Rory put the camera down and scrambled back to the window. He peered out and saw something at the bottom of the ladder. It was an octopus. And it was climbing upward.
Rory ran back into the heart of the room and tried to look for the door. It was so dark he began to panic just in the search alone.
Finally he found it and dashed down the hallway on the other side. It was dark there, too. He didn't stop to wonder if there were unpleasant things in the dark. He already knew there was an alien chasing him in the other direction.
He came across another door, at the other end, and opened it. It led to a stairwell. He quickly began the descent. He could hear the alien in the distance, in the hallway, and then at the top of the stairs as he continued his way down. Had the ladder really put him so many floors up? Finally he reached the bottom, and a door that led outside. He shoved it open. Outside was glaring sunlight. When he'd been out earlier, it had been raining, but that seemed to have cleared. But it wasn't just the absence of rain and sudden brightness that greeted Rory.
He was now in a desert. He saw a cactus. He wondered how on earth that was even possible.
"You see the truth now," a voice said behind him. "Your world intersects with mine. We obey many of the same rules, but there are differences."
It was the octopus alien, clutching the raygun from the pictures, as Rory now saw, in one of its tentacles.
"The desert places were always gateways, Rory," it continued. "We build new ones as needed, to help get around."
Somehow the creature knew his name?
"We have much to discuss," the alien concluded. Rory wasn't about to argue. He reached up and adjusted his bandana. Suddenly having been caught in the rain earlier seemed like an advantage. It was the only one he had left.
"Okay," he said. "Let's do this."
Friday, June 15, 2018
Rory 10.8
The picture showed an octopus. The strange thing was that the octopus was not in water. The stranger thing was that the octopus looked very much alive. If Rory knew anything about octopuses, it was that they were supposed to exist, alive, only in water.
But what if it wasn't an octopus? What if it was an alien?
But what if it wasn't an octopus? What if it was an alien?
Rory 10.7
There were also pictures filled with piles of money. Money in paper form, money in coin form. Lots of money. Rory couldn't even begin to guess why someone would take pictures of money in quantities like that. Combined with the raygun, his best guesses were wild, to say the least, each more unbelievable than the last.
Was this evidence of some sort of invasion? Is this what invasion looked like?
And then he saw another startling image...
Was this evidence of some sort of invasion? Is this what invasion looked like?
And then he saw another startling image...
Rory 10.6
Within a few pictures, Rory knew that whoever had left the camera in this room was no ordinary person. His anxiety began to subside, and then ramp up, the more he thought about it. He'd broken in to this building, wearing a bandana. Anyone could have seen him do it. Anyone, including whoever had taken these pictures...
He saw what looked like an honest-to-god raygun. It could've been a prop, but Rory didn't live in a movie town, and there were famous collectors around, either. That didn't mean the person who took the pictures couldn't have traveled around. After all, that's what you do with cameras. But the raygun looked real. It didn't look overly stylized. It look entirely functional.
If it were just the raygun that startled him, maybe he could've dismissed it as a prop. But it wasn't.
He saw what looked like an honest-to-god raygun. It could've been a prop, but Rory didn't live in a movie town, and there were famous collectors around, either. That didn't mean the person who took the pictures couldn't have traveled around. After all, that's what you do with cameras. But the raygun looked real. It didn't look overly stylized. It look entirely functional.
If it were just the raygun that startled him, maybe he could've dismissed it as a prop. But it wasn't.
Rory 10.5
Inside the dark interior of the building, Rory saw a digital camera, covered in dust, on a filing cabinet. He was never one to be shy. He turned it on and started scrolling through the pictures.
He was astonished at what he found.
He was astonished at what he found.
Rory 10.4
Rory came across a ladder propped up against the side of a building. His niece used to love climbing, almost as much as she loved stairs. It was much the same thing. He saw the top of the ladder rested against a windowsill.
He saw no one around. He decided to have a look. The building had no cars in front of it. It was still early, and besides, the building looked abandoned. No security guards in sight.
He started climbing. By the time he reached the top, he saw that he could push his way through the window. He checked it out to be sure. He became aware that the bandana on his head might give observers the impression that Rory was a burglar. He took the chance.
He saw no one around. He decided to have a look. The building had no cars in front of it. It was still early, and besides, the building looked abandoned. No security guards in sight.
He started climbing. By the time he reached the top, he saw that he could push his way through the window. He checked it out to be sure. He became aware that the bandana on his head might give observers the impression that Rory was a burglar. He took the chance.
Rory 10.3
Finally, to get out of the rain, Rory ducked into a tent he saw set up for some sale. The clerk was nowhere to be found, there were books sitting in boxes on a sea of tables, and he busied himself combing through them for several minutes, just trying to wait out the rain, see how long it lasted, if it was going to be a brief downpour or an extended one.
He saw a lot of titles that interested him. If the business had been open already, he would have bought some. He saw a security guard around the corner. He made himself discreet.
He slipped away before much longer.
He saw a lot of titles that interested him. If the business had been open already, he would have bought some. He saw a security guard around the corner. He made himself discreet.
He slipped away before much longer.
Rory 10.2
It began raining almost immediately. Rory's phone had one of those apps that allowed him to look up the forecast. He rarely watched the news anymore, so the incessant weather updates hotly promoted by the local channels didn't mean anything to him.
The rain was refreshing, a slow build-up of drips at first, comforting in anticipation, waiting to see where they would strike him next. Then they picked up and he wondered if he would regret the absence of an umbrella.
Rory didn't mind getting caught in the rain. As a kid he would sometimes go romp in the driveway during a storm.
Ten and then twenty minutes into the downpour, and Rory was so wet it no longer mattered. He was wearing his bandana. That was good enough.
The rain was refreshing, a slow build-up of drips at first, comforting in anticipation, waiting to see where they would strike him next. Then they picked up and he wondered if he would regret the absence of an umbrella.
Rory didn't mind getting caught in the rain. As a kid he would sometimes go romp in the driveway during a storm.
Ten and then twenty minutes into the downpour, and Rory was so wet it no longer mattered. He was wearing his bandana. That was good enough.
Rory 10.1
Rory woke up after a restless night, having had trouble falling asleep, waking up, and hearing his alarm, silencing it, sleeping more, and finally being roused awake...
He slipped on his bandana. He didn't really have any plans, but the bandana gave him something to focus on, a starting point. It was still early but the sky was brightening and life had quickly resumed its busy patterns.
He stepped out and prepared to discover something.
He slipped on his bandana. He didn't really have any plans, but the bandana gave him something to focus on, a starting point. It was still early but the sky was brightening and life had quickly resumed its busy patterns.
He stepped out and prepared to discover something.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
The George Lucas Star Wars Episode VII: The Journal of the Whills
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...
In the microbiotic world of the Whills, the original Force practitioners who interact directly with midi-chlorians as conduits, inserting them into sticks that look and function like wizard wands, an orphan youth named Bendu watches a vision of Darth Plagueis betrayed and murdered by his apprentice, Darth Sidious. It is an unnatural act that grants Sidious great power and long life, and it sends ripples through the Force, knocking Bendu out of the vision and clear off his feet.
He seeks comfort from his people, but the Whills, always busy giving invisible advice to the greater world around them, have no time for him, except for Ophuchi, his talking pet. Together, Bendu and Ophuchi look for someone who will take his vision seriously, until they come across CJ, who came to the Whills years ago after accidentally learning of their existence. As a forced resident, CJ has been looking for ways to justify his time with the Whills.
The trio meet Deak, whom CJ instantly falls in love with. The problem is that Deak is also the daughter of Kane, the emperor of the Whills, and she's on the outs with him for her constant rebellious behavior. This makes her a natural ally of Bendu, but not really a step closer to reaching his goal.
The real problem is that Deak is not exactly shy about her efforts to subvert her father's authority. She ignores Bendu's protests and submits his vision directly to the opposition council, of which everyone knows Deak is a member. Bendu knows this will make it even harder for him to be taken seriously. But the council president, Cos, immediately grasps the importance of the vision, and vows to confront Kane with it.
When his petition is summarily rejected, Cos challenges Kane to a duel. Everyone is shocked when Cos wins, and Kane fades into the Force, but in retaliation Cos, the opposition council, and Deak are sent into exile.
Bendu, Ophuchi, and CJ follow, and are just in time to witness the Force initiating the conception of Anakin Skywalker...They see Darth Sidious off in the distance, cackling. Bendu's vision has just accelerated.
In the microbiotic world of the Whills, the original Force practitioners who interact directly with midi-chlorians as conduits, inserting them into sticks that look and function like wizard wands, an orphan youth named Bendu watches a vision of Darth Plagueis betrayed and murdered by his apprentice, Darth Sidious. It is an unnatural act that grants Sidious great power and long life, and it sends ripples through the Force, knocking Bendu out of the vision and clear off his feet.
He seeks comfort from his people, but the Whills, always busy giving invisible advice to the greater world around them, have no time for him, except for Ophuchi, his talking pet. Together, Bendu and Ophuchi look for someone who will take his vision seriously, until they come across CJ, who came to the Whills years ago after accidentally learning of their existence. As a forced resident, CJ has been looking for ways to justify his time with the Whills.
The trio meet Deak, whom CJ instantly falls in love with. The problem is that Deak is also the daughter of Kane, the emperor of the Whills, and she's on the outs with him for her constant rebellious behavior. This makes her a natural ally of Bendu, but not really a step closer to reaching his goal.
The real problem is that Deak is not exactly shy about her efforts to subvert her father's authority. She ignores Bendu's protests and submits his vision directly to the opposition council, of which everyone knows Deak is a member. Bendu knows this will make it even harder for him to be taken seriously. But the council president, Cos, immediately grasps the importance of the vision, and vows to confront Kane with it.
When his petition is summarily rejected, Cos challenges Kane to a duel. Everyone is shocked when Cos wins, and Kane fades into the Force, but in retaliation Cos, the opposition council, and Deak are sent into exile.
Bendu, Ophuchi, and CJ follow, and are just in time to witness the Force initiating the conception of Anakin Skywalker...They see Darth Sidious off in the distance, cackling. Bendu's vision has just accelerated.
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