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| old_man [2023/06/19 17:25] – raventree | old_man [2023/06/19 23:33] (current) – raventree |
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| ****Fin's Father**** | ****Fin's Father**** |
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| There in the dark sat a man. He had a bushy grey beard and unkempt grey hair. On top of his head (hiding his bald spot) was a worn hat reading "United States of America". It was a relic from a bygone time. | There in the dark sat a man. He had a bushy grey beard and unkempt grey hair. On top of his head (hiding his bald spot) was a worn hat reading ////United States of America////. It was a relic from a bygone time. |
| The man's name was Zach. He had a terminal condition; blood cancer. He had less than 2 months to live. Strangely enough, this didn't scare him but instead brought freedom to him. He decided to choose his own exit from this world. | The man's name was Zach. He had a terminal condition; blood cancer. He had less than 2 months to live. Strangely enough, this didn't scare him but instead brought freedom to him. He decided to choose his own exit from this world. |
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| So much time he'd seen wasted in his 73 years. So much history that was now being rewritten. When did it all go wrong? There really wasn't one specific cause; like many great tragedies, there were a lot of factors. This "Republic of America" was a poor shadow of the "United States of America" he'd grown up in. | So much time he'd seen wasted in his 73 years. So much history that was now being rewritten. When did it all go wrong? There really wasn't one specific cause; like many great tragedies, there were a lot of factors. This "////Republic of America//// was a poor shadow of the ////United States of America//// he'd grown up in. |
| It was the federalization, he supposed. Sure, Lincoln forced a torn country back together; history taught that. But maybe it should have been left to separate; perhaps it set a dangerous precedent. Many years later it was Roosevelt that through many federal programs helped pull the country back up from its depression. As time went on, more & more federal laws trumped state laws. The inept federal government continually failed to balance the budget; more & more, the debt was owed to China. They held the debt, and therefore, the purse strings, eventually. When North Korea finally completely lost all sense, annexed part of the old Russia and tried to take a piece of its ally, China, China had to fight back. It only made sense they would call on America. | It was the federalization, he supposed. Sure, Lincoln forced a torn country back together; history taught that. But maybe it should have been left to separate; perhaps it set a dangerous precedent. Many years later it was Roosevelt that through many federal programs helped pull the country back up from its depression. |
| | As time went on, more & more federal laws trumped state laws. The inept federal government continually failed to balance the budget; more & more, the debt was owed to China. They held the debt, and therefore, the purse strings, eventually. When North Korea finally completely lost all sense, annexed part of the old Russia and tried to take a piece of its ally, China, China had to fight back. It only made sense they would call on America. |
| Besides, as China shifted its manufacturing to wartime, the cheap products Americans had so grown accustomed to were suddenly not available. It started tipping the American economy toward another depression. The American government was happy to send troops to support China, and help divert part of its out-of-work populace to a war. But never had a war been won with such a bittersweet victory. No one would ever be born on the Korean peninsula ever again. | Besides, as China shifted its manufacturing to wartime, the cheap products Americans had so grown accustomed to were suddenly not available. It started tipping the American economy toward another depression. The American government was happy to send troops to support China, and help divert part of its out-of-work populace to a war. But never had a war been won with such a bittersweet victory. No one would ever be born on the Korean peninsula ever again. |
| | Those vets that came back did not come back to jobs. An economic depression had set in during a war and stayed after its end. This was unprecedented. The federal government started forcing resources from the states that had done their due diligence and ran their part of the country correctly. Succession suddenly became the new buzzword. Through a rash of sudden terrorist acts and then state governments deploying troops to keep federal troops out, things hit a boiling point. While Americans were pointing guns at Americans and all refusing to pull the triggers, behind the scenes federal agents took custody of ////traitors////. State governments fell. Troops withdrew and went home. The stock market closed. |
| Those vets that came back did not come back to jobs. An economic depression had set in during a war and stayed after its end. This was unprecedented. The federal government started forcing resources from the states that had done their due diligence and ran their part of the country correctly. Succession suddenly became the new buzzword. Through a rash of sudden terrorist acts and then state governments deploying troops to keep federal troops out, things hit a boiling point. While Americans were pointing guns at Americans and all refusing to pull the triggers, behind the scenes federal agents took custody of "traitors". State governments fell. Troops withdrew and went home. The stock market closed. | International trade stuttered, and for once, the federal government actually acted. It was suddenly proclaimed that we were not the ////United States OF America////, but that the United States ////AR////America. |
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| International trade stuttered, and for once, the federal government actually acted. It was suddenly proclaimed that we were not the United States OF America, but that the United States ARE America. | |
| In the name of balancing budgets, state governments were replaced by the federal government. Most of the actual employees kept their jobs and kept doing what they were doing; it was just the name on their paycheck changed. All the state politicians were suddenly unemployed. Not that anyone really missed them... And so, it was time for a Presidential Election. One candidate promised to 'restore' the states' rights. The other promised to 'streamline government, getting rid of waste and making sure all laws were equal'. And that's how President Yamamoto won the election. | In the name of balancing budgets, state governments were replaced by the federal government. Most of the actual employees kept their jobs and kept doing what they were doing; it was just the name on their paycheck changed. All the state politicians were suddenly unemployed. Not that anyone really missed them... And so, it was time for a Presidential Election. One candidate promised to 'restore' the states' rights. The other promised to 'streamline government, getting rid of waste and making sure all laws were equal'. And that's how President Yamamoto won the election. |
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| Or, at least, it would have. One thing the government had been very good for, and that was teaching Zach how to kill. And when you don't have to plan a way to get out alive, its amazing how much you can do. | Or, at least, it would have. One thing the government had been very good for, and that was teaching Zach how to kill. And when you don't have to plan a way to get out alive, its amazing how much you can do. |
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| Zach had the rifle sitting on a tripod. The small camera lens was mounted on top of its barrel; a cable went from it to a motor between the tripod and the rifle. Directly under the tripod on the floor was a box with a green light on. It sat on top of another larger box, which had a single wire going to it. The light with the green box was a small computer. It was 'underground tech'. Zach's transmitter was a fake tooth in his mouth. He was in an abandoned building. The rifle was facing a window, pointed toward the front gate of the water treatment plant. Zach walked out of the room, down the stairs and to his plumbing repair truck. He climbed into the back of the truck. It was filled with plumbing parts and tools. He pulled on the overalls that proclaimed him to be “Ed's plumbing”. The name badge said “Ed”. He went up to the steering wheel, started the van and drove out from behind the abandoned building to the street. | Zach had the rifle sitting on a tripod. The small camera lens was mounted on top of its barrel; a cable went from it to a motor between the tripod and the rifle. Directly under the tripod on the floor was a box with a green light on. It sat on top of another larger box, which had a single wire going to it. The light with the green box was a small computer. It was 'underground tech'. Zach's transmitter was a fake tooth in his mouth. He was in an abandoned building. The rifle was facing a window, pointed toward the front gate of the water treatment plant. Zach walked out of the room, down the stairs and to his plumbing repair truck. He climbed into the back of the truck. It was filled with plumbing parts and tools. He pulled on the overalls that proclaimed him to be “Ed's plumbing”. The name badge said Ed. He went up to the steering wheel, started the van and drove out from behind the abandoned building to the street. |
| The government's dysfunction would work to his advantage. The local state & city governments had been given small bits of power to placate them; part of that was destruction of buildings. It would have made sense to secure any government structure by destroying abandoned buildings near them, but it was more friendly to make the high-rent district prettier. So Zach was merely exploiting a weakness. | |
| He drove up to the security gate and a guard met him. A large rectangle light by the gate was red. “Tag?” asked the guard. Zach's clock showed 1:28 am. 2 minutes early. He'd have to stall. | The government's dysfunction would work to his advantage. The local state & city governments had been given small bits of power to placate them; part of that was destruction of buildings. It would have made sense to secure any government structure by destroying abandoned buildings near them, but it was more friendly to make the high-rent district prettier. So Zach was merely exploiting a weakness. |
| “It's here somewhere,” said Zach, “I was kinda in a hurry, y'know. Damn phone woke me up in the middle of the night and all that. Always a fuckin' emergency with you gov'ment types.” | He drove up to the security gate and a guard met him. A large rectangle light by the gate was red. “Tag?” asked the guard. Zach's clock showed 1:28 am. 2 minutes early. He'd have to stall. |
| “What are you here to do?” | |
| “Well, plumbing repair. Can't you read the truck?” The guard sighed. He continued, | It's here somewhere, said Zach, I was kinda in a hurry, y'know. Damn phone woke me up in the middle of the night and all that. Always a fuckin' emergency with you gov'ment types. |
| “They make me ask. They monitor everything remotely, you know. I'm just doing my job” | What are you here to do? |
| “I think that's what they said at Auschweitz.” | Well, plumbing repair. Can't you read the truck? |
| “What's that?” | The guard sighed. He continued, |
| “Oh, nevermind. Here's the tag.” The clock clicked to 1:30am. The guard scanned the security card. In a moment, a mechanical 'click' was heard, the light turned green and the gate started sliding open. Zach said, “They watch everything, huh?” | They make me ask. They monitor everything remotely, you know. I'm just doing my job. |
| “Yup. But we still control the gate.” | I think that's what they said at Auschweitz. |
| “My question is, who watches the watchers?” | What's that? |
| “The world ain't the same, old timer. Its moved on.” The gate finished opening and Zach drove through. | Oh, nevermind. Here's the tag. |
| Zach drove by a couple lots full of vehicles built for specific purposes. Construction equipment, mainly. Everything was well lit. Signs pointed to side roads for “Chlorine delivery”, “Charcoal delivery”, “Scrap removal”, “Pre-treatment Plant”. Finally, Zach followed the sign stating “Final Treatment Plant”. Then, “Service Only”. He backed the van up to a dock, got out and opened the back doors. He slung a tool pouch over his shoulder and picked up a toolbox. He stood on the dock a moment and looked past the van. In the distance he could see the outline of the town against the night sky. “Well, I guess this is it. ARM”. Green lights under tripods of 3 different rifles clicked from green to red. The rifles moved on their own, aimed, and waited. | The clock clicked to 1:30am. The guard scanned the security card. In a moment, a mechanical 'click' was heard, the light turned green and the gate started sliding open. |
| Zach walked up to a door, opened it and went in. It was a small corridor with a window in the middle and a door at the other end. A black lady sat behind the window and asked, “Who are you and why you here?” | Zach said, They watch everything, huh? |
| “Ed's plumbing. Sensor failure on sprinkler #43.” The lady worked at a computer. She said, “I don't see nothing about a sprinkler failure” | Yup. But we still control the gate. |
| “Not a sprinkler failure, a sensor failure on sprinkler #43. Call was internally generated. You know; these self-diagnosing systems. Did you get the software update yesterday?” | My question is, who watches the watchers? |
| “No one told me nothing about a software update.” | The world ain't the same, old timer. Its moved on. |
| “Do they usually tell you anything until it happens?” | The gate finished opening and Zach drove through. |
| “Now, you know they don't. They don't tell us nothing” | Zach drove by a couple lots full of vehicles built for specific purposes. Construction equipment, mainly. Everything was well lit. Signs pointed to side roads for Chlorine delivery, Charcoal delivery, Scrap removal, Pre-treatment Plant. Finally, Zach followed the sign stating Final Treatment Plant. Then, Service Only. He backed the van up to a dock, got out and opened the back doors. He slung a tool pouch over his shoulder and picked up a toolbox. He stood on the dock a moment and looked past the van. In the distance he could see the outline of the town against the night sky. |
| “That's right. But they still expect us to obey now, don't they?” | Well, I guess this is it. ARM. Green lights under tripods of 3 different rifles clicked from green to red. The rifles moved on their own, aimed, and waited. |
| “Yeah. But I can't just let you through.” Zach sat his toolbox down, opened it, and pulled out a donut. He said, “You transferred in, didn't you?” | Zach walked up to a door, opened it and went in. It was a small corridor with a window in the middle and a door at the other end. A black lady sat behind the window and asked, Who are you and why you here? |
| “Yeah.” | Ed's plumbing. Sensor failure on sprinkler #43. The lady worked at a computer. She said, I don't see nothing about a sprinkler failure. |
| “Well, there used to be this place called Bell's Bakery. Made the best donuts. Just like this one here.” Zach placed it in the window drawer. She slid the drawer in. She said, “You think you can bribe me with a DONUT?” | Not a sprinkler failure, a sensor failure on sprinkler #43. Call was internally generated. You know; these self-diagnosing systems. Did you get the software update yesterday? |
| “Yes, I do.” She picked it up and sniffed it. She said, “Oh my god. That's real sugar glaze.” | No one told me nothing about a software update. |
| “Authentic. Unprocessed.” She reached over and hit a button; the door at the other end of the corridor popped open. She said, “Darling, I didn't even see you tonight. You go right on ahead” | Do they usually tell you anything until it happens? |
| Zach picked up his toolbox and walked through the door. It was a small room with another door. A screen came on and stated “Scanning for explosive powder”. In another moment, the screen said “Clear. You may proceed”, and the last door clicked open. | Now, you know they don't. They don't tell us nothing |
| Zach stepped out into a hallway. He walked down the hallway to a door marked “Lab”. He opened it and stepped inside. Three men were in the room wearing white labcoats, all sitting at computers. They turned and looked at him as he sat down his tool pouch and tool box. One said, “Are you lost, old man?” Zach opened his toolbox and pulled out a long flat head screwdriver. As he turned holding it, he said, | That's right. But they still expect us to obey now, don't they? |
| “No, I don't think so.” With a fast movement Zach thrust the screwdriver straight up behind the man's chin. His eyes bulged as his body started to squirm. The other two men jumped out of their chairs, one reaching for a red button on the wall. Zach's other hand blurred as a small screwdriver flew out of it and pierced the man's hand, pinning it to the wall right by the button. The third man approached Zach as he tugged the screwdriver out of the man's skull who fell to the ground. The third man swung a knifestick at Zach but was knocked out of his hand by a large adjustable wrench. Zach swung the large bloody screwdriver in an arch at the man's midsection, but the man moved back enough that only his white labcoat was cut. The other was pulling the screwdriver out of his hand and hadn't hit the alarm button yet. The one with the ripped labcoat had taken a few steps back. Zach said to him, “If you'd been doing your damn job, you'd have answered the door. I wouldn't have this mess right now. Don't you know shit about security protocal?” The one with the ripped labcoat grabbed a stun gun off the table and aimed it at Zach. Zach stood arms wide and took a step toward the man. The man pulled the trigger and two darts shot out, hitting Zach in the chest. Zach said, “So fucking predictable” As the man stood stunned, Zach clubbed him in the head with the adjustable wrench. He went down. Then, the alarm went off. | Yeah. But I can't just let you through. Zach sat his toolbox down, opened it, and pulled out a donut. He said, You transferred in, didn't you? |
| Zach turned and looked at the lab tech who's non-bloodied hand was on the button. The tech stared at him, eyes wide. Zach grinned. The lab tech pleaded, “Don't kill me”. Zach ripped open his shirt, revealing a thick pad with the 2 darts stuck in it. Zach said, “It's your lucky day, boy!” He peeled the pad off his chest, rolled it and when he did, 2 metal contacts on it touched. He threw it at the lab tech, and as it flew, multiple strands came out of it. The strands and the pad hit him, and he twitched with electrical shock. | Yeah. |
| Zach turned to a row of compressed tanks hooked up on a wall. One was about 2 feet long. He quickly unhooked it and worked with his tools and pouch. Within moments, he stood up, tank strapped to his back with what had been his tool pouch. A line ran over his shoulder from the tank to what appeared to be socket extensions with the firing mechanism a ratchet from where the end of it the line hooked to. Just a few inches down from where the 'ratchet' hooked to the 'extensions' was a clear container of screwdriver bits. He turned toward the man on the floor he'd hit with the adjustable wrench. He was starting to get up. He aimed and a hole appeared in the man's forehead as the tile floor behind his head cracked. He stopped moving. | Well, there used to be this place called Bell's Bakery. Made the best donuts. Just like this one here. Zach placed it in the window drawer. |
| Outside, at the main gate, multiple military trucks rumbled up. The three tripod-mounted rifles fired, taking out the 3 guards with a single shot to the head of each one just as the first truck came to a stop. Smoke and fire came up from the box on the floor under each | She slid the drawer in. She said, You think you can bribe me with a DONUT? |
| tripod. Soon, the entire rifle & tripod started melting. The reactive military quickly took positions trying to find where the shots came from. Without the guards, no one on the inside could open the gate. | Yes, I do. She picked it up and sniffed it. She said, Oh my god. That's real sugar glaze. |
| Zach walked the hallway. It was 1:30am; there were little staff here. A guard popped around a corner and was met with 2 screw bits. The screw bits shattered the wall as the guard fell. Zach took a left and walked out into a warehouse-type open area. There, he could see a tank labeled “Tranquil v2”. 2 pipes came out of it, each with a valve. One hooked to a line, the other went to the floor near a drain. Both valves were still closed. He walked up to the one pointed at the drain and opened the valve. The slightly green liquid flowed out. He turned as a main door opened. He fired as 2 shots hit on each side of him. The men at the door retreated as he leaned against the tank by the open valve. The fluid drained onto the floor into the floor drain. He had no cover. Something ripped through his left leg. He staggered. Men ran in; he shot as they shot. Bright lights gleamed at him distorting his vision. Men fell as he squeezed the trigger. His right shoulder was hit. Then, his ammo ran out. He kept the trigger squeezed as someone yelled “HOLD YOUR FIRE! HE'S OUT!”. | Authentic. Unprocessed. |
| A man walked up to Zach as he sat leaning against the tank, the last bit dribbling out of the valve. The man, in full military gear, asked him, | She reached over and hit a button; the door at the other end of the corridor popped open. She said, Darling, I didn't even see you tonight. You go right on ahead |
| “What the fuck was this all for, old man?” Zach kept the trigger held with his left hand but let the 'gun' fall. Zach reached with his right hand into a shirt pocket and fished out a cigarette. He placed it into his mouth, shaking as he bled. Zach answered, “It was for freedom, ya dip shit.” | Zach picked up his toolbox and walked through the door. It was a small room with another door. A screen came on and stated Scanning for explosive powder. In another moment, the screen said Clear. You may proceed, and the last door clicked open. |
| “And just how the hell did you expect to get out of this?” | Zach stepped out into a hallway. He walked down the hallway to a door marked Lab. He opened it and stepped inside. Three men were in the room wearing white labcoats, all sitting at computers. They turned and looked at him as he sat down his tool pouch and tool box. |
| “Gimme a light, would ya, kid?” The man produced a lighter and lit his cigarette. Zach took a full draw, and said, “My exit is already planned, kid.” | One said, Are you lost, old man? Zach opened his toolbox and pulled out a long flat head screwdriver. As he turned holding it, he said, No, I don't think so. |
| The tank on Zach's back said 'Oxygen, compressed.” Zach still held the trigger open with his left hand. He knocked the cherry off the cigarette which fell toward the trigger. | With a fast movement Zach thrust the screwdriver straight up behind the man's chin. His eyes bulged as his body started to squirm. The other two men jumped out of their chairs, one reaching for a red button on the wall. Zach's other hand blurred as a small screwdriver flew out of it and pierced the man's hand, pinning it to the wall right by the button. The third man approached Zach as he tugged the screwdriver out of the man's skull who fell to the ground. The third man swung a knifestick at Zach but was knocked out of his hand by a large adjustable wrench. Zach swung the large bloody screwdriver in an arch at the man's midsection, but the man moved back enough that only his white labcoat was cut. The other was pulling the screwdriver out of his hand and hadn't hit the alarm button yet. The one with the ripped labcoat had taken a few steps back. Zach said to him, “If you'd been doing your damn job, you'd have answered the door. I wouldn't have this mess right now. Don't you know shit about security protocal? The one with the ripped labcoat grabbed a stun gun off the table and aimed it at Zach. Zach stood arms wide and took a step toward the man. The man pulled the trigger and two darts shot out, hitting Zach in the chest. Zach said, So fucking predictable As the man stood stunned, Zach clubbed him in the head with the adjustable wrench. He went down. Then, the alarm went off. |
| The explosion was beautiful. | Zach turned and looked at the lab tech who's non-bloodied hand was on the button. The tech stared at him, eyes wide. Zach grinned. The lab tech pleaded, Don't kill me. Zach ripped open his shirt, revealing a thick pad with the 2 darts stuck in it. Zach said, It's your lucky day, boy! He peeled the pad off his chest, rolled it and when he did, 2 metal contacts on it touched. He threw it at the lab tech, and as it flew, multiple strands came out of it. The strands and the pad hit him, and he twitched with electrical shock. |
| | Zach turned to a row of compressed tanks hooked up on a wall. One was about 2 feet long. He quickly unhooked it and worked with his tools and pouch. Within moments, he stood up, tank strapped to his back with what had been his tool pouch. A line ran over his shoulder from the tank to what appeared to be socket extensions with the firing mechanism a ratchet from where the end of it the line hooked to. Just a few inches down from where the 'ratchet' hooked to the 'extensions' was a clear container of screwdriver bits. He turned toward the man on the floor he'd hit with the adjustable wrench. He was starting to get up. He aimed and a hole appeared in the man's forehead as the tile floor behind his head cracked. He stopped moving. |
| | Outside, at the main gate, multiple military trucks rumbled up. The three tripod-mounted rifles fired, taking out the 3 guards with a single shot to the head of each one just as the first truck came to a stop. Smoke and fire came up from the box on the floor under each tripod. Soon, the entire rifle & tripod started melting. The reactive military quickly took positions trying to find where the shots came from. Without the guards, no one on the inside could open the gate. |
| | Zach walked the hallway. It was 1:30am; there were little staff here. A guard popped around a corner and was met with 2 screw bits. The screw bits shattered the wall as the guard fell. Zach took a left and walked out into a warehouse-type open area. There, he could see a tank labeled Tranquil v2. 2 pipes came out of it, each with a valve. One hooked to a line, the other went to the floor near a drain. Both valves were still closed. He walked up to the one pointed at the drain and opened the valve. The slightly green liquid flowed out. He turned as a main door opened. He fired as 2 shots hit on each side of him. The men at the door retreated as he leaned against the tank by the open valve. The fluid drained onto the floor into the floor drain. He had no cover. Something ripped through his left leg. He staggered. Men ran in; he shot as they shot. Bright lights gleamed at him distorting his vision. Men fell as he squeezed the trigger. His right shoulder was hit. Then, his ammo ran out. He kept the trigger squeezed as someone yelled HOLD YOUR FIRE! HE'S OUT!. |
| | A man walked up to Zach as he sat leaning against the tank, the last bit dribbling out of the valve. The man, in full military gear, asked him, What the fuck was this all for, old man? Zach kept the trigger held with his left hand but let the 'gun' fall. Zach reached with his right hand into a shirt pocket and fished out a cigarette. He placed it into his mouth, shaking as he bled. Zach answered, It was for freedom, ya dip shit. |
| | And just how the hell did you expect to get out of this? |
| | Gimme a light, would ya, kid? The man produced a lighter and lit his cigarette. Zach took a full draw, and said, My exit is already planned, kid. |
| | The tank on Zach's back said 'Oxygen, compressed.” Zach still held the trigger open with his left hand. He knocked the cherry off the cigarette which fell toward the trigger. |
| | //The explosion was beautiful.// |
| First Release | First Release |
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