Rough Wars 435519

ROUGH WARS

COPYRIGHT FEBRUARY 2016 BY MICHAEL LIGHTEN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ROUGH WARS COPYRIGHT AUTHOR'S NOTES EXTENDED GLOSSARY FEATURES OF CERTAIN ALIENS JOHN DRYDEN QUOTE BARNETT AND DAUGHTER SHAWN'S ROUGH WAR STORIES CHAPTER 1 CHELSEA BANNION’S FIRST ROUGH WAR STORY CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 ROUGH WARS CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 MAURICE (THE ROUGH MAN) 1ST

CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 EPILOGUE THE BOLARWAS CODE FOR LIVING THE ANCIENT’S BOOK OF EDICTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Copyright Page

AUTHOR'S NOTES

EXTENDED GLOSSARY

FEATURES OF CERTAIN ALIENS

JOHN DRYDEN QUOTE

BARNETT AND DAUGHTER SHAWN'S ROUGH WAR STORIES

CHAPTER 1

CHELSEA BANNION’S FIRST ROUGH WAR STORY

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

ROUGH WARS

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

MAURICE (THE ROUGH MAN) 1ST

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

CHAPTER 18

CHAPTER 19

EPILOGUE

THE BOLARWAS CODE FOR LIVING

THE ANCIENT’S BOOK OF EDICTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Also By Michael Lighten

AUTHOR'S NOTES

Of course, these are fictional s of futuristic events. Each timeline was distinct of their standings. I would encourage a gleaming of the back glossary for Other Worldly Alien (OWA) expressions and brief history before devouring the whole text and story. Also, I would note there are present places in the future written in war experiences and I did not or would ever desire these locations to meet any disastrous fate. I only wrote what I saw the characters experience and the occurrences thereafter continued in its story...

EXTENDED GLOSSARY

Phaes: A planet over 300 light years from earth. Phaes continued through warfare and eventually found peace. Over 7 million of their species left the war-torn planet and came to earth, but earth’s gravitational pull and cataclysmic event destroyed 5 of their ships. Earthlings unfortunately saw their landing as a prelude to war and was caused the first phasee/human war. Phasees: An alien species from Phaes. Cataclysm: The turning of the earth’s was due to pollutions that seeped into the grounds, waters, etc. The cataclysm wiped out 2/3 of the earth's population through earthquakes and tidal waves. The Vanishers: Flesh eating creatures from a distant star that came to earth in the nineteen-sixties to act as scientists. When one of their experiments killed a couple, they fled earth but returned later to stay and amalgamate with humans. The genetic combination of human and vanisher were named bolaris from Bolera a town in the Ozark region. Fumans: Mixture of phasee and human genes. Fumans who had babies called them fus (pronounced “foo’s”). Rough Men: Thirty fumans placed in positions of power as future leaders worldwide. They were called rough men because of the harsh conditions they had to endure and remain focused on their purpose to keep the regions stabilized. Gradually many rough men died or were replaced by others.

The Ancients: Two phasees who were sent from Phaes as a comionate mission, to help the phasees on earth survive under harsh conditions. In time phasees were abandoned when the ancients in conflict with Vanishers introduced “fumans” as a new species. This started the bofu wars.

FEATURES OF CERTAIN ALIENS

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Phasee’s physical traits: Enlarged head with strong neck muscles. Most were tall in stature at least six to seven feet tall; humanoid build with all white or gray eyes. With no pupils they still had excellent eyesight and superb memories. They also had two hearts one smaller than the other. Was attributed to the heavy gravity on planet Phaes. Phasees on Phaes have been known to live up to 600 years. On Earth the average Phasee could live up to 100 years or more; but statistics were not yet in. Fuman’s physical traits: Fuman, a blend of human and phasee genes. Fumans averaged five to six feet in height and did resemble phasee features, but with smaller heads and neck muscles. Fuman’s immune systems were unstable due to the amalgamation and have been known to die suddenly from body illnesses like colds and the flu. Fumans were known to be more empathic than phasees who were more analytical and thus stronger mentally than fumans. Bolaris physical traits: The bolaris (or bos for short) were hairy and resembled an appeasing, intelligent gorilla with some of the body hairs. Many bos were tall, six to seven feet and had small faces, beady eyes, and a muscular build. Their teeth resembled canine and their fingernails/toenails curved like claws if left uncut.

JOHN DRYDEN QUOTE

"ALL DELAYS ARE DANGEROUS IN WAR." JOHN DRYDEN (1631-1700)

BARNETT AND DAUGHTER SHAWN'S ROUGH WAR STORIES

CHAPTER 1

BARNETT'S RAPE (BARNETT'S 1ST STORY) SPRINGFIELD, MWASSOURI-SEPTEMBER 02, 2018 My husband, Luther Reams. He thinks he had me over a barrel, but I had something for him.... One day. We were married in April of 2002. Then he was a different man. He was mean only to those who were mean to him. Yes, he kicked some ass as a general from time to time, but he said you had to take some ass sometimes to keep it. I believed him. He changed after 2016. He was drunk with power. He killed the last general in a gun battle and took power for himself. He wanted the world. He raped me. I was only 38, but I felt 98. I did not want sex now. He made me have it, brutally. The only good thing about it was that my two kids did not get to hear or see a thing. Yes, they have seen and heard things in the past, but if they saw or heard anything that I went truly through they would have broken into sobs. I know I did. So, I kept an of my happenings, because I was not sure how long I had to live. At least with this my children would know what happened to their once happy mama.

Sept. 08, 2018- I did not know how to get him, yet. I tried to force a comeuppance against him, but the timing was not right. He tried to rape me again, while the children were there. I ran from him and kept running until I was far down the street. I walked around like a lost soul. I could go to my mother in Joliet, but he said that was where those fumans and phasees were and that it was too dangerous for me, so; afraid of fus and phas, and abusive husbands-walked the streets until my son, Chris found me. Chris just turned five was past May. He had grown within these last two years. Chris was turning into a fine young boy. He cowed to his dad. Luther was too rough on the boy. He said Chris did not have the spine he had. I spoke up for Chris, but I had to leave the house sometimes. Chris was the one who watched my daughter, Shawn sometimes. Shawn was a little doll. She was not aware of what was around her, she was too young. I loved both my children. Maybe someday they would see that. I did come home with Chris, and Lute (sometimes I call Luther that) was gone. I still loved Lute to some degree, a part of me will always love him, but that part was dead. I prayed to God all the time to have him killed on the battlefields he always stayed, but he always came home to demand sex. I hated him! Now that Lute was gone, I could concentrate on my children. Nov. 20th, 2018- Lute was gone for over a month was time. I have never felt such liberation than when he was gone. When he returned, I always felt, imprisoned. What kept me from going crazy was a hope of a rough man born to defeat tyrants through the fuman bloodline. I ran off the ancient’s edict for Lute and asked for him to be careful. He laughed at the possibility, then he looked at me grimly, and he said I would like to see him defeat me. Of course, I did not reply. He knew the answer, but I did not want a beat down, so I let him guess on my reply. Dec. 18th, 2018- Was time Lute did not bother me much. He was more interested in his military campaigns I think further south. I did not know

directions well... I know it was going toward the fuman lands. The areas I stayed in were humans and what are called bolaris. Lute did not call himself anything. He said ethnic names were for punks. April 5th, 2020- I am sorry I have not written much, I still want was legacy of words for my kids. Lute had been in and out of the house because he found some missiles, and 5 of them were not operational and 5 of them were. His attitude had been better since he found the missiles, no forced sex for months. I felt grateful that God had answered my prayers. I know these days there are not a lot of churches left, but I keep God well in my heart and mind as much as I can. I am scared since Lute found the missiles. I am scared he would use them on babies and children and mommas, grandmas. I am speaking in his left ear and showed him military bases left empty after the cataclysm. This he found intriguing and his mood shifted for the, better. I did not want the blood of innocents on my soul.

July 30th, 2020- I obtained a picture of one of the rough men children from the internet. His name was Maurice. What a name for a rough guy. He looks like a phasee, but they say he was mixed with human genes, too. There were supposed to be 29 others in different places. The ancients had them in secret places and had been placing them in positions of power. Maurice rejected his future and did not see himself as a rough man. Here he looked only to be 5 years old, but if he was born in 2013, like was info claims; he was 7 years old, one year older than Shawn. I wondered what was going through the fuman’s mind. To be born to lead. I could understand why he was running from the leadership role. I would flee from it too. Who needs that in their life at the age of 7? I showed the picture of Maurice sometimes called Mau to Lute. He immediately looked unnerved. Then he shoved the picture my way and that was the end of the communication. I did not know what unnerved him so about a fuman. Maybe deep inside Lute believed in the myth. Jan. 20th, 2022- Just had a birthday party for Chris. My beautiful son just turned 10. He had a few friends over and we had cake and ice cream. Shawn seemed like she enjoyed herself as well. It had been a long time since I have seen my little girl shine with joy. God had answered my prayers. Lute was in the field. He came home and I gave into his ways without a fight, so there was no pain. I felt dead inside when I was with him. I did not what I saw in him in the first. He wanted to one day meet was rough man in battle. I prayed he met him too, so he could be defeated. That Lute can be defeated, that was, not the rough man. Or rough boy. He was only a child like my Chris was. Shawn had taken some interest in the rough boy, but I tried to steer her from that. She wants to talk to the rough boy on the internet, but he did not have an email and I thanked God for that. I did not want her talking to the enemy and

Lute got wind of it. Shawn had started her diary at age 8. She wanted to be like her mamma. I smiled at that. When I smiled, wrinkles appeared near my eyes. I was only 42 and I felt 92 with aches and pains and worries of what he might did with the 5 missiles he could destroy cities with. I pondered and I planned for a way out.... May 13th, 2024- Lute had unfortunately gained two extra, bigger missiles called Meggie or megas, I think. I was scared. What did he need all that firepower for? Did he want to blow up the world? When he told me, I ran to my room in tears. He looked at me bemused. He said I was crazy for nothing. What was I crying for? I could not tell him. He was unpredictable. He might beat me. I did not want my children to go through that again. I will act ... ive? ive was the word. And wait to strike to save my children and the world from was monster. He said mom (his mother, not mine) was going against him. She was searching for the rough boy to defeat him. He could not find his mother, and that was good. I wanted her to stay hidden. He gets crazy sometimes. I liked his mom, Cheryl. She was forward and spoke her mind. He did not like that about her. Last I heard she fled to Hannibal, Missouri. People said the states had no power and did not use the state in your city’s name. I used the state’s name for remembrance of what was lost. To me it was still Missouri. On the internet there was info the rough boy was found at some place with a radio as its tower. I did not know the truth of that. Rumors can be harmful. If Lute thought that was true, he might shoot a missile over there to shut up the rumors of a child turned warrior. I wished people would shut-up about the rough boy! Let him be for his own safety, safe from monsters like Lute.

CHELSEA BANNION’S FIRST ROUGH WAR STORY

CHAPTER 2

NOBODY KNEW HIM BUT ME (CHELSEA B'S 1ST STORY)UNDWASCLOSED LOCATION (MAY 16TH, 2026) After dumb ass Baloh talked to the rough kid the place was in an immediate uproar. We all shouted and yelled at each other on how to proceed now that we were “in” with the rough kid’s battle with Luther. There must have been at least 20 of us shouting like banshees. We were concerned about how to approach the rough man. Many of us had been at University City for years, but I came only 5 years ago, so I was considered the baby of the crowd. As our arguments became heated many of our “top” brass or military commanders left. They did not give goodbye or a wave of a hand. They picked up their jacket or other belongings and left. From over 20 people we were dropped to near 3. Baloh was so shocked at the desertion he could only hang in his head in sadness. I warned him not to talk to him screen to screen. I told him I am an advisor and researcher and knew what I was talking about! I was not bragging. I was really scared about this whole thing. Was rough kid thing could get out of hand, and it did. I am writing was story from an undisclosed place, surely not University City, that place was gone forever, due to Baloh’s ambitions. You see, Baloh was from the old school of war, ambition, and greed. That was how you achieved anything back in the old times before the devastations. I warned him! I told him these were different times. I said you could not play that game in these times, and not get stung. Baloh did not listen, and it cost us our

city. Who was I? I was his lover....

––––––––

My name was Chelsea B. I met Baloh when his wife, Arlene was still alive. She was a woman of dignity a white woman with streaks of gray in her hair. She carried herself well. I never heard her shout, not once. She gave beloved Baloh 4 kids, and they attended some type of schooling, then the devastations, and many died, including his beloved wife and 3 of his kids. Baloh had one survival in the family besides himself. His son, Mark, who had recently turned 24, but he stayed away from his father. Mark did not want anything to did with military life, and University City; after the devastations UC became a military camp. I was Baloh’s secretary before the devastations. We had no intimate relations then. I respected his wife too much to did that; but things happened much later after the world was turned upside down. The remainder of the Missouri military either went to Luther Reams or to us. We were different from Luther. We did not behead you if you did not do our bidding. We still had a voluntary force, so I became overnight an advisor, a secretary who gathered intelligence for the camp. I believed I was good at what I did, but pride always cometh before the fall. I reading that in the Bible, a book these days’ people rarely picked up. They ought to do it more often, but who am I to judge? My pride was overlooking the scenes in dealing with Maurice. I when I saw the fuman’s name I thought it was a weak name. It originated from the

Moorish prominent era with their invasions of Spain near 800 A.D. (old times). In our modern era Maurice was a gentle name not a brash name. I the runoff I did of his picture on the internet. He looked harmless. I I placed his picture to the right, and I tried to e-mail his website, but I got no response. I tried for several days, and then I got a reply, after 6 e-mail tries. The reply said... I know what you are trying to do. You want to know about me, but there was nothing to learn. What you see was what you see... That was the end of the conversation. I thought that was rather bizarre to make a statement like that, and not wait for my response. I was hooked with curiosity on was Maurice dude, and that was my downfall.... I believed later that he hooked me to distract me from focusing on Baloh’s blunders. Then, I scratched that thought. There was no way a kid over 240 miles away could know I was the closest to Baloh, and the one most able to persuade him from making a stupid mistake like he did. If the kid were able to do that, why would he unless he wanted the fight to bring UC down? That was a dumb thought on my part. I cannot take responsibility for all points, but I can take some responsibility for not being a good enough persuader. That was all I could take the weight on. That weight was enough to bring you to your knees. From my researched s over 3,442 died when the twin halfers hit. 2,336 were injured. Things just burned for days, and by the 4th day of fire a heavy rain gave what was left of the city a relief. What for I did not know. There were not much of us left for a relief. Patrick was Baloh’s right hand man and Mr. Fixit. If something was breaking, Thinny (our nickname for him) will fix it. Patrick ran from one part of the

building to the other like a marathon runner as people called him to fix another defective part in the computer system. I am telling you, we started having problems from day one. On February 13th, 2019, our system was installed by the brother’s seven. I called them that. Their real names were Jeremiah, Joshua, James, Josh, Jacob, Jared, and Justin. It was a lucrative family business. Headed by the father, Jimmy, who was really James Sr., but no one, use senior and junior these days. Jimmy talked to Baloh; Baloh gave Jimmy part of University City. Jared took control of several blocks of UC. Jimmy left the computer situation with his sons, and we never saw the father again. From 2017-2019 continued, then the testing of the missiles, tanks, spy eyes. It was a mess. The spy eyes worked well, but the tanks never moved from their spot and the missiles...that was another story. Test fires continued from 2010-2024. In the test fires things improved when some s were replaced. Of course, we did not fire the halfers, just dummy missiles with no warheads. They fell harmlessly into what we called the Saint’s Sea. I began to worry when Luther Reams obtained the same system from the brothers, but the 7 vanished after that; actually, there were 6 that disappeared. The next to the youngest brother, Jared, did not vanish until much later. Of course, foul play was suspected and there was a massive search, but nothing came of the searches. Jimmy, heartbroken, devastated, killed himself. That was the end of his sons and the originators of our systems. Many companies who were connected to the father and sons saw an opportunity to take advantage so they bid contracts on who would fix the systems if they went down. Patrick came from one of these companies, got along with Baloh so much, he quit and became his confidant, friend, and runner from building to building. Damn Patrick. He should have known better.

CHAPTER 3

RWASE OF THE FUMANS BARNETT'S 2ND STORY December 19th, 2025 - My friends, daughter, son, and I took a visit to the Ozark Plateau. I did not it looking this awesome before the destructions. The mountains were like Christmas jingles on a tree. Christmas with the trees and the silver jingles, but if you put the jingle sideways that was how these mountains shined with its snow and waters. It was Lute’s idea to take everybody out here, while he and a few other guys walked further to talk about the fumans. I know that was what they were doing, debating on how to deal with the rough man, because he was found on Gary Land after 5 days of running, captured and made to follow the ancient’s edict of becoming a warrior for the masses. I felt sorry for him. For the rough boy, not Lute. Things were better. He did not bother me and the kids as much, because he stayed in the field much of the time. Luther did come home at times. Then we all walked quietly around the house, hoping he did not turn mean on us. He was mostly hard on the boy, Chris. Poor Chris took his stuff because he was afraid of his dad; but Chris did not want to be a leader like his father. Chris wants to be... I did not know what Chris wants to be yet, not a leader though. Shawn had become a thorough writer. She kept her journal up to date, more than I. I commended her courage to keep notes and a record. She still had that

fascination to write to Mau, but I strongly urged her not to, if Lute found out... The thought made me tremble. I would die for my kids, but I did not want to die foolishly. What was her interest in the fuman? She wanted to see how it felt to be worshiped. I told her he did not want to be worshiped, just left alone. She thought it was fascinating to be looked at as a god. I told her that was foolish talk. Rough men were not seen as gods, but men with rugged hearts. Feb. 13th, 2026 - Rough boy Mau just became a man! Shawn and I have been tracking him for months. He had a gathering and one of Shawn’s friends on the internet, who she never met, turned out to be a fuman. When they traded pictures, I hid the picture of General Bain so that Lute would not find it. What dangerous games we played. I told Shawn we must be very discreet. I asked her what General said. She said that Maurice did not know his position awaited him. Those events were already set up. We stopped talking when Chris came in. He asked us why we whispered, and we just smiled and said nothing. Chris was no threat, but if Lute cornered him and we told Chris, Chris in fear would tell Lute, then where would we be?

Hannibal was the place where the rough man would take his place as a warrior. This was exciting stuff and we got to get 2nd of the action...well 2nd was better than nothing.

March 14th, 2026 - I pleaded for Lute to leave the rough man alone, to attack other cities! He told me to mind my business and backhanded me across the room! Chris and Shawn helped me up as Lute, frustrated, left the house, and did not come back until morning. I wanted him not to come back at all. I heard through Tamara’s with General that Mau was attacked by four strong men from Milwaukee with muscles big as bricks. They could not beat the rough man. All of them died, except for one guy, and he was in a coma for life. I am sure Lute heard of the battle and was probably impressed the rough man kicked ass, but he could not show it. Maurice was the enemy, and he could not show favor to the enemy. April 8th, 2026 - The rough man touched Hannibal's shores! Shawn and I danced and sang when Lute or Chris was not in the house. We knew was would be the end of Lute and his rag tag army. That Mau would show the world...even if he were tricked to did so. April 10th, 2026 - With Lute gone in the fields Shawn and I tried to General through the internet, but we got Tamara, his sister, instead. She said General was asleep from his shift and could they him later. Through her camera lens she appeared to be crying. Shawn asked her what was wrong. Maurice cannot stand her guts, she said. She then told us all about how she tricked Mau to come there, now he and his mother hates her guts. As I typed this in my small black box with electronic screens, I heard an unusual noise behind me, and I knew we were caught....

CHAPTER 4

THE RUNNER UP WAS... UNIVERSITY CITY-APRIL 10TH, 2026/ CHELSEA B'S 2ND STORY I asked Thinny (Patrick) to slow down; the rough man was not coming after us. He begged to differ. C.B., he called me. That kid was shrewder than a rat! Do not trust him. I said I did not, and then I patted him on his thin, pale shoulders. You see Thinny was a white man with deep respect for all peoples. There was not a shred of prejudice in his white body. I know. I am a black woman. You see what I am saying? We are a dying race. Humans are dying, and the black race was dying quicker. Then the black woman was dying, faster. I have seen racism, nationalism, religious hatred, sexism (sexism most of all). I have seen much of it, and none of it abided in Thinny. That was why we got along so much. Thinny was all greasy and smelly. I waved him away and asked him to please take a shower. Please. He placed his bony hands on his waist and said hell no. I usually replied the same, but not the entire word, just said the same to you. Was time I changed tactics. I said he had better hope Baloh did not hear that. It was insubordination and could lead to jail time. Then I walked away and left Thinny to stew. He became nervous. I could tell when he got nervous. He always began to stutter. He stuttered in rapid succession. Asked was Baloh around? I said nothing. I kept walking, with a smile. He asked me, are you going to tell Baloh? I still did not say anything as the

corridor twisted so that I vanished from his sight. C.B., he called. Did not tell Baloh, he said. He was only playing... I accidentally ran into Baloh in dimmed hall lights. I said: He scared the hell out of me! Baloh asked why you are so nervous. I looked at him with a serious stare and said he knew why. Then, he began to walk toward where Thinny was, and I nervously followed, but as we walked Thinny did not appear. I did not want to rip the friendship of Baloh and Thinny apart by a lapse in judgement; he meant no harm by it, so no harm done... Baloh said, Was I nervous about the rough man? I quickly nodded. Baloh gently laid a large, hairy hand on my shoulder and said Luther had everything under control. Baloh had the utmost confidence in Luther to take the war to Maurice’s doorstep. Then he snickered, what kind of name was Maurice anyway? Sounds like a faggot! I glared at Baloh. He said he was sorry and would not use that term again. Then he stopped in the corridor and placed his hands on my thin, blue robed shoulders, and said if this works, the trade on Hannibal’s ports will quadruple University City’s trade. I told him not to forget that Luther wanted half of Hannibal for trade. He looked impish, and then he said he did not forget. He said he was not that crazy. I sighed, but the sigh only delayed the tension. He said from now on he will take my advice and not go to screen with a fuman. I said, or a phasee. They can read you like a book. He knew you were lying. That was not good for us. We are walking into battle with a broken pistol. Nothing works around here! Baloh itted we had some defects in the system, but Thinny was on it. Thinny

was only one man, I said. He needs help! Baloh then said I should help him. I said, I did not know a thing about repairing computers! Baloh itted it was only until he could find some help. I fell for his blue eyes like an idiot. I should have persuaded my lover to give up the battle a long time ago. 2:39 Afternoon - I changed from my soft, blue robe to black, rugged coveralls I kept in case I had to do some dirty work. When I climbed down a ladder, and another ladder and another ladder, then I expected to run into Thinny, but he was further back near a metal, gray railing. He opened a when I walked up to him. Okay, he said, I know that look. What did I did wrong now? I am sorry. Could we just be friends and get along? I folded my arms over my chest and waited for a dawning to reach him. My apology was not enough? He asked. I said, it was not about the curse word, but I did accept your apology and would appreciate it if you would not say it again. He asked, what was that about, and why are you dressed that way? Bingo, I said, then waited for more of a dawning to arrive. He was sure slow with the dawning this morning. You are not...he began... I nodded my head... No... He spoke. Yes, I said. He said you did not know anything about repairing computers! I said, tell Baloh that! Thinny slammed his hand against the so that it rocked back and forth. He apologized and sat on the metal railing. He could not find anyone, he said in a

whisper, because they had all fled.... My heart leaped to my chest! I thought some of them would have returned by now. The people heard of the rough man and they fled. I did not blame them; but I was not fleeing. I wanted to give the fight a chance, even against my better wishes. I said, I guess we are all we got. Thinny’s head rose and his sad eyes met my determined ones. You are right, he said with more enthusiasm. We can do was! His voice echoed throughout the stairs and computer s. I covered my ears. I did not like the sound of echoes. 34 years old and cannot stand echoes, still? Thinny goaded. What am I going to do with you? He asked with shouts so that they echoed. I covered my ears tighter and asked him not to did that! He obediently stopped, and half-hugged me. I slightly pushed him away. The funk! He smiled faintly and promised to take a shower in...2 hours and 41 minutes. That was how long he thought it should take for him to repair the computer, with my help. It was 2 hours and 21 minutes later when two of the halfers were activated and charged for firing. The other 8 missiles did not take to the system and gave off false readings as if they were fired and armed themselves. We had to quickly shut down the system, reboot it without the 8 missiles, and everything was fine. My heart thudded in rapid successions when the 8 halfers malfunctioned. Sirens blared throughout the area before Thinny quickly shut down the system. There was a period when the rough man did not matter. For one second, I thought I was going to be in heaven with Jesus, before my time. It was a scary felting to die, especially when you cared for your life, and you wanted to do other things. I am scared. Thinny could see the fear in my face. He patted me on the back and said all was all right. Then he left to take his shower.

Thank you, Jesus! I took my shower in a private part of the building. Baloh talked to his son Mark in the large bedroom by videophone, what I called vi-phones. Mark was a thinner Baloh, but not near as hairy, and a rather handsome, well-mannered young man. For some reason Mark became slightly loud with Baloh. He wanted UC to stay out of what he called the Luther Wars. Baloh and Mark argued, and then Baloh slammed the button down and severed the communications. I quietly walked into the blue shower area, when Baloh was beeped. It was not Mark. It was Mr. Fixit, Thinny-Patrick. He said he got 2 halfers to work. The other 8 were dysfunctional. Thinny reported on the laser tanks, nonoperational. Each tank had to be refurbished to pick up the system’s signal. I crept near the door to hear more. Thinny said the electron shield to protect UC from missile fire needed a module replacement. Only 4 modules integrated with the systems, the others were defective. Baloh asked, Can the 4 modules be boosted to give the area sufficient protection? Thinny paused...then said it can be done with extra generator output. Baloh ordered him on it immediately, after he took some rest; and that he was doing a good job. When they terminated the transmission, Baloh noticed me in the doorway. He did not say a word, but he did not have to. I knew he was worried that things could go bad. I said, we could bail out, tell LutherYou did not tell Luther that! He roared. The roar shook me to my core. It shocked me to my spirit. I never heard him talk to me like that. He rose from his slanted chair and stood near the dresser. He said, when you make a pact with the devil, you cannot back out. He would take was place down and use us as an example. We cannot stop now, he said

more quietly. Why did you make the pact?! I yelled. For us! He shouted! So, we can have the things we need to survive! I said, I have all I need right here. What more could there be? I asked. There was a lot more, he said. Then he left me alone to ponder in fear. 9:39 Night- I was in a deep sleep when Baloh awakened me to have sex. He called it “night love”. I always pretended to be asleep, but really, I was wide awake. He slid off my blue, silk nightgown, turned me face down and entered my garden from the rear. I trembled in joy and sang the song of many climaxes, and many more to come....

CHAPTER 5

SHAWN FLED (SHAWN'S 1ST STORY) Shawn’s - April 11th, 2026 - When hateful Dad came into the room, he backhanded Mom across the room, so that she fell and hit her head on the floor. She did not move, and I thought she was dead. I charged him, and he slapped me across the room, so that I fell against the mirror and cut myself. Chris held Dad back while I tried to run. I did not know what happened to Chris or Mom. I tried to go back home, but Dad always appeared out of nowhere and I had to run again. The authorities, what authorities? The authorities or the Ozark Police would never take my word over Dad’s, his traitor daughter. There was only one place for me to go to stop him, the rough man. Would he accept me? I am bolaris, part human part another species that resembled tall people with fur. He might not accept me. He might be repelled by the thought of me. I would have to shave my hairs which are an inch long. Shave every part of me so that I appeared human. The giveaway would be my long arms and long fingers. Plus, fumans can sense things. Oh my God...I felt so bad leaving Mom behind, and Chris. What was I to did? I should go back with a gun and kill him. I must find a gun! There were guns laid up against the wall, while bos talked a few feet away. I walked quickly by, slipped a handgun under my blue dress, and tried to walk away without looking guilty. I did not do well, and they chased me up and down back alley streets. I had never been so scared in all my life! I splashed through streams and up and down mountain crevasses to get away.

They eventually gave up and shouted curse words at me. They did not know I was running on fear and desperation. The only thing to beat fear and desperation was more fear and desperation. When I felt there was no one around I cried like a baby in my hairy hands. I did not know how to get back home, because I did not know where I was. I had never been this far out. Where was I? I saw some houses further back, so I went that way, and sneaked around until I saw what looked like a forty-year-old bo. I hid behind a wall, came out and aimed the laser gun. I had the safety on, took it off then re-aimed it. I told him to give me the phone! Now! He nervously gave me the phone and told me to be careful with that thing. I made him lie down on the wet ground from the rains a few days ago, and then I crept away. Four blocks away I tried to call Chris. Chris would let me know what happened. Instead, I got Mom, all beat up and bloodied. She looked bad. I said I was coming home to kill Dad. She screamed and cried into the phone for me to stay away! Go to MauDad’s face appeared on the screen. He smiled eerily and said he knew all along of the rough boy transmissions. He said nothing gets by him. He said: you want to kill me? Come on with it. In the background Mom screamed for me to run! To run! I wanted to run toward her, but I closed the phone and did as she asked.

ROUGH WARS

CHAPTER 6

ROUGH WARS UNIVERSITY CITY-APRIL 12TH, 2026 CHELSEA B'S 3RD STORY We just got word that the battle against Hannibal was going for Luther, and against Maurice. We still did not take that information from the source in Cave City, only a few miles from Hannibal to heart. We knew the tables could turn at any time. Since 6 in the morn, Baloh, Patrick, and I worked on the brains of the system, which were several layers into the basement. Close to where Patrick and I stood yesterday. Baloh and I followed Patrick as he told us where to go and what to did. It had been educational. I kept a small radio with me, and I kept it on the current news station. Almost a third of the news ironically came from Radio Tower, which was the birthplace of Maurice. There were reports that Hannibal was holding its own. They sent a bunch of tanks to overwhelm Luther’s forces. Then we heard of the ultimatum on radio, and from Cave City. My friend in Cave City was afraid she would be caught in the crossfire, she itted in viewing a few tanks that battled only a hundred yards from her house. Janet had 2 boys and was not prepared to die for the house given to her by her mother, who died 2 months ago. Janet said she could always get another house, but she could not get another life. She fled. The ultimatum was from Luther. He promised a tumult against Hannibal if they did not give him the city. The same information came over the radio.

I was further down the ladder when Baloh was signaled by Luther via vi-phone. Luther’s rugged face stared at Baloh’s concerned one. Luther said it was time. 50 minutes. He gave Maurice 60 minutes. Baloh said he was not ready. Luther said, there was no more time. Fire our missiles in 50 minutes! He said Victory was ours. Then he blanked the screen. Baloh peered at me in terror. Thinny cursed and began to run from to . He asked all of us to synchronize our watches to 50 minutes. That was all the time he had to fix the electron shield. He shouted, and then he ran to another . With my dingy, black uniform on and brown boots, I hurried behind Thinny to ask what I could did. He asked me to hurry upstairs to the first level 2.341. Signal him by vi-phone when I was in position. I hurried up the metal stairs as my brown boots made a loud racket. I pushed open the top door and had to catch my breath. Then I ran to the first level and signaled Thinny. His face shimmered into view, and then he instructed me to touch various knobs and buttons, and to wait while he did the same thing. He said he was trying to synchronize the bottom and top s. If was did not work, he would try something else. I heard some noise on my , then a fizzling sound, then nothing. Thinny cursed in frustration. It was a short in the circuit, he said, and I did not have time to fix it! I could hear Baloh say something in the background and Thinny nodded. He turned to me and said, it would be best if you stayed in the lower levels, in case the force shield failed, which I am about to work on now.

I closed my vi-phone’s screen and ran back down the stairs, as Thinny ran past me, and Baloh followed. Thinny told me to run as low as I could. I ran in deep panic as the pull of gravity made me go faster and faster. I barely missed the turn at one corner, and almost fell on metal steps, due to my carelessness, would not need the rough man to kill my own self! When I got all the way to the bottom, I could hear Thinny and Baloh as they ran from to . They were one level below the top floor. Then it got quiet and, in my fear, I called to them. I heard nothing. I called to them again, nothing. I looked around me. It resembled underground caves at the lower levels. It always looked dark, and cold. Thinny claimed the brothers created it that way to keep the computer’s brain cool and protected. Genius thought. You guys, I yelled. We have 22 minutes left! No answer. I slowly climbed the stairs. I reached below the top level and looked around but did not see them. I saw open s, but...then I saw Baloh’s head far in the back. No wonder they did not hear me. As I walked toward them, Baloh said I should be below. I retorted, I should be helping, not cowering in fear. I wanted to help. They looked at each other, then Thinny said, follow me and keep up. Thinny began to break into a small trot. I asked him to tell me what was his plan? He told me to follow only. No questions. I tried to keep up, but Thinny increased his speed, so that when he hit the top door and it struck the wall with a loud sound, I was so slow that the door closed before I could get there, and I had to fight with the knob to open it. Dammed door! Open! I shoved the heavy metal door against the wall and hurried into 6 vacant s on the first level and ran into a brisk morning. I saw

Thinny as he ran across the field. Where the hell was, he going? I ran to tried and keep up. It had been a long time since I ran track, and it told on my run. I was dead tired within minutes. Thinny waved me to follow him and I cursed and trotted at mid-speed. Why are we running when there are air cars all over the place, I asked? I did that for exercise, he replied. I gave him an incredulous stare. Plus, the mid-city was only a block away, he said. By the time we jumped in our cars and landed we would be there by foot in no time. I negatively shook my head and tried to hide my exasperation. He stopped, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a modulator remote. It was a long black and red device that was heavy and filled with electronic things I did not recognize, but Thinny did. He said he had to get to the city’s center to get a better reception. He touched the black and red remote and waited. I waited intensely next to him. There was a high hum as the 4 modulators at all points of UC began to connect a beam at the top of the sky, then that beam began to spread outward into sparkles of light energy. We waited because Thinny said if it held for 5 minutes, we were good. It had to hold for 5 minutes. I looked at my watch. There were only 12 minutes to go before our strike against Hannibal. 5 minutes taken away would leave only 7 minutes; 4 minutes, 30 seconds ed before the shield began to degrade. Thinny tried to increase the shield’s integration with the modulators. He could not get a good lock!

He called Baloh on the vi-phone and asked him to try from his point. When Baloh tried the shield degraded by 3 points more. We were down to 6 electrons. Then it degraded to 4 electrons... Thinny said a few curse words and ran toward the building. I trailed far behind, not able to keep up with his long legs. When I got into the first level area, Thinny and Baloh tried to stop the shield from failing. 2 electrons... We are losing power, Thinny said. She was gone, Baloh said. There was a deep silence as Baloh slowly sat in a black chair with wheels that turned. It made squeaking noises as he leaned back, broken in spirit. Thinny kept his head bowed, defeated. Then it dawned on me. I said we have too many lights and generators running. Why didn’t we shut down most of the city, and run-on reserve power? That would give the computer systems more energy. Thinny almost hugged me to death! I pushed him away not because he stank, but because time was short. He blew kisses at me and hurried from the building to try the modulators again. I could hear his shoes as they clomped on hard grass and dirt. I had no intentions of following was time. I wanted to be near Baloh as the hour drew near. Baloh said he had to find the city’s main power switch. He found it on the computer. It was on level 3 at 8.912. 6 minutes until the missile fire. The vi-phone beeped on my phone and Baloh’s. It was Thinny. We both told him we were hurrying to the city’s power switch. Thinny said, Hurry quickly. I turned the corner and did not make it was time. I crashed into a metal railing, dropped my vi-phone down a few levels and heard it crash far below. Baloh stopped for me, but I told him there was no time. To go! Go! Baloh was torn, but he went anyway. I could barely move because the pain in my

shoulder was intense. I did lie was way for some time, and then my watch beeped. The hour had come. Suddenly there was darkness all around me. I was totally confused. What the hell? Then dim, yellow lights came on, the reserve lights! I those lights from the days of devastations. Baloh did it. I heard him running up the stairs as he talked to Thinny to try the shield. Tried it.

Baloh lifted me over his shoulder with ease. I hollered in pain. I said, Hurry. We had to fire the missiles or Luther will think we forfeited and come after us, hurry. Baloh pushed open the top door, laid me on a nearby, green hard couch, and hurried to fire the missiles. He began to punch in button codes and listened as an overhead female voice prompted him to fire the halfers. The computer sounded like a head nurse, cool, firm, not very friendly, it was all business. Suddenly the earth shook as two halfers roared toward the sky. I wanted to see them full blast. I wanted to know what they looked like in action. I forced myself up and went to the door. Baloh asked, what the hell are you doing? I said I want to see. With my left arm pressed painfully to my side, I stood next to Thinny and Baloh as 2 halfers made fire in the sky. They pushed smoke and fire up into the skies of war. Our electron shield was holding. We could see sparkles which came from insects exploding into it or other unseen debris. We waited and prayed; at least I know I did. 8:59.... I said as I looked at my watch. Baloh said my watch was wrong. It was 8:55.... Thinny scaled me up and down with a medical scanner. I am not a doctor, he said, but the scanner will pinpoint any injuries. It says you have a dislocated shoulder. Thinny looked at Baloh, who looked at me. Then I knew their plans but was too late as Thinny half lifted me and jammed my shoulder into place. I yelled as Baloh tried to comfort me. I kicked Thinny across the room in anger. How could you do that? I screamed.

Oh...Thinny said from the floor. He peered over the . Oh.... What?! We asked him. He had no answers for us. We found out the terrible news on our own. The shield was degrading due to a bad on the 4th level. Thinny could fix it, but there were 2 major problems coming our way. They were called halfers. I need to pull out the bad and replace it with a good one, Thinny said as he ran below. I was going to go with him, but I stopped because Baloh was not following. Come on, I said. We must do was! It was over, he said. Then he sat at his favorite computer chair and stared into a void. His mind was no longer there. Then I saw him as he pulled from his position, touched some buttons on the , then he turned slowly to me. You still have time to get to safety, he said to me. To the computer, Sound impact alarm, and countdown audio to impact of halfers. The computer complied and began to countdown at 2 minutes, 1 second. Malfunction in shield strength at 4 electrons, and dropping... Go, he said quietly. Go as low as you can, hurry. I told him I loved him. He only smiled and looked ahead. I told him I loved him again. He smiled and said nothing. 1 minute, 47 seconds for impact. I hurried down the stairs. This time I made many of the turns, until I saw Thinny unscrewing the bad . I hurried to help him. He asked why Baloh placed the impact on audio. It

makes me nervous! I cannot think straight! We both pulled the away as Thinny began to stutter. Half of what he said I could not understand. As he shouted and babbled at the same time as the computer sounded off our possible demise, I became aggravated and asked Thinny to shut the hell up and fix the without all the silly talk! Thinny looked at me, surprised. He stopped babbling and we did get the screwed in at 48 seconds before impact. Later I prayed to God to forgive me for my foul mouth, but I was scared. 40 seconds until impact. Thinny had to shift the into the wall. His hands quickly went over the latches. There must have been 8 latches all together, but it gave us a felting of 20. Then he had to align the computer internal with the system’s brain. 14 seconds until impact. I whispered we will not make it. We are too late! Thinny screamed at me to shut up and did not give up so fastThen I saw Baloh out of the corner of my eye. He stood at the top stairs, a few levels up. Immediately I turned from the , as if in slow motion and ran up to him... I pulled his arm, but he did not budge...8... Please Baloh, please come with me! He did not budge, just gave me was vacant, defeated stare...6... Baloh! I screamed...then he came back to himself...4. He said, God, forgive me...2. The shield was rising! Thinny screamed...1. Too late, I thought. Baloh fell on me as an immense explosion rocked our world, literally. Everything shook and was on fire. It felt and looked like 5 earthquakes.

The railing gave way, and Baloh was dragged by terrific force over the edge. I grabbed his arm, as I was dragged too; then I held onto part of the stair’s railing which hung in shreds. The railing began to crumble, and Baloh suddenly...let go. What?! Baloh! My echoed remorse shook my being through the fire and wind. I saw his body vanish into the blackness, then...nothing. I heard no sickening thud of flesh on concrete. He disappeared and he did not say goodbye. Without the weight of my beloved Baloh the crumbled stair railing held, barely. I was thankful it was my good right arm that I hung by. I barely pulled myself onto the step. I was cut and bruised, and I sobbed because Baloh was gone. Thinny...oh, Thinny...I saw a part of his body on top of the computer s he so much loved. His eyes were vacant, and the bottoms of his legs were gone. Thinny, you did not have a chance! Suddenly, another lurch of the building threw me down the stairs. I laid there; bruised, broken, knowing it must have been the 2nd halfer come to finish us off as a major fire storm crawled down the stairs. I could not crawl away in time. I then prayed for Jesus to save me, and He answered my prayers as sprinklers came on all over the place. The fire stopped crawling and was held in check at the broken door.

CHAPTER 7

WARS AND BATTLES APRIL 13TH, 2026-8:49, NIGHT/ SHAWN'S 2ND STORY By the time I arrived in Hannibal things were in an uproar over the first battle with hateful Dad. Impact Alert had waned, and shields were being repaired for another possible round and there were some deaths. I found out that Mau’s mom died along with his uncles and some friends. There were too many deaths to count. I have never seen so much destruction in one place. Everything left standing was burnt or on fire. People ran from place to place, trying to put the fires out. I was overwhelmed by all the destruction. I stood in the middle of it all and turned in circles and could not find one place that was not on fire. Even the once infamous tower burned, and its top had caved in. I then thought that Maurice was dead, and the others were not telling. I had shaved all my hairs on my body, so I thought I could go to them as a helper woman, and not a bolaris, who they fought against. Immediately I was put to work to help put the fires out. I had not had a decent meal in days, but I suddenly gained extra energy to dart around and sprayed big hoses of foam on smoldered flames. I did was for two hours, and then I was relieved and sent to eat and get cleaned up. I was given red robes to wear with green strings, a bag of toiletries and a bag of food that consisted of canned foods and pretzels and chips in bags. I was steered into a gym on the tower’s bottom floor and given bottled water to drink. In the shower I cried bitter tears, and the other fuman, phasee; human females did not stop me. They quietly washed and walked out. I was concerned they thought I was

bolaris, so I left the shower and began to shave one more time. I found a good locker and placed a coat hanger around the hole for security. What I thought was security. I wrapped myself in the red robes with green strings and we were given green flexies and hard, black shoes. It looked like things were organized, but I could see no central command. Who was in charge? I wondered? I did not want to seem nosy, but I wanted to know if Mau was all right, because if he died... I would have to return and deal with things myself. Was Mau all right? I asked one lady named Beth. She said, Mau? I said, the rough man. Oh...she said...we call him Maurice here... Oh...I said. He was not all right, she said, bitterly. He was in the hospital a few streets down, in critical condition. I told her to point the way. She said: you will never make it from here it was too crowded. I said, Point the way, anyway. She reluctantly pointed, and I ran from the tower, which did not burn anymore, into pandemonium as bodies ran from place to place. I was not out of sync as I ran from street to street to find the hospital. I almost ran into a young man with black hair. He looked familiar... It was General!

He asked what I was doing there. I said I wanted to see Maurice. General said Maurice was not doing so well. I wanted to see him anyway. General grabbed my hand as we hurried into the hospital with many beds and lights. Where was your sister, I asked him? He suddenly slowed down and stopped running. His eyes glittered with tears, he whispered, she did not make it. Then he continued to walk, but slower to find Maurice. On the 4th floor, in the back, Maurice rested. A Dr. Leon tended to him. A Shanita-human-female gave Maurice cold compresses for the bruising. I asked to be of help. General told Leon I could be trusted. Then I could tend to what was left of the rough man.

CHAPTER 8

THE HEALING NEW LOCATIONS-2:38 IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON/ CHELSEA B'S FINAL STORY I knew the time because there was a red clock that made chiming noises on each hour. At 2 it chimed a pretty sound. If I had a clock it would be a clock like that. I was in Soon Gut’s Care Center. It resembled a hospital without all the needles and gadgets. All the nurses, male and female wore white robes. Activity was brisk. I tried to move, but a nurse said I should rest a few days more, that I had a dislocated shoulder, 2 broken ribs, a concussion, and a sprained wrist. I stared at her in awe. The young, white nurse smiled and was about to turn away. I asked where I am. She then said you are at the Center in Clayton, Missouri. I laid there in shock for a while. Clayton was over a mile from University City. I asked her, what had become of the rough man? She looked worried and said, on the 20th of April he struck back, hard. There was devastation in UC, Springfield, and several other places. Luther was confirmed dead by his daughter, she saw to that. Hannibal won. What was going to happen now? I asked, petrified. Will he come after us? Will he take revenge? She could only eye me with a somber stare and said nothing. I saw pictures of the large-headed rough kid coming after me. I was terrified. I needed a radio. I asked one nurse to please get me a radio. Please.

She said she would try. 5:16 Evening - Soon Gut was a famous fuman in was area. Her base of operations stretched from St. Joseph to here and beyond. She had hospice centers at various places, and usually arrived on the scene with her helpers after devastation. Soon had red hair, Asian features, and a short stature; I think she was 5 feet. When she talked it sounded like she was singing in high notes. She came to each bed and talked to each of us. I asked her for a radio, please. She eyed me and smiled. She said I was concerned Mau would destroy the world. She said he would not do that. She knew him. He was not made that way. Then she asked me, why did you really care? She touched my arm as she said was. Then the flow of tears came. I did not know there was that much remorse and shame in me. I must have cried a long time, because when I finished all stared at me in silence. I told Soon I was sorry. She handed me a few face wipes and said, tears are the first steps to healing. Now let us try the second step. I was wheel-chaired into a white office with green chairs. A nurse pushed a screen in front of me as Soon began to type into the computer. I did not know what to expect, until the screen fizzled, and a familiar face appeared. The rough man! I told Soon I wanted to go back to my room; to go back...Soon calmed me down with her fat, yellow hand, and her kind voice. She told Maurice I would like to make a plea. A plea, he asked, and then he stared at me, I could barely look at him. I noticed he wore an orange and red robe; his skin was darker than his pictures. Other than that, I tried not to look directly at him. Then he said he could “read” that I was Baloh’s girl the UC people who attacked

Hannibal without provocation. I heard him whisper for me to look directly at him. Soon placed her fat hand on my arm, and I felt confidence. I slowly stared at him. He stared back with gray eyes. April 29th, 2026 - 6:28 Morn-Clayton, Missouri - I was released sometime was morning. I did not feel comfortable going back to what was left of UC. My healing was not that complete. With my new, green radio Soon had given me, I asked to be directed to Farmland. Most people did not know what I was talking about. What farmland? I said, never mind. I was about to leave, when Soon arrived from the building wearing a blue and yellow robe. She hugged me tenderly and said you did a great service by motivating Mau to stop the war. She knew she tried. He would not listen to her. I said, I have a lot of repenting to do to the Lord. I was not finished repenting. Soon said she respected that but wanted to talk about Farmland. She knew of the place and how to get there; but she said I did not want to go there pregnant. The realization dawned on me. I had been felting nauseated lately. I thought it was the hospice atmosphere. I saw an image of Baloh as he moved into me from the back. That night was intense. Then I knew that was when I became impregnated. I said Farmland was a place of only human beings, no alien influence, and then I apologized to her. She said she understood, but farmers (which they were called) taught hatred against aliens. I wanted a place of love for my child, not hatred. I said Farmland was far away from here, and a place where the rough man could not touch. He would not dare go against the farmers. They had a reputation of not taking any mess from anybody. That was what I needed. A place I could felt safe. Soon nodded, looked sad and walked away. I believe she was trying, to keep me here, with her.

Maybe she saw something in me that I did not see in myself. Fumans could read your emotions, maybe she saw something more, my future. A future she did not want me to go through. If I would have known my future, I would have stayed. I would have stayed. May 29th, 2026- 8:32 Morn - Farmland - Now I will reveal where I am, because for my own protection I needed to keep my identity hidden. I was concerned about mobs who wanted an for the devastation at UC. No mobs came, thousands died all over the land. I have not tallied up the deaths yet, could not bring myself to did it. I am a secretary at Farmland, which was a large region of white buildings, humans, and hatred. I should have listsned to Soon, who I still have secret s with over the vi-phone. She had been a dear friend, a confidant, almost like a kind mother figure. My belly had grown somewhat. The doctors here said it is a healthy baby boy, if the term of 8 months can be achieved. I believe I was encouraged to get a checkup on my pregnancy condition for one reason. To make sure it was fully human. I believe if there was a drop of alien blood in the test I would have been hung or driven from the society. There have been harsh stories of that in this region. I felt like I am a prisoner because people watched you all the time. You never know who will report what . I am at the market where foods are being exchanged for some type of farmer’s currency on a debit card. I took some fruit in a bag and walked into the sunshine, and I felt my stomach as it bulged. I worried. I worried as farmers in their coveralls, suspenders, and wide-brimmed hats could take over the world with this philosophy of hate. This was one area where the rough man was not invited. No rough man here, or the likes of him; but that was what I wanted now.

I saw comion in the fumans, more than I saw in most humans. Here I saw no comion, no love, just a drive to rid the world of other worldly aliens. This one time when my research backfired on me. I walked into an area for security and ended up with something more hideous. The security of fear at every corner, for as I walked down the street with my fruit, I saw soldiers, who drilled to meet the fumans one day in battle and one day rid the world of all aliens. The farmers were descendants of a terrorist movement that survived before the devastations. They were called the Kill All Phasees Organization, and I walked right into their world, from one fire into a simmering blaze. As I carried fruit, I also carried the fruit that I ran from (hatred) and ran into (battle). So, rough man, we are not finished speaking about war and mercy. I might have to call you again for another plea of mercy, to turn your rage into comion, again, for the tears of the innocents, for the world....

CHAPTER 9

STILL ALIVE/ BARNETT'S 3RD STORY Springfield, Mwassouri-8:35 p.m. I am still alive! He did not kill me was time, or my son or my daughter. That came from the graces of God. I hated my husband, that was the devil, hatred was but I love my son and daughter. That was the Lord. He provides all. There were not many churches that stood after the destructions, but I still have my faith in my Lord who provides all. My face was bruised, and Lute kicked me in the ribs, but my brave son intervened to save me from death. Lute was more surprised, that Chris had the “backbone” as he said to tried anything with him. Lute only pushed Chris away and went to another part of the house. I was more concerned for my daughter. He could have killed her with that blow, but Shawn was a tough one. I just hope she stayed away for a while until he cools down. 9:37 p.m. - My loving daughter called and said she was all right and was coming home to kill Daddy. Lute egged her on; but I did not want my love Shawn to get hurt. I urged her to run to the rough man! Lute came across the room and grabbed my throat and wanted to choke me, but I managed to say she was Mau’s now. He had lost to the rough man, round one. He could only stare at me in disbelief, and then he let me go and left for the field of battle. I believe the Meggie was for his daughter Shawn. More symbolic than anything, but all those dead people did not know that. He over killed his enemy to show his fury against his own daughter. I found out later she did not make it to Hannibal in time for the Meggie. Thank God. The rough man’s momma died, and uncles died, and friends died, and he hurt Mr. Rough, but he was not dead, and Lute better watch out, he better.

––––––––

Hannibal, Missouri - 2:32 afternoon - (Shawn) - I watched over the fuman for at least two days. When he opened his eyes, he did not know who the hell I was! It was almost comical, and then he grunted as I fixed his pillow under his large, dark head. He stared at me intently, and then he knew who I was. I did shave was morning and had cut much of my brown hair around my shoulders, but he knew I was not who I acted like I was. I became nervous and knocked over a glass of water he was supposed to drink out of. I asked Shanita who stood in the background to get him some more water. She replied and did not come back for a while. I knew she was staying out to give us privacy. I was glad the room was small and private. I then came up with the courage to say I was the daughter of Luther and all that. He only remained quiet while I talked, then Shanita came back with the water, and he asked her to leave us for the moment. Shan left with a somber face and closed the door. He said: I came to did what, to beat his father with our missiles? Why did I come? I told him I believed in his cause and that I hated my father. Suddenly I produced hidden documents of my father’s troop movements. Mom did not know about was theft. I told rough man I got was information from the briefcase he carried three weeks ago, fresh information. He said he probably knew I had it by now and had changed his troop movements. I replied that I copied them and placed them in the same place I got them. Maurice sighed deeply, looked the five pages over, and buzzed for a nurse. Instead, Shan came in. She told him she was his nurse for now. He asked her to copy the documents and return them to him if she could be so kind. Shanita smiled and took the papers, glanced at me, then left. Being a woman, I

knew that look. She thinks I want her man. I did not want her “man.” I want the rough man! Maurice said not to pay her any mind. She was just a friend with high expectations. I said, No worry. Then, he suddenly rose from the bed and touched my arm. I was hoping he did not feet the thin hairs on my arm. He only stared at me intently. Then he said we will beat him. I suddenly could not hold in the bitter tears again and I bawled on his arm. I knelt there in all my agony. He caressed my head and told me all will be okay, not to cry. I felt deeply comforted for the first time in a long time. 2:47 Afternoon (Shawn) - When I left the rough man after my tears had dried, Dr. Leon walked by with his daughter, Shan. She tried to stare me down with her green eyes, but I did not look at her hard. I was not for any foolishness. I knew the look of a jealous woman. I stopped to call Mom and Chris on my stolen vi-phone. I touched a button as the screen rose, and a blood curdling cry shook my bones. I turned to my left and right and shoved the phone back in its compartment. Who cried like that? It sounded more like a roar. I noticed it was further down the hall, near where Maurice was. I could see his hospital room door ajar, and I felt ice go through my soul. I thought someone got to the rough man and tried to hurt him. I hurried full blast down the hall with legs stretched and arms pumped. The red robe acted as a flag as I came closer and closer to the room. I crashed through the door and looked around. Maurice cried on Leon’s arm and Shan’s face like I did him a moment ago. I felt was a private moment, and I apologized and slowly closed the door. He must have found out about his mother, his uncles, and his friends. The news must have been too much for him, poor Mau. Poor, poor Mau...

CHAPTER 10

LUTHER'S TRAITOR DAUGHTER SHAWN'S 3RD STORY April 18th, 2026 - (10:43 Morning) - I stayed near and, in the tower, to give Mau some time to get himself together. General was injured in his shoulder and hand, but that night of the fires I did not notice. I helped to bandage his arm and hand and put disinfectant sprayed on his cuts to stem any infection. He said I was the regular nurse, and I could only smile. General was a handsome fuman with a boyish face and black, short hair. He wore a purple, dirty, torn robe as he acted as an assistant, Mayor, or something. He told me they did not use those anymore. I could only say...oh. He told me we used like Governors for each province. Then he said he never thought he would become Governor of a whole region, not ever in his lifetime. Then he peered at me as I tended to his hand. He asked, what kind of a man was your father? I said only one word: Cruel. He asked, was he always like that? I said, Not from the beginning... Then I noticed a crowd of people walking our way. Instantly I became terrified. I grabbed General’s arm and squeezed tightly. I called General’s name. I knew they had come for my head! ...because of my father’s sins. God, why did I come here?

General asked me what was wrong. I told him I thought they were coming for me. What? He stared at me in bewilderment. As the crowd drew closer, I could tell one of them was Mau. I thought his agony had gotten the best of him and he wantedGeneral, he called. I need you with me. General quickly followed. I saw Shanita in the crowd as she glared at me with her green, mean eyes. I glared back was time. I was not about to take any mess from her. IShawn, Mau called. Want to come along? You’re welcome if you want to. I told him I wanted to, and then Shan snapped her head to the front in exasperation! She was so insecure. As I merged into the crowd, I noticed Dr. Leon, Josh, and a human he called Mr. Bill, and a few other people I was never introduced to. We all walked a few yards to what looked like a burnt bunker, because it was half in the ground. Mau, in his green robe and red tie strings, kicked down the burnt door with his right black boot. He bent down in pain as Shan and Leon ran to his side and vehemently asked him not to did that again. He just glared at them and raised his body to a firm stance. He said he had to get was done, or Luther might attack us while we were weak, defenseless. He pointed into the darkness and said that was where D1's brain and circuits were. He said the tower was a prop for cosmetics and convenience. He said all we had to did was get into D1's brain. We could reroute all the good circuits to fire the megaton missile. What mega? I thought. Hateful Dad specifically said to Chris, when he asked one night, if rough boy could beat us, and hateful Dad said no. He did not have megas. Then I saw the mega on the hill. My heart pulled to my throat. I almost died inside. I gasped.

It was enormous with blocks of missile on a special contraption that looked like a massive truck. Air cars buzzed around the object like flies, and the sun glittered off its chrome. I was almost hypnotized by it. Then I became violently ill and had to run to the nearest scorched trash can and throw up. I could hear sounds of sympathy for my pain behind me. Then I heard an electronic gadget going off next to me. I covered my foul mouth and turned to Dr. Leon as he waved a medical scanner over me. Shanita reluctantly stood next to me and gave me a small towel. I thanked her and wiped my mouth. Then Dr. Leon bowled me over with news I was pregnant by at least one month! I told him those scanners did not work! I told him I could not be pregnant! The thing was wrong! Dr. Leon said sadly, No... It was right. Then he told me to come to his office at the hospital so he could look me over thoroughly sometime after 8. He said, please, did not stand me up. When he walked away the realization began to dawn on me. Shanita stared at me with some realization of sorrow, and then she turned into the crowd, who all watched me, even Mau. He pressed his lips together and nodded his head to some silent thought. Then he vanished into the bunker room of D1's brain with everybody else. As I sat on the ground and stared at the mega that could kill what was left of my world. 8:03 That Night (Shawn) - I sat in Dr. Leon’s office as people, phas, and fumans walked in and out. He had three secretaries in his large office of yellowed walls and beige, marbled floors. I felt unclean in in the red robe, and General saw that I got a purple, shiny one with white strings and green flexies. I did not care if the colors matched. I took a long, hot shower in the gym under the tower, and rested in a room of seven other females of different species (all except bos).

I made it a mission to stay away from small talk, which these ladies liked to do. I only washed and smiled. I did not want to give any vital info away about me. I wanted to keep what was left of my tattered life to me, thank you. Dr. Leon came from the back of his office with his white, dingy jacket and gestured for me to come back, where I sat on a blue, hard chair. The chair felt uncomfortable as I waited for him to sit behind a gray, large desk. For some time, he did not say a word, and neither did I. I did not know what to say, I was still in shock... He suddenly sat forward and clasped his pink fingers together and stared at me real hard. He said he had a daughter, Shanita, and that was the only daughter he had. If something were to happen to her...like some type of abuse...he would see that she would get all the service, she needed. I knew where he was headed, and I did not want to go there. Tears began to form in my eyes, and I tried to wipe them with my semi-hairy arms (I had not shaved in hours), and I stared at this doctor who cared, for what reason I could not tell. Maybe I reminded him of his daughter.

I told him my hateful dad raped me, and then I could not look at him anymore. I had to look at the wall next to him as the tears poured from my eyes. I felt so ashamed. How long had was been going on? Leon asked. I said for two months. He came in my room and that was that. I could not refuse him, or be hurt... Leon said abortions were not allowed in was region, for any reason. To have an abortion she could go to the next region. In St. Louis it was allowed, he said. I said there would be no abortion. I would have the baby. He only nodded his head, and I sighed deeply in myself. 10:42 That Night (Shawn) - Maurice and General directed the clean-up and the rebuilding of the tower. Everybody was working in spotlights connected to generators that gave the area an oddly bright color. Maurice walked up to me and said he only knew me a few days, but it felt like it had been years. He asked me, why was that? I could not tell him. Then I noticed Shanita standing far in the back but watching us. She was supposed to be working on a computer , but she was more engrossed in us than her work. Maurice noticed my stare Shanita’s way. He sighed and said he talked to her, and she was not jealous anymore. You could have fooled me, I said. He said, I told her you worship the idea, not me. I did not know what to say to that. It was hard to communicate through all the emotional pain and mental anguish. Then, the rough man, the man himself, not the idea, dropped a shocker. He said I had two days to get any family I wanted to survive his rage out of Springfield. He said that was how long it will take for them to redo their computers and to unify the mega to their system. Two days. I sighed deeply.

He said: that was why you came here, wasn’t it? I almost did not agree, and then I nodded my head. He said: I will send an escort with you of twenty soldiers. Mr. Bill will oversee the operation. If things go bad and he aborts, you should go with him, but you did not have to, you understand? I understood. I could not have did it alone, I thought. It took me four days to walk and steal bicycles here. In two days of the same I would be picking up a city with my fingertips, and the ashes of Momma and Chris.

MAURICE (THE ROUGH MAN) 1ST

CHAPTER 11

THE RISE OF LUTHER REAMS RADIO TOWER/ MARCH 2026/ MORNING MAURICE'S 1ST I despised the state of leadership that the humans have utilized in the past. Humans usually voted someone in who barely kept their promises. If anything went wrong with the region, the people were not responsible, the leaders were. This was the reason I had not and will not take the rough man mantle, because it would take responsibility from the masses and shift that problem to the leader as a scapegoat for the sins of the people. In my stance not to be a rough man Mr. Bill reminded me the Rough Men were not voted in power, they were placed in power. He also reminded me the Rough Man Politics did not resemble the earthlings' politics one bit but resembled the phasee governments of Phaes. This truth shook my stance not to be Rough Man and I became unbalanced in my belief systems. When I did my own research on the matter, I found him to be right, but could not place on earth what government resembled the phasee government on Phaes. I felt great distress from was news, and I found all I had to believe in was my plan to shift responsibilities to others, thus I could not be endeavored with it. I became unstable within and my anger grew to rage. I would say these last few months have been intense due to people from Hannibal; they were afraid Luther Reams would soon invade them after Joplin fell. Luther beheaded their leaders to break the will of the people. The battle lasted almost a week. Joplin fell after a ferocious battle of bombs and hand to hand

combat, and laser tanks. After Joplin all in Luther’s rear was no threat to him. Then fell Rogers, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Russellville, and Conway. He branched backward, until his army began to march forward through Lebanon, Rolla, Sullivan, and Union. Then he stopped. Apparently, he was trying to decide in invading a large city like St. Louis or University City, and he picked neither. He ran for Hannibal. How did I know was? He walked through Bowling Green, Kentucky and within a few days with part of his army of what were 60,000 troops he parked 20,000 in New London, only 8 miles from Hannibal. What got me concerned were not Luther’s ambitions but the ambitions of the Hannibalites. Some idiot told them a rough man was supposed to come to the shores to save them! Some dumb ass ed out fliers which had writings for the ancient’s book of edicts that a child would grow rugged and be able to protect the weak from the strong. Some said the rough man was somewhere in the area and people begun to do a search of the wastelands, even here; but they could find nothing. When they came here Mom immediately hid me. I told her she was worrying too much. How would they know I was fuman? I could as a phasee unless someone told them. It was too much of a coincidence for me. If someone did tell them; it was no use in me hiding in was gym; was because, it had a lower floor and if the building were stormed it could act as a bunker. This idea came from Mr. Bill who beamed proudly when it was implemented, and accepted by the committee of 32, well not all us. Uncles’ Samuel, Emmanuel, and Benni did not agree to the vote, but were outvoted. They thought it was inevitable I was going to be found; that I ran from my destiny.

In the gym all the lights were dimmed as I walked on an upper floor where I could see events through a small window with wire-meshed covers. Was made the gym seem like a jail. Tamara suddenly stood below the ledge as the heavy door closed with a loud bang. Her face told everything. She stood in a gray and yellow-robed outfit with black sandals. I decided to wear the same outfit, but mine had blue streaks in it. She said I should come outside that they know I am here, and they will not leave until they get to talk to me. I cursed. What was the matter with them! I shouted. I am not their leader! She suddenly could not look at me. Her head dropped in sadness and I could feel the fear that poured from her. I peered through the window and saw Mom, all the uncles; Mr. Bill, and four other islanders standing, unsure what to do, while across from them shouted and chanted hundreds of Hannibalites for the rough man! We want the rough man! I felt something had to be done before things got crazy. I did not want anyone hurt, but it looked like the crowd was about to rush forward. I had to did something. This was part of the session was what we called strategic thinking. The sessions changed. We read books about tactics, played brainier games like one level chess to three level chess, we played Chinese checkers. Anything with tactics and strategies we did after one hour of intense gymnastics training. We looked at wars in the past while teacher Benni asked us to write reviews on what we thought. I ran to get the sticks, which were in a small closet on the first floor. Tamara asked me what I was going to do. I made no reply as I handed her a stick and took the others along with a shotgun. Tamara was confused on the shotgun. The sticks she could see for defensive purposes.

I was going to run when I touched the outside door, but I stopped, took a deep breath, and slowly walked outside. The moment I came outside into that cool and sunny day, the crowd immediately stopped chanting. Mom, the uncles turned, and a few others looked about, surprised I came outside, exposed. Mom hurried to my side and said I can go back inside. I called for Mancie, a big, black human to please take her inside, she should not see was. Mancie gently guided Mom inside after I assured her all will be all right. Mom cried and did not want to go at first, so Mr. Bill helped Mancie to calm Mom down as they walked her inside. I slowly turned and began to give out sticks to the uncles. I walked closer to the crowd with the shotgun and stick. The people were silent as if awaiting orders. I had no intentions of giving those orders, only to talk. I asked them to notice the shotgun, and the stick. I told them they were not welcome here. My voice always had a curled, low sound to it, and among the trees and people it reverberated. I could tell by my speech they were not pleased. Many of them cursed and turned away, but some stayed as I told them they were responsible for themselves, and not to be looking for a mythic figure to save them from a tyrant. I asked them, how did you deal with a tyrant? You fight! Some shouted in unison. So, you fight, I told them. You did not need a rough man for that! Suddenly a four-year young human child ambled forward and hugged my leg. She was small with auburn hair; a fair complexion and she wore a red and blue dress. She kept saying, the rough man, the rough man...I did not know what to did. I turned behind me for answers, even Uncle Benni looked dumbfounded. I rubbed the child’s head and slowly picked her up and she hugged me around the neck.

What can you do with that? Whose child? I asked the people. No one responded. I knew it was a ploy. Who would leave their child in the middle of a mob, and not look for her if she were gone? I could feel in the crowd for the mom or dad. I asked Uncle Samuel to take my stick and gun. Then my hands were free to carry the child. I found her name to be Phoebe by scanning her, that she was well taken care of, and that the mother was in the crowd, close by. First, I tried to get Phoebe to tell me where her mom was. Phoebe was silent and shrugged her shoulders. She was told to act was way. I had to did was the hard way. I walked through the crowd. I had to felt my way to the mother, who stood low, under a tree. She was a thin human with black hair that was rolled up with a fair complexion like her daughter’s. She wore a gray dress that covered her frame. I handed Phoebe to her, as the mother began to cry on my shoulder. Now I did not know what to do! I let her cry on my shoulder for a time. I scanned her name to be Lhasa. I asked her to go home. She said she was scared for her family that Luther wanted to kill them all. Why didn’t I take her daughter and protect her so that she can be safe? It was sunny in the beginning, then it began to cloud, then it rained lightly. I told Lhasa I could not do that. That Phoebe was her daughter, and she was responsible for Phoebe. I then walked to the shore with the crowd as I carried Phoebe, who laughed most of the way. At the shore, the crowd was over 500 people, many of their boats jammed our shores, which made trading difficult. The rough man! Someone shouted to my left. Suddenly there was a mad dash forward. That was dangerous. The crowd began to push and tug in different directions. I handed Phoebe to Lhasa and moved backward as people screamed and hollered. I glanced to my right, saw Uncle Samuel with the shotgun.

I willed it into my hand as it flew, to his surprise. I turned it upward and the blast shut the crowd down. My hearing was partially gone for a time, but life was full of sacrifices. I said for them to go home and act like they have some sense! Stop being afraid of death and to fight the tyrant! I told them if you must die, at least die bravely, and not running. As the rains began to pour, the crowd began to disperse into boats. Lhasa took a boat with some friends while Phoebe waved. I waved back and smiled. I turned in the rain and began to head home. I brushed past Tamara. My mood felt volatile. I am sure she felt it, too. Our eyes connected, until I noticed a huge man who lumbered and vanished into the trees and rain.

CHAPTER 12

THE SEARCH FOR LOST LOVES (BARNETT'S FINAL STORY) SPRINGFIELD, MWASSOURI-4:02-MORNING My baby called me. I had to get ready, fast! She said the rough man was coming down hard on Springfield. I felt was never going to happen. I knew it! I must run all over the place to get my things, to gather my son’s things. No did not take was. Not that. Take that, to edge Chris awake again. Hurry baby. We got to go. Get your pants on sweetie... I hurried from room to room to gather toiletries. It was good that Lute was not here. His generals had expected a mega strike sometime soon since they “borrowed” one from Lute. I tell you if a snake was not biting himself in the ass... God forgive my curses. I cannot write anymore, too much to do. Bye... 5:13 Morn (Shawn) - Mr. Bill, as we all called him had military experience. He fought in early campaigns to free phasees during the old times before 2013, when humans and phasees hated one another. Well, it was the humans that hated and feared the phasees; the phasees did not trust anything human back then. Mr. Bill was only 32 years old, and he looked younger, but there was an encouraging presence about him. I felt comfortable around him. I even smiled at

him in the truck that took us to our destination. Mr. Bill smiled back. He told me everything was going to be all right, to just did as he asked of me. In and out, he said. Then the truck stopped. There were 16 soldiers wearing green robes with green strings, and black boots in the truck with us, not counting Mr. Bill. In the front of the truck were 3 more soldiers. They were all young, and old, of different colors, different races. I never saw anything like it where a group worked in unity without much conflict. Was that what hateful dad tried to destroy? This unity? As we all hurried from the truck, it began to rain. The soldiers and Mr. Bill carried laser cannons, which could fire 1000 lasers in one minute. I learned that from Chris when he was on the internet and ed the information. I had to go first in the darkness. We were two blocks from my house, but the truck had to be hidden, and Mr. Bill said there was too much lighting and not much cover where I lived. So, we ran from house to house in dim lights and the rain. I got to my door, peeked in the window, expected to see Mom and Chris, but saw none of them. Mr. Bill, who was behind me asked me to vi-phone them. I punched in the numbers through the wetness and waited with bated breath. It rang and rang. He said I should not go first. He should go first. I stepped back with my heart in my throat. He motioned for two of his men to come forward and kick in the door. The door went down easily. Several soldiers hurried in after that. Then, Mr. Bill, then me; I warily walked from room to room. I saw several bags, but not Mom or Chris, and then I heard a noise from the cellar. The cellar was a place Chris and I rarely went because hateful dad or Lute had his military meetings down there, and sometimes it got loud with debates and the way to did things. Now a few soldiers went ahead of us to check out the noise. They signaled for Mr. Bill to come down. I immediately hurried after him, with my heart beating in my throat. When he stopped, I hurried around him to see...Mom.

She was not dead. She was savagely beaten and chained to the wall. She was groggy and kept pushing me away. Why was she pushing me away? Mom! I shouted. What areBomb! She shouted through a bloodied mouth. Get out! I screamed at her as Mr. Bill set her free by shooting the chains with laser beams. Two soldiers helped to carry her up the stairs. Mr. Bill said to hurry if there was a bomb... Soldiers hurried toward the door, and then I noticed what looked to be an alarm system on the wall. I said to Mr. Bill we never had an alarm system before. He stared at it, then he pushed me out the door and a big explosion made me deaf and smothered in bodies. For a long time, I laid there, with bodies on me. I did not know what to did. Then I felt movement around me. Someone was pulled off me, and I could feel the rain on my face. It was Mr. Bill. He said we had to go. The alarms were sounding. I wondered what happened to Mom. I saw bodies, debris, but no Mom. I screamed, where was she?! He said we must go! Then he pulled me along with a few soldiers as we hurried through the darkness and the rain. Things began to happen too fast. A firefight ensued, but I could not tell who was shooting at us. Some of our soldiers fell in the rain. Others helped them up as the night was lit up by a laser fire. I was not sure which direction we were going, or if we would get there. Suddenly, the truck pulled up and we climbed in. It was good that Mr. Bill left two drivers behind. The truck with its armor acted as a shield as we piled in with what was left of us, and quickly drove away. Mom...Chris...I am so sorry. I am sorry.... Hannibal, Missouri - 7:31 Morn (Shawn) - I sat destitute, broken. I took a hot shower and practically closed in tears for my family. About the dad who did show me love a long while ago. I must have been 5 or 6 then.

He sat me on his lap and read a book to me then. Then the love tapered off. I did not particularly when. I knew I turned around and we were in a hostile world of wars, rumors of wars, and death. I slipped on a yellow robe with red ties and white flexies. My body hairs had all grown back by now. I was too tired to shave them. If I am persecuted for my father’s sins so be it. I laid on the top bunk of my bed. All was quiet. I slipped a green, wool cover to my neck and watched the ceiling. I heard Mr. Bill’s voice at the door. He wanted to come in. I said it was okay. He sat on the bottom bunk bed and sighed several times before he spoke. He said Luther must have anticipated our arrival. The bomb was timed when we kicked in the front door. We only had seconds to safely get clear. That was why he placed her in the basement to get us as far away from the front door and safety as possible. None of us were supposed to get out alive. He asked me if I knew where hateful dad might have taken my brother. I said, I did not know. He said he lost 8 good soldiers, 4 of them with injuries. He said he was sorry about my mother, but we tried. He said she likely died during the explosion. Then he rose and was about to leave, and I told him “thanks”. He nodded and I was alone. Then I knew what I must do. 12:06 Afternoon (Shawn) - With my body hairs in full bloom I must have stuck out like a sore thumb, because there were not many bos in was region. I did not care. I had a plan to achieve and I was not about to be discouraged by nosy bodies. I am who I am. The rough man accepted me for who I was. We talked at length when he found out about the pregnancy and my loss. Most leaders would have strung me high for my father’s sins a long time ago. Cannot get the dad, get the daughter. Get the son.

He said I had nothing to did with that, and that made me cry with joy. He did not comfort me with a hug for my tears, Shan was by his side. He patted me on the shoulder and walked away. I asked Josh to teach me how to fly an air car, away from the others. Josh was a regular human. No hybrid. He had no indications of my plan. Josh had an amiable persona about him. He would not scream if I made a mistake. Josh was young like me. I think he was 2 years older. His brown hair and boyish face made him look younger. He pointed with his pink fingers to the controls after we found an isolated place away from the tower, almost behind the hospital, near the sands and sea water. Josh sat in the driver’s seat and I sat next to him and became familiar with the controls. Then we switched seats and I became more familiar with the controls. We pulled on seatbelts and placed on “safety flyer”, where two people can fly the same air car, but one handle had more control, namely his. From the enger seat he guided me up and down. I kept landing and taking off, landing, and taking off. Sand rose each time we landed softly. My face must have twisted because Josh suddenly laughed out of nowhere. What? I asked. What? He laughed that bawdy laugh again. Then he said, let us go higher... 12:02 Night (Shawn) - I looked from my bed as most of the girls began their shifts at different spots to help with the rebuilding on Hannibal. My shift did not begin until 12 midnight. I had no intentions of being there. I slowly slid from the bed in my green robe with black ties. I used the black boots given me the first day, tied that real tight. Reached under the mattress and pulled out laser cannon... The thing was heavy! Must have been 50 pounds! I used a strap and tied it on both ends and draped it around my back. I crept from the room, peered down a dimly lit hall, saw no one and hurried to

the stairs. Crept down them and was outside. I ran 100 yards to a green, leather cover, and pulled it off, where a hidden air car laid. When I climbed in and took off the gun, I heard a voice. It was Mau. He was hidden somewhere further out. I could not see him in his black robes and green ties; next to him stood Josh. Josh! I screamed at him. How could you? He said Maurice knew all along. I did not tell him a thing! Mau walked to me. He did not say a thing. I was afraid to say anything. I was not sure what his reaction would be. He said, very quietly, almost in a whisper, you have 2 hours to did what you are going to do. Take Josh with you for back up. I did not argue the point. I sat there, a ball of tears, ready to explode from emotional distress. He knew I was tender and did not push the issue, he walked away. I could not let him go so easily. I had to ask him one question. Why? Because I like you, he said. You have guts, fire. That was rare these days, he said. I could tell he wanted to say more, but he left it at that, and vanished into the night lights. Josh sat next to me and we placed seatbelts on us, and I went through the safety checks of flight. Josh stared and handled the laser cannon. He asked: did you know how to fire one of these things? I said: we will have to wing it unless you know how to fire one. He said, these are dangerous to fire, could explode on us if we use it wrong. I asked: did you know how to fire one? He said, I guess we could wing it. I stared at him in fear and awe...

CHAPTER 13

4 HOODLUMS/MAURICE'S 2ND I am sure the others did not see him. I could feel he was up to no good. He had feltings of harm that poured from him. I saw a woman who appeared to be wearing black leather and chains that stood to the side. I kept walking, until a small, black-skinned man who I scanned as named Lion or Lionel. He whispered that a hit squad was out to get me. Be careful. I nodded at him as he walked farther to my right and vanished in the trees. I felt Tamara close by. I needed a stick fast! I had one unspent shell in the shotgun. That would not do. I did not want the others hurt on of me. I did not have time to get the stick from her as I broke into a sudden run! The move was not spontaneous. It appeared to be, to unbalance the opponent. Tamara and the uncles hollered at me to get back here! Where the hell was, I going?! With the shotgun in hand, and among heavy rains, I hurried into the high forest trees and low bushes. I ducked and dodged, stopped, waited, and listened, heard footsteps, felt it was hostile and I ran some more. I was not sure how many hostiles there were, but there appeared to be three or four of them. I felt they were from a faraway place to make a name for themselves, by taking down a rough man. I am no rough man, but they will feel they had been in a fight dealing with me! Then they will not have to worry about a rough man! I felt angry as I ran deeper into the forest, away from the tower, away from the uncles who still yelled my name. I felt was an invasion of my privacy! All I wanted was for everyone to leave me the hell alone! This anger I would use against the hostiles.

I stopped and blended into the next tree as a hostile walked past me. I felt her name was Shannon from Milwaukee and that she had one son named Brian. She was a member in a group called The Hoodlums. Who would name their group that dumb ass name?! I laid the rifle out of sight, against a tree, and tested some nearby branches for their weight and texture. One did test well and was long enough to do some damage. I waited for the rest to emerge, confused as to where I went. There were four of them. I picked up the rifle and laid that over my shoulder and waited. Shannon, Jest, Malcolm, Bennett. Bennett appeared to be the leader of them all. It was his idea to come here and did harm. I will make an example of him. Shannon I might spare because of her son, and I did not want to leave him without a mother. That was the plan, but plans have a way of turning on you. Before I moved out to present myself, I could hear Tamara nearby. I could see her about 100 yards away. I did not want her hurt so I ran into the open where the hostiles could see me, and they gave shade. I ran up hill as the rains intensified. With the training I was not tired, but I could tell the hostiles were. I moved deeper into the hillside as Jest climbed almost on top of me. I nudged him in the side. He was a big man with black leather and chains and a pale complexion with intense, black eyes. He was surprised at seeing me. I smiled. I nudged him again so that he almost lost his footing. He cursed and fell in front of me. I struck him with the stick several times. He shouted in pain, and tried to stand, but I kept my boot on his neck. He cursed and spat blood in the heavy rains. I wanted was to be over with quickly, so I could get back to my world, away from crazy, violent people, who were making me crazy and violent. I let him stand, and I leapt through the air with of the stick so that I flew, and kicked him in the chest, where he fell, at least 50 feet, where he struck some rocks and did not move. I could not sense or tell if he was dead or not. I did not have time!

Malcolm struck me on the right side of my face, and I fell on one knee, dazed. Malcolm was as big, and solid as Jest, and appeared swifter as he used martial arts chains and sticks to almost beat me to death. I stood, bleeding and woozy. I made a stand with the stick, like I was taught, and he charged me, and I broke the stick against his white skin. His forearm was bleeding, and my stick was almost useless, until in his fervor, he ran neck first into the broken part! His eyes bulged in pain. I had to let the stick go in shock as his blood poured from his neck and he staggered back, gasped, and fell over in his chains and black leather clothes and hairy body. I ed before Malcolm died his last thoughts were about his body hairs. I trembled in the cool rains as I could see my breath as the temperatures plummeted. I suddenly became violently sick. I could not help it. This was not the time to get sick! There were more hostiles! A foot kicked me to the ground. I laid there for a time. I awaited death at a young age. I felt it was unfair that I died in a crevasse on a hill in the rain, among heathen humans. It was Bennett. He was a small man who wore chains and leather and wore his hair blond and long to deceive, because he was on the run from Milwaukee law for some time. He had a feminine face, but his eyes told it all. He had green, mean eyes. He kept a black boot on me to keep me down and he pointed an arrow gun at me. Distracted, he called for Shannon to see the great rough man. I could hear movement, apparently that was Shannon. I kicked the arrow gun up and jabbed him in the groin, twice. He half dropped the gun. I made a twisted movement, which broke his right arm, took the arrow gun, aimed it at Shannon, and fired. As Bennett, twisted, hurt, stunned, he began to fall; Shannon saw the arrowhead

for her, and turned so that it struck her in the side, and into a tree behind her. She dared not move, or she would rip her side open. I watched as Bennett tried to move under me. I kept my foot on him and screamed for him to look at what he had caused! This was his entire fault! He was delirious. He mumbled to himself as raindrops came in droves. I hurried to Shannon’s side as she became frantic as pain and blood played on her mind. Her black hair was matted and wet. Her eyes and lips were painted black, to give her a hostile look. I knew she was not that hostile as death came close to her. I placed a hand on her side, as she gasped and cried, and said she was sorry. I shushed her, grabbed onto the arrow, and broke it off above the wound. She cried out in pain. I lifted her up as she cried in pain. I laid her down, tore off a part of my robe and made a bandage around the wound. I wrapped her around and around, past the leather and chains. I noticed a familiar noise. It was the sound of a shotgun shell as it moved into its chamber. I sensed it was Bennett! Shannon cried out in pain and as a warning! I stared at Bennett as he aimed with his left arm. He said, Bye, rough man. I moved my will toward the gun, as it was fired and exploded backwards. As Bennett, surprised and bloody, fell to the earth with much of his face gone, I turned to Shannon who was in hysterics. I told her to calm down, that she had lost a lot of blood. She suddenly became lethargic. I knew she was dying. I knew if I moved her pain and blood loss would take her from this world faster, so I sat with her in the rain as she talked. Her last words were for her son. To tell him that she loved him. I told her I promised to let him know. Then she died. I cried over a woman I did not know as the rains poured over our bodies. The first to find us was Tamara, and then the uncles as the rain poured the blood down rocky paths. For days I was withdrawn as Uncle Benni took charge of the hostiles, wrapped the dead bodies in plastic ice containers. Three bodies remained preserved on a

small boat. Jest survived, but remained in a coma, due to his head striking rocks in his fall. His condition was still stabilized. The speed boat that went back needed a driver and I was it. This idea met opposition to no end. Most of it came from Mom and Uncle Benni. I told them I made a promise to Shannon that I would talk to her son, and I will. Then I said who wanted to come with me? All of us went, even Mom. They were afraid of more assassination attempts. The twin uncles brought guns, sticks, and bombs. They were laid at the boat’s bottom. Mom wanted to touch my face where I had two bandages in certain places, but I would not let her. I told her I was not her little boy anymore, that I was a young man now. She pulled her hand back, and Uncle Benni seemed pleased and subdued by this interchange, but he made no reply. At the shores Uncle Benni said the rough man was here to speak to the governor of Milwaukee. I glared at him for using that term for me, but he only sneered at me. Suddenly a crowd of people came from deeper in the woods. As they neared, I knew there could be trouble. I had the bodies in coffins removed while we gathered our weapons and prepared for war. I had Mom lay on the bottom of the boat. I jumped off the boat, as Tamara and the rest of them shouted not to did that! I ignored them as the crowd came closer. I aimed the laser cannon, which could discharge up to 1000 rounds per minute... I raised my hand and told them I did not come for trouble. The people all had their guns too and wore plain clothes and robes. They looked to be average citizens, ready for violence. I suddenly began to toss off the coffin tops of the three attackers, which revealed bodies covered in ice. The crowd stepped back in horror. I told them they tried to kill me. I wanted them to get a proper burial, and ISuddenly people dropped their weapons and ran forward, family and friends who were worried about their welfare.

I was taken aback from all the love that poured forth and the grief. I saw a little boy with black hair and a kind face that cried over Shannon. I scanned him and it was Brian. He appeared to be eight years-of-age. I walked to him and told him his mother loved him. He stared at me with tearful eyes. I said my part was done here.... As I turned, I felt a sudden rise of hostility from Brian. He was going for a gun. He wanted to kill me for his mother. He grabbed a small laser gun from an unwary bystander, and I mind pushed the weapon into small parts that fell in parts on the sand. I asked Brian, when will the violence end? He said he hated me because I killed his mother! I told him I was defending myself. I did not want to kill his mother. I told him the violence must end. I told him now was the time to honor his mother in his grief by turning from violence that she was a part of. He let the gun fall into pieces on the dirt as he fell to his knees in grief. Friends and family crowded him to comfort.

CHAPTER 14

RETRIBUTION (SHAWN'S FINAL STORY) Springfield, Missouri - 10:46 Night - (Shawn) - I think I was coming in too fast. Josh had raised his voice, indicative I was going way too fast for the landing. He warned me at the start the safety protocols could only be applied in the beginning. After first flight you had to wait to land to apply them again. I understood, now I felt my heartbeat in my throat as the air car thumped too loudly in some trees. I sat there for a minute or two, said my apologies for the rough flight, and then jumped out with the gun. Josh asked me where we were going. I told him there was no time for questions. I ran from tree to tree, with the weapon. I imitated Mr. Bill’s soldiers of caution as I peeked out, and then ran again, with a low crouch. Josh imitated me, until we came upon a small, white building. I peeked into one of the windows, saw movement, and then ducked. I motioned for Josh to keep his head low. Then we ran around the front of the building. I peeked in a window, saw hateful dad... My heart began to beat too fast. I knew he would be here. This was one of his favorite places away from the other generals and family. This was where he watched television and did other pleasures with other female bos that Mom had no inkling of. Poor Mom... I tried the doorknob, and it did not turn. I knew we would have to do was the hard way. Just hoped if Chris were here, that he wouldn’t be anywhere near the front door. I motioned Josh to me as we crouched at the door’s corner. We looked the gun over and he touched a switch. It began to power up. It made a slight hum. Josh touched a 1 shot fire so we could handle the gun. I did not know what he meant by that, until I fired into the door and it blew back.

Sirens began to go off. Forms ran forward and I shot at them. I did not know if I shot anybody until I stepped further in, then I noticed their mangled bodies on the floor. Another form shot at me, I shot at it, and lights and small explosions made it fall to the floor. I was petrified with fear, but I was more petrified for Chris. Where was hateful dad keeping him? Josh crept close behind me and we walked through the thin halls, taunting death, as the sirens wailed. The kitchen was empty, the bedroom and living room was one area with a partition to divide things. A female bo laid in the bed, petrified. She was naked and looked to be 20 years of age. I yelled for her to get out! She took the bed covers as a shield and left. Suddenly fire power took me by surprise. I fell onto Josh as laser fire made a mess of things as papers and sheets exploded or floated through the air with each blast. I could not tell who was shooting, so Josh pressed auto, and I fired into the air, and prayed that Chris would stay down and not be hit. I crawled over Josh and fired forward, paused, and fired forward again as furniture exploded and came apart. View screens sparked and died. Then I heard a yell. I yelled for Chris, was he, all right?! Chris! I stayed low, and then crawled forward. The living room was long, and there was a chance he was not hit. Chris! I yelled again. Then Chris stood at the far corner. He looked sweaty, disheveled, but he was all right. I asked him, Where’s Dad? Chris said he did not know, but he did not move, which could mean only one thing, hostage. I yelled for Dad to let Chris go. To please let him go! Chris suddenly climbed over the couch and into my arms! I hugged him and checked him for any bumps and bruises. He appeared to be all right. Chris said that Dad was hurt. I did not know what to say to that. It was different envisioning killing someone; it was different when it was achieved. Could I do it?

I said that Josh would take care of Chris for Chris to stay with Josh. Josh held onto Chris as I slowly walked forward. I moved some broken furniture around, and saw hateful dad’s feet, then his arms, and his weapon. He could not raise it. He was shot through the shoulder. He bled profusely. I moved the weapon away with my foot. I knelt next to him and touched his chest. His eyes opened and he faintly smiled at me. He said he was pleased at my progress as a soldier, but he warned me to go, take Chris and go. The mega stealers from Hannibal disabled their shields. They had no shields to defend themselves. I did not know what to say. I asked him, why did you have to kill Mom? He said she was already dead. She died a long time ago. He said the woman he loved was gone. I screamed: that gave you no right to kill her! She wanted to live! I screamed. Josh came forward to contain me. I began to drag hateful dad by the good arm, but he hollered in pain from the motion. I asked Josh to help me! He wanted to know what I was doing. I said: there was no time for explanations. We dragged him from the house and sat him next to a tree. It was a large tree. I pulled long, chained handcuffs from my robe pockets and clicked them to hateful dad’s wrists. Hateful dad, lethargic, bleeding, in pain; began to sing the rough man song. I heard the song before as a kid, and we sang it in hopscotch play, but it was different coming from Lute, hateful dad. Look out kids Here the rough man Comes He was chained to the large tree where he could see the sky. He said, good thinking. I get my revenge by watching my own death from the skies, as I have done to others.

Then I tasted the chained effect as Mommy was done, too, crafty. Then he became somber and said for me to the good times. I said: there was not so much of that to . Then, he said, it should not be difficult to those times. I turned away as tears swelled in my eyes. My emotions were turned in many knots. Hateful dad began to sing the rough man song again. Josh and Chris walked with me, but Chris kept turning back, he was crying. I could not stop that. He had his own way of dealing with Lute. Our air car was only a few yards away. Chris was crying heavily now. Dad, dad, please did not leave dad, Shawn. Take him. Take him. Shut up! I shouted. He cannot go, I said sadly. Josh was silent as he pulled on his seatbelt. Then he eyed the car’s clock it was 12:03 Morn. Josh said that was our cue, then I stared up and saw something in the sky. I pulled on the seatbelt and took off quickly as hateful dad sang the song in shouts as death hummed down on him. Kids you better behave Rough man gonna’ get you Tyrants better run and hide It’s not safe to Be outside As we rose higher into the sky, we could see without doubt a flaming object, huge, massive that bore down on Springfield as their sirens wailed and people ran to hide in basements.

I yelled for Chris to cover his eyes, did not look at the fire. I pumped the air car to go almost 100 miles per hour as the giant missile flamed and roared down... A mushroom cloud of fire descended on Springfield, and the impact caused our air car to shake. I looked in the rear-view mirror as Chris covered his eyes with his hairy hands and cried for hateful dad. I turned to Josh, but he was very silent. I could tell he was crying, but he turned away from me. I lowered the speed toward Hannibal and coasted into a new life with new wonders; but was could not abate my own tears for Mom. Still a part of me cried for Dad. I still loved him after all he did. He knew that too, and in the end, I believe that gave him comfort.

CHAPTER 15

LUTHER'S FURY/MAURICE'S 3RD Hannibal, Missouri/ April 2026/Morning (8:01) You would not believe what can happen in one month’s time. First, I stood on the shores of Milwaukee, and by the time I returned to Radio Tower four hours later there were over 1000 people on our shores! What brought them running was the news I was almost killed by four tough men from Milwaukee (they excluded the woman). That these men wanted to prove themselves to me, and I took them on with my mind and killed 3 and the other was in a coma for life. Myths did abound. The myth of the four men assassins must have ingrained into these Hannibalites’ minds that I was the one they were looking for. They refused to leave! That was a little bit too much for me to deal with. I left them out there and allowed the others like Mom and Uncle Benni talk to them. I became a prisoner in the tower. When I went outside the people followed me around. I always carried a stick with me just in case they got too close and I had to make a stance and was forced them to back hurriedly away. By the 8th day of was their presence had affected our trade dramatically, almost they had cut it off to zero, because people were afraid to come to our shores. The area was unsanitary because they brought tents and went to the bathroom near trees and rocks, plus they threw their trash everywhere, it looked like a dump out there. Tamara and Mom wanted me to negotiate some truce with them. I refused to negotiate anything with pirates! I said they were on our shores without our permission; that I had the mind to take 12 of my robots and run them out of here! They both looked at me in surprise, especially Mom. She said she taught me better than that! She taught me that to fight must be the last resort.

She told me to use my head, and she jabbed my large forehead with her dark finger. She said I must have something they wanted. Use that to get what I wanted. Mom left me to my thoughts as Tamara stood and watched me in her yellow and white robes. Her brown hair, which was short, was about her ears and I noticed how beautiful she looked, but I would not dare say that to her, she might be embarrassed by it. I stood at the window, looked down and watched the people with their tents on the shores; there were kids that played as they ran from tent to tent. A thought came to me then. Mom was right, again. I told her it was time for a trade. I gathered all my uncles, Mr. Bill, and a few islanders, and especially Mom. I did not tell them a thing. We all walked to the hill that overlooked the tents. The people immediately began to come from their tents and to gather around us in a circle. I said I would go back to Hannibal with them to teach them to fight Luther, if they would clean up all these tents and was trash and never to come to these shores again, except to trade. Agreed? They roared with approval. Tamara, sensitive to loud sounds, covered her ears with her hands. Mom was highly disturbed. She grabbed me by the arms and almost shook me to death. She asked me if I was crazy?! That they would never let me go now! I said she wanted me to trade. This was a trade. I thought she would be happy. She was not. Uncle Benni tried to comfort me by saying all mothers were overly concerned with their offspring. He would talk to her. That he was pleased I made the right decision. Then, he winked at me, and walked away. I felt that I fell into a trap I did not see as the crowd came to hug me with affection.

Before I went to Hannibal, I wanted to say goodbye to Mom. I knew she did not want to come, and I did not want her there with the future violence from Luther, so it was best that she did not come. She was safer here. She gave me a package and inside was my father, Benjamin Hector’s journals, a pamphlet on the bos, and a booklet on the ancients. I promised her that I would read them all. I hugged her and she cried silently on my shoulder. With some extra clothes and washables for cleanliness I went with at least half of the council of 32. To be exact, 15 of us went, including all the uncles, Mr. Bill, and Tamara. For some reason, Tamara had been noticeably quiet. I knew it was because of my decision to help the Hannibalites. She was extremely nervous about things lately. Hannibal was ten times the port of Radio Tower. Boats always went in and out for trade. Hundreds of people moved about as colors from their robes reflected off the sun. There were little shops galore, nothing big or out of the way, was probably to cut costs. Birds dove into the water to get their fish and flew away, with wings of quickness. I stood there for a moment observing things, until I was called by Uncle Benni to meet Cheryl, temporary leader of Hannibal. I was concerned about what happened to the actual leader, but I did not inquire. Later I found out I should have. Cheryl had dirty, blond hair and a rugged looking face. Her wrinkles looked tight around her face, especially her eyes. It looked like she had been up for a week without sleep. Her clothes were gray and black striped dresses with pink flexies. When she talked, she appeared exhausted, from the entire exchange. She said she was happy I was there and hugged me suddenly. She said now she could rest. I stepped back and told her I am here as an advisor only. She said something like, Yeah, right...Then she began to tell me about Luther, her son. Your son, I said. What?

She did not look surprised. She was sure I heard of the story of how he was born through science experiments from an alien race. Luther was the first of these boys. Uncle Benni looked more surprised than I. As Cheryl went on about her son and how she ran from the bos who could vanish and reappear when they wanted, she said they were not to be called bos then. They had no name. Later they were called vanishers.

I noticed a young man who stood off to the side. He looked at me intently. I smiled weakly and he nodded with his head, then he looked at Tamara, and she tried not to look at him. I thought that was odd. I was curious to where we headed. Cheryl, the haggard one, said: the tower. What tower? I asked, and then I saw it. It was a magnificent structure over 100 feet high of rooms and people. We all could not pile onto the steps at one time. Cheryl and I walked up first. She must have grown close to me because she had her bony arm on my shoulder and was smoking a cigarette with the other hand. We were climbing from one floor to the next. I knew then this was once a lighthouse, like Radio Tower’s structure but more elaborate with computers and computer screens. The floors were filled with people who moved papers and what appeared to be computer chips. They looked to be trying to integrate computer systems together. There were four floors, and the third floor was where an elaborate computer talked out commands. That was when I met Dr. Leon Behm. He was here on his daughter’s advice to help the Hannibalites. Dr. Leon was a thin, pale-skinned man with rotted teeth and huge glasses he designed for bad eyes. He said without them he could not see very well. Cheryl and Leon began to walk me around Defensive One. It had s and 16 screens, chairs and people sitting in them. Cheryl then told me she would get as much help as I needed. I told her I wanted my uncles and friends to be advisors next to me. She said who was the authority? I told her no authority existed. We were all advisors for the region. She said someone had to be in charge to give a semblance of order. I paused and turned to Uncle Benni and made the mistake of my life by saying he was over all of us. I did was for two reasons, so that I would not have to deal with the leadership position, and if things went wrong, he would get the blame. I knew later that my decision was selfish, and this was another plan of mine that

did turn out to haunt me later. Uncle Benni looked shrewishly at Cheryl, and then turned to me with eyes of intense betrayal. His lips pressed together, and he walked away. I found out later that Hannibal had given an ultimatum to capitulate to Luther’s demands, and we only had three hours to give Hannibal to him or face destruction. This came through an earlier taped message Luther sent. This was when I knew I had been set up the whole time. The Hannibalites knew about the message and came to Radio Tower under extreme pressure to get me to help them fight Luther. I also found out, but too late, one of the communicators sent Luther a taped message that the rough man was here, and we had no intentions of capitulating. I was sitting in a culvert of computer s and chairs, near my uncles. There were two other s below us where Tamara sat at one and what turned out to be her brother, General Bain, sat at the other. He was the same fuman I noticed coming to the tower. The exchange he gave his sister was one of recognition. That was another set-up. Tamara later told me she was from here, Hannibal, and was sent to “butter” me up to come to Hannibal. She did a good job in that. I wondered why she expressed shame and fear at various times when it came to Hannibal. I noticed she did not talk to any of the Hannibalites when they visited, I guess to give a semblance of disinterest. Ever since then our relationship had been strained. I rarely said anything to her or her brother. Mom was hurt by Tamara’s betrayal. Mom thought Tamara really liked me and wanted us to become companions. I knew deep down that’s why Mom hired her to become a secretary for her and the other Tower people.

Mom immediately cut Tamara off, and I believe this severing of their relationship was what hurt Tamara the most. General came to me and said Tamara was sorry for deceiving you and the others, but I cut him off, did not want to talk about it. Mom itted to me much later Tamara was impressed by other phasees or fumans with mental walls to block routine scans. This clarified why with all the phasees and fumans could not sense deception in her. With all the pressures of war looming, I wanted to keep the communications to Luther at a bare minimum, so I stood and leaned on the metal pole below me and said I wanted to make an announcement. Heads turned from every direction. I said I did not want any more communications with Luther without authorization from Cheryl or Uncle Benni. Was that clear? There was a pause, and everyone nodded. I wanted to go through the drill one once more to make sure the entire computer systems were acclimated properly. I sat down, and Uncle Benni turned to me with a grim stare. He had been quiet lately, ever since I gave him the advisor position. He just gave me stares and looked stern. I found out much later that Uncle Benni wanted me to take on the leadership role and wanted me to become was “savior” for the Hannibalites. I did not think so. People will have to start standing up for their own selves and stop looking for someone else to fend for them. I will be the catalyst for was new way of thinking. Defensive One said we had 200 spy eyes, 10 HB33s, 200 laser tanks, and 44 modulators for various shield-city protections in case of missile attack, all operational. I nodded and was pleased. When I met Baloh of University City, a place 200 miles from us, he was a jittery, heavy set human, who resembled a cousin of Luther, but he informed us through the many screens he had no connections to Luther and did not want any connections to Luther.

Baloh, who sat in a blue, navy uniform without the medallions, was in the Navy before the cataclysms. He was a petty officer. He was a heavy-set man with a kind voice and a rough exterior. He looked like he could break a man in half if he got mad, but his demeanor said otherwise. He wrung his hands together as he talked and at times, he gripped his chair, and his eyes shifted from one part to another. We called him as an ally against Luther. We figured the two of us could gang up on him and take him down faster than one could. Baloh said emphatically that he had no intentions of going against anybody. That he wanted to stay out of the fight, but he could give medical assistance, if needed. When he blanked the screen I immediately began to nervously walk around the s, reflecting that something was amiss. I said he was lying. Why was he lying? I said his armament was the same system we had, 10 missiles and tanks, the works. General said from his position that Baloh had been having problems uniting his defense systems. Maybe he was nervous about that, General said. Or, Tamara said, as I stood in front of her, he already made a pact with Luther against us. I said let us hope Baloh’s system misfires if you are right. A fearful silence fell over the area as I turned to stare at the many screens of activities.

CHAPTER 16

TAMARA'S FORGIVENESS/ MAURICE'S 4TH Luther ed us at 3:31, exactly within three hours, two weeks from his past presentation. Was showed he was true to his word and showed a strong character intent on getting what he wanted. What he wanted was Hannibal, but then there was the rough man myth. When I stood from my position, his eyes widened, and he sat back as if startled. He grunted and said that he had never seen a rough man, and that he was “hurt” that his own mother would go against him. Cheryl stood from her position behind Tamara and said he put it on himself, and that they had the rough man, and he could not have Hannibal! I said truly little as was exchange went on between mother and son. I could feel from his image he was hurt by his mother’s betrayal, but he was more impressed that she had gained from a legend come alive. Was proved: he said with a small laugh, that he was influencing people’s lives. Then he turned to me in his green military uniform of emblems he gained in past years of service, and said, let us see what your rough man got. Through the whole exchange I never said a word, stood, looked firm. I ed to keep my back straight and was prepared to talk firmly, but it never came to that. General turned from his lower position and said we should raise shields. I agreed and when the sirens came on it resembled fire trucks from days gone by. I saw from an upper perch the people running from all points to get into nearby houses. After one minute the sirens ended and the shield was raised over the whole of Hannibal. I could barely see it through the window. It was a thin film of electrons that showed sparks as insects and other small matter collided with it.

Mancie, the black, friendly human from Milwaukee who wore only gold and blue uniforms, and resembled a football player, said the shield was raised and the 44 modulators were operating at maximum range of 10 electrons. I asked Mancie how long we could stay at was range without it having a disastrous effect on our solar systems. Mancie called up the computer (Defensive One) and the computer’s male voice said three weeks before the systems degraded. I would not advise that, Uncle Benni said from his position. That could take tremendous power from the computer’s systems. I agreed. Mr. Bill came to relieve Cheryl from her of missiles, even if they were not manned to fire. Only Cheryl and a few other people knew the codes to the missiles. I said to Cheryl, before she walked away, what happens if you become incapacitated and we must defend ourselves? She should have trust and give at least one of the Radio Tower people the codes. She sighed and said she would give it to me and Benni, and Bill Walker, no others and we should meet her in her office now. Cheryl walked to her nearby office as Mr. Bill rose and followed her, I hurried to my position, and Uncle Benni followed. We only spent a moment in her office. She wrote the codes down, gave it to us to and she ripped it up. Then she said: I hope you have good memories. We could only smile. As we left her office, she said there were reports Luther had MB33s. I asked, what was that? She said a megaton missile. He had halfers, the HB33s and MB33s. The megaton missile she said was twice as powerful as what we had and could wipe out a city even with electron shields at maximum strength. I asked: how did you get a megaton? She stared at me gravely, and then the screens began to grow blank.

What was happening? She asked General, who oversaw the spy eyes. He said they were shooting them from the skies. I knew then we were in for a battle. It was 8 at night when he began to barrage us with laser tank fire. Our shields held at 8 electrons as explosions shook our region. Sparks exploded through the air as some shrapnel made it through the field and collided with a smaller shield. Some of the houses began to collapse from the intensity of the bombardment. People ran to their help as fires exploded in various places. I did not like what I was seeing. He was pounding us to death. I said it was time for us to attack him. I looked to Advisor Benni and he faintly smiled as I understood the full reason of his earlier teachings. I stood on the higher perch to see the battle from a better view. He did shoot down 34 spy eyes. We sent 30 more and he shot 26 of them down, so we sent 14 more at various positions of his tank movements. He had 4 laser tanks pounding our position with laser fire from a high hill 2 miles out. I said we should hit him hard with 50 laser tanks to take the pressure off our shields. Cheryl was sleeping. She needed to rest, so Uncle Benni was in charge. He nervously agreed. Tamara oversaw the tank , so she punched in the codes for 50 tanks at a location just a mile before Luther’s 44 tanks. I stood over her to make sure the computer was receiving the right codes, then with our spy eyes in place we viewed our tanks moving into position to fight, but before they got there they were being destroyed by Luther’s tanks. When they were in position there were only 28 left and as Tamara sent them into battle there were 19 left, and by the time the battle was fully underway, there were 2 left. We sent 50 more tanks to supply them. Was time we placed them on automatic immediately. Was gave our tanks an edge and they pulverized the 44 tanks in one hour of fighting. We took a loss of 14 tanks, which left us with 36, plus the 2

from before, 38 in the end. Uncle Samuel pointed to a position where another tank area of 44 was. Our tanks would meet those tanks in two hours and ten minutes of maneuvering. We sent the 38 to that position to put more pressure on Luther. I needed a shower. It was time for a shift change. I could see General being replaced by Arthur from the tower, Tamara by Josh who used his computer skills from school to assist in integrating our systems; Mancie by Allen a Hannibalite, and Mr. Bill by Cheryl, who looked refreshed and ready for battle. There was only one person needed at the three s to override or adjust any commands sent from below. This was the position that Cheryl should have been at, and I told her so. She thought about it and we all moved our chairs below to sit near other s, in case they needed to go to the bathroom, they had an immediate relief. Cheryl immediately dropped the electron shield to give the system a break from putting out so much energy. Automatically the overhead lights grew much brighter and you could feel the difference in the way computers integrated with D1. They were faster. As I walked to my room down the hall I almost ran into Tamara. She said she was in a hurry to see Mom. Mom had forgiven her, and Mom told her I should did the same. I only nodded my head, and was about to walk by, and then I stopped. She stopped too. I could sense she was trying to read me without a scan. She said she wanted to warn me a friend was coming down named Shawn. She was Luther’s daughter and wanted to talk to me about defeating him. She hates him and wanted us to pound him. I found was information to be surprising. I suddenly turned to her as she suddenly turned to me. I hugged her as she hugged me. Then we ionately kissed. We both pulled away as a look of surprise came over our faces. She said she guessed she and General were forgiven? I did not say anything. I could only smile.

Later I found out that was our last kiss. There were several tables and chairs on the 4th floor. They were of various colors and gave the large room a positive look. Cheryl and I were the only two bodies up here, and then other bodies began to fill up room to be served by phasee chefs and silver-colored robots. There was no compensation for these services; except the phasees kept room and board, food, and Hannibal’s protection from Luther. That was compensation enough for them. Cheryl, dressed in a blue and red dress with yellow flexies, clashed all over with colors, but she did not mind. She had a story to tell. I was here to lwasten. She had a canned, green-flavored drink while I had a grape soda, and she had a chicken sandwich while I had a fish sandwich. She itted that Hannibal had a Governor. He fled. I was surprised to hear that. I expected some type of foul play, like what happened to the brother’s 7, the ones who developed Hannibal’s defense system. She said it was fear in dealing with Luther. I came to warn him about my son, she said, and he flees, him and most of his staff. Only a skeleton crew stayed behind, which was Tamara, General, old Allen, and a few others. I knew we had to come up with a plan fast. With the help of old Allen, General and the rest, we began to act as if we could hold our own, because we found him. We found the rough man and he would take care of us, she said with pride. You bluffed him, I said heavily. Yes, she nodded her head, we bluffed him, oldest tactic in the book, would Hannibal still be here, if we did not? I felt uneasy with talk like that. It was full of deception. Even under a high sun and a slight breeze. I felt...not in control of my life. I did not like that feeling, so I sat back so that she would not notice the slight nervous tension in my body. My blue and black robes pressed against the chair. I thought the shower I took for almost 40 minutes would relax me, but that relaxation was elusive.

On the roof, where others ate, and all sat in our own little worlds, my world was being guided by outside forces I knew not of. I asked her how she escaped the bolaris. She said, she ran. She wanted to clarify that sexual intercourse never did happen. Not with the humans. The humans were artificially inseminated, and the baby or what she called a “monster” was born through a cesarean section. The women were patched up, given time to heal, and then the process began again. She said: I just happened to get away. She said she never raised her son, the vanishers did. She said they groomed him to be a world leader, and they succeeded in that. She said she ran for her life and moved from spot to spot. She said after the devastations the vanishers stopped trying to get her to come back to their ship. She expects the waters and fires killed them off, but she was wrong, they were still around. I was in surprise of her story that the vanishers were still here. She said the ancients are still here, and you cannot see them, can you? I never thought of it that way. She said the ancients and the vanishers both want was planet for their own agendas; the ancients to spread their seed through the fumans; the vanishers to spread their genes through the bolaris, same concept. I said: if you felt was way, why did you come to the fumans for help? The better of two evils, she said. It felt like I was shoved in the stomach with a brick. Even Cheryl had a hidden agenda. It seemed like everybody was for themselves, and that I was a pawn of the game. I never felt so low in my life. She claimed I had a hidden agenda too. I looked at her with sad eyes, mixed with betrayal and anger. I told her I am just a pawn in the game. She said, Bullshit. In the end your agenda will supersede us all. We all have agendas, she said. You just must have a stronger one.

I took a deep breath and began my own agenda.

CHAPTER 17

DEVASTATIONS HANNIBAL-8:23 (NIGHT) Mom came over against my wishes. I told her it was unsafe. I tried to get the uncles to persuade her to go back, but they said I was born only 14-years-ago. I did not have enough time on the planet to understand how stubborn my mother could be. Resigned with that matter I tried to keep her out of D1's area, because I knew it disturbed her, but periodically she would walk through giving out drinks and sandwiches. Many of the Hannibalites and the Radio Tower people enjoyed her company, and her food. I was outnumbered in keeping her from the room by 28 to 6, was included Tamara, Mr. Bill, and the uncles, all who agreed with me. The battle for control of Hannibal had intensified. Our tank numbers were down to 44, and we were sure Luther had fewer tanks than we had, but he kept coming up with more. By the 4th day of was battle, we were exhausted and fearful for things to come. Uncle Samuel became Cheryl’s information specialist. He investigated where Luther got his real power from. He always invaded places that had high technology and integrated that into his system, which meant his tanks could be coming from various points while ours came from one point, a disadvantage on our part. We had our shields at 6 electrons, which meant all the pounding from tanks and air cars were having a moderate effect. I did not like the strategy we were employing. I felt that Luther was trying to wear us down, and we were letting him. I looked over to Cheryl from my perch near one of the windows and asked: How

did we get a megaton missile? She looked uneasy for a moment as she sat in her blue dress with white flexies that became dusty, dirty from the floor. As the lights swayed from explosions that rocked the region, Cheryl took me to her office and talked to me in private. I understood her uneasiness about the matter. She said something had to be traded that the trader felt was valuable enough to bargain. Or...she stared at me with hard, blue eyes. It can be taken by force. I deeply sighed. For a long time, I did not say a word. My head bowed in deep thought as laser fire rocked near the tower and shook the lights. I stared at her firmly and said I would like to place Mr. Bill Walker in charge of getting us a megaton missile. Did we need to trade anything? She asked sheepishly. I said: We did not need to trade a thing. Luther, I said, had a couple of them; he should not mind us borrowing one or two. It was 10:32 that night when the air cars left, and we dropped our shields and Hannibalites hurried from their homes to see what damage was done. Many of them cried in the darkness. Even though there were no direct hits to their home, the pounding of laser fire caused some structures to collapse. Other homes had burst into flames 22 people died, 18 were injured. Ambulances with horns that brayed like donkeys worked throughout the night, and by 8 was morning, all was quiet. While I was sleeping on the top bunk, Luther’s face appeared on screen. Tamara woke me up with a face full of fear. I hurriedly wrapped my black robes around my body and did not tie them down. When I ran from my room several others who slept ran from theirs to hear what Luther had to say. This was the most worried I had ever seen Uncle Benni as we hurried into D1's area. When we noticed the mean, intelligent eyes, and hairy face of Luther he turned from Cheryl who stood before him and stared at me. He said we had one hour to capitulate. Or he will unleash on us a fury we had

never seen, nor ever will again. One hour. Then, he blanked the screen. All of us immediately jumped into operations mode. I pointed as a couple of Radio Tower people tried to boost the computer’s electron strength from 6 to at least 8. I turned to Uncle Samuel who just sat down from sleeping and asked him in what cities did Luther hold his missiles? How many did he have? Uncle Samuel looked at the green computer screen with tired, red eyes and yawned. He began to pull up information on Luther. He said his base was at Springfield in what used to be called Missouri. That he had a missile compliment of five halfers and two megatons. When he took over the military compound, they had to scrap five halfers due to a lack of maintenance. He merged the megatons into his system four months ago. I said that was why he had not used them. He was not sure if our shields could hold at maximum electrons against the halfers. He was not sure if the integration took, so he needed Baloh to finish us off with his bunch. But Baloh’s system had not integrated well with the missiles, Tamara said. We have 48 minutes to prepare ourselves, I said as I stared at my watch. Then I looked around the room at all the faces. I said: We need to conserve power and bring any remaining tanks and spy eyes home. Cheryl and the others agreed. I argued for Mom to leave, to go back to Radio Tower. She said she wanted to be here with us. All the uncles argued against her to no avail. I asked that Tamara stay with Mom to make sure she was all right. I would take Tamara’s place at her tank . Tamara delicately led Mom from the area. I felt comfortable that Tamara was with Mom. I knew she was in good hands. I turned my attention to the technicians who had boosted the power to 8.7 within a 10-electron range. There were five halfers and two megaton missiles one direction and possibly two more the other. Incoming, Uncle Emmanuel said loudly. I turned from my to my right,

where he sat in a blue and yellow robe. I asked. It was not nine o’clock yet! I turned to Cheryl who had risen from her seat, surprised as I was. I said: He broke format...why? Because, Uncle Samuel said to my left, it was not from Luther, it was from University City! Baloh jumped, I said, in a daze. Uncle Benni, who began to sweat, ordered for us to intercept the missiles. I said we should let the missiles by so we can absorb the impact on our shields; saving two missiles then intercept any missiles from Luther. Uncle Benni quickly nodded. Then I said something to surprise myself as well as the others. I said: We should punish Baloh for getting involved in a fight that was not his, and for lying to us about not getting involved. Punish him with two missiles on his shields, and hope they fold. Everybody turned to me, as if I would say: never mind, but I stood hot, tired, angry, afraid, and sweating in the heat on was day. Cheryl took control of the missiles from her high position. I hurried next to her as she coded the missiles to prepare to fire. The sirens wailed for one minute as our shields were raised at 8.9 electrons, was after several tanks came from the battlefield. Two minutes one second for impact to our shields, Mancie said. We all sat down. I sat next to Cheryl, while Uncle Benni sat near me to my left. We all could see the two missiles coming on radar. They looked like hideous knives that flew. We knew they were knives, because when they struck, they caused pain and bleeding. Cheryl fired two missiles to University City as our region vibrated as if a trembler struck. I held onto the chair as it rocked lightly below me. As our two halfers lifted into the sky like screaming monsters, one halfer from Baloh struck our shields and there was a high hum.

You could feel the tower slightly vibrate from the impact. Then the other halfer struck 40 seconds later. Was strike slowed down things as the lights dimmed and a low vibration reverberated around the region. There was a popping sound from outside, but no explosions. Then there was quiet. Report, I said carefully.... Shields at 6.5 electrons, Mancie said with a grin. I could feel his joy from way up here. How long did we have before our missiles strike UC? Two minutes three seconds, Cheryl said with a sigh. I looked at my watch and knew we had only minutes for the tumult from Luther’s fury. 8:53: Baloh did not return fire as our halfers struck his region. Two halfers was not enough to take down shields of good repair, or at least 4 electrons, said Cheryl. Uncle Benni suggested we send 5 spy eyes to see what happened. Cheryl and I concurred, and the spy eyes were sent, which dropped our power to 6.4 electrons. 8:57: True to his word, Cheryl turned from her and said it started. I knew exactly what she meant. I turned to Uncle Benni and he stared at the screens and blinked his eyes in rapid, nervous tension. How many did Luther send? I asked, and what size? General’s voice came out of nowhere. He was quiet all was time, but the earlier missile barrage had placed fear and tension in his voice and body. He said 5 halfers were on their way and should be here in 4 minutes, 3 seconds. I immediately turned to Cheryl and said we should intercept them. She concurred and spoke directly with the computer so that its male voice came on and she ordered an interception of all incoming missiles. Begin. D1 concurred by firing 5 missiles that shook our region, then we waited for what felt like forever.

9:08-Morning. Our missiles collided with the 5 incoming missiles right above our horizon. There were 5 mini temblors and then there was silence. We all turned from one another as we awaited the tumult, but none came...yet. Uncle Samuel said according to information sources he had two acclimated MB33s. I said they might not be so acclimated. I said: He could be having trouble firing them. Which would put us in an advantageous position, Uncle Benni said. I told him we were not in good position either. We had only three halfers left. Three, General concurred from his missile . I asked Cheryl what effect that would have on his shields. If they are at maximum, she said a nominal effect, but not enough to collapse them. I said: that puts us at a disadvantage. Then I turned to Uncle Benni who glared but did not reply. I wondered out loud: What happened to our party of 45 who went to pay Luther a visit about lending us a missile? I asked if anyone heard anything. No one had heard a thing for hours. Incoming, General shouted! This startled all of us. I walked to his station as he read off the coordinates it was heading direct for us; 1 MB33, 4 minutes, 8 seconds. Sound heavy impact alarm, Cheryl shouted! I hurried from the room to check on Mom and Tamara, but I could not find them! I hurried from room to room. I looked at my watch with less than 2 minutes to go for impact, and trusted she took her back to Radio Tower. Many bodies ran from room to room to get close to something that would not fall or shatter on impact. I felt my duty was in the defensive room, so I hurried back and sat between Cheryl and Uncle Benni. Then a thought came to me. I said we had three missiles left. Let us use one of them. Cheryl said the megaton was bearing down in less than one minute; any missile intercept would be catastrophic. I said it would be worse without the missile intercept. She reluctantly agreed,

hurried to type in coordinates for intercept and pushed the button, as I pushed her head low as the two missiles began to meet. D1 counted down the interception. There was an eruption in the skies as a fire ball spread out in all directions. Everything turned black with fire, and I appeared to float through the air, but when I struck the cement, I was upside down, then sideways. I laid there immobile, desolate, and enraged. When I woke up, I could not move. I wanted to see if Mom, Tamara, and the others were doing all right; but I was not going anywhere. I found out that a was on top of me. It took several hands to pull it off. I grunted in pain. A stretcher was prepared and the familiar voice of Dr. Leon in the background did bring me comfort. He shot me with a sedative in my neck and I quickly went under...into blackness.... For days I was under, at least 6 days. Was information I got from Dr. Leon, who tended to my care. On other information he was not so forthcoming. I scanned him and found out all the deaths and injuries within the last 6 days. The agony was too great for me. I roared like a lion as nurses ran to subdue me. Dr. Leon didn’t understand why I was acting up. He stood there, confused, as he tried to comfort me with a thin, pale hand. I stood over Mom’s dead body. A table crushed her to death. Her head and face were bruised but the rest of her body looked all right. It was a day after my near emotional breakdown. I would think twice before I scanned someone in the future, too much information. Tamara died with Mom. They were both crushed by the same table, apparently in one of our lower rooms. That was why I could not find them. When part of the tower collapsed it fell on top of their table. They did not have a chance. Tamara still looked beautiful under the yellow lights. She looked the same, except for a dark bruising around her neck and back. She must have broken her back and neck. I always said she was too gentle for this world. This war proved it.

Dr. Leon followed me with two nurses with sedatives, just in case as I viewed the bodies of Uncles’ Samuel, and Emmanuel. Dr. Leon said Uncle Emmanuel died from flying glass. I did not take off the sheet that covered his body, because it was filled with blood. I did not want to see him like that. Uncle Samuel, Dr. Leon said, died from a broken back. Cheryl broke her neck, probably when the first explosion hit, and she fell from the heights, like I did. Mancie died from an exploding . The power surge was too much for it. Uncle Benni was on critical status at the hospital. I hurried there to meet the injured and dying. Allen flew me in a silver air car. Dr. Leon did not want me flying without supervision until I was fully healed. At the hospital a quiet human, Allen stood in the background. I talked to Uncle Benni, who looked bruised and burnt. His must have overloaded because it was hard to recognize his face. He grabbed my left arm and pulled me down to him. He said I did well. That I am the rough man...then he died. As the nurses hurried from one injured patient to another, I could only bow my head and silently cry for Uncle Benni. Not the hoarse cry of before, but a quiet, more subtle cry, this was a dangerous cry of hidden rage, and revenge.

CHAPTER 18

MY RAGE/HANNIBAL'S OUTSKIRTS Funerals were performed in one night of burnt bodies and buried ashes (phasees), and bodies that were burnt and the ashes poured into a metal container, where a mysterious light made them vanish (fumans); to humans who were buried in wooden containers called coffins. I I stood there, shaken in the night wind, as the others around me stood, transfixed from all the fires and events. We all stood there for a long time. Was it true, Allen asked in the air car back, the ancients took the Fuman’s remains? I said I did not know. I did not believe in the ancients. He looked at me in stark amazement. I could feel the surprise as it flowed from him. He then said he was betting his life that I could beat Luther. He said he had cancer, still a human scourge; and that all his life he had fought for the less advantaged in Special Forces Units and Ranger Forces; but was war would be a war like none other. It would be the start of a new way to fight a war. You see, he said, Luther was a brute, a bully, and he had to be countered to bring order to the world. Get my drift? I got his drift. He was behind the flyers of the rough man and the finding of me on Radio Tower and bringing me here. It was funny how the truth kept coming out without me trying to find it. It found me. I suddenly got a call from General. He found out what happened to University City. He patch-worked the signal from the spy eyes. You ready for was? I said I was. The signal came back with burnt grass, trees, buildings that smoldered, and bodies in clumps of ash with limbs and heads and torsos still intact.

A heavy rain commenced to douse the flames, but what could douse the flames of my heart amid its emotional turmoil of grief, betrayal, and revenge? You are the one, old Allen said as I closed the vi-phone. You did what you had to did. If I were in your position, I would have done the same. An anger rose in me as the car descended near the tower. I could feel the information that came from him. He did not have to tell me anymore. He found out about me through mutual friends. They set up the profile, the website, the flyer of my picture. I was hurt. Tears swelled from my thick, gray eyelids. Allen added, if they did not do that, where would Luther be? He would be in Hannibal, and our heads would be severed from their spines, or we would be in slave camps working for him! He guided the air vehicle down, and as we landed, I quietly climbed out, numb as to any retort or proper response. I was still bruised from the blast and my emotions were raw from all the death, many of them I was responsible for. Allen stood in front of me and asked me if I were asked to take was position, would I have? I knew that I would not, but I did not want to give him the satisfaction of hearing me say it. As I walked away, Allen said it now was up to me to make the right choices in dealing with Luther, the rest was out of his hands. I almost roared at him that there was no use in trying to wash his hands of blood now, when there was a lot more to come! I glared at him, but I could not hate him. I knew he was doing what he felt was right. I left that hatred up to the University City people, and all those who would follow my rage.

CHAPTER 19

THE TUMULT (MAURICE'S LAST STORY) HANNIBAL, MO-APRIL 19th, 2026 (11:08 Night) I slowly positioned myself in the newly fixed chair. I had brushed off the dust and sat down. A sigh came from me. I was still in pain from the bruises. I was making a conscious effort to block out the pain, to visualize healing. I was given a report from General. I looked the black box over and scrolled the screen. We were still not up to par. I was concerned that Luther would strike while we were weak. 28 laser tanks, 149 spy eyes, 1 megaton, 2 halfers, and 2.9 electrons on the shield strength, just enough to hold back one halfer. Mr. Bill beeped me on one of the fuzzier screens that made it through the blast. He said he was finished with his 2nd raid. He achieved excellent results. He wanted me to view it personally. I turned to Allen who stood silently in the back and said I wanted to go to Hannibal’s edge. We coasted down to an open area of men, between hundreds of air cars and tiny missiles. They looked tiny because I was used to seeing halfers and megaton missiles. When I climbed out Mr. Bill hurried to me and began to give me information about the quarters or the QB33. I never heard of them. Mr. Bill said they were used in small military incursions to have the least amount of destruction, city block destruction. He said he could only steal 20 of them from a nearby army base. I said 20 will have to did. He led me to a hill that slanted down, and then leveled off. On it was 300 air cars that were fitted with laser cannons, fitted like the laser cannon gun, able to fire lasers up to 1000 per minute. I told Mr. Bill that I wanted a car. I wanted to be the first wave of 100 to go in. Mr. Bill’s face contorted into worry. He reminded me about my injuries. I said I

could felt them. They burned deep, but I wanted to go on the first wave, still. Mr. Bill led me to a red air car and a driver climbed out. He smiled at me, and I could feel...pride come from him. I only patted him on the shoulder, climbed in and told Mr. Bill I will be back for the tumult. The air car flew over Allen by a few feet. He looked up and nodded in recognition. I told him, Thanks for the escorts. He said it had been an honor. General said, Luther had laser tanks in 15 locations. I told him to transfer those coordinates to the air cars. I wanted the quarter missiles to be shot in the areas with the most concentration of troops. I turned to General who looked tired and disheveled. He immediately knew the look. He said the shield was at 5.3 electrons. That was all he could did. I said that would have to do. Time: 11:53. I beeped Mr. Bill on the videophone. His face shimmered into view and he said the quarters were prepared to fire. I had General transfer to him the 15 locations of Luther. I said: you may need to double up on some missiles. Use your own discretion.

Time: 11:55.... I used these five minutes to think within. The others were quiet as I kept my eyes closed among the six screen and four s that survived the fury of Luther. I opened my eyes and knew now was our time. My rage, unleashed. Time: 12:00 Midnight. Begin, I said. Leave shields lowered until we are being fired upon. Unleash rage number one. Megaton, direction: Springfield, Missouri. Coordinates locked, said General. Fire, I said in a whisper. The mega roared and shook everything as if pushed up, up into the sky. I then said to prepare rages two, halfers direction: Joplin and St. Charles. Coordinates locked, General said. Fire, I firmly said. Two more missiles roared into the night sky. I slowly climbed from the chair and found binoculars. I viewed the missiles with a certain type of excitement, and sadness. I walked over to the tank’s and began to release tanks 1 through 28. I said that was all the tanks we had. I called Mr. Bill and said for us not to leave the area until the laser tanks were at least a half mile out. He nodded then he said he was prepared to fire the quarters. I said: I want to be there. Give me a minute. I turned to General and told him he was in charge. He looked surprised as I walked to the air car and flew into dangerous skies. Time: 12:17.... I floated in the air car above the ground about 30 feet. A force of 100 was behind me for the first wave. The quarter missiles began to fire simultaneously into the night.

They roared like blazing swords toward their destinations. I was pleased and felt heavy to the heart. For 2 days we fought to bring down Bolivar and Ozark with refurbished laser bombs that we dropped from air cars. From 300 air cars returned 148. Mr. Bill’s friend, Charles, who led the 3rd wave, died in a suicide rush, air car and all, to help bring the shields down. With 7 shields at key points and laser cannons homing into our air cars, we knew that was our last effort to beat Luther. I knew Luther was dead. Shawn returned with her brother, Chris, and Josh. She did not relay the story to me, but I could feel her pain, literally. Chris, I scanned to see if he harbored any resentment against me because of his father. The child was in awe of me, almost petrified, so afraid Shawn had to push him to shake my hand. Chris was not like his father. On the 3rd day of my rage, I got a call from Baloh’s girl. Soon Gut, a fuman friend I knew, coaxed her to speak to me about the battles that raged. Her name was Chelsea, and she wanted the fighting to stop. The nerve she had to speak! She did call and I felt her sincerity and concern and ended the rage on the 23rd of April 2026. I was glad it was over. I could feel a new healing come to me as I sat in the hard chair with screens of fuzz, light, and shadows. When I left the tower, I could feel the sun as it shined on my dark skin. I closed my eyes and thought about Mom, uncles and all my friends who died or were injured.

––––––––

Tears dropped from the corners of my eyes as my emotions became extreme. I walked with my head down and many turned to me and saw the agony on my face. I closed the door to my room and tried to block out any external noises.

With my eyes closed and the sun in its decline I tried to find a quiet place within when I heard a noise. It was an odd noise. It sounded like leaves as they fell on hard ground. When I opened my eyes, I was startled... I slid backwards to get away from two figures. They were dressed in blue, white, and gold robes and appeared pleased to see me, but I was not pleased to see them. Apparently, it was the ancients! Through mind connections they encouraged me to study their teachings and suddenly they vanished. I half stood against the door for some time wondering what I saw. I found the ancients came back to earth for their love of the earth and the offspring phasee/fuman species. They appeared as an opposition to the vanishers and felt if they did nothing the earth would die. After some intense research I agreed with them. I found in my unusual upbringing my nature was not to be a lackey to anyone and with was I fully agreed and found a new respect for the ancients. Usually, fumans were taught at an early age their purpose, but I was not taught, and was created a new way of thinking in me. I did not think or act like the 29 other fumans who were placed in positions of power all over the world. Was new way of thinking appeared to be more liberal only after much pain. So, after some time I did see myself as a rough man for the masses. Then I felt a tugging on my pants. I looked down to see Phoebe, the child from before. I picked her up and I noticed her mom in the background. Phoebe asked: are you going to destroy the world? I said, I will not and cannot. Lhasa asked, nervously, was the war over? I paused, stared into the now calm horizon, and said, I did not know. We will have to see. Are you the rough man? Phoebe asked, playfully. I paused and did not say anything for a time, then a felting of elation came over

me and I said, I am. I left them to walk to the top of the tower and having read the ancient’s book of edicts and my father’s writings, the fullness of my purpose became clear, became intense. I stood at the top of the tower and balled my fists with eyes closed and allowed the wind to kick my robes like flags. I stood among tables and chairs and people who ate their meals and with great ecstasy said, I am the rough man! Many stared in awe of the whole event as I stood in ecstasy and my next task of battle!

EPILOGUE

Later, after what was called “Luther’s Fury”, there were an estimated 15,000 deaths from laser tanks, laser bombs, or missile strikes. Springfield, Missouri was rebuilt again, by the council of 40; a council, developed by the bolaris to vote on which cities or towns would be invested in and which would be hands off, left to die. Towns from Springfield to St. Louis remained untouched in Mau’s Rage. These towns stayed loyal to Luther even after his death. Mau’s Rage, which lasted nearly a week, incurred 8,392 deaths and 2,694 injuries. None of the areas struck by Mau were ever occupied by the fumans.

THE BOLARWAS CODE FOR LIVING

1. Betrayal was the worst thing one bo could did to another. Betrayal was worse than stealing. 2. Rough, vigorous sex was better than soft, gentle sex; because vigorous sex brings genius bos into the earth, while soft sex brings thieves and rapists. The character of a bo was told by whether their mother and father had soft sex or hard sex. 3. Standing was better than sitting. If you have to sit down, let it be on a hard chair, if you have to lie down lie down on a hard bed. 4. The word of a bo was especially important. Strong bos keep their words, weak bos did not. 5. Weak bos are better dead than alive, but it would be better not to kill a weak bo, because they have a right to live and can be used for some good in the future. 6. Sex was above a promise and a promise was above battle. 7. If you must battle for your lands, and there are some who run the other way, put them to death immediately; that was how you get rid of weak bos. 8. Just in case there are weak bos who want to get rid of strong bos through deception, by saying he or she was weak; it was always best to go by character traits than hearsay. Those who live by hearsay should be imprisoned for 5 years for their back biting. 9. We are a species of creation through sex and observation. We are descendants of scientists from a faraway world. All are welcome who can follow our code for living-BOLERA SHUNE-14 June 2030

THE ANCIENT’S BOOK OF EDICTS

1. These writings are to stir up the love and understanding in all phasees and fumans between the age of 7- & 13-years young. 2. Phasees are the fumans’ ancestors. We, the ancients are Phasees from the planet, Phaes 3000 light years from Earth. With the most powerful telescope you can see Phaes, when the planets are aligned in proper order. 3. We, the ancients, come in twos to help the planet Earth to heal from its past of war and environmental cataclysms. We are here to assist all the inhabitants; except the bolaris who have hostility toward our race as the humans once did. 4. We will help the bolaris when they drop their hostile ways, as most humans have. 5. We bring culture from many light years away. After our wars on Phaes decimated our population, we began to heal from our hatreds, and began to forgive. We began to use technology to better ourselves, now we can travel the stars on ships, not for conquest, but for “open arms”, (agape), for all planets. 6. We can now transmit our noble, peaceful warriors from Phaes to Earth. These warriors are at least 500 years young on Phaes, but on Earth they come as babies in a mother’s womb. They come through electrons into humans and Phasee genes to act as sentinels on Earth in trying times. 7. As the Phasees came to Earth in ships because they understood our planet to be dead, so we have come to let them know our planet survived our wars, and to help them through the wars here, with a new species called the fumans. 8. These fumans will be a new breed and some will be called “rough” because of their stern ways made by the hardness of the times. They will be called “Rough Men”.

9. These men will be required to achieve a female companion from each species, except the bolaris. All companions must agree to these arrangements. The species variety was required to connect to all species when the rough men obtain power. 10. Seats of power will be arranged for the rough men. No votes need to be cast. Rough men are democratic rulers without a vote. They are figureheads to be respected and not worshiped. Responsibility for power will be shared by the people and its leaders. 11. No rough men will be given power before age 13, let fus be fus. At age 13 martial arts taught, along with various meditative techniques, strategies in thinking, tactics in thinking. These 4 classes can be arranged over a 2-year period and end by age 15. 12. The Phasees can take the classes but are not required to. 13. Humans are not required to take these classes but are welcome to come. 14. The bolaris was are not welcome at all. 15. There was a special frequency we have developed where the rough men can us. Was will take a few moments in silent meditation. The Phasees can achieve same in a longer period of meditation, the humans after a much longer period of meditation, the bolaris, not at all. 16. The rough men will come through the 2nd generation of Fumans, after Dawn, Samuel, and Emmanuel, which was the first human generation, up the 4th generation. A Blue race will take over responsibilities of was planet by then. 17. If this mission of love was successful the fumans will be the dominant species on Earth with a few pure breeds through bolaris, human and phasees. 18. If our mission was unsuccessful the blue race will arrive for one last go at saving the planet. With Much Love, the Ancients May 22nd, 2022 through Dawn

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

He lives in Evansville, Indiana where he constantly writes

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