[The 500] Eating the Seed Corn

The crescent wrench was polished with the sweat and tears of the protesters Wa had beaten. He had not done this lightly. His family needed to eat. His grandfather needed medicine. Who were they to accuse him of being an agent of Tyranny?
His father had protested the British when they had left the ‘democratic’ government in place that the mainland was now so ruthlessly exploiting. His grandfather had been on of the earliest architects of the movement for democracy, but the business community had remembered the Shu family’s leanings when the British had been power and slowly business had tapered to nothing.
The family had fallen from grace.
Now his muscled back pounded the concrete barricade the democratic protesters had set up. Each time he put down his wrench chips spun out in a tiny gray galaxy of boring stars. The other ‘agitators’ were putting their first and kicking at the blockade. The police had given up three days ago, and everyone knew it was a matter of time before the troops marched in and shot the protesters.
But it was still taking too long.
So Wa was doing their work for them. Yes, democracy was important. Yes, freedom was important. Freedom would not feed his family. He saw one naive and desperate young woman interpose herself between his wrench and the concrete block which was toppling back and forth from all the bodies pressing against it. Wa brought down his wrench.
He had meant to only hit her on the shoulder, but the idiot put her head in the way. He heard a sickening crunch. He could just drop her here, and in the chaos no one would know the wiser. He took no chances and began to drag the woman out of the crowd, which was no easy task. The bodies pressed against him, the blood flowing from the unconscious woman’s temple.
Did she have brain damage?
It seemed like forever. He had to kick at least two people who got in his way. Where was his wrench now? Eventually, wading through the swamp of humanity, he reached an ambulance. He told the cops that the woman had been wounded. And they loaded her up and took her away.
Then they arrested him. How could they know? But then he realized when he looked around at the protesters in the van with him, haggard faces with eyes all puffed up from pepper spray. These were the democratic idiots. Wa couldn’t help but laugh at the irony.
The universe was cruel and strange.

Precyber Chapter 55

The end.

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[Script] Tossing Grenades at Windmills - Page 33

J.R.R. THORNE

We can't let them interfere with the device.

DOC SHADOWS

Interesting.

J.R.R. THORNE

What?

DOC SHADOWS

Ironically, I think this disaster might have given me an idea. I'm amazed I didn't think of it before.

J.R.R. THORNE

What?

DOC SHADOWS

You don't want to know.

J.R.R. THORNE

Why?

DOC SHADOWS

Because I said so.

J.R.R. THORNE

WHAT?!

Doc Shadows uses his telepathic abilities to vanish from Thorne's sight. We see from Thorne's perspective that Shadows seems to step into the shadows and become invisible.

J.R.R. THORNE

Come back here! What are you doing?

DOC SHADOWS

(invisible)

I’m solving our problem.

EXT. KENSIGNTON RESEARCH FACILITY - DAY

Grenademan, Hawkqueen and Inoria turn a corner while not immediately looking at one another. Suddenly, Inoria and Grenademan see Doc Shadows where Hawkqueen is standing, and see Hawkqueen where Doc Shadows is standing.

[Script] Tossing Grenades at Windmills - Page 32

GRENADEMAN

FORTHWITH VILLIAN! I SHALL HAVE AT THEE!

HENCHMAN

Whatever.

The henchman takes out a knife and tosses it at Grenademan. The knife bounces off of his helmet. Inoria shoots a taser like stun bolt at the thug and then turns to Grenademan.

INORIA

Please try to stay in sight.

GRENADEMAN

WE'RE NEARLY THERE.

HAWKQUEEN

Stay near me.

They move into the warehouse and spot a bizarre looking device with a large projector of some kind on one end, attached to a power source. The projector is obviously designed to bounce back and reflect off of something.

INORIA

What is that?

(Moves closer)

GRENADEMAN

A DEVICE OF THE FORCES OF EVIL!

Grenademan tosses a sleep gas grenade at a third group of henchmen who show up but who all fall asleep.

HAWKQUEEN

Yes. We knew that. Thank you.

INT. CONTROL ROOM - DAY

Doc Shadows and Thorne are looking in a control room looking at various cameras that show the heroes near the device.

Precyber - Chapter 54

Clarke and Emily confront the terrorists.

Check out this episode!

[Script] Tossing Grenades at Windmills - Page 31

HAWKQUEEN

I can see through the eyes of the hawks. We need to head north.

INORIA

North it is then.

Inoria grabs Grenademan by the hand and pulls him north. She knocks out two remaining henchman and follows Hawkqueen's lead inside of the smoke. They move beyond the smoke.

The closer they come to a large warehouse, the faster they run. When they are almost there, another wave of henchmen comes out, branching clubs.

INORIA

Hey, they're learning. No guns this time.

HAWKQUEEN

If they were really learning, would they work for someone like Thorne in the first place?

INORIA

Good point.

GRENADEMAN

TALLYHO!

Grenademan single handedly charges them, tossing several grenades. Smoke, paint and oil cover the ground, covering many of the assailants. None of them immediately come out of the smoke. Grenademan vanishes inside it as well.

HAWKQUEEN

Where did he go?

INORIA

There he is!

Grenademan emerges from the smoke looking triumphant as another thug comes out after him, shooting a gun in his direction that he ignores initially. He starts to turn around while a hawk attacks the henchman, forcing him to drop the gun to the ground. The hawk moves into the smoke.

Grenademan Vs Zombies is now professionally edited

Grenademan Vs Zombies is done.  Its book 3 out of 5 but I'm still publisihing it as a series in the new year alternating with Forever West.  Fiona Skye has done a fantastic job editing it.

I will be reading from it every other week in the podcast starting two saturday's from now, with short stories alternating after that.  Rereading it, its amazing how my first serious arc story (before I wrote it) of five parts works well.  Book 1, 3, 4, and 5 are all awesome.  I'm not sure about 2....its too close to 4....and I might just do it last or as an anthology of short stories at some point...rather than actually do it...but I do think I need to create a short novella of  Book 1 at least.

Regardless, its progress and MY what a difference an editor makes....