In the summer several years ago a priest blessed us all and told us God was always with us. I believed that priest, but then I met a man named Niram Goings and that all changed. Niram was a fraud, plain and simple. He’d con himself out of a nickel if it were possible. The problem with Niram is he has 500,000 followers of his Mystic Healing Academy. Not a bad group of people to align with if they weren’t bat shit crazy. Still, allies are everywhere if you’re desperate. As we rode along the red marble streets of Goar I saw people praying in the streets and beating themselves with red bats. This was a common practice for the believer’s in Niram, but I still didn’t have to like it. With the money and influence he had ferreted away Niram was able to build vast castles for him and his frock. They were obnoxious, and quite frankly I blame the nanobots, who else? I heard choruses of Niram’s music being sung from the balconies and rooftops. This was ordinary for them and not so much for the rest of us. The wind was picking up and the smell of warm drugs was in the air, to each his own brother bear.
“What now?” asked Vola as she leaned out the side of the car and grabbed a bushel of grapes from a fruit stand. Vola was growing on me and I was becoming dependent upon her. This was not ordinary for me as I kept to myself, but welcome.
“Easy,” whispered Heroy as he moved Big Dan to the side and saw NIram about to do a human sacrifice in the street. Heroy’s eyes grew wide and he said stunned,” He has no shame, none at all.”
Niram slit the young man’s throat and pushed him down the street on the seat of a red bicycle. The crowd hummed and made a hand gesture to the sky. These not normal people and this certainly was not a
safe place to bed down. I watched Niram lick the blood from the blade and drink a large chalice of wine a moment later. He was the scourge I had heard of, but he knew the Miren and we needed them. The Miren were an army of assassins that worked in the shadows. They could turn the tide against The Floating Man.
Niram noticed men and froze. He recognized me from a party at the empirical castle. I vaguely remember talking to him, but judging by his reaction he remembered me. He walked right down the center of the street and stood inches in front of our car smiling.
“The Floating Man has sent a messenger,” announced Niram as if that was what we were all thinking. He revealed in his power and it was no secret to anyone.
“No…we’re here about a matter with the Miren. Can you help us?” I asked smoothly as I leapt from the car into the street. I could see he admired my love of the theatrical. This might be the in we needed.
Niram smiled and shook his finger like a stick. It was as if I was some precocious child asking for the car keys. I didn’t like his arrogance, but I needed him. “Please, that’s a foolish question.”
“How so?” asked Vola as she stepped forward and ran her hand through her hair. Niram noticed and was aroused by this.
“Well, Pretty Lady…”
“Vola.”
“Vola, the Miren don’t exist, and if they did I would a fool to tell you where they are. So, is there anything else?” asked Niram as he pulled a glowing red cube from his pocket.
“What would it take? What’s your price I mean?” asked Vola as she produced a pure Tonee crystal (a popular drug among the elites) and handed it to Niram. Niram looked it over and grinned and Vola asked,” Is that enough?”
“Ha ha, ha, I don’t…maybe it is, but if I tell you, you can’t recall this conversation to anyone. If The Floating Man found out he’d kill us all.”
I stepped forward with my finger to my lips and Niram waved over a floating barge for us to travel on. It was more luxury than I was used too. The seats were so comfortable I felt uneasy even sitting on them for fear I might rip the fabric. Off we went, through a series of tunnels and then down a sharp hill.
The walls of the tunnel had hundreds of round wooden homes built into it. The lights from the homes created an odd ambiance that gave me a short respite from my thoughts. The ways that people live always astounds me.
“I’m falling for you, Leftic, just thought you should know,” said Vola in the sweetest voice I’d ever heard. I leaned in and kissed her. Soft lips thank God.
“It’s around this corner, wise up and get serious!” said Niram sharply as he stood and adjusted his shirt. We rode around a corner and saw the black superstructure that the Miren used to train. It was enormous and far from what I thought nanobots could build. The Miren walked with a purpose and were firing guns and using vaporizing helmets on rubber men and women. I felt for their tailor’s. Just as our ship ran aground everyone stopped and rushed over to us. Niram smiled and said brightly,” I’ve brought friends, Testassio, good friends.”
Testassio was shorter than me but wider than a truck. His forearms made me nervous. His dark green eyes were piercing and put me off. Then I smelt it, sweet beef and bread stew, yes.
“Friends, of who The Floating man?” asked Testassio angrily as he produced a glowing death disc (they went through anything so catch wasn’t happening.”
“No…no not friends of The Floating Man, anything but,” I answered as I surveyed the walls for a possible escape route, but it looked like there was only 2 tunnels to the surface. “We need you, all your men and women to help us end the tyrannical reign of The Floating Man.”
Testassio smiled and scratched the side of his face with his forefinger. Who was this man I wondered? He waved his prostitute sister Heloa. She was a knockout but the woman’s occupation meant you were asking for trouble. Still, she was beautiful with long flowing black hair.
“Heloa, prepare the royal room for our guests. Wait…what’s that?” asked Testassio nervously as he saw a single beam of red light coming out of the left tunnel. He quickly signaled the Miren to prepare for battle. Out of the tunnel came pouring out The Floating Man’s troops in tanks and floating cars, it was on.
“We must run!” I said frantically as I pulled on Vola’s arm. Heroy and Big Dan raced up the sandy hill to the only escape route. Then I heard it, The Floating Man yelling out orders through a megaphone.
How did he find us? We must have been tracked but how?
Vola and I ran up the hill as laser blasts blew gaping holes in the sand. Then a Rattler canon send a spiral energy wave into the Miren’s superstructure blowing a massive path of destruction through it. The walls were blazing like a handful of cigarettes and we were officially running for our lives. The Floating came racing into the tunnel laughing as he did. I locked eyes with him and he could only smile. He must have planted a tracking device on me but where?
“Hurry, Heroy!” shouted Big Dan as he ducked a laser blast and then he saw the ceiling starting to collapse. Big Dan was no fool he knew if it fell we were all dead. Heroy picked up his knees and the MIren returned force with force taking out 4 of The Floating Man’s tanks. It was crazy time as the ceiling started to collapse. Giant shards of rock fell on the Miren and The Floating sped away. That spineless coward how could he leave his troops behind.
“I’ve got Air Bikes! Please it’s the only way out!” said Testassio as he opened a secret passageway in the rock. We hurried over and mounted the bikes. Instantly we started racing for the surface as the tunnel behind us completely collapsed, killing hundreds of The Floating Man’s troops.
The surface was in sight but there was a storm brewing. We feared it could be a hurricane. Out of the puddle into the swamp is all I could think. Vola rode past me and blew me a kiss. For a moment I was distracted by this, but then I saw the hail and lighting and knew this could be it.
“Everyone stay close to the hillside the trees will block the hail,” said Heroy as he sped up an embankment and then under a grove of trees.
“What about the lighting?” I asked loudly as I followed him.
“I can’t work miracles! Just ride,” replied Heroy as he drove into branch covered driveway. We all rode through the trees fearing for our lives. There comes a point though where you wonder if it’s worth dying in fear. Then something kicks in and you’re brave again.
As we rode for a solid mile in this tunnel of sorts, I worried I had a tracking device on me. I fingered around in my pockets and found nothing. I tried my pants and saw there was just denim nothing more.
Then it dawned on that my shoes might be bugged. We drove up to a farmhouse as the lighting strikes were all around us and wrecking trees and even a cow was electrocuted. The farmhouse was large, 5
stories high and filled with brightly lit windows. These people paid little mind to the storm. They simply walked outside and waved us over.
“Let’s hurry, this is getting Crazy!” yelled Vola as she ran towards the house. Behind us the lighting blew Vola’s Air Bike to pieces. We could us a break already.
“Yeah, hurry now, hurry,” said Marble Ways-the owner of the house-she was short and had short white hair. Her glasses were blue tinted and her green sweater said “Blame the Cook” on it. I liked her already. Inside I looked around for a place to sit down as there were trinkets everywhere.
“What’s wrong?” asked Vola as she watched me yanking my shoes off.
“Just a second,” I answered as I pulled off my shoes. I looked through my shoes and then I noticed the heel on the right shoe was thicker. I looked around for something to cut it with and Marble handed me a machete. Again, I like her.
“That’s should crack it, Young Man,” said Marble as she grinned.
“Is it a tracking device?”
“I don’t know, Big Dan, but it might…be. Look,” I said triumphantly as I produced a blinking red tracking capsule. I continued, “I knew it. We have to get rid of this somehow.”
“Hand it to me, Son,” said Marble as she put her little left hand out in front of me. I put the capsule in her hand and acted like she was going to eat it.
“Just kidding, Folks, I’ve got an idea,” said Marble as she lead us to the side door. There was a mail drone sitting on her porch that she was going to mail some letters with. She put the capsule in an envelope and then slid it into the drone. The drone lifted off and raced away. Try finding us now Floating Man.
“Thank you,” I said warmly and then we all introduced ourselves. Marble went into the kitchen and came back out with tray after tray of hot, delicious, food. Now we’re talkin’.
“Even without the tracker The Floating Man could find us, Leftic.”
“How is that, Dan, we could be anywhere,” I answered as I ate a succulent red berry pie.
“Because, Leftic, he’ll know at the least we were here. Think about it,” said Big Dan as he eyed his meat and gravy.
“He’s got a point, we can’t stay here,” said Vola as she sprung to her feet to watch a massive lightning burst only some 50 yards away.
“Then we ride, thank you, Marble, for the meal. We owe you,” I said warmly as I took one last bite and Marble grabbed me and gave me a hug. I needed that hug as odd as it is to say.
“Goodbye then, but not forever,” said Marble as she walked over to each of us and gently touched our shoulder.
We rode the hellfish out of there and soon we saw the problem, The Floating Man was on the warpath. He had his troop’s randomly shooting and beating people. We were up against it and we knew it.
“Do you ever love somebody?” asked Vola as she smiled over to me. I grinned and nodded my head yes. I could see now Vola was special, not just another woman. We rode for 8 hours and came crashing into the Holy High Delta, what now?
Chapter 4
Hammer Gods and the Golarian City in the Sky
Hi I’m Beti, a carpenter by trade and purposefully always seeking. My friend Vick and I are in plain text: going to kill the Floating Man. That’s right, take him out and free us all forever. 4 times in the last week we’ve been close enough to see him, but not close enough to take him out, it’s coming. The Floating Man is going to die a horrific death at my hands believe it.
“What now?”
“I’m not sure, Vick, I’m not sure we can get close enough to him with those guards searching everyone.”
“But, Beti, he loves good looking women what if you distract him and I’ll take the shot?”
“No…it has to be me that kill’s him, that’s final,” I said sharply as I adjusted my pants and pulled up both legs. I pulled out my lipstick (cherry red) and applied it heavily. Vick had a point, why not fool him with my looks. We’ll see, you never know.
50 yards away The Floating Man took a golden stage and grabbed the microphone and said drunkenly,” People…worthless pieces of flesh and shit I will tell you what to think. From here on in your minds are MINE!” yelled The Floating Man as he glared at the large crowd. He raised his hands and shot electricity into the air as he laughed like a demon.
“The Floating Man, there’s not enough of us here to keep you safe,” said Picture Howe-he was The Foalting Man’s personal bodyguard-as The Floating Man took a long swig off a bottle of Vodka.
“Idiot, no one would dare shut your mouth. I rule everything and they KNOW IT! They just excrement on my shoe, nothing more!” snarled The Floating Man as he shook Picture by the throat. The crowd was swelling and the sun was hot.
Vick and I worked our way through the crowd careful not to draw too much attention to ourselves. I could see The Floating Man laughing as he covered himself in a electrical cloud. Maybe this was my chance?
“Rabble, fools, losers, bait never forget where the power lies!” shouted The Floating Man as he started to float out over the crowd. His security scrambled to get into the crowd, but they were stuck at the edges. The Floating Man randomly picked people to electrocute and they died smiling in his eye. He knew if the world was a cult he would have absolute power. That was his ultimate aim, to control everyone.
“Now, Beti, now!” said Vick quickly as he pushed me forward. I pulled a supercharged Gaimer out of my coat. I had it wired to kill anyone it hit square. I felt my heart racing and the sweat was racing down my forehead and into my eyes. I was terrified and overjoyed at the same time. I watched The Floating Man get closer and closer. Was this it?
“Now!” shouted The Floating Man as he shot lightning bolts into the crowd. “Now is all I require, all of Now. Young Lady why so serious?” asked The Floating Man as his glowing eyes met mine. This was it and I knew it. “Is there something you’d like to say?” asked The Floating Man snidely as he cackled at me.
“Just one thing,” I replied sternly as I re-gripped the Gaimer.
“Anything, what is it?”
“Do dead people give speeches?” I asked coyly as I swung the Gaimer hard around from my right shoulder. The Floating was ready and used a ball of electricity to soften the blow, but he was still blasted
backwards onto the stage. “Die you pig!” I shouted as I swung the Gaimer at The Floating Man’s legs hitting his left ankle. Then I felt a large hand grab the side of my face and slam me to the ground. Damn it, they had me.
“I’m alright, it’s just a minor sprain,” said The Floating Man as the crowd ran in every direction away from the stage. He looked up and saw me in leg and hand elevation bracelets (they floated your body horizontal to the ground). He laughed the laugh of an old pompous fool who’d outwitted his 6 year old grandson. The Floating Man rose into the air and then swept like a breeze down to where I was. He slid his hand under my chin and said snidely,” No, but The Floating Man does. You, Little Woman, are about to feel pain on the grandest scale. Hold her up!” ordered The Floating Man as he started spinning at an unbelievable rate. He spun so fast he looked like a geyser of lightning bolts. I looked around and I knew I was dead, not just dead but dead by horrible means.
“Beti, what do we do?” asked Vick as she was floated over to me also in elevation bracelets.
“Oh God, they got you too. I’m sorry, Beti, I really am,” I said apologetically as The Floating Man stopped spinning abruptly and wrapped electricity around us both. He started slowly electrocuting us.
“Ladies, you’ve crossed a line with no steps back. You can’t take back a hand grenade,” said The Floating Man snidely as he smiled like he was better than us all. “Now for the fun PART!” he shouted as he upped the voltage. I didn’t last long (no one does friend) and my body shook until it exploded. Vick was given the same fate and the same horror. The Floating Man had won again.
84,003 Friday The 17th of Goabear
Heroy was getting impatient with the way our forces were coming together. Testassio joins us to plan for a few weeks but soon he was off to recruit the different factions for the war against The Floating Man.
Vola and I were in love, and I don’t mean in a small way. I had decided to ask her to marry me and be my wife. I just needed the right moment and I was convinced that moment would come. Big Dan was
hatching a plan to steal weapons from the Holyoak Barracks (The Floating Man’s personal arsenal). If we were to do it that meant putting our life’s and the plans we had made in jeopardy. So what, we needed guns and we needed ammunition, screw it. As I sat on a dusty hill I watched the sun rise up over a vast lake. It gave me a sense of awe with the beautiful colors. It made me remember there was a time before The Floating Man if even hard to conceive of now. There were large beasts running up and down the small hills nearby and the birds were singing a waltz. How could all this splendor have gone so wrong?
Niram rode past me on a bouncing animal yet unnamed and threw a packet of ice cream at my feet (at least it was chocolate even if it was dusty).
“What say you, Good Lord?” proclaimed Niram as he nearly fell off the animal. I laughed and bite into the ice cream.
“Only small things…no substance at all!” I yelled back as I smiled and then bite into the ice cream. I felt happy in this moment and I needed it.
“Good, then you won’t mind some company,” said Vola as she walked up the mound to where I was sitting. Her smile gave me hope every time. “We’re close, Big Dan has his plan finished and I know it will work.”
I nodded and then kissed her with all I had. ”Sorry, Miss, I thought you were my wife,” I said sarcastically, but also to test her reaction to any potential proposal. She smiled a girlish smile and her cheeks got red, I knew she loved me.
“Hey…let’s go I got the plan!” yelled Big Dan as he shot a small bottle-rocket at the base of the mound. We smiled and got up quick. Something about an explosion that it catches your attention. We followed Big Dan into the hangar bay and he pointed to the glowing 20 foot computer screen and then said happily,” Watch this!”
“Watch what?” I asked as nothing happened. Big Dan smiled and he lifted his hand to press a button.
The screen went red and then we saw the layout of The Floating Man’s famous Holyoak Barracks. The picture was slowing moving towards the roof of the depot.
“See, there’s a problem with his walls of defense.”
“What’s that, Dan?” asked Vola as she played with my hair.
“The roof has a large door with no lock. See, here it opens up to over 30 feet. That’s more than enough to steal all we need and more,” said Big Dan excitedly as his enthusiasm was certainly contagious.
“Ok, fine how the hell are we going to get up there and steal the stuff?” asked Heroy as he slid in beside me and put his arm around me.
“The boy without his crayons, please. All’s we have to do is wait until nighttime. Ya see they only have 3 guards at night and they’re all around the perimeter,” started Big Dan as he smiled and the graphics showed a schematic of the lighting systems. Big Dan continued,” All’s we have to do is put out the lights. We shut them off at the circuit breakers and no one will see us coming and going. Remember, this spot is remote and on a cloudy night it will be…pitch black. That’s my kinda night.”
Heroy stood up and made his way to the computer screen. He pointed to the back fence and said,”
What if these tanks are occupied, then what?”
“Makes no difference, Devil’s Advocate, they won’t see us either. We’ll use night vision and in the matter of 24 minutes we can load all the goods, the guns and ammo into the drones and we’re gone like a stiff breeze,” said Big Dan proudly as he pulled out a long cigar and pit it.
“He has his moments,” I whispered to Vola and then Heroy laughed and started to nearly jump out of his clothes.
“Well, Big Dan, there’s just one thing. How do you plan to fly us over The Floating Man’s sleeping army without them hearing us?” asked Heroy as he tugged on Big Dan’s cigar and smiled.
“I tell ya, where’s the faith?” asked Big Dan slyly and then he changed the graphic to show the drones flying high above the clouds. “We’re going higher than they can see or Hear. It’s perfect.”
“Perfect plans go to shit all the time, Dan. I mean…what happens if we get caught?” asked Vola as she stood up and pulled her shorts down.
Big Dan smiled and said,” We won’t, we’ve got them this time.”
I took a look around and then laughed. I grabbed Big Dan around the waist and lifted him high into the air. I said warmly,” How do you do it, Big Dan?”
“Put me down and I’ll tell ya,” said Big Dan and then I set him down softly and he said happily,”
Just because I’m small doesn’t mean my thoughts are too. My father was an expert Peng player, it’s hereditary.” Peng being the ultimate game of strategy that most gave up on due to its complexities. If he was good at that then he was as smart as anyone alive. Good genes Dan.
2 days later at the launch site
My father always spoke of the Hammer Gods and the Golarian city in the sky. I knew they didn’t exist, but the stories were so vivid and powerful I didn’t care. He talked about Bog-the Hammer God who ruled over our grandest emotions-and how he constantly kept the world from going off the rails. I dreamed of Bog and always felt better that he existed if only in my mind. We loaded up the drones with 3
of us per drone. Vola, Big Dan, and myself were on one and it was far from luxurious. We were each crammed in there with a very rudimentary set of drone controls. The night was cloudy and out here in the country it was dark as hell. We lifted off and started soaring over the beautiful countryside. I couldn’t
help thinking this whole plan could crumble and I could die. That was just a side though as I knew this was the only way to take out The Floating Man.
“We’re close, total silence from here on in!” said Big Dan sharply as his hand shook and his eyes looked around rapidly. Vola held my hand and I kept my eyes on the troops below. 2 of the soldiers were kicking a glowing blue ball back and forth. Good, they’re preoccupied that’s lucky for us. I took off my jacket and watched the drones slowly lower to the roof of the Holyoak. Big Dan and I hopped out and looked around for the roof controls. Big Dan looked around nervously as he inspected the controls. He mouthed the words,” It’s locked.”
I whispered,” What, you idiot there’s no turning back now!”
Big Dan pulled out a large laser hammer and pushed it through the top of the lock. The lock, like most poor shots in war, was destroyed and we slid that giant door open. Big Dan and I rode down into the barracks as I night goggles gave us the vision we desperately needed. The room was filled with weapons of death. So Many that it was like choosing between diamonds, they’re all the same to me. We began loading up the drones and then I heard someone talking and I froze. I walked around a large stack of missiles and saw a guard passed out on a red couch. Damn this is not good is all I could think. I knew then it would take all I had to take him out without anyone hearing
“Big Dan,” I whispered as I waved to him, but he was too busy grabbing his bounty to pay attention.
I turned back to the guard and he was starting to wake up. Moment of truth I thought. If he yells out we’re all dead. I pulled out my 14 inch blade and jogged in between the missiles over to where I could almost touch the guard. He lit up a cigarette and turned his head quickly. I was terrified, he knew I was there and he got up quick. I lunged forward and began wrestling with the guard. He tried to yell out but I covered his mouth with my left hand. I slapped his left eye and then put my blade up under his chin. He fought me off pretty good, but the blade was slowly going up through his chin and mouth. I started to shake, I wasn’t
ready for this I was terrified. Then he slipped and the blade went straight up through his head and into his brain. He fell to the floor and didn’t make a sound. I had killed a man in cold blood who was I now.
Big Dan tapped my shoulder and I almost put my blade through his eye. Big Dan said softly,” We need you to help us lift something, come on.”
“Ok, of course,” is all I could muster as I watched my left hand shake uncontrollably. Dan led me over to the back of the hangar bay and then I saw it, the Boto bomb-the most powerful weapon there was.
“It’s heavy, but we can get it,” whispered Heroy as he pulled me over to the side of the 600 pound bomb. It looked like a toy with its red plastic covering and the glowing keyboard on the side, but this was no toy folks, this was it.
We each grabbed a piece of it and started to lift. Big Dan dipped the nose of one of the drones and we started to slide it in. It dawned on me suddenly if we dropped this there was a chance it would blow.
Just then Niram lost his grip and the Boto started to fall. We grabbed it with all we had and luckily it stopped an inch from the cement floor. We lifted it again and then the front door started to crack open. Oh God we’re caught is all that went through my head. A soldier walked over to the soda machine and started kicking it. Meanwhile we lifted the Boto up into the drone and using great stealth (and nervous legs) we got back into the drones. We lifted into the air when the soldier turned on the lights. He could see us clear as day and he was too stunned to do anything.
“Thanks, Bud, we’ll see ya!” yelled out Big Dan as he waved his hand and smiled.
We flew all night and when we got back it time to party. We were due some good news and this was the best. Screw The Floating Man we weren’t scared of that jackass, not anymore.