Notes [From the Fountain]

[click images to enlarge]

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Perplexis

Perplexis lives at three-oh-nine
West Chiltonberry way
with her seven older brothers
who do nothing everyday.


(Now, for all those unaware of
how a 'nothing' is defined,
it's really just an synonym
for life without surprise.


-and if surprise is what we use
to keep our lives intriguing,
then nothing's just a state of mind
where something's always fleeting.)


So, everyday Perplexis walks
to school and then to work,
where her mind is always busy
and her brothers do not lurk.

For, though she loves her brothers
more than anyone could know...
-with every inch they sink to waste
it tears apart her soul.

It seems each passing moment
strikes a thousand listless hours
As Lexis watches helpless as
her brothers minds go sour.


So, walking home from school one day,
consumed with riotous anger
Perplexis formulates a plan
to free them all from danger.

-and on the morn of Halloween
with jacket-bundled-tightly
She gives away her precious things
and sets upon the highway.

For waiting round with 'hopeful' thoughts
has worn away her patience
Thus lexis now has set upon
the trek to reparation.


(Before one gets to traveling
through space of-far unknown-
One first must flee the warm
familiar confines of their home.

A legend of the questing-kind
allegedly once said,
“The hardest journey of them all,
is getting out of bed.”

The masters of these tribulations
venture as they please-
Unhindered by what sloth oppressions
indolence will breed.

So when these feathered bedding binds
grow pillows round’ your face
remember: sever mind from sleep,
and beds you shall escape.)

It’s cold, you know on Halloween
Most monsters can attest,
Most children too, who trick or treat
Are always smartly dressed.

But Lexis, in her pauper clothes
-a dress not fit for comfort
-a pair of chucks spite rain and snow
and hoodie raggd asunder.

-her swollen feet beat ’neath the snow,
from high-fi arctic air
which closes frozen winter roads
bemoaning thoroughfares.

A torrid, stormy system swirls in
circles round’ the sky,
whilst’ lounging in the distance
looms another storm pariah.


While Lexis was tiny pearl
still living with her mother,
the school agreed the girl
indeed did differ from her brothers.

"A difference doesn't tell the tale"
remarked one grim instructor
on stair- fat knuckle-white on rail,
"She has no older brothers."

"It's true,' Piped in the principal
"Her mind is in upheaval.
Instinctively, it seems she sees
imaginary people."

Her worried mother rushed her fro
from hospitals to shrinks
from every known professional
on every listed street.

---

See Also:
http://physiac.blogspot.com/2005/07/perplexis.html
http://physiac.blogspot.com/2005/07/perplexis-revised.html

Yards

There are three wooden cross-sections that divide my
lawn into four separate inner pastures,each individually
irrigated through a network of perforated copper pipes
that extend from a large hydro-electric water filtration
system that fits seamlessly into the bottom of the fountain
in my yard.

When it rains, there is an underground resevoir which funnels
water into a small, obsidion exit-peice which is perched on top
of the fountain-pouring liquids back into the main basin from
a bucket which is balanced on its head.

(A heavy web of hollow coils make up the inside body
and legs of this statuette, and they run from a flood-gate
near the exiting water at the bucket.. to a bundle of polymer
tubes 6 feet beneath my mailbox.)

The few bits of mail I do receive are actually high yield nutrients
which have been compacted into the shape of envelopes by a
high tech gardening company located outside of Vancouver B.C.
When the mailman drops these envelopes into the gutter, he is
actually releasing carefully measured amounts of chemicals into a feild
of underground drainage pumps that circulate the mixture
back into the resivoir underneath the fountain.

There are times when I am lying in bed watching the ceiling fan
spin its shadows into the open doors of my bedroom- when I'll
wearily contemplate the importance of my work. And as my mind
wanders with the shades of grey and black on the walls, I am sometimes
tempted to run into the streets screaming my secrets to all of those
who would listen,hoping beyond anything that some r a n d o m
passerbyer could validate the terrible things which I have done. It's
during these times when I am most vunurable to the pressures and
influences of the outside world.

My home in this place is nothing more than a diversion for my life
below. The walls and shelves of my living room are decorated
with portraits of families that I have never seen nor spoken to, and the
kitchen pantry is stocked only with foods essential to my own survival.
The things that hold value for others, their television sets and high speed
internet connections, their cash and jewelry and precious loved ones...none
of these things reflect well in the fountain


In addition to the intricate waterways beneath my
home, there are
several
hundred yards of reinforced concrete corridors that
spiral a
considerable
distance beyond the restrictive boundaries of my
property. These
distances
are more than tripled in the bundles of gossamer thin
tubing which
furtively
occupy several of the corridors that cluster
underneath my neighboring
homes
and gardens. Much could be said of the upkeep to these
structures,
which, if
left intended could lead to an entropy of the system,
and perhaps more
importantly, to a stagnation of the chemicals which
the system so
studiously
maintains. I have little doubt that without constant
supervision, the
delicate balances of these devices would cease to
perform their
intended
functions, and begin to operate redundantly on their
own accord.
On power, there is the air-conditioning unit on the
side of my home
that
has been modified to double as a sort of solar
generator. The pumps
transferring water from the neighboring homes are run
from both the
primary
power of this unit and the secondary power of the
flowing water itself.
This
steady intake of water into the main system is
purified through a
charcoal
filter then sent directly to a solitary canal on the
opposite end of
the
fountain. It is from here that the nearby reservoir of
brewing chemicals
and
nutrients are properly diluted and measured carefully
into injectable
doses.
After this, they are quickly transfered to a
refrigerated holding tank
near
the entrance to my basement.
It is only now that the fountain is able relinquish
control of the
system
to the local plumbing of my home. This control is
frequently botched
by the
design of the primitive structures hydrarchitecture,
but any
modifications
to the upper levels of my compound would only draw
unneeded attention
from
the outside world. As it is, two feet beneath the
floor of the
basement, tap
water faucet pumps mist the cooled mixture onto a
white hot-sheet of
stainless steel, thus, evaporating the liquid formula
and leaving the
solid
impurities behind. This vapor is vacuumed into a
spiraling glass cord
which
drips the new liquid into a blue plastic cup on my
windowsill.


I will sometimes observe the contents
of that cup,
curiously holding it up to the sun- and swishing the
liquids into a
whirlpool.

And at the end of the day when I have
nothing left to do,

I
will often wonder at
what
it means-


what
the
fluid actually represents.

It seems the only things I do know anymore, are that
when I step
underground, I am proud-

that when I pour water into a glass,

I am happy,

and that when I shower in the evening with the idea of
another day
before
me,

I will think of the fountain,
and smile.

---

See Also:
http://physiac.blogspot.com/2005/07/from-fountain-of-youth.html

The Scientific Dazzlecrats of Mathmaworld 11

(TWO SCIENTISTS in a laboratory have been frozen in time. They appear distraught and have been affixed as follows:

The MALE SCIENTIST; hunched before a massive panel of multi-colored buttons- one hand grasping a tuft of his hair while the other is extending down towards the panel.

The FEMALE SCIENTIST; braced with her back against the only visible doorway- struggling to keep a deadly monster from entering the lab.

A SHOWGIRL walks in front of the stage with a cardboard sign which reads,

'ACT 1'

and then falters near her intended exit at the opposite end. She glances hesitantly toward the two scientists, moves to make her body half hidden by an incomplete exit, then stops.)

SHOWGIRL

Wha…I dunno. What do you want me to do?

She turns in response to an unvoiced command, and with a smile no less sincere than her first- walks, with sign outstretched to her original entrance at the opposite end of the stage.

ENTER DIRECTOR, whose panicked head appears from behind a curtain on the other side of the stage. The showgirl meets his pleading eyes, and then shrugs. They both look worriedly to the two scientists, then confusedly gesture one another to proceed.

The SHOWGIRL sighs and marches across the stage to the DIRECTOR where there immediately begins a bickering, whispered debate. After a few moments of this, The Director suddenly turns and strides angrily to the unmoving SCIENTISTS up-stage.

He whispers angry questions at them- but they do not respond. He shouts muffled accusations at them- but to no avail. They remain frozen and uncooperative in time.)
DIRECTOR

-pfooooooo…

The Director turns back on his heels towards the two scientists, hesitates; and then returns his attention to the crowd.

DIRECTOR

-this…(nervous laugh)…I…(brief pause as he looks toward the two SCIENTISTS) I'm sorry- I don't know what they're doing…so…

He glances nervously to his right and left until he catches the SHOWGIRLS attention. She shrugs.

The houselights fade up.

SHOWGIRL

-I guess…I mean I don't know what to say. (She looks to the Scientists.) What the fuck are you guys doing?

The ASSISTANT walks haltingly onto the stage- not at all comfortable with the situation. A Technician (TECH) emerges from his booth (or from some technical station behind the audience) and looks questioningly to his co-workers for support. No one notices him.

SHOWGIRL

-well (but the DIRECTOR has already begun moving towards his ASSISTANT.) Pfooo.

The Director stops the charge towards his assistant when he notices the TECH.

DIRECTOR

(Barely perceptible. To the TECH.) Did you know anything about this?)

TECH

No, I…

DIRECTOR

-they didn't say anything to you? Nothing?
TECH

-no, I mean…I don't…

DIRECTOR

(attempting to communicate with his Assistant who is too far away to understand what the Director is saying.) I don't…I don't know what to do.

TECH

(Loudly to the Showgirl.) What's up?

SHOWGIRL

Pfooo…(she snaps to the sound of the Techs voice.) -wha?

DIRECTOR

(to his assistant, who still cannot hear.) What do you want to do?

DIRECTOR

-What Do You Want To Do? (louder this time, but still incomprehensible.)

The Assistant is visibly upset. He steps out of the shadows and begins to march toward the director.

TECH

This is fucking awesome.

The Showgirl coughs out a single breath of nervous laughter. She appears gratefull to the Tech for having dispelled some of the Audiences negative attention.

The Assistant ends his march face to face with the Director.

ASSISTANT

What the fuck were you saying, man? I didn't hear you.

DIRECTOR

-I said what do you want to do?
ASSISTANT

-you're the…goddamn…(he grabs the script from the directors hands and pushes his way toward the Showgirl and the Tech. He stops briefly to address the audience.) Hey, folks- uh…sorry,

I'm gonna try and clear all this out…get someone else up here for you. (he motions toward the Showgirl and the Tech.) Would you guys come down here for a second, please?

The SHOWGIRL immediately begins walking toward the assistant while the Tech lingers hesitantly behind.

TECH

-what about the lights?

DIRECTOR

(to his assistant.) What are you gonna do?

ASSISTANT

(ignoring the DIRECTOR. Addressing the TECH, instead.) What about em? I need you to come down here and help, okay. You don't need to be worrying about lights, right now.

The TECH walks down into the pit shaking his head and stands next to the SHOWGIRL.

TECH

(Under his breath) Lame.

The Director folds his arms, embarrassed- pretending to be intrigued as his assistant passes out scripts to the crew.

DIRECTOR

What is this?

SHOWGIRL

No…I don't…I can't do this…(She hands the script back to the Assistant, who frowns and pushes it back toward her.)

The Assistant pulls the Showgirl off to the side- leaving the Tech standing uncomfortably silent next to the director.

SHOWGIRL

(in a harsh whisper) I'm not gonna do this. / No.

ASSISTANT

-all you have to do is just /


SHOWGIRL

/ no, I can't.

ASSISTANT

/ read from the script. It's a cold read /

SHOWGIRL

/ don't you have…like..

ASSISTANT

-Understudies? Yeah, cause this is a really big production.

SHOWGIRL

-Well, I mean…What…

ASSISTANT

Look, man…this is it. This is everyone. Don't fuck me. Just read from the goddamn script.

DIRECTOR

(to Tech) I think we should just stop all this and let someone else go on.

TECH

(Shrugs) Well…you're the fuckin' Director. Why don't you tell everyone to stop so that somebody else can go on?
SHOWGIRL

Alright, from where to where?

ASSISTANT

(Turns at the sound of her voice) What?

SHOWGIRL

Where do you want me to start?

ASSISTANT

Oh, uh…

TECH

(Flipping through the script.) Hey, who am I?

SHOWGIRL

Yeah, I don't even…

The Director walks listlessly up to the stage and snaps his fingers at the frozen scientists. They do not respond. The Assistant pulls the script out of the Showgirls hands and scans his eyes down the page.

ASSISTANT

-youuuuuuu (he flips through the script) are reading for Dr. Isus (He puts the script back into her hands and moves over to the Tech.) and youuuuu, are /

SHOWGIRL

So this is a guy? I'm reading for a guy?

(The Tech and the Assistant look worriedly up to the Showgirl.)

DIRECTOR

(To the Scientists.) HEY! (He snaps his fingers) HEY!

ASSISTANT

(Quickly explaining to the Tech.) So from here to here…skip all this shit- and finish right here, okay? (He immediately turns to the Showgirl.) Is that okay?

SHOWGIRL

It's fine, I…It's fine…

The assistant cautiously nods and then walks over to the Director.

ASSISTANT

Can you take the booth?

The director sighs visibly.

ASSISTANT

Can you please take the booth?

DIRECTOR

I don't…( He looks around nervously and walks to the edge of the pit, just beyond earshot. The Assistant impatiently follows.) I really don't want to be in the booth.

The rest of their conversation trails off into whispered bickering

SHOWGIRL

(To Tech) I really don't want to read for a man.

TECH

You wanna trade?

SHOWGIRL

Is it a boy or a girl?

TECH

Well, the…I think it all takes place in the 5th dimension, so…boy / girl doesn't really apply…

SHOWGIRL

-What's the 5th dimension?

TECH

(laughs nervously) -do you…

DIRECTOR

(cutting in. Loudly, to the audience. Having returned from his talk with the Assistant.) Hey, so…sorry again- everybody. We're gonna try and get the ball rolling, here. And uh…I'm gonna go operate the technical aspects of the show. So…

The Assistant leans in to whisper something encouraging into the Directors ear- shrugging…as if to minimize the importance of the situation. The Director nods and coolly points his finger around the room- disappearing into the booth with a smile. There is a beat as they all watch him depart.

SHOWGIRL

(To assistant) What's the 5th dimension?

ASSISTANT

What?

The Assistant and the Tech Pause as they wait, hopefully- for the Showgirls storm to pass. No such luck.

SHOWGIRL

-am I a boy or a girl?

An uncomfortable silence.

ASSISTANT

It's a girl


SHOWGIRL

Well…I thought boys and girls don't exist in the 5th dimension.

An uncomfortable silence.

ASSISTANT

Who told you that?

SHOWGIRL

What's the 5th Dimension?

The Assistant sighs heavily and puts his arms over his head. All lights go off. Pause, then another sigh.

ASSISTANT

(In total darkness) Turn the light back on. Please.

DIRECTOR

I'm sorry. What? I didn't….was that a signal?

ASSISTANT

(To Director.) Turn The Goddamn Lights Back On.
DIRECTOR

Wait…didn't you just…I thought we were working off signals, here.(Long pause) right? (silence)

TECH

(Hey! Don't be pushin' buttons up there, man. I've got /)

DIRECTOR

/What?

TECH

-there're other shows, just- please don't mess with the board…up there. Please?

ASSISTANT

Oh no.

DIRECTOR

I WILL MESS…WITH ANYTHING…THAT I WANT.

I AM STILL…THE DIRECTOR…OF THIS SHOW.
ASSISTANT

Look, you two go ahead and-

Lights begin to cut on and off as The Director (unseen) begins mashing on the board in the booth.

TECH

Awesome.

SHOWGIRL

So I'm a he/she, right? Is that... (she holds out her script)

Is that what this is? I mean, I still don't understand.

ASSISTANT

(Attention focused on booth, but distractedly addressing Tech and Showgirl) Get ready to read.

SHOWGIRL

Did You Hear Me?

ASSISTANT

Uh-huh. Get ready to read.

SHOWGIRL

You're just ignoring me?

ASSISTANT

mmm-hmmm. Are you ready?

TECH

I can't believe I got drug tested for this fucking hassle.

SHOWGIRL

(riffling through her script.) Whatever.

The Assistant begins to march into the booth to calm things down.

ASSISTANT

(While walking) Start.

Tech

Now?

ASSISTANT

Start Reading.

TECH

(Looking through his script) Okay, uh…The Monster beats on the laboratory door while the Scientists search for an escape, and- (to the SHOWGIRL) You walk across the stage holding a sign..

SHOWGIRL

(Unmoving) Right- Walking, walking…(She holds up her script

To the audience) Act Two.

Act 2

All that follows is to be simultaneous: Tech and the Showgirl become frozen in time. Red lights and shrieking sirens grow painfully out of the laboratory. There's a violent banging on the door which the female scientist is holding closed with the full of her body, and her male counterpart is wildly mashing his hands onto the panel of multi-colored buttons below him.

FEMALE SCIENTIST

Lock The Door!

MALE SCIENTIST

I'm Trying. I'm Trying

FEMALE SCIENTIST

It's coming through, Damnit- lock the door!

MALE SCIENTIST

-almost…

A cold noise of metal on metal, and the door is locked. The woman slides to the ground in a daze but then quickly recovers and runs to look over the male scientists shoulder. The banging becomes more intense.

Female Scientist

Now, check the current.

MALE SCIENTIST

It's not the current.

FEMALE SCIENTIST

What is it, then?

MALE SCIENTIST

It's not the current. It….it may be an algorithm, or-

FEMALE SCIENTIST

/ Stop your damn analyzing and do something! What about this? (She randomly mashes a button.)

MALE SCIENTIST

Don't push that, it /

FEMALE SCIENTIST

/ What? What does it do?
MALE SCIENTIST

-destroys all of the suns in our neighboring galaxies.

FEMALE SCIENTIST

We have buttons for that? To hell with them, what about this one? (She mashes another random button.)

MALE SCIENTIST

…my God, an entire Universe…

FEMALE SCIENTIST

Then You Do Something.

MALE SCIENTIST

It's not that simple! It's a matter of risk and probabilities, not of pushing buttons like a fool!

FEMALE SCIENTIST

You watch what you say, you filth. Your job is to do

what I say and that's it. Now power the security with the power from the lab.

MALE SCIENTIST

Are you out of your mind? Do you remember what just happened to our people- to our entire civilization? We risk that same fate if ANYTHING is transferred outside of that door. We risk everything.

FEMALE SCIENTIST

You Risk Your Next Breath If It Isn't Taken In Sanctuary From That Monster! I'll Clone Another Dog From Your Ashes!

MALE SCIENTIST

Alright, then. (He mashes several buttons on the console.) Since you've made up your mind.

(A disembodied female voice pierces the labs interior.)

VOICE

This will activate displacement protocol 11. Are you sure you wish to proceed?

FEMALE SCIENTIST

11, what? What is protocol 11?

VOICE

Are you sure you wish to proceed?

FEMALE SCIENTIST

What are you doing? Explain the meaning of this.

MALE SCIENTIST

I'm afraid this is the only way. (He presses a button.)

VOICE

Are you sure you wish to- protocol has been activated.

Redirecting Auxiliary Power for Kerr Sinusoid Rotation.

(The Female Scientist makes a terrified scramble for the door.)

FEMALE SCIENTIST

No, no, no, no…

(There is a cold sheathing sound of metal on metal- and the door is once again unlocked. The Female Scientist shoulders it closed just as the monster is opens it up.)

FEMALE SCIENTIST

What have you done?

VOICE

Plotting descent coordinates. Is this OK?

FEMALE SCIENTIST

NO! This is not OK! Where are we goddamned descending to?

VOICE

Voice pattern not recognized. Plotting Descent coordinates. Is this OK?

MALE SCIENTIST

Yes. Proceed.

FEMALE SCIENTIST

Stop!

VOICE

Coordinates attained. Is this all?

MALE SCIENTIST

No.

VOICE

Please clarify.

FEMALE SCIENTIST

Yes! Please Clarify!

MALE SCIENTIST

Flood out message N-N-Alpha upon completion of protocol.

VOICE

Flood message N-2-Alpha upon protocol complete.

Is this correct?

MALE SCIENTIST

Yes.

VOICE

This will deplete all remaining auxiliary power. Do you wish to proceed?

FEMALE SCIENTIST

No! /

VOICE

Voice pattern not / recognized. Do you wish to proceed?

FEMALE SCIENTIST

/ wherever it is that you think you're taking us- we'd be stranded. We could never return. I order you to stop immediately.

MALE SCIENTIST

Proceed.

FEMALE SCIENTIST

No, NO, NO!

VOICE

Sinusoid rotation at full.

FEMALE SCIENTIST

This is our home!

MALE SCIENTIST

No…

VOICE

Initiate when ready.

MALE SCIENTIST

Not any more.

(He pushes a button.)

VOICE

Activation compl-

PROLOGUE

(Darkness. The Female Voice burns through heavy static into our ears.)

VOICE

N-n…(a beep) alpha, message..n-n..alpha (a beep)

broadcast…n-2…alpha, message (beep)

(Technical noises, and then the voice of the Male Scientist.)

MALE SCIENTIST

This is a warning. For the inhabitants of the world into which we descend...this is your warning: I am one of two remaining scientists, from an entire civilization of scientists that has been annihilated by a creature from the 6th dimension. I cannot explain the nature of a 6th dimensional reality to creatures with intellect as limited as your own; but I can tell you that we scientists are from the 5th and that each of you belong to what is known as the space/time continuum.)

ACT 3

SHOWGIRL

Act 2.

TECH

Act 3.

SHOWGIRL

Wh- no. It's...

TECH

It's Act 3.

SHOWGIRL

This is where they told me to start.

ASSISTANT

What's the hold up?

SHOWGIRL

Isn't this where you said to start?

TECH

They can't...see what you're...

ASSISTANT

What are you pointing at? Can you show her where to start?

TECH

Look...

SHOWGIRL

That's the same. That's what I'm reading.

ASSISTANT

Your'e starting from the third act, okay?

TECH

(Grabbing her script) Her's says act 2.

SHOWGIRL

See?

Wyldaechi (nan) 2123

2 panels

1/2 page panel: Two black silhouettes climbing towards us from the cliff-face.

Narrative: (Jimmy Wyldes voice) "This is the way of it sweetheart…"

1/2 page panel: of evolving images: Cavemen, men in togas, men in Roman armor,
Men in armor full plate, men in modern military suits- men in space-age military suits.

Narrative (Jimmy Wylde) "-for as long as mans' been…he's been lookin' to his brothers defeat."



2 2 panels.

1/2 page panel: of evolving images: Simple stone arrowheads, tomahawks, swords,
axes, muskets, cannons, rockets, lasers- space-guns.

Narrative (Jimmy Wylde) "As long as he's been …he's made his weapons to go faster, further-
with more power."

1/2 page panel: of evolving images: Horses with mounted warriors, carts pulling
Cannons; jeeps, humvees, tanks- a giant gorilla-esq mechanoid rising from the skyline.

Narrative (Jimmy Wylde) "and since he's been…he's made for things to move them weapons to his wars.
All for his brothers' defeat."




3 3 panels.

2/3 page splash: Dark clouds forming on a desert horizon.

Narrative (Jimmy Wylde) "-some say it's justice that them things'd turn tail and fight him back.

2nd panel : Same dark clouds, but darker and on a darker horizon.

Narrative (Jimmy Wylde) "Poor fuckin' man…"

3rd panel: Same dark clouds, but with lightening crashing into the dark horizon.





4 Full page.

Tasha and Jimmy Wylde climbing towards us from the cliff-face.

Jimmy Wylde: "…and his poor fuckin' brother."

Title: School supplies.



5 2 panels.
1/2 page panel: Tasha and Jimmy Wylde are standing at the edge of a clifface, oriented towards
a deep depression in the arid, desert landscape around them. Tasha is looking
worriedly at the darkening sky, while Jimmy peers into the botom of the depression
at...
1/2 page panel: (The two panels form one conituous picture) a huge, ape-esque mechanoid that is
laying flat on its back amidst a sea of salvage.

Tasha ylde: "...shit."
Jimmy Wulde " Hmmm."



6 6 panels.

1st panel: Jimmy and Tasha are climbing down to the mechanoid.

Tasha: "How long do we have?"

Jimmy:"Tough to say..."

2nd panel: Close up on Jimmy's face, strained from exertion.

Jimmy:"Figuring that it's cells are dry from so much exposure...hell, even then...

3rd panel: Tasha is climbing with a concentrated look on her face. Her knuckles are white on the rock.

Jimmy's Voice:"-the slightest bit of moisture and that thing'll snap back to life in a matter of seconds."

4th panel: Tasha looks frightened as a raindrop hits her nose.

Tasha:"...terrific."

5th panel: Tasha and Jimmy are in middair after jumping the rest of the way down.
Their backs are toward us.

6th panel:Tasha and Jimmy are running at full speed toward to the mechanoid.


7 6 panels.

1/3 page panel: The mechanoid begins shaking violently as the two approach; points of
light burst upwards from certain sections of it's armour. A piercing mechanical shriek
suffocates the air.

2nd panel: Tasha wylde clasps her head in agony- screaming in pain.

3rd panel: Jimmy Wylde is also in agony- clasping his hands to his ears.

4th panel: The shrieking abrubtly stops and the points of light disapear.
Tasha and her father remain stooped and wincing, eyes shut.

Tasha Wylde:"Good...NESS!"

5th panel: Close up on Tasha and her father, eyes hesitantly open- scanning.

6th panel: Tasha and Jimmy are suddenly driven to the ground as a pillar of exaust erupts from
an opening near the mechanoids shoulder.


8 9 panels

1st panel: Still on the ground, Jimmy Wylde immediatly swivles his head in search of an escape route.

Jimmy Wylde:"Okay...I think we might be able to get back up to the cliff-face and shimmy down the
other side before it gets..."

2nd panel: Jimmy is staring in horror at the empty space his daughter had just occupied.

3rd panel: Jimmy is in the process of standing up when he see's Tasha's sillouette dashing towards
the awakening mechanoid. His face is one of frightened concentration.

4th panel: Jimmy Wylde is now racing towards his daughter, and the menacing ape-like machine.

5th panel: Tasha Wylde skids on her knees to a stop beside a maintenance hatch on the
mechanoids neck. She is already grasping a cigarette-pack sized charge of c/4 from her messenger
bag. Her fathers black silouette approaches in the distance.

6th panel: Tashas brow is furrowed in concentration. A single red light from the charge of c/4 gives an
eerie tint to the sweat on her face. The sillouette of her father draws nearer.

7th panel: Tasha is running away from the hatch with a trigger mechanism in her hand- her thumb is on
the button. There are the beginings of an explosion on the hatch and in the air around it..

8th panel: Tasha looks up in time to see her father leap through the flames and smoke- soaring towards
the newly forged hatch opening.

9th panel: Jimmy Wylde ends his leap in a poof of smoke landing inside the hatch.



9 6 panels.

1st panel: Tasha lowers herself into the hatch where her father is already wrist deep in wires and circutry
from a control panel that he snapped from the wall.

Jimmy Wylde:"You're grounded...snips, please..."

2nd panel: Tasha hands him the snips.

Tasha Wylde:"Oh heaven, spare me the injustice! I don't know if you remember..."

Jimmy Wylde:"Tape..."

3rd panel: She hands him the tape.

Tasha Wylde:" ...but we live in the goddamned desert, DAD! We sleep in caves and eat
rats with our bare, filthy hands. Are THESE the privilages you'll steal
away from me?

Jimmy Wylde:"You're diggin' deeper."

4th panel: Tasha is rolling her eyes as a door opens to the mechanoids cockpit.

Tasha Wylde:"...whatever."

5th panel: There is another mechanical shreik as the entire compartment begins to quake and rumble.
Jimmy is looking at Tasha, who is staring into the cockpit.

Jimmy Wylde:"Focus, Jellybean. The AI just activated. What do you do?"

6th panel: Tasha is scanning the cockpit with a concentrated look in her eye. Jimmy is standing behind her
ready to evaluate her response.

Jimmy Wylde: "NOW, Tasha!"

Tasha Wylde: "okay, uhh...this is...this is a flat model seven, silver-slick ...and...

Jimmy Wylde: "No time hotshot!"

Tasha Wylde: "-and it's got a non-mod, AI overwatch security slave embedded into ALL system-wide
functions and controls."

Jimmy Wylde: "AND?"

Tasha Wylde: "...and...and that means we can't hack this system while the AI is watching everything we do."


10 5 panels.

1st panel: Tashas brow is furrowed in complex thought. She does not notice that her father is headed for the
hatch through which they entered. She continues to speak as if he is still listening.

Tasha Wylde: "Wait, though...during startup, an AI can't orient itself to more than one objective at a time...
but it's default command ..up; is to protect the system until the system is able to protect
the AI.

2nd panel:Tasha is strapping herself into the cockpit- The bottoms of her fathers legs on the rungs of the ladder
below the hatch- are all that remain of him.

Tasha Wylde:"So, if we could endanger the external system long enough for the AI to abandon its gaurd
on the internal system, then I might be able to break into the control mechanism and cut out the
AI completly.

3rd Panel: Tasha is suprised when a gunshot on the porthole window stops her in mid sentence.

Tasha Wylde: "Wha-?"

4th panel: Tasha is peering out of the porthole at her father who is aiming a handgun directly at the 50 ton
city-killing robot.

Tasha Wylde:"Dad?"

5th panel: "Tasha is lunging franticaly into the computer system. She is now her fathers only hope.



11 5 panels.

1/2 page panel: The silver slick mechanoid has been attacked by Jimmy Wylde. Jimmy stands with
his handgun held meekly before him as the giant killing machine rears to deadly life before his eyes.

2nd Panel: Jimmy's handgun is in focus against the blur of the massive silver slick in the foreground.

3rd panel: Jimmy's handgun is now a blur against the whirring multitude of cannos and space lasers
aimed directly at his person.

4th panel: Jimmy has dropped the pistol, and is running at full speed for cover.

5th panel: Jimmy is leaping behind the scavenged torso of an abandoned mechanoid. An explosion
disentigrates the place he was just standing.



12 9 panels:

1st panel: A close up shot of the silver slick unloading millions of rounds into the carcas of the
salvaged mechanoid.

2nd panel: Jimmy is poised behind the salvage with his eyes closed. Lasers and ammo are exploding
in pings and pangs and clouds of dust all around him.

Jimmy Wylde: "11, 12, 13, 14, fifteen hundred rounds..."

3rd panel: Another close up of the silver slick unloading ammunition.

Voice over (Jimmy):"16,17,18,19, 2000 rounds...reload.

4th panel: Jimmy is grinning. The silver slick machine guns have stopped firing. Lasers still wash the
ground around him.

5th panel: Jimmy is still poised behind the salvaged mechanoid. Lasers whip through the air above his head.

Jimmy Wylde:"4, 3, 2, 1...overheated..."

6th panel: A close up of the silver slick laser rifle, not firing, smoke pouring through the barrels.

7th panel: Jimmy is running for cover behind the cliffface. He has a long way to go.

8th panel: The silver-slick towers over Jimmy, who is still sprinting for cover behind the cliff-face.

Silver Slick (In a monstourous machine-like voice):"STOP! HA!HA!HA!HA!"

9th panel: Realizing that he has no where to go, unable to reach the clifface in time- he stops in his tracks
and holds his hands high in the air.



13 5 panels.

1st panel:Silence as Jimmy and the silver slick stare at each other from a distance.

2nd panel:Same scene visually.

Silver slick:"...and that concludes our man-eating killer robot portion of the tour..."

3rd panel: Tasha is sitting in the cockpit grinning like an idiot- wires and computer parts strew across
the floor and ceiling chaotically.

Tasha:"We do ask that you visit our charming gift shop on your way out of the building...

4th panel: Jimmy is standing, facing away from us- looking at the mechanoid who is giving him the thumbs up.

5th panel: Jimmy is not amused. He is looking up to where he assumes his daughter is seated- and frowns.

Jimmy Wylde:"Grounded."


14 5 panels.

1st panel: A speck of a shuttle amidst the blackness of outer-space.

Narrative box (top of page): Meanwhile, in outer space.

Dialogue (bottom page): Be carefull, now boy...

2nd panel: The shuttle is bigger. We can begin to define it's shape.

Dialogue: These machines don't run on batteries.
They use the earths magnetic field as
an energy source.

3rd panel: We can read the writing on the side of the shuttle, now.
It says: Science frigatte 329Q8
The Great Return

Dialogue: They use satalites to transfer magnetism
into the machines recievers- where it's
converted into workable energy and dispersed
throughout the system as needed.

3rd panel: We see a little bit more of the shuttle, and of it's destination:
The edge of a great, blue earth.

Dialogue: My concern...


4th panel: The shuttle is heading straight toawrds earth,
which now takes up a majority of the panel.

Dialogue: ...is how the shuttle will react as we draw nearer to the-


15 4 panels

1st panel: Dawn, a young man of about 17, is piloting the vessel. Strapped
in to a passenger seat behind him is Dr. Dodd Euretig. Dawn and the doctor
are suddenly bathed in an intense red light- and a deep rumle fills
the cockpit. Dawn is rolling his eyes in bothered disbelief.

Dr. Euretig: -to the planet.

Dawn: Terrific.

Songa Red

During the initial shock of a Zombie Apocalypse; it's the men and women of faith that do the most damage. 1 They run out of their homes into the sunshine of the good lords rapture 2 and into their neigbors 3 or their children 4 who eat their arms 5 or their genitals- 6 and then that person becomes a Zombie..7 and everyone thinks there's a big church meeting going on- 8 so they all skank out into the sunshine in their sunday best with their arms over their heads 9 and then somebody eats their skin off 10 and they become a Zombie..and it's so ironic because somebody JUST gave you the 11 'why not be prepared and read the bible- that way your bases are covered if there IS a God.' speech- 12 but you can clearly see the guy outside of your window being gutted alive 13 by a pack of naked old women, so it's obvious that his bases were not covered at all. 14 He can't scream...15 because his lungs have just been torn out of his chest- 16 but he makes direct eye contact with you- 17 so you sigh, open your window- 18 give him a brief look of mechanical sympathy with a half shrug and a 'you can do it nod'... 19 then you turn around, roll your eyes 20 lock your door 21 and watch your roomate play 'dance, dance, revolution' while you finish your coffee and eat a bowl of cereal.

22 Before the Cable service was discontinued- there was an account of a sole remaining keeper of a large metropolitan zoo who confusedly decided to flee from the relative saftey of his 23 gated, 24 food-laden animal sanctuary...for the 25 trite, screaming, 26 unprotected comforts of some 27 random, panicked crowd with handguns.

28 Fearing that his helpless wards would starve in his absence, 29 the zoo keeper released all of the animals from their cages- 30 made a determined, B-Line Sprint for the exit but..31 was mauled to death, almost immediately by a healthy young pair of Afican lions named 32 Bobmbatha, 33 and Songa Red.

34 I watched on T.V. as the lions leapt over a couple of short fences to their freedom on the other side of the zoo. 35 I watched as they roared and shook their manes free of blood and chunks of man. 36 I watched as every Zombie eyestoped and turned to the spectacle of the two, young predator cats standing unafraid in the middle of the street.

37 I saw wave after wave of undead masses threw themseves in blind, ferocious hunger against the lions; 38 and I watched as the clouds of blood settled onto the ground and the two victorious animals stepped from beneath the shadows and into sunlight for a nap.

39 You can fight zombies with a baseball bat.
40 You need a snub nose .38 for everything else.

41 Zombies are maladous things. 42 They don't groom theselves 43 or comminicate with one another. They, unlike other predatorial animals, 44 are not endowed with natural instict or 45 prowes of hunt. 46 They are retarded and slow and 47 almost completely harmless 48 unless they happen to be traveling in a pack; which is rare- 49 as Zombies are unable to understand the benifits that such a union may bring.

50 So how did they take away our Nintendos?
51 Why are we foraging for berries instead of shopping for food?

52 I guess, eventually, everybody wants a little civility- 53 just like everybody longs to be in love 54 and to do drugs 55 and to have sex..but I promise you, no matter how bizarre it may seem.. 56 before all of this happened- every body who was having sex and doing drugs and falling in love- all of those people were secretly wishing for a Zombie apocalypse. That's no fuckin' joke.