The Future Is Closer Than You Think
Page 23
He looked into mine eyes and I localed his despair!
“Spread your legs.”
Hesitantly, he did, panting and anxious.
I stood between them making sure he had eye contact with the barrel of my gun.
Now…some peace officer- types like the newer seed/pulse weapons, because of their ability to control where the round goes…Seed/pulse weps are stopped by the infrastructure in every wall…They won’t continue through a wall to hit an unintended. So, no collateral damage, that’s a good feature, but they look like plastic toys regardless of how potentially lethal they are.
They simplamentally do not intimidate like a real slug.
I still use an oldlike slug wep. A round is forced through a chem reaction out the front of this…antique.
I guess that’s more evidence of me being some sort of throw back. I don’t know a handfull of officers who still pack these old style…guns.
“Once the slug leaves the barrel, it’s all math, force and velocity…and irreparable damage. So, there’s no mistaking the intent of this wep”.
I was counting on him noticing; counting on him realizing that he was true-like in danger from a-like o’me, here’n now.
From this angle it must look like a proto-canon to this sweating dilbo.
I looked deeply and meaningfully into his eyes
Math, Force and Velocity “Now…there are some things I need to know, and I’ll bet you could tell me if you wereso inclinated. Suchwise, to that end, I will supply the inclination. Remembering that if you move, I kill you; if you won’t talk, I will emasculate you.”
“Emasculate? What’s that?”
“Basically, I might shoot your dick’n’balls off…That’s emasculate. You won’t die, but you’ll never feck again…so you’ll wish for the dying.”
His eyes bugged.
I took a deep breath. I made certain that he stared down the barrel of the gun.
“Still benno?”
The dek nodded, panting, eyes as big as a tractor wheel.
Then I began to step on his nutsack, exerting more and more pressure.
“Keeping in mind…You’re going to think that you could surprise me. You can’t.”
I paused and stepped a bit harder.
“-Or take me and get the gun. You can’t. I’m that good. You’re not.”
All the while slow-like applying more pressure…
“Now keep this in your feeble brainpan. Try anything and I’ll not only kill you but I’ll sleep like a bav t’night.”
I paused looking deeply into his eyes. I wanted him to see that I spoke true-wise.
I think I recognized that bit in his eye, and so with that handled, I continued:
So…let’s begin the quiz…”
The quiz was quiz-shiz.
He was a lo lev dek knowing not, and following orders that no one thought would be fulfilled. I left with finding out nothing for certains, I glommed that he was a part of an org…probably the Glosser Org, because he denied it so…vo-ciferaously.
You deny what you want not to be true in the face of a knowledgeable accuser.
I know.
An’ he did.
But…he didn’t seem to know anything. Really…nothing…
Not even when I squashed his privates under the steel toe of my boot!
Was he such a lo-lev op that he wasn’t prizzy to any details?
Unlikely.
This lead me to thinking that he was a common thorothug… Had I again overreacted? Again threatened a dek’s life unwarranted?
Loastacin again?
I whispered to him: “If you come at me again, I will prevail, and I will make your life as fucked as I can. If you believe me then keep running. I will take no action unless I see you again. At which time, I will cut your dick off and shove it so far down your throat that it will come out your azz.”
He actually seemed to believe me and shudder.
That warmed my heart.
Maybe I believed me as well.
“Claro?”
He looked shocked and tried to avert his eyes, his eyes were hidden by his shoulder. But eventually I saw them and they spoke eloquently: “Please gods…Allow me to escape from this crazy’s dek’s control!”
“Claro!” He blurted as he struggled to get up, up and away.
I kicked at him.
He managed to wobble out of sight. He hop/ walked as fast as he could.
Shiz. Sometimes…I really am a crazy dek.
Stairway to Hellsynopsis
lll
E
arth, Mars, Titan Calisto, Ceres, Pluto, Charon, Europa…All these and more are settled by “Hoomans”. Earth is The Center of Things, beyond Mars are the Outers; those who dwell in the far reaches of the SolarSys, mining and drilling for minerals and “vaasa” (Water- the most valuable commodity in the system).
The Inners (Earth) hate the Outers because they are roughhewn and uncouth; the Outers hate the Inners because they are coddled and safe and because Earth dictates all the terms for the entire system. The Outers feel screwed, and Mars is caught in the middle.
A murder takes place with a weapon that can’t be explained (or even found). An ex Special Ops officer with a past and a disease he is trying to hide and “manage”, is dispatched from Mars to solve this murder. To say that he’s unwanted on Titan Colony would be the understatement of the year. This is a back-handed attempt at revenge for a beating that he gave to an out of control youth. However, this youth was the scion of the wealthiest man in the entire solar system.
This is the first part of a three-story arc that tells how the worlds will develop and how humanity probably won’t ever change. There will be some who will steal or kill; there will be others determined to bring them to justice. Huge vistas and tight underground corridors throw disparate groups together causing friction that will cause a conflagration eventually.
Ansel Mulligan must find a way to navigate, not get “cleared”, and get back to his family in one piece.
Well, two out of three ain’t bad. Much, much more is coming soon.
And Many thanks to:
My Writers critique group (especially Steve and Sarah Boshear, James McMann, and Reggie Johnson) who were a constant source of constructive criticism and always tried to show me ways to make the story better.
My Mom and Dad -neither of whom lived long enough to see this happen.
My many beta readers- thank you for your thoughts and encouragement. Enthusiasm is contagious. For that, I am grateful.
Dede Utzinger, my editor- who made this possible, and who was my main “cheerleader”; chief “grammar cop”. The CCWC (Central California Writers Conference) who got me started out on the right foot and gave that essential kick in the butt in that general direction.
All my friends’ encouragement -(even if Sci Fi wasn’t “your cup of tea”).
Lance Buckley, the designer for this series, who was patient, knowledgeable thorough and creative. Also, Thank you very much to:
Elise Night- The author of the “Chronicles of the Common” series Anne R Allen – Author of the “Camilla Randall Mysteries” and much more, for showing me the way, sharing what they knew,
to help this book become a reality. You both barely know me and you helped anyway. THANK YOU!
And anyone else deserving, whom I may have forgotten in the whirlwind of getting ready to publish.
Smoke and Mirrors, which pointed the way “forward”. And the many writers and musicians who influenced me along the way- advising me, entertaining me, and teaching me, without whom I wouldn’t be “here.”
This is BY NO MEANS a complete list:
ALFRED
BESTER
ROD SERLING Umphrey’s McGee Philip K. Dick A.E. Van Vogt Ray Bradbury Tangerine Dream Steven Roach Alistair Reynolds John McLaughlin Jethro Tull/Ian Anderson
Yes
Ozric Tentacles Disco Biscuits Alistair McLean Vivian Stanshall Nancy Kreiss Philip Jose Farmer Damon Knigh
t H.G. Wells Joe Haldeman Michael Moorcock Ursula K LeGuin Weather Report Ray Bradbury Robert Heinlein Clifford D Simak Fritz Lieber Larry Coryell Harlan Ellison Cordwainer Smith L. Sprague de Camp
Jack Williamson Colliseum
Harry Harrison Lester del Rey Poul Anderson Cream
Andre Norton Paul Zelazny Chick Corea Joe Zawinul Frank Zappa Roger Zelazny Jules Verne John Brunner William Gibson Alan Moore J.G. Ballard Alistair Reynolds Philip Jose Farmer Harlan Ellison Pink Floyd Hawkwind Neal Stephanson Paul Butterfield Blues
Marcel Duchamp Klaus Schultz Nancy Kriess
And MAny thAnks to And…my Uncle Gerald , who turned me on to real Science Fiction by giving me a “Charmin” case/box FULL of paperbacks of the old Masters when I was a kid. Uncle Gerald, thank you!
You never know who you will influence when you go out there and give of yourself.
Zaslow Crane has contributed to numerous magazines over many years, and has been an editor for a national magazine, ran an award nominated podcast and written perhaps 300 short stories and a handful of novels and novellas.
He lives in a little house on a hill, overlooking the Pacific Ocean with a parrot who is too big for her feathery britches
and a dog who, everyday gives new meaning to the word: “omnivorous.”
He teaches at a local college whenever he can get his valium prescription renewed. The Future Is Closer Than You Think Book 1
Book 2…In “The Future Is Closer Than Your Think- Tales From The Day After Tomorrow” BOOK TWO is coming soon.
In it you may find
* A simple Med Tech finds that the fate of all Humanity is in
his hands. Is he up to the task?
* Most people in the Future have nothing to do. No job. No responsibilities. No aspirations. Humanity is at a crossroads.
Evolve or…?
* “First Contact” The love of Music brought Them from across the Galaxy. Now that they’re here, what do they really want? * Superfood to breed and to feed super animals to augment the World’s food supply. What could possibly go wrong? * In a post-apocalyptic cattle drive there is both more and less to the day-to-day grind of a cowboy. * They came. They sat “up there”. They destroyed all of our lines of communication. Humanity’s last days? Perhaps… * In an alternate present, colossal dirigibles transport goods from West to East. They leave on a regular schedule transporting the goods that this country wants. Just a delivery service really, until things begin to go wrong. Then things go really wrong.
* The world has collapsed. Is there a place for love…is there even time?
* The buying and selling of fake holy artifacts is reprehensible…unless it’s not really fake.
And more…
The Future Is Closer Than You Think- Book 3… Coming soon.
Finally… Drive safely
And
Be kind to one another