Tin Universe Monthly #1

by Brian C. Williams

  Though when you spent a few years robbing banks any kind of law enforcement can get you on edge a bit. Hell, every time Pulpy is reported in a nearby area they both tense up so much neither of them can shit.

  More for the reasons why Sabrena thinks they should be do what they are good at.

  Sabrena though has another skill that is very human, nothing beyond about it, but one she is more skilled at than most people. She can talk people into believing her stories. She most defiantly is a silver tongued devil in that regard.

  Ken has told her he thinks it’s a not so ordinary skill but then again he’s pretty good at the sit and talk cons also.

  Together they dropped a well formed and delivered hardship story to the police about needing to get to Florida because they had a kid in Melbourne on a school trip

  They were taken on a fast ride with the officer and his partner to the nearest airport; which is where they were headed with Sabrena having purchased tickets by phone on the drive before the breakdown.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Five

  Before catching an early morning flight Sabrena and Ken rented a room at a cheap hotel near the airport. Usually the hotels near airports are anything but cheap but this one is ancient to standards. It was built a deadening six years ago and didn’t have any sort of internet connection.

  Cheap being not what they could afford but rather what Sabrena was willing to pay for a night she would be spending with Ken. She had no problem with the idea of spending a lot of money on a hotel stay but for some spiteful reason she would not spend that kind of money when it would also benefit Ken.

  Even if the only benefits would be good porn on demand channels, access to BitTorrent sites, and a free continental breakfast.

  During their settled down period they lived in a cheap craptastic apartment so they could put money away in a number of bank accounts.

  A number of bank accounts under several different names to give the last detail of that information.

  All of this was in case of a Big Go. A Big Go being when con artists decide or are forced to hit the road without warning.

  Ken was sitting by the window in the cheap hotel room looking outside at the empty parking lot across the street which was filled with cars. A newer hotel had been built and now no one wanted to stay at the Private 9 anymore.

  He sat there by the window in a wobbly chair and every so often he would turn to look at Sabrena sleeping. Ken knew she did not love him anymore. Maybe she never did really but he still loved her. He still loved her and he would still stand beside her wherever she took them.

  And not just for the power or the fact that neither of them really had a choice being together.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Six

  Operating out of the walled off city of Houston the only other currently active beyond human besides Pulpy is the vigilante hero Dniknam Mask. And when I say currently active I mean that people know of. With beyond humans there are always rumors here and talk there all over the place. Some science nerds have suggested that there maybe thousands of beyond humans operating in every city but they just haven’t drawn attention to themselves yet.

  Pulpy hasn’t even been able to check on this man’s beyond human status to verify it because he as with any other military or law enforcement operative are not allowed to set foot in Houston under Houston Act M.L. 78J.

  No one in, no one out, only supplies.

  Most people think he is just an urban legend anyways or just a bunch of fake stories created by people within Houston to stir up interest from the rest of the country or maybe that he’s even a U.S. government propaganda ploy to try and keep even criminals from trying to enter the city.

  But he is real, as real as a kick in the nuts.

  With Houston the United Nations is silent. You would think they would be kicking up a stink considering this is the type of thing they are there to kick up a stink about. Though they have always tended to be less kicking and more sitting when it comes to things the United States does.

  In this case the U.S. basically said we will allow Pulpy to work with the U.N. from time to time if you forget about Houston.

  People think Dniknam Mask is a beyond human because of all of the reports of things he’s supposedly done that have leaked out of Houston. The internet is fast becoming one big spreader of his exploits.

  And then there’s the fan fiction.

  Don’t get me started on the Dniknam Mask and Pulpy slash fiction.

  Also back there when I used the word “hero” in talking about him, well, that have been the wrong word to use when describing the metal masked vigilante and so called protector of Houston.

  This government labeled whacked out crazy in orange camouflage isn’t going to be on any cereal boxes because being any kind of hero in Houston Texas screams “You’re Nuts!”

  Texas alone is crazy big hats with all its guns, talk of becoming it own nation, beyond human prisons, and Jesus riding dinosaurs books.

  But Houston? Best of luck to you in all of your heroic comings and goings.

  Reports are Dniknam Mask handles criminals who cross his path with a high level of violence and that might just be the thing needed in a city that has become one of the most violent in the country since all those chemicals were “accidently” dropped on Houston by a government cargo plane five years ago turning the city into a metropolis that is 40% insane and 50% crazy.

  The other 10% aren’t all there in the head either.

  Then the government closed its borders, declared it off limits, and finally built the wall and for the most part washed it hands of the city and its people.

  But with Houston’s defender it is only a matter of time before his past catches up with him.

  Right now Dniknam Mask’s creators see Houston as a good sort of prison for him until they decide to reclaim their weapon. When that happens it’s going to be hell and a lot of people are going to die- innocent and guilty alike.

  The situation in Houston was one of the first signs of a greater coming chaos and in the middle of that future will be a man in a metal mask as Houston will be a training ground for the choices he alone will have to make some day.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Seven

  And speaking of weird government things; which I was sort of doing in that last chapter.

  It’s called a poorly written segue.

  Move on people, nothing more to see here.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Eight

  Their code name is- The Dawgs of War. They are a United States government black operations unit that has only one mission and one reason to be called. That only reason they have to be called is to attack and kill a beyond human threat that has been judged that it has to be stopped dead at any cost. They have been training for a very long time for this day.

  The American government was terrified of possible rogue beyond human activities on a large power scale. This team is the government’s fears put into flesh. The Dawgs of War are a team created to protect the United States from country size threats.

  And they are there to be at the ready if that threat would someday come from within their own ranks.

  Hello Pulpy.

  In a way the U.S. government sees Pulpy as stop gap measure until they can create weapons that want to act like weapons. He follows orders fine, like a good soldier, but total free will really isn’t ever a part of the strategy a military wants to be part of.

  There may be nothing more dangerous to the transparency of freedom than a government floating in fear of the future.

  The U.S. government’s first attempt at creating a human weapon went mad and escaped. They could always try to capture him but right now they are fine with him being out of sight and out of their hair.

  Though to be honest most hope that he will somehow just disappear because they fear the day they will have to confront him and try to bring him in.

  Most are planning on asking for that day off.

  Pulpy jo
ined the military so he wouldn’t be considered a vigilante and the government secretly laughs at his Boy Scout ethics and how easily they can manipulate him. His nickname in black ops circles is The Big Youth Nazi.

  A leak to a journalist caused a bestselling book, titled Big Youth Nazi, to hit bookstores everywhere that described him as such and now that nickname is used by most people who don’t care for him.

  The code to release The Dawgs of War is “This is Armageddon”

  That code rang through an underground base setting into sight twelve soldiers who ran from their living quarters into a briefing room which for the most part had been used for training only.

  All twelve stood nude at attention since the code first rang out. All of them in front of a huge monitor for over an hour waiting for orders. No clothing, no identities- besides those provided in tattoos on their backs, and all that to help create a better fighting machine.

  At least that’s the theory. The screen finally powered up, phased on, filled with screen snow, and then nothing but a code number displayed. 51222B flashed on the screen. A way for them to know who in the government was contacting them.

  A voice came out from the screen’s speakers. A distorted, mechanically altered voice.

  ‘A crisis object has struck off the coast of Florida. It is causing untold amounts of damage and loss of life. You are to use your training to track down the object through the chaos. Find it and eliminate it.’

  The leader of the Dawgs stepped forward from the ranks and spoke.

  ‘What about the allowed sir?’

  ‘Knight Book is still off the radar and Pulpy has been properly distracted. This is a chance to test your metal men. Our chance to stand without the help of outsiders.’

  Chapter

  Twenty-Nine

  Scott and Siders were what is called in military life, in military circles, in military terms- being pushed around and bullied.

  Basic military operations in other words.

  Black operations agents are loading everything from their base into large crates and taking them away. Not just the data but also the machines, the furniture- even the urinal cakes.

  Scott was standing in one corner of the room watching as all of this as it unfolded; while in the another corner of the room across from him Siders stood watching also but with a more intelligent British look on his face.

  Siders was scratching his chin as he always did when he was worried, ‘I think we are doss from here mate. What do you think happens to us?’

  Scott looked at one of the black operations soldiers as he was packing his uniforms away into a crate and wondered if that was their fate also and nodded to his partner.

  Siders scratched his head, a sign he was getting even more nervous, ‘You think?’

  Scott shrugged his shoulders.

  The last object in the place was crated and taken away leaving the two of them standing in an empty room.

  ‘They took my porn.’

  ‘They took my toys.’

  ‘They took my car keys.’

  ‘They took my hoggers.’

  ‘They even took my Bender bobble head. What kind of secrets could that have hidden in it?’

  ‘I will miss my collection of WC miniatures.’

  ‘I’ll miss my extra pair of underwear.’

  ‘You only had one extra pair of Y fronts?’

  One of the black ops agents returned and handed Siders a cell phone.

  The phone was not ringing. That was advance warning.

  ‘It’s for you.’ He told Siders. Then he left.

  Siders looked at the phone and turned to Scott, ‘But it’s not ringing?’

  Scott shook his head, ‘And everyone thinks the British are smarter about everything.’

  Chapter Thirty

  As I’ve said before this universe is very much like our own. Only with slight differences that are spicy mined launch pads to things I hope are worth reading about.

  Mainly just a few people with powers flying around and causing huge amounts of property damage.

  And one day I will write about that thing buried in China.

  There is only one other beyond human hero who is known by the public at large who was accepted and respected as a hero.

  That hero went by the name Knight Book but he disappeared two years ago; so don’t expect any help from him with the current situation going down.

  Knight Book was the only friendly being from a world not our own that humanity has ever encountered.

  Well, the only person that humanity knows is alien and seems to be friendly.

  The fact that Pulpy is alien isn’t official but you know it’s like when Elton John or Anderson Cooper came out.

  Yea, really, those were huge surprises.

  One other thing, no humans have brown eyes. Take that note of information and put it in your pocket for future stories.

  And speaking of eyes and eye colour and so on, right now in East Mississippi, as Florida is spit upon by Death, a girl named Robin West is sneaking out of her house running away from an abusive stepfather. She will go on one day to save the world because she has purple eyes because having purple are that fucking cool.

  Chapter

  Thirty-One

  On one side you have Death.

  Death is the only being that knows where the true grave of Mozart is and pays homage to the burial site once a year.

  Or was that Poe?

  Moving on.

  Fourteen million people were killed in World War I and twenty million died in the flu epidemic that followed it. Death cried constantly during that time period but was also happy knowing what would follow.

  Death is always trying to help but in the only way Death knows how. Walking to do what must be done but feeling each step as he walks. Not all knowing but all feeling.

  Then you have this one opening her eyes standing on the ground of storytellers and she just watches. She has been called many things in her time but since her birth from the womb of creation she has watched.

  She is me and me is she but no Walrus is involved.

  She is the storyteller of Heaven, the Watcher of God’s Creations. Most know of her as the Angel Who Watches. She hates her given name and has taken another name to cut down on all the laughs if people ever write about her in any stupid religious texts.

  She further named herself Stis.

  Stis stands on one of the hills of what was once the mythical land of Olympus. A land that sits quietly as people say all of its Gods died out long ago but in fact they just left for a better promised land.

  Stis watches history happen. She watched them leave and she will watch the day this planet burns.

  She is the first to know when things are about to hit another gear.

  Things are about to hit another gear.

  Stis watches Death’s footsteps.

  Chapter

  Thirty-Two

  Sabrena has always told people that one of her biggest problems with Ken is his inability to be romantic, though to be perfectly honest and all fair to Ken Sabrena’s idea of something romantic is fucking in the theatre while watching a Disney film with children watching them as an extra turn on.

  Here are a few examples of how Ken is not romantic:

  Example One: Ken once decorated up their apartment to celebrate their anniversary being together. He bought florescent paint and a lot of poster board. He turned off all the lights in the apartment. Then he lined off the floor with poster board that lead big arrows into the bathroom.

  In the bathroom he had drawn a hot bath and within the bath he placed floating candles and yellow rose pedals.

  He had incense burning throughout the apartment and playing on the radio was a recording of him reading poetry that he had written for her.

  Sabrena came into the apartment, the recording started and she turned right around and left, “I’m heading out to have drinks with someone from work. Don’t wait up.”

  Example Two: Once during a Christmas
vacation in Florida Sabrena and Ken where staying at a hotel near Disney. Ken arranged while they were out eating for the hotel to bring yellow roses into their room and hang them up all.

  If you wonder, yes, Sabrena’s favorite flower is yellow roses. When they got back to the hotel Sabrena just got angry because the hotel TV did not have HBO and when Ken asked her about the roses she said, “Why don’t you try and be a man in some real way.”

  Example Three: On his first official couple date with Sabrena Ken rented out a restaurant and had waiters place on each table a portable TV which was playing each one of Sabrena’s favorite movies. All the waiters and waitresses where wearing old stereotypical Asian styles of dress which Sabrena really liked.

  When they walked in and were seated Sabrena looked around and saw what Ken had done for her and did nothing but complain about the food for the rest of the night.

  Example Four: Once after Sabrena had called and said her day of work that really sucked Ken cleaned their whole apartment- doing laundry, dishes, sweep, mopped, and vacuumed.

  When Sabrena got home from her hard day of work she went straight into the kitchen for a drink and because they had run out of Natty Ice she got really pissed threw something and left.

  Example Five: One Halloween… well, I don’t know if I should mention that incident... Ok…?... No. I don’t think so. Let’s just say it involves a costume party in Sabrena’s honor and ended up with Sabrena making fun of Ken’s costume and his love making skills and later going down on one of Ken’s friends in the bathroom while everyone, including Ken, could hear.

  Example Six: Last Thanksgiving….Oh, this is getting ridicules. Sabrena’s just a bitch. No way around it. No other way of saying it.

  But then again she never set fire to a bank after locking over thirty people inside.

  Chapter

  Thirty-Three

  The Angel of the Sword of God…

  Okay, I need to stop for a second.

  How come all angels have to have names like that? Makes a writer’s life hell. Do you think the guys writing ancient biblical text were on some sort of word count? Will someone someday discover that NaNoWriMo is actually a very ancient writing tradition?