Red Stone

Red Stone

“hand over your side arm” officer Alka Perry had just entered the captain's office and was meet by a very angry look from the captain and two of her security officers. “what?” “your side arm officer Perry now” ordered the captain. She pulls the gun from it's holster and puts it on the desk “what is this all about sir” “your being relived of duty” the captain turns round his monitor “ground control sent this up. What do you see in the photo officer Perry” “it's the pay load being loaded on a truck sir” “i was under the impression it's your job to keep our activities secret now this photo is on the front of every newspaper on earth” the captain opens a file “and now we are getting some odd thing showing up on the radar” “odd sir?” “ a number of objects being dragged by the ship have moved irregularly and there is something large moving through the main belt” “i don't see what the radar readings have to do with me sir” the captain leans back in his chair “well here my theory the objects behind the ship may be receiving and relaying messages from someone on the ship. and see as your the one meant to be stopping that sort of thing from happening your clearly not to your job properly or your the one sending the messages .so I going to lock you in the quarantine quarters so you cant jump ship and run off with who ever is waiting in the belt” he tuns to the two security officers “get her out of my site” the scarcity officers march Alka Perry out of the office

Alka Perry sits in quarantine as the ship moved in to orbit around mars. The sky lark holds a crew of 4000 as soon as it's in orbit 3500 of them head down to the planet haft head to the Hellas planitia and the other haft land at Alba mon. the team at alba mon code named stardust had the hard task of drilling down under Alba mon and digging out a bunker to detonate the pay load in. on the hellas planitia a control base is quickly assembled and the crew divide again a small team including the captain stay at control base code named the tin can. the rest code named arachnid head up the Dao Vallis valley to Hadriaca mon

the radio crackles “arachnid to tin can” a coms officer pushes a large wight button “we're receiving you arachnid, go ahead” “tin can we have drilled down reducing volcanic plug to 10% and are awaiting orders” the coms officer Writes down the message and holds it up a runner takes the massage from the coms officer and walks to area partitioned off by a glass map the runner salutes the captain and hands him the note “thanks Jenkins” “actually it's Glover sir” “oh sorry Glover” the captain takes a bottle of pills out of his pocket “send our boys back to the sky lark” the captain chucks two pills in to his mouth Glover salutes and heads back to the radio desks. Jenkins appears from behind the glass map and salutes the captain and hands him a note. The captain reads the note “ok tell stardust to set up the war head” Jenkins salutes and heads off. The captain wonders to him self if it was Jenkins of Harrison he was just talking to. this was worrying he was finding it hard to think straight. He didn't know if it was the presser of the job or the presser of the atmosphere or maybe the recycled air.

On the other side of the planet the stardust team drive a large truck like vehicle in to the middle of Alba mon with the war head on the back. It stops in the center the bunker then from the bottom of the truck six hydraulic legs lower to the red dusty ground. Ten men look up through the vises of the helmets as large metal arm lift the warhead vertical so the tip of the cone points down. Once the warhead is in place the ten men get to work running checks and geting ready to leave the bunker. One of the men presses a button the the wrist of his suit turning on the microphone in his helmet. “stardust to tin can the gnome is in place and we are leaving the bunker”.all the men it the bunker climd in to 4X4s parked round the edge of the bunker with flood lights mounted on the sides. The flood lights are turned off and the 4X4s moved round the bunker and out through the tunnel. The planet falls quiet as the stardust team head back to the sky lark.

The captain stands by the radio desks. The silence in the control room was broken by the radio “stardust to tin can we have left the atmosphere” the captain walks over to a control panel and inserts a key card. The control panel only has three switches and one button. He flicks the switches one by one 100.000 appears on all the screens in the room over live pitchers from the sky lark of different parts of the planets surface. The captain presses the button. The countdown starts everyone in the room and on the sky lark watches as the numbers tick by a hundredth of second at a time 099.100, 099.099 ,099.098 no one talks some even forget to breathe 050.100, 050.099 ,050.098. Jenkins bits his nails and Glover holds on tight to a small crucifix round his neck 000.002 ,000.001 ,000.000

dunk and cover

dunk and cover

Graham looks out over a lake and drinks a coffee. He checks his watch then walks over to a set of glass doors draining the coffee on the way. He slams the paper cup in to a bin next to the doors and he walks through them. A number of pigeons fly down to the bin to check out its new contents

the floor past the doors slopes down and curves round. At the bottom of the slope Graham enters the main hall. Sunlight shines through the lake and the massive glass bowl which makes up the ceiling of the main hall. A tore guide is standing in the entrance talking to a group of bored school kids about the glass ceiling which was a solidify crater created by the last nuclear bomb to be tested in the nevada desert. Graham heads past displays of bombs, geiger counters and numerous items all related to nuclear warfare. He follows signs until he gets to the Manhattan room . He recognizes the woman the in front of the Fat Man exhibit and he walks up to her and says "so, what have you got for me". She hands him a envelope Graham looks through the photos “ these was taken last night” the she nods "thats right about 9:70 ish". Graham hands over a hand full of worn looking notes the woman leves disappearing in to the crowd. Graham finish looking at the photos then heads for home

Graham always meets his contacts in a public place this is for two reasons one your less likely to be killed by the contact and two if you get killed before you get a chance to release the information the police will go looking for the last person you was seen with so the information should come to light. assuming the police are not behind your death.

he opens the door to his apartment goes in and locks it behind his self. Two whiteboards one covered in writing the other blank are attached to the wall he quickly gets to work scanning in the photos one by one. the photos of uniformed men loading a warhead on to a truck appear on his computers screen. He tries to work out what the warhead is going to be used for. He knows straightaway that the warhead was designed for asteroid demolition but for this a missile would be launched from the nevada bass. He puts the next photo under the scanner then grabs two books of a shelve “military weapons quick reference guide” a thick black book full of tables comparing the range and power and numerous other statistics of all weaponry currently in use, and “the secret history of nuclear weapons” a glossy hard back book with a photo of the Author “Edna Hodges” wearing safety goggles with a mushroom cloud reflected in them and a caption saying "find out about the test they don't want you to know about” he flicks through the weapons date guide to finds the stats for the warhead in the photos. His finger moves down the table till it stops on “ADWH948/543-65E” the last box in the row reads if detonated on planets surface possibility of extreme seismic activity. He puts the next photo under the scanner then turns to the index page of “the secret history of nuclear weapons” and looks for ADWH948/543-65E. It wasn't there only ADWH948/543-65A and -65B on page 987 he flicks through the pages an stops at 987 “ asteroid demolition warhead are less tested due to the expense as they have to be detonated out of earths atmosphere due to how focused the explosion is. The the blast is concentrated in one direction to do the maximum damage to the asteroid. So if detonated on earth it will damage the crust and send shock-waves round the wold . Despite the danger there are at least 7 ADWH948/543-65As and the next generation the ADWH948/543-65B is under development” was all it sad. He types up an e-mail attaches the photos and send it to everyone who will publish it or may be abel to add any information. As he is backing up the new files on to one of his many potable hard drives an envelope icon flashes in the corner of the screen. He clicks on it then on one new message and the e-mail opens up

“from : ed@dethandsecrts.com

subject: Nevada warhead

thank for your e-mail.looking in to links with un deaths. Will have something on line in the next 12 hours

thanks again love

ed x x”

after backing up his files and writing the warhead details on his whiteboard Graham decides to head down to tramps for a strong drink. He opens the door and is forced back and on to the floor of his apartment a figure steps in to the room and closes the door “your too late” the mask figure said nothing and pulls the trigger of her taser rifle. Graham's hart burst in his chest the intruder takes her finger off the trigger, graham body goes limp .two hours later, the only evidence that graham lived there was his corpse in the middle of an empty room fore small holes where his whiteboards was screwed to the wall. all his possessions taken by whoever killed him.

Political suicide

Political suicide  

Bruce foreman looks out the  bulletproof window at the protesters. He didn't know what this lot was protesting about everyday there was a different group of protesters out side. from up on the seventh floor they all look the same. He can't help but fell detached from the rest of the population as he sits in his office protected by armed guards and metal detectors on the front door, CCTV in the corridors and three inches of bulletproof glass. But all that was not going to stop him from dying today. he leaves the window and starts looking through the paper work on his desk. The already heavy work load had recently doubled when the finance minister was found dead in his apartment. Having overdosed on UV42. the united nations parliament was put under increasing pressure. As the wolds newspapers publish photos of the finance minister's flooded apartment. He had been found  laying on the floor in a fort made from the bath room door, the bath tub and the kitchen table. Everything in the apartment had  been taken apart. But the real scandal came two days later when a  man in a cocktail dress was found dead in the air vent. The wold's press had lots of  theories as to what happened in that apartment and lots of questions.

He open a file labeled “proposition to ban UV42” and takes out the last page titled outcome of parliamentary vote he signs the bottom of the page confirming that UV42 was not to be banned. If they had any option he would ban it but it was just too useful. it gave an unlimited supply of clean energy to the solar system. He puts the page back, adds it to the out tray and picks up the next file. “Proposal to unite space programs re-wright 4” He flicked though the page titles regions for rejection initialing each page and signs the last. Only 10 rejection this time. 6 country had handed control of there space programs when the parliamentary UN was formed from the original united nations but other countries was reluctant. Mexico was so against the UN space program they took payment to take 200 civilians to Neptune. knowing the UN would disapprove. when the the Mexican space program come in to financial difficulties Hthey ask the UN for aid. The UN offered to buy out the Mexicans. having expected the UN to offer a lone they looked for another solution and the neptunian forums stepped in. agreeing to buy the helix and 2 communication satellites. So as the UN work to Unite the peoples of the wold a new civilization started to grow at the edge of the solar system.

Bruce work his way through the file 

prosecution to cull doorstep pigeons Rejected

prosecution to catalog all android intelligences Approved

prosecution to dismantle all android intelligences Rejected

proposal for changes to riot act Rejected

proposal for changes to the digital dater act Rejected

and so on about 350 files to be signed. He would usually just get the bare minimum out the way but today he clears his desk. There's a buzz from the intercom “sir do you need me to stay late” he pushes a button on the intercom “not today, oh but can you cancel the cleaner before you go” there's another buzz from the intercom “will do sir” after a bit he herd his pa leave. he gets up and goes to the window the protesters was still outside but fewer in number now. The light quickly vacates the room as the blinds move down over the window his briefcase slams down on his desk next to the empty in tray. Opening it he takes out a file the tittle read “ operation red stone” He has worked hard on operation red stone and knows it would never pass the vote. So he was going to sneak it through. Every one was over loaded with work due to the death of the finance minister but a bigger distraction wouldn't hurt. Out of his briefcase come a small bottle containing a thick black liquid. Bruce had never used a syringe and hesitated before injecting the UV42 in to his vane. The wall around him start to sway as if caught in a sumer breeze bruce refills the syringe from the small bottle and injected  the sand felt good under his feet as he refills once more he stares up at the stars before remembering what he was doing and he injects for the third time. he falls back slowly on to the sand. He sits up and refills again. for the last time the needle slips in to his skin he pushes down on the plunger the needle snaps in his arm as his eye close never to be open again

No news

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nostalgia train

nostalgia train 

Trench foot's back was killing him he was homeless and had bean sleeping on a sofas in tramps tea room a long with others who's homes was destroyed in the riots. But now he had sold his DJ gear  he had enough money to get off this rock . He was sick of earth and now there was a opportunity to leave. He had herd a rumor that some people in Russia had a warehouse full of otuss and they was giving them away for free. Because they wasn't going to need money in space and it will be essayer to get out past border control if 150 ships make a break for it at once. Trench foot wasn't usually this gun ho but losing his home had pushed him to braking point. The only things the riots had left him was the DJing gear he was using when the riots started. He had just left the train station the ticket was for tomorrow morning so he had a day to get what he needed first stop was the river rat boutique to get some new clothes  

he walks through the river rat boutique past the market stoles to the fitting rooms at the back where the stylists was standing and telling people why to use them rather than the other stylists. one comes up to him “hi sir have you seen my excellent mens ware designs” she points at the photos pinned up out side her fitting room “are you looking for anything in particular” he looks at the photos “yeah, I need just about every thing” she smiled  “i think I can help” the two of them walk round the market picking out material and haggling with the stole holders. When they have what the stylists said was enough material they go back to her fitting room. The fitting room was a prefabricated metal box. The shelves which lined the back of the fitting room was filled with fabric paints, dies stencils and silk screens. Along the edge of the shelves hung various cutting tools and other devices. He stands in the middle of the room and gets measured by the stylist as she tries to make conversation but not very successfully. Its not that Trench foot is unfriendly Its because most of the questions she's asking are about the future and he didn't want to say too much about he up coming trip.

He leaves two hours later with a new wardrobe and a new holdall to carry it all in. He needs to take the weight off his feat so he heads back to tramps.

“Hi Mary, an Irish American thanks” she grabs the pot of coffee “what's with the bag” he looks down at his new holdall “ I'm going traveling” he takes a sip of his coffee “going anywhere nice” he smiled “i hope so” he says as he walks over to a sofa. He drinks his coffee then falls asleep. The sun shining through the big windows wakes Trench foot up. He looks at the clock and rubs his eyes. it was just past two in the morning. He gets another coffee with out the whiskey this time. He drinks it quickly and heads off to the train station. 

He gets to the station and looks up and down the platform at the people with there big bags. He can't help wondering how many heard the same rumor as him. The train move slowly in to the station and everyone gets on and finds somewhere to sit. The train moves out. The trip to russia may take a week depending on if the line is clear. A lot of transport has bead disrupted by the riots. he opens his bag to get out his book. In his bag is a number of items he had not put in there. He takes out a mug with a postet note stuck on it “another one goes for a walk. Hope you like your presents enjoy your trip love the girls from tramps xxxx ” he smiles, Mary had told him how much people nicking mugs piss her boss off. He looks back in to the bag at the three boxes of herbal tea obviously taken from the stock room. Mary must have put them in there when I was asleep he thought. Fore hours later the passengers have got restless and are moving around the train. Trench foot gets up and heads for the dining cart. The dining cart had a row of vending machines at one end and a hand full of  tables. he gets a burger from a vending machine and sits down at the table with the least people round it. The group round the table was exchanging stores. One thing he notice  was no one ask where he was going and he didn't ask them because he didn't want to be asked in return . He looks round the dining cart a tall man is leaning on one of vending machines applying an obscene amount of condiments on to a burger. After the third packet of mustard he sat down next to  trench foot. “Hi” he takes a bite of his burger and a blob of mostly mayo drips to the table. “I'm  Will” the two started to talk. Will was a musician who had traveled round the globe busking from town to town.  Hours later the two was still talking when everyone ells had left the cart.  Will leans in closer “so do you think many of them are going to the same place we are?” Trench foot looks round “how do you know I'm going the same place as you” “because in the years I have been traveling every conversation I have had with strangers on trains has started with, Where are you heading. But all you do is bang on about the past” Trench foot leans in closing the gap between them and they start discussing what no one ells is.

Days past slowly on the train Trench foot spent most of the time talking to will. Mostly talking about space a subject will knew more than most did. This was because his dad was the Theoretical physicist who came up with the hyper light theory. So by the time train arrived in russia Trench foot was confidence he knew everything he would need to now about space. Trench foot and will get off the train and head in the direction of the industrial part of the town. The two of them meander through the street  every so often they turn a corner and spot some one from the train. not wanting it to look like there was following them they turn at the next opportunity. They finely get to otus warehouse and bang on the door. It opens but is stop by a chain a lifeless eye in thick mascara looks at them through the gap “er were here about the em use car” tried Trench foot in a tone of voice which says wink wink nudge nudge “we only have space ships go way” said a pare of dark red lips “let them in” a voice called from in side. The door closed then opens properly. they walk in and are met by two identical gynoids “your lucky it's the last one” one of the gynoids leads them to the last otus they past some people from the train and a group of gynoids. They was relieved to see that it was one of the larger otus they hadn't planed on shearing. A game of rock, paper,sizers dissided that trench foot get the officer quarter. And the two of them unpack.

That night the hole town was woken up by a sky full of otuss as they rush up and out of the atmosphere and helicopters and jets trying to stop them but shooting down would kill thousands on the ground  and so all 150 ships made it out.     

  

phily rock

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The uncommon cold

The uncommon cold 

There was voices but they was unclear she had to concentrate on them “is it on?” why cant I see? thought.... thought.. oh whats my name? she thought and WHY CAN'T I SEE? This was troubling “well is it on or not” there was the voices again. “I think so”  who are they and WHY CAN I NOT SEE? “well if its on why don't it do some thing?” what are they talking about and WHY CAN I NOT SEE ANYTHING? “I don't know do I” the voices are so close WHY CAN'T I SEE THEM? “why don't it open its eyes?” thats why I cant see I need to open my eyes. hang on there talking about me. “try tuning it on and off” she sits up then starts to run. Then she falls over. OPEN YOUR EYES! she thought to her self. Three laughing men come in to focus. She jumps up and runs. The men run after her. She burst out of a door and in to the street. Her bear feet pound the pavement. She looks over her shoulder the men are way behind her. She tuns in to an alley and stops behind a bin to try and work out what to do. “bloody hell” a man laying in a doorway is staring wide eyed at her. “why are you staring at me?” the man answered slowly “because your naked” she look down “oh... so I am” a dustcart drives past the end of the alley. The dustcart was followed by five gynoids gathering bin bags and chucking them in the back. Behind the gynoids three police officers caring taser rifles walk slowly making shore no one started any trouble. “here take my coat” he held out his coat from under a dirty brown blanket. She takes the coat and slips it on. “So do you have a name?” “i don't remember. i don't think i do ” the man pulls himself upright. “well how about a AR number”. “a what” “a AR number, Android registration number”  “oh, I'm a Android” “What you didn't  know?” “ it's not that I didn't know, it's just I hadn't thought about it until now” one of the gynoids gathering bin bags walks down the alley and takes hold of the bin. The eye of the two gynoids flash red as they auotermatic check each others harddrives for up dates. “where am I ” says the refuse gynoid as if just waking up from a long sleep. “I think you two should come with me” both gynoid reply simultaneously “why”  he crams his blanket in to a back pack and slips it on. “ because you was just running down the road naked and I just sow you become self aware in a blink of an eye” he look to the end of the alley “ I 'm pretty shore when the cop see two gynoids thinking for there selfs your likely to get dismantled now come on. The three  meander through the alleyways of the city past junkies slumped in doorways dribbling or climbing up drainpipes so they can drain UV42 out of solar panels.

A slit in the door opens and a pare of eyes examine the three standing on the other side of the door, the slit closes and the door opens. Hay Gary I see you got some spare parts for me “oh no doc this is much better then spare parts” the three walk in and doc shuts the door and bolts it. “so what have you got for me” doc says as he starts undoing a button on the coat that covers the gynoid's nudity. Her hand slaps him across his face “ well that don't usely happen” “yes it does but its usely a real girl”  “ok so whats the deal with these two” “there self aware” doc gives Gary a questioning look. “ this one was running around wearing  nothing but a confused look. Then seemed to infect this one” doc walks over to a pile of robotic body parts. A artificial kidney falls to the floor as he lifts up a gynoid head. he sticks his hand up its neck and pushes a cerkit in to place. “ unit 2% operational awaiting orders” says the head in a flat monotone. Doc holds the head up to the two gynoids. All three sets of eyes flash “what's going on, why cant I fill my legs?" Says the head In a panicked voice. “well that is interesting” doc tacks the head over to a work bench with a laptop on it and plugs a cable it to it ear. Gary joins doc and the two gynoids sit down on some sofas around a coffee table with a hand full of old magazines on it. “I think we need names” says the  refuse gynoid “I agree...what do you think of alley” “i like it well what about me” alley pondered this “how about dusty”

doc and Gary look through the head's software “ well it's not a program. Its got in to everything, the only way to get rid of it would be a complete reset” “oi” shouted the head “your not reseting me” “do we really want rid of it?” 

back round the coffee table the gynoids was deep in a philosophical conversation. They had already agreed that there probably is a god or gods and he, she, it, or they is probably an inferior species to humans they came to this conclusion because they know androids were created by humans and they believe androids are superior to humans so it was logical that humans was created by an inferior lifeform. Now they was discussing the meaning of life but is seemed they had insufficient information to come to a conclusion. Doc and garey walk over “we was just wondering if you think  androids need jobs” the two gynoids look at each other “well no we don't need food or shelter so we don't need to earn money” “but they don't earn money any way” “well thats not right” “do you want to help fix that” 

the plan was simple all they needed to do was get close to as many androids they can and infect them. The more they infect the faster the virus will spread

a dustcart moves down a road one of the refuse gynoids picks up a bin bag and flings it in to the back of the dustcart. As the bag moves through the air and lands in the dustcart the gynoid's eyes flash  starting a chain reaction of flashing eyes as the others get close eruth to the first gynoid for the virus to spread. The gynoids stop in there tracks one of them tuns and sees the cops behind them holding there  taser rifles. She screams and starts running the others follow her lead and run off the cops chase after them. Dusty gets out a car park up the road and climes in to the back of the dustcart she opens a binbag and takes out  the head “ Nice job medusa” she gets out the dustcart and gets back in the car “where now” asked medusa “we're going to wait outside a computer factory for a delivery of gynoids to drive right past us”