Angels Of Death #AngelsOfDeath , An Original Fiction By Ozymandias The Mad, Chapter 1: A Gathering Of Beasts On The Stairway To Heaven! The Last Step To Heaven Is A Doozy! Mind The Gap!
Angels Of Death #AngelsOfDeath , An Original Fiction By Ozymandias The Mad, Chapter 1: A Gathering Of Beasts On The Stairway To Heaven! The Last Step To Heaven Is A Doozy! Mind The Gap!
Chapter 1:
A Gathering Of Beasts On The Stairway To Heaven!
The Last Step To Heaven Is A Doozy! Mind The Gap!
In a late summer evening of the late 1950s, some years after the armistice of the Korean War, a secluded traditional Japanese estate controlled by the US government outside of Kyoto plays host to an eclectic meeting of warriors. In a large wood floored room with sliding paper panel doors and bare wood walls, four long coffee tables rest upon large Persian rugs encircling the room, with one on each side, and with various different warriors on meditation cushions behind each of the tables save for one.
One whole set of sliding paper panel doors are swung completely open along one side of the room to allow a clear view of the traditional Japanese garden just outside in the light of a full moon. The only light inside comes from scented candles and exotic incense on stands lit and burning in each of the four corners of the room. Seemingly hosting the affair from the coffee table immediately in front of the opening to the garden, there sits an elderly Japanese man in a black kimono with short white hair and black rimmed glasses. Seated immediately next to him, centered behind the middle of the coffee table, is a middle-aged Caucasian US Air Force general with short salt and pepper hair and the name Gen. Donovan on his uniform.
Seated on the end next to the elderly Japanese man, is a beautiful young Japanese woman with a colorful and flowery kimono, and with a similarly colorful and flowery folding fan, which she holds in front of herself, fanning herself lightly. On the other end of the coffee table next to the general sits the only other woman in the room, with long blonde hair, dressed all in black with a hooded duster, wearing the hood up, with black cat lady sunglasses dark enough to serve as welding goggles, fastened with gold chain around the back of her neck. The dark mistress has another gold chain around her neck with a red crystal bell hanging from it, which she fondles in her hands in front of her, periodically plinking it with her black painted fingernails, much to the annoyance of everyone else in the room.
Seated at the coffee table directly opposite from them and facing them, sits three Asian men with short salt and pepper hair. They all wear uniforms that are just inconspicuous traditional Chinese clothing made of black silk, but they wear red silk sashes diagonally from their left shoulders down to their right hips. They sit locked in a mutual glare contest with the Japanese immediately across from them, while the US general observes disapprovingly, and impatiently taps his fingers on the coffee table in front of him.
At one of the other tables sit four uniformed US military personal, an army colonel accompanied by an army sergeant, and a marine captain with a marine gunnery sergeant. The army colonel is a middle-aged Asian man with the name Col. Park on his uniform. The army sergeant is a younger black man with the name Sgt. Williams. The marine captain is a salt and pepper haired Native American man with the name Cpt. Butler. And the marine gunnery sergeant is a blonde haired blued eyed man with the name GySgt. Rosenbaum.
The fourth table in the room sits unattended with four vacant cushions on the floor behind it, as the tensions between the red sashes and the Japanese in the room boil over. The oldest of the red sashes pulls out a small throwing dagger, then hurls it at the head of the elderly Japanese man across the room. The young Japanese woman next to him swiftly and effortlessly swings her folding fan over in front of her elder’s face and catches the dagger with it.
Then two black clad ninjas drop down onto the deck outside from the roof above, then rush into the room, and take up positions on either side of the table by the opening, with the swords strapped to their backs swiftly drawn at the ready. The gunnery sergeant draws a concealed 45 from inside his uniform jacket, and places it on the table in front of him. The dark mistress with the extra dark cat lady sunglasses decides to chime in with an extremely posh upper-class English accent.
Dark Cat Lady:
Now now… Let us not get carried away wallowing in old grudges… not when the future before us is so promising… One might even be tempted to call it a new world order… But that’s a bit of a cliche at this point… And I’m not so interested in the world… so much as the heavens…
GySgt. Rosenbaum chimes in with a thick Russian accent.
GySgt. Rosenbaum:
Izvinite… But I don’t think that you will find anyone here who is going to heaven… although we may all end up in different hells from the look of things… Perhaps we will only have peace… when we are all separated into our appropriate hells…
Four British military officers walk up to the scene on the deck outside, where they stand behind the dark side cat lady, and take in the tense scene. Two of the British officers are royal marines, a captain with ginger hair named Cpt. Fitsimmons, and a light brown-haired captain named Cpt. Yates. The other two are a pair SAS officers, a salt and pepper haired colonel by the name of Col. Stewart, and an Indian man named Capt. Shiva. Then Col. Stewart chimes in rather casually under the circumstances.
Col. Stewart:
Is there a problem here mum?… Did we come at a bad time?… Because I thought we were on time…
Dark Cat Lady:
You're not!… You’re late!… But it doesn’t matter now… Have a seat gentlemen… Our Japanese and Chinese friends were just about getting over it… Right?… lady and gentlemen?…
Gen. Donovan:
You’re absolutely right my countess!… That’s more than enough Grandmaster Chang!… Not unless you want to try and catch a bullet!… I’m sure that Grandmaster Yamanaka will tell his ninjas to stand down and secure their weapons… Right?…
The elderly Japanese man simply nods his head, and the two ninjas remove the scabbards from their backs and sheath their swords, but they hold them in their scabbards in front of them, standing ready. The young Japanese woman pulls the throwing dagger out of her fan and twirls it in her hand while she glares back at the sender. The eldest of the red sashes responds to the general, as the British slowly move past the ninja and take their seats.
Grandmaster Chang:
Why are we even here?… More blood to be shed in Viet Nam?… Still without any of it on your hands?… as least not officially… not yet… Why does your interest in Viet Nam require us to mix with them?… of all people?… and here of all places?…
Gen. Donovan:
This isn’t about Viet Nam… This is about something much bigger than that… Something that requires all of you… and then some… My countess… If you would please explain… now that we’re all here…
Col. Park:
Countess?… Dr. Daedalus?… I knew that wasn’t your real name… It was just too much… But I had no idea that you were such an aristocrat…
Dr. Daedalus:
I used to be one John… a long time ago… But I still like the sound of it… My real name is of no consequence… not even to me… But if you like… you can use my favorite nickname… It’s quite famous to some… You may call me… the Blood Countess… or just my countess if you prefer…
Cpt. Butler:
You talk like some sort of bruja… Are you a witch doctor Blood Countess?…
Dr. Daedalus:
Perhaps…
Dr. Daedalus holds her crystal bell charm in one of her hands and flicks it with a brush of her other hand, causing it to ring out again, puzzling her audience as she stands up and walks over to the center of the room.
Dr. Daedalus:
Some of you already know me by my research pseudonym… a necessary precaution that people like me must use for discretion in our position… I am one of those people who arrange for all of your training and grooming as dealers of death… controlling politicians that authorize programs… brokers that assign hits… even cults that serve the interests of death… even when they don’t explicitly worship it… But that will soon all be a thing of the past…
Dr. Daedalus flicks her bell again. And Master Chang, Master Yamanaka, Col. Park, Cpt. Butler, and the young Japanese woman grow increasingly puzzled at Dr. Daedalus’ strange bell ringing, as if they sense something amiss.
Dr. Daedalus:
I’m a scientist… and something of a bruja… more of an alchemist to be honest… I’m far older than I look… And I have in mind a special program of human development… for only the most elite of the elite… to become even more elite… perhaps even to become gods… or at least… fit to storm the heavens…
Sgt. Williams:
That’s an awfully blasphemous amount of hubris you’ve got going on there doc…
Dr. Daedalus:
Hyperbole perhaps… But to have the power to kill is to have the power over both life and death… the power to choose your life and the death of your enemies… It is a small advantage over your fellow man that can nonetheless make all the difference… like with your mentor Col. Park… trained in Hwa Rang Do… or with the Krav Maga of GySgt. Rosenbaum… numerous varieties of Shaolin or Wudang traditions… or any of a number of varieties of Jujitsu and the traditional samurai ryus… not to mention our esteemed hosts… courtesy of the Yamanaka Clan’s Hoshikageryu Ninjutsu… And modern military training provides a mastery of mechanical methods of mass death… without losing the brutal hand to hand reality… Whether you like it or not… whether you accept it or not… You are all effectively gods already… compared to your fellow humans…
Dr. Daedalus flicks her crystal bell again, and the young Japanese woman grows slightly irritated at the sound, while everyone else but her, Dr. Daedalus, Gen. Donovan, all grow slightly tired and drowsy.
Dr. Daedalus:
Between my considerable scientific expertise… and a deep grounding in the traditional medicine of various cultures… I have developed a program to maximize human potential in every respect… But not for just anyone…
Dr. Daedalus flicks her bell again, and the ninja drop down to their knees, still clutching their swords in their scabbards.
Dr. Daedalus:
Only the most elite warriors will do… warriors who have already slaved and suffered to maximize and harness their power by whatever means they can… and have already well demonstrated their power of death… But of course… they can be so willful and stubborn in their ways as a result…
Dr. Daedalus flicks her bell again, and all of the military officers, except for Gen. Donovan pass out, along with all the red sashes, Master Yamanaka, and one of the two ninja. The young Japanese woman remains awake and alert, but her fan begins to shake in her hand. The ninja on his knees next to her remains awake and alert but with trembling hands clutching his sword and scabbard, as if struggling to move.
Dr. Daedalus:
You two seem especially stubborn… Don’t you?…
The young Japanese woman and the ninja both move at the same time. The young Japanese woman leaps over the coffee table in front of her to land on the floor in front of Dr. Daedalus. The ninja stops shaking and draws his sword, then leaps onto the coffee table with his sword poised to strike downward at Dr. Daedalus. Then Dr. Daedalus flicks her bell again, and the young Japanese woman and her ninja both freeze perfectly still, as Gen. Donovan just sits and calmly observes. The ninja drops his sword right out of his hands, without being able to move or even close his eyes otherwise.
Young Japanese Woman:
Kenji!?!…
Dr. Daedalus:
Kenji?… Is he a friend of yours?… Answer me…
Dr. Daedalus flicks her bell again, and the young Japanese woman drops her fan and the dagger onto the floor, as she drops to her knees in front of Dr. Daedalus.
Young Japanese Woman:
He… He is my husband…
Dr. Daedalus:
Husband?… How excellent!… What a lovely family of killers you have… Or perhaps I shouldn’t assume… Remove your mask ninja… Imada!…
The ninja removes his mask with trembling hands as he struggles in vain to resist.
Dr. Daedalus:
Excellent!… You are a lovely family of killers!… And what is your name lovely lady?…
Young Japanese Woman:
Aiyumei desu!… Yamanaka Aiyumei desu…
Dr. Daedalus:
Aiyumei… That’s such a lovely name… Are you related to Grandmaster Yamanaka directly?… Or are you just another member of the clan?…
Yamanaka Aiyumei:
Grandmaster Yamanaka… is my grandfather…
Dr. Daedalus:
Fantastic… a veritable heritage of death… Are there any further generations to this legacy yet?… Answer…
Yamanaka Aiyumei:
We… We have a daughter…
Dr. Daedalus:
A daughter?… I love little girls!… I hate boys!… Don’t you?… They’re all snakes and snails and puppy dog tails… they can be such gross things sometimes… as fun as that may be from time to time… We’ll just have to pay your daughter a visit… I can’t leave a lose end like that behind… not after depriving her of her parents… Don’t worry… I’ll be sure to take good care of her…
Dr. Daedalus turns towards Kenji still frozen and standing on the table, and she raises her hand up in his direction, and then down again, as if directing him downward.
Dr. Daedalus:
Sleep…
Kenji closes his eyes and drops limp like a sack of potatoes onto the top of the table.
Yamanaka Aiyumei:
Kenji!?!…
Dr. Daedalus:
Hush now…
Dr. Daedalus flicks her bell again.
Dr. Daedalus:
Stand up and come closure to me… And let me get a good close look at you…
Aiyumei stands up and walks closer to Dr. Daedalus until she stands inches away from her, looking up at her and staring intently as she trembles slightly. Dr. Daedalus pulls back her hood and removes and lowers her extra dark cat lady shades, which then dangle attached to a gold chain behind her neck. This reveals her green eyes and thick black eyeliner underneath, as she gazes back down at Aiyumei’s face.
Dr. Daedalus:
Gen. Donovan… It’s time to prepare the subjects…
Gen. Donovan:
Yes… My countess…
Gen. Donovan gets up and steps outside onto the deck, and he motions to someone concealed outside. Then a small army of dark-haired female nurses in white nurses’ uniforms begin to file in from the deck and prepare to remove the unconscious subjects, wearing white ceramic full face masks with painted faces and no holes for the eyes nose or mouth.
Dr. Daedalus:
The rest of the Yamanaka Clan can wait… except for the little girl… I’ll see to Aiyumei’s daughter personally… Take the men… Strip them… Bath them… And begin the treatment… Then submit yourself to the same… You have your own part to play general… You don’t fit the same criteria as the others… But you have your own talents… And your expendable… And it should be fun!… And be sure to remove all the candles and incense… along with all trace of what has happened here…
Gen. Donovan:
Yes… My countess…
The general assists the nurses in removing the unconscious men, as Dr. Daedalus focuses her attention on young Aiyumei.
Dr. Daedalus:
Now… Tell me your daughter’s name… Aiyumeichan…
Yamanaka Aiyumei:
Kotaru…
Dr. Daedalus:
Lovely… This may be horribly sexist… Biology is often that way… But I’ve only developed my process for male subjects so far… at least so far successfully… So you can’t participate directly… But I have other uses for you… and your daughter… But for you… that requires a somewhat difficult initiation… But don’t worry… I won’t subject your daughter to that… I have other plans for her…
Yamanaka Aiyumei:
Hai… Shinigamisama…
Dr. Daedalus:
Shinigamisama?… See me as a goddess of death do you?… How flattering…
Yamanaka Aiyumei:
Hai… Shinigamisama…
All the men have been finally removed, along with the candles and incense. And Aiyumei is left alone in the dark with Dr. Daedalus. Dr. Daedalus takes Aiyumei by the hand and begins to lead to her out to the deck.
Dr. Daedalus:
Come along Aiyumeichan… Let me see you in the light of the full moon…
Yamanaka Aiyumei:
Hai… Shinigamisama…
They step out into the moonlight, then Dr. Daedalus takes a hold of Aiyumei’s chin, and she lifts it up gently to get a good look at her new property’s eyes. Then Dr. Daedalus reaches around Aiyumei’s back with her other arm and bear hugs her, firmly holding Aiyumei against herself.
Dr. Daedalus:
Your face positively glows in the moonlight young lady… I’m almost jealous… As a courtesy… allow me to let you know what I have in store for your grandfather and your husband Kenji… You will be helping me after all… Don’t worry… I will train you properly for your new life… if you can call it that… You and I may never agree on that definition… But you will obey…
Dr. Daedalus and Aiyumei’s feet lift off of the deck, and they fly up into the moonlight, as Aiyumei is suddenly shocked fully awake, panicked, and defiant.
Yamanaka Aiyumei:
Shinigamisama!?!… Iie!… Iie Shinigamisama!… Iie!… Kenji!?!… Kenji!?!…
Dr. Daedalus:
Damarei!… Damarei child damarei… There is no point in struggling… You were more correct than you realized when you called me a Shinigami… But the proper term is vampire… But you’ll get to know all about that soon enough… But for now… you needn’t worry about Kenji… nor your grandfather… at least not as far as becoming a vampire is concerned… I have something else entirely planned for them… they may even thank me someday… if they survive…
Yamanaka Aiyumei:
Survive what?!?… Baca oni!…
Dr. Daedalus:
It’s a divine experiment… divine or profane… They have been afforded a rare opportunity to taste the ambrosia of the gods… They will be found wanting and die… or they will become new gods… and will probably go mad trying to make sense of what that means… And through them I will conquer the heavens… and topple the gods that be…
The doctor begins to open her mouth wider and pulls her lips back into a sick grin, revealing her abnormally large canine teeth, that begin to grow slightly longer as her jaw unhinges like a snake to allow her mouth to widen further. Then Dr. Daedalus dives into Aiyumei’s neck with her fangs, and she begins to drain. Delirious, broken, and enthralled, Aiyumei calls out.
Yamanaka Aiyumei:
Hai!… Shinigamisama!… Hai!…
Seven decades later in the late 2020’s, the entire middle east, all the way through Persia up to and including Pakistan, is a smoldering radioactive ruin. Europe, Asia, and South America are a patchwork hodge podge of quarantine zones, warzones, and endless refugee camps, all divided and fragmented by a chaotic mix of gang wars, holy wars, and race wars, in every possible variation and combination. Oil production in the middle east has been completely and permanently taken offline, leaving the entire world to scrape by with what’s left, burn more coal, drill baby drill, or go completely nuclear, or whatever combination they can manage, if they can manage.
Africa enters a genocidal and fratricidal free for all as subsidies and food aid from the US and the rest of the world dry up, all power and infrastructure shuts down and collapses, and the dependencies of Africa become its tragic curse. South America descends into a powerless dark age, with only isolated major cities even being able to maintain electric lighting, let alone anything resembling modern civilization.
Secondary wars for the remaining oil outside of the middle east engulf the states of Mexico, Venezuela, and Guyana, as well as Canada, Indonesia and Brazil. The US economy virtually shuts down completely without adequate oil. This causes the US military to take over and invade and annex Mexico first, then Venezuela and Guyana, inaugurating a period of all pervasive bloody asymmetric warfare throughout Central America and the Caribbean to fight for control of the entire region. Canada surrenders without a shot, as Canadians demand protection from the world gone mad.
Russia maintains its own energy reserves for its Navy and Air force and begins a program of re-nuclearization, but it locks down and quarantines itself, struggling to ride out the storm. India, Japan, and Indonesia, along with Australia and New Zealand, strike a deal to maintain oil supplies and share nuclear technology and development, while India struggles to deal with the fallout coming from their former next door neighbor Pakistan, and the rest of the radioactive waste land to the west of them.
The US military declares itself to be a military science republic under permanent martial law, and it initiates a national shock therapy style program for the rapid and complete adoption of nuclear power. As part of this program, they pull back their nuclear navy from abroad and electrically tether their nuclear reactors to the mainland grid in a desperate bid to keep at least some lights on while they transition.
The Chinese Communist Party takes advantage of this opening to invade and seize Taiwan. They succeed in doing so, but only right before their economy collapses. The CCP just barely hold on to power, and to Taiwan, as they struggle through internal insurrections, purges, and wars with desperate neighbors, all carried out in medieval conditions that make Pol Pot’s killing fields seem like a garden party.
Only the United Kingdom, the United States of North America, and Japan, as well as India, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand maintain any level of relative stability, surrounded by desperate neighbors at war to some extent or another all around them. India just barely holds on as it struggles with the aftermath of fallout from being down wind of the nuclear holocaust that engulfed the entire middle east, and many flee the fallout zone to friendly countries willing to take them. The few remaining non basket case countries band together to form an ad hoc trade and security alliance to assist each other in weathering the global storm, and to protect the shipping lanes so that they can continue to do so with each other, and maybe expand.
The aftermath of middle eastern implosion begins to settle down to a low-level grind of rebuilding economies in the few relatively stable countries under their new secure trade regime. Major cities like Los Angeles are forced to actively rebuild their economies among riots, tent cities, and armed military personal at every intersection. Major corporations form large government sponsored and licensed corporate security firms that protect their executives, personal, and major operations. And endless maze of private security fences and walls spring up everywhere, along with military barricades, segmenting and crosshatching every major city with security barriers of some sort. Outside electric lighting is extremely sparse or otherwise dimly lit to conserve power, save for security purposes.
With the resulting drastic fall off of trade, the port of Los Angeles is converted into a high priority industrial complex, with preferential access to the power from one nuclear aircraft carrier and a number of nuclear subs that are docked and electrically tethered to the power grid of southern California at the port. One of the major corporations occupying one whole dock to itself, with a nuclear sub parked right next to it, is Daedalus BioMed. Their mammoth building is painted all white with no other markings save for giant red letters reading ‘Daedalus BioMed’, separated in the middle by a giant red medical Caduceus contained inside of a giant red circle.
In a tent city on the hills at the far east end of LA, it is barely lit by random fire pits under a full moon, as a thick mist suddenly descends upon and spreads through the encampment and the surrounding hills. A pair of male figures in black seem to shimmer into existence in the thick of the mist, in full normal stride walking together through the camp. They both wear black med kit duffle bags with the Daedalus BioMed logo on them, hanging diagonally over their shoulders. The two men appear to be US Army Sgt. Williams and US Marine GySgt. Rosenbaum from the meeting in Kyoto seven decades earlier, but without having aged a day. But both men appear to have grown out their hair.
Sgt. Williams wears a simple pair of black sweatpants, a black tank top, a set of black tight form fitting loafers like the kind that some east Asian monks wear. On his face he wears an extremely dark set of classic frame black shades, even in the middle of the night surrounded by mist. Sgt. Williams wears his hair as a large afro, with a catholic rosary and crucifix hanging from around his neck. In his hands he carries a large staff and uses it like a walking stick.
GySgt. Rosenbaum now has a head of long blonde barely brushed hair, wearing a black wool pea coat and black combat boots. He wears a black t-shirt and black jeans, with a silver star of David hanging from a silver chain around his neck. The sounds of coughing, crying, and moaning pervade the tent city, as GySgt. Rosenbaum breaks the silence between the two men with a now very subtle Russian accent.
GySgt. Rosenbaum:
Are you sure that this is the place Joseph?… Perhaps your mojo is out of whack?… Maybe your psychic sonar is on the fritz?… maybe having issues?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
My psychic sonar is not on the fritz Daniel… And my mojo is never out of whack… But we got issues alright… besides the usual suffering… Skinwalkers… and not just the one we’re looking for… The captain’s got company…
GySgt. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Lying in wait?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
They seem to think so… They’re awfully chatty about it all of a sudden… I can’t hardly understand a word they’re saying… But apparently… they’ve got us…
GySgt. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Uh oh… I was afraid of that…
A veritable wild pack of coyotes run up upon them and surround them from out of the various tents of the camp around them, as the normal human residents of the camp flee from the scene as best as they can. The coyotes begin to growl at the two.
GySgt. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Now now Wile E… I am not the road runner you want to mess with… You cool Joseph?… I got this… if I have to… But it does feel like cruelty to animals…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Sure does… Perhaps a lullaby is more humane…
Sgt. Williams begins to whistle and the coyotes all stop growling, then fall asleep to the ground where they stand.
GySgt. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Nice… And so much better than euthanasia…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Sure is… It’s not nearly so messy… And I know that you like to be tidy…
GySgt. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Yes… But now they’re all asleep everywhere… And there are a lot of them… How does the captain make so many of them?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
I don’t know… But if he ever manages to raise the courage to show his own furry mug… then maybe you can ask him…
GySgt. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Oh captain my captain…
A large tent nearby explodes with fur and fangs as a large grizzly bear bursts out of it and lunges for the two men. Then the bear starts to speak in a growling gravelly voice.
Grizzly Bear:
Ask the bruja!… Ask the queen of death when you meet her on the other side!…
GySgt. Daniel Rosenbaum:
I got this!…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
You sure do…
Williams backs away from Rosenbaum as the grizzly charges him. Rosenbaum’s skin begins to darken and harden, to become like shiny black obsidian stone, and his hair turns a vivid bright clown red, with his eyes glowing red, as he raises both of his hands to block the grizzly’s downward swiping claws, and they both begin to grapple.
GySgt. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Oh come on captain!… Is that anyway to treat your old gunny?… We brought radiation serum!… and pain meds!… We can help you this time!… Damnit Butler!… Talk to me!…
Cpt. Butler:
Shove your meds!… I don’t need meds anymore!… I don’t need her meds anymore!… I need her throat ripped out by my claws!…
GySgt. Daniel Rosenbaum:
What kind of talk is that for a proper shaman?…
Cpt. Butler:
I haven’t been proper since the queen of death got a hold of me!… What’s your excuse?… Dr. Rosenbaum?… How’s life on the sidelines treating you without a medical license?… Doc!?!…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
I don’t need no stinking license!…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
That joke’s getting old dude!…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Just let us treat you!… We can help you!…
Cpt. Butler:
I don’t want treatment!… I want revenge on the angels of death!… and the queen of death they serve!… Get out of my way or I’ll include you among them!…
As if on cue, a lightning strike flashes across the sky, then freezes in midair above them as a ball of lightening, before striking down to the ground next to the unusual grapplers. On the ground the lightning ball takes the form of Col. Park from seven decades ago, now clad in a black military battle dress uniform with tactical gear, combat boots, and a tactical coms earpiece. On his uniform it now reads Gen. Park in grayed out letters, along with four greyed out stars attached to it. Gen. Park himself hasn’t aged a day in seven decades, as he sports a pair of blacked out shades with sparks of electrical discharge flying off of its frames.
Col. Park immediately attacks Cpt. Butler with both hands grabbing hold of his fur and shooting large amounts of electricity through both him and Rosenbaum, separating them, and sending Rosenbaum flying back as Cpt. Butler howls in pain. Cpt. Butler recovers to try and snap his jaws at Gen. Park’s face, as the general grabs his jaws in his hands and unleashes an even more massive electrical shock through them, sending even the massive grizzly flying back, seemingly unconscious, as Rosenbaum recovers to his feet to complain.
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Stop!… Wait!… We can help him!…
Gen. John Park:
Stowe it Rosenbaum!… Or you’ll join him!… You two knuckleheads don’t seem to understand that when you walk away… you walk… away… But you two can’t seem to help yourselves in poking the bear… And I don’t mean Cpt. Butler!… Drop the contraband!…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Or what?… Gen. Park?… You’ll come and take it?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Daniel…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Da…
Rosenbaum and Williams both relent and remove the bags of medical supplies from Daedalus BioMed they had slung over their shoulders, and they drop them down onto the ground next to them.
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Master Park… Why is this necessary?… Is Cpt. Butler really a threat to anyone but Daedalus BioMed?…
Gen. John Park:
Any threat to Daedalus BioMed is a threat to the new regime… Now so more than ever… This sort of knucklehead nonsense can’t be tolerated… And it’s Gen. Park now!… to you civilians…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Master Park is the only title of yours that means anything to me now… Because you were my teacher… Not necessarily because you were my commander...
Gen. John Park:
A self-righteous altar boy as always… Tell me Rosenbaum… Does he still have that penetrating guiltifying glare?… I can’t tell anymore…
Gen. Park removes his blacked-out shades, and he reveals a pair of white cataract covered eyes, bathed in a light blue glow of sparking electrical discharges emanating from his eyes. Williams does the same, and he reveals a set of plain white cataract covered eyes with no sparks or glow.
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Most definitely… You can probably feel it now… even though you can’t see it…
Gen. John Park:
Oh… I can feel it… But you might want to dial that back a bit son… That glare is bound to be an invitation to trouble if you don’t… Others won’t necessarily hold back for the sake of fond memories of former students… And FYI… A new security protocol has been established to deal with medical supplies going missing into the black market… and unauthorized clinics… You two might know something about how that works…
A small army of uniformed nurses of various ethnicities begin to filter into the area from all around them. They are all dressed in nothing but white nurses’ outfits with white nurses’ hats. And they wear no color anywhere on their clothing save for a red Deadalus BioMed corporate logo over the heart of their nurses’ uniforms, and white painted face masks with eyes and faces painted on them in place of eyeholes. They all carry large black military grade spear sized cattle prods, with blue sparks emanating from the shocker on the end of the spear tip.
Gen. John Park:
Trackers have been embedded into every lockable bag and shipping container… They’re triggered when the lock is broken… or when the item in question is simply removed without authorization… We got a tip that you two would be reaching out to Cpt. Butler… It was just a question of waiting and watching… And you two angels of mercy are just so predictable… We really couldn’t have brought in Cpt. Butler and his friends without your assistance… So thank you for your cooperation… You know… the thanks of a grateful nation and all that jazz…
Sgt. Williams steps towards Gen. Park with blind eyes glaring their way almost out of their sockets, as the nurses begin to close in them, Cpt. Butler, and all of Cpt. Butler’s other Skinwalker friends in coyote form.
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Joseph…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
I know Daniel… Follow your own damn advice peacemaker… I got it… for now…
Williams replaces his shades and steps back away from Gen. Park, and he turns his back on him as he begins to walk away. Rosenbaum transforms back into his normal human appearance and follows after Williams.
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
You may mock us as angels of mercy… But I’d rather be a failed angel of mercy… than a successful angel of death…
Gen. John Park:
Flip sides of the same coin altar boy… Once an angel of death always an angel of death… That blood never washes away… And the angel of death that drew it never gets to change back to being innocent… Not for any of us!… Alter boys are no exception!…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
I am well aware of that Master Park… That is why we have to do what we do… Let’s go Daniel… These zombie nurses always make my skin crawl…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
No kidding… Bozhe moi!…
The zombie nurses move to block their exit, barring their way with the military grade cattle prods.
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Is there a problem Master Park?… Are we not free to go?… You might not want to try that with me just right now… These zombies won’t be able to stop us from leaving… not without your help… Do we have to find out just how well that works for you with your new acquisitions?…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
I’m ready and willing to go for it if you are Joseph… if it comes to it…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
That depends on Master Park… Doesn’t it?…
Gen. Park silently gives quick and short gesture waving off the zombie nurses like he was waving off a sniper hit.
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
I wish I could say that it’s been a pleasure… Let’s blow this dump!…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
I can’t comply fast enough…
Williams and Rosenbaum disappear into a mist that breezes in and absorbs them into itself as it does, before the mist then dissipates back into the nothing from which it came.
Gen. John Park:
Drama queens…
Williams and Rosenbaum reappear in a similar manner on the roof of the old Dunbar Hotel in downtown south-central LA. Then they make their way silently by candlelight hallways down to the renovated and restored jazz club downstairs, the also candle lit Dunbar Club. They make their way through with tense forced smiles as they are greeted with well-wishers, high fives, and fist bumps among the patrons of the club on the way to their usual exclusive table in the back of the club. As they take their seats, a cheerful young black waitress with her hair in a small afro runs up to them eager to greet them and get their order.
Waitress:
Hey boss man!… Welcome back!… You don’t look to happy boss man… Did the stuff that we’re not supposed to talk about not go so well?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
No Gabriella… It did not… We have no new patients for the hotel… And we lost the goods in the process…
Gabriella:
That is really not good… We lost two more patients today… They want us all to die!…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Well that’s definitely true… more true than you know nurse Collins… or want to know… Who did we lose?…
Nurse Gabriella Collins:
Johnson and Garcia… They both passed this afternoon Dr. Rosenbaum… We’re still cleaning up the mess… The hemorrhagic final stage of this mystery pathogen is quite gruesome… especially when it’s complicated with radiation poisoning… It’s almost like the fallout itself were contagious… But that can’t happen… Can it?…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
I don’t know nurse… But I wouldn’t put anything past the queen of death at this point… And I’m losing my patients with losing my patients!…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
I know Daniel… I know… How’s Abby doing?…
Nurse Gabriella Collins:
Abby is still stable… She responded well to the last round of meds that we had to distribute… But she probably won’t stay that way without a resupply… You know… I don’t think that I’ve ever heard you talk about your relationship with Abby… Is she really that close to you?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
I’ve only just taken an interest in Daniel’s case with her… I wouldn’t read too much into it… I want tequila!…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Tequila!?!… If you’re drinking tequila… then we must be desperate… Fine then… I’ll have what he’s having… And it’ll be on your head Joseph…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Agreed Daniel… So be it… Bring us a bottle of your best tequila and two shot glasses…
Nurse Gabriella Collins:
Right away boss man!…
The young woman skips off to grab her boss’ order and leaves the two angels of mercy alone to talk shop, among other things.
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
You should just tell her… the truth about you and Abby… She’s clearly interested in you… And she thinks that you got a thing for Abby… She doesn’t know that Abby’s your great granddaughter… If she did then she wouldn’t be so jealous of her…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
And then she would never think of me in the same way again… Because in order to make sense of that to her… I would have to explain the rest… Not all of which can even be explained… There’s just no point in going there… She needs to get a crush on someone her own age… assuming they’re not dying… And we’re probably not far behind them… but for other reasons…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Well that sounds ominous… What are we dying of?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Life…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Okay… Dude… I am a Russian Jew… If we are going to get depressingly philosophical… then you will not be able to compete with me here...
Williams busts out laughing at the odd brag from his old friend, with his mood somewhat lightened as Gabriella returns hastily with a bottle and two shot glasses.
Nurse Gabriella Collins:
Well… That certainly sounds better than when I left… Has there been some good news breaking in my absence?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
No Gabriella… Just my friend here reminding me not to be like him… Sound advice in general…
Nurse Gabriella Collins:
If you say so boss man… Is there anything else I can do for you?… to perhaps lighten your mood a little bit more?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
That’ll be fine Gabriella… Thank you…
Gabriella returns to her duties and leaves the men alone again.
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Dude!… She’s all but openly begging for it… I’m starting to feel concerned for the emotional wellbeing of my nurse… You are a cruel tease…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
I’m not a tease… I’m doomed… And if you’re so concerned… why don’t you date her?…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Well she’s not that into me… But I’ll give it a whirl if it might get you to be jealous enough to jump on that!… Come on man!… Let me live vicariously through your reckless careless hedonism!…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
You could always just be your own reckless careless hedonist…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
I’m a Russian Jew… We’ve covered this…
Williams busts out laughing again as he pours two shots of tequila.
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
So what’s this nonsense about dying by life?…
Williams and Rosenbaum down their shots and Rosenbaum starts to pour two more.
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Immortal life… dying on the inside… while everyone else dies on the outside all around us… And the queen of death just laughs at us and her cruel trick…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Wow… Are you sure you’re not part Russian?… or Jewish?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
I’m serious Daniel… I’m getting tired of the queen of death and her minions getting away with everything… while everyone else dies all around us… and we have to watch!… And fight losing battles just to treat the collateral damage of their grand experiment… Master Park says that angels of death and angels of mercy are flip sides of the same coin… Well then… maybe we should flip that coin…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
You want to embrace being angels of death?…
Williams and Rosenbaum down the next two shots. And Williams pours two more.
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Righteous angels of death!… Angels of wrath!… Holy wrath!… I want to go biblical on these ghouls!… But we’re not the only ones who will suffer the consequences of that if we do it… And not just for the likes of Gabriella… But Abby and all of her family as well… And that would just be the beginning…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Well… if everyone is dying anyway… and mostly they are… most are just dying too slow for it to be noticed as such… then why not?… except for the fact that there’s just no way to do it…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Isn’t there?… Then why is the queen of death so concerned about recapturing Cpt. Butler?… Just for another experiment?… No… I think there’s more to it than that… And I would love to find out what it is… And we could use some resupply… without the trackers… enough to buy time for some people if nothing else…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Are you contemplating a raid?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
I’m contemplating a campaign of raids… starting tonight!…
Williams and Rosenbaum down the next two shots.
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
I have no problem with that… Being a doctor without a license is not as romantic as it sounds… I’m just breaking the law in order to fail… If we’re going to be outlaws anyway… why pretend?… Let’s just be the bad guys… We are anyway according to Gen. Park… as angels of death…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Righteous angels of holy wrath… not simply death… and not just for the sake of resupply… but for Cpt. Butler as well…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
A rescue mission as well?… My oh my aren’t we ambitious… I’m game!… Sounds fun!… When do we leave?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Immediately… as soon as we grab some gear… But I have to go have a talk with Gabriella about what to expect now… I owe her a heads up… for Abby’s sake as well as hers…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Are you finally going to have the talk about your past?… your real past?… Can I come?… provide support?… and character references?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
No… Go grab your battlefield med kit just in case… and grab a set of coms while your at it… And stop playing matchmaker!… We are not Fiddler on the Roof!… And you have to have character of your own in order to vouch for anyone else’s…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Ouch!… Loud and clear!… Izvinite!… See you on the roof… I’ll play the fiddler if you won’t…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Go fiddle yourself!…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Maybe later… If we live…
Under a large white dome at the end of the Daedalus BioMed building in the former port of LA, the queen of death herself Dr. Daedalus is walking down a well-lit and well secured hallway with surveillance cameras everywhere, wearing mostly black with her black cat lady sunglasses as usual, save for a white lab coat with the Daedalus BioMed corporate logo over the heart of it. She enters an extra secure detainment facility there through a large secured heavy door with the symbols for radiation hazard and biohazard on it, that has to be opened by motorized assistance because of the weight. She enters a small observation room and closes and secures the door behind her. The room has another similarly large and secure door, similarly labeled, providing possible entrance into large circular padded cell with a padded dome ceiling and a padded floor, and with a large and very thick observation window running from the floor to the ceiling of the observation room.
She removes her black cat lady sunglasses and lets them dangle by their gold chain in order to better observe her old test subject Gen. Donovan, who has seen better days, not that he would know it. Gen. Donovan floats in the middle of the chamber facing upward towards the dome ceiling, staring up into nothing and smiling, with long unkempt salt and pepper hair and beard, bare foot and wearing a white jump suit with the red Daedalus BioMed corporate logo over the heart, along with the name Gen. Donovan in red, and four red stars.
Dr. Daedalus:
Good evening Gen. Donovan… I came to let you know that your tip paid off greatly for us… Cpt. Butler and a number of his associates were safely apprehended intact and without permeant damage… Our two favorite rogue elements were even helpful for that… just as you predicted…
Gen. Donovan:
Of course Elizabeth… my countess… I would never lie to you… at least… not knowingly… I know that the hypnotized never lie…
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
Quite so…
Gen. Donovan suddenly flies over to the observation window and floats up against the observation window glass, with his palms and forehead pressed up against the glass as he leers at Dr. Daedalus.
Gen. Donovan:
May I be of any other service my countess?… You know how eager I am to serve…
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
I do indeed… I don’t suppose you could tell me what Cpt. Butler was intending by coming to LA?… And bringing so many of his charges with him seems beyond reckless… even for him…
Gen. Donovan:
I’m afraid not my countess… Butler’s mind is out of reach for me… But I can tell you that more old friends are coming for a visit… tonight… I can feel it… But I cannot say who… or even why exactly… But there will be trouble… I can feel it… It’s all rather exciting really!…
Gen. Donovan’s eyes begin to glow, and a halo of flames erupts all around Gen. Donovan, surrounding him but not touching him, emanating from an inch of the surface of his body. Radiation monitors Gen. Donovan’s chamber go into the red.
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
Now now Gen. Donovan… Please calm yourself… or I may have to douse you…
Gen. Donovan’s flames slowly die down to nothing and the radiation monitor does likewise as Gen. Donovan breaths deep and slow as if trained to do so.
Gen. Donovan:
My apologies my countess… But you do tend to bring it out of me…
Gen. Donovan starts to croon a few lyrics to his blood countess.
Gen. Donovan:
‘I am the eye in the sky… looking at you-ou-ou… I can read your mind… I am the maker of rules… dealing with fools… I can cheat you blind… I am the eye in the sky’… I am the sky!… I am the sky!… I am the sky!…
While continuing to chant manically, Gen. Donovan suddenly flies up straight and crashes into the padded dome ceiling, then he bounces back down to land on the padded floor of his cell, before Gen. Donovan begins to croon a little more.
Gen. Donovan:
‘I am the eye in the sky… looking at you-ou-ou… I can read your mind’… I like watching you most of all Elizabeth… my blood countess…
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
Charming as always Gen. Donovan… Try to get some rest general… I will be back…
Gen. Donovan:
I am the eye in the sky… I am the sky… I am the sky… I am the sky…
Dr. Daedalus makes her way out through the secured heavy door to the observation room and finds Gen. Park there waiting for her when she finishes with Gen. Donovan. Gen. Park and Dr. Daedalus greet each other with a kiss before walking down the hall as they talk.
Gen. John Park:
Any new intel from the general?…
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
Not much… He was his usual charming self… with another serenade and everything… He did say that we should expect company here tonight… Apparently we’re set for a visit from some more old friends… The general said it was exciting…
Gen. John Park:
He actually said ‘exciting’?…
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
He did indeed…
Gen. John Park:
Great… That’s all we need tonight… the general’s idea of excitement… But I anticipated something like that… I’ve already ramped up security… I didn’t like alter boy’s attitude earlier… Those two crusading knuckleheads are bound to start trouble sooner or later…
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
That may be… But we can’t afford to take that for granted until we know why Cpt. Butler risked so much to come to LA… apparently… his own family…
On the roof of the Daedalus BioMed building by the entrance to a roof access stairwell, Williams and Rosenbaum materialize in a black swirling mist, that swirls in out of nowhere, then disappears just as fast, leaving the two men behind. Williams now has a large old army green service issue duffle bag, empty and draped diagonally over his shoulder. Rosenbaum has ditched his black wool pea coat in favor of a tactical vest, med kit backpack, and a coms headset over one ear with a small wire leading down into his vest.
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
The roof again?… Not that I’m complaining… but why not materialize inside?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Inside is not so easy for me… especially if I’m taking someone else with me… It may just be a mental block… But I don’t even risk that solo if I can help it… And the roof of any building usually has the weakest security… nothing we can’t handle…
Williams walks over to the roof access door and swipes his hand over its card reader lock and causes it to unlock itself with a small beep.
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
See?… If we really wanted to be bad guys… we could rob this planet blind…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
The others have beaten us to it…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
True enough… Let’s go…
In a secure holding area of the Daedalus BioMed building, Gen. Park and Dr. Daedalus approach the bars of a large cell containing the seemingly unconscious body of Cpt. Butler, still appearing as a large grizzly bear.
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
Is he still unconscious?… Were you a bit too rough John?…
Gen. John Park:
No… He’s not out.. He’s playing possum… Has been this whole time… I didn’t shock him nearly that hard… I expected to have to hit him harder… But he dropped before I got the chance… If you really want to play possum Butler… you should have at least changed into one…
The grizzly begins to stir slightly. Then the grizzly’s jaws begin to be forced open by a human hand shooting its way out of its mouth, followed by another hand, as they begin to pry open the grizzly’s jaws even further beyond the jaws natural ability to open. The jaws stretch open wide enough for a human head to pop through, as Cpt. Butler’s head begins to do so. They stretch further until Cpt. Butler can crawl out of the husk of the grizzly bear. Then he stands there long haired and naked before Gen. Park and Dr. Daedalus and grins.
Gen. John Park:
Gross… as usual…
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
I disagree John… I find the process endlessly fascinating!…
Cpt. Butler:
So glad you find me fascinating bruja… Why don’t you come closer and get a good look?…
Cpt. Butler walks over to the bars of his cell in order to let Dr. Daedalus get a better look.
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
You seem to be rather pain free… Are you not feeling anymore discomfort when you change?…
Cpt. Butler:
Nah… Believe it or not… you just get used to it… It helps to the embrace change… and brace yourself for the pain that inevitably comes along for the ride… But don’t be shy bruja… come and get a closer look… And let me get a good look at you gorgeous… Long time no see… Believe it or not… I’ve missed that beautiful face… I’ve had dreams about it… Come on… If you wanted me so badly… come and get me…
Cpt. Butler holds his hands up in the air out to his side and wags his hips in front of Dr. Daedalus, taunting her.
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
Don’t be juvenile Cpt. Butler… If you really want a closer look at me that badly I have no problem accommodating you… if you’ll be more forthcoming about your condition… and why you really want to see my face so badly to begin with…
Dr. Daedalus steps closure to Cpt. Butler to accommodate him slightly in the hopes of getting him to be more talkative.
Cpt. Butler:
I just wanted to get a good close look at your face… so that I could see it in your eyes bruja… when you lost!…
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
Lost?…
Cpt. Butler:
There!… I see it!… I can see her!… I’ve found her!… Your daughter is in Ojai!… Ojai California!… north west of here!… up the coast!… on a large ranch!…
Dr. Elizabeth Daedalus:
What?!?…
Behind Butler in the cell, two katana blades pierce through the grizzly’s hide from the inside and begin to slice their way out. A combination flashbang and smoke bomb explode from the grizzly’s husk, and the smoke fills the cell and the entire holding area, blinding everyone.
Cpt. Butler:
Surprise bruja!… I brought friends… Neat trick huh bruja?… Some weird ninja shit… That shits crazy right?… I would have put up more of a fight before… just for the hell of it… But I had passengers… And we were on a mission… Maybe next time general…
Kenji and Grandmaster Yamanaka appear on the Dr. Daedalus and Gen. Parks’s side of the bars, having slipped through somehow under the cover of the smoke. Kenji attacks Gen. Park throwing a metal mesh net with magnets embedded around its rim, that latch onto the wall behind general park, holding up against the wall temporarily as he tries to use his power to shock Kenji, and just temporarily shorts himself out for his trouble. Grandmaster Yamanaka, now with much longer hair and a long white beard, takes a sip from some sort of vile, and he spews the misty liquid out into Dr. Daedalus’ face, causing her to react as if poisoned by some sort of irritant or tear gas, as she blindly flails in her own defense.
Cpt. Butler opens up his mouth, then a black snake slides out of it, before Cpt. Butler’s human husk collapses after being abandoned. The snake slides through the bars and climbs up onto Kenji to hitch a ride back out. Grandmaster Yamanaka drops another smoke bomb down onto the floor of the room. Then Kenji and the grandmaster take off with the Cpt. Butler snake and disappear in the smoke. By the time the smoke clears to reveal this, they are all gone with the doors open and no sign of them. Dr. Daedalus stumbles over to Gen. Park and tears away the net, then she slams the alarm button on the wall, sounding the alarm and initiating a facility wide lock down.
Elsewhere Williams and Rosenbaum are making their way through another part of the facility as the alarm goes off and everything suddenly locks down.
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Is that us?… Did we do that?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
No… We did not… I think Cpt. Butler may have had something to do with it…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
That’s my captain… Does that mean that he doesn’t need rescuing now?… What about his pack?…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
I don’t know… There’s a lot of confusion… The sounds are chaotic… I suspect the captain is not alone… But more importantly for us… is the fact that this entire facility is now completely locked down… I could take us out of here… But I couldn’t get us back in under the circumstances… We would be done for the night…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Well… I’m not ready to be done… Are you?… We just got here!…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
No… I’m not… But with this kind of lockdown… in order to unlock it… I have to unlock all of it… And there is no telling what else the queen of death is keeping locked up here…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
So be it!… Whatever it is… we can probably deal with it better than she can… And even if not… then so be it… We’ll find a way later… I want to do damage now!… Let’s be bad guys!… And sow chaos!… The more chaos they have to deal with the less they can deal with us… And I’m not leaving empty handed…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
What if we unleash something contagious?… something more lethal?…
Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum:
Everyone is dying already… We have to roll the dice here… or give up and stop trying… surrender to our fate… and watch everyone else succumb to theirs…
Sgt. Joseph Williams:
Agreed… So be it…
Williams walks over to a security panel on the wall and places his hand on it. Then the alarms all stop, and the doors all open. Elsewhere, the extra heavy secure doors to Gen. Donovan’s radiation proof padded cell and the observation room outside of it, begin to swing open on their own, waking up Gen. Donovan who had dozed off on the padded floor. Gen. Donovan floats up off the padded floor, and floats over to the door, and then through it, and he continues on through each door he finds as they are all open now.
Gen. Donovan:
It’s just like how I dreamed it!… I knew it would work!… ‘I am the eye in the sky… looking at you-ou-ou… I can read your mind… I am the maker of rules… dealing with fools… I can cheat you blind’…
Gen. Donovan finally makes his way to the outside and launches himself high and fast into the night sky, repeatedly screaming at the top of his lungs, as he is harmlessly engulfed in his own bright white flames.
Gen. Donovan:
I am the sky!… I am the Sky!… I am the sky!… I am the sky!… I am the Sky!… I am the sky!…
The Last Step To Heaven Is A Doozy!
Mind The Gap!
Greater Than Thou Have Fallen Before
Climb Or Fall, There Is No Escape From The Ladder!
For more like this, check out my offerings on Amazon.com: