# NOVEMBER Short Story Mix and Match(S.S.M.A.M.)



## CraniumInsanium (Nov 1, 2015)

HI, this is the official thread for the first SHORT STORY MIX AND MATCH. YAYY!!!!!

The goal is to write THREE short stories. Each can be up to 3k words in length. Choosing from the lists below, pick a *Genre* and then a *Theme* for each of your Three stories. The submission deadline is by the end of November. 

The idea of this _Challenge_ is to get you out of your "writing comfort zone", by forcing a deadline upon yourself to choose something you normally wouldn't write about, get the creative juices flowing, and to see what happens! 

If you have any questions, most of them should have been brought up in the thread below. If your question hasn't been answered there, the thread is still open, so feel free to chat there, and you can always PM me since this idea was my brainchild  
Thanks and have fun!!!!!

http://www.writingforums.com/threads/149000-Short-Story-Mix-and-Match



*GENRES:
*historical fiction
horror/thriller
sci-fi
sword and sorcery
mystery
romance
western
fantasy/general fiction

*THEMES:*
comedy/humor
time travel
dinosaurs
robots
haunted house
artificial intelligence
malicious game(jumanji and zathura)
murder


FOR THOSE WISHING FOR THEIR STORIES TO BE SECURE, YOU CAN GO TO THE THREAD BELOW. AFTER POSTING IN THAT THREAD, POST A LINK TO THE WORKSHOP HERE. 

*http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop?p=1930210#post1930210*


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## CraniumInsanium (Nov 1, 2015)

My three stories will be
-A Romance about a Haunted House
-A Western about Robots
-A Horror about Time Travel


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## chrisatola (Nov 1, 2015)

I'm going to give it a shot...
--Fantasy/general fiction about time travel
--A western about dinosaurs
--Sword and sorcery with a malicious game

I'm assuming the penalty for failure to complete is walking the plank or 100 rounds of self-flagellation, my preference?

Looking forward to it.

EDIT: I was going to do the western about robots, too, but I think dinosaurs will be pretty cool! Good ideas!


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## CraniumInsanium (Nov 1, 2015)

Thanks, I totally was debating about a western with dinosaurs as well haha! I'm really curious to see what everyone produces. D

Penalties are and always should be self imposed, of course 

P.S. - Don't forget you can still pick the same theme and genre as someone else. And if anyone wants to, they can change the theme and genre of a story if need be. The stating what you chose was more of to help everyone set their sights on what they wanted.


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## rcallaci (Nov 1, 2015)

A romance with an artificial Intelligence
a western with robots
a horror/thriller with murder and mayhem 


I just hope i can get these three out- either way it should be fun


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## JudyLea64 (Nov 2, 2015)

The newbie will give it a shot. 

Historical fiction/murder
Romance/time travel
Fantasy/humor


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## Shi (Nov 2, 2015)

First time trying out one of these fiction games. Will there be a prize?

Three Stories:

1. Historical fiction with a haunted house
2. Fantasy and robots
3. Sword and sorcery with artificial intelligence


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## CraniumInsanium (Nov 2, 2015)

You can have a virtual high five and hug! Since this isn't an actual contest with a "winner" per se,there are no prizes. In the other LM contests I know they have badges, and I suppose I could see if there's a way to create a "participation" badge? But I think that may be up to admins and forum mods on that kind of thing. I'll look into it! Glad to see you joining the crazy train Shi!!!!


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## Teb (Nov 4, 2015)

historical fiction + time travel
sci-fi + comedy/humor
western + malicious game

Wish me luck, new shifts killing me but will try to hammer one out a week. They look fairly generic options I know, but they are not my normal style.


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## rcallaci (Nov 5, 2015)

*When Robots Dream (2940 Words) (language Warning)*

When Robots Dream
(From the Space Opera serial “Androids’ do indeed Dream about Heaven, Hell and Dragons”)



Prologue​

Barabbas Bennington’s heart was all a flutter. Juliana Nova 4.1 was a vision of loveliness. He knew he was wrong to desire, want and love this thing, this it, this piece of nuts, bolts and biological matter, but he couldn’t help himself. There was something different about her, something special and indefinable that made her more than the sum of her parts. To his amazement and wonder, he realized that he loved her. This love was not how one loved his pet or car, but how a man loved a woman. To him Juliana was a living thinking woman who just happened to be artificial mechanical biological unit. 

I​
Barabbas was chief scientist of the Artificial Nanotechnological Genome Evolutionary Replication project. He was the principal architect of the redesigned artificial brain and body receptacles’ of the 4.0 android series. This series was to function primarily as sex surrogates, healers, therapists and teachers on outworld colonies. They had to act and appear as human as possible in order to blend in and interact with the various societies found on the out-worlds. If they were found out to be high functioning androids, chaos would ensue, and the fabric of the societies would crumble. The robot wars nearly wiped out humanity in the previous century and now only primitive archetypes were allowed to function openly. They were used primarily as labor droids and low level soldier bots. But in reality the majority of the Health and Education systems on the out-worlds were run and administered by high-level androids’.

Dr Bennington knew he was playing with fire with his tampering and experimentation of the brain and body protocols of the high functions. He found it distasteful and even inhumane that free will or even the resemblance of it was denied them. They were imbedded with a subservience code (the God Chip) that made it near impossible to question, let alone disobey, any human who had the android filter codes. To make matters worse they also had a kill switch that those same so called humans could initiate if those androids displeased them. They also limited their physical abilities as well, making them equal in strength and agility to non-cyborg humans. Those physical abilities can be boosted up only at the discretion of their masters. These Limits were put in place at the end of the Robot Wars. Never again would Man’ be at the mercy of the androids’ or let them think or wander about for themselves. They were to be the Human Elites: slaves--- to live at the mercy of their whims and desires.

The Solaris Federation consisted of twelve jewel worlds and thirteen out-worlds. It was these out-worlds that were nearly wiped out of what was left of true humans. The Human Elites were Cyborg. They had bio-mechanical bodies housed in a human brain. They mainly occupied and ruled from the jewel worlds. The opposite was true of the High Function androids that had synthetic bio-mechanical bodies housed in an artificial brain. They were mainly stationed with their handlers in the out-worlds. 

The out-worlds were mineral rich worlds that were crucial to the jewel world’s survival. Until the true human species fully restocked and recovered from their near extinction,  the androids were needed to basically be the scientists, engineers, doctors and other high function functionaries the worlds needed in order to thrive and survive. Barabbas: one of the few true humans, a highly modified and enhanced one, but a true one nevertheless, held a position of power in the Jeweled Worlds. He knew the true story behind the Robot Wars. He was determined to set things right. What better way than to make an android that was superior to a Human Elite in all the areas that mattered?   

In his private lab he set about rectifying those mental and physical restrictions. He made a few modifications in the Artificial Brain. He set up a dreaming matrix for when the android was in sleep mode. The dreams were meant to enhance imagination and independent thought.  He instilled emotion modifiers that would mimic and simulate human emotion.  Over time the android modifiers would fully adapt to the nano neural receptors in the androids physiology and brain alleles. Realtime external and internal events would dictate true emotional bonds. He didn’t add the God Chip or kill switch. Free will or at least the illusion of it would guide the Androids actions. They would be free agents and follow the path that felt best suited to them. 

Although the human brain was more complex than the artificial one of the android, the androids brain was still more efficient in problem solving, abstract thinking and basic intelligence. The human brain used about 15% of its capacity, while the cyborg 25%. The android used 100%.The human brain had too much junk DNA clogging up the works.

II​
She opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the face of her creator peering intently into her eyes. He was quite handsome in a human sort of way. She surprised him by giving him a kiss on the cheek with a heartfelt hug. It was good to be aware, alert and alive. 

She was fully cognizant, pre-programmed with all the knowledge that would fill a thousand libraries. Her sense of self was not yet fully formed, but she realized living would take care of that. She saw her reflection from the mirrors overhead and let out a hearty laugh. 

Juliana gently grabbed her creators hand and said, _“You’ve made me quite sensuous and beautiful and for that I thank you, but I hope you did it for my benefit and not yours alone.”_

Barabbas Bennington was surprised by the way she acclimated to her surroundings so quickly and in the bold way that she greeted him. He found her intoxicating. It was now his turn to laugh, which he did quite heartily. When he stopped he said,_ My Dear Miss Juliana Nova, I welcome you into this world. I made you more than just a beautiful and sensual delight; I made you strong, intelligent and lethal. I have no hold over you, nor do I wish to, but I do hope that we have the same aspirations, to release the Androids’ from their servitude. If we are found out--- I for making you--- You, for being forbidden fruit, we will than, both be destroyed. For now I need your cooperation and assistance. Before I make more of your kind, I need to observe you and fix any glitches that may come up. So far you have exceeded my wildest expectations.”_


III​
In the ensuing months Dr Bennington corrected all the anomalies and minor glitches that Juliana displayed either through deep diagnostic analysis or from observation. He also perfected her camouflage and stealth modes. She now could walk about freely in the facility as well anywhere that she chose. When scanned her body and brain signature would identify her as a cyborg. 

He introduced her to his staff as his new assistant. He created a false profile making her a noted specialist in her field of bio-metrics. No one was the wiser in whom or what she truly was. In fact she became an invaluable assistant and valued member of staff. 

_“I think we’re ready for the next phase. We need to free the high functions from their shackles. I believe we perfected the code that would send a virus to the God Chip, effectually releasing the Androids from their restrictions.”  _

Juliana only nodded. She thought long and hard on this problem. She realized what she was about to say will rock Barabbas off his feet. She gently took his hand and said, _“I believe the next phase should be making more of my kind rather than killing the God Chip. That would only accomplish another revolution. How do you think the Androids’ would react to their handlers. Do you think they will keep themselves secret from the true humans as well? The out-worlds would be in chaos. The Human Elites would send out extinction squads. In the end, I fear that rather than freedom for the androids, there would only be death."_

To say that Barabbas was surprised was an understatement. They worked so hard on this code together and to not use it seemed a waste. But he trusted her judgment, at times, better than his own and realized that she may have a valid point. He didn’t think about the chaos that would follow, as well as the death that would lie in its wake. He also felt flushed by the touch of her hand. This was not possible, he needed to get a grip on himself and concentrate on what she just said instead. 

He took a deep breath and said, _“I was counting on the encoded message that we put in the code for the androids not to act till our project of 4.1 replication was complete. Why do you now think that they will not abide by these instructions?”_

_“Because I believe their hate will override there logic. It may be simulated hate but it’s still hate. My own emotional receptors have fully modified and integrated with my external and external environments. Although my receptors may be more advanced and I have to ability to block them out when I want, they do not have that option, and their emotions will be still quite strong. We just can’t trust what their reaction will be. We need to start the replication project in full haste. We need to go to the out-worlds where our work can be done in secret. Once we have an ample number of 4.1s operational, we can then send them to the jeweled worlds where they can infiltrate the power base and make changes from within. Only then can we release the virus.” _

Juliana took her other hand and pressed it on his cheek. She realized her feelings for him had changed. Rather than the fondness that she had felt for her Human Creator, a new feeling was coursing through her body. She felt desire and want. Were these simulated feelings or were they real. Did it really matter which was which? But what did he feel? Was it just a physical desire or an emotional one? She knew that he desired her but to her it mattered how he desired her.  Can he love an artificial being or did he just view her as a glorified machine, good to fuck, but not worthy to love. To her dismay this was quite an important distinction. 

Barabbas felt a deep connection when she touched his cheek. He looked into her eyes and saw, just Juliana, not some android or piece of some sophisticated programming, just Juliana. Somehow she just became a part of him. Of course he desired her, she was knockdown gorgeous, but he needed and wanted her as well, all of her, he loved everything about her, her mind, humor, sense of self , the way she cocked her head, oh shit, he actually loved her. But did she love him, was she even capable of it ---that was the million dollar question.

_“Umm I think I don’t know what to think, or to do, for that matter”_, said the very flustered and red faced chief scientist of the A.N.G.E.R project.

_“Well I do,”_ said Juliana. She saw it in his eyes--- he actually loved her. She put both hands on his cheeks and gave him a savage kiss. His response was quite receptive. Their bodies were on fire and what followed was a memory that she would cherish forever---someone making love to her, not out of base carnal desire, but out of love. She felt empowered and real…


IV​
_“You can’t, stop being so naïve and trusting, it only takes one confused member of staff to spill the beans, and then we’re all dead.” _Juliana said, while they both lied in bed, with their morning cup of coffee in hand. Well for her it was a mixture that tasted like coffee, but was a special lubricant and fuel source that energized her synthetic organs.

Barabbas wanted to lift the God Chip restrictions for his staff. All two hundred of them were high function androids’. No self respecting cyborg would take on subservient roles, no matter how important that role may be. They only accepted leadership roles like his or Juliana’s, never just mere workers.  He felt like a slave owner, no matter how benign and respectful he was to staff. He had the android filter codes as well as the kill switch which was embedded in those codes, not that he would ever used them. He was their handler. He felt like a hypocrite.  He told a few of them about their plans and of course they agreed with him. What choice did they have? He wanted them to have a choice. But like Juliana said, it only takes one to upset the apple-cart. 

_“We’ll release the virus on them when we get to out-worlds. Not before, agreed my sweet and naive, hopelessly romantic and illogical human,”_ smiled Juliana. 

_“Agreed, my no nonsense, logical, fire breathing Android Queen,”_ laughed Barabbas, as they both put down their coffee and played hide in the sheets. 

The next day while Juliana and Barabbas were going over their doctored Costs and Overrun Reports to the Director, one of their senior staff burst into the office that they both shared. 

Without preamble Marcus Gamma, their head of research said _“I have it on good authority that the Director is getting suspicious about the cost overruns. He’s also disturbed about some missing inventory. He noticed that eight S-Organ vats are missing as well as B-Scopes and other high tech equipment. He’s ordered an accounting. Within the next week a group of auditors will be taking the labs apart piece by piece." _

_“Tell me Marcus, who’s your source.” _Said; a non-pulsed Juliana.

_“It’s my mate, Willow, she overheard him speaking to his assistant while she was about to deliver one of our reports.”  

“This is bad news,”_ said Barabbas, _“We need to move up our timetable and be out of here within the week. We need to procure a space vessel and empty out our warehouses. Marcus, notify everyone to get ready on a moment’s notice. Hurry, there’s no time to waste.”
_
Juliana was impressed; she sometimes forgot how decisive and commanding Barabbas could be. She also made a decision on what their next move was and was sure that the love of her life was not going to like it. She thought, just for a second, about not telling him, but she and he made a vow, to never lie or hide anything from each other. 

_“We need to eliminate the director and his assistant. They know that we’ve been cooking the books and stealing inventory. It’s just a matter of time before they send guards to make sure we don’t flee. Eliminating them now will give us the time we need to escape with our entire staff before the house of cards collapses.”_ She waited for his reaction. 

Barabbas felt his stomach do a flip flop.  Augustus was his friend, but in the end the director’s loyalty to the federation outweighed any friendship that he felt towards Barabbas. If he didn’t stop him now the director would surly stop him. He knew it had to be done. 

He nodded to Juliana and said, _“Do it quickly and as painlessly as possible. That will give us at least three days before anyone notices something is amiss. But once they notice that were gone, and that they are dead, there will be a massive manhunt after us. Before we leave we need to blow up this entire center. We need them to believe it was an act of terrorism. We’ll abduct the 300 androids that are on the directors staff. Once he’s dead their allegiance automatically goes to the next filter holder. As for the rest, let those cyborgs and their human puppets burn.”_

Juliana gave him a hug and whispering in his ear said, _“You will always be my creator, hero and lover, I will follow you into the pits of hell and will never leave your side,” _He wept in her arms. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Epilogue​
Barabbas, Juliana, and 800 high function androids’ were in the far reaches of space headed to the outermost world of the out-worlds. Just before they left they detonated a x-bomb that incinerated the entire complex leaving no trace of any biological or synthetic matter. They blamed it on a terrorist group made up of militant humans & cyborgs who were opposed to the A.N.G.E.R. project.  Marcus played the part of a crazed cyborg who shouted that all androids were the devils in disguise. A recording of his wild ranting and his groups claim to the bombing was played throughout the twelve jeweled Worlds.

_“We got a lot of work ahead us,” _said Barabbas, _“It’s going to be rough going for a while.”_

_‘”Where are we headed, I hope it’s not one of those polluted worlds.” _mused Juliana 

_“As a matter of fact it’s the opposite. It’s somewhat of a desert world. The humans and the androids went kind of native. It’s a minor mining world, mainly platinum, silver, gold, timber and copper, a lot of the minerals that we need for our work.  It’s like the Old West of three thousand years ago. I hope you know how to ride a horse, because we’re in for one hell of a ride. You’re going to look beautiful in your shiny boots, a pair of six shooters and cowgirl hat…" _


The End

*Stay tuned for the Rustling Robots of Angerdean County
*​


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## Mariana (Nov 7, 2015)

First of all, to rcallaci, that was an absolutely delightful story  it got me hooked right from the first paragraph and the last paragraph left me wanting more 

Second of all:



chrisatola said:


> EDIT: I was going to do the western about robots, too, but I think dinosaurs will be pretty cool! Good ideas!



Gosh darn it! The western with dinosaurs was the first thing that came to mind when I read the first thread XD (and there I thought I was being original). So I really, really hope you don’t mind (or hate me for this) but:

****************************************************************************************************** 


Robert had been traveling for 9 days under the sizzling Oklahoma sun. His aging mustang moved at a slow pace, unable to go any faster after too many days without food or water. The nearest town was just up ahead though, barely visible on the horizon. It was a shabby, rickety little dust-hole, but after all that time out in the wilderness it would have to do. Upon arrival, he tied his horse outside the nearest saloon and stepped inside.

The place was stuffy, filled up with plumes of smoke from the cigars and cigarettes of the patrons, who were now all eyeballing him. Just like every other town he’d come across in this part of the Midwest, it didn’t seem the locals took too kindly to strangers. Not that he could blame them, knowing how many men he’d had to kill just to get this far in life.

He walked over to the bartender and was about to place his order when suddenly something strange happened. At first it was subtle, like an odd crackling in the air, then everything seemed to change and become distorted followed by a blinding flash of light and an explosion from somewhere outside.

“What in the seven tar pits of hell was that?!” asked one of the patrons.

“I ain’t got the slightest clue” said the bartender, “but whatever the hell it is, I knows what to do with it!” he said, pulling a rifle out from under the bar. Everybody else pulled out and readied their own guns, including Robert.

A few moments later the saloon doors swung open and a strange little man came rushing in. They all tensed up and surveyed him from top to bottom. He didn’t appear armed but was covered from top to bottom in strange electrical looking gear that none of them had ever seen before.

“Somebody… please… where…? When…?” The man stuttered. He looked both confused and disheveled and when he tried to move forward he staggered and fell to his knees.

“Who the hell are you?” the bartender demanded, pointing his gun at the newcomer “And what the hell was that ruckus outside? Are you with _him_?” he asked, indicating Robert.

“Oh hell no!” Robert said, “I ain’t ever set eyes on this weirdo before in my life!” but before he could continue the stranger grabbed him by the lapels of his coat. “When are we?!” he demanded.

“Uh… say what?”

“I mean… what year is it?” the strange man asked.

“1845, last I checked” Robert replied, now wondering what the man had been drinking and where he could get some for himself.

The man sagged. “I’ve made another mistake” he said, “I’ve made so many terrible mistakes!”

“What are you talking abou –“ but before Robert could finish that sentence, they all heard a blood curdling scream coming from outside followed a moment later by several more screams and the whinnies of frantic horses.

“G rover cripes,” one of the patrons said, “what’s going on out there?!”

Robert pushed the strange man aside and he and several of the other men hurried to the entrance to see what was going on.

All the horses that were tethered outside were screaming and whinnying while trying to break free from their rains in a frantic effort to get away.

Robert pushed his way out to see what got them all spooked and at first he didn’t see anything. He headed over to his frantic mustang to try to calm it down.

“Whow Phantom, calm down, what’s got you so – “

It leapt down from the roof; a huge, horrible looking reptile that stood taller than a man. It landed right on Phantoms’ back and sunk its teeth into the horses’ neck, ripping most of its head clear off and spreading a shower of blood in Roberts’ direction.

“My horse!” he screamed and without even thinking he impulsively started shooting at the thing. It hissed at him and recoiled.

“Look out stranger!” he heard from behind and turned sideways just in time to see another one coming his way. For a moment he stared at death in the face and apparently death was a giant lizard-like thing with massive jaws spreading open to eat him alive. Before he had a chance to even move the jaws came within inches of his face and for a moment he knew it was over – then, a gunshot. Robert just watched as the bullet entered the monsters’ head from one side and came out carrying with it a small pool of blood and brains out the other.

“Damn thing nearly gotcha’,” said the bartender with a smoking shotgun “That other thing still alive?”

Robert and the other men turned to look at the first raptor, which was bleeding and struggling to get up but clearly still alive.

“Looks like this here poor little iguana needs to be put out of its misery,” said one of the other men, “what do you say boys?”

The others grinned and the wounded raptor suddenly found itself besieged by a hail of bullets. After about a minute it was dead.

Something started bleeping from inside the saloon, it came from one of the odd strangers’ many pockets and they all turned their attention back to him.

“You’ve got a whole lot of explaining to do.” one of them said menacingly, “What the heck are those things and what do they have to do with you?”

“I… I wish I could explain… but, but you see it’s too complicated and I don’t expect you to understand and I’m afraid I don’t have much time left and it would be too difficult for me to explain anyway…”.

Robert ambled over to the stranger, reloaded his gun and pushed the barrel under his chin. “Well you’d better go ahead and try anyway” he said, the image of Phantoms’ head and neck being torn in half still fresh in his mind.

“I wou-uld…” the now frightened little man started “b-but you see, this device… the bleeping sound means I only have about ten minutes before it takes me and… um… everything in my immediate surroundings on another time jump… and… well…”.  Before he could finish that sentence they heard another booming sound coming from outside, only this one was different, it was more muffled. Then they heard another one and then another, each one louder than before. With the last one the liquid in the glasses and bottles on the various tables started to tremor. A few seconds of silence followed and then was broken by a roar louder than anything any of them had ever heard before.

“Another one of your little friends, I take it?” Robert said.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen!” the strange man now wailed “you have to believe me!”.

A whinny, that sounded almost like a human scream, came from outside. From the other side of the door and windows they could just barely see the outline of massive jaws closing in on another one of the horses, this time engulfing it entirely and breaking it in half.

“I… don’t think this here shotgun’s gonna do us much good this time 'round, folks” said the bartender nervously.

Robert turned back to the little man, grabbed and shook him. “Look mister, you listen to me and you listen good! Whoever the hell you are, whatever the hell you did, whatever the hell that thing is and wherever the hell you got it from – fix it so you can send it back!”

“I could… maybe… set it so that the next time jump will take me back to the last place – I mean time – I traveled to, but, like I said, it’ll also take back everything in my surrounding area. It might take this whole town and everyone in it, back to the Jurassic era!”.

Robert thought about this for a moment. “Well then,” he said at last, “I reckon we’re just gonna have to take you and your big friend for a ride outside of town”.

“How do you propose to do that?” one of the men asked.

“We’re gonna have to start by distracting it” Robert said.

Outside, the T. rex was gnawing on the last remnants of the horse it had eaten and started sniffing the others. They were beside themselves with panic but were still tethered to the wooden beam in front of the saloon. A few feet away, several men that had snuck around from the back door were now gathered by the corner of the building. The T. rex was about to take a bite out of the next horse when it felt a sudden sharp pain in the side of its head. One of the men had shot it.

“C’mon! This way, ya ugly varmint!” one of them yelled and several more shot at it. The T. rex, now aggravated, roared and tried to snap at them but they were holding him back with more and more rounds.

“Now’s our chance” said Robert and he, the bartender and several of the men hurried out to the horses. He untethered and mounted one of them and pulled the time traveler up in front of him.

“Hey wait a minute! That’s MY horse!” one of the men yelled at him. This turned out to be a rather stupid move because now the T. rex turned its attention to him and before the man could move; he was instantly devoured.

“Looks like you just inherited yerself a horse” the bartender said and rode his own horse a short distance before turning around, pulling out his shotgun and firing several rounds at the dinosaur. All the others followed suit and the T. rex was now being fired at by several men on horseback. It roared at them furiously and started giving chase.

“Looks like it’s working!” Robert yelled, as they all rode at high speed, leading the monster further and further out of town, “How much more time do you have left on that thing?” he asked the time traveler.

“I think just another minute!” the time traveler yelled back, “But how are _you_ all going to get away?”

Robert shoved the reigns in the mans’ hands. “You do know how to ride a horse now, don’tcha’?”

“What?! No! I’ve never ridden one before in my life!”.

“Welp, now’s as good a time to learn as ever,” Robert said, “you ready partner?” this to the bartender who was now riding close alongside them.

“Ready as I’ll ever be!” the bartender yelled back.

To the time travelers’ horror, Robert put his hands on his shoulders for leverage, steadied himself up in a squat and in one quick movement leapt off and onto the back of the bartenders’ horse.

“Best of luck to ya now!” the bartender yelled  and winked at the time traveler as he and all the other riders on either side of him now started pulling away, leaving him as the sole rider with an angry, snapping T. rex close on his heels.

“How do I keep finding myself in these situations!” the time traveler wailed, “this has got to be the fifth, no sixth time I’ve – “ and before he could finish that thought there was another flash of light and an explosion. The next moment he, his horse and the T. rex were gone.

“Well… that sure was… interestin’,” said Robert, “you folks often get this kind of excitement around these parts?”.

“Nope,” said the bartender, “as a matter of fact we don’t”.

“That’s a relief” said Robert and paused “say… how’s about a round of drinks for all of us on the house?”

“Like hell” said the bartender.

“Ah well, can’t blame a man for trying” Robert said as they rode off into the sunset.

****************************************************************************************************** 


Anyway, that’s my own personal version of cowboys and dinosaurs. I hope it’s OK that theme wise it also included time travel and comedy because I couldn’t see any other way.

The other one I have in mind is sci-fi and a haunted house (i.e. aliens vs. ghosts… and/or poltergeists!) and as for the third one… I have no idea just yet!


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## rcallaci (Nov 7, 2015)

Mariana 

A rip roaring story to be sure. . It had me buckled to my seat. A fact paced comedy, action adventure western time travelling tale. You created a great atmosphere. I felt I was in an old saloon in the wild west. Robert the gunslinger, the wise and seasoned bartender, the frantic time traveler and lets not forget about those dinosaurs. 

Love the time traveler part, an interesting tale in itself.  Who was he- what mistakes did he make- what kind of adventures did he have. His is a slew of future stories in waiting.  

This was one hell of a good write- it had me smiling. love the ending- the cowboys take it for one interesting day , nothing more, nothing less. 

Lets us please have a moment of silence for -Phantom- one hell of a way to go...

Can't wait to read your sci fi in the haunted house tale- hope to see the time traveler there.

You made a fan- oh oh- I hope you give this a title- all good stories deserve one...


happy writing
bob


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## CraniumInsanium (Nov 8, 2015)

Rcallaci, Mariana, loving the work so far. Great jobs!!! I'm going to hold off on reviews until the end, unless I can't resist the urge, which at this moment is very tempting  

Welcome to the party Mariana!


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## Mariana (Nov 8, 2015)

Aw, thank you guys so much ^_^  especially to you rcallaci for the lovely, detailed review! (And sorry I’m not as good at giving reviews as you are, this is still all new to me… but anyway thanks again!).


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## chrisatola (Nov 8, 2015)

I haven't read yours yet, but I'm almost certain there is no way we could do the same story....no worries, I'm excited to see whatcha got!



Mariana said:


> Gosh darn it! The western with dinosaurs was the first thing that came to mind when I read the first thread XD (and there I thought I was being original). So I really, really hope you don’t mind (or hate me for this)


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## CraniumInsanium (Nov 8, 2015)

Link for secure entries now included at top of thread


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## rcallaci (Nov 12, 2015)

I just finished a flash piece for the LM contest about the main characters in my story "When Robots Dream". Its a continuation of their love story but it also fills out the character Juliana. I will be writing two shorts with these characters- Hopefully I'll get them done by the end of November. 

I looking forward to reading other shorts- bring them on


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## Mariana (Nov 15, 2015)

I really liked the flash piece you made about Juliana facing her fears and inner demons and becoming truly alive through them. That’s a pretty deep concept a lot of real live humans sadly often fail to grasp 


Anyway, here’s the aliens in a haunted house story:
http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop?p=1932495#post1932495

The next one I have in mind is historical fiction and a malicious game… the only problem is that what I’m thinking about might turn out to be a tad too dark…


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## rcallaci (Nov 19, 2015)

mariana 

The darker the better...


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## rcallaci (Nov 19, 2015)

*The Rustling Robots of Angerdean County-(language) 2927 Words*

The Rustling Robots of Angerdean County
(From the Space Opera serial “Androids’ do indeed Dream about Heaven, Hell and Dragons”)

Prologue​Old Gamrot and his robot mule, Jispiss, lifted their heads up to the sky as one of those large interstellar transport ships hovered over their heads. Gamrot thought the damn thing was going to land on top of them, obliterating them where they stood. Thankfully the ship darted off to the west leaving them fully intact. Jispiss looked at his master and in a mulish voice said:

_“It seems like their headed for the boneyards. There’s nothing there but dust and dirt, nothing there to prospect, no soil to farm in, no grazing lands, these are dead lands. It makes no sense why an Emerald Colored Colony Ship would make base there.” 
_
The old prospector looked at his mule with a bit of concern and said, _“Who gives a damn what their reasons or motives are for wanting to settle in those desolate lands.  Our real concern is why a colony ship came to this world in the first place. It’s been over two hundred years since those from the jeweled worlds tried to settle here. I think this world is going to be in for one hell of a ride."      
_
I​
_“What are you looking at, the last I looked; I have two eyeballs, a nose, and two ears like everyone else,” said the travelling stranger sitting at the bar. “Just let me have my drink in peace and I’ll be on my way” _

_“Since when do Robots drink”_, said one of the gun toting patrons, _“We don’t abide your kind in these parts, as a matter of fact, we string them up and rip them apart piece by piece. It’s time to pray to any of your gods if you got them, oh I forgot, you don’t have any souls, your just pieces of tin and wire”_ The gun toting patron put a gun to the travelers head and was readying to escort the stranger to the hanging tree, but the traveler had other plans.

With lightening quick speed the traveler grabbed the gun from the startled patron’s hand and threw him to the ground breaking a few ribs in the process. Other cowpokes in the bar started to grab for their guns, but the stranger in a blaze of speed, gunned each and every one down before they could get their shooters out of their holsters.

_“Who, who, are you, wwwhaaat are you, there are no robots that can do anything like that in these parts or the whole freaking world. Show some mercy, I didn’t mean anything I said. I was just fooling around. _” Said the sniveling, whining, Patron, now shitting in his drawers while begging for his life.
_
"First off, I’m a fucking Android asshole, not a robot, although with your limited intelligence that would be a hard concept to grasp, secondly, I do in fact have a soul, and pray to any god that will listen, thirdly, yes a whole lot of us, have strengths and powers beyond your imagination and finally, no, I’m not showing a dirt bag like you any mercy, as I’m sure you never showed what you call, robots, anything of the kind. ”_

The Traveler put a bullet through his head and headed for the door. As she was about to head out of this dirt infested town and hit the open road, she turned around and said to those shaking and trembling cowboys who still remained alive: 

_“They call me Lady Nova, the fastest draw and meanest mother fucking gunslinger you’ll ever want to meet. If I ever hear that this town is back in the business of hanging and ripping apart robots, I’ll come back with my gang and kill and maim every last one of you .I’ll start with the children first and work my way up, better yet, I’ll leave them till last and then cook them till their tender enough for our horses to eat.” _

She turned around, walked out the door, got on her horse, whispered a few words in his ear, and rode off into the purple hazed sunset.
……….

II​
The Citizens of Angerdean County were in a festive mood. This was the third anniversary of the Homecoming. 

Three years ago this day, eight hundred and thirty five androids, ninety eight robots, forty two enhanced humans, and sixteen cyborgs, made this semi- desert world, Paladin, their home and base of operations. They arrived on a jeweled world transport ship with a crew of one hundred and seventy three space-pirates, made up of fifteen enhanced humans, four cyborgs, twenty five class 3.4 androids, nine 3.9 class androids and eighty two robots. Their passengers consisted of eight hundred class 4.0 androids, one 4.1 class android, sixteen robots and an enhanced human.  

An Alliance, a commitment to mutual goals and a bond of friendship and trust was formed between the Space-Pirates and the Barnovians (named so in honor of Barabbas Covington and Juliana Nova) on their six hundred light year ride through space together. When they reached their journeys end they swore fealty towards each other and collectively called themselves the Cyhuriods of Paladin.

They made base and home on the most isolated and seemingly desolate part of the planet. In fact it was quite mineral and water rich. Deep scan detectors, far more advanced that were used by the existing inhabitants, detected underground caverns rich in various mineral deposits and deep water wells.  They constructed underground laborites, factories and mining operations so that they could research and build advanced androids, more efficient and semi sentient robots, discover better and more streamlined cloning methods and build more sophisticated advanced weaponry. 

They also erected under the strict supervision of the space-pirates, a huge spaceship building complex devoted to making small ships suitable for piracy and smuggling. Of course these were all hidden and camouflaged from prying eyes. On the surface, The County of Angerdean was a network of ten small townships and a Capitol Center that reassembled towns out of the Old West, of one of the Jeweled Planets, the Emerald planet also called earth, some three thousand years ago. 

This day also marked the day that Dr. Barabbas Covington released the 4.0 Androids of their yoke. He sent a virus into their “God Chip” effectively killing it, leaving them free to finally make their own decisions. This God Chip made them subservient to anyone who held the android filter codes. In this case Barabbas was the one who held them. Dr Covington also shut off the strength and special ability inhibitors that restricted the androids full capabilities. 

He gave them a choice as well, to stay and build a community and empire with him and Juliana, or to go out on their own, and make a life of their own choosing. Each and everyone chose to stay with Barabbas and Juliana. They would follow and obey Barabbas with or without the use of any chip. He was their liberator, their hero. They knew that He loved them, and that was all they needed to know.

The homecoming festival usually lasted a week. The Cyhuriods danced, sang and did lots of other interesting things. A good time was had by all.
…..

III​
Barabbas was in the staff room with the heads of his departments, Dr. Marcus Maximus, (Head of Research and Development) Willow Willoughby R.S.D, (Chief Administrator) Dr. Petrie Rippledire, (Head of Robotics) Dr. Delemor Bellaforte, (Head of Human Enchantment and Cloning) Casius Coxpit D.D.M., (Head of Weapons Research) Sorella Sapphire D.D.M. , (Head of Mining Operations) and Caption Zachariah P. Zestabar, titular head of the Space Pirate Federation and Head of Space Exploration, Ship Building, and Procurement. 

He decided he’d wait five more minutes for Juliana. She was on stealth mode, so he had no idea if she was in the compound or not. She was on a mission for the past three weeks, and the parts he saw of it concerned him. She took to many risks, way, way too many. That’s why she went on stealth mode, to protect him from freaking out. To his great relief, she strode in to the staff room with a twinkle in her eyes a smile on her face. The first thing she did was to wrap her arms around Barabbas and give him one juicy kiss. 

Barabbas whispered in her ear, _“Please don’t shut me out like that again, it’s better to know what’s going on than not. I swear I’ll be good from now on; you don’t need to protect me, my deliciously sweet and crazy gun-slinging love of my life._” Barabbas raising his voice so everyone could hear, said, _“You look like one evil maniacal gun-toting cowgirl. I hope things went according to plan. The floor is yours, please fill us in.”_

Juliana said a few hellos’s, took some quick hugs from the Caption and Sorella and proceeded with the debriefing. She rested her arms on the podium and spoke of her mission in the badlands where the planets government was near nonexistent. It was a lawless land where bands of outlaws roamed freely. She said,

_“Phase two is completed. We have complete control of the badlands. As you know for the past year we have been sending teams of newly awakened 4.1’s out in the badlands to hone in on their skills, and decision making. It’s a great way to teach them how to live in a dangerous world and prepare some of them for their primary assignment amongst the Jeweled worlds. We’ve been causing havoc among the Pure or Unsullied Human settlements. The name of Lady Nova and her Novarites causes fear in the hearts and minds of those who live and breathe, as well as those who don’t. We’ve become the Law in some areas and rustling, thieving outlaws in others. We now have control of all their mining operations, radar and surveillance stations as well as their grazing lands. We’re also the darlings and protectors of the Robots, and the lower level 2.9 and 3.1 class androids. They’ve become our eyes and ears in the rudimentary government power bases in this world.” _Juliana paused, cleared her throat and said,_ “ Any Questions”_

It was Caption Zachariah P. Zestabar who asked the first question. In an excited tone he said;

_“When can I start building the space station that will be anchoring our fleet? I also need to make larger war vessels for our defense and without the station that would be impossible.” 
_
Juliana smiled and said, _“Now. With control of the surveillance stations stationed in the badlands we can now filter out any signals of activity in our area of space. We can have ten space stations with thousands of ships and all the government surveillance would see is empty space. In time we will be Paladins government. But for now we own the badlands. “
_
Dr Bellaforte waited to see if Zestabar had any more questions. He didn’t, so she asked Juliana if she brought back any viable organic vessels. 

Juliana Said, _“Yes we did. We’ve brought back over seventy five robust specimens. We can clone them, accelerate the process, and use those clones as organ resources for our enhanced humans and cyborgs.  We also will put some in breeding farms in order to always have a supply at hand. We also can now study their brain and organ activity at closer quarters, selecting a few to become cyborg or enhanced after we psychologically re-orient them to our way of thinking. We can use them to infiltrate all areas of Paladins’ society.” _

Dr Rippledire gently interrupted Juliana and said;

_“This is indeed good news about the space station. We need certain minerals and materials for our synthetic fabrications. We have all the bio-genetic material that we need but we are lacking some synthetic bio-fuels and some rare metals and minerals that are lacking on this planet. I have enough synthetic organics for a hundred more 4.1’s and reserve materials for our existing androids medicinal and regenerative needs for only the next fifty years. We need the Caption and his crew to start the piracy and smuggling operation as soon as possible…” _

The staff meeting lasted through the night while the music and laughing of the homecoming festival was soothing background noise to those who were shaping their destiny. 
….

IV​
Governor Pinkerton Linkhorn was not in the best of moods. He was feeling uneasy and out of sorts. Things didn’t seem quite right.  As a matter of fact he was becoming quite concerned. No transport vessels or ships of any kind had entered or docked in their space ports.  He hadn’t had any contact or communication with the other Outworlds for over a month. But this was the least important planet in the Outworlds, he reasoned, and communication with the other worlds was always sparse.  He cursed himself for the thousandth time on his bad luck at being stationed in this shithole of a world. This world was barely civilized, and the living conditions were harsh. He was always hot and sticky. He longed for the day when he was recalled home.

He was startled out of his reverie by the frantic actions of his Chief of Staff. He burst into his office, headed for the bar, grabbed a bottle of valerian whiskey, and took a long hard gulp. 

_“Buford, what the hell are you doing, get a grip on yourself, you look like some mad robot who thinks he can fly”, exclaimed the Governor, “put down that bottle and tell me what’s got your pants all twisted up in your balls.” 
_
Buford took a deep breath, burped and said, _“We’re surrounded, there’s a whole mess of super robots outside the capitol gates. They’re giving us One hour to surrender, if we don’t they’ll puts us all in pots of boiling water and cook us.”_

_“Have you all gone mad”, screamed the governor, “Where are the federation armies and ships, have they been alerted, what about our own defenses, they’re formidable compared to what these native idiots posses. What’s this babbling about super robots, our protocols wouldn’t allow such a thing. Call in the troops and burn these robots to ashes.”_

Buford looked like he was about to cry, as a matter of fact he was crying when he told the governor, _“ They overran five of our space stations where all of the federation solders and ships were stationed at. They have their own fleet of ships and the notorious pirate, ‘The Scourge of the Jeweled Worlds’, Caption Zestabar leads them. He showed the federation soldiers no quarter, they’re all dead. Our own guards, five thousand of them, met the robots outside our gates less than twenty minutes ago. They too are all dead. There are only about two hundred robots out there and they killed five thousand of our solders in less than twenty minutes. I’d call those fucking robots, super, wouldn’t you? I’d prefer to remain alive rather than being cooked, Sir, the Lady Nova, the mad gunslinger of the badlands (it seems all those stories about her were true) awaits your decision. I’d suggest that you surrender to her now, and beg for mercy so that we all might live to see another day.”_

It was now the governors turn to cry, he took the bottle out of Buford’s hand and chugged down what was left of it. _“Get me my coat, it’s time to lick a little boot and kiss a little ass, it’s just my luck to be stationed on a world that is overrun by Robots”. _
…….

Epilogue​Juliana and Barabbas hugged and said farewells to each and every one of the three hundred and sixty high functioning 4.1 Androids’ that were embarking on their mission to the jeweled worlds. Their mission was to infiltrate areas of influence in industry, government and entertainment. They were to initiate changes from within and when the time was right, the God Chip virus would be released, setting in motion a complete paradigm shift in the social, economic, and political structure of the jeweled worlds. Each world would be infiltrated by thirty high function 4.1 Androids and additional operatives if needed. The Solaris Federation was in for one hell of a surprise. The Federations Class F. Starship, one of the many ships captured by the Cyhuriods, would pose as a ship on a diplomatic mission from Paladin. The governor of that Planet needed to renew mining treaties with all twelve planets and preferred to do it in person. Governor Pinkerton was gently persuaded to go along with their plans…being the brain he had was no longer his own. 

Caption Zachariah P. Zestabar was one happy Pirate. Never in his wildest dreams did he see himself as a commander of a Naval Fleet of Starships, Transports, Fighter Drones and Scout Vessels, and to top it all off his main mission was to be a Smuggler   and Pirate, two things that he loved to do most. He left his number two in charge of the fleet while he strode and sat in his shiny new seat on his Class Three Starfighter, which held a crew of thirty two, and ordered it to be fired up. Along with three other Starfighters, they exited the spaceport and headed out into the darkness of space to look for and acquire some booty….
The End

*Stay tuned for “The Space Pirates of Angerdean’s Haunted Treasure Trove”*​


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## Mariana (Nov 20, 2015)

A very gripping, compelling and complex continuation story , very well done! It’s nice that we get to hear more and more about Barabbas and Juliana and their mission and I can’t wait to hear about what happens with those space pirates.


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## Mariana (Nov 27, 2015)

OK, here's the third one, at the bottom: http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop?p=1930210#post1930210


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## ArrowInTheBowOfTheLord (Nov 29, 2015)

*THE SAMPO*
​*

I.*​Kristian sat with his back against the sandbags and tried to sleep. He had only a few hours to rest before he would have to help repair the bunker, and in the morning the Russians would be bombarding them again. Air so cold it turned breath into frost crept in from outside, where freshly fallen snow covered ski tracks and dead bodies. Kristian shivered, and again closed his eyes. He was thoroughly exhausted, but sleep did not come.

It had not been like this early in the war. But now, with the Russians constantly attacking for three days at a time and the bunkers so far apart, the soldiers were slowly wearing down. _I’m just too tired to be anything but afraid, _he thought.

“Kristian!”

He jerked his head up, and his friend Jere stood before him, stomping snow off his boots, slapping his hands to keep warm, and breathing out puffs of fog.

“I found the strangest thing when we were digging out the storeroom,” Jere said, pulling an object out of his pack. “Look.”

Jere’s outstretched hand held a small object, only a little larger than his palm: a plaque made of wood, beautifully carved. Kristian took it and turned it over in his hands, entranced by the intricacy.

“I thought you’d like that. But you should sleep.”

Kristian rubbed his eyes. “I can’t.”

A shadow flickered across Jere’s face, and he slumped beside him. “I couldn’t either tonight.”

Kristian looked over in surprise. “What?”

“It’s just—it seems inevitable that—when we’re defeated, well. . .” Jere looked at his hands.

Kristian felt a coldness growing inside of him, and he, too, lowered his eyes. “Jere, do you think that when—if we lose, will we lose everything we’ve won in the past? Will we still be Finland, even?”

“I don’t know,” Jere said, and shakily rose his feet. “I just don’t want to die.”

Jere walked to the other end of the room and laid on his back. “Try to sleep,” he said, closing his eyes. 
​Kristian traced the design on the plaque over and over. It amazed him, enraptured him. It was an image of a mountain with a wheel that looked like an eye at the center; vines and roots grew over the wheel, and two chains crossed in front of it. It was beautiful. His fear receded to the back of his mind, and the carving was all he could see. Then, a most amazing thing happened.

The pictures in the plaque moved. At first they only quivered, like the flickering of a picture show, except in wood. Then, three figures entered from the left: a stocky, strong figure carrying a hammer, a tall, stately old man, and a young swordsman with long hair and a reckless demeanor. The first figure pried the chains loose; the second brought out a harp and at his singing the roots unraveled. Then the last figure lifted the wheel that looked like an eye with both his hands, and it turned round and round in his grasp.
Kristian watched in wonder and disbelief, and to his delight, the moving carvings played before him a vaguely familiar story, about the three men taking the object back to their land. As it ended, Kristian finally understood. 
_
Why, this is the story of the Sampo! _he thought. _From our folktales. From the Kalevala. _The three heroes were Ilmarinen, Väinämöinen, and Lemminkäinen, and the wheel was the Sampo, a talisman of prosperity in all the tales. 

“Kristian. Kristian.” Jere’s voice broke into Kristian’ mind.

“Oh—Jere. Was I asleep?”

“You never closed your eyes.”
_
But it must have been a dream, _thought Kristian, as the numbness in his hands, his exhaustion, and his fear returned.


*II.*​For the next two days, there was barely any rest. By day the Russian artillery fired shell after shell, and by night the bunkers had to be rebuilt. But any time there was a pause, Kristian would take the carving in his hands and watch it play its stories. Whether they were real or inside his mind, he didn’t know, but they all swept him up anyway: he saw Ilmarinen woo the Maiden of the Rainbow, he saw Snowfoot and Lemminkainen defeat Frost, he saw Väinämöinen build a ship from a distaff and spindle. There were tales he knew to be true, too—from history. Gustavus Adolphus, the Caroleans, Elias Lonnrot—all of them lived inside the carvings. And, always, it played the story of the Sampo, the first of the stories that Kristian had seen.  And as the fighting wore on, Kristian realized what the plaque really was.

On the third morning, the pounding of artillery stopped. The Russians had taken a break. It was a freezing day, but, of course, there was work to be done, and no one rested for long. That evening, Kristian found Jere in the bunker.

“I think I finally know what this is.”

“What do you mean?” Jere said.”

“It won’t make very much sense, not until you see. Just, hold it for a while, and watch.”

“Watch what?”

Kristian handed the plaque to him with care, and Jere took it, bewildered. He glanced at the image in his hand: the mountain with the wheel at its center. He was about to look away, but, almost immediately, his eyes were drawn back to the carving. And then, it trembled, shifted, and the image of the mountain faded. Coming from somewhere he could not see, an army of soldiers marched, slowly and in despair, before his eyes. They carried something with them, and as Jere looked closer, he saw that it was a casket. He could not hear their voices, and yet he knew what they said: “The king is dead. . .Carolus Rex is dead.”

Jere jerked his eyes away from the image and covered it with his hand. When he lifted it, there was only the mountain and the wheel. 

“I’m insane.” He turned to Kristian, and drew in his breath sharply. “You saw this, too? You saw the carvings move?”

“Yes.”

“We’re insane.”

“Maybe we are.” Kristian said, reflecting. “But—maybe not. I’m not sure what you saw, but what I saw was the story of the Sampo. And that wheel with the eye in the mountain? That’s the Sampo.”

Jere eyed him curiously. “The Sampo from the Kalevala?”

“Well—yes. And I think, though I’m not sure, that this—this _is _the Sampo. At least, a fragment of it.”

Jere sighed deeply. 

“At least _you _are insane,” he said. 

“Am I?” Kristian said softly, staring at the plaque in his hands.

There was silence for a long while, until a deafening explosion shattered it. Jere was on his feet in a moment. “They’re attacking again!” The shrieking of shells cut through the cold of Finnish winter, and the clamour of shouts and gunfire rattled the walls.

Jere grabbed Kristian’s arm. “Come on, we have to get out!”

The ground heaved beneath their feet as another thunderous blast resounded through the bunker; Kristian stumbled down, his hands slamming to the ground. Dust billowed all around, and he could not see. Then, with piercing whistle, something whizzed past his ear—a shell.
_
Jere’s behind me, _he thought.
_
Jere’s behind me!_

Time seemed to slow, and the explosion was like a thousand explosions, one after the other, ringing like broken bells in his ears. Something ripped into his hand, and pain roared up his arm; his head struck against something, and he knew no more.


*III.*​Kristian was dreaming. There was a play going, but it was all in carvings. Small, wooden people bustled around the turns of a clock, and when their part was over, they stood, bowed, threw themselves to the floor and fell out of the wooden world. Time, memories, all passing away out of the wooden world. A wheel adorned with seven eyes rolled in of its own accord, and the wood shifted, changed, blurred, _come, come, into the memories, into the memories. . ._but in the end it all went up in flames, and the wooden world burned away and fell to pieces, and then there was something so beautiful, and bright, and real, but it was _too _real, much too real to look at now, behind the wooden curtain. . .

It was the freezing cold that woke him. It crept through his fingers and into his whole body, and there was a dull, throbbing ache in his hand. When Kristian opened his eyes, he was in some kind of depression in the ground, among rubble and icy mud, with the cold, bright sky above. Disoriented, he tried to stand, but the world wheeled around him like a clock, and he stumbled to the ground. Then, the memory of what had happened returned. _The bunkers must have caved in, _he thought.
_
Jere._

Dread suddenly struck him, and he clutched the fragment of the Sampo to his chest.

“Jere, where are you?” he called, and his clear voice cut through the stillness like a knife.“If you are alive, please answer me!”

“Jere. . .Jere!”

He began to search through the rubble from the fallen bunker, pushing away the dirt and broken barricades.
_
If he’s been under there this long he can’t have—_
_
No don’t think about it don’t think about it. . ._

He drew in his breath sharply, and the cold air poured into his lungs so fast he became dizzy. His dream returned to him; he thought of the wooden people who bowed, threw themselves to the floor, and fell out of the wooden world. Time, memories, all passing away out of the wooden world.
_
No don’t think about it don’t think about it. . ._

Frantically, he searched through the rubble, the sharp pieces tearing through his gloves, his breath coming out in gasps. The sound of a shell exploding only a few feet away from him snapped him from his frenzy, and he clambered out of the depression. He rushed into the deeper woods, and then huddled near the stump of an oak tree, rubbing his frostbitten hands.

The realization of what was happening—what had already happened—crashed down on Kristian’s shoulders like a thousand iron weights. He sat frozen, pale, there against the oak stump.

Then he pulled the fragment of the Sampo out of his pack.

“A story, Sampo!” he cried. “I want to go into the memories!” 
_
Into the memories, _the Sampo seemed to echo, and then the wheel with the eye at the center turned as a key in a lock. Then, it played before him a new scene, one he had never seen before. Hakon the Bastard, a Viking who had come to Constantinople and become one of Emperor Constantine’s bodyguards, was leaving for Norway. All of his men were with him in his ship, but to leave Constantinople’s harbor, the Golden Horn, they had to pass through the chain that guarded the entrance. _We’ll go over if we can’t go through, _Kristian heard Hakon say, and then a most curious thing happened. The world around Kristian began to fragment, as if breaking into little pieces of wood. And then these fragments, shifted, turned, and Kristian smelt a strange smell and heard clearly:

“. . .Over the chain, then!”

“You’re insane. . .”

“OVER THE CHAIN!”
 
Everything flipped upside-down, he turned once in midair, and Kristian landed in the ship of Hakon the Bastard just as it was scraping over the unbreakable chain of Constantinople’s Golden Horn.

He was inside the memories.
*

IV.*​“Oi, what’s this strange fellow? How did he get here?”

“_I _have no idea.”

Kristian opened his eyes, which he realized he had squeezed shut. He was lying on the deck of the ship, and two men stood over him, one a red-haired, stocky yet commanding figure, the other blonde and squinting his eyes suspiciously.

“Where is your weapon?” the blonde man barked.

“Um. . .I left it at home. . .” Kristian said.

“Which is. . .” The red-haired man was looking at him, curious and a little suspicious.

“Finland.” 

“Stand _up, _man!”

Kristian struggled to his feet, held out his hand to shake it, and then, realizing his mistake, put it behind his back.

“How in Thor’s name did you get here?” the blonde man demanded.

“I don’t really know myself.” 

“What, are you insane?” 

“Explain yourself,” the red-haired man commanded.

“Where I come from, what is now to you is only a memory. I came here, from Finland, but not Finland as it is to you—”

“You _are _insane,” said the blonde man, shaking his head and walking away.

But the red-haired man peered at Kristian, intrigued. “How did you come on my ship?”

“This is your ship?”

“Yes. I am Hakon the Bastard.”

Kristian opened his mouth to speak, but he did not know what to say.

“I have an interest in strange lands,” Hakon said. “Foreign places. I see this much: you are from the fen-lands, but it is not as they are now, you say. Am I right?”

“Yes.”

“But how can this be? Something cannot be one place and then also another place.”

“It’s another. . .time. My now is not your now.”

“Do not speak in riddles.”

“You. . .you, your ship, your journey. . .where I come from, that is only a tale. I am inside a story, a memory, when I am here.”

“Then how are you here?”

“I. . .well. . .”

“Ah! You have no answer. I thought so. You are not mad, I don’t think, at least, but you are confused. Still, I am intrigued. Tell me: what is it like in these fen-lands that are not 
fen-lands?”

“Well. . .we are a new nation, just become free from other governments a couple decades ago. But there is a war now, Russia attacked, I was fighting in it_—_”

“Why aren’t you anymore?” Hakon interrupted sharply.

“I. . .”

Hakon cut him off. “See, I don’t understand half the things you say, but I know this much: there’s no point in living in what to you is a tale when your homeland is in danger.”

“Do you know why I leave Constantinople?” Hakon asked, his voice softening. “Do you think I leave Miklagard, the glorious, the beautiful, gladly? I am bound by an oath to my emperor. Do you think I take this oath lightly; do you think that as I break it_—_I am breaking now, you see—that I do it without a thought?” 

Tears, so alien to his war-hardened face, sparkled in Hakon’s eyes, and Kristian stared at them. He suddenly thought of an old story, though he could not remember what it was from, where a hero’s tears fell into the sea and there turned to blue pearls.

“Do you think that I go eagerly?”

Kristian saw that Hakon’s eyes flashed with fire, and could not say anything.

“No,” Hakon said, his voice soft again. “I leave this place because I must.”

“I don’t understand.”

“They called me the Hakon the Bastard because I did not know who my father was. I sailed south, not knowing where I was going. When I came here, I pledged myself to Constantine and became part of his Varangian Guard. But now I have received news from Norway—they know who my father was and I—” Hakon’s voice became bitter. “In Norway, I am rightful king.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“Some may desire to be king. I would rather stay there. . .” Hakon’s eyes wandered to the southern horizon, where the towers of Constantinople rose. “In that city, with my emperor. . .But if I am king, is it not my duty to be king?”

Kristian sighed, and bit his lip. He shook his head. “You don’t see. You, if you weep, your tears are precious; they become tales, songs to be sung. . .But where I am from, my tears will freeze solid on my cheeks. Tears are cheap, and life is cheap, we run into battle, and we die. . .” he trailed off, clenching his teeth to keep from sobbing. 

Hakon opened his mouth to speak, and then shut it again, still looking at the golden domes in the south. He cleared his throat. “In that city, people say. . .” 

He shook his head, and then started again, “In that city, people believe strange things. They say that even people who are not heroes may live forever, and in their churches there are mosaics of a man with wounds in his hands. Even in the most glorious pictures of him, where he sits at the throne of their God, the wounds are still there, and light shines out of them.” 

Hakon turned to Kristian, and continued. “Perhaps I am wrong, and it seems strange to me, too. .but I think that in any time, no matter where you are, suffering may become something better, something beautiful.”

Kristian gazed across the wide rippling sea, and saw the rooftops of Constantinople turn to gold as the sun was setting. _Of course I am afraid, _some secret part of him said. _But that perhaps is beside the point._

“In Constantinople, they say the rain falls on both the righteous and the unrighteous,” said Hakon. “And I say, the home of the fallen is also the home of the brave.”

The last sliver of sun dipped into the sea. The prow was pointed north; the waves lapped against the ship’s hull.

Tears filled Kristian’s eyes. “I must go back. . .” he whispered.

“Then go,” said Hakon. “Whatever happens, I will not think it too strange.”

Kristian grasped the fragment of the Sampo, closed his eyes, and said, “Take me back to now.” Then the whole world seemed to exhale; sea, sky, and ship all breathing out one long breath. He felt himself slowly moving as if he were moving through a dream. 

When he opened his eyes, he was sitting next to the stump, holding the wooden carving.

He barely noticed the crunching of boots next to him, until he heard a shout nearby.

“I found him, sir! He’s right here, just staring at this wooden plaque like he’s gone mad or something.”


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## rcallaci (Nov 30, 2015)

An intriguing and interesting tale- I felt the cold and despair of war and also the wonder of a dream within a dream. Dear arrow you write with a wisdom beyond your years. A marvelous addition to this collection of short stories. I hope to see two more- you write with a unique voice. 

it seems i will miss the deadline but will submit my story as soon as I'm done. Mariana is our winner - having done all three in the allotted time. And each story was a gem. I hope to read more. 

After I complete my third piece I will start again. I think this is a great space to write and experiment with short pieces of 3000 words or less. I hope to see more writers join this challenge- it's fun and good for the writing muscles.


happy writing
bob


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## chrisatola (Nov 30, 2015)

Hey Guys and Gals,

Fun challenge--I pretty much failed. One story was fine, short but complete. Second story was way long, and even cut down, still outside of word length (don't read it all if you don't wanna).  Third story I just ran out of time on, so it's incomplete.  I guess I need the cat o nine tails...

First

Second

Third

I'll start reading and giving feedback probably tomorrow. Thanks, it was fun!

Chris


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## Mariana (Dec 5, 2015)

I don’t think you failed and I liked your second story even if it went a bit over the word limit, it was very well written.

Btw, I really like the idea of keeping this thread as a regular mix and match challenge. Maybe we could try going for one short story per month? And maybe add more themes?


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## rcallaci (Dec 5, 2015)

Mariana said:


> Btw, I really like the idea of keeping this thread as a regular mix and match challenge. Maybe we could try going for one short story per month? And maybe add more themes?



I like that idea as well- After I release my third piece (almost finished)-it doesn't count as part of the new challenge, then we can start a one a month short story mix and match with a few more themes. It seems our host is MIA -hopefully we'll be hearing from him if not well do it as a team. We can start it off in the 15th of this month or in jan. In the meantime lets think of new themes.


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## chrisatola (Dec 5, 2015)

Okay folks, I got behind this month and ran out of time for both writing and reading, so playing catch up now.  

rcallaci,


When Robots Dream:  Very interesting story.  The writing is accessable and the story is engaging. It is not in a genre that I normally read, so I had to do a litle work trying to understand a few things.  I don't know if I understand the number of different beings. It seemed there were at least 3, Androids, Cyborgs, and Humans, but some of the other names confused me (Human-Elites seem to be described as both androis and cyborgs..." Never again would Man’ be at the mercy of the Androids’ or let them think or wander about for themselves. They were to be the Human Elites" and then in the next paragraph "The Human Elites were Cyborg.") For me, there was a decent amount of vocabulary that I don't use and therefore don't convey the same amount of meaning as they may to someone else.  I don't really understand the full difference between the androids and cyborgs. One has an artificial brain, and the other a human brain, I think I get that.  One is described as "bio-mechanical bodies" and the other is described as "synthetic bio-mechanical bodies"--So one has real flesh and mechanics, plus a human brain, and the other has fake flesh and mechanics, plus an artificial brain?  That seems to be it, but as I said, I don't use these enough to have much reference (the terminatory, primarily).  There are some capilatization inconsistencies that stuck out--I can't discern a pattern, just seems sometimes in caps, sometimes not: Robot Wars and robot wars, Android and android.  One other thing that confused me was the scene going over cost overruns. "going over their doctored Costs and Overrun Reports to the Director" when Marcus Gamma busts in telling them about the Director's suspicions...I understand now that they are going over their reports that they will submit to the director, but the first 2 reads I thought that they were with the director at that moment, then Marcus Gamma comes in and starts talking about the Director...Basically, maybe rework some of that sentence "were reviewing their doctored Costs and Overrun Reports they had to submit to the Director" or soemthing of the sort, or maybe it was just my reading... One other thing that makes me curious is the line, "but in the end his loyalty to the federation outweighed any friendship."  I guess this confuses me a bit because the federation is of planets that seem to be filled with the vestiges of humanity and artifial beings.  But it seems the purpose of the federation was to kind of hold on to give humans a chance to repopulate.  Barabbas is human, right? (or did I make that assumption?) IF he is human, and the federation is made by humans, and he is supremely loyal to the federation (over that of his friends), why is he threatening to destabilize the federation? Did I miss a lot? Or is that a part of his characterization--mixed loyalties?  Anyway, just writing out things as I think about them. Thanks for the read! 

Mariana
Dinosaur Western Time Traveller:  Enjoyed your story! Entertaining scene that combined good elements from western, time travel, and dinosaurs.  A few suggestions.  "too many days without food or water" (sizzling Oklahoma sun). A horse won't last long without any water in the desert.  I'd suggest "without any food and too little water", or something that suggests the horse has watered within the last few days (I read that within 3-4 days of no water, organ failure will generally occur.)  "Whow"--I would replace with "whoa." "whow" seems to be an archaic form of how, not the phrase for stopping or calming a horse as I thought you intended (if that wasn't the intention, sorry).  Also, the bartender pulls a rifle at the first disturbance, but then shoots a shotgun when Robert is almost attacked.  I like the useage of lizards (I used it too, in my western) and iguana, but bear in mind that research is suggesting that dinosaurs had as much bird like characteristics and reptillian, if not more.  I like the time travel included--I thought it was interesting that we both used a proximity device for our time travel--my folks and I have discussion about how mothing is original--we both wrote stories without reading the other and used a similar conceit to accomplish our plot objectives...ha, there is no original!(sorry, an aside!) Use reins when referring to horse and bridle, not rains or reigns.  Also, I think that they would snap their tethers if a dinosaur came around. most reins are fairly thin leather, and wouldn't take much resistance if the creature were truly terrified.  If the cowboys are already in the street, the animals may be trying to escae the dinosaur and the men may leap, grab, lariot, their mount to get on before they escape.  The time traveller is impressivley stoic about being bait for the T. Rex. He's been "delegated" by firearms to be the one the Rex chases (after Robert jumps off) but he accepts so willingly. Would you?  I might be inclined to try to throw my proximity device away, or into the saddle bag of the bartender, or something else to save myself...just a thought.  I thought it was pretty funny how matter of fact they are after the event, like rcallaci said, just go back to shoting the bull and seeing about getting a free round of whiskey.  Great job!

I'll add comments to the others as I keep reading through, and I think if I can keep up that doing something similar to this is a great exercise.  Finding enough time is the only problem, ha!!

Thanks for the reads, looking forward to the others,

Chris


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## chrisatola (Dec 5, 2015)

rcallaci,


The Rustling Robots of Angerdean County: Awesome installment! The story seems to be shifting protagonists to Juliana Nova/The Lady Nova as the primary lead, no? Like Dr. Frankenstein's creation, she seems to be overshadowing Barabbas, or at least becoming very powerful.  The mule's dialogue "they're headed for the boneyards."  Lady Nova is a badass! Awesome! I'd suggest that cooking the kids is probably pretty easy--I imagine the tough old goats like grandmas and grandpas or someone that worked hard labor most of their life would probably be all stringy and tough and have to be cooked loooong and sloooow to be edible (like brisket or pork shoulder).  (Are the horses animals or robots/cyborgs/androids/mechanical? If they're normal animals, that's is an interesting/fun role reversal for the machine to be using the animal, not vice versa...) Part II, the first full paragraph listing all the ship contents was confusing to me. It's like a cargo manifest, but since I don't understand the differences between these classes of beings, I don't really know how many things first settled, or if I really need to know. It kind of distracted me from the story though.  How long is 600 light years to a human?  Are none of these characters human in the traditional sense? I have assumed that some of them were, but that was/may have been a mistake.Part III, I think it's "hellos" if you are just meaning saying hello to several people. I love the way they are planning to re purpose minds/biological brain material and then control beings that way. Wicked! Which we then see in part IV is how they will control the Govenor and begin infiltrating the status quo society.  Great stuff, curious to see how it all ends! Thanks for the read.

Chris


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## chrisatola (Dec 5, 2015)

ArrowInTheBowOfTheLord,

The Sampo:  Very interesting story!  The dialogue and the action were well written, and I found it foreign enough to be intrigued but not too much too be difficult getting into.  I think you did a good job weaving the myth into the story, without it coming across as hokey.  I think that Kristian very easily accepts that he is in the past--he doesn't skip a beat at being aboard the ship...that gave me a pause.  I'd imagine even accepting all the moving images and craziness he'd seen in the Sampo that he might not really believe he'd gone back in time.  Just something to consider--maybe make it a little more difficult to accept or puzzling.  Also, he says they'd just recently become a county, but Hakon acts as if he knows these "fen-lands," implying that they were already a region or grouping of people that were known in the world...so that may or may not be slightly inconsistent. But the story leaves me wanting to know what's going to happen to Kristian and the Sampo! Thanks for the read!

Mariana,

Only failed in the sense that the specific objectives of the challenge weren't satisfied.  It was a great exercise though, and I think the concept is a good one that I'd like to continue trying.

Thanks for all the participation!

Chris


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## chrisatola (Dec 5, 2015)

Mariana,

Haha, thanks! And see, there was no overlap at all in our dinosaur westerns! Thanks!


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## CraniumInsanium (Dec 7, 2015)

Hi everyone, I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to respond. I was unable to complete the challenge either. "Life Happened" as it does, and between a breakup, new romance, working new hours and schedule at a relatively new job, a custody battle, and house drama with a ratchet female who got kicked out I've had a full plate in front of me. I'm going to see if I can't knock out the one story I got kicked off wrapped up hopefully this month and maybe the other two. Embarrassed a bit, started my own challenge and couldn't finish it  

I'll make sure to give some critiques once I get some quality free time on my hands, but loving the effort from everyone!!!


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## Mariana (Dec 7, 2015)

CraniumInsanium said:


> Hi everyone, I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to respond. I was unable to complete the challenge either. "Life Happened" as it does, and between a breakup, new romance, working new hours and schedule at a relatively new job, a custody battle, and house drama with a ratchet female who got kicked out I've had a full plate in front of me. I'm going to see if I can't knock out the one story I got kicked off wrapped up hopefully this month and maybe the other two. Embarrassed a bit, started my own challenge and couldn't finish it
> 
> I'll make sure to give some critiques once I get some quality free time on my hands, but loving the effort from everyone!!!



Whow, that’s a whole lot to have to deal with! Please don’t feel embarrassed at all, even if all that weren’t as extremely time consuming as it sounds, I don’t see how anyone could concentrate on writing with all that going on. In any case, regardless of time tables, your idea and thread have been one heck of a source of inspiration as well as a wonderful way to practice. If you’ll ask me the whole mix and match idea should become more of a thing and deserves more and more challenges and maybe even additional threads.


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## rcallaci (Dec 9, 2015)

*The Space Pirates of Angerdean (3210 Words) (Language Warning)*

The Space Pirates of Angerdean’s ‘Haunted Treasure Trove’
(From the Space Opera serial “Androids’ do indeed Dream about Heaven, Hell and Dragons”)

Prologue​Perkis Perrypus, lead engineer of the Dogbanewright Mines, a major Verillium Refinery and Mining station, found amongst one of the asteroid belts owned by the Queststar Consortium, was deeply concerned about the disturbing reports coming from his supervisors, on level 49. They reported that six miners were found dead and mutilated, while twenty others went missing. There were also reports of strange sounds and sightings coming from the mine pits. The miners were in a panic, and they stopped any further incursions into those problem areas. The supervisors requested permission to abandon the level. Perrypus didn’t want a mutiny on his hands so he complied. He ordered them back to ground level for debriefing, what choice, did he have, and besides, good humans and worker androids were hard to find. He ordered a squad of Security Bots and an investigative team made up of 3.6 mid level droids down to level 49. He needed to get to the bottom of this, and fast, if not his bosses would have his head. He hoped it was some mad droid or human manic causing this chaos, that he could handle, an alien presence of unknown origin could cause all types of problems…

I​
For the past eighteen months, Captain Zachariah P. Zestabar’s fleet of Space Raiders was causing havoc amongst the asteroid mines of the Outworlds. The Pirates’ precision raids were strategically brilliant, giving fits to those who had to defend against it and their superior weaponry were no match for the inadequate defense capabilities of the Mining Stations. The space lanes too, were no longer safe, as vital shipments of ore, minerals and other natural resources to the Jeweled Worlds were hijacked as well,  leaving those worlds deprived of materiel’s that were vital to their economies and infrastructure. The Governors of the Outworlds pleaded, no demanded, that the Federation deploy a squad of Battlestars, and a few divisions of Ground Troops to protect the mines and space lanes. The situation was dire, the pirates needed to be crushed and order needed to be restored. 

The Solaris Federation, the Consortium that governed the Jeweled Worlds and served as Overlords to the Outworlds, could only send token war fleets to guard the space lanes and mines against this piracy. They were needed to police their own worlds. Their worlds were in there own state of turmoil. Many of the local governments were rising against the stranglehold that the Solaris Federation had on free trade, commerce and governance. It appeared that a new group of very effective leaders took control of the local governments and were acting in concert with each other. They formed a Political and Military action group of their own which was slowly weakening the iron grip that held the Solaris Federation together. They called themselves the Angerobota Republic, a growing power and threat that caught the federation by surprise. No Battlestars or divisions of ground troops would be sent to the Outlands, one Battle Cruiser and a small fleet of twelve Gunships is all they would receive. Their message was loud and clear, the out-worlds needed to fend for themselves. 

II​
Falana Q. Festerbuell, Captain Zestabar’s No. 2, was busy overseeing the shipbuilding operations on the twenty one space stations and ports surrounding Paladin. She was quite content to stay behind running the day to day operations of the space facilities, and the shipping and building complexes on the ground, while her Captain was in space with a fleet of over a hundred ships, acquiring the vital resources that they needed by pirating, smuggling, and any other means that were necessary. She was quite proud that they were nearly completed on the construction of their first five Battlestars. Soon they would have a fleet equal to and even more formidable than that of the fleets that were under the control of the Solaris Federation. In the coming months the Cyhuriod Nation of Angerdean, which now controlled the Outworld Planet of Paladin, will makes it move to take control of the remaining twelve worlds that were outside the direct control of that nefarious Foundation. The Outworlds will soon be theirs.     

Zachariah always said she was the brains to his brawn; he did all the heavy lifting while she engineered how it was to be done. For the past seventy five years their partnership worked out just fine, he getting all the glory while she reaped the rewards. They were lovers, friends, and partners, and with him being cyborg and she an enhanced human, Falana hoped it would last another seventy five. She was about to turn in for the night when her communication chip that was embedded deep in her ear canals gave her a chirp. It was her Captain.

_“Hey Fal, how’s it going. I know it’s past your bedtime but I need to update you on a few things that are happening out here” said the familiar voice that still sent little tickles through her heart. “We have a little situation concerning one of the mining stations. So far six of my scouting ships have disappeared into that rock. All of my surveillance droids have gone dead as well. Something strange is going on down there and it may pose a threat to us. I’m going down there myself to get to the bottom of this little mystery. If you don’t hear from me in twelve hours, send in the battle cruisers to rescue my cyborg ass.”_

Falana’s stomach did a flip flop. She knew every little nuance and inflection of his voice, and it told her that he was concerned and a tiny bit afraid. Something bad was happening down there and he was jumping into the frying pan to find out what. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes as she said, _“for God’s sake Zesty can’t you send in somebody else. Send in Drakle, he’s as fearless and stupid as you. Why risk your life when you have others to do that for you.” She knew his answer before he even said it. 
_
She felt his weary smile as he said, _“It’s because if I can risk my crews lives, willy nilly, they also need to know that I will risk mine as well. You know that, besides I feel there is big treasure down there. I can smell and taste it.  I’m going dark in a few minutes; don’t forget to send in the cruisers if you don’t hear from me, and if you find me dead than blow this rock to dust. Be strong, my human tea cup, I’ll only allow you to kill this cyborg bastard, the universe loves incorrigible scoundrels. Love you to bits.” _With those last words he clicked off. There would be no sleep for her this night… 

III​
_“We’re going to have to go in cold; all communications on that mining site are out and our sensors are not picking up any biological or synthetic matter. Our previous scouting reports reported over nineteen hundred android and human miners and a few hundred clerical and supervisory personal. It seems like they all just vanished. Our last viable readings showed that all their transport and personnel ships are still docked. We’ve lost contact with our scout ships as well as our spy drones. Sir, I recommend that we cut and run. We lack vital pieces of information, and have you not said on many a pirate run, ‘an ill-informed pirate is a dead pirate’. Well I don’t want to be a dead pirate”_ Toby Botly, Captain Zestabar’s, communications officer looked his caption directly in the eye, saluted and waited for instructions.

Captain Zestabar saluted back and smiled. His communications officer was right, any sane and competent commander would either cut and run or wait for a large contingent of reinforcements as backup or just blow the stinking place up. But he wasn’t a sane and competent commander; he was a thieving and booty loving pirate. His No 2 was the sane and competent one while he was the swashbuckling adventurer and risk taker. If his three hundred years of living taught him anything it was always listen to your gut, and his gut told him that there was treasure down there. Besides he loved a good mystery.  He switched on the comm system and addressed his entire crew.

_“We’re going in cold. I know it’s foolhardy, bordering on stupidly, but I believe the risk is worth it. I know you’re all thinking what I’ve pounded into your brains for years about ‘an ill informed pirate is a dead pirate’ and for the most part that‘s true, but sometimes you just have to go against the grain, and that time is now. Lock and load all weapons, stay alert and may the gods have mercy on our souls or whatever their calling it these days…”
_
IV​
iT was hungry and very, very, angry. These things were making holes in iTs home. They were stealing ITs food and killing iTs babies. iT allowed them the surface and a few strata’s of the deep but they kept digging and digging. iT tried to communicate with them but they were stupid creatures. They ignored iTs pleas and kept on with their invasion.  iT tried to stop them by scaring them and eating a few of them (they tasted real bad) and iT thought it worked as they left iTs strata domain. But they sent in an assassination squad. They poked and shot at anything that moved. They destroyed one of iTs nests. iT had no choice but to eat them as well. iT had enough, iT directed iTs children to eradicate all of them, those in the strata as well as all of those on the surface. iTs children ate and killed every last one of them. Many of iTs children got sick and some even died from eating the biologicals’, their meat was tainted, the synthetic and metal ones meat did no harm. In time iTs children would heal and grow new skins and the dead will feed iTs young. Their sacrifice was well worth it to get rid of those parasites. Things were getting back to normal when a small pack of them landed on the surface. iT needed to come up with a better plan, there seemed to be a lot of these bug like creatures in this part of the universe, maybe this time these little bugs will listen, if not iT will just have to kill them and find a new space habitat in a more quieter part of the galaxy…

V​
Bradal Jonrod, one of the security chiefs, whispered to his buddy next to him and said, _“This place gives me the creeps, and it’s so damn quiet. Something bad happened here. Look at all the blood. It was a massacre, no trace of a living thing, what or who killed all these people,” He felt uneasy, like something was watching them. He shook his head and barked a few orders, “I want every inch of the surface searched. We need to send in a few teams to search each level as well. If anything moves, shoot it and run. Whatever killed these miners is way more powerful and deadly than anything we have.” _

Zestabar was flushed with excitement, and a tad alarmed by what he was seeing. Everything here was for the taking, all the mining equipment, tons of processed Verillium, and other processed ores, one hell of a booty. A treasure any pirate would be proud of.  But what happened here was one hell of a mystery as well, and a very spooky one at that. No destruction of property just a lot of biological and synthetic blood. No bones, no guts, just blood.  He found his scout ships but the pilots were gone. His surveillance bots were wiped clean. All the communication and holographic visual resources and non- sentient quantum computers were still functioning but all the information of the last few days was wiped clean as well. All the sentient mainframes were fried. Only the non- conscious robots were left intact. A pattern was taking shape. He decided to head back to the ship and have a face to face with his No 2 on the Vid link concerning his findings when he heard screaming and weapon fire coming from one of the Vid Links that were tapped into the entire complex.  They were under attack. 

Jonrod felt the earth underneath him give way. All around him the ground was shimmering and rippling, it reminded him of a desert mirage. He felt extreme heat and in seconds his body was covered in lava or a fire-rock like substance. His screams were deafening as his eyeballs popped out of his sockets and his body melted into fleshy goo. The rest of his squad panicked running in all directions. They shot their weapons randomly shooting anything that moved.  Fifteen crewmen suffered the same fate as Jonrod. Five of the crewman were a little luckier and made it to the elevator shaft that would hopefully lead them back topside. Just as it started it ended. The ground solidified and the carnage stopped. But a low hum, a kind of buzzing sound, like what you would hear from a hive of bees, or a flock of humming birds, resonated throughout the entire complex.    

The Captain stared in horror as he saw men and women that served under him, melt and burst apart before his eyes. He was sickened by the carnage and felt rage at this unknown enemy. He felt a prickle in his gut. Who or what was directing these attacks? The vidcam that he was watching was labeled level 49. It was the only vidcam running amongst the hundreds in the room.  Someone or something wanted him to view the slaughter. Why? Too scare him? Warn him?  He remembered reading one of the logs that was left intact about that level. It’s where all the weirdness started. And that damn humming sound, he realized, wasn’t just a hum, but a voice.  

He finally realized what was happening. Something down deep in the mines on level 49 was trying to communicate with him. Whatever was down there was one powerful mother fucker. Part of him wanted to gather up his crew, get on the ship and blow this place into the pits of hell.  But curiosity and sanity trumped his fear and need for revenge. He vidlinked his science officer, Felonious Feral, a 4.1 super android, _“Mr Feral, gather a crew together and meet me at the entrance to the mines, this is a first contact situation. Also that humming is some kind of language, show me what you’re made of and have a rudimentary translation for me as quick as possible.”
_
VI​
iT was quite old, as a matter of fact iT was very, very, old. iT started to remember things that iT had forgotten long, long ago. iT remembered that this cluster of galaxies was infested with parasites such as these. iT, no, She was becoming fully awake. For the past few millennia She nested outside the bubble universe to recover from Her wounds. When She felt fit enough, She reentered normal space and burrowed through the galaxies until She reached the area She was in now. Once here, She went into a semi-conscious state to complete the healing process. The arrival of these parasitic creatures facilitated Her awakening. Like times of old they dug, killed maimed, and ate bits and pieces of Her body without any regard or concerns of what their actions were doing to the skin and marrow they were ripping apart and exploiting. But these creatures had evolved somewhat, they diversified and had potential to become more aware. She regretted the little show She put on for their leader, but it seemed to work. They were on their way to Her progeny’s nesting grounds. Hopefully they could come to some understanding…

VII​
Commander Festerbuell, the Captain’s No 2 arrived in the mining stations orbit with three Battlecruisers and ten class three Starfighters. If she didn’t hear from the Captain in the next hour or so, she was going to send in the Starfighters for a search and destroy mission.  The deadline passed well over ten hours ago, but her sensors picked up life signs of over two hundred signatures, about what a crew would hold for a starfighter and transporter ship. There was some type of force shield that covered the asteroid that blocked communication and most aerial surveillance. It was a type of shield she never encountered before. This made her reluctant to send ships down to the surface, they would be flying blind. But she had a pirate’s heart, and if she had to put a few pilots and their crews in harm’s way in order to retrieve her Captain and his crew, as well as finding out what the hell was going on, then so be it. She directed the pilots of five Starfighters to prepare their ships for mission takeoff. She also directed all the commanders of the Battlecruisers to load and lock their weapons on the Asteroid. If she found out that her Captain was dead or compromised in any way, she was going to blow that fucking asteroid to tiny little pieces.

_“Stand down Commander!” said an all too familiar voice in her ear. “The situation has been clarified and the threat has been averted. I’m on my way to you now and I’ll explain everything face to face. You wouldn’t believe me if you didn’t look me square in the eyes to see if I was telling the truth or if I was mad as a loon,” _said the somewhat bemused and bewildered voice of her Captain…

Epilogue​
The Cyhuriod Nation of Angerdean just gained one powerful ally.  As long as the Nation agreed to terra-form the asteroid to the Entity’s specifications, as well as agreeing to all of iTs other terms, than the Nation would be supplied with all the Verillium and other rare minerals that it needed. This freed up much of the Fleets time to concentrate less on pirating and more on warfare. Instead of spending resources and time in pirating isolated mining facilities from the out-land governments they could now concentrate on all out conquest of the remaining twelve Outland Nations. A new day was at hand.

As Zestabar and Falana lay exhausted in their bed from their lovemaking session, Falana let out a sigh, she still was coming to grips with the situation. Only Barabbas’s, Juliana, herself and of course Zestabar and the team that encountered the Entity were privy to iTs actual identity. It was mind boggling to say the least. If she hadn’t met and had that mindshare thing with iT, there was no way she would fully believe it. This thing, this shell of a god, came out of creation myths, legends and fairytales. iTs name, no, Her name kept racing through her head. Gaia, Gaia, Gaia, Holy Shit! Mother Nature Herself…    


The End

*Stay tuned for “The Gaia Mysteries and Juliana’s Dilemma” 
*​


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## Mariana (Dec 12, 2015)

Wow… I have no words… that story was absolutely gripping from start to finish. You did an even better job with this one than with the other two combined. I especially liked the ending when we find out who iT is. This was definitely worth the wait. Very well done.


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## chrisatola (Dec 22, 2015)

hey rcallaci,

just finished reading the last story here--i hadn't checked back on this post in a bit.  i really enjoyed the series. i like how the series was loosely connected through characters and theme but how each story did in fact tell an individual story.  great job! thanks for sharing.


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## Mariana (Jan 1, 2016)

Well I figured I’d wait until after December to post this suggestion and it’s now 1.1.16, at least where I’m sitting, so first of all – *Happy New Year* everyone!  …  and second of all here’s a suggestion for the mix and match idea: How about instead of coming up with new themes to mix together, we just use (assuming no one on the forum has a problem with this) whichever themes didn’t make the cut in other writing challenges? 

  For example, in the December Literary Maneuvers competition the themes people were asked to choose from were:

·  The Wheel Turns... 
·  First one to die 
·  Damned with faint praise 
·  Out of the gutter 
·  Desperate Evil 
·  Cloud of Feathers 
·  The Book with the Blue Cover 
·  Front row seat 
·  Attack(s) of Opportunity 

  “First one to die” was the one that got picked and used so I reckon it’s already been done to death… but rather than throw the other potential themes into the trash can of unused, forgotten ideas, how about we just recycle them here? 

  It would also mean that anyone who was really hoping that whichever other theme got picked, would still have their chance to write about it (albeit without any prizes other than personal gratification) only with a 3k limit rather than a 650 word limit and with just the condition of having to mix it with something else on the list.

Maybe we could also decide on one story per month rather than three or even just one story per any time anyone has the time and energy for it seeing as it doesn’t involve prizes anyway (although having a time limit does often work as good incentive).

What do you guys think?


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## rcallaci (Jan 1, 2016)

Mariana

I like this idea- one story per month- 3k limit picking the themes you mentioned. I think we should start this around the 5th or the 15th. - I enjoy this challenge and would love to see it thrive- I'm all in and if it's just me and you that's fine as well. This is good for the writing chops.


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## Mariana (Jan 1, 2016)

Awesome, I’m glad you like the idea and I’m looking forward to it . Like you say, it makes good practice, even if we end up being the only ones doing it. And who knows maybe it’ll catch on eventually but even if not, it’s still a good way to stay in shape.


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## chrisatola (Jan 1, 2016)

i'm not always great with consistency, but i'll try to contribute. i need as many opportunities and incentives to practice (outside of "normal writing") as possible.

i agree with rcallaci--let's consider the end of the month as a time frame--other challenges seem to be in the first two weeks--this would give something in the last two weeks to think about.

so using two of the prompts on the list provided by Mariana, 3k limit?  cool!


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## rcallaci (Jan 4, 2016)

Okay – let’s start this new round- starting the 5th of the month- We have till the 5th of next month to pen a short. 3k or less. Let's not go over the 3k limit- a little maybe, but not a lot. 

We'll choose the genre of our choice and two prompts from the last LM and the NFlM-a mix and match from the fiction and nonfiction challenge prompts. A add-on to Mariana's previous suggestions. 

*From the LM*
• The Wheel Turns... 
• First one to die 
• Damned with faint praise 
• Out of the gutter 
• Desperate Evil 
• Cloud of Feathers 
• The Book with the Blue Cover 
• Front row seat 
• Attack(s) of Opportunity 

*From the NFLM*

Think Before You Speak
•	Shame
•	Paradox
•	Ride
•	Rotary
•	Stagnation
•	I'm Late!
•	Plumbing
•	Love and Money
•	Dentist
•	My Favorite Shoes
•	Living on borrowed time.


If there are no objections lets get our pens out….I hope others will join in on the fun..


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## Mariana (Jan 30, 2016)

OK, here’s the January story [a kind of Victorian(ish) romantic(ish) story with the “out of the gutter”, “love and money” and a couple of the other themes in it] unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it below the 3k word limit and the best I could do was 3269 words. I hope you like it anyway:

http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop?p=1958999#post1958999


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## rcallaci (Feb 10, 2016)

*Dancing Shadows Hidden in Mist and Storm (Language)*

Dancing Shadows Hidden in Mist and Storm.
(From the Space Opera serial “Androids’ do indeed Dream about Heaven, Hell, and Dragons”)


_Prologue_​ 
     The wheel forever turns, forwards, backwards, it stops it goes, it turns right, left, it spins and rolls, where it goes nobody knows, except for those who guide, steer, and push it, and even they can get lost along the way. There are many strings and a myriad of different things that exploded and imploded on a universe that was once whole but now has split into billions of mini universes, bubbles upon bubbles struggling to pop out of their cocoons and make whole again on that which was shattered. But outside each bubble is the void--- the graves and resting place of the Gods. Many dream the dreams of oblivion but there are those that made the wheel and set it along its current path--- that refuses to wither into oblivion.

     One bubble shines the brightest and like bugs to the light those shattered and broken down gods weave and spin themselves into the bubble universe where Androids’ Dream about Heaven, Hell and Dragons. 

……….

I​
“Keep on digging; we’re almost there, just few more feet to riches and fame,” said Delfropos Dillard, an antiquities broker. He rarely went on these digs but just the thought of being the first, in over thousands of years, to lay eyes upon the “Pandorian Book of Shadows” made it impossible for him not to.  

“Sir, we’ve uncovered the box that holds the book inside. It’s covered in runes that we cannot decipher. What should we do?”

“Don’t try to open it, just get it out of that hole and get it on the ship. We need to get out of here before we’re detected by Sardiorian authorities. When we get back to the university on earth prime, I’ll have one of those new breed of androids decipher it. I’ve waited fifty years for this; I think I can’t wait a few more days to look upon its pages. Hurry up! Let’s get the hell out of here.” yelled the old cyborg. 

………

II​
     Keleif Fin, Prime Lord of the Solaris Consortium that oversaw the Solaris Federation and all its subsidiaries, was on the verge of exhaustion. For the last 48 hours he was pulled this way, that way, and every which way that you can imagine. His head was ready to explode.  The Council was in turmoil. They just lost primary control of their 6th Jewel. The Topaz System just announced their secession from the federation. They allied themselves with that super-android rebel faction, known as the Angerobota Republic. 

     Things were unraveling at a rapid pace; those metal heads infiltrated and co-opted key government positions in the jeweled worlds and in less than five years turned the federation on its head. Close to half of their holdings were in the Republics control. To make matters worse their hold on the Outworlds was evaporating. A rival Consortium, the Cyhuriod Nation of Angerdean, which boasted a powerful navy, now had control of eight of the thirteen planets in that far sector of the galaxy. It appeared that they were closely aligned with the Republic. 

     Drastic action needed to be taken. The metal heads and their allies needed to be put in their place. Keleif rubbed his head; he had one hell of a headache, he called for his Minster of Cybernetic and Human research, time to fight fire with fire.

………

III​     Pinkerton Linkhorn, former governor of Paladin, now ambassador of the Angerdean Nation and the first hudroid, soon to become the first cydroid (Pinkerton’s liver and kidneys needed to be replaced, the old sod, when fully human, really abused his body1),sat  in his office going over transmission logs and reports. Things in the Outworlds seemed to be going well. They now controlled over half of the Outworlds and it was just a matter of time before they controlled all of them. He was also pleased with their progress in the jeweled worlds. Revolution was spreading throughout the federation. The republic was gaining a significant foothold in the Jewels. His large and opulent office in the capitol building of the Topaz Systems home world of Telefor attested to that fact. 

     He was however concerned with a report coming out of the Emerald system. The university on Earth Prime had in its possession an ancient book attributed to be written by none other than the Goddess Pandora herself. Normally he would have laughed at the idea that a being such as Pandora existed at all, let alone a book full of magic spells and whatnot. But with the discovery that one of the mining asteroids in the Outworld calling itself the “Entity”2 was from legend as well, made this quite a important find. His artificial brain quivered with excitement. This was a Book of Power, a magic spell-book of sorts, one hell of a paradox to be sure. That living beings made from the cloth of science, due to its advances in science and technology, would be delving into the areas of the fantastic.  One thing was for sure, this must be kept out of the hands of the Federation. There were rumors that there were humans and cyborgs calling themselves Sorcerers. He felt like laughing but he knew he should really be crying. Things were getting freaky and this discovery was just the tip of the iceberg.

…………

IV​“Don’t force it, you look constipated, “The knife floated in the air, wobbling, “just let the energy flow within you and push.” it slowly started to take aim, “That’s it, that’s it, there you go, you got it,” it sailed through the air searching for it target, “easy now, easy,” the knife hit the bull’s-eye straight center, “good, well done, do it again”

     Kelzon Niff was pleased with Caldelia’s progress. She was a natural; soon she’ll advance to MageMistress. Her telepathic and telekinetic powers were both strong; she just had to work on her manipulation of energy sources. Her main weakness was her lack of patience. She tried to force things, rather than ease into them. She just needed a little more guidance, but that was why he was here, to make her reach her full potential.
She was marked for greatness. 

     The Primus Magus, Lucibane Starborne, summoned Kelzon Niff to his chambers and waved a report in his face, He said, 

“If the information in this report is true than it is some very bad news indeed. Those metal heads and their traitorous allies have no idea what they have in their possession. This is “Thee” instruction manual of magics of all kinds. Those fools don’t have the means or the know-how to properly unleash its power. I’m sending you, your youngling apprentice, Caldelia Oz, and a company of the magicorp to Earth Prime to retrieve it. It must be secured at all costs, no matter the consequences. Hurry, you must leave by daybreak, time is of the essence. If they send the ‘Book’ to the Outlands than it may be lost to us forever.”

Kelzon was quite surprised by this news. This was a monumental discovery. What bad luck having a Republican sympathizer being the one to discover it? The knowledge and wonders one would find in that book would make the lowest of initiates’ a powerful Mage of the 1st rank. For someone of his and even Caldelia’s position, it would make them no less than demigods. He licked his lips, his body trembled with excitement. He stood and saluted his liege and left to prepare for one of the most important assignments of his life. Failure was not an option. 

………

V​
     Yolanda Forrester, dean of Capitol University of Earth Prime, was beside herself. She grabbed Delfropos by the collar and said, “This is pure lunacy. Do you mean to tell me that this box is none other than Pandora’s Box of myth and legend, and once opened powerful magics beyond our understanding will be released upon the world? Are you serious? And if what you tell me is true than why the hell do you want to open it.”

“You know I’ve been searching for this for the past fifty years.” Delfropos gently removed her hands off his collar and kissed them. “This is the real deal; it was just confirmed by one of those super androids. They want it for themselves, they’re sending 
some Ambassador from the Outlands to retrieve it. They’ll offer us some pittance and keep it and its knowledge for themselves. I need to unlock some of it secrets before that happens. If this is truly Pandora’s Box and her book of magic, wouldn’t you want to be the first to witness whats inside it? Trust me! I assure you, it’s safe. We’ll record every page in the book as well as any runes that may be etched inside the Box. That information will rock the scientific community on its ears as well as reaping us a fortune.”

 A small smile appeared on Yolanda’s face. “What the hell, let’s open this damn box and see what pops out”

.........

VI​
“We’re surrounded by what appears to be a small fleet of Federation ships. They’re hailing us to stand down. What are your orders Ambassador,” stated Caption Hornrod.

“Hail their commander, Captain, let me speak with him,” said the Ambassador. Within seconds their Commander came into view on their screens. He was a large dangerous looking man. He wasn’t dressed in the traditional uniform of the federation. He was decked out in black with red and gold trimmings. He looked quite ominous. Ambassador
Linkhorn addressed the man glaring at him behind the screen. 

“Sir, I am a Signatory Ambassador representing the Angerdean Nation that now oversees the majority of the Outworlds. It would be in your best interests to let our
Envoy pass. I have urgent business on Earth Prime and any delays would be looked unkindly by my government and may even be considered an act of war.”

     The Man let out a mirthless laugh upon hearing Linkhorn’s words. He said,”You must be the famous Human with the metal brain, a hydroid if I recall, science run amuck in a soulless world. Your kind and everything you represent is an affront to Humanity proper. But I digress, I’m not here to block you from entering Earth Prime space, I’m here to ride along beside you. It seems we’re both here to collect the same artifact. This artifact was stolen from the Sapphire System which is still under our protection and jurisdiction. We look quite unkindly on this act of piracy. We’ll meet on the ground and discuss this in greater detail, in the meantime either follow us to Earth Prime or go back to your little rat-hole in Paladin.” 

Linkhorn only sighed and said, “Who are you? You don’t look like regular Federation. By the way, you need to brush up on your diplomacy, your insults and petulant manner has no effect on me. My metal brain, as you call it, is immune to your emotional verbiage. Be that as it may, we will follow you to Earth Prime and upon landing will discuss the validity of your claims. I must admit you do have balls entering into the Republic’s air space with just a small fleet of ships.”  

     The commander barked another mirthless laugh and said, “I’m Kelzon Niff, Magus Commander of the Ancient Order of the Holy Root. This fleet is part of the Magicorp, an elite group of the Federation that practices the Ancient Arts of Body, Mind and Spirit. Your allies have stolen a Holy Relic of ours. We will do whatever it takes to retrieve it.
I suggest you notify the Republics defense fleet to stand down. Believe me they are no match for us. We come in peace or war it’s up to you.” 

“I will notify the Republic Defense Fleet to stand down for now,” said the Ambassador. “Make no mistake all guns will be pointed at you, ready to annihilate you and your fleet on a seconds notice. I’m not looking forward to meeting with you, but meet you I will.”  Pinkerton ended the transmission raised his eyes to the captain and said, “Holy Shit, that son of a bitch just said he was a Sorcerer. It appears the rumors may be true.  Let’s hope they are exaggerated. He sure looked like one powerful mother fucker.

...........

VII​     The Governor’s aide-de-camp barged into the Governor’s office and without preamble said, “Madame Governor, we have a dire situation on our hands. There are reports of rioting at the Capitol University; it’s total mayhem down there. We’ve sent in a security team to gain control of the situation but we just lost contact with them. I suggest we declare a State of Emergency as outbreaks are now occurring outside University grounds as well.”  

“Declare it now!” snapped Marvena Neutron. The university was the Intellectual and scientific center of Earth Prime. Earth’s greatest minds were to be found there. Whatever was happening she was sure it had something to do with that damned artifact. She just received word from Pinkerton that he was on his way to retrieve this Pandora’s Box. To make matters worse a fleet of goddamn sorcerers from the federation were on their way to retrieve it as well. Was the world going Mad! Sorcerers, magic; people spouting nonsense about the return of the gods, her head was spinning. She closed her eyes hoping that this was just a bad dream.

     Kelzon gave an accusing glance at Linkhorn and said, “The Box has been opened; I can feel its energy in the air. It needs to be closed, soon, if not, this entire world will be swallowed up in its magic. Someone must have opened it without reciting the proper incantation. The box released what is called bane magic. This is what happens when a band of fools toys with things they have no understanding of.”

“I agree with you on that. All those who were involved with studying the artifact were under strict orders to make no attempts at opening it. For the time being I suggest we work together, once we retrieve it and close it down, than we can dispute its ownership. Since you and your female companion seem familiar with this anomaly, we’ll let you have point on this,” said the Ambassador of the Outlands. 

“How magnanimous of you,” said Caldelia Oz, MageMistress of the Order of the Holy Root.   

...........

VIII​
     Her head was on fire. Visions of the impossible swirled through her mind; Paradise Lost, Gods, Goddess’s, Angels, Demons, Death, Wars of the Apocalypse, The Horseman, the Final Battle, vision upon vision popping in, popping out, voices screaming, wailing, pleading, laughing, weeping, her senses were overloaded, her eyes were bleeding as say laid on the ground screaming. Pain, agony, anger and despair seeped through every part of her being, and one voice through the cacophony of voices that shouted in her mind took center stage. She demanded primary possession of her body and mind with the promise that she could live in the Dreams of her choosing. Yolanda Forrester eagerly accepted, what choice did she have, it was either living a life steeped in madness or forever living in a dream of her choosing. 

     She was weak and disorientated, but grateful to be out of the Box. She needed time to remember, familiarize herself with this fractured universe and gather up any of her kind that chose continued existence over the sleep of oblivion. Pandora took out the Book that was in the Box and closed it shut. Life! Ah, it felt good to be alive again and to feel blood coursing through what were now her veins. She sighed and broke into a smile, things were about to get interesting...  

......

IX​
     A young girl between ten or twelve, materialized out of thin air on the command deck of Captain Zachariah Zestabar’s ship. To say that he was startled was an understatement, having someone appear before your eyes while you blinked was a little unnerving. He didn’t realize that the Entity, now revealed as Gaia, could take on human form.  What a strange and wonderful world this was becoming when the impossible was staring at you in the eye. He gave her a slight bow and said,

“This is indeed a great honor and quite a pleasant surprise to finally meet you in a form that I can relate to, as well as finally meeting you in the flesh, face to face.  Forgive me if I appear flustered, but it’s not every day that a goddess just pops in on me unannounced. So, how may I be of service to you, Great Lady?” 

“I will appear to you in human form from now on. My strength is slowly coming back enabling me to project or create specific avatars, like the one you’re seeing now. I will never again be what I once was, or control events the way I once did, but a fraction of what I was still exists, and is speaking to you now. I cannot now move between dimensions or time streams or even across vast areas of space, and that is why I appear to you now. I need transport to Earth prime. One of my Kindred has broken the chains of stasis and walks again amongst the living. She needs my guidance and support and most of all my protection against those who want to use her for their own means. Will you help me? Will you lend me your ships and support? Will you and your nation ally yourself with me and my kind?” 

The captain’s head was spinning. Here was this Goddess asking for his allegiance and help. The real mindblower was that there was more of her Kind in this galaxy. Holy Shit! He needed to make a command decision fast. He’d notify Juliana and Barabbas as soon as he was done with this conversation, but he knew it was in the nation’s best interest to ally themselves with the returning gods. He smiled and said,

“We are at your service. We will assist you with whatever you need. You have proven to be a friend and a benevolent presence, but I’m a little confused. Will we be transporting you in your avatar form, and if that’s the case, what will become of the world you inhabit?”

The little girl clapped her hands and laughed. She stroked Zestabar’s face and said, 

“Do not worry about such things; I can function on multi-levels, for in a certain sense I am legion. Now go talk to your leadership and prepare them for what lies ahead. Hurry we have lots of work to do...

..........

Epilogue​ 
The wheel forever turns, forwards, backwards, it stops it goes, it turns right, left, it spins and rolls, where it goes nobody knows, except for those who guide, steer, and push it, and even they can get lost along the way. There are many strings and a myriad of different things that exploded and imploded on a universe that was once whole but now has split into billions of mini universes, bubbles upon bubbles struggling to pop out of their cocoons and make whole again on that which was shattered. But outside each bubble is the void--- the graves and resting place of the Gods. Many dream the dreams of oblivion but there are those that made the wheel and set it along its current path--- that refuses to wither into oblivion.

     One bubble shines the brightest and like bugs to the light those shattered and broken down gods weave and spin themselves into the bubble universe where Androids’ Dream about Heaven, Hell and Dragons. 


*The End

Stay tuned for “The Gaia Mysteries and Juliana’s Dilemma”​*

Footnotes:

(1)	From the mini-short “the Glass Box”
(2)	From the short story “Space Pirates of Angerdean” chapter 4 and 7


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## rcallaci (Feb 11, 2016)

I used the "as the wheel turns and paradox prompts- I too went over 3000 words and I used a sf theme with a bit of creation fantasy thrown in. T


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## Mariana (Feb 12, 2016)

What an incredibly brilliant, complex, imaginative and masterful story! I knew nothing good could come out of the literal Pandora box but what eventually did still took me by surprise. This series is getting more interesting with each new addition. I also love how poetic you made the prologue and epilogue. Please keep up the good work .


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## Mariana (Feb 26, 2016)

Well here’s the February entry. It mixes “a cloud of feathers” (loosely) and “shame”, I hope you enjoy:
http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop/page2?p=1970760#post1970760


And btw… any chance we could try new themes? Like from the January or February contests?


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## rcallaci (Feb 27, 2016)

I enjoyed your story immensely. It seems it's only you and me in this challenge. So be it. Well do Jan and Feb of last years LM and NFLM- I'll put it up tomorrow.

Now I'll be busy moving in the month of march so lets make it two stories by apirl 15th


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## rcallaci (Feb 27, 2016)

*From the LM *

Something in the Walls
laws of nature
A Conversation with Death
Blood on the carpet
Something in the walls

*From the COF*

crazy woman + rolling pin
artist + keyhole
mysterious voice + Isolation 
voodoo + bayous


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## Mariana (Feb 27, 2016)

Thanks again! And yeah, like you say, it looks like so far it’s just you and me but that’s enough for me personally.

Good luck with the move btw, I know those can be a b!t@#…

I’ll try to hammer in two stories by April 15[SUP]th[/SUP] but for yourself don’t worry about deadlines too much right now. I’ve had to move many, many times in the past and I know how incredibly time and energy [and money] consuming that can be.


Thanks for posting the new LM and COF themes btw! Just one question about the COF themes, are the ones that are put together with a + sign meant to be mixed together? For example “crazy woman + rolling pin” are one theme that we should try to mix with something else? (I’m not objecting btw, just asking, if anything that could work as an interesting three-way challenge…)


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## rcallaci (Feb 27, 2016)

Mariana said:


> …Thanks for posting the new LM and COF themes btw! Just one question about the COF themes, are the ones that are put together with a + sign meant to be mixed together? For example “crazy woman + rolling pin” are one theme that we should try to mix with something else? (I’m not objecting btw, just asking, if anything that could work as an interesting three-way challenge…)



Yes crazy women+ rolling pin are one theme that we mix in with a LM theme-it's quirky but it'll be fun


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## Mariana (Feb 27, 2016)

rcallaci said:


> Yes crazy women+ rolling pin are one theme that we mix in with a LM theme-it's quirky but it'll be fun



OK, thanks for clarifying


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## Mariana (Mar 19, 2016)

I have to admit that I’m not entirely sure about this story but for some reason it was the first idea that came to mind when going over the list, so here’s the March edition: http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop/page2?p=1978741#post1978741


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## rcallaci (Mar 19, 2016)

mariana

The story was fabulous...

As you know I've been in the process of moving but I'm writing my story- it will be a little late. of course I'm doing a continuation of my serial. Hopefully I have it up in the next week or two. You have become one of my favorite writers Wf and there are lot of top flight writers on this site.


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## Mariana (Mar 19, 2016)

Thanks, I’m so glad you liked it  and I’m looking forward to seeing the next story in your awesome series. Don’t worry if it’ll be a little late, it’ll be a delight either way.


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## Mariana (Apr 2, 2016)

This month I decided to go a little crazy with the themes and just mix ALL of them together… and ended up with a surprisingly short story… either way, here’s the April edition: http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop/page3?p=1983924#post1983924


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## rcallaci (Apr 8, 2016)

Here are the prompts for May 

*From the LM 
*
Screams unheard
Poetic Justice
Does Dying Hurt Mommy
The Growth of Gods
Have you seen what's Outside your Window
Starship X

*From the COF
*
space station+countdown
palace+kidnapping
hell + holiday 
back ally+Hotal
nudist colony+forest


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## rcallaci (Apr 14, 2016)

*The Gaia Mysteries and Juliana's Dilemma (3175 words)*

“The Gaia Mysteries and Juliana’s Dilemma” 
(From the Space Opera serial “Androids, do indeed Dream about Heaven, Hell, Dragons, and other things””)​

Prologue​
From the vast distances of space, a vibration, a tiny stirring, an acolyte’s call, was felt, and heard. Those of the First Born and Created were slowly making their way back to the one universe that survived the final Apocalyptic Scourge. The multi-universe and the myriad life-forms that once existed within it were ripped and torn apart by the Dreaming GOD. Only a small pocket of living universe remained.  

Out from beyond the abyss, where time, and no time met, those with an abiding desire to continue on with existence, leapt into the abyss, withstanding the darkness and emptiness of the frozen wastelands, waiting and biding their time till they could wedge their way into a living universe. Although many of these once upon a time gods were shattered, battered, broken and beaten in the last sundering, they refused the sleep of oblivion. Some found their way to the last remaining portal gate, while others were lost forever in the dark regions of the abyss. 

Gaia could feel and hear Pandora’s call. Her avatar, a twelve-year-old girl with pigtails, jumped up and down with joy. She knew that she and Pandora would find a way to reach each other. For the first time in ages she felt excited and hopeful. A New Age was Dawning. Heaven, Hell, and all that was in-between will rise again from the dust and ash. A new Eden shall emerge out of her womb. These were exciting times... many of her kind and kin were drawn to the dreams that androids had about heaven, hell, dragons and other things--- it was these dreams that reawakened the gods of old. 

..........

I​
Juliana bolted upright from her bed, the fog of sleep fading into wakefulness. She nudged Barabbas awake with a few tender taps to the head. He looked at her, smiled and started to go back to sleep. She sighed, and with a half-smile resorted to a more aggressive action, she tossed him out of bed. 

“Ah, uh, what the, I’m up! I’m up! No need to break my bones in the process. Spit it out before I come back up there and tickle it out of you,” laughed Barabbas.

Juliana helped him up back on their bed, gave him a kiss and said,

 “I’ve been having those dreams again. They’re getting more vivid, more detailed. There’s one entity, similar to Gaia, who calls herself Lilith. She shows me a time of myth and legend, a place where fairytales and the fantastic were real. When the Gods, or what we would call Gods, walked the earth. My gut tells me that what I’m seeing in these dream states were real. That these beings did exist and many of them, like Gaia, are heading their way here. This is so unbelievable, outrageous, and mind boggling that I’m tempted to put if off a fancy, but I know the truth when I see it, even if it’s only in a dream.”

“I have no doubt that these dreams of yours are depicting real events of an age and universe that’s been lost in history and time,” said Barabbas. “I think they’re using your dreams as a bridge of some sort, a conduit between their dimension and ours. How else do you explain Gaia? And now you’re speaking to Lilith, if I remember my mythology she was the Queen of Hell, a Demon Goddess.  We need to talk to Gaia, ask her if these events really happened, who the players are.  I have a feeling that a new age is upon us and new alliances need to be made. Let’s get dressed, we need to visit the once and future Mother Earth.”

.......

II​Just as Juliana and Barabbas were about to leave they received a message from Captain Zestabar. He said he had Gaia’s avatar aboard and that she requested they visit Prime Earth in the Emerald system with a fleet of ships. She said her kin Pandora has awakened and needs her support and guidance. He also said that Gaia wants to form an alliance with us and her cabal. 

“Holy Shit!” shouted Barabbas, “Are we talking about Pandora of ‘Pandora’s Box’. This is--- well words can’t describe what this is. You have our permission. The mission is a go, but you’re taking on two more passengers. Tell Gaia that Juliana and I have a lot to talk about while on our journey to Earth Prime.”

Barabbas turned to Juliana and said,

“The timing of this is by no means a set of random events. The urgency and the heightened vividness of your dreams with the awakening of Pandora are related. Things have been set in motion and it seems we’re right in the center of the storm.  The fact that Gaia wants to form an alliance with us could only mean there are others of her kind with cross purposes.  Let’s just hope we’re putting our money on the right horse”  

“I’m sure Gaia would be none too pleased by your metaphorical analogy,” laughed Juliana. “We have no choice but to follow her and offer her our undivided loyalty. She has helped us in good faith and we shall do the same. Besides, Lilith who is kindred to Gaia is linked to me. She, as well as other members of her circle are using me as a beacon to enter into this universe. We have enough on our plate, no need worrying about other factions or warring gods. Let’s inform the council about our immediate plans before we leave. Our defenses need to be fortified and our fleets need to be on a war footing. Is that what you’re wearing! We’re not leaving here until you put on another shirt...”

........

III​Pandora’s memories were near fully restored as she adjusted and took over all the functions of the now former dean of the university, Yolanda Forrester. Of course she allowed Yolanda a small space within her mind where she wandered freely in the dreams of her own making. Better than being dead, she mused.

She was relieved when she felt Gaia’s presence somewhere within this universe. Like her she found a way to escape oblivion. She sensed that she and Gaia would meet soon. All she needed to do was to stay put and await her arrival. How things have changed. Although a shadow of what she once was survived, she realized, it was better than the alternative.

Kelzon Niff, Cordelia Oz and Pinkerton Linkhorn were alarmingly surprised and anxiously concerned as they saw the dean of the university, Yolanda Forrester, holding ‘Pandora’s Box’ and also what appeared to be the ‘Book of Shadows’. What was even more disturbing, it appeared that Yolanda had grown a foot taller with a smile that chilled one’s bones. Her eyes which were once green were now red like the imagined demons in fairytales. This was not Yolanda but someone or something else. It was Kelzon who was first to gather his wits about him and address the creature standing before them. He said, 

“What manner of being stands before us? Name yourself, for surely you’re no longer Yolanda Forrester. You reek of a strange energy I’m unfamiliar with. That book that you carry is sacred to my order and the box is too dangerous for any one being to control. Hand over these items to us and only then we will offer you succor.” 

These mortal things were truly amusing, thought Pandora. They had no idea who she was. Even in her weakened state she still was thousands of times more powerful than they were. She could snuff them out with a thought. But that was never her style. Gathering all the facts, knowing all the players and aligning herself with the faction most suited to her needs, beliefs and desires was more her style. She felt earthen power in the man and woman creatures, Kelzon Niff and Cordelia Oz. It seemed they followed the Way of the Root. That she found quite interesting. What fascinated her more was the other creature, a thing with an inorganic brain, a different species of human whose dreams travelled beyond the abyss. Time for her to have a little fun and open their eyes to a universe filled with mysteries they never imagined. She spoke to them in soothing tones and said,

“It is I who am willing to offer you succor if you show the proper respect. If you impede me from passing by using your insignificant and petty might, I will turn you all to dust and ash, with the flick of my finger. Do not ever make demands of me.  As for the Book and the Box they belong to me. I am Pandora, child of Adam and Eve, acolyte to Gaia, and one of the four horseman of the Apocalypse, I being the White. When the last and final apocalypse occurred upon the worlds, the multi- universe was torn apart by the Dreaming GOD. I saved myself by pouring my essence into my Box hoping that one day it would be opened. I was quite fortunate. I buried myself in the world that was untouched by the FIST OF GOD. I was isolated and alone from everything that I knew and loved. Only the distant and mysterious voices of my memories kept me company.  I had no need to go outside the void and risk total oblivion, like many of my kin did. But the eons of stasis have robbed me of much of what I was, but even in this pitiful state, I can crush you as one does an ant. Worship me not, I have no need for adulation; treat me more as a liege than as a God. ”

Kelzon and Cordelia stepped back and knelt before Pandora. They knew in their hearts and minds that all she said was true. She was one of the great Goddess’s that they read about in their ancient texts. They always believed that what they read and studied all their lives were true, but there was always a small part within them where doubt crept in. Now that doubt was totally washed away.  As for Linkhorn, he was just stunned, Gaia and now Pandora. How many other Gods were going to pop out of the old proverbial woodwork? What’s next a conversation with Death? Apocalypses, Horseman, multi-universes, he was shaking, all he heard in his mind was, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit. 

.......

IV​
“You have dreamscaped with my sister, Lilith” said an overly excited and very happy Goddess. Of course she was very un-godlike and sounded very human in her avatar form as a twelve year old pig-tailed girl. “What did she say, can she reach this dimension, and if so when.”

“Lilith is your sister? How could that be? What is a dreamscape? We’re very confused and a bit frightened, Gaia,” said Juliana. Things unimaginable are happening before our very eyes. Things that we thought were myth and fairytales are staring me right in the eye as well as in my dreams. Of course we will follow you but we would like to know which side are we on. Lilith is quite beautiful but she has red eyes! Is she really a demon? Are we aligning ourselves with denizens from hell?

Gaia giggled and gave Juliana and Barabbas a quick hug. She smiled and said,

“There are forces of Order and Chaos in the universes, and in this case now, only the universe. I, Pandora, and Lilith, as well as many others that I hope will cross, are aligned with Chaos. We are the Powers of Earth and Hell and those from Heaven do we war with. It’s not about good and evil but about balance. Heaven is not what you think it is, nor is either Earth or Hell. 

Lilith was a created being, not born, as was I. We were created from the thoughts that emanated from our Creators, the Soul Twins, LuciFer and LuciFelicia. We both aligned with and are forever loyal to our Father. He was cast out of Heaven and it was from his Bones that the universe and universes were made. 

A dreamscape is a landscape where strands of reality are woven in the dreams that are made by those who possess highly developed spirits. Where they interconnect and create an environment where dreams and reality connect with each other and merge as one. It can be small and intimate like the one you are having with Lilith. You created a portal of sorts, where your dream allowed her to latch on to your reality strands where she weaved her own reality, creating a space where she escaped the abyss and crossed dimensions. She will than create another dreamscape were she will connect with me and Pandora and then piggy-back to this time and place. The Multi-Universe that was torn asunder was a Dreamscape created by LuciFer and LuciFelicia. This is still a part of their sundered dreamscape.  Any other questions.” laughed Gaia.

Juliana and Barabbas’s heads were spinning. Reality strands, dreamscapes, soul twins, chaos, order, good, evil, Powers, demons, and other disturbing things. Juliana was familiar with parts of the creation myths. Lilith showed her much of the histories. But this was all too surreal, they were both scared; this was a lot to process, even for a highly advanced android and super enhanced human such as Juliana and Barabbas. Gaia sensed this struggle the two were having. She put her left hand on Juliana’s head and the right on Barabbas’s. 

“I sense your doubts and bewilderment” said Gaia, “I will impart many of my memories into your being. You will then know what needs to be known. Only highly evolved beings are able to retain what I will impart to you without going mad. I have determined you are two such beings. You will fall into a deep sleep and when you wake your doubts, fears and bewilderment will be alleviated. I will tap into your dreams and make the bridge for Lilith. In the meantime, I will inform the Captain that both of you are not to be disturbed for the remainder of the trip...”

.......

V​
“My Lady Pandora, I and Cordelia wish to become your acolytes,” said Kelzon on bowed knee.

Pandora eyed both of these earthen sorcerer’s with a wary eye as well as a respectful one. It would serve her well to have those who were willing to learn and study the old magics. She needed someone who would teach her future acolytes, the Ways of Pandora. Kelzon fit the bill and would make an excellent lieutenant. Cordelia on the other hand had a sense of Order about her. She had power, yes, but she had a fanatical bent, a deep sense of justice and need for perfection. Not a suitable acolyte for her or Gaia. She knew what needed to be done. She beckoned them both to rise and said,

“Kelzon Niff, Magus Commander of the Order of the Holy Root, I do so now relieve you of those duties as commander of the order you chose to serve, as well as being in the order itself. No longer will you serve the Solaris Federation or be under the command of Lucibane Starborne, Prime Magus of the Order of the Holy Root. Your allegiance, loyalty and devotion, is to me and me alone. I will accept you as my acolyte, but you must live and if need be, die for me. Do you accept my offer?”

Kelzon bowed his head, smiled and said yes.

“Cordelia Oz, Mage Mistress of the Order of the Holy Root, You will remain with your order and continue to serve the Solaris Federation. There was a schism within the Order of the Root when the multi-universe was still intact. Some followed the rules of order while other the rules of chaos. You belong to the Ways of Order. If my circle of chaos comes back to this universe, we also need Order to come back as well for the sake of balance. I will show you the spellitrons on how to dreamscape, contact and even bring back into existence those in and outside the abyss who side with the Ways of Heaven. I will imbue you with much power and show you how to unlock the secrets of the ‘Shadow Book of the Holy Root’, which is in your orders possession. You will take over the title of Magus Commander of the Holy Root and in time you will assume the mantle of Prime Magus. Come to me and accept the knowledge and power you need in order for Light and the Powers of Order to reestablish a threshold in this living universe. Do you accept this offer and opportunity that I place upon you? 

Cordelia didn’t know whether to be disappointed or excited. She had to leave Kelzon, her mentor and lover, maybe forever, and fight not alongside but against him. But she was aware of what the ancient texts said about Order and Chaos, and knew in her heart that Order was her calling. She touched Kelzon’s hand, looked into Pandora’s eyes and nodded, yes. 

Linkhorn Pinkerton watched in fascination as Pandora issued her edicts to Kelzon and Cordelia. He was perplexed by Pandora’s decision pertaining to Cordelia. Why in hell would Pandora give her enemies a way back in to the universe and make Cordelia a super powerful sorceress in the process? He was truly baffled. But the ways of the gods wasn’t his concern for now.  His ship was standing ready to take Pandora and now Kelzon back out in space to meet up with another god, Gaia. How he wished for simpler days when all he had to worry about was which suit to wear...

........

Epilogue 
​
In the vast emptiness that borders the abyss, a chant, an incantation of being was felt, and heard. Those Powers who were caught in the web of Oblivion started to wake from their long nap. Their spirits coalesced into one mass and slowly broke away into individual sparks that once again became legion. Some howled in anger that the pain of existence was once again thrust upon them, while others’ rejoiced that they could once again drink upon the juices of life and awareness. Many jumped into the abyss while others stayed behind not yet ready to make the leap. 

The Dreaming GOD was pleased. A new dream was unfolding with a mixture of new and old players dipping their feet into the sandbox of creation. Endings bring in new beginnings and new beginnings give fresh and newly defined perspectives to the never-ending story that gives IT a reason to continue to dream on and on and on....



The End

Stay tuned for “When Androids’ and Gods sing their Songs of Creation”

​


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## Mariana (Apr 16, 2016)

Amazingly done, beautiful, spellbinding, fascinating and an overall delight. This series is getting better with every entry you add to it. I can’t wait to see what it’ll be like when Lilith and the other gods come back in full and the whole power play between Order and Chaos starts to unfold.


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## rcallaci (Apr 23, 2016)

*A Horse of a different Feather (3019 words)*

Here's my entry. I was just going to do a short flash about 700-1000 words -a continuation of a short flash piece (the glass box) about a favorite character of mine, Pinkerton Linkhorn in my android series.  But pinky had other plans. 

A Horse of a different Feather 
(An interlude in the space opera serial ‘Androids do indeed Dream of Heaven, Hell, Dragons and other things’)

   Son of a bitch, thought the former governor of Paladin, he just realized that he stopped thinking of himself as Pinkerton Linkhorn, a onetime human Politian and now just thought of himself as Pinky, Lady Nova’s cyborg stallion1.When he was human he remembered he wasn’t such a good governor; Pinkerton was corrupt, non-attentive to the people’s needs and a drunk.  He was a likable con- artist who put his needs above everyone else’s. So in some warped and macabre way, he supposed it was some sort of poetic justice, that his brain was ripped out of his body and placed inside a robotic horse. He heard that the android brain that inhabited his old body was everything he was not, a dedicated, sober and highly efficient bureaucrat, as well as a highly valued member of the Angerdean Nation. Pinky whinnied in frustration (he was whinnying now, for godsakes) at the cosmic joke that was played on him. If only he listened to his mother and became a gravedigger rather than a politician, he would at least still be human. On second thought Pinky was glad he didn’t listen to his mother, being human wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. It was highly overrated. 

     Well enough of this woolgathering, time to put down these thoughts in a recordable form. Try as I might, I realized there is no way that I could write with my hooves or teeth. I decided to use my pink quantum thought recorder, laced in diamonds and jewels (a gift from Juliana Nova, aka, the Lady Nova, for my birthday), and specifically made for the Equine gifted. I thought about what I wanted to say and proceeded to spill the beans about a story of a horse that lost and found his way. I now present to you, the grand old tragicomedy, of ‘Pinky the Wonder Horse’.

     When I opened my eyes and saw a horse starring back at me in the mirror rather than my drunken old self, I had one of the biggest panic attacks of my life. Just imagine how you would feel if you woke up and found yourself turned into a freaking robot horse. I was not taking it well. They had me constrained. I was strapped in this harness incapable of doing anything that could harm me or anyone else. Everyone in the room was clapping and laughing which didn’t make me feel any better, it just made me angrier. These android bastards made me into a freaking freak. I was in a tizzy, full of rage and loathing. But someone started to pet me and whispered soothing assurances in my ear. She called me Pinky and believe it or not, it calmed me down. 

     She was one of the most beautiful women, (android, human or sex bot) that I ever laid eyes on. She smelled like rose petals and jasmine, and her voice, was like that of an angel. I realized that they must have somehow conditioned or put some type of coding command inside my brain to make me react that way. But I didn’t care; I only knew that I would do anything for her. I was bonded and bound to her.  She told me her name was Juliana, also known as the Lady Nova. I was to be her war and work stallion when she rode out to the badlands. 

     She taught me to act like a horse and ride like a thoroughbred. I have to admit that in the beginning months it was a little rough and embarrassing. You must remember that I had a human brain and in those early times reacted in very human ways. Now how would you react if a beautiful woman was riding on your back, giving you massauges, brushing your hair, sponge bathing you, and all those other things an owner would do with their favorite pet.  Well I kind of got a little excited a few times, and being one full sized horse with all the appropriate anatomical features, it was quite noticeable, if you know what I mean. She only laughed, said it was a natural human reaction and that feeling will soon pass after I fully acclimated as a horse. And you know what, she was right. I still feel great when she rides on me and all that other stuff, but I no longer find it exhilarating, in that kind of way. I enjoy riding like the wind with her on my back.  She is my Mistress and I am her confident; I love her, even though she and her kind ripped out my brain and put me in this horse’s body. I know I keep repeating that phrase. It can get annoying. It’s like a broken record that keeps replaying over and over, but my brain was ripped out of my head, you don’t forget that, no matter how well you’re treated or how happy they try to make you.  It always festers and stays with you in the back of your mind.  

     As you might guess I have kind of a love-hate relationship with this Angerdean Nation and the androids, enhanced humans and the few cyborgs that run it. I have a beef mostly with those god-damn androids. It’s a contradiction to be sure, being that I’m a loyal and loving pet to my mistress (who would have thought I’d admit to being a pet). I know that they tinkered with my neurons, that they somehow recoded my brain to love and bond with Juliana, as well as assuring through behavioral modification that I’d be content and even happy in the skin of a horse. So although what they did to me was heinous, (the ripping out of the brain thing) they did make it easy for me to adjust to living the life as a bio-synthetic mechanical horse. They didn’t wipe away any of my memories and enjoy and even encourage hearing me rant against their scientific policies and experiments. They are a peculiar lot; they are mad scientists but compassionate and very open-minded, a conundrum to be sure.

     The trouble with these thought recorders, is that your mind latches on to one memory, and then shifts to another. I really want to focus in on my reemergence as a governor, not of Paladin, but of Zooation, my betrayal of my human heritage, and the new love of my life. I’ll try to make this as brief as possible, no need to bore my audience with long winded details, I promise you I’ll get into my adventures with Lady Nova at a later time and my meeting with Myself, that was surreal, to say the least, and a blast and eye-opener for both of us. But in the meantime, it’s time to get into the meat of my story.    

     I was a minor celebrity in the palace stables. Aside from being Lady Nova’s personal
war and work stallion, I was also the first droid animal to possess a human brain. Normally animal droids were fitted with low-level robotic brains with rudimentary language skills. The more popular bots, such as horses, donkeys and dogs, were fitted with mid-level capabilities. With the success of the Hydroid Project spearheaded by that robot bitch (excuse me, I mean, android bitch) Dr. Delemor Bellaforte, whereas she successfully implanted an android brain into a human body, they finally had a means where they could place their agents in key positions throughout the galaxy. With that success they started to implement the Doppelganger Initiative. This nefarious undertaking has changed the entire chessboard concerning the Outworlds as well the Jewels. They have been kidnapping and replacing key leaders in government, business and industry by doing exactly what they did to me. Ingenious, brilliant and daring if one thinks about it logically, hideous and monstrous, if your brain is the one that’s being ripped out of the body.

     Now where do you suppose the androids did with the leftover human brains? You got it; they put them in animal constructs. They even supplied us with vocal cords so that we could have the power of speech. You have to admit they have one hell of a sense of humor. Rather than squashing our brains into pulp and getting rid of the evidence, (like any normal group of mad scientists would) they housed us in new bodies and let us continue to live our lives under their bizarre set of conditions. 

     All of us are housed or imprisoned, (it’s all a matter of perspective) in a compound the androids call the Zooation Palace. There are now well over a thousand of us and our numbers grow each day. We all have specific jobs outside the compound. I am Juliana’s horse of course, while the others are used in similar capacities either as pets, working animals or for entertainment purposes. 

     The androids allow us to govern ourselves while in the compound. Believe me, we are heavily guarded and monitored at all times, any chance of escape or letting the worlds know of the imposters who walk around in our bodies is nil. They are just too powerful and their A.I. system that monitor’s the compound is impregnable and her bots that guard the compound are tamper proof. 

     I, of course, was elected Governor of the compound and this time intended to govern with as much honor and trustworthiness as I could muster. There is a book written on earth prime well over three thousand years ago about a situation such as his. I believe it’s called “Animal Farm” or “Animal House”, can’t’ remember the exact name, about a bunch of animals that rule or govern over other animals. I believe there was a revolution because they ran a corrupt government. Who would have thought that would now become a reality. 

     But in this case there is no incentive to run a corrupt government. All our needs are provided for by our captors, jailors or benevolent overlords, you choose which, and they are notoriously honest and incorruptible, they do not mistreat us, and they can’t be bribed. They provide us with everything that one can want or need, except for our original bodies. The government they let us run is just for our own sanity and amusement. But it’s our government and we take it seriously at least I did and still do. 

     We had weekly council meetings where we set up and implemented the rules, guidelines and laws of our domain. We have our own police force, sanitation department, judicial system, and many other organizations that make up a government. We were a country unto ourselves, with minimal oversight from the department of Human Enhancement and Cloning, also called The H.E.C. It is headed by none other than that tight assed android bitch who made me a horse, Dr Delemor Bellaforte. I am required to have monthly meetings with her to discuss any problems that may have cropped up or any improvements that needed to be made. This meeting always takes place in the outlying meadows of Zooation’s border.  She rides on my back while we discuss Zooation business. I call her a bitch all the time, and many other nasty and unflattering things when we’re together. She just laughs and pats me on the head.  She’s very fond of saying,

_“Pinky, Pinky, Pinky, I made you a better person, you were a fat old corrupt drunk on the verge of a heart attack and eventual death. Your life was full of misery and stress. You had no true allegiances’, to Paladin or the Jeweled worlds. Yes, yes, of course putting your brain in a glass box and taunting you was a bit cruel on my part but it was necessary to prepare you for what you were about to become. Look at you; you’re now a vibrant member of Zooation society. You’re twenty times stronger and healthier, you’re body will not suffer entropy and your brain has been enhanced and revitalized where it will function for at least another three hundred years. A Horses’ life is carefree, when that of a human can be full of drudgery.  So curse me all you want, I know it’s just your way of saying thank you.” _

Every time she said that I let out one hell of a big whinny and then we both laughed, because she was right, I loved being a horse, I loved my life. But not everyone felt that way. 

     I told Delemor that there was a small group of dissidents making plans about getting out there message about their abductions. They were working on an encryption device that would bypass certain security features in the AI system. Their motto was nothing is impregnable. They confided in me mainly because I was the first of the brain abductees, and that I was always cursing the androids about ripping my brains out of my body. They mistook my ranting for hatred of the androids and the Angerdean Nation.  As I said I have a kind of love-hate relationship with the androids but mostly I kind of liked them. I hardly remembered being human anymore so betraying my humanity meant nothing to me. Making sure Zooation was free of dissenters and weeding out those who were still loyal to Angerdean’s adversaries were my priorities.

     The leader of this group was Samara Kingsport, the former Governor of Ajax, one of the thirteen core worlds that constituted the Outworlds. Unlike me, she was a loyalist to the core.  She was an attractive woman when she was human, but was an intoxicatingly beautiful filly as a horse.  It was love at first site, at least for me it was. Kingsley, that’s what she was called now, was so obsessed about getting out the message about the abduction that she paid little attention to anything else. I was assured that would soon change.

     Kingsley arranged for a secret meeting in the stable area. All the conspirators gathered at the time indicated. There were six pigs, three monkeys, two gorillas, one cat, two dogs, two bulls, one cow, two tigers, three lions, four snakes, two dragons(yes, we have dragons) and eight horses (myself and Kingsley included), one hell of a menagerie. I was surprised at some of the high profile names in attendance, I thought many of them adjusted to Zooation ways, but I was relieved that there were only thirty-five malcontents, which made it only 2.5% of the population. It was Kingsley who called the meeting to order. She said,

_“Ladies and Gentleman, for that’s what we still are, no matter what bodies that the enemy has inflicted upon us. We may not look like humans but our humanity will forever stay intact. I may appear to be a horse and those accursed androids took away my birth name and named me Kingsley, but my name is, and I still am, Samara Kingsport. I’m the Governor of Ajax and an imposter now wears my body. It’s our duty to let the Outworlds and Jeweled Nations know and become aware that the Angerdean nation has committed a crime against humanity. Android imposters wearing our bodies have infiltrated key positions in the fabric of our societies. They must be deposed, our brains returned to our bodies and theirs ripped out of their skulls and smashed to bits. The final piece of the encryption coder that we programmed and built is now in place, thanks to our Zooation and Paladin Governor, Pinkerton Linkhorn. Without further ado, the Governor will now speak.” _

Now that was one hell of a rousing speech. It gave me Goosebumps. I really did understand the anger and hatred that they felt towards the Angerdean nation and especially the android brains that now inhabited their old bodies. I felt that way when I found myself in that Glass Box. But I soon came to realize that joining them and embracing their vision, (H.E.C.s) was far easier than fighting them. They were offering us an animal utopia, a place where we can roam free and prosper. The Zooation Palace was over three thousand square miles of rolling hills, flat plains, lakes, springs, groves and some brush and forest. Now why in the hell would I want to give that up and jump back in the mud where humanity plays? I pressed the button of the encryption device with my nose. I looked out into the crowd, nodded, and gave a quick glance to Kingsley and said,

_“My fellow animals, I have just librated you. Soon you will know what it means to be truly free. Your anger and hatred will no longer haunt you. They will be washed away by H.E.C., our enlightened benefactors’.”  _

     The look of shock and hatred that Kingsley gave me could’ve killed a horse. Within seconds of my betrayal speech, over two hundred security bots encircled us and proceeded to apprehend the little menagerie whose revolution failed before it even began. They were taken to the rehabilitation center where they would be reconditioned to accept and embrace there new way of life. Many of their memories would be altered in order for them to have an easier transition. 

     As for Kingsley, well she was going to be a special case. Dr Bellaforte assured me that she would deprogram her with the utmost care. They altered many of her memories as well as encoding, bonding and attraction commands in her neural amplifiers that would match with mine. They enhanced her brain as well, and bonded her also with an enhanced Human, Dr Barabbas Bennington, creator and husband to Juliana Nova.  

Well, it’s time to call it a day, I’m getting hungry and Kingsley has a special brand of hay for me to try out. She says it tastes like chicken. Oh, by the way, she adores me, ain’t life just grand...





















Till Next Time​
FOOTNOTE

1)	From the mini-short “the Glass Box”-in COF November WF Competition.









RC
04-22-2016​


​


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## Mariana (Apr 26, 2016)

Wow, very, very, nice  I love the light whimsical tone of it. I’m not sure what to think or feel about the conflict that the whole scenario offers because, as the protagonist points out, they’re living in a utopia on the one hand but at the price of their freedom and humanity on the other. What the androids did seems quite horrible in many ways… but then again they could have gone about it in much worse ways. It definitely gives you a lot of food for thought while presenting it in a very light hearted and enjoyable way. Good stuff


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## rcallaci (Apr 26, 2016)

Mariana

Thanks for the read and the wonderful comments. You understood the piece quite well- what would we give up for utopia- In this case Pinky gave up his humanity.

Does the ends justify the means? The androids way of attaining effective spy's and agents was a game changer but was it ethical- I think not-but they made sure that those disposal brains were not destroyed but would live fulfilling live's in their animal construct utopia. I will be writing more on the adventures of Pinky and Pinkerton .


Looking forward to reading your story- 

warmest
bob


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## Mariana (Apr 26, 2016)

Yeah, definitely not ethical… but arguably better than just killing the brains. I’m looking forward to hearing more about Pinkerton’s adventures, he’s a pretty funny and engaging character. If at all possible it would also be interesting to hear more about the other animals with human brains (… okay… I have to admit that I’m largely interested in the potential that comes with dragons and tigers with human brains   although so long as they’re stuck in utopia the possibilities might be limited…).


As for the May story I have to admit that I’m currently struggling to decide between two very different plots… one that is relatively more conventional and another that is possibly more interesting but never the less so complicated that it’s running the risk of being… well… goofy :topsy_turvy:


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## rcallaci (Apr 26, 2016)

go for the goofy  well most of the animals work outside of the compound and as you know androids have a hell of a sense of humor so unleashing a dragon or tiger on the populace  has many possibilities


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## Mariana (Apr 27, 2016)

rcallaci said:


> go for the goofy


 
Heehee okay, I’ll think about it  if I have time I might just end up going for both. 



rcallaci said:


> well most of the animals work outside of the compound and as you know androids have a hell of a sense of humor so unleashing a dragon or tiger on the populace has many possibilities


 
Sounds like a plan


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## Mariana (May 20, 2016)

Um… well… here’s the May edition… this is “the goofy” one I mentioned and… uh… I kinda’ went a wee bit over the word limit… as in… almost double over… so… sorry… I suppose that in theory maybe it could have been shorter if I hadn’t fleshed it out… but I kind of really, really wanted to flesh it out properly… and I have to admit that I had fun doing it too  so… here’s hoping it won’t be a pain to read: http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop/page3?p=1999951#post1999951


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## Mariana (Jun 10, 2016)

So here’s the story for the month of June. It’s a mix between hell + holiday, hotel + back alley, poetic justice and my own paranoid fears when it comes to new people and traveling… 

http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop/page3?p=2007103#post2007103


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## Mariana (Jul 21, 2016)

OK, it’s like this, at the end of this month… which is to say… this coming Monday… I’m going to be taking a short trip to Poland… which is to say… the first time I’ve ever gone on an airplane and left the country since I was 7 years old… and… well… let’s just say that last month’s story is essentially based on me and what I’m like with so much as stepping out of my house… so yeah…

So anyway, seeing as I’ve spent the past month bursting at the seams with a mix of excitement and terror, I haven’t really had the headspace necessary to come up with a new story based on the current themes… but seeing as I do feel strongly about writing at least one story per month (it’s kind of a personal goal thing of mine) I figured I’d bend the rules a bit (… or cheat, if you will). And so instead of coming up with something new based on the current themes, I instead just fleshed out an old story whose plot I dreamt up back in November. Back then, after I already posted that one of my stories would be “aliens + haunted house” this was actually the original idea for a story I had about it at the time (that is… before I came up with the idea for “Alien Nightmares” and decided to go for that one instead). And seeing as fleshing out a story for an old, existing idea is easier than coming up with a new one, this is what I’ve got for this month:

http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop/page4?p=2019403#post2019403


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## rcallaci (Jul 21, 2016)

Mariana

Read your story loved it- Have a good trip and enjoy the far away land of Poland.


My story will  be up within a week probably when you're in Poland. It'll be here when you get back 


my warmest
bob


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## Mariana (Jul 22, 2016)

rcallaci said:


> Mariana
> 
> Read your story loved it- Have a good trip and enjoy the far away land of Poland.



Thanks a lot and thanks a lot  and I hope I will 



rcallaci said:


> My story will  be up within a week probably when you're in Poland. It'll be here when you get back



Awesomeness!  I’m looking forward to reading it


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## rcallaci (Aug 3, 2016)

*When Androids and God Sing their Songs of Creation*

When Androids and Gods Sing their Songs of Creation
(From the Space Opera serial “Androids, do indeed Dream about Heaven, Hell, Dragons, and other things”)


Prologue​     In the Void an awakening had occurred. Many rejoiced at their renewed existence. Being separate unto oneself, to think, be, and act as a separate entity rather than an insignificant part of a vast wholeness, was empowering and exhilarating. To love, fight, hate, kill, to build, and create, to destroy, conquer and unite, was once again their destiny and right. They poured into the abyss and searched for ways to enter the part of the universe that escaped ‘The Sundering’.

     Not all rejoiced. There were those who roared and wailed in anguish and heartbreak. They were ripped and seared away from Being Itself. Oblivion and nothingness lost amongst the noise of existence. Once again they were to become separate dots amongst billions of other dots, all scurrying and scattering about like mindless ants without the benefit of a Queen. The one who raged and howled the loudest was Joshua, who was called by many names, but was known by those who worshiped him as Yahweh, the Desert God. He vowed that all who took joy in existence would feel the brunt of His wrath.

     On the edge of the universe beyond the Abyss and outside the Void, where time and no-time collide, a small string of weaves in the Dreaming GODS Dreamscape starts to unwind and untangle itself from the frozen knots that were tied to keep the two Lovers (Lucifelicia and Lucifer), Brothers (Dialiarties and Diathanatos) and Sisters (Tiona and Tileona) in a forever loop of suspended modality. Their Shadow Ghosts and their others squeezed out from one of the weakened knots, crossed through the Void, and entered the Abyss. They laid claim to the wastelands and gathered unto them those who owed them allegiance.  

..........

I​     The first thing Barabbas saw upon wakening from the dream slumber was his beloved, Juliana. She gave him a big smile and wrapped her arms around him. They both laid together in silence, savoring each other’s scent. It was Juliana who broke the silence, looked into her lover’s eyes and said,

_“I woke up a few hours before you. I was about to throw a glass of cold water on your face and a few slaps for good measure if you didn’t wake within the next few hours.  All kidding aside, I was getting a little worried about that human brain of yours. I feared that all that data Gaia imparted to us was wreaking havoc with your neural receptors. Thankfully you’re made of sterner stuff.   

I just spoke to Gaia, and she said we both been sleeping for the past two weeks. It seemed like an eternity, all that history, the creation of the universe, Gods, Goddess’s, and Dragons, the Trinity wars, mind boggling stuff. It’s going to take me a few days to come to terms with the fantastic turned reality.”_

_“Me too,” _said Barabbas, _“It’s all so surreal, absurd, terrifying and wondrous. A small part of me thinks that I’m in a sanatorium for the insane and unhinged, lying in a white padded room, strapped to a bed drooling. We both need to take a breath, get dressed, calm ourselves, and find out what went on while we saw the history of the universe through the Mind of Gaia.”    

.........​._

II​
     Lucibane Starborne, The Prime Magus of the ‘Order of the Holy Root’ was deeply concerned. Caldelia Oz came back with only half the ships. Also missing was Kelzon. The Mage Mistress looked different as well; she appeared taller and more menacing. She had a fire in her eyes that was not there before and she only gave him a half bow rather than a full prostration.  He’d deal with that breech later, but for now, he needed to know where Kelzon was and if they retrieved ‘Pandora’s Shadow Book’. Without preamble he said,    

_“Why have you come back with only half of your fleet? Where is your master and mentor, the Magus Commander? I see no Book in your hands. I can’t believe that you would dare to come back empty handed.” 
_
     Caldelia Oz only smiled and shrugged as the Prime Magus finished his questioning. She decided now was the time to proclaim her new ranking, as well as naming herself as His successor. She breeched protocol by laying a hand on his shoulder and staring directly in his eyes.  She felt him recoil; he sensed her power and knew that it dwarfed his in magnitudes. He sputtered,

_“You dare to lay hands on your Prime Magus without consent. What demon has taken hold of you? Explain yourself or I will have you stripped of your rank of Mage Mistress and make you a home in our dungeons”.
_
Cordelia laughed and said,

_“You cannot strip me of a rank that I no longer have.  I have been elevated to the Rank of Mage Commander of the Holy Root by an authority that far exceeds your own. I have also been declared your heir apparent. When the time is right you will step down as Prime Magus and I will assume your mantel.  No demon has enthralled me. I am of my own mind.  You do not have the power or ability to throw me in any dungeon, and if you do attempt to do so, I will regrettably turn you, and those who stand by you, to vapor and dust. So yes, I dare to lay hands on you, the Holy Root’s Prime Magus, for we are now of equal measure.” 
_
     The Prime Magus was Incredulous, as well as flummoxed, baffled, outraged, but most of all for the first time in his life, afraid. She had a bluish tinge to her eyes that was frightening and held a power within her that was terrifying. She was transformed into something other than what she was. He tried to collect himself rather than flail about like some fish on the deck of a boat. He stared back into Cordelia’s eyes and said,

_“Please forgive my outburst and implied threats but I am at a loss. Your actions and pronouncements are alarming. I do sense that you posses a great power within you and that you can very well turn this whole citadel to dust. But why would you attempt such a thing? Are you not also of the Holy Root? You now say that you are my heir apparent and have been elevated to Mage Commander. By whose authority, the only authority higher than me is the Prime Lord of the Solaris Consortium, Keleif Fin. He has not notified me of any such thing. What about Pandora’s Shadow Book; do you posses it?  Has its power got you into its thrall? Why isn’t Kelzon here with you? I ask these questions with all due respect, and as the titular head of this fellowship.” 
_
     Cordelia realized that she came on quite strong and was even disrespectful. She needed to be patient and show more restraint.  But her worldview and the way she used to look at things was dramatically altered. She was now in touch with the ancients, those whom many called gods. The world as they knew it, was about to radically change, and she was going to be one of the causes of that change. She needed the adherents of the Holy Root, the Prime Magus and the Neo Mages, to work with her, not against. She smiled and bowed ever lower to her Prime Magus and said,

_“My Lord Prime Magus, please forgive my insolence. I have always been impetuous and rash and the most recent events have made me more so. Kelzon Niff, was relieved of his title of Mage Commander of the Holy Root, as well as his allegiance to it, by none other, than the Goddess Pandora, Herself.”
_
A collective gasp filled the Citadel Halls, the return of the Gods was upon them, just as the scriptures foretold. Total silence filled the hall as they let Cordelia Oz continue on.

_“Kelzon Niff now is Her acolyte. He now follows the ways of Chaos, and aligns himself with the androids of Angerdean. Pandora claims ownership of the Shadow Book thereby making it lost to us forever.”
_
     Cordelia paused as she gauged the room. She saw astonishment of some of the faces and doubt as well. She needed to thread softly but that just wasn’t in her nature. She decided to tell the raw truth and damn the consequences. She turned from the Lord Magus and addressed the whole hall and said,   

_“The Lady Pandora also refused my offer of devotion, and instead proclaimed that I was to be Mage Commander, and eventual Prime Magus of the Holy Root. We are to be the Vanguard of Order, Pandora and those that follow her, Chaos. 
She endowed me with knowledge of the ancient magics and a full understanding of our own Shadow Book, the Book of the Holy Root. I am also now in contact with many of the gods or ancients, who have escaped the void, and who are now in the abyss. I have the ability, by the grace of Pandora, to dreamscape with those gods and eventually bring them into our realm.”
_
She paused again to let her words sink in. She was winning some of the Neo Mages over but not enough. She turned back to the Prime Magus and said:

_“I realize this is a lot to process and I know that it sounds fantastical. I speak truth and to deny my words will only weaken us and put us all in peril. I need you, My Lord, to acknowledge my rank as Mage Commander, as well as being your chosen Heir. We need to work together to gather our forces and welcome in a new age.” 
_
    The Primus Magus looked long and hard at Cordelia, gave a silent command in hand speak to a few of the Citadel guards, and seized the Mage Mistress by the throat....

..............

III​
_“My Lady, My Lord, thank the gods that you’re both finally awake. By the way we have three of them on this ship right now, gods I mean. Can you believe that! Well anyway, they sent me here to bring you up to speed,”_ said a very harried and flustered Pinkerton Linkhorn, their ambassador at large to the Jeweled Worlds.

     It was Juliana who went up to him and gave him a pat on the back and started petting him. She quickly stopped, force of habit; this was Pinkerton, not Pinky her horse, but the voice was identical as well as his personality to her beloved horse, although this Pinkerton was definitely not equine. She laughed, gave him a quick kiss and said,

_“Ah, it’s good to see you my Dear Ambassador, It’s been awhile; it’s good to see a treasured friend.  So please tell us what we missed while we were sleeping.”
_
_“Well a few weeks back I was notified that Pandora’s Box was retrieved...and out from the flames a transformed Yolanda Forrester appeared before us. Well she wasn’t as much transformed, consumed seems a more correct term. Pandora, the Sorceress Goddess made a few adjustments to Yolanda’s body and tucked her ‘essence’ in a tiny   corner of Her vast mind where Yolanda now dreams the dreams of angels. She brought back with her one of the powerful Neo Mages, Kelzon...and we left Earth Prime and two days ago rendezvoused with your ship.” 
_
Pinkerton stopped, caught his breath, wiped a bit of sweat off his brow, let out a nervous laugh and continued on, 

_“Now, meeting one god from legend and fairytale was traumatic enough, but when we boarded this ship, not one, but two gods greeted us. A beautiful young girl with pigtails and an ebony skinned beauty, both striking and majestic in bearing and manner, greeted Pandora with hugs, kisses, tears and....”
_
    Juliana nudged Barabbas and excitedly whispered that Lilith, the Queen of Hell, made the leap to this dimension. How things have changed in so short a time: three of the most powerful ancients in the universe were on their ship, along with one of the most feared Neo-Mages of their own time-line, along with a half a fleet of his ships in tow. She couldn’t help but giggle. 

     Juliana thanked the Ambassador and told him to inform Caption Zestabar that they have been apprised of the current situation and are looking forward to meeting their new guests. She asked Pinkerton to make arrangements for a Greet and Meet with the Ancients and the Neo-Mage, post haste. 

     In the meantime she and Barabbas needed to freshen up and refuel.... 

........

IV​
_“You’re Mad!”_ shouted Lord Lucibane Starborne as his hands twisted around Cordelia Oz’s throat. _“Pandora’s ‘Book of Shadows’ has distorted your mind, hand it over to us, if not, you will die by my hand.” _A dozen of his mages conjured up shielding spellitrons in an attempt to nullify or dull Cordelia’s counterattacks. It appeared to have the desired effect, even though it took every bit of their concentration to hold her at bay.

     Cordelia was totally thrown off-guard. This was the last thing she expected. She was having a hard time concentrating or breathing while her neck was being squeezed like a grape. She felt heavy magic trying to shield her from unleashing her power. She needed to calm down, use every bit of what Kelzon taught her. She let her mind drift into the void, embraced the emptiness that was the void and let all of her energy flow into that void. She released her power on those that held her in their grip. 

     The Prime Magus screamed in pain. His hands were burning; they felt as if they were on fire. He released his grip on Cordelia and fell to the ground in agony. The dozen mages that had her shielded, burst into flames. They wailed and flayed about, rolling on the ground trying to put the fire out. 

      Cordelia was tempted to twist the Prime Magus’s neck till it broke or burn him alive and watch him turn into toast, but realized that would do more harm than good. Cordelia knew what needed to be done.  She needed him to acknowledge her legitimacy and to convince him that all she said was true. A divided Root played into the hands of Chaos. She healed the burnt up mages and the prime magus with medicinal magics and once again addressed the assemblage. She said,   

_“My power has come directly from Pandora, not from her Shadow Book. To doubt me and view me as mad will bring about your own ruin. If you continue to defy me, it is not I who will turn you to dust, but those that I am a conduit for. Change is upon us, if you don’t embrace it then you will be thrown into the abyss where your bones will freeze.”
_
The Prime Magus and his Council of Mages were stunned into silence. They just witnessed an incredible display of power. They now had no choice but to listen. They only hoped their fate wasn’t in the hands of a madwoman. The Prime Magus feared that ruin and calamity had come to their door as he continued to listen to Cordelia as she said,   

_“I have learned and mastered the ancient art of dreamscaping and created a bridge for the gods who followed the way of Order to walk through into our dimensional space. One walks through now. Behold, bow your heads and kneel before him, He is known by many names, but we know him as The Desert God, Yahweh, while He himself calls himself Joshua.”
_
A thick fog appeared in the middle of the hall. Howling winds and intense heat radiated out from the mist. All within the hall trembled. They sensed a presence of immense power. Many in the room emptied their bladders. And then He appeared...

..........

Epilogue​
     The universe was in flux. Cosmic patterns that were shattered and broken were being re-knitted and restrung. Form and substance that was melted away by the breath of GOD congealed, reformed itself and what was once just cinder, dust, and ash was now clay to be once again re-sculpted by the hand of GOD. The past became the present once again and the future turned back again into the past. All that is and was and will once again be is happening now in moments that will soon pass in the tick tock tick of time. The forever loop goes on and on and on and on.... only GOD knows when it will end.

     The Shadow Ghosts of the Trinity Gods assembled together on one of the dead worlds in the wastelands of the Abyss. It was the Death Shadow, once known as Diathanatos also known as Death, who addressed his fellow shadows and said,  

_“HE leaves the bulk of Our Beings still trapped in the void beyond the void, in order to hold on to HIS power and keep us at bay. We need to once again take this universe and mould it into our own image. Only then will we be strong enough to break the bonds that will enable our shadows to unbind our chains and once again become whole. Only then can we convince the Dreaming GOD that we are worthy of HIS respect. And when We regain HIS trust and have Our full Power back, it will be Our turn to crush HIM to dust” 
_
All within the assembly cheered...

.......​.






The END​



*Stay tuned for “Mages, Androids, and those Foolish Gods.”​*



RC
08-3-2016
©2016 Rpbert F.Callaci. All rights reserved
​


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## Mariana (Aug 6, 2016)

Beautiful  I love how this series is coming together. Things are stirring up with those gods and I can’t wait to see what it’ll be like when it reaches the boiling point. I find it adorable how Pinkerton now has a job as ambassador; it’s nice that he gets to be more than just a pet. I’m wondering what’ll become of the universe once Death and the other waking gods turn against the Dreaming one.
Either way, this story was awesome and very well done and I’m looking forward to the next one!


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## Mariana (Aug 30, 2016)

Um… sorry… this month has been... pretty horrible… so I ended up not writing anything suitable for the SSMAM… I did write another story… but it’s dark, dreary, overly emotional and probably shouldn’t be posted anywhere…

I’ll try to do better next month.

Any chance we could freshen up the themes btw? I mean it’s not a necessity but it’s been a while… just sayin’…


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## rcallaci (Aug 30, 2016)

No worry's -next month is good for me as well. I'll put up a few new themes in the next few days- till then rest the pen for the SSMAM...


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## Mariana (Aug 31, 2016)

OK, thanks...


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## rcallaci (Aug 31, 2016)

Here are the new prompts:

*Genres*

Sci-Fi
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Horror/Macabre 
Political Thriller
Fan Fiction

*Themes*

The Supreme Council
Revolution
Power Struggles
Extinction
Monsters and Aliens
Death and Taxes
Killer Clowns


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## Mariana (Sep 30, 2016)

OK, it's a bit last-minute but here's the September story:

http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop/page4?p=2035941#post2035941

Once again I went well over the word limit so sorry about that. For this month i decided to mix *all* the themes because they seem to blend well with each other imo...


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## rcallaci (Sep 30, 2016)

Mariana

Just read your short- loved it as always.

I just started mine I've been taking it easy for the past few weeks. Will have it out within the next week or two. This is my favorite challenge. I'm stopping the others for a while to concentrate on my WIP and my robot stories are a part of a piece of my main work. So This challenge for me is a joy and reading your shorts is a pleasure beyond words....


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## Mariana (Sep 30, 2016)

OK, I’m looking forward to reading it  and thanks again.


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## Mariana (Oct 28, 2016)

OK, here's the October story, once again I went way over the word limit... and as for the themes I tried again to fit everything in there but somehow there was just no room for killer clowns this time...  http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop/page5?p=2040892#post2040892


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## rcallaci (Oct 29, 2016)

Good job--- got a kick out of this one.

My story will be here soon, I've been obsessed about the election, going over stats and stuff, which is a killer for my creative impulses. Its got me on pins and needles---We need that woman in the White-house  

I have my story finished within a week or so--- this one is about my favorite characters,  Pinky and Pinkerton-- one of my interludes.

warmest
bob


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## Mariana (Oct 30, 2016)

Awesome, I’ll be looking forward to reading it. Try not to let the elections get to you too much, I think millions of people are on pins and needles atm but even so there isn't all that much anyone can really do about it other than vote. Personally I'm not American so I don't even get to do that .


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## The Fantastical (Nov 13, 2016)

I think I will give this a try! These are the ones I have picked - 

Sci-Fi - Revolution

Fantasy - The Supreme Council

Historical Fiction - Monsters and Aliens

I have a question about length (sorry if this isn't the right place to ask) I see that there was a maximum word limit mentioned but not a minimum length.. Is there a minimum length limit or can it be as short as you want it to be?


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## Mariana (Nov 13, 2016)

Hey there Fantastical,

I don’t think we’ve ever set a minimum word limit so by all means make it as short as you’d like it to be  and welcome aboard


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## The Fantastical (Nov 13, 2016)

Mariana said:


> Hey there Fantastical,
> 
> I don’t think we’ve ever set a minimum word limit so by all means make it as short as you’d like it to be  and welcome aboard



Oh great! I know what I will be doing this evening! lol


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## The Fantastical (Nov 13, 2016)

Here are my three stories, a little lighthearted and hopefully full of the unexpected. *cross figures*  - http://www.writingforums.com/thread...A-M-workshop?p=2044613&viewfull=1#post2044613


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## rcallaci (Nov 14, 2016)

I'm lagging behind in my piece a bit but have over a 1000 words in---been busy with foolish things but Pinky the horse is yelling in my ear to get on with it.


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## Mariana (Nov 25, 2016)

Well here's the November story, once again I couldn't decide on a title but I hope you like it: http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop/page5?p=2046701#post2046701


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## rcallaci (Nov 27, 2016)

Just read Mariana's story. I rate it a Wow Wow. Put on your readings glasses, grab a cup of coffee or tea and let your mind dance the macabre. 

I've had a little trouble with my story but I resolved the writing wall I created. Writing walls can be a bitch and can suck up your creativity. The last writing wall I had took over two years to resolve.  Thank goodness I got over this hump in only a few weeks, and can now complete the rest of my short. Will have it up within the week. 

Now to clarify--- a writing wall is not writers block. A wall is when you create a writing situation that is difficult to navigate through. You created a storyline that you can't find a viable middle or ending. In this case I stumbled because I said off-handily that Pinky and Kingsley- two animal constructs had  offspring. It took me a hell of time to explain that impossibility. But I got through it and Now I'm writing about Pinky's adventures in the badlands.  

warmest
bob


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## Mariana (Nov 27, 2016)

Hehe thanks again and I’m glad you were able to get passed the wall (I’m looking forward to reading about Pinky’s babies  ). Like you say those can be a bitch to overcome, especially once you have your heart set on that one lovely idea that just. won’t. fit. Into. the mold…


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## rcallaci (Dec 12, 2016)

I finally completed my short. I got carried away. I went way, way over. 5444 words, I apologize but Pinky likes to ramble on and on and on. I got a kick out of writing this, I just hope you get a kick out of reading it and not become drowsy by Pinky's blather.

warmest 
bob


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## rcallaci (Dec 12, 2016)

*Pinky, Pinkerton, and the Dazzling Desperadoes'*

Pinky, Pinkerton, and the Dazzling Desperadoes’
(An interlude in the space opera serial ‘Androids do indeed Dream of Heaven, Hell, Dragons and other things’)


     Hello folks it’s been a while since my last ‘Pinky Confession’. Well it wasn’t exactly a confession; more a celebration concerning the embracement of my Equiness. A lot has happened since my last quantum recording. The Zooation Palace’s population has grown from 1000 to over 100,000 animal constructs, all with human brains of course, and our area has been expanded to over 8,000 square miles from the 3,000 square miles we were originally allotted. Kingsley and I are now the proud parents of a filly, and a colt, Damien and Delilah. Now I know what you’re thinking, how can animal robots have children? I’ll get to that after I go over a few other things. I need to warn you about my habit of meandering and woolgathering when I tell a story. It my style, so get used to it and pay attention.   

     Recently my Mistress, Lady Nova and Kingsley’s Master, Barabbas, returned from one hell of an extraordinary trip. It seems they brought back with them a trio of God’s, real walking talking magnificent looking freaking living Gods. Well Goddess’s to be more exact. They call themselves, Gaia, Pandora, and Lilith---right out of legend and myth.   

     The whole Angerdean nation was in an uproar! Not in the way that you would think, I mean we’re not bowing down or worshiping at their feet or going bat-shit that the Gods are back. It’s not that, many of us in the nation are androids, robots, cyborgs, or constructs with human or synthetic brains, essentially created beings. And to know that there are beings that helped shape and engineer the multi- universes like we’re trying to engineer ours makes us kindred to them. I met one of them, Pandora, one beautiful woman, but more so as a horse; she shape-shifted into one, which made be almost faint, and gave me a kiss on the nose; much to the chagrin of Kingsley. 

     They’re fascinating entities to be sure, powerful, mysterious, magical creatures that can only be a boon the Angerdean Nation and our allies. I’m glad that they’re here but for the Zooation Palace’s purposes they don’t offer all that much .They’re fun to be around but their interests are geo-political and religious with a bent for galactic domination which falls in line with Angerdean’s goals. Not Zooation’s concerns at all. We don’t give a shit about world or inter-global affairs. We’re essentially a rehabilitation and recreational center that caters exclusivity to those whose brains have been hijacked. Of course we serve our masters when it suits them and do occasional spying jobs where needed, but for the most part we’re left alone to govern ourselves under the benevolent oversight (most of the time) of Dr. Delemor Bellaforte, head of the department of Human Enhancement and Cloning.

     I was more excited about who also was on the return trip; none other than my alter ego Ambassador Pinkerton Linkhorn. Believe it or not I was the first one that he visited upon his return. We formed a weird sort of friendship a few years back when we first met face to muzzle. Our first meeting was traumatic for both of us and I promise you I will tell that story after I clarify a few more things. 

     My former self, Governor Pinkerton, now Ambassador at large, looked marvelous. He was lean and well muscled. His complexion was clear and healthy. When I occupied that body it was fat, unhealthy and on its way toward self-destruction. All things considered, I think I got the better deal; he had to go through hell to get that body back in peak condition while I just had to come to psychological grips with my new situation. Aside from our markedly different appearances, we were true kindred souls. We had the same memories up to the brain hijack, as well as the same brain patterns. We were brain twins, which made us way more than just brothers. Any hostility I once had towards him was washed away on our first meeting. We were each other’s confidants who truly enjoy each other’s company. 

     But before I get to the story of our first encounter let me give you a rundown on how Kingsley and I were able to have children. It’s really quite amazing, an evolutionary breakthrough that rivals the advent and emergence of humanity: when a particular species of Ape evolved into what would become known as Man. This scientific paradigm shift is due to the brilliance and genius of my dear friend and benefactor, Dr Delemor Bellaforte. Our relationship is complicated but when it comes down to it, my love and admiration for her knows no bounds.

.......​ 
A while back Kingsley and I went to see Dr. Bellaforte to request that she construct two pony androids to our specifications. We both yearned for a family of sorts and being that our artificial bodies were incapable of having children the next best thing was to have them made for us.  She smiled when we made the request and gave a gentle swat to my nose and said:

_“My dearest friends I could do better than that. I was just on my way to the Zooation Palace to see if you are both interested in being my test subjects in our experimental birthing study. It would revolutionize the way androids and constructs are made. Rather than just the staff and myself concoct new androids, cyborgs, and constructs, from the body and brain vats with instructional codes full of  mathematical, biological, and technological equations, I have devised a way to make it a near birthing experience by using a couple such as yourselves as a sort of a biological and technological template. I’ll supply you with the details if you’re both willing to get upgrades that will alter a part of your physiology. I need to have your answer now.” _

We didn’t need to give it a second thought; we both nodded our heads in the affirmative. We were excited and were willing to be test subjects no matter the risks. I told the Doctor to tinker away at our innards. But before our remodeling we did want to be filled in on the details. 

Delemor smiled and said:

_“You both never disappoint. You will be our new Adam and Eve. If things go the way as planned, the way that Humanity looks at conception and birth will take on a new meaning. Humanity will also be redefined as well. A new dawn is approaching and you my dear Pinky and Kingsley will be the catalysts that will make the dawn roar.” _

I never saw Dr Bellaforte so excited. Her eyes were sparkling and her tone was exuberant. Kingsley and I whinnied with excitement. It was Kingsley who said:

_“We’re yours to do with as you will. But I would like to know what is it that you intend to do to bring about this new revolutionary birthing method.” _

“Well”, Dr Bellaforte said, “_there are myriad factors involved which include biological and synthetic overhauls, scientific and technological innovations; brain and consciousness enhancements, as well human and synthetic growth tissue regeneration. But rather than data dumping you with scientific specifications and all the biological-synthetic minutia that’s involved in this project, I’ll give you the simplified version now, for time is of the essence, and if you want the full version at a later date, that research will always be at your disposal.  Agreed?”_

We quickly agreed as we were quite anxious to get on with it. We gave a hoof’s up.

Delemor chuckled at our variation of the thumbs up and proceeded to give us the simplified version. In a nutshell this is what she said, 

_“As of now your total body makeup is made of 96% synthetic materials and 4% biological- obviously your human brain makes up for 50% of your biological matter while the remaining 2% can be found in the blood enzymes and proteins that help fuel the brain. The blood ratio is 90-10, the 10% being biological. Through trial and error we found that the human brain needs specific ingredients found in the blood that cannot be manufactured. We formulated a blood formula that addressed the brains blood needs using the ratio that I mentioned, now that total body formula is about to change._

_     For our animal constructs we will change the blood ratio to 70-30, 30% being biological. We will be adding a synthetic-biological reproductive system that will require more biological components.  Right now although you have a reproductive system of sorts, it’s totally artificial. The Female does not menstruate or ovulate. Although the male semen’s mission is the same, to reach the female ovaries, when released into the female’s vagina, the artificial intermingling produces no life, the female’s ovaries and reproductive system only simulates pleasure zones, lubricants and orgasms, the same goes for the males.  Now the reproduction system in the male and female will be fully functioning. The female will menstruate and ovulate and release eggs for the semen to comingle and create life with. With our advances in tissue and growth regeneration as well as blood purifications and other bio-synthetic breakthroughs, we now can create life in the female’s synthetic womb.  _

_     Once the sperm and the egg have achieved to create an embryo, our team will remove the artificial womb to our birthing labs and ---------_

_“Just a minute”,_ Kingsley said in an agitated voice, _“Do you honestly intend to rip the womb out of my belly. I have no intention of being ripped apart for the sake of having little foals. I thought I was going to be relatively safe in this process, being sliced up and sent off to the glue factory is not my idea of a birthing experience”_

_“I assure you, it’s perfectly painless and entirely safe, _said Dr Bellaforte. “_Part of the modifications that we will be performing on your body is to make your womb detachable. No cutting your stomach or uterus open or disturbing any of your body parts will be necessary.  We now have the ability to modify your skin that covers your womb area to retract. It’s easy access, with a series of code commands your skin will retract and we can easily remove the womb and replace it with a new one. The skin will close up by giving the same commands. It’s really quite harmless and extremely efficient._

     Kingsley sighing in relief said,_ “Not to be a pain in the ass Doc, but why do you need to remove the womb in the first place.”_

_“There are many factors involved that make it advantageous for the womb being removed and placed in a lab environment. The main reasons being; we can speed up the gestation period to three weeks rather than the normal twelve months that it takes a non-modified Equine to do. _

_We can also make sure no anomalies creep in, such as defects, diseases and tissue rejection. The womb would function like our cloning vats. We can modify and enhance brain and body functions as well as making sure the growth regeneration is on an even keel. _

_For our androids it will only be a five day process. But that process is a little different than yours; your brains are human or totally biological, while our androids brains are mostly non-biological. Having synthetic or artificial brain matter start in an embryonic form and achieve tissue growth to normal levels is no easy task. The science is groundbreaking and breathtaking in its scope. I believe we have fixed the anomalies’ and mastered the  science, and if all goes well with you both, we will then start our testing with androids as well as inter-specie integration, such as enabling our beloved Barabbas and Julia to have offspring. That will be a glorious achievement. Their children would represent the best of human and android, they will be the Chosen Ones that will bring us into a new age of the Anhumidriod. Our footprint in the universe would increase by leaps and bounds.    _

_Once the embryos are fully developed we will abstract it from the womb in its infant state and hand them over to you. I forgot to mention only male and female twins will be developed. This will ensure that their future offspring will be genetically compatible. They will be imprinted with attraction and bonding enhancers ensuring a loving and sustaining relationship between them both. It will take about a one year cycle for the twins to fully form into adulthood. They will have a mixture of your traits, personality and appearance and will be pre-programmed with rudimentary language and learning skills. It will be up to you both to educate and train them in the knowledge and skills that they will need in order to be vibrant and loyal citizens of Angerdean and the Zooation Nation.”_

Delemor gave us each a kiss on our nose and said,

_“It’s time to begin, close your eyes, lie down in the hay, and count to ten. When your eyes open your lives will never again be the same.”_

     So there you have it, in less than a month we had our two little demons, Damien and Delilah. They’re a handful but we love them. I know the science is much more complicated and intricate then what I just explained, but that is all you’re going to get for now. I don’t want to bore you more than you already are with all-that mind boggling scientific minutia. It’ll fry your brains.  Now let’s go talk about my first encounter with my brain twin and the adventure we had in the badlands. 

.........​ 
 Although the planet of Paladin was in Angerdean’s control when I started my residence in Zooation palace, the badlands, which was just outside of Angerdean County, was still an untamed and lawless land where a large slice of Paladin’s
criminals, degenerates, and vagabonds called home. The Angerdean counsel wanted to keep it that way for various reasons, the main one being that it made a good testing ground for android assimilation.     

     Lady Nova’s early exploits’ in a badlands were legendary. She was known as a ruthless gunslinger, rustler and bad-ass outlaw. Just the mention of her name made the meanest human cringe with fear. As the years passed she made fewer visits but she still did occasional excursions in those badlands mainly to help train and assimilate the newly made 4.1’s and other advanced androids to world conditions before they were assigned to their life assignments and also because she had a ball playing the gun-slinging cowgirl. She loved playing in the badlands sandbox--- it made her bones sizzle.

     Now you all know my early history about my time in that infernal box, the brain transfer and the entirety of the bloody trauma I experienced by one day being a overweight alcoholic human to that of a perfect specimen of a thoroughbred horse.  

     It took me a little while to get my head wrapped around the fact that for all intents and purposes I was a cyborg horse. I was also claimed as the personal property of Juliana Nova---aka--- Lady Nova. It was love at first sight. She was my Mistress and I was her devoted pet. 

     Intellectually I knew my brain was tinkered with. They programmed behavioral encodings in my neural pathways to be a devoted and loving pet to Juliana and psychological imprinting to accept my fate as a member of the Equine Species. 

     Instead of being resentful and bitter about this intrusive bit of brainwashing, I was grateful. Was it not better to live a life happy and content, rather than a miserable, hateful and emotionally crippled one? I also inwardly knew that I preferred being a cyborg horse (Dr. Bellaforte prefers the name ‘construct’.) to that of a broken down old drunk. I was pitiful, a disgrace to the human race. After the initial shock, I realized that I was given a second chance at life. 

     Juliana gave me plenty of alone time to assimilate to my Equine body and surroundings. She took me out for a few pleasant walks and runs. Juliana trained me in the ways of being a companion horse as well a War stallion. She told me about her life, her dreams, hopes, and wants, as I told her mine. We bonded and became confidants. Juliana made me feel wanted and loved, something that I didn’t feel for a long time as a human. That was a highly emotional time for me, the relational bonding between Mistress and animal companion, the long and revealing talks, and Juliana’s understanding and tenderness.  I will cherish that time in my heart till my dying days. It made me the fun loving, well-adjusted and arrogant horse I am today. 

     Now I suppose it’s time to get on with the tale. It is of course my primary reason for making this quantaum recording, yes, yes, I know I ramble and get bogged down in other things, but that’s the way this horse rumbles. My mind wanders in myriad directions. I find nuggets of gold in each thought of past and present memories while also pondering on things to come. I’m fully awake and engaged. But I digress; it’s now time to re-tell the tale of my first meeting and adventure with the android brain that occupied my old body. To say that it was surreal and unsettling is an understatement of epic proportions. 

............​ 
      I was nibbling on a swath of grass enjoying its smell, and relishing its taste, when Juliana appeared by my side. She stroked my mane and tail, gave me a few pats on the muzzle and started cooing soothing sounds in my ears. I knew something was up as she only did this to relax or calm me down. I knew I was in for some unsettling news. She gave me one of her sweet and beautiful smiles and said,

_“We’re going out to the badlands today to rustle up a few cattle and settle a few scores with some ornery bigoted bad-ass humans. It’s going to get a little rough and tumble out there, so I need you to be at your best.”_

I was a little confused and my feelings were quite bruised. Did she think that I would not perform at my best? That I would be afraid and let her down? I only was out in the badlands with her a few times but I thought I performed well. I gave a little grunt and said,
_“Do you doubt my courage and abilities? I thought I was doing well as your war stallion_!” I was getting agitated and for the first time as a horse I wanted to get stinking drunk. 

_“No! No! No! I’ve never doubted your abilities or courage. You’re everything I want in an animal companion and a war horse. _ _As a matter of fact aside from my beloved Barabbas, you’re one of my closest and dearest friends. It’s just that I will not be the one riding on you when we go to the badlands. It will be just for this one time, but I need you at your best.” _

I felt much better, Juliana didn’t doubt me. I didn’t much care for the fact that someone else beside Juliana would be riding on my back, but I didn’t think it was such a big deal as she was making it out to be. I said,

_“If you wish me to have someone else moving about on my back then so be it. I promise you I’ll be your perfect horse soldier.” _

_“Believe me”, _said Juliana, _“This is going to be a tough one._ _I’m doing it for both your sakes but mainly for you. I know you have for the most part accepted your circumstances and have come to terms with whom and what you’ve become. But to become fully liberated and free from your old trappings you need to meet and come to terms with your old self.” _

I was stunned. I was about to have the body that I inhabited for some ninety-three odd years sitting on my back. I was getting dizzy and feared that I was going to faint. I tried to speak but words refused to come out. Juliana steadied me, looked me directly in the eyes and said,

_“Collect yourself and get your bearings, he’ll be here in about five minutes. He’s almost as nervous and uneasy as you about this meeting. It hasn’t been easy for him. You left that body in pretty bad shape. Although you were an enhanced human you abused almost every organ in that body. You had six liver, three heart, and eight kidney transplants as well as a multitude of blood transfusions and other purification procedures. Your eating habits were abysmal and you were constantly in an obese state. Your vitals were in a constant state of flux. Your body was a wreck from head to toe. _

_When you woke in your Equine body, you were angry and in shock about being a horse, but you felt strong, powerful and healthy. When the replacement Pinkerton woke, he was in pain, extreme discomfit, and quite disorientated.  Pinkerton begged to be put in an android body but we persuaded him to reconsider. We reminded him that he was the first Humadroid. He needed to put his broken down body back in prime shape. We did further enhancements and upgrades to his body while he exercised like a demon, meditated, and purified himself until he reached peak condition. _

_We imprinted all your memories and thought patterns into his artificial brain mainly because you were a brilliant politician, tactician, and diplomat, when you weren’t high on drugs or alcohol. We need him to be an ambassador in the jewel worlds. It a vital position and we need him to be fully acclimated and ready to assume that task. We need to see what the new and improved Pinkerton is made of by throwing him into the badlands and see how he handles himself. We’re hoping that you, the original Pinkerton, will give him a few bits of advice and guidance along the way. _

_Can I count on you, my dearest Pinky to get Pinkerton ready to be the Man you once were before you fell into the abyss of your own making?”_

How could I refuse her? I nudged her cheek and said,

“I’ll do as you ask. Tell him to meet me in my stall.

............​
     Our first meeting was awkward and uncomfortable at best.  He approached me tentatively and rather than shake my hand which was impossible since I had none, he patted me on my head, ON MY HEAD, like I was his freaking love starved lap-dog.  Well to be honest that is something I would have done when human, how the hell do you greet a horse with a fully functioning human brain near identical to your own. He soon realized the insult and apologized profusely. Patting ones head is only reserved for the dearest and closet of friends, such as Juliana and Dr. Bellaforte. He had to earn that right. 

     I was also taken aback by his appearance. Pinkerton looked healthy, fit, and quite handsome. I looked like that when I occupied that body some forty years ago when I was one of the rising stars of the jeweled worlds. Then things changed. Memories that I kept at bay for years came rushing back. I saw and smelled the charred and hacked up bodies of my loving wife and three children. Their heads were severed from their bodies and neatly placed on our kitchen table. I’ll always remember their look of surprise. I also remembered picking up their heads and kissing each on the lips and then collapsing on to the blood soaked floor. 

     The government claimed it was an act of terrorism from one of the Outworlds. But I knew better, it was from a right-wing part of the government. I was becoming too popular and powerful with the common people. My progressive views did not sit well with many within the corridors of power. They acted to silence me. They succeeded. I was devastated and from that day on I soaked my body and brain with drugs and alcohol. I retreated into my self-made hell and wallowed in my grief. 

     Pinkerton saw the tears welling up in my eyes and intuitively knew what brought them on. Instead of patting me on the top of my head, he rubbed my muzzle, a soothing and comforting gesture. He said, 

_“I remember your wonderful and loving family and also feel the pain and horror of their loss. Your memories are mine and I grieve with you. But let’s choose to remember their smiles, laughter, and the utter joy they brought to your heart, and through memory, mine as well.”_

From that moment on we became brothers and he earned the right to pat me on the head.

...........​
     We rode out together to the badlands with our outlaw gang of a dozen newly minted 4.1 androids riding on my buddies’ backs, which were obviously horse constructs: like myself.  Juliana told us she’d catch up with us later but in the meantime to rustle up as much cattle as we can. We were to target only the ranches that enhanced humans or cyborgs owned. We were to stay away from non-enhanced humans, robots, or android homesteads or ranches. 

     On the way there Pinkerton and I talked about many things. It was like, talking to myself, but with a different perspective and take on things. It was odd at first and then it became quite stimulating. He may have had my memories but didn’t have my experience or intuitive grasp of the underlying political currents and power struggle’s that one needed to understand, manipulate, and create, in order to become a major player in the dimly lit halls of power. I told him about some of the pitfalls and caveats of governing, diplomacy, and politicking and what he should expect from his allies and enemies. I warned him that there was a fine line between each. He soaked it all up with the enthusiasm of a new-born. It felt good to be a mentor to a new and improved version of myself.

     The Angerdean government has kept the badlands autonomous. They use it as a staging ground for their advanced androids, and now humadroids, to test their reasoning, agility, leadership skills, and a host of other abilities under harsh conditions. The 13,000 square miles of badlands were sliced up in ten territories made up of grasslands, deserts, and rocky terrain. It was hard and nasty country populated by the heartiness of folk. 

     It was the enhanced humans and cyborgs that controlled much of the economy and owned the majority of the lands in the more prosperous territories. They used robots as a virtual slave force and non-enhanced humans as serf-labor. They left the deserts and rocky terrains full of canyons, and swamps to the lower series androids, high functioning robots and true-humans (non-enhanced) that preferred freedom, even in the worst of conditions, than being under the thumb of the human elites.

     We finally reached one of the larger ranches in the territory of Bayboro. Pinkerton and I were in charge of our little gang of desperadoes and we intended to rustle up as much cattle and cause as much panic and havoc as we can. Having a group of super motivated ultra-advanced androids as your gang members, pretty much assured one hellishly mind boggling and rollicking outcome.

     Our scout spied a large herd up ahead made up of around two thousand cattle and thirty or so cow wranglers herding them towards the butcher blocks. I did find it offensive that they slaughtered these creatures for the meat, being an animal myself, synthetic or biological, doesn’t matter. Don’t get me wrong now, I’m no animal activist and I’m not against those humans who prefer a good steak now and again or the poor and hungry that rather have a little meat in their stomachs than some indigestible corn floating around in their stools. And let’s not forget about that leather, lots of uses for that. But I do object to the massive scale in which the cattle are slaughtered. No one needs that much meat or leather. That’s why we rustle cattle; we thin-out the rancher’s herd, and bring them to the Zooation Nation to roam free. Uh, Oh, sorry, I went on one of my tangents, where was I, oh Yes, we spied that herd up ahead.

     We all spread out and formed a circle around the heard. The cow wranglers saw us and started shooting. Now our synthetic skin is near impervious to bullets, it just stings a little. You would think their bosses would supply them with more sophisticated weapons, like neural lasers or light guns, but that would put a crimp in their profits.  We quickly dispatched them and took over the cow-wrangling. We had one of our own hidden ranches nearby and that’s where we were going to drop them off. We had a lot more rustling to do. While we were on our way there we heard a large thundering noise.

     It was a large posse of over two hundred mercenaries hired by the rancher. And these schmucks had laser rifles and gamma-light guns. We were screwed. We knew we could take out at least half of them before we got toasted. Running for it was not an option; it would set a bad precedent for Juliana’s gang of dazzling desperadoes. Pinkerton rubbed one of my ears and gave my head a pat and said to all of us,

_“We need to charge ahead and use our lightening speed to confuse and unsettle them. We’ll snap as many heads as we can and try to evade their gunfire as long as possible. It’s been a short life for most of us but let us die bravely and with a smile on our faces and a look of defiance in our eyes. Let them know killing us extracts a large price. It’s been fun. Wait until we smell the fear coming out of their pores and then we strike. ”_

Pinkerton made me proud. To die with him on my back made me believe that there was some type of divine intelligence out there.  I was going to die happy and fulfilled.

........​ 

     Obviously we didn’t die.  We charged forwards, backward, sideways, and back and around again and did some lethal damage. We killed and maimed about ninety of them but were slowing down from fatigue and getting hit by the guns. Yes androids and constructs do get tired. Most of us were badly damaged but we continued on. I knew the end was nigh and I gave a blood curdling war cry and utilized the last of my strength for one final charge. And then the sun went dark and the skies became filled with winged serpents. Suddenly there was fire reigning down on us. Oddly enough the fire didn’t affect us but burned the flesh of those human mercenaries. It was glorious to behold. The whole field turned into a human barbeque.  

Six magnificent multi-colored cyborg dragons with their companion androids on their backs swooped down and coughed up fire from their mouths. On the largest dragon’s back sat Juliana. She looked like one of the Goddess’s from legend.  After they toasted each and every human to burnt meat steaks they all landed on to the burning fields.  A group of Juliana’s desperadoes arrived from our hide-away ranch and gathered up the frightened cattle and headed back to that place where we were headed too before we got so rudely interrupted. Juliana and a few medical droids carried us and placed us on the dragons. They flew us back home for repair and rehabilitation. Juliana gave me and Pinkerton a big kiss. She said we both exceeded her expectations. We filled her heart with joy. 

...........​
     So there you have it, mine and Pinkerton’s adventure in the badlands. We became true brothers and brain-mates on that first encounter. It also gave me closure. I no longer yearned to be human again, I much preferred the company of androids and constructs. I still railed about my brain hijacking but it was mainly for effect, I was now a true convert. Long live Juliana, Barabbas, Angerdean and the Zooation Nation, and may I, Kingsley, and my children have all the hay that we will ever need.  











The End​ 






RC
12/12/2016
©Robert F. Callaci All Rights Reserved.  
​


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## Mariana (Dec 14, 2016)

Very nice  this was a very nice account of Pinky’s stories told from his perspective. I actually like the stories that are narrated by him most of all in this series. I do still think what was done to him was incredibly cruel but you’ve done a good job at laying out his psychological journey towards full acceptance of his new life, body and identity.
I love how he and Kingsley can have babies now. I take it from the very short period of maturity they’ll have to go to that Damien and Dililah are going to become two new main characters later on in the series? I think it might be interesting to hear about the childhoods and development of cyber-human-foals.
As for the meeting between him and Pinkerton, that must have been one hell of an emotionally charged experience. It also provided us with a lot of much needed background about Pinky and boy was it ever an expectantly tragic one. You can’t really blame him for almost drinking himself to death.
Anyway, nice work  I look forward to reading more of this series (assuming there is more because you didn’t mention at the end).


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## rcallaci (Dec 14, 2016)

I'm glad you found Pinky interesting---these were the interludes I don't put up a what's next squib--- I will be writing this series for a while- it ties it with my main work. Pinky and Pinkerton are my most developed characters and I will be focusing on others in the upcoming interludes. My next piece will be the Main storyline. The return of the God's 

warmest
bob


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## Mariana (Dec 30, 2016)

Well here's the December story: http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop/page6?p=2053216#post2053216 kind of depressing but this is what came out this month. I hope you enjoy it anyway.


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## The Fantastical (Dec 30, 2016)

What are we going to do for Jan? Which is just a day away!


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## rcallaci (Dec 30, 2016)

The Fantastical said:


> What are we going to do for Jan? Which is just a day away!



There are no set ground rules and timetables. The Jan stories are due at the end of the month or even at the beginning of February. This is purely a creative endeavor with no judging or scoring. I will put up a new template in the next few days to put a little grease on the wheels.


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## rcallaci (Jan 9, 2017)

Here are the new prompts:

*Genres*

Romance
Gothic
Mystery
Comedy
Tragedy
Fables
New Age
Satire

*Themes*

Revolution
War
Corruption
Dreams and Nightmares
Racism
Dragons fairies and other things
Soul Mates
Death and Taxes

anywhere between 2500 to 5000 words---next story by end of Feb---this is all about exploring your creative chops--remember have fun...


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## Mariana (Mar 1, 2017)

Um…. sorry for missing the deadline… these past couple of months have been very, very, very overloaded. I’m gonna try to get a story up by the end of the month or so.


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## rcallaci (Mar 28, 2017)

I've been busy as well --got sidetracked with other things - half finished with mine need to finish it withing the next week or so


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## Mariana (Apr 1, 2017)

Yeah, I hear you, I think i'm probably only going to be done in a little over a week as well.


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## rcallaci (Apr 11, 2017)

*Dreamscape Fables*

Dreamscape Fables
(An interlude in the space opera serial ‘Androids do indeed Dream of Heaven, Hell, Dragons and other things’)

*Story-time*
*I*​ 
 “_Mommy, mommy tell us more of those stories, we’re not sleepy yet,”_ said the twins in unison. Juliana smiled and bent over to give each of her children a kiss on the forehead. Levistar and Lillierosa cooed in delight as they saw their mother reopening the ‘Book of Leviathan’.  “_Okay it’s time to settle down my little ones,”_ said Juliana, “Just a few more tales and then it’s bedtime for you both.” Juliana opened the book, picked out some favorites of hers and sent the children’s imaginations back to wander amongst the fairylands...
i​ 
*Stripes of a Different Color​* 
In another time and dimension,  long, long, ago in the Dragon Kingdom of Draelierkor, Shahshona, a young dragoness, left her dragonkeep against her family’s wishes in order to be with Argoness, a young Red Dragon of the Blue Stripes that she was madly in love with.  Her family was distraught over this affair being that they were Red Dragons of the Yellow Stripes. It was frowned upon amongst the Prime Reds concerning the mixing of Stripes; it was the way of things that stripes of a different color should not mate or co-mingle with one another. Every Stripe Clan had its place and function and to mix stripes would only create renegade stripes that would no longer belong to the primary stripe clans. But for Shahshona love was color-blind and her hearts wanted what it wanted. She only hoped that Argoness would agree with her decision and welcome her with open wings. 

Argoness’s double hearts skipped a few beats as he looked up in the sky and saw his beloved Shahshona heading towards him.  He couldn’t believe the sacrifice Shahshona was making by abandoning her clan and openly declaring her love for a blue striper. He needed to be as brave as her and embrace her in the skies by wrapping his tail around hers for all the blue stripers to see. But he was afraid, it was taboo amongst his kind and part of him always thought that Shahshona would never leave her clan for him; that their forbidden love would forever remain a secret between them both. He needed to make a decision quickly, either fly away to his dragonkeep and disavow his love for Shahshona or meet her up in the skies. He looked up toward her and saw how beautiful she was, what was he thinking, she was the love of his life. He lifted his wings and flew up to meet her in the skies. 

They wrapped their wings and tails around each other and put on a fire display that the whole kingdom was witness too.  It was glorious! To find true love is a rare thing and to deny oneself of that love would be a crime against their hearts and souls. They both decided to follow their hearts rather than adhere to the ways of the clans. 

Shahshona and Argoness flew off into the sunset leaving their dragonkeeps behind. They soon formed one of their own. But that is a tale for another time...

~~~

Juliana stopped reading and was pleased to see the smiles on her children’s faces. It showed her that they had empathy and an appreciation and understanding about the power of love. 

Levistar the more serious of the two touched his mother’s cheek and said,” It seems that love can at times require great sacrifice.  What happened to them? Were they punished by their clans?” Juliana was impressed with her son’s depth of understanding. He was going to be a force to be reckoned with when he came of age. She gently placed her hand on his and said,” Their story would be too long to tell, it would take hours, but they did form a new and powerful Dragonkeep which later was one of the sparks that started the great Dragon Wars. I’ll have your father tell you that tale. He’s the historian of the family.  I have another story to tell that I sure that you would both like.”  

............ii
*The Ogre and the One-Winged Fairy*​

In another time and dimension, long, long ago in the Fairy Kingdom of Fairiemount there lived a large and fearsome looking Ogre named Benenoblenobblebobblelink.  He was ten feet tall, with a massive belly, large fangs that dripped with saliva and other gooey substances and mammoth hands with razor sharp claws that could rip and tear through flesh and bone. All who came into his view fled with terror before he had a chance to say hello or anything for that matter. Rather than giving him pleasure at the abject terror that his visage instilled, it instead caused him much distress.  You see, Benenoblenobblebobblelink wasn’t your typical everyday fairy and man-eating Ogre; as a matter of fact he was a strict vegetarian.

As you can imagine, this caused him to be quite unpopular amongst his own kind. They never invited him to any of their hunting parties or social gatherings. They only called on him when they were warring with an enemy clutch. He was their greatest warrior, being that he was two feet taller and three times stronger than any other ogre. The clutch tolerated him because of his warring skills but kept their distance from him when it came to all other matters.  

They found his eating habits and demeanor very off-putting. He had a pleasant disposition, was caring and kind, and respected all living things. This was quite abhorrent behavior to the ways of the Ogre. Ogres were rude, nasty, vicious, surly, obnoxious, and downright mean. They were ravenous glutens, eating their fairies raw and their humans cooked. He didn’t fit in, so they left him alone, only calling on him in times of need. He was pariah amongst his kind, mostly shunned and avoided and only called upon in times of need.  He was one lonely Ogre. 

One day while he was gathering berries and nuts on the edge of the Gray Forest he heard someone sobbing in the forest deep. Now if one must know, he had extremely good hearing, he could hear a pin drop close to a half a mile away.  As a matter of fact all of his senses were what you would call phenomenal.  He was one extraordinary Ogre.

He entered the forest on the run and let his ears guide him to where the sounds of sobbing were coming from.  To his surprise and utter astonishment he saw a large female black fairy warrior spreadeagled on a bed of spikes, wrapped in chains that were attached to stakes buried deep in the ground.  One of her wings was ripped off her back.  She was in agony; the only sounds she could make were moans and sobs.  

The black fairies were not friends of the Ogre. They were Ogre killers.  For a brief moment he thought about leaving her there, they hated his kind and hunted Ogres for sport. But he realized that he could never live with himself if he didn’t try to free her from this living nightmare that she was in.

When he grabbed her chains he yelped in pain. His hands felt like they were in boiling water.  The chains were laced with fire magic. He swallowed hard, grabbed the chains and with all of his might tried to break them apart. The chains were nearly indestructible and the pain was excruciating but he continued to pull them apart with every bit of strength that he had. He thought he was going to burst in flames but he continued on until they finally shattered.

He freed the black fairy from her chains.  She grabbed Benenoblenobblebobblelink and gave him one big bear of a bear hug. No one ever hugged him before and it felt really, really good.  She said her name was Druprisilla, a high caption and regent of her clove. But when she outlawed Ogre and Troll hunting when used as sport, the child princess (under her mother’s influence) declared her an enemy of the state and sentenced her to death. 

Druprisilla looked fondly on Benenoblenobblebobblelink and said, “It seems we’re both outcasts of a sort. Let’s join together and create a new race of our own. I still posses my magics and if you agree, I can create a transformation spell that will change us into a new kind fairy creature.”

Benenoblenobblebobblelink experienced nothing but grief as an Ogre. He gave up of ever finding a mate and accepted that he would be alone for the rest of his life.  He now found out he had an opportunity at happiness with this black fairy. He smiled and nodded his agreement. 

She spoke a few ancient words and drew a few runes. They both shook, shaked and gyrated. They each grew fifteen feet tall with human like features accept for the fangs. He became one handsome creature and she one beautiful gigantic woman. A new Race came into being and they called themselves Giants...  

~~~~

Lillierosa gave her brother a quick hug and her mother a kiss. She said,” I just love stories with happy endings. I’m so happy for Benenoblenobblebobblelink; I thought he was going to be lonely and sad till the end of his time. He found love by his an act of kindness as well as a new and exciting destiny.” Levistar smiled at his sister and said, “You do realize that it is just a fairy-tale.   Ogres and giants may have existed in the time when the gods ruled but these stories are just fables, a means to teach children like ourselves certain values. I doubt if Benenoblenobblebobblelink or Druprisilla were real living beings. “His sister hit him on the arm and said, “Don’t be such a poop. I choose to believe it---it doesn’t matter if it happened or not or if they are real or come from a writers imagination.  If I could see and feel them in my mind’s eye they exist in a world of my own choosing.” Both laughed and agreed that they were both right. 

Juliana marveled at the maturity, intelligence and depth of her children. One had the makings of a serious scholar while the other the temperament of an artist. She swelled with pride and a fierce love for these little imps. She gave each of them a big hug and a kiss and told them it was time for sleep....


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## Mariana (Apr 13, 2017)

What an adorable pair of fairy tales  each one very sweet in its own way and yet both related. It seems they were each about individuals willing to sacrifice the worlds they came from for the sake of love. Very sweet and very nicely done.

Hopefully I’ll be done with mine in the coming day or two. I have to admit that I overestimated how much plot could fit into a 5000 word limit… and uh… I ended up going way, way, way over it… so yeah… sorry about that… there will be a mini-novel coming up in the coming days ale:


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## rcallaci (Apr 13, 2017)

Mariana said:


> Hopefully I’ll be done with mine in the coming day or two. I have to admit that I overestimated how much plot could fit into a 5000 word limit… and uh… I ended up going way, way, way over it… so yeah… sorry about that… there will be a mini-novel coming up in the coming days ale:



I love mini-novels


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## Mariana (Apr 15, 2017)

So… um… here’s the story: http://www.writingforums.com/threads/161484-November-S-S-M-A-M-workshop/page6?p=2076289#post2076289

I reckon this doesn’t really count as a short story anymore but I hope you like it anyway. Feel free to take your time reading it because it’s… uh… kinda long…

(Fantasy is my favorite genre so I kind of got carried away… just a wee bit :tongue


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## The Fantastical (Apr 15, 2017)

It there a new one of SSMAM ip? What is it?


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## Mariana (Apr 17, 2017)

The Fantastical said:


> It there a new one of SSMAM ip? What is it?



what do you mean?


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## CraniumInsanium (May 10, 2018)

Hi everybody! I know I've been completely off the radar, and as insomnia strikes again at 1am, I feel the urge to write once more. I find it crazy that this thread I started almost three years ago is still going strong!!! what have I missed? my life was a bit chaotic between work, personal outside of work drama, and then moving, but I'm settled in for good and ready to get back into things!


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## Mariana (Dec 8, 2018)

CraniumInsanium said:


> Hi everybody! I know I've been completely off the radar, and as insomnia strikes again at 1am, I feel the urge to write once more. I find it crazy that this thread I started almost three years ago is still going strong!!! what have I missed? my life was a bit chaotic between work, personal outside of work drama, and then moving, but I'm settled in for good and ready to get back into things!



Yeah... sorry about that... it was an absolutely amazing experience while it lasted... sorry for not keeping it up at the time but for some reason at one point I hit a wall and lost all motivation after that point. I think this specific thread is the best of its kind personally. A very unique challenge that can be extremely inspiring. I hope you've gotten back into writing or will go back to it eventually. Idk for sure if I ever will but what I can say is that it was amazing and i appreciate the people here who helped, encouraged and enabled me to have that experience for over a year.


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