Precyber - Chapter 30

Clarke floats about until he finds the spark of a new start.  A tiny evil glimmer of hope.

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[Seventh Seal] Page 76 - Chapter 5

Row 1 Box 1 Jesra looks back and smiles.

Jesra: Pete!

Row 1 Box 2 Klery looks back and doesn't see anything except Pete and the horse.

Klery: Pete is a friend of yours? Your boyfriend?

Row 1 Box 3 Jesra blushes.

Jesra: Er.....we...just...met...

Row 2 Box 1 Klery smiles knowingly and puts her hand on Jesra's shoulder.

Klery: Today would have been my and my husband's 50^th anniversary. It's an important day to me. I remember what it was like. You don't have to explain anything to me.

Row 2 Box 2 Jesra keeps blushing and just knocks on Forsalio's door.

Jesra: Er.....

Row 3 Box 1 Forsalio is surrounded by three women, admiring his new suit. One of them has a pair of grapes and is ready to feed him one.

Off Panel: Knockknockknock

Row 3 Box 2 Forsalio looks up, the women look annoyed.

Forsalio: What in the?

Row 3 Box 3 The door opens, and Forsalio looks out at a waiting Jesra and Klery.

Forsalio: Yes?

Row 4 Box 1 Vesuvius bite's Amanda's hand again.

Row 4 Box 2 This time Amanda let's go.

Row 4 Box 3 Vesuvius runs up her shoulder.

Row 4 Box 4 They look at each other.

[Seventh Seal] Page 75 - Chapter 5

Row 1 Box 1 Amanda looks right, after Vesuvius has moved.

Amanda: What?

Box 2 Vesuvius taps her from the other side.

Box 3 Amanda starts to turn her head but stops.

Row 2 Box 1 Amanda reaches a hand up quickly and grabs Vesuvius.

Box 2 Vesuvius bites her hand.

Box 3 Amanda yowls in pain but doesn't let go.

Row 3 Box 1 Amanda points her wand at Vesuvius.

Row 3 Box 2 Pete (from Pete's perspective) yanks the wand out of Amanda's hand.

Row 3 Box 3 Amanda shrieks in surprise. From Amanda's perspective the wand flies through the air.

Amanda: What?!

New Product - Two Stories - Unfood and Mining the Dream Plane

Here.

These are respectively the best and worst stories I've ever written, apparently. One of the stories was so bad that the writing program at World Con politely suggested, "Maybe you should stop writing science fiction and take up another hobby?" The other one got a note from a small but highly acclaimed publisher, "Good story but not what we're looking for." You guess which is which.

Unfood is about a down on his luck freighter captain whose spaceship gets intercepted carrying illegal cargo. His crew is sentenced to a harsh rock and he gets away scott free, but needs to get them out of prison, so he takes a desperate job to a fat prison ship, designed to FORCE people to lose weight. He finds the place abandoned, and is trapped on board. Talk about counting calories...this is a survival story where any calorie is a good one.

Mining the Dreamplane is about a future in which creativity is much more specialized than it is today. A writer's job is done by seven or eight people, including a crafter, a refiner, etc. But the most 'glamorous' job is the Miner, who goes into a computer simulation called the 'dream plane' to get raw creative stuff which others process. A miner gets stuck in this state when his handler is grabbed by the police and sentenced to wear corporate advertising to pay for his crimes. While he deals with the ramifications, the miner slowly starts to die and have weirder and weirder hallucinations.

Crazy Ivan

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[Seventh Seal] Page 74 - Chapter 5

Row 1 Box 1 Slither (from Slither's perspective) is floating in the air and looks shocked.

Row 1 Box 2 Pete does a baseball windup.

Row 1 Box 3 Pete throws Slither into a nearby trash bin, ricocheting him off the lid.

Pete: Not so fun when you're on the other end is it?

Row 1 Box 4 The lid to the trash slams down, trapping Slither.

Row 2 Box 1 Jesra looks at Klery.

Jesra: I was talking to my imaginary friend.

Box 2

Klery smiles warmly.

Klery: I used to have one of those a long time ago. But...

Box 3

Jesra smiles and takes Klery's hand.

Jesra: This way. You'll see.

Row 3 Box 1 Amanda shoots another lightning bolt at Sluice.

Row 3 Box 2 Sluice moans and collapses.

Row 3 Box 3 Amanda reaches forward to shoot another lightning bolt.

Amanda: And now we end this.

Row 3 Box 4 Vesuvius springs up onto Amanda's back and taps the side of her neck.

[Seventh Seal] Page 73 - Chapter 5

Row 1 Box 1 Amanda extends her wand and shoots a lightning bolt at Sluice.

Slither slides down off the side of the roof and does a series of massive leaps towards the horse.

Box 2 Sluice is thrown backwards off the horse.

Slither keeps jumping and leaps up, slamming into Vesuvius.

Vesuvius: Jesra, get Klery to where she needs to be!

Row 2 Box 1

Jesra slips off the horse.

Jesra: Where is that?

Row 2 Box 2 Sluice slowly gets up.

Vesuvius and Slither roll around in a ball of fury wrestling with each other.

Vesuvius: Follow your instinct!

Row 3 Box 1

Wide shot of the scene showing Jesra and Klery from Klery's perspective with just the two of them and the horse.

Jesra: Somehow I don't like the sound of that.

Row 3 Box 2

Klery looks at Amanda.

Klery: Don't like the sound of what? Why did you bring me here?

Row 4 Box 1

Amanda flies up and slams Sluice with another lightning bolt, knocking him backward.

Slither pins Vesuvius and draws a knife to slice him.

Row 4 Box 2

Pete (from Pete's perspective) picks Slither up into the air.

Precyber - Chapter 29

Clark finally drops to rock bottom.

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[Seventh Seal] Page 72 - Chapter 5

Row 1 Box 1 Sluice grabs Klery in one arm and Jesra in the other and begins to ride off through one of the windows.

Row 1 Box 2 Trolls follow in the distance but can't do much.

Row 1 Box 3 Pete runs after them.

Pete: Wait! (huffhuffhuffh) Wait!

Row 2 Box 1 Amanda and Slither stand guard over the roof of Forsalio's demesne.

Row 2 Box 2 Slither looks at Amanda and whispers something.

Slither: …...

Row 2 Box 3 Amanda nods.

Amanda: Yes, they will come. It is inevitable that they would.

Row 2 Box 4 Slither looks dubious.

Row 3 Box 1 Amanda smiles and points down the street.

Row 3 Box 2 Slither looks and strains his eyes.

Row 3 Box 3 Slither looks shocked.

Row 3 Box 4 Slither rubs his eyes.

Row 4 Jesra, Klery, Vesuvius and Sluice stop directly in front of Forsalio's house. A line of trolls can be seen in the distance.

New Product - I, Fenris

A new poem.  I, Fenris. 

A first person perspective from the other side of the Norse pantheon. One night, a dog is about to be put to sleep by a corrupt worker, and the dog prays for relief. Fenris hears the dog's plea, and corners the worker, telling him his true tale before he slaughters the human.

[Seventh Seal] Page 71 - Chapter 5

Row 1 Box 1 Jesra seems to think about this for a bit.

Row 1 Box 2 Jesra nods as if this makes perfect sense to her.

Jesra: Of course. Listen, I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor?

Row 1 Box 3 Klery smiles warmly again.

Klery: Of course. What can I do for you?

Row 2 Wide shot of Sluice and Vesuvius laughing outrageously on the horse, leaping over a line of outraged trolls.

Row 3 Box 1 Jesra looks at Klery.

Jesra: Well you see there is someone...who needs ...praying for...very much. And I was wondering if you would come and help me pray for him?

Row 3 Box 2 Vesuvius and Sluice ride in.

Klery (off panel): I'd be happy to.

Row 3 Box 3 Jesra smiles.

Jesra: Great. Let's just – eep!

Precyber Chapter 28

Clark is about at the bottom of the barrel...not quite yet, but certainly circling the drain.

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[Seventh Seal] Page 70 - Chapter 5

Row 1 Box 1There is a rumbling sound outside of the church. The trolls look up. Klery doesn't seem to notice.

Row 1 Box 2 The rumbling grows louder. The trolls grab their weapons and look at the door.

Row 2 Box 1 Sluice and Vesuivus ride in on a horse with a bunch of tin cans on a string behind Sluice (tied to his neck) as they ride like madmen through the middle of the church.

Row 2 Box 2 The trolls just stand their shocked for a moment.

Row 2 Box 3 Sluice rides up, and slams into one troll, knocking him over backward into the other trolls.

Klery: Aztects, Aphoridite (Bless her)

Row 3 Box 1 Sluice and Vesuvius begin to ride off, smiling and waving.

Klery: Boats, Beverly (Bless her), Ben (Bless Him)

Row 3 Box 2 The trolls howl with rage and give chase. Klery blithely ignores them all.

Klery: Bongos, Bananas...

Row 4 Box 1 The side door opens and Jesra peeks in.

Klery (off panel): Balloons, Baboons

Row 4 Box 2 Jesra comes all of the way in.

Klery: Basoons, Barnacles

Row 4 Box 3 Jesra looks confused.

Jesra: Pardon me miss...what are you doing?

Row 4 Box 4 Klery looks up and smiles warmly.

Klery: I'm praying for everything.

[Seventh Seal] Page 69 - Chapter 5

Row 1 Box 1 Jesra looks at Sluice.

Jesra: Why don't you just talk to her?

Row 1 Box 2 Vesuvius smiles a little sheepishly.

Vesuvius: Because we can't talk to her. I can whisper in her ear and make suggestions, but they don't always work. Sometimes they do dumb things.

Row 1 Box 3 Jesra nods resolutely.

Jesra: Then let me talk to her. You get the trolls out of there and I'll get her to follow me.

Row 2 Wide shot of Trolls standing around looking bored while Klery prays.

Klery: And thank you for Apricots, Apples, Angels, Azelias, America, Apple Pie, Aunt Judy (bless her soul), Aunt Peggy (bless her soul), Amy (bless her soul), Angela (bless her soul)

Row 3 Box 1 Troll whispers to other troll.

Troll: How long will she keep this up?!

Row 3 Box 2 Troll #2 points.

Row 3 Box 3 Close up of Klery's hands. It's an alphabetized list that is very long. She's only on the A's so far.

Row 3 Box 4 Troll #1 groans.

Precyber - Chapter 27

Things go from worse....to much worse.

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[Seventh Seal] Page 68 - Chapter 5

Row 1 Box 1 Vesuvius looks at Sluice.

Vesuvius: Its her. It can't be the trolls.

Row 1 Box 2 Close up of Sluice's face, frowning.

Row 1 Box 3 Vesuvius laughs.

Vesuvius: Silly. There are no trolls in this world. Its not because Trolls can't be lynchpin's.

Row 2 Box 1 Jesra rolls her eyes. Sluice gets an 'oh yeah' look on his face.

Box 2: Jesra looks into the window at Klery.

Jesra: So what now?

Box 3

Vesuvius looks thoughtful.

Vesuvius: Huh.

Row 3 Box 1

Vesuvius snaps his fingers.

Vesuvius: I have it. We need to distract the trolls so we can get her out of there. I think she's supposed to go somewhere that the second lynchpin is, so we bring her there.

Row 3 Box 2

Jesra looks doubtful and crosses her arms.

Jesra: And what if she doesn't want to go?

Row 3 Box 3

Sluice and Vesuvius look at each other.

Row 3 Box 4

Sluice smiles and makes a lifting motion.

[Seventh Seal] Page 67 - Chapter 5

Row 1

Box 1 Pete walks down a cobble stone street in one of the older areas of town. The light of the sun is slowly setting in the distance. All of the light clearly looks wrong and in this case the sun is a white circle in a black back ground with edges of black against the horizon.

Box 2 Pete spots some trolls in the distance, unseen by nearby cops. He smiles. There is a municipal park in the background with some shops on the far side out of focus.

Pete: Ah! Some of Sluice’s people. Maybe they can help me.

Box 3 Pete walks up totally unseen to the trolls who have begun talking to each other.

Row 2

Box 1 Pete waves to one of the trolls. The trolls do not see him. Meanwhile, a pigeon lands unseen on one of the shoulders of the trolls.

Pete: Hello? I say hello there?!

Box 2 Same scene from the cops perspective. There is a pigeon sitting in the middle of the air, just hovering there.

Cop #1: Any sign of them?

Cop #2: None.

Cop #1: Damn it.

Cop #2: Er…George?

Box #3 Close up of George’s face. Looking annoyed.

George: What?

Box #4: Cop points to the bird hovering in mid air.

Row 3 Box 1

Both cops star at the pigeon hovering there.

Row 3 Box 2 We see things again from Pete’s perspective. Troll #1 spots the pigeon and points it out to Troll #2.

Pete: Hello? Can you hear me?

Row 3 Box 3 Close up of Troll #2’s face as it gets a wicked grin.

Row 4

Box #1: Troll #2 reaches over and pops the pigeon into a bloody pulp like it might have been a zit.

The cops look utterly shocked. Pete is reaching back to kick one of the two trolls to get its attention.

Box #2: The two trolls laugh. Pete is standing rather still. In the background George is sick off panel but obviously doing so with a “RETCH” or some such thing indicating such.

Pete: Er….never mind then. Maybe it’s a good thing you can’t see me.

Precyber - Chapter 26

Things go from bad to worse for Clarke.

Check out this episode!

[Seventh Seal] Page 66 - Chapter 5

Page 2

Row 1 Box1 1 Horus sits on his throne watching the scene in the church through the scrying pool.

Horus: We saw who you really were in the beginning.

Box 2 One of the dispossessed souls in the pool in chains looks back up through the water at Horus.

Horus: We value the strength of the individual. The natural order of nature and the freedom to take its course. You still seek to impose your will upon it.

Row 2 Box 1 Klery sits in front of the alter, kneeling.

Narration: You cannot stop a Hurricane, or an Earth Quake…

Box 2 The soul looks away from Horus’s gaze looking down at it, dejected.

Narration: And you cannot stop us.

Row 3 Box 1 Jesra, Vesuvius and Sluice run down a narrow alleyway.

Box 2 Sluice follows Vesuvius vague pointing and they run toward the church.

Box 3 As they enter the doors, they see Klery and twenty trolls behind her watching her.

Box 4 Vesuvius, Jesra and Sluice lay on either side, with their backs to the wall, and a clear view of the trolls in front of them, heads turned toward the middle, with a clear expression of fear on their faces, more so in the case of Vesuvius and Sluice.