendersnatch look like a choirboy! She is seductive and deadly, so be careful!" said Mr.Pervus. " Wow! Does Agent Regina know?" said Frank. " Agent Regina, I imagine, does know! Because he is Tendersnatch!" said Mr.Pervus. Frank Palawko's face turns as white as a ghost, and a lump fills his throat. He can't believe what he is hearing! Agent Regina has been around for a while now, and if he really is Tendersnatch and his wife is Virginia Sexsmith? Then the whole CBC is in trouble! " Are you serious?" said Frank. "Deadly serious! As serious as a priest! I know that you have tons of questions, Frank! But I don't have time to explain it all to you! All I can tell you is that there aren't very many agents I can trust, and Pops is overworked. He is looking after his show, Project Slingshot, and the security for the new Canadian Flag unveiling tomorrow.   " said Mr.Pervus. " I got it, sir! You can count on me!" said Frank as he steps back into the elevator. The doors close, and Mr.Pervus returns his attention to the files. He leans back in his chair as he looks over Virginia Sexsmith's file and says," Dear, God help us!"

A shallow rapid knock, echoes throughout the bridal suite. Tendersnatch, having just finished cleaning himself up and changing his clothes, zips up his pants. He walks towards the door to the hotel suite, a look of annoyance on his face. Tendersnatch rips open the door. Standing before him is the weaselly face, of Mr.Fratner. And standing right beside him is Mike Banning. Tendersnatch extends both of his arms. He grabs ahold of the shirt collars of the two men and yanks them in the room. He slams the door shut with his right foot. Tendersnatch pins Banning and Fratner up against the wall and exclaims," What in the fuck are you two doing here? Are you trying to screw up this mission entirely?" Virginia steps out of the bedroom. Her curvaceous petite frame tightly flaunted in her little red dress. "What is going on here?" said Virginia. "Oh, not much! These two morons are about to jeopardize the whole mission!" said Tendersnatch. Mr.Fratner tries to say something, but the Tendersnatch's grip has moved from the two men's chests to their throats, cutting off their air supply. Virginia walks up to them. She looks at the fear in their eyes and the blue color that their faces are turning. A sense of arousal builds in her. She moves her face close into Fratner's and licks the right side of his face. She then walks over to Banning and does the same to his left cheek. "Why Tendersnatch! You do seem to know how to please a girl! But as much fun and pleasurable as it would be to hurt these two limp dicks. We do need them!... For the time being, anyway," said Virginia. "I wasn't going to kill them! I just wanted to know why they were here?" said Tendersnatch. "Well, they can't hear you with you choking them genius!" said Virginia. Tendersnatch nods his head and lets Banning and Fratner go. Fresh air fills their lungs, and the color starts to return to their face." Thanks!" said Mike Banning. "Yes, thank you! Sorry to come here!" said Mr.Fratner. "Consider it a gift! Now can you tell me why you came here stupid?" said Tendersnatch. " I wanted to tell you that Pops and Mr.Pervus are on to you two!" said Mr.Fratner. "No shit, sherlock! Tell us something we don't know!" exclaims Tendersnatch. " You know?" asks Mike Banning. "Yes, we do! And if they see you up here, then they will know that you two are with us as well!" said Tendersnatch. " Too late! I think they know! Well, maybe about me! But Mike, they still might be on the fence about," said Mr.Fratner. Tendersnatch walks up to Fratner, grabs him by the left ear, and starts to lift him off the ground. "They might! And how might they suspect that?" said Tendersnatch. "The Prime Minister introduced him as my assistant and old friend today!" said Mr.Fratner with a scared, stuttered voice. "Well, you better fix that!" exclaims Tendersnatch as he lifts Fratner off the ground another inch by his left ear. Virginia watching all of this starts to breathe deeply and moan silently in ecstasy. Mike Banning notices this and realizes that he has either entered the twilight zone or a house of BDSM. Mike realizes that he must defuse the situation, and he says, "If I may Tendersnatch? We meant no disrespect. Mr.Fratner here was concerned and felt you should know! Being a former agent myself, I made sure that we were not seen. And as for my status, I can assure you that after tomorrow's flag day ceremony. There will be no doubts that I am on their side. Tendersnatch drops Fratner to the floor. Fratner stands and rubs his ear to get feeling back in it. Tendersnatch walks up to Mike Banning, gives him an intense cold stare, and says," We'll see! If not, you will find out that I am not so tender! Got it?" Mike Banning does not break his gaze at Tendersnatch eyes and says," Got it! We will leave you alone, so no one sees us!" "Yes! Do that!" said Tendersnatch. Virginia opens the door and Banning, and Fratner walks toward it. "And gentlemen, there better not be any slip-ups or one of you will suffer the consequences!" said Tendersnatch. "There won't!" said Mr.Fratner. Virginia blows the two men a kiss and slams the door. Tendersnatch, all annoyed, walks back into the living room. Virginia watches him walk away and says to herself," Now there is the Tendersnatch I heard of! I think I have to change again!"

Thousands of people wait in anticipation on Parliament Hill for the unveiling of the new Canadian flag. There are families, teenagers, young couples, elderly couples, and individual people of all ages and races. Surrounding the stage, soldiers from the Candian military. They stand there holding their FN C1's in their hands. A deterrent for anyone who might try to harm the Prime Minister. A band plays on stage to entertain the crowd on this relatively warm February day in Ottawa. Pops walks up to one of the soldiers and says," Be on the lookout!" The twenty-something male soldier with a crewcut only nods his head in agreement. Pops makes his way to the stage to et a better look at the large crowd. If Harold and his cronies are going to try and ruin this day. Then he needs to get a good vantage point. Never in his life has Pops been so nervous. All Pops can see are crowds of people. It is going to be hard to see anyone coming. Pops pulls out his walkie-talkie and says," Wilcox! Is that shield ready?" What Pops is referring to is the invisible energy shield. Once the Prime Minister steps on the stage. This new device that Orvan was working on will be activated. "It sure is young dude! All that you need to do is press the button on your watch, and presto! Force field on, man!" said Orvan Wilcox. "Thanks, Wilcox! And do me a favor?" said Pops. "What is it, man?" asks Orvan Wilcox. "If you are going to smoke weed, then do it after work!" said Pops. "Haha, far out, man!" said Orvan. "Fucking hippies!" said Pops. The band stops playing suddenly, and there is a brief pause for half a minute. They return with a tune that is familiar to all of the crowd. That song being O'Canada. It is the signal that the Prime Minister is on his way. Pops turns to go to his seat on the stage and sees Agent Regina, aka Tendersnatch, and his wife Virginia seated already. "Well, shit!" said Pops. Pops walks to his chair, sits down, and says," Nice, you could make it!" said Pops. "We wouldn't miss it for the world!" said Agent Regina. " Yes! I am so excited to be here! It is going to be one hell of a day!" said Virginia.

A group of CSIS agents surrounds Prime Minister Pearson as he makes his way to the stage. The crowd of people on Parliament Hill cheer as he climbs the steps and approaches the microphone. Behind him, on the stage. Mr.Pervus sits down beside Agent Regina, Virginia, and Pops. Other members of the Prime Ministers' cabinet sit down along with members of the opposition party. It is a day not for political disagreements but a time when all Canadians can unite to celebrate a momentous moment in history. Well, for everyone else but Pops and the CBC. They have to be on the lookout for Harold's organization's plan to ruin this. There is no idea what they will do. And after what happened in Dallas with Kennedy, he is not taking any risks. 

Prime Minister Pearson waves at the cheering crowd of thousands and says, "Hello everyone!" The crowd of people cheers, the noise is deafening. If a gunshot were to ring out, you would not hear it all. " I am so glad that you could be out here today! We are very fortunate to have such wonderful weather. February is not this nice, but I guess the good Lord has blessed us this day!" said Prime Minister Pearson. The crowd cheers even louder. You could swear that the ground trembled. Pops continues to look around for signs of an incoming threat. While Pops is observing the crowd, Virginia is watching Pops. The sadistic fake bridegroom known to Pops as Agent Regina, but who Pops suspects is Tendersnatch, keeps his attention on Mr.Pervus. Virginia leans over, making it look like she is whispering sweet nothings in Tendersnatches ear says," Okay, you small dicked premature ejaculator! It is almost time! But we need a clear shot!" said Virginia. Tendersnatch leans into Virginia's ear and whispers as she displays a fake girlish giggle," Hold on you, nasty ball-busting whore! We have one! The timing has to be perfect!" " I realize that we do, you human disease! We have one problem, though!" said Virginia. "What is it, queen of chlamydia? This plan is perfect! Remember, you are new here, and I run this operation!" said Tendersnatch. Virginia continues to giggle and smile as Tendersnatch whispers his condescending comments in her ear. Not to be outdone and being cut from the same cloth Virginia says," Your plan's success is about as big as your penis! Small and unfullfilling! That is why Harold sent me! He has grown impatient and wants his prize! Now, sit back and watch!" Virginia glares at the Prime Minister. She looks around the crowd, at Pops and the others on stage. Behind her and Tendersnatch, Mr.Fratner and Mike Banning are seated. She nods her head at Mike Banning and Mr.Fratner. She refocuses on the Prime Minister. " Ladies and Gentlemen, without further ado, I present to you all a new symbol of our beloved country. Our new flag!" said Prime Minister Pearson. The red and white of the maple leaf flag is unfurled and raised by two military servicemen as O'Canada plays. The crowd starts singing, as do those on stage who stand with their hand on their hearts. As the national anthem reaches the last line Virginia casually drops her handbag, it lands by Pops' chair. With the national anthem finished and the new flag raised, the Prime Minister says," Have a great day, everyone! God bless you! And God Bless Canada!" The Prime Minister starts to walk off stage, escorted by his security back into the House Of Commons. Pops breathes a sigh of relief as Prime Minister is safely in the doors of the Parliament building. The other members of the Canadian government slowly make their way off the stage. Pops notices the small handbag by his chair and picks it up. He hands the purse to Virginia, who lightly touches Pops' watch deactivating the shield. She does this with the skill of a professional pickpocket. Pops does not even notice or feel this! He is unaware that he and the others on the stage are now a target. "Thank you, Pops! You are such a gentleman!" Pops winks at her and replies," It was my pleasure!" 

Off in the distance, an unknown sniper sits. The sights of his rifle moving from person to person on stage. The crosshairs move from Pops to other members of parliament, Virginia and Tendersnatch, Mr.Fratner and Mike Banning. "Where are you?" says the unknown sniper in a low, raspy voice. He continues to move his sights and suddenly stops," There you are!" 

The crowd of people is slow to move off the stage. They are unaware that one of them has become a target. To their knowledge, they are protected by an invisible forcefield. No one is aware that Virginia has shut it off. The crowd slowly starts to disperse from Parliament hill but not before they get one more show this afternoon. A deadly show! Virginia turns and winks at Pops. Just then, five quick gunshots ring out in rapid succession. One of those strikes Virginia in the shoulder, knocking her to the ground. The second hit Pops in the right leg, sending him to the ground, as well. The third hits Agent Regina in the side, missing every major organ and the spine. All three wounds perfectly placed! Mr.Fratner and Mike Banning are both struck in their legs. The people in the crowd scatter like a herd of deer. Security leads the members of parliament off stage. CBC agents rush to get Mr.Pervus off the stage. Their efforts are fruitless as a sixth and fatal shot rings out, striking Mr.Pervus in the head exploding out the back of his skull. His body falls limp and down on the stage in a pool of blood and brain fragments. Pops lets out a scream," NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" People rush out screaming as the shooting stops. Agents of both the CSIS and CBC secure the stage as the wounded lie looking at the bloody corpse of Mr.Pervus. Pops crawls over, blood seeping out of his leg wound, and starts to cry. 

Pops lies in his hospital bed in the CBC's secret infirmary. His leg bandaged and treated with a speed healing sav. A parting gift from the alien friends that gifted them their technology and knowledge. Agent Regina and Virginia come into the room. Virginia, her arm in a sling, and Agent Regina in a wheelchair almost healed from his wounds. "Hey, Pops! How are you doing?" said Agent Regina. Pops sits there and says nothing. He only stares at the lime green walls. "Pops! Are you alright?" said Virginia. Pops still says nothing, it is because of two reasons. For the fourth time in his life, he has seen people he cares about killed right in front of his eyes. The trauma he is feeling has left him angry and wanting to find Harold even more and kill him. Pops knows that this is wrong. But he has been pushed to his breaking point. He wants to respond to Virginia and that chameleon Tendersnatch, or as everyone else knows him, Agent Regina. Pops very much wants to leap out of his hospital bed and choke the life out of them. But he can't! If they know that he knows who they are, then they would be expecting that. NO! Pops knows that he needs to bide his time and when their guard is down, and he has more evidence on them. He will strike! But first, he needs them to find Harold. Pops turns his head away from his gaze on the walls to Virginia and Agent Regina and says," Go! Leave me be!" This reaction is a slight shock to the dastardly duo. Inside they take a small pleasure at the misery and hurt they have caused. Virginia fearing that she might start to orgasm from the joy of Pops' hurt says," Okay! Isaac and I are going back to our hotel room. If you feel you want to, you are more than welcome to come up!" Pops turns his head to look at the green tile walls and says," Maybe!" "Okay!" says Virginia. She turns the wheelchair and pushes Agent Regina out of the room. 

Wilhelm Richard Wagner's Flight Of The Valkyries plays and fills the large, personal study of Harold. The room is a sea of mahogany oak shelves and walls. Even the large ten-foot double doors are mahogany oak. On the front of the double doors are golden door knockers in the shape of a dragon. The shelves in the study are filled with numerous books, all first editions. Some are in English, while the rest of the books vary from French, Spanish, Greek, Italian, Russian, Sandscript, Hebrew, Japanese, and so on! Harold has read every single one of these books. At the front of the room, there is a 200ft aquarium that contains two great white sharks, the only ones in captivity. In front of this massive aquarium are a circular end table and a red leather armchair. Harold sits in this chair smoking his Cuban cigar while watching his pet sharks devour some seals that he has put in the tank. He takes great pleasure in this sight, a sort of sick amusement that the insane and psychotic enjoy. As the music plays, the sharks attack the seals. Harold sits with a blank, emotionless stare. His sick and twisted moment of zen is interrupted by a knocking at his door. "Enter!" yells Harold over the music. Standing in the doorway is Harolds personal assistant and bodyguard, Christian. A tall man, measuring six-foot-five inches tall, weighing 210 pounds with not an ounce of fat with a muscular frame. Born somewhere in England, no one knows where for sure Christian's name did not match his personality. He may come off as refined and proper. But Christian is anything but that. A skilled fighter trained in several forms of martial arts, proficient in weapons from guns to knives. And trained in explosives, Christian is the last person one would want after them. But Harold does not use him for any missions unless he needs to! He would rather have Christian here watching his back. "Sir! I just heard from Miss. Sexsmith. The mission went as planned!" said Christian. Harold continues to observe the sharks in the blood-stained water swim around. He takes a puff of his large cigar and replies," Very good! It's all going as planned!" "Is there anything that you need, sir?"  asks Christian. " Yes, tell your cousin thank you for his fine work today at the ceremony! We couldn't have done it without his superior marksmanship!" said Harold. "Will do, sir! If there is nothing else, I am going to retire for the evening!" said Christian. " No, there isn't! You may go, Christian," said Harold. Christian bows and exits the room, shutting the massive doors behind him. Harold starts to laugh maniacally over the record player creating an eerie mashup with the classical music.

Virginia turns on the lights to the hotel suite as Tendersnatch climbs out of his wheelchair. She removes her arm from the sling and looks at the healed bullet wound. Virginia rubs her hand over the scar tissue. Tendersnatch stands behind her watching from the doorway to the bedroom. There is no sign of his injury either. The alien sav gel worked its magic. Two wounds that would have taken months to heal, are fully rejuvenated and back at full strength. All that remains is a small scar. "This shit is amazing!" said Virginia. " I know! I was amazed the first time I  used it!" said Tendersnatch." We really need to get our hands on it when we take control," said Virginia. " Yes, we do! In fact, Harold has plans for it! Along with all the other toys that the CBC has in its possession," said Tendersnatch. "Hmm! New toys! They could be fun!" said Virginia as she inches closer to Tendersnatch.  The thought of new toys for her to inflict her sadistic punishment on her adversaries, turns her on. As does the scar on Tendersnatch's right side. Soon Virginia is right up against Tendersnatch. Her firm breasts rubbing up against his body. She takes her hand and caresses the bullet wound scar on Tendersnatch's side. It is the first time she has not hit or punched him. And the first time that they seemed like normal people and not a couple of psychopaths. "I have one question?" said Tendersnatch. "What is it?" asks Virginia. " How come I was the one shot in the side?" said Tendersnatch. "Because I knew you could take the pain and would enjoy it!" said Virginia. She takes her thumb and presses deep into the scar tissue of the bullet wound. While it hurts him, it also turns Tendersnatch on. This twisted erotic moment is interrupted by knocking at the door. Virginia walks away to answer the door leaving Tendersnatch with an erection protruding like a flagpole in his pants. He follows her to the door, and as Virginia opens it, he sees the figure of Frank Palawko standing there. Frank steps into the room, and Virginia says," Welcome, Mr.P!" As Virginia closes the door behind him, Tendersnatch walks up to Frank and shakes his hand. " That was some great shooting! On behalf of Harold, I would like to thank you!" said Tendersnatch. "Thank you! Tell Harold it was my pleasure to serve him," said Frank. " I will pass that along! I know that he will be pleased that we are one step closer to victory!" said Tendersnatch. " As will I! You did a great job! The CBC had no clue that you were part of the Colony!" said Virginia. "No, they didn't! They trusted me so much that they had me shadow you! Fools!" said Frank. "And soon you will show us Project Slingshot!" said Virginia. Frank nods his head and starts laughing. Tendersnatch and Virginia start laughing as well. 

Pops sits in his bed, looking at a small handheld monitor, watching the events transpiring in the bridal suite. He shakes his head and says," Fucking Judas Iscariot! Laugh now! While you can!"

Samuel stops his story leaving Jack, Preston, and Delphine with a cliffhanger. There is complete silence in the room as no Citizen will dare speak until Samuel does. That is everyone except the trio of Jack, Delphine, and Preston. " That was a pretty good story! Lacked some humor, and your storytelling needs some work! But it was entertaining!" said Jack. "Oh, I'm so sorry that I can't be a master storyteller like you, Jack!" said Samuel. Jack looks surprised that Samuel knew this detail about him. No one knew this but Delphine and Graham. "You look surprised!" said Samuel. "You could say that! How do you know that about me?" said Jack. " Oh, I know a lot! The Lord speaks to me, and I know about you and all about your friends. "You're psychic then?" asks Jack. "He's not psychic! Just psycho!" said Delphine. Samuel walks up to Delphine, grabs her by the hair pulling her head back so that she can look up at him. " You will show me some respect, woman! After all, you and Adam here are the world's salvation!" said Samuel. "What the fuck do you mean?" said Delphine. "Yeah, you said that before! What do you mean?" said Preston. Samuel lets go of Delphine, walks back up to his throne, sits, and says," Through you two, I shall live a thousand years and spread my word through the ages!" "You are one delusional psychopath!" said Jack. "No, I am a man! A man with a vision! The chosen one!" said, Samuel. Jack starts to laugh at Samuel, mocking his arrogance. Delphine looks at Jack with an annoyed glare and says," Stop it! Don't aggravate him!" Samuel stands up stares at Jack with great anger. "You don't know who you are messing with, Jack!" said Samuel. "Is it a small dick lunatic with a God complex? So you know things about us! You could have found those out through old history books,"  said Jack. Samuel walks up to Jack, grabs him by the throat, and lifts Jack, his feet not touching the ground. Samuel looks into Jack's eyes and stares. Jack struggles for air and to get a word out. "I'm sorry, what did you say? You little pion! If I didn't need you, then I would kill you right here! But, I won't! And soon you will see who I am!" said Samuel. Samuel drops Jack to the ground with a resounding thud and walks back up the steps to his throne. He stops and shoots Jack an evil glare looking at Jack on his hands and knees, coughing. The perfect place he should thinks Samuel. Jack looks up, still coughing, and says," Don't keep us in suspense! Who are you then?" Samuel lifts his shirt, revealing a bullet scar on his right side. Jack, Delphine, and Preston look on in disbelief! "How? It can't be?" said Delphine. Samuel only smiles, pulls his shirt back down, and sits down in his chair laughing maniacally.

Axel watches on as Emil starts to choose which one of the soldiers he is eating next. Greg has left the room because he cannot stand the sight of it. He stood there and saw Emil eat three people and makes his way toward the front entrance of the Bessborough. "Where are you going?" asks Axel, aka The Silver Serpent. " I am going outside! I cannot stand to watch Emil eat! It's disgusting!" said Greg. "Don't knock it until you try it pussy!" said Emil. "Whatever! Tell me when he's finished!" said Greg. "What's wrong?" said The Silver Serpent. Greg stops turns around, and says," We are supposed to be looking for those others, the journals and that time machine! But instead, we are here letting Emil have playtime!" said Greg. Emil walks up to Greg, flashing his razor-sharp teeth in an attempt to intimidate Greg. Greg is not scared! Maybe a little creeped out, but not frightened. " How about I make it easy and eat you!" said Emil. " How about you fuck off!" said Greg. The Silver Serpent comes to break this confrontation up. He still needs both of them. They are too valuable of an asset. "How about you two cool off! It is no time for arguing!" said the Silver Serpent. "He started it!" said Emil. "I don't care! Greg is right! We are wasting time! Go over there and pick a snack!" said the Silver Serpent. Emil turns to walk away when the bright glowing figure of the White Dragon appears and says," And I can help you with that!" 

Graham wanders up and down the long corridor. He heads into each one of the eight movie theaters hoping to catch sight of the ghostly figure again. He wonders what it wants? Is there something that it wants to tell him? Graham stops as he again hears the sound of a movie playing in theatre six. Graham opens the door and again sees' the film A Matter Of time playing. He looks around and sees no one in there. "Is there someone in here?" yells Graham. There is no answer, only the sound of the movie on the screen. "Come on! Don't play games! Show yourself and tell me what you want!" yells Graham. The movie screen goes dark, and a deep familiar voice says," Right behind you, son!" Graham turns around to see the face of his father, Pops Brilliant. Hannah, having again followed Graham, also sees the ghostly figure of Pops. The two of them stand there in shock, not saying a thing.