Rejection...

I got my rejection letter from the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. They didn't like it. Back to the drawing board.
Peace,
R

Onward!: Chapter 2 - Part 7

Macon landed the small vehicle and popped the restraint harnesses release button on the center of his chest. Three Operators walked up to Macon and Deacon. They were wearing the Mark 9 full body armor suits. They were sleek, a deep navy blue that almost looked purple, and armed with wrist guns. Each suit was outfitted with two types of ammunition, armor piercing rounds and the Hellfire Rounds used to bring down large star ships. The tallest of the three Operators came up to the two men and took his helmet off.
Macon, Deacon, we're glad you're here. It seems that the MTF lost two of the most notorious multiverse criminals ever," the Operator said.
"Evoy De Groot and Kyuzo Gyllipus, right?" said Macon. He clamped his helmet to the hip of his suit.
"Yes sir," the Operator answered. "Handler Graves is waiting inside sir, he wanted to talk to you both once you arrived," said the Operator.
"Let's not keep the man waiting then," Macon said. He walked into the station and followed the three Operators down the steps to the Metro RedLine Rail.
Handler Graves was a large man with a head of white hair he kept almost completely bald. There were scars on his left cheek and a scar that ran down his right eyebrow into a curve to meet with his lip. When the light hit him at an odd angle it looked as if he had a large C-shape on his face. Every Operator was afraid of him except two, Macon Dean and Deacon Smith. They were his best students and now two of the best Operators the company had, especially after Deacon's heroic exploits in the Drighton Spaceport.
"Where have the two of you been? Gyllipus and De Groot have been time hopping for over three days and we finally got a tip from Jonathan Daizen at the Multiverse Task Force that they were coming here armed to the teeth and ready to wage war for one man," Graves said.
"What one man could they possibly want?" Deacon said. He looked at Graves then at Macon.
"Jeremy Crane," was all Macon said.


Previously on Onward!...
Deacon and Macon moved into the armory and found two suits of body armor. These were the standard Operator suits instead of the bulky full-body suit that Deacon had worn in the Drighton Spaceport debacle. Macon keyed the lock on a circular door that opened into a room with two white circles painted on the steel floor. Macon stood on one circle and Deacon on the other.
"Bay 12," Macon said.
They were standing in the hangar of the precinct with a small patrol speeder. The driver's seat was on the left hand side of the vehicle while the passenger's seat held an autocannon directly in front of the passenger's side. Deacon shook his head. Macon looked at him before buckling himself into the speeder.
"You okay? You look pale," Macon said.
"I'll be okay. Just a bit light headed is all. Still have a concussion from that Neekreshi warrior two days ago," said Smith. He strapped himself in and keyed the autocannon on.
"You'll be okay once we start the fighting," said Macon.
"There's gonna be fighting?" said Deacon.
The speeder was out of the landing and shooting over the City. They left the 7th Operator Precinct and flew over the sprawling metropolis that had once been Los Angeles. The ancient Metro Tower still stood overlooking the East Portal of Union Station but the City had built upwards and the building was now standing in the shadows of structures five times its height. Geodesic domes, tiered and cylindrical habitats were now surrounding the old tower. And air traffic was almost as bad as ground traffic. Macon swerved to avoid a waste removal carrier and dove below the heavy lines of speeders and hover cars that were trying to get back to the heart of DownTown. Macon began landing the speeder on the Patsaouras Plaza where several other Operator vehicles were already waiting.

Notes 2...

Had a dream last night that involved the following:

• Twin brothers that don't feel each other's pain
• floor camouflage that leaves you completely invisible in a room
• car chase with friends
  
• lots and lots of sharp weapons
• death of a twin by sharp screw stab through spinal column at base of the neck.

go back to work now drones...
-R-

Notes for me...

Pay no attention, these are for me.

• Clone soldiers
• sarcophagi
• floating platform
• colossi
• ruins
• Circular portal

You may now resume your adoration of me.
that is all.
R

Finally!!!

I Finally passed the damned CSET. I got my unofficial scores about twenty minutes ago and then called my academic counselor for the next steps.
Peace Ya'll
Rene

Onward! Chapter 1 update...

Yes, yesterday I mailed off the completed, proofread and corrected manuscript to the magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Peace!

Something Wicked...

Macon turned a full three hundred and sixty degrees in the middle of the street. He was surrounded. Markus snapped his fingers again and the shadows presented themselves. They were now in human form and still both man and woman were easily a full head taller than Macon. Beads of perspiration broke out on his forehead and his throat went dry.
"Boss, from the looks of y'all, you don't need my help," Macon said. He shifted his eyes away from the tall woman beside him and looked at Markus.
"That is where you are wrong my friend. The Urahman Clan and the Murad Clan are hunting us Mr. Dean. You are the one who is to lead us to the Promised Land. Your name, does it not mean "chief of ten?" said Markus. He lifted his enormous right hand, palm up towards his followers.
Macon looked at them and counted. Including Markus, there were only ten of the hybrids.
"Crap," said Macon. "This is some kind of joke right? I mean, there are more of you waiting somewhere else aren't there?"
"No Mr. Dean. We are the last of our kind. That is why we must go to the empty world and live peacefully. The Urahman Clan were despotic vampire rulers that gave birth to us and the Murad Clan wanted us wiped out. They said we were abominations, that wolf blood should never be mixed with the blood of the enemy. Most of us never made it out of their compound in the Caucasus," Markus said. He retracted his canines and smiled more humanly.
"Fine, but we need to leave immediately. I just need to make one call," Macon said. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed 1 on the keypad.
"Sid, yeah, Macon here, look, I got a situation here in L.A., get Jack on the horn, and we're gonna need a door opened to an empty earth. I got refugees. Thanks," Macon said.
"So, who's buyin' me my last beer of the night?" Macon said.
Markus smiled and clapped his hands.

Onward!: Chapter 2 - Part 6

Deacon and Macon moved into the armory and found two suits of body armor. These were the standard Operator suits instead of the bulky full-body suit that Deacon had worn in the Drighton Spaceport debacle. Macon keyed the lock on a circular door that opened into a room with two white circles painted on the steel floor. Macon stood on one circle and Deacon on the other.
"Bay 12," Macon said.
They were standing in the hangar of the precinct with a small patrol speeder. The driver's seat was on the left hand side of the vehicle while the passenger's seat held an autocannon directly in front of the passenger's side. Deacon shook his head. Macon looked at him before buckling himself into the speeder.
"You okay? You look pale," Macon said.
"I'll be okay. Just a bit light headed is all. Still have a concussion from that Neekreshi warrior two days ago," said Smith. He strapped himself in and keyed the autocannon on.
"You'll be okay once we start the fighting," said Macon.
"There's gonna be fighting?" said Deacon.
The speeder was out of the landing and shooting over the City. They left the 7th Operator Precinct and flew over the sprawling metropolis that had once been Los Angeles. The ancient Metro Tower still stood overlooking the East Portal of Union Station but the City had built upwards and the building was now standing in the shadows of structures five times its height. Geodesic domes, tiered and cylindrical habitats were now surrounding the old tower. And air traffic was almost as bad as ground traffic. Macon swerved to avoid a waste removal carrier and dove below the heavy lines of speeders and hover cars that were trying to get back to the heart of DownTown. Macon began landing the speeder on the Patsaouras Plaza where several other Operator vehicles were already waiting.

Previously on Onward!...
Dwight sat back in the chair and rubbed his face with his hands. He didn't know what else to do once he shut off the live-feed. The small black orb sat on the table; its interior also black like its sleek exterior.
"So that was it huh? The whole reason for the spaceport attack?" Dwight said.
Deacon Smith nodded his head. He had been sitting in the corner watching the vid-feed again with his arms folded. He unfolded his arms and moved slowly towards Dwight's chair.
"You can go now Dwight. You just sent a judge where he needs to be," Smith said. He smiled, slapped Dwight on the shoulder and moved out of the conference room.
Dwight Anders was alone with the disc. He looked at its metallic surface and then picked it up and shoved it into his pocket. He grabbed the orb and placed that in his interior jacket pocket of the black linen suit he wore. Macon Dean walked towards him and held out his hand.
Dwight reached into his pocket and gave him the disc.
"Smith left it in there. You can't let that thing out of here. Not now, anyway. The feed was live and..."
"And you finally did something for the good of the people you're always saying you need to protect," Macon said. His one eye locked onto Dwight's face.
"Then why do I feel crappy?" said Dwight. He patted Macon on the shoulder and brushed passed him towards the elevator.
"You did what needed to be done Dwight, there's no shame in that," Macon yelled as the doors closed behind Dwight.
Smith came up behind Macon and sighed. Macon didn't turn around.
"You think he'll be okay?" Smith said.
"He's seen worse, hell, he's been through worse, I should know," Macon said.
"What do you mean?" said Smith. He scratched his head.
"How the hell do you think I got this, boy?" said Macon. He softly patted the heavy black eyepatch.
"Funny, always thought you got that during the Sterling Riots," Smith said.
"No, mine was done way longer than that. I know you got your fancy eyes from that event though, didn't you?" said Macon. He laughed.
"Yeah, earned them, I guess you could say," Smith said.
Both men laughed for some time. Then the Emergency Feed came on.
"All Operators to Union Station. Repeat, all Operators to Union Station. Code 13. Repeat, Code 13," the female voice said.
"Code 13?" said Smith. He ran down the hall towards the Armory with Macon beside him.
"Yeah, Code 13 is the worst. It's an attack from another universe.
"Okay. It's a what?" Smith said.

...and on the Third day he Rose again...

So it's been three days since I've posted. Been busy, and haven't been feeling well. stayed home yesterday and was in bed most of the day. Didn't want to write or read or really do anything but sleep. Hey, it happens sometimes. I'll post something maybe thursday. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day so go out and have fun people, whether you have someone or not.
Peace,
Ren

Onward!: Chapter 2 - Part 5

Dwight sat back in the chair and rubbed his face with his hands. He didn't know what else to do once he shut off the live-feed. The small black orb sat on the table; its interior also black like its sleek exterior.
"So that was it huh? The whole reason for the spaceport attack?" Dwight said.
Deacon Smith nodded his head. He had been sitting in the corner watching the vid-feed again with his arms folded. He unfolded his arms and moved slowly towards Dwight's chair.
"You can go now Dwight. You just sent a judge where he needs to be," Smith said. He smiled, slapped Dwight on the shoulder and moved out of the conference room.
Dwight Anders was alone with the disc. He looked at its metallic surface and then picked it up and shoved it into his pocket. He grabbed the orb and placed that in his interior jacket pocket of the black linen suit he wore. Macon Dean walked towards him and held out his hand.
Dwight reached into his pocket and gave him the disc.
"Smith left it in there. You can't let that thing out of here. Not now, anyway. The feed was live and..."
"And you finally did something for the good of the people you're always saying you need to protect," Macon said. His one eye locked onto Dwight's face.
"Then why do I feel crappy?" said Dwight. He patted Macon on the shoulder and brushed passed him towards the elevator.
"You did what needed to be done Dwight, there's no shame in that," Macon yelled as the doors closed behind Dwight.
Smith came up behind Macon and sighed. Macon didn't turn around.
"You think he'll be okay?" Smith said.
"He's seen worse, hell, he's been through worse, I should know," Macon said.
"What do you mean?" said Smith. He scratched his head.
"How the hell do you think I got this, boy?" said Macon. He softly patted the heavy black eyepatch.
"Funny, always thought you got that during the Sterling Riots," Smith said.
"No, mine was done way longer than that. I know you got your fancy eyes from that event though, didn't you?" said Macon. He laughed.
"Yeah, earned them, I guess you could say," Smith said.
Both men laughed for some time. Then the Emergency Feed came on.
"All Operators to Union Station. Repeat, all Operators to Union Station. Code 13. Repeat, Code 13," the female voice said.
"Code 13?" said Smith. He ran down the hall towards the Armory with Macon beside him.
"Yeah, Code 13 is the worst. It's an attack from another universe.
"Okay. It's a what?" Smith said.


Previously on Onward!...
"The camera date reads 2/7/5049 at the bottom right hand corner of the feed. There are a group of rebels entering, some are Rastas, others are Mexican and Japanese. A few High Ends are with the group wearing the latest UpTown trends. Their eyes are bloodshot from stims. The leader of the group steps towards the massive steel table in the center of the factory and he jumps on top of it. The sound cuts in and everyone is yelling and hollering his name.
"Mabata Nokiri," the crowd yells. They are growing restless and he knows it. He lifts his massive arms and prepares to speak. Several red dots fill the man's chest area. He opens his mouth, unaware of the laserpoints. His chest is blown apart by the gunfire of the CPD force that enters the factory, guns blazing. Men, women and children are gunned down. The leader slumps to his knees, still on the table when a Judgment Suit enters the screen. Marshal Amon towers over the leader. He gushes something but all that comes out is his blood, it spills on the Marshal's boots and Amon slams his powered fist into the remains of the man's face. The camera operator screams and starts to run with the camera. The last of the images is of Marshal Amon raising his Ragnarok Cannon at the camera and firing. The screen is now filled with snow. But the audio track is still rolling.
"Captain Roark, is everyone accounted for?"
"Yes Marshal Amon, all four hundred have been judged and found guilty of unlawful gathering in order to leave offworld without proper documentation."
"Good, call in the clean up crew, and I want it heat signature free as well, we don't want any Psi-Investigators poking their noses around here either."
"Yes Marshal Amon, right away."
"You, stop, in the name of the law, stop or I will shoot," is what an officer was screaming. He fires and misses because more men are yelling and firing. The camera comes back on outside the factory. There are three rebels in a low transporter motioning for the person holding the camera to hurry.
The camera moves to see the CPD firing on them and Marshal Amon standing above the officers. He says something to the captain and lifts him up. He holds him by the neck and then slams the man down into the concrete. Liquified human is what covers Marshal Amon's Judment Suit. The camera shuts off.

Something Wicked...

Macon Dean met Markus outside the Four Winds Bar. He was tired, half drunk and not in the mood to be toyed with by some God-forsaken fallen angel or a demon running from the heavenly police. All Macon wanted to do was go to sleep.
"What ya want?" Macon growled. He rubbed his hands and blew into the tattooed knuckles. Light spilled out from between his fingers.
"We need your services," Markus said.
"I got that already you dolt. What do you want?" said Macon, his hands blurred.
Markus looked at Macon's hands and smiled. Markus' eyes glowed red and his canines protruded from his mouth.
"Great, you're either a dog or bat," said Macon.
"Neither, I am both. That is why my kind needs your help. We've heard that you have travelled to a place where no humans exist. How do we get there?" Markus said.
"Why do you keep saying we?"
Markus stretched out his arms and the shadows around him formed into a dozen shapes bigger than him and with large leathery wings.
"Oh crap," Macon said...

Level 13

Both Emory and Janine entered the elevator at the end of the hall. They laughed as they entered, they laughed as the door closed and they even laughed as they hit the button marked13, for laughs. They laughed as the humming of the lift's magnetic drive dropped them ten floors fast. But they stopped laughing when the doors of Level 13 opened to reveal eight armed guards wearing full tactical body armor. Janine and Emory put their hands up and walked out of the elevator slowly.
"So I guess this isn't where we're supposed to be?" Emory said.
"I don't think this is such a good time to joke Emory," said Janine.
"What are you two doing here," clicked the closest guard. He aimed his rifle at Janine's face.
"We were sent down here by Director Daizen, he told us to come down to Level 13, but he didn't say why," Emory said.
"Turn around slowly," said the guard again. His vox unit clicked off each time he finished speaking.
"Hicks, check their RFIDs, make sure the Director sent them," said the guard.
"They check out sir, Director Daizen cleared them himself. You two are good to go. Welcome to Level 13, Agents Roberts and Mendoza."
The metallic doors slid into the walls with a hydraulic hiss. There were two frosted glass doors that opened automatically for Agents in the MTF. Emory and Janine walked inside and were instantly assaulted by several men in white lab coats...

Onward!: Chapter 2 - Part 4

"The camera date reads 2/7/5049 at the bottom right hand corner of the feed. There are a group of rebels entering, some are Rastas, others are Mexican and Japanese. A few High Ends are with the group wearing the latest UpTown trends. Their eyes are bloodshot from stims. The leader of the group steps towards the massive steel table in the center of the factory and he jumps on top of it. The sound cuts in and everyone is yelling and hollering his name.
"Mabata Nokiri," the crowd yells. They are growing restless and he knows it. He lifts his massive arms and prepares to speak. Several red dots fill the man's chest area. He opens his mouth, unaware of the laserpoints. His chest is blown apart by the gunfire of the CPD force that enters the factory, guns blazing. Men, women and children are gunned down. The leader slumps to his knees, still on the table when a Judgment Suit enters the screen. Marshal Amon towers over the leader. He gushes something but all that comes out is his blood, it spills on the Marshal's boots and Amon slams his powered fist into the remains of the man's face. The camera operator screams and starts to run with the camera. The last of the images is of Marshal Amon raising his Ragnarok Cannon at the camera and firing. The screen is now filled with snow. But the audio track is still rolling.
"Captain Roark, is everyone accounted for?"
"Yes Marshal Amon, all four hundred have been judged and found guilty of unlawful gathering in order to leave offworld without proper documentation."
"Good, call in the clean up crew, and I want it heat signature free as well, we don't want any Psi-Investigators poking their noses around here either."
"Yes Marshal Amon, right away."
"You, stop, in the name of the law, stop or I will shoot," is what an officer was screaming. He fires and misses because more men are yelling and firing. The camera comes back on outside the factory. There are three rebels in a low transporter motioning for the person holding the camera to hurry.
The camera moves to see the CPD firing on them and Marshal Amon standing above the officers. He says something to the captain and lifts him up. He holds him by the neck and then slams the man down into the concrete. Liquified human is what covers Marshal Amon's Judment Suit. The camera shuts off.

Previously on Onward!...
Deacon Smith looked at the glass table that sat between Dwight Anders and himself. He scratched his chin with the inside of his palm.
"We have to disc. And you'll get to see it real soon, on one condition," Smith said.
"And that condition would be?" Dwight said. The smoke from his nostrils swirled upward towards the vents in the ceiling.
"Turn off the recorder first," said Smith.
"Can't do that, live-feed to the masses Deacon," said Dwight. He tapped his cigarette out onto similar metal ashtray.
"Do it or you can't see the disc," said Smith.
Dwight sighed and pressed the sphere's sides. It hovered but the crimson light in its belly died out slowly.
"There, now hurry up, we're losing money on this Deacon," said Dwight.
"No, we're not losing money, you and your company are. Now here's the condition. You get to see the disc and all its contents from beginning to end. But you have to report everything you see, exactly as you see it happening," said Smith. He sat back in his chair and relaxed.
"That's the condition? That's easy," said Dwight. He quickly pressed the orb again.
"Okay, I accept the condition. Just so you know folks, I'll be viewing the disc and reporting to you exactly what I'll be seeing," said Dwight.
"Screen, load disc D.S.2049-1. Full volume array," said Smith.
A vid-screen lowered itself from the ceiling and swiveled towards Dwight.
"Start disc," Smith said.
Dwight spoke as he watched the events of the DungJillie Factory feeds unravel before his eyes.

Tomorrow...

Since i've got a day off tomorrow as I await the arrival of our new couch and ottoman, I'll be posting some things up.

• A new Onward! post
• A new Something Wicked post
• A brand spanking new (because people have been requesting it) post on the Working Title about Director Jonathan Daizen.

Konichiwa

Ren