Tin Universe Monthly #1

by Brian C. Williams

  ‘Why?’ replied Neka.

  ‘Survival. No matter what these things are. We just need to survive long enough for someone to notice the largest hospital in the city is shut down.’

  ‘He has a point,’ said Dr. Ward.

  And you may ask- What about fucking cell phones? Well, they are scrambled within this hospital because this particular hospital is listed as a hospital under Homeland Security and thus cell phones are not allowed in case the government needs to take over the hospital for matters of National Security.

  But phones like the one Scott and Siders used early do work because they are specially coded.

  Now that that is out of the way let’s get on with the emergency room drama.

  Dr. Ward has Johnny, Orlando, Preston and Francine helping him mix up a bunch of chemicals to use as a weapon while Megan, Diana, and Neka get medical supplies ready for burn injuries.

  The zombies have been pounding on the hospital inner doors for hours and the doors were getting ready to give and just as they did Dr. Ward was waiting with a bucket of chemicals. He threw it on the group of zombies first through and at this moment also Johnny flipped a lighter and threw it at the zombies and they burst into flames but a lesson learned here is that in this story when zombies catch fire they explode.

  So they exploded one by one while running around on fire. A sight that would have probably sent many a kid into fits of laughter.

  After the last of the torched zombies went to pieces all of the ER survivors looked up to see another group of zombies pouring through the doors.

  Dr. Ward, Johnny, Orlando, Preston, Francine, Megan, Diana, and Neka all looked up at the same time and said simultaneously in a feat of coincidence that has never been seen before in history, ‘We are so screwed.’

  There was a bit here with lots of action and zombie gore centered within a ironed out poetic brutality but I think I may be locked up if I release the thoughts that came into my head when writing that bit so let’s just skip ahead to about an hour later in the ER.

  Chapter Sixty

  Dr. Ward was looking at Johnny, Orlando, Neka, Preston, and Francine to see if they had changed in other ways besides the extraordinary abilities and powers they seemed to have shown when they kicked the living crap out of the zombies swarming into the ER.

  It was so indescribable and so violent that I cannot pull myself to a point where I can describe it to you as I mentioned above so please do not make me relive it.

  Badgering will not help.

  So please, apologies and everything, just take my word for it that it was cool.

  In a nice sick sort of way.

  While the good doctor was playing touch the beyond humans and see if they bleed, Diana and Megan were talking as they added the last bit to the new barricade cutting off the ER just in case more zombies were walking around dragging legs inside the hospital somewhere.

  The newly built barricade blew just as Diana and Megan were walking to where the others were in the waiting room area, which had been turned into a treatment and exam area, and standing in the place where the barricade had been was Jeff.

  Then the barricade which the zombies placed to block off the outside world blew also and in the ashes of what was once a set of double doors to the ER from outside stood Jennifer.

  The new reborn siblings walked through the smoke to each other.

  Jennifer grabbed Jeff by the hand and led him out of the hospital and into the streets. In unison they went out into the world. The siblings walked into the city and down the street just as Pulpy landed in the ER parking lot just outside the doorway. He walked into the ER and looked around.

  Francine was the only one with any words left in her system, ‘We have our own heroes here. It’s done scout leader.’

  Pulpy sighed, he received a signal on his communication disc, sighed again and left.

  He flew up into the sky as fully armed National Guardsmen pulled into the parking lot too late also.

  Chapter

  Sixty-One

  Scott and Siders were driven miles into the mountains of Canada where they found themselves in a clearing the size of two American football fields. A helicopter was waiting on their arrival primed to leave on quick notice.

  Yes, it was a black helicopter. It also had cool yellow stripes on it. Black helicopters shouldn’t worry you if you see them flying through the sky but if they have yellow stripes, well, then something is up.

  Soldiers in blue and green camouflage escorted Scott and Siders from the jeeps which they traveled in to the helicopter where they were meet with soldiers dressed in orange and green camouflage.

  That’s some colour coded black ops stuff there.

  ‘Where are these guys blending in?’ Scott said to Siders as they climbed into the helicopter.

  Siders shrugged, ‘A war zone in a crayon box?’

  A quite boring hour and a half later Scott and Siders were arriving at their new home where they would be spending most of their future.

  The black helicopter was a ride of excitement. About the amount of excitement you always felt when you were in the principal’s office not because you did anything wrong but for another reason. You still felt like at any moment you would be convicted of something you could have done wrong at some point in your life.

  As the copter was descending down the former Sergeant and former Lieutenant could see the base. The base appeared to be around six football fields in length, Canadian football fields, and as wide as two aircraft carriers parked side by side awaiting a new group of young sea legs.

  The building seemed to have no roads that led to or from it and was painted black with yellow stripes.

  Hey, maybe the black ops people are actually alien bubble bees….I was joking…Really….Though?

  Scott and Siders will learn to call this place by the name is known in the black operations circles. It was Blackbase-51222 and as they were told this Scott wondered if that would be on their checks.

  On the checks for their last assignment it said he was getting paid 750 dollars an hour to work for a well known taco joint who use nothing but the best grade D meat.

  Chapter

  Sixty-Two

  Sabrena simply collapsed in terror when she saw the bodies of Julie and Lindsey floating in the standing water in Julie’s beach house bedroom. She was on her knees which put the water level just below her throat.

  Ken scooped Sabrena up out of the water and into his arms. He looked for a second at the floating bodies of two of his best friends and then treaded water slowly moving out of the house and stepping through the broken glass doors onto the back porch.

  He walked out onto the beach scattered with debris. He found a clear spot of sand and laid Sabrena down.

  She slowly started crying and Ken knelt down and held her tight to his chest.

  Chapter

  Sixty-Three

  Colin Ryan woke up to the sight of Envision standing over him with a cell phone in his hand.

  Colin rolled over, facing away, and knocked on the forehead of a fully unclothed female.

  ‘Yes, Envision, what do you want?’

  ‘Euagles has a report for you sir. Do you wish to call him back to discuss?’

  ‘What does my pay roll G-Man have to report for me today?’

  ‘Sir?’

  ‘All of my agents know they can speak of anything to you, Envision. Did he report to you?’

  ‘Yes sir. But sir?’ Envision pointed to the female.

  ‘If she is lucky she will not awake for hours. Did he report to you?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Then I have no reason to speak to him myself. What did he say?’

  ‘Last night a whole hospital of people were killed in what the government is calling a gas attack.’

  ‘Which hospital would this be?’

  ‘Neil Brown Hospital.’

  Colin smiled and closed his eyes, ‘I love when a plan starts to really move. You may leave now Envision.’

&
nbsp; Envision left the bedroom.

  Colin turned to the female in his bed. Then he pulls a small knife out from under his pillow and pokes her slowly and shallowly in the ass but she does not move a muscle.

  ‘I guess she is having a good day also.’

  Chapter

  Sixty-Four

  Sarah Heap was sitting on the cold wooden floor of her apartment crying in the dark. She had been able to sneak by all the government agents who combed the hospital for survivors, surviving zombies, and anyone who looked like they might have abnormal powers.

  She accomplished this slick escape by saying someone locked her in the bathroom of her hospital room and she actually did not see anything that happen. She told them it must have been a nurse.

  They most definitely would have dragged her away to look her over if they knew she grew back an arm totally made up of bone that was both hard but also flexible. She signed it with as many names as she could recall with a Sharpie an intern had used to mark her chart to make it look like a cast.

  A bright young lady she is. And so she was not the one they were saying could now heal almost any wound and she was not the one with super strength nor was she the one with agility and not the one with mind powers and another nor were they saying she was the one with a sonic scream.

  She was the one in her apartment alone, sitting in the dark, crying and scared for her future because it just got more complicated than almost anyone else could imagine.

  The government covered up what happened at the hospital and they gained some people of great interest to study. What they could not create and control just fell right into their laps and they could not really care how, by who, by what, or any other question on how this came to be.

  Chapter

  Sixty-Five

  Jack and Usef were walking across the baseball field in the realm of Death.

  This was Jack’s favorite place to walk and think and there was no one else in creation he trusted more with his thoughts than one of his oldest friends.

  ‘What do you have to say about Lindsey and Julie old friend?’ Jack said this to Usef while kicking dust over second base.

  ‘They will fit in nicely, sir. A lot better than the last two sets you brought to me.’

  ‘All are here for a reason Usef as are you and even I.’

  Jack sat down in the infield grass near third base and motioned for his friend to sit down beside him. Usef reluctantly joined him sitting on the ground.

  ‘Everything is going to change’ Jack rubbed his neck, ‘So much so fast amd for all of creation.’

  ‘Is that not the way of life sir?’

  ‘No my friend. That is the way of Death.’

  Later the two friends continued their walk around the field quietly chatting as two friends like to do on lazy days- about wine, old legends, future legends, old loves, old lusts, and whether major league baseball will ever smarten up and eliminate both the designated hitter and interleague play.

  Chapter

  Sixty-Six

  Imagine you walk into your study, if you have a study, most people in the world are not in the “I have a study” category but if you did have a study and you did walk into it the biggest surprise you could get would be a shaved headed Brittney Spears kissing your youth minister who touched you in that special secret way or maybe even something scarier like your best lust celebrity having sex with your mom.

  Those things would cause your brain and hormones to go into such a confused state your head would explode. Another thing that would make your head explode would be if you walked into your study to find the Archangel Michael standing by your desk shaking the snow globe you recently brought back from a trip to Mexico.

  Well, recently being a hundred years ago.

  And yes they did have snow globes then. They first appeared in the 1800’s, so there!

  Jack walked into his study to find the Archangel Michael shaking his Mexican snow globe. Michael noticed he had different one the last time he was here. He picked it up for him in South Korea for his old friend and brought it to him on a more social sort of visit to Death’s realm.

  If Angels, and Archangels even more so, ever make a social visit there is always an agenda there somewhere.

  ‘Michael.’

  ‘Death.’

  ‘You can call me Ja…’

  ‘Death.’

  ‘Okay, I forgot Angels have a thing about sticking to official titles.’

  ‘I see you have chosen a new dealer Death.’

  ‘Right to the point tonight, hey? You know the only thing I do not miss about Heaven? The total lack of prolonged conversations. That and the shiny of it all gave me an eternal headache.’

  ‘He was an interesting choice.’

  ‘He was just pushed a little towards a direction he was heading to in due time. Everything is changing beyond the scope of even you and me. They have to change with everything else.’

  ‘He is as you have moved him towards. He would not have taken these steps without your involvement. Neither Heaven nor Hell will have anything to do with the actions you have set into motion.’

  ‘I am as creation has birthed me and I do as he Destiny cries for me to do. You see me, I see you, and we are all marionettes.’

  ‘All Angels will cry for the suffering humanity will face because of your dedication to your position.’

  Death snapped the snow globe from the Archangel’s hands with quick anger, ‘For Christ’s sake and what of your dog trail at the feet of God?’

  Michael’s wings burst out from his robes in insulted fury. Two of the most powerful beings in all of creation, who once were friends, comrades in arms, were now inches from conflict with each other.

  ‘You are of the Fallen. To pay for your past actions against God you are placed now as you must walk until the end of all.’

  ‘Yes and remember this Archangel this position also has me with power enough to face you.’ Suddenly Death was completely calm and started playing with the snow globe himself turning away from Michael with a child like grin on his face, ‘But remember also that my place, my actions are watched by God at all times. So do not judge me without judging God.’

  Jack turned back around to see Michael had left. His smile disappears and he throws the snow globe into the air in frustration and walks out of the study, ‘And to think I use to let him kiss me.’

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  When I decided to do a revision and re-edit on Stereo forming what is now Tin Universe Monthly #1 I asked a number of people what they liked and didn’t like about the original. Besides correcting the bad spelling and grammar, probably replaced with different bad spelling and grammar, a lot of people thought overall the chapters needed to be fattened up more in some places and stream lined in others. I’ve cut a few chapters complete but they will show up again in other releases.

  I hope the changes I’ve made not only make Tin Universe Monthly #1 a better story than the original Stereo but also show the hard work I’ve put in the last few years to get better at telling stories.

  Thanks for reading,

  Brian C. Williams

  https://twitter.com/hangofwednesday

  https://underthetrainingbook.blogspot.com/