There is NO ME - The Pilot Program 2022

For those that don’t know how I choose the short stories for each year, I don’t. You do. Every year for the first eight-nine months I post one extra story part of The Pilot Program where you read, share, like and comment on the stories. The most popular becomes the short story series for the next year. The winner of The Pilot Program 2020 was The Horrorscope, the winner for the 2021 was JACK and now you have the chance to choose the short story for next year. Hope you like There is NO ME.

The Ship of Theseus ponders if you replace every wooden board and every single piece of a ship over the years. Is it still the same ship? But what of me? Am I me? I think to myself looking at the ceiling right after waking up from a nightmare. I hear an explosion as I get up from the bed. They are still going at it, I tell myself as I look for my cat. There you are, I say as I watch it stretch. Are you still you this spring now that you shed your old fur? Or are you some other mischievous little guy? I ask him as I pet him. I hear another explosion followed by my windows shaking, as I look at my cat going to its food bowl. You aren’t even scared anymore, brave little guy, I say to him as I reach for his food. I put food in his bowl and turn around to turn on the air filters as the black smoke from the explosions and fires reach the apartment. I hear a knock on the door, I go to look through the viewfinder. I see two burly men dressed in black holding something behind their backs. What the fuck, I whisper as I reach for my airsoft shotgun. Who is it? I ask. We’re with the insurance company, says one of the man. Fuck off or I’ll blow your fucking brains off, I scream at them. Fucking bitch, I hear them mutter as they pull out their baseball bats and leave. It’s the third time this month they came to this apartment complex, I know them by their stench now, I mutter to myself.

Raiders, vigilantes, rioters, protesters, cops, military and then the politicians are fueling the fire that is burning this city down slowly, but surely, I tell myself as I turn on the stove. I can’t remember the last meal I had where the food didn’t have a slight taste of ash or iron, I mutter as I look at the eggs I made without any appetite to eat them. My phone buzzes and as I pick it up to look at the notification another explosion shakes the city. Great, my skin cream arrived, I just need to pick it up. I can finally patch this skin without the need to staple it back together every time my windows explode into pieces, I say as I get up happy to have a motive to get out of the apartment. As I get dressed I remember my mother, so I reach for my phone to call her. Hello? she asks in a raspy voice. How are you, mom? It’s been a bit since we talked. Do you need anything? I have to go out and get my cream for the skin. Thought if you needed something, I could drop it off by you, I tell her as I hear her cough. I think we need a new air filter, it got really bad here with the fires and bombs. And your father can’t move as well until he receives his new muscle tissue next week, mom explained. Okay, I’ll get you some, since I think I’ll have to replace mine soon too, I tell her. But don’t you have work to do today? she asks. I do, but you know with the daily power outage, I can’t really do much until later. So we had our schedules changed, I explained. Oh, okay dear. Be careful and take care, she says. Will do, I try to reassure her.

Little Darkness, you take care too, I tell my cat as I step out of the door. Helmet, on. Keys, money, concealed gun, check. I forgot the bubblegum, so I guess I’ll have some ass kicking to do, I tell myself as I start laughing. Girl, you are crazy, I hear my neighbor lady say as I pass by her door. Morning, misses San, I say as I go down the stairs still laughing at my own joke. The ash would stick to the bottom of my shoe, like snow used to before this whole ordeal started. I miss snow and being able to walk around without a helmed, breathing the fresh air, seeing the sun clearly on the blue sky. Being able to go out whenever you wanted, not just when it was necessary. I tell myself as I reach the ground and look at the bike I haven’t used in a while that seems to be falling apart. So, on foot to the postal office it is, I mutter sad at myself. Weird how all these crazies decided to agree that the postal service, hospitals and grocery stores shouldn’t be touched, but the rest is free reign, I tell myself as I see a man approaching me. What a lucky day we have here, he says as he pulls out a gun. I pull out my gun and start shooting him. Oh baby, how nice it feels on this brand new body. Your rubber bullets ain’t going to do shit against me, he says as he puffs his chest out. Let’s just hope my backup brain is still synced and working, I tell myself as he starts running towards me. But just as he runs towards me, an explosion blows us both away

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JACK - ANTHOLOGY OF A YOUNG WIZARD 2: GUILT OR INNOCENCE

Silence! Silence, everyone! The accused murderer is here and his hands are tied. There is no need to panic! speaks the fat Watchman as he brushes the sweat from his moustache and the crowd’s noise slowly dies down. As you well know, he had to consent to trial by jury. And he did, he says as he points at me. Why are you here? asks a woman with a thick lower lip. Because I caught him red handed and I am a witness to his crimes, says the fat Watchman. The crowd starts laughing at him. There’s no way you could’ve caught anyone, mate. Have you looked at yourself lately? asks a rowdy bald man as the crowd starts laughing harder. Shut yous wretched mouth holes, the jury is just outside these doors with the judge and your cackling like whores in a church is disrespecting everything we’re doing here, says the fat Watchman as his now red face is covered in sweat. Look who’s talking, says the same bald man, the one sweating like a whore in the church, said the bald man as the crowd tries to no laugh at the sheriff even more. Calm down everyone. We’ll begin in just a wee, says the Sheriff. Told you, says the fat Watchmen. You have to stand up for yourself, the bald man tells me. Don’t talk to him, the fat Watchmen tells him. Oh leave it be, you dick, says the bald man. How did you know my name? asks Richard the Watchman. Cause you look like a prick, says the bald man and I start laughing whilst trying to hide my face. What are you laughing at you murderer? asks Richard the Watchman. Nothing, I respond.

The jury enters the room guided by the Sheriff. The whole room fast gets quite quiet. Close after them is the Judge accompanied by a Priest. The Judge in his black robe sits at his chair. As he rubs his eyes, he squints trying to look at me. It is quite literally the middle of the night, so let’s not dilly dally. Prosecution, what do we have here today? asks the Judge. We have a murder case, says the Sheriff. This here young man was caught at a murder scene by this here Watchman, the Sheriff continued. And how do you plead, young man? the Judge asks me. Not guilty, I reply. The audacity! exclaims Richard the Watchman says as he springs up. Silence! The Judge bellows. Your honor, he is quite literally the devil! He’s a wizard! exclaims Richard the Watchman. I said silence! the Judge screams. Silence slowly sets in. Defendant, you were saying, said the Judge as he squinted at me. I am no devil. Or does the Watchman see horns on my head? Or does he mistake these hands for hooves of a goat? I am indeed a wizard, but an apprentice. I just arrived here in London this night to learn from you all. The jury starts to murmur and the people start to whisper behind my back. Well, you sure don’t talk like a devil, says the Judge. So what exactly happened? he asked. I started explaining the situation as they all listened.

Well, from my perspective, you’re either a horrible liar. Or you are one of the unluckiest people I have the misfortune of meeting, says the Judge. We have a woman that lived with the victim, says the Sheriff. Bring her in, says the Judge. Anne, come forth, says the Sheriff. With an almost see-through piece of clothing on her comes forth this brunette woman with nipples that could pierce your eyes out of they were to hit you. What was your relationship with the departed Juliana? asks the Judge. She would give me lodging from time to time, whenever I’d have no work or money, says Anne. And where’s your man? What’s your work? the Judge asks her. I have none, sir. I work on the streets for whoever has money, says Anne. She’s a prostitute, says the Sheriff. I understood that. You didn’t have to spell it out for me, says the Judge pointing and squinting towards the Sheriff. Did you ever fight with the departed? asks the Judge. Yes, since she didn’t agree with my line of work at all and wanted me to join her, said Anne. And why didn’t you join her to be a washerwoman? asks the Judge. I couldn’t. People were already talking about her since she took me in, says Anne. Don’t say anything anymore, woman! Richard the Watchmen exclaims. The wizard has you under his control, he says as he points at me. Take him out! I heard enough from him! the Judge screams. I look over at the twelve men in the jury as they whisper to each other. I promise you, jurors. That is not how magic works. No wizard, mage, warlock, necromancer, witch or sorcerers can control any mind, I plead my case. The Judge stands up and looks at the room as Richard is thrown out. Case dismissed! Jurors, Sheriff, go get some evidence and catch me whoever killed that poor woman. We didn’t change the judicial system just so we can execute anyone, says the Judge. The crowd remains confused at what just happened. You, wizard. And you, prostitute. You two are not to leave London or you will be executed, understood? asks the Judge as we nod. Good, he says as he leaves the room murmuring angrily under his breath. Lucky bastard, says Anne. Let’s go, you’re coming with me, says the bald man.

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JACK - ANTHOLOGY OF A YOUNG WIZARD 1: Observer or Ripper

You wench! You cheated on me! Taking my money and dignity! I hear a man scream. What’re you talking about? I’m just a washerwoman. The man pulls out a knife. Give me my money back! The man screams as he jumps on her. You women are but a blight on this world. The man says as he runs away. Should I have helped her? No, that’s not why I am here. What did he say? “Jack, go to London. Observe life. See the good, the bad and learn to distinguish between them. That’s how a young wizard becomes a great one, through experience.” If this is life in London, then I shall observe it and not mingle in it. The voice of another man calls out to me. You! Young man! Stop! As I turn around I see a watchman running towards me. What is it mr. Watchaman? As he gets in front of me, out of breath he pulls a rope he had tied around the stick he had on him and ties it around my hands. What are you doing? He looks at me confused as he tries to catch his breath. You… I’m arresting you… For the… You murdered that young lady. Why is this happening? But I didn’t. The man who did ran that way… He smiles. Whatever you say, young man, he says as he starts screaming like a lunatic…

The people start to gather around us as he keeps screaming. Until finally a man interrupts him. What’s the matter? Have you lost your mind? It is the middle of the night. The watchman with a smug look on his face looks at the man. I have caught a murderer, red handed. I sigh. But there is no blood on my hand. He scoffs. He killed that young woman there. Another woman comes crying. Her name was Juliana Prickfield. How could you? You monster! The man turns towards the watchman. What exactly happened? The watchman smug again. I was doing my duty, as one should. And then I hear some glass shattering, a man screaming. So, I did the only heroic thing I could do. Went and checked it out, only to find that woman there dead and him here at the scene. More people gathered. Eventually the coroner and one of the sheriffs arrive. As they explain the situation to them, I can feel the crowd’s eyes on my back, starring at me like I’m the devil. What is your name young boy? I turn towards the sheriff. Jack. I’m a wizard. The watchman quickly interrupts. See? He could’ve used magic to clean himself up… He did it. He killed miss Juliana. The sheriff turns towards her. Did you know the woman? She continues to cry. Yes. She was kind and let me live with her there…

The coroner comes back from the scene. Her throat was sliced and so was her chest, under the breast. It might’ve been a knife, a ripper, who knows, but t’was sharp. And whatever money and jewels she had, was now gone. The sheriff looks at me. Would you tell me what are you doing here, Jack the young wizard? I sigh. I was sent here to… The watchman interrupts me. I bet he stole the money, look here, in his pocket. He pulls out some money. See? The sheriff takes the money and looks at me. Continue. I take a deep breath. I was sent here to observe life and learn to be a better wizard. He looks up and down at me. You don’t look like a wizard to me. And what about the woman there? Did you kill her? I shake my head. No. The man that killed her screamed something about her being a wench that cheated him out of money and then ran that way after killing her. He sighs. And why didn’t you stop him? I look him in the eyes. Because I was sent here to observe, not interfere. The sheriff looks at me weirdly. Take him to a cell, the jurors will deal with him tomorrow. I hear a woman whisper behind me. He doesn’t look like he’s from here… Heard he used a ripper to kill the woman. Glad they caught him so fast. Another woman chimes in. Yeah, this Jack the Ripper fellow is a vile one. Hope they hang him… I sigh… So, this is life…

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The Horrorscope - Episode 53: Eclipse No More

Say something! Mary says towards Kei as he shakes him. He barely opens one eye and looks at her. Don’t die! Hang tight, we’re getting help, says Mary. Everyone is in place? asks Wasa. Yes, they shout.

Arm…

Charge…

Fire! Wasa orders. The police men in hazmat and astronaut suits pull the levers on the EMPs creating a wave that quickly turns into a tsunami o similar actions all over the world in the span of a few seconds. The call interrupts abruptly. What happened? asked Ram. The EMPs worked. The reset should be ongoing right now. And hopefully they can move the satellites into place to launch them as fast as possible, explains Wasa. But what if we still won’t have control? asks Pincer. I doubt we won’t. In cases like these the system won’t boot back into its original state, but rather directly into safe mode, since most operating systems these days can detect whether it was an outside event or not that made it crash. Even our system here is the same, says Wasa. Weren’t they spying on us through our security cameras? asks Ken. They were what? asks Mary. Yeah, I wouldn’t worry about it. We shot them down, says Wasa. But what if they’re spying on us through our system and knows what we’re doing? asks Mary. I wouldn’t worry about that either. There’s not much they can do. And even so, I doubt they have time to keep an eye on us right now considering the scale of what they’re doing, says Wasa. Wasa’s phone rings. We’re back and we’re getting ready the satellites, explains one of the captains. Good, we’re in your hands, says Wasa before hanging up.

Ironic… A blackout trying to stop an eclipse… It all came full circle, says Kei as he puts his hand over his eyes. Glad to see you’re still alive, says Ken. Barely… Everything… Hurts, Kei says as he rubs his forehead. We need to find a way to find out what they did. How the stone played a part in this. What they were sending through the satellites. Who these individuals were. And how they did all this. That besides trying to catch them all, says Wasa. And all this after we’re trying to stop this and help everyone we can, says Phenos. Indeed, says Wasa. But what if we can’t? asks Pincer. Then we can’t, says Wasa as he sighs. Then what if they’ll try again? asks Pincer. They… Won’t… I think, says Kei. Why? asks Ram. Because their plan is flawed and what we did works, then they’ll have to think of something else, says Kei with a whisper. The computer next to Wasa starts ringing. Yes? answer Wasa. We’re ready to launch the satellites, says a Captain. Do it! Launch! Now! Wasa commands. Yes sir! They all respond as they launch the satellites. Well, everyone. Let’s hope these satellites are some useful projectiles that will save us before they manage to kill us all, says Wasa. We’ve also strapped whatever explosives we had on them. Hopefully they’ll explode on impact or once the 5 minutes are up, explains the same Captain that called Wasa. Let’s hoe for the best, says Wasa.

Is there any feed of the stone? asks Wasa. Yes, says Mary. Where? asks Wasa. Here, I found it earlier. Seems to be still up, says Mary as she hands Wasa her phone. Ken collapses to the ground. Ken, Mary screams. Are you okay, man? Ram asks as he turns him on his back. Ken shakes his head as he holds his eyes tightly closed. What is happening? Kei asks. Ken collapsed, says Mary. Fuck… Just don’t die before I do, buddy, says Kei as Mary gently taps him on the head. Sorry, says Kei. Look! Look! There’s a whole in the eclipse, says Wasa all excited as he jumps out of his chair. We did it! exclaims Phenos! You hear that? We’ve won, says Kei as he tries to reach Ken’s claw. You hear that, Ken? We’ve won, says Mary as she holds his head…

A FEW DAYS LATER…

I am very sorry, a doctor tells Kei. No, it’s fine. It’s not like this is your fault, Kei says laughing awkwardly. Everything okay? Telum asks Kei. It’s what I thought it would be, Kei says as he bursts into tears. I am sorry to hear that, says Telum. No, no, it’s fine. I was always curious about death, at least now I’ll be able to experience it. If there’s anything beyond, I’ll tell you, says Kei trying to laugh in between tears. Who knows, maybe you’ll meet Ken there too, says Telum. Maybe, says Kei. Through Telum’s radio Mary’s voice is heard. Calling all units. Calling all units. We need you all on site at the villa of the terrorists that took people we loved and the lives we’ve had, says Mary. Take care of the days you still have. We’ll be here for you. I gotta go, says Telum. Who knew we were too late for so many. So many of us died, so many more will die. But hopefully those that will come after, these new immortals, will treasure life a bit more than we did, says Kei as he looks at his hairless arms.

See you between stars…

Thank you for reading The Horrorscope. This was an awesome experience to write. These characters, I love them all so much and one day I hope to return to this world in what I think will be it’s best form, a comic book. Thank you all who read this story. Thank you all those who supported me through out this year. It meant a lot. And I hope that the story for next year, Anthology of a Young Wizard, Jack will blow you away with amazement. And I promise to bring even better stories to the Pilot Program 2022. So, hope you have an awesome new year.

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The Horrorscope - Episode 52: Eclipse Part 7: End of it.

Kei! Kei! screams Ken. What is happening? asks Phenos. Sorry, sorry. I just felt weak suddenly. I don’t know what is happening, says Kei. It’s the eclipse, says Mary. Look, the satellites seem to cover in darkness more and more the stone, she continued. So, it really is an eclipse, says Wasa. Kei tries to stand up but his knees feel weak. I can’t. Just leave me down here. I can’t even look up, I feel bad, real bad, says Kei. No, please, Kei, says Ken. Well, if you don’t want me to fucking die, how about… You… Do… The, says Kei as he hangs his head down and gesticulates with his left hand weirdly as he collapses to the floor. Kei! Kei! Ken shouts. Kei gives him a thumbs up as he turns around on his back. Go get the first aid kit, call an ambulance, do something, Wasa tells Ken. Ken rushes out the door with the phone in his hand. Pincer, Ram, Phenos, go find call everyone. Mary, take care of him. I have to setup the weapon, says Wasa. Ken rushes back out of breath he looks at the room. What? asks Mary. Everyone is down, their sick. There’s no help coming, says Ken. What? asks Wasa. Everyone is down, says Ken as he falls on his knees. You okay? asks Mary. No, I feel weird, says Ken. Not you too, says Mary. No, no, I am fine, says Ken with hardly breathing trying to get back up. Don’t force yourself, says Mary. I’m not going to die before I bring to justice those that killed a billion and killed my partner, says Ken frustrated as he stands up with his claw piercing through the wall behind him.

Wasa’s phone starts ringing. It’s Niles, says Wasa as he answers with a sigh and puts it on speaker. What do you want? asks Wasa. Do you what is happening outside? The sky is purple, it rains. People are fallen down on the streets. Planes have fallen all from the skies. Thousands of accidents and no one to help them. We’re stuck in basements looking at what is happening outside. And it seems to be affecting everyone this time, not just a billion. It seems that everything the light touches, it kills,, says Niles. It doesn’t. Or at least I’m not dead yet, says Ken. I see you are optimist even on death’s door, says Niles. Is that why you called? asks Wasa annoyed. I just wanted to thank you for what you did. It was noble. You could’ve not cared for my safety or anyone’s, and I couldn’t’ve blamed you. So, I just want to thank you on behalf of myself, my family, and all of the UN, says Niles. You are too much of a worrywart, says Wasa. What do you mean? asks Niles. We’re going to put an end to this, now, says Wasa. How? asks Niles all giddy. We’re gonna blow it all up, says Wasa. Blow what up? asks Niles. That eclipse that is killing us all, says Wasa. How? asks Niles. Do you know what an EMP is? asks Wasa. No, says Niles. For the sake of keeping it brief, we’re going to do a hard reset to everything, says Wasa. But will it work? asks Niles. I don’t know, but we don’t have any other ideas, says Wasa. Well, it was a pleasure. Good luck and hope to hear from you, says Niles before hanging up.

How can I help? What can I do? asks Ken. Stay by your friend’s side. If this doesn’t work, we have failed everyone and everything. And they’ll really win this time. Whatever sacrifices were made, whatever death came ten years ago, it will all a disappointment, a tragedy. A story no one will hear about. We will be forgotten and whatever we build, said, did, lost forever to time, says Wasa. Did Niles rub off on you so quickly? Can you not be so melodramatic? asks Mary. Well, the death of a species should be something to be melodramatic about, says Ken. Okay, everyone is in place, says Phenos. Are they ready to deploy more satellites? asks Wasa. As ready as they can be, the satellites are from a safe distance and they’ve prepared the spare parts to repair whatever damage the EMP will do, says Phenos. Good. Thank you all, says Wasa. Shall we call the conference? asks Phenos. Yes, we don’t have time to waste, says Wasa. You’re good to go, says Phenos. Hello everyone. It is nice to see you all still fine. Niles was right to keep away from the light, says Wasa as a bunch of people in hazmat and astronaut suits appear on the screen in front of him. Are we ready? asks Wasa as they all say yes. Then let’s blow up this eclipse and bring an end to this! Wasa screams.

If you liked this episode of The Horrorscope then don’t forget to like, share and comment. If you want to keep the short stories free and want more of them, you can always donate at: https://www.paypal.me/RaulFO

The Next Short Story: 2022

Hello everyone, this year has been interesting. Wild, disappointing, frustrating, weird, but when it comes to the short stories on Nobody The Blog it was a good year. I am very proud of all short stories I’ve written this year, especially those in The Pilot Program 2021. As you know, The Pilot Program is where I write one pilot story every month for eight months. And where you decide which you liked the most. That’s how The Horrorscope came to be this year’s weekly short story. And it’s been fun writing The Horrorscope, down right thrilling, considering the end. While personally this year has been challenging when it comes to finishing the other projects I have lined up. Like that fifth book I kept teasing, which is coming along very very very slowly. But also a few other projects I’ve been planning in the past two years. But, do not worry, they’ll be announced this upcoming year, if all goes well.

But, let’s get back to The Pilot Program 2021. We had quite a few interesting stories this year. Starting with:

Jack - Anthology of a Young Wizard. Which is a re-work of a previous Pilot Program short story, The Fallen Tower. But this time we have a central focus point in our protagonist Jack and his experience in the 13th century London.

Colored - A story about destined love by the color of the eyes. A cool concept that I might re-work in the future.

New Arc - Inspired by anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion, Eureka, Gundam and kaiju movies like Godzilla. New Arc is a story about limits, burnout, depression, anxiety and our responsibility and burdens as a part of society. Speaking of society…

Society is EVIL - A short story about a dystopian future where every household is their own country. Each lives by their own rule. And the complications of such a life.

Souless Society - A short story about a world where people have no souls, and those fortunate enough to have souls are seen as a danger to society.

Hafhorn - The Forger Elf - A different type of fantasy story about an Elf that feels constrained by tradition, the people around him and his need to learn, grow, and leave the place he was born in.

Procaryote: Scum Sold Out For Money - Is a short story about each person’s value, trust and horrible people.

agrypnia: Every Dreams is a Nightmare - Is a re-work of another Pilot Program short story from 2020, just like Jack. About dreams, parallel realities, the supernatural and survival of the fittest mind.

These were the short stories part of The Pilot Program 2021 this year. And I am honestly, very happy with the concepts this year and how most of them turned out. But there are a few that surely would be better with a bit of work. But, there were some favorites this year. So, without further ado, this is the order of the stories by popularity. Meaning views, likes and comments. The winner being announced at the end.

8. Souless Society

7. Procaryote: Scum Sold Out for Money

6. Hafhorn - A Forger Elf

5. Society is EVIL

4. agrypnia - Every Dream is a Nightmare

3. Colored

2. New Arc

And the short story for 2022 after all your views and likes is.

Jack - Anthology of a Young Wizard

I hope you are ready for a wild ride with Jack. Because all the stories that will be told in Jack, will be based on real, documented events from the 10th to the 16th century London, of course with a bit of mix of a few surprises. After Attropolis, this is going to be a new return to historical fiction, but this time with a bit more fantasy. When? 7th of January will be the first chapter of Jack - Anthology of a Young Wizard.

I am glad you took the time to read the stories, to like them, to share them. And hopefully next year, I can give you even better stories to choose from and make it harder to find a favorite. With that, I hope you enjoy the end of The Horrorscope and see you next year with Jack.

If you liked this episode of The Horrorscope then don’t forget to like, share and comment. If you want to keep the short stories free and want more of them, you can always donate at: https://www.paypal.me/RaulFO

The Horrorscope - Episode 51: Eclipse Part 6: Totality

It could mean the death of all of us, says Kei in a panicked voice. What do you mean? asks Wasa. I mean it was there all along. The giant stone in the ocean is what gave the first ancestor of our kind eternal life and this curse of the horoscopes, where we gain the part of the body or ability of the twelve signs. Of course then that if you want to take it all away from people you block the biggest transmitters of them all, what is now a giant stone ocean in our ocean. And how better to do it then with satellites. Oh no, I don’t feel so well, says Kei. But you’d need a lot of them, says Wasa. How about a million? asks Kei as he pulls out his phone. What are you looking for? asks Phenos. Here, there are already news outlets that report a darkness occurring over the stone, says Kei as he shows the articles to the people in the room. What the fuck, says Ken as he takes Kei’s phone and turns on the volume. Thousands of satellites are being launched today, says the news caster. Kei snatches the phone in a panic and mutes it. That means that they’re not done yet. That means that we still have some time to try to stop them, says Ram. Or we’re too late. We can’t take them down, says Kei. What about finding someone to overwrite the system? asks Phenos. And where are we gonna find someone like that? asks Kei. I don’t know, says Phenos. That’s the problem, says Kei as he is pacing around.

We have everything we need, says Mary as she interrupts everyone. We have bigger problems, says Kei. What if we get to them before they can complete whatever they are trying to do? asks Ram. And then what? It’s not like there’s one key to breaking all this, right? We need to figure out a way to tear it all down, says Kei. So was all the work I did for nothing? asks Mary. No. But we’ll have to catch them after we deal with whatever they are doing now, says Wasa. An officer bursts through the door. The guy in the infirmary said he wants to talk, says the officer. Please go, Wasa tells Kei. Okay, says Kei as he nods.

As he enters the infirmary he sees a bunch of officers sleeping and recovering from the explosion. At the end of the room, there is N, looking out the window. Hey, says Kei. Who are you? You muse be new here, says N. You don’t know me, but I know you. I’m Kei. And around here, you’re known as N. But might I ask for your real name? asks Kei. My name is of no importance. N is fine by me. Do you remember ten years ago? Because for me it’s like it was yesterday. I lost everything that day. My daughter… My father… My voice… My sanity… I thought I was dying. My body was in immense pain. I thought I’d join them in death. Yet at the end, I couldn’t remember anything but that nightmare of a day. I still can’t remember my birthday, my full name, how to write, what I was. It was all so confusing. And here came this man that beat me, because I couldn’t remember anything but that day and the death of the people I cherished most in my life. And even them, I can’t remember their faces well anymore. I can’t even remember my own face or how I look like. I know that you’re looking for answers. And I know you’re trying to prevent what happened ten years ago, again now. But, I can’t help you. All I remember is getting a phone call about my father, then seeing my daughter suddenly drop to the floor on the pavement and an immense pain shooting through my body. That key of death thing, was something my daughter had found on the floor. The paramedics came and took her, and I couldn’t go with her, because I couldn’t speak anymore, says N. I’m so sorry to hear that, says Kei. Can I be alone now? asks N. Yes, says Kei.

As Kei enters the room everyone else is in they turn towards him with the biggest smiles on their faces. We have an idea, says Ken. We know how to stop this, says Wasa just as Kei collapses.

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The Horrorscope - Episode 50: Eclipse Part 5: Stone Ocean

This really is the worst luck, says Wasa. Fuck! says Kei. You keep tracking that van. I’ll try to track their movements from the sewers to where they came from, maybe I can find some answers like that, Since the pictures with their covered faces doesn’t help, says Mary. You do that, says Wasa as he keeps tracking the van and Kei keeps pacing around behind him. A blood curdling scream is heard from down the hall. You two stay, Wasa tells Ken and Mary. As him, Phenos and Kei start running towards the scream that just won’t stop. What the fuck, says Ram as he sees Telum standing over N, as N keeps screaming. What the fuck did you do? Wasa asks Telum. I’m sorry boss, but I had to do something, I couldn’t just sit in that room anymore, says Telum as he stretches his arm out with a bloody neck in the palm of his hands. No wonder N couldn’t speak, he had the throat of a pig, says Telum. What the fuck, says Kei. But then why wouldn’t he write? asks Wasa. If you were to beat me, I wouldn’t tell you things either, honestly, says Telum. But how? It doesn’t make sense? says Kei. Maybe whatever they used ten years ago to kill a billion people changed the whole structure of your body, and with him, it just failed or misfired, says Telum. But how did they target it so specifically? says Kei. You’ll have to catch whoever killed a billion people ten years ago to find that out, says Telum.

Take him to the infirmary, Wasa tells Phenos. Do you have anything to tell us before Ram takes you to a cell this time, and rip someone else’s head off or rip their throats out? Wasa asks Telum. No, not that I know of, says Telum. I need you to talk to N, once he is healed, okay? Wasa asks Kei. Okay, says Kei as they all head back to check on Ken and Mary. Pincer meets them at the door. All calls done, says Pincer. Good, says Wasa. I found something, says Mary as she opens they open the door. What did you find? Wasa asks. I tracked them to one of their apartments. And from there I went and followed the other one to her place and now we have both their addresses. But nothing that would ID either of the two kidnappers, says Mary. That’s great, says Wasa. No, it’s not, says Kei. Why not? asks Phenos. Because we still don’t know shit, Kei says as he paces around frantically. But we do. I followed the van and we have a third address and this time, we have two names with it. Because I got camera footage of its license plate and because it was a house it went to, says Mary. Okay and? asks Kei. And I got to know everything about those two names. Their workplace, hobbies, past records, love life, everything we’d need to track them and take them down. And I think we’ll figure out who those two are that way too. But for that I need more time, to go through his socials, says Mary. You do that, says Wasa.

I think I found something, says Ken. What? asks Wasa. I looked at transmitters and quickly found some. And I noticed how they had the same pattern of movement every day for a week. But when I looked back at today, it’s like they haven’t moved at all. So, I looked at the position they were stuck in. And they are all pointing in one specific direction. I looked up the number to the closest dish to us, we can call them to see what’s happening, says Ken. Please, says Wasa. Come, we need to finish tracking those two, says Kei as he tugs on Wasa. Okay, okay, be patient, says Wasa. As they follow the two in the van around, Kei suddenly remembers something. I know this zone, says Kei as Wasa pauses. What do you mean? he asks. There is something here. I know I just visited this place. I just can’t put my finger on it, now, says Kei. Got it, says Ken. What? asks Wasa. It seems that I was right. Their system got overwritten yesterday during their normal maintenance hours. They tried shutting it all down, but it seems that they’re completely out of luck. Even cutting the power to it is a no go, says Ken as he gets interrupted. But what is the direction? asks Kei. It’s this, says Ken as he puts the coordinates into the computer. Of course that’s the answer. It’s the stone in the ocean, says Kei.

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The Horrorscope - Episode 49: Eclipse Part 4: Bracing for Totality

Even if we find them, what if they’re on another continent? We can’t move that fast or gather enough forces to take them down, says Ken. We’ll have to figure that out later. First we need to figure out who those that kidnapped the criminal were, where they went, what they were doing and how to stop this before a billion die today, says Kei. I’ll message Niles to get me the numbers for other captains for them to be in standby if we need them, says Wasa. I’ll help with the calls, says Pincer. Me too, says Ram. What should I do? asks Mary. When we get the people involved in the kidnapping, try to find their names, addresses, everything of the sort, says Wasa. We’ll then try to figure out where they went afterwards, says Kei. I’ll look into the satellites and transmitters, says Ken. By the way, I heard that you guys upgraded to filming capabilities with your satellites, says Kei. Who told you that? asks Wasa. A birdie, says Kei. Don’t look at me, Ken tells Wasa. A guy approaches Phenos and whispers something. Phenos turns towards Kei. The forensics are done. They said that the blood was that of the criminal. And whatever was in the bag was not much of worth either, sadly, says Phenos. So that means that if this doesn’t work, we’re fucked. No more leads, no more chances, nothing more than another billion dead, says Kei. Then go! Let’s get moving, says Wasa.

To death and beyond, says Z as he holds up a glass of water. They all look in awe at him. Brothers, sisters, wives, friends and foes, today is the day we’ve been working on for twenty thousand years. Today is the day we’ve won. No matter the mistakes we’ve made along the way. No matter the disagreements we’ve had. One thing was always there for us and tied us in this dream of ours. Death! The need for death. The love of death. And the pain of living with these ungrateful, selfish, frustratingly hypocritical bastards! As soon as these twenty four hours end, we will have achieved something that no one will ever be able to take from us, replicate or undo, says Z as the thirty members get up to applaud him. I want to thank you all for your effort, your patience, your time and the fact that you remained by my side. And I want to especially thank the one, the only genius, the man that brought us this glorious day, Perses! says Z as they one more stand up to clap. Oh please. If it weren’t for what you, we wouldn’t have been able to pull this off. Especially after what happened ten years ago, says Perses. It was a miracle what happened ten years ago, says Asteria. To death! exclaims Z as he toasts with his glass of water..

Niles sent me the phone numbers, I’ll forward them to you. Please explain the situation to them nicely, says Wasa. Ram and Pincer look at their phones and quickly leave the room to make the phone calls. We found them, they are three in total. One criminal and two kidnappers then, says Kei. Where? asks Mary. There. Ken, come over here. Can you make out if there are any video cameras from around here? We need their faces, says Kei. Ken leans over to look at the monitor. I’ll look, give me a minute, says Ken. I’ll come with you. I’ll take over once you find me a good picture with their faces, says Mary. How far can we follow them for? asks Kei. For as long and wide as you want, says Wasa. You guys are creepy. I understand why you built this. But at the same time, I still don’t agree with it, says Kei. Does it matter? We’re about to save another billion lives, says Wasa. It matters, says Kei as they follow the two with the kidnappers. It doesn’t. Otherwise this wouldn’t be one small room in the basement of this precinct with three computers, says Wasa. Do you recognize that building they went in? Kei asks Wasa. I do, but that doesn’t make much sense. It’s just a regular apartment building, says Wasa. I’ll speed it up, says Kei. Nothing, just one van and they didn’t come out, says Wasa. There’s a laundromat there, says Phenos. Oh no, that means that the van is what drove them away. That means they know about this, says Kei. Found them, says Mary. Oh no, this is getting worse, says Kei as he looks at their photos.

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The Horrorscope - Episode 48: Eclipse Part 3: Second Contact

Imber bursts through the doors of the precinct in a hurry. It’s… It’s happening again, says Imber exasperated. What? asks Phenos. The crashes, the people being ill. It’s just like ten years ago, says Imber. But I don’t feel anything, says Ram. Kei looks out that the iridescent light outside the precinct. Maybe this time is different, says Kei. What do you mean different? asks Pincer. I mean, what if their goal isn’t death this time? asks Kei. Then why emulate the exact same situation? Pincer asks. Another crash is heard as car alarms start blaring in the streets. Not just that, but it doesn’t add up. Why kidnap criminals last month, somehow, kill an officer two days ago, manipulate these idiots into terrorism? What were they trying to draw our attention from? It doesn’t make sense, says Kei. And who can do that? asks Pincer. Kei looks at X and Yellow like something clicked in his mind. You! Kei exclaims as he points at X. How did you organize? You must have had some method to your craziness, right? asks Kei. We did, but we aren’t gonna tell you, says X. What happened to your mannerisms? asks Kei. We’re about to die, I don’t really give a shit about keeping up appearances, says X. Fair point, says Kei as he turns towards Pincer. Do you guys still spy on people? Kei asks. I’m not authorized to tell you that, says Pincer. Fuck your authorization! Another billion people are gonna fucking die! Kei screams at him before turning towards Imber. And you. Did you bring the thing we left with you? Kei asks Imber as he nods. He hands them to Phenos. Go take them to forensics, Kei tells Phenos.

Go home, get to safety, Wasa tells Niles. Everyone scattered on the streets and they seem to be on edge, Ken tells Wasa. There’s nothing we can do about it now, says Wasa. What are you gonna do? asks Niles. Just as you said, it’s their decision. We’re gonna go back to the precinct. Something feels wrong, says Wasa. Niles leaves in a hurry as Ken gives the order through their radio station. Wasa signals Ken to follow him to the car. As he turns on the car, the computer comes online and on the screen an immense number of phone calls and distress calls appear on his screen. What the fuck is happening? he asks himself. Let me check, says Ken as he pulls out his phone and Wasa starts driving. It seems that there are a lot of people outraged about the UN council, there’s a lot of debate regarding that. But there are also people saying that what happened ten years ago, is happening today again. Posting pictures with the weird light and saying that there are people that are feeling ill. Let me see… Says Ken as he keeps scrolling. Car crashes… Looting in some places… It really feels like it’s a repeat from ten years ago. But no deaths, yet, says Ken. One death, says Wasa. Ken’s face starts turning red as his breathing becomes accentuated. Fuck! I did nothing for him! He died alone, and now more people will die and in ten years… I managed nothing… Ken says as silences fills up the car. If that’s true for you, then it is true for every living being. You don’t have to take it all on your shoulders, Ken. We each have a responsibility towards those that died and those that live. And if we fail, we all fail. There’s no one hero, nor is there just one villain, says Wasa as they reach the precinct and see deserted cars that were crashed into each other on the street.

I’ve identified them all, says Mary. That’s great, says Kei as Ken and Wasa walk through the door. Do you still spy on people? Kei asks Pincer again. Officially? No. Off the books? Yeah, says Wasa. Why? he asks? Because I think I have an idea how to find whoever did this. For how long do you keep the recordings? asks Kei. Three months, says Wasa. Perfect. That means we can look at the tapes to see who kidnaped the criminal. But, even if you had the records for one week, it would’ve been enough. Because we need to look at any suspicious activity in the past week on rooftops, big dishes or any big equipment that can transmit messages, waves, whatever. And this is the important part, we don’t need receivers, we need to look for transmitters, explains Kei. Why? asks Wasa. Because for a large operation like this they need a global reach. And what better way to do that than with a satellites, duh, says X. Exactly, says Kei. Who’s that? asks Wasa. Long story, we don’t have time, says Kei. Is it still underground? asks Kei. How did you know? asks Wasa. Well, let’s just say I don’t owe Ken a big favor for nothing. But that’s besides the point. Whatever these guys are doing, are clearly having an effect on the atmosphere or at the very least the ozone layer. Otherwise the light to be so weirdly colored doesn’t make sense, right? And correct me if I’m wrong, but, if I’m not mistaken there are over a million satellites orbiting the planet. And you use those to spy on us. From our location, to our communication, and even through our walls. So we’re gonna use that to find them and stop this eclipse, says Kei.

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