Blood of the Free - Chapter One: Traitor Amongst Allies

I woke with a start as the horn blew to call me and my men to the mess hall for breakfast. I had slept for eight hours, but it felt like days. I guess I was tired, after fighting all week. I wanted to go back to sleep, but then Lt. Maosa would come and blow the horn right in my ear. I heard him call my name, seeing as I was the last to get up. Sgt. Harold Daverson, Sgt. Harold Daverson, why couldn’t I be someone else today? I thought. I guess it wouldn’t matter, today there would be a huge assault on an enemy fortification sixteen klicks south of here, and everyone was going, it was general mobilization.

When I arrived at the mess hall I was still half asleep and hungry.  We were low on supplies, so the higher ups were being really tight about rationing. I wolfed down my breakfast and went for a jog around base to wake me up and get my blood pumping. When I got back I polished my standard issue plasma pistol and assault rifle, then my old rifle from all the way back in WWII. Ballistic weapons were looked down upon due to their use of ammunition and inferior power, but I held on to it because it had been passed down in my family for generations.

I had some extra time, so I began working on a micro reactor I salvaged from an enemy weapon. The technology was amazing. By using advanced nanotechnology, the unit was 38% smaller, allowing a larger magnification unit. That creates a more powerful weapon. I opened my rifle’s access hatch and installed the new reactor. Without the matching magnifier, my weapon wouldn’t be any more powerful, but it was lighter. Wait. I thought. I searched my room and found an old magnifying glass. I extracted the lens and inserted it into my weapon. I did the math and it should increase my power by 17%, and my rifle will still be somewhat lighter.

I got a call from the lieutenant saying he needed to see me immediately. He said something about “testing a new weapon”. I entered his personal barracks and asked him what was up, he said he was “innovating the battlefield”, and stepped aside to reveal a huge artillery unit. He mentioned something about “destroying war one soldier at a time”. All of a sudden the barrel of the artillery started glowing a bright red. The lieutenant screamed “This will be the end of your life, and the beginning of my empire!”

Tell-Tale Heart Essay

In Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”, the narrator tells a story of murder that seems a bit odd, and tries to prove that he is not insane. There are several occurrences that make him seem one or the other but this is fiction, so it could be interpreted as either. Although to me, he seems quite sane, some people think otherwise and therefore, it is up to the reader which is the truth.  

Although some things may make him seem insane, such as the fact he keeps trying to convince us he’s not, the narrator has a point in what he says. A madman would have simply charged the old man with a knife, but that was not the case. He proceeded quite carefully, dismembering the body so it could be hidden well, leaving no trace of his doings, and always acting in the pitch black cover of the night.

So although he may seem crazy at first, I don’t believe he is. To me the narrator seems like an intelligent person, with an eye for detail. He probably could have gotten away with it if he didn’t confess in the end. So, is he really insane? I think not.

Am I Proud?

The United States has won wars, demolished slavery and segregation, and yet you still need to ask me if I am proud of my country? Are you truly blind to the obvious answer? Of course I am proud of my country. In this country we can be free, while still upholding relative order compared to the chaos in other parts of the world. Although I do not agree with everything our country has done, no one ever really is. But when you take everything and sum it all up, there is no reason I can see not to be proud

Dark Paladin: Head of Thieves, and Thief of Heads

The dark paladin,

Head of thieves,

And thief of heads,

An evil person from evil days,

Strode along in his long black robe,

With his accompanying band of thieves,

His horse,

Nicknamed Jet for its speed,

Always seemed to float,

And although scientifically impossible,

No one ever questioned it,

As he appears to be able to break the laws of nature,

I lost my head to that horrid man,

When his blade cut not my throat,

But the soul that connected it to my body,

Now it is but a mere trophy for him,

And I live on without memories of times past,

Though I have forgotten all else,

I will never forget that man,

Nor the night he took my head,

That evil man from evil days,

The dark paladin,

Head of thieves,

And thief of heads.

Fall of a Flower

A flower,

Fallen and deceased,

Actually seemed quite beautiful with its bright yellow petals,

Surrounded by their deep purple trim,

Although dry,

As if the life was literally sucked out of it,

The flower still had a relaxing scent to it,

But alas,

It shall soon meet its end,

Once again becoming part of the earth,

Fertilizing the flowers and other plants,

That will eventually follow in its footsteps,

And continue the circle of life.

Essay Hook

            The ESRB have a tendency to be hated by me, and likely, many other kids. They put age limits on video games making parents not buy them because of their ratings, and making kids unable to buy them on their own. I can’t stand them, as they have ruined my chances of getting the best new war games available.

Fight to Survive - Chapter 3: The Dongunians Arrive!

It had been hours since we ejected from the ship and our food stores were low. The captain, a skeleton-like robot with an AI program unlike anything I had seen before, was charging in the rear corridor. The escape pod wasn't much of a pod, actually. It resembled something of a small battleship on the outside, with a luxurious house-like interior. Unfortunately, our fuel supply was nearly nonexistent, and our hull was punctured when we flew through an asteroid field. I managed to patch it with a jagged shard of metal while the captain was charging. "Holy crap!" I exclaimed as a fleet of Dongunian warships came out of hyper space. "Cloaking systems, activated!" I commanded.

"Cloaking systems online," replied the ship's control unit.

"Thank god," I whispered to myself.

"What?" asked the captain.

"That," I said while pointing to the warships.

"My god, that thing is huge," he gasped.

He plugged himself into the communication station and attempted to access it.

MALIN OTARU
RANK: CAPTAIN
SHIP: EXVIGONIAL 6250
CLASS: STEALTH CRUISER

ACCESS GRANTED
LOGGING IN…
HAILING FLEET…
HAIL ACCEPTED
CONNECTING...

"Who's there!?" boomed the Dongunian general.

"I am Captain Otaru of the Rotari Defensive Alliance Division 832" replied the captain.

"And I am Shadow Darkfire from the planet Delta 4," I added.

"Otaru… Where have I heard that before?" said the general.

"We wish to pass your fleet unharmed," stated the captain.

"Go ahead."

We passed through the fleet and began to talk about what had just happened.

"Otaru? I thought you were a mere android!" I blurted out.

"I was trying to avoid these questions, but now it seems I have no other choice," replied the captain.

I stood there, paralyzed as he continued.

"It seems the Dongunians are on the move again," said the captain. "And in much, much larger numbers. Shadow, how would you like to join the RDA Division 832? Shadow?"

I shook of the paralysis and began to speak, "I would love to Captain Otaru."

"Great! We'll start first thing in the morning."

 On that note, we headed off to bed, thinking of the coming adventure...

To Be Continued…

Fight to Survive - Chapter 2: The Intruders

I glided through the shadows, peering around the corners, unsure of what to expect. It seemed as if whatever destroyed the ship left. Then, after making sure the area was clear, I hacked into the panel locking up the armory. The supply was limited to a rusty handgun and a small combat knife. I gathered them up along with all the ammo I could find. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

 
 

As I approached the bridge I noticed two figures talking. They were not humans, nor anything I had ever seen. As I looked at the confusing scene, I noticed a balled up hunk of beaten metal in the nearby corner. I quickly scuttled over and cut him free. I told him to wait there as I snuck into the cockpit at the front of the bridge. I noticed that one was big, burly and armed, while the other was fat with a big head. I jumped out and grabbed the fat one, my knife held to his throat. A trickle of blood ran down his neck, staining my knife. The other creature was quite dumb, and started shooting. Dead, I dropped the obese freak of nature to the ground and shot the other one in the leg. He screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground, trying to bandage the wound with a scrap of fabric from his shirt. I decided to put him out of his misery and slit his throat.

 
 

The ship was out of fuel and heading for a nearby star. I scrambled for the escape pods and was about to launch when I remembered the captain. He was losing oil fast and I was short on supplies. I took a scrap of metal from the ship and welded it on with a fire nearby. We barely escaped the explosion as the Exvigonial 6250 crashed into the star. Now we were hurtling through space in a cramped escape pod, with little food…

 
 

 
 

To Be Continued…

Fight to Survive - Chapter 1: Captured!

Author's Note: I needed a break from my other series which is hard to write for, since it originated as a journal. This one, however, was made to be a series and I plan to make it a good one. Please enjoy.


"Where am I…" I mumbled groggily. "I remember falling, down into the abyss. How did I get here?"

 "You are on the space cruiser Exvigonial 6250," said a mysterious voice.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I am Unit 69384, the automated pilot of this vessel. You may call me captain." replied the voice.

"Okay, 'Captain', what are you going to do to me?

"You will be sent to the island where we send our more intelligent specimens."

"Thanks for the compliment, I think. Now, how do I get home?"

"Hmm, I like you specimen 189374, you've got spunk. If you can survive and beat the final boss, I will grant you your freedom."

"First of all, call me Shadow. Second of all, have anything to get me started?"

"Yes, Shadow, I do. In the pack under your seat you will find a hammer, hatchet, pickaxe, tinderbox, and 50 pieces of gold. You will find several towns on the island too."

"Thank you."

"I didn't say it was free."

"What!?"

"Defeat these drones to receive the pack."

Five drones entered the room, as if the previous sentence was their cue. I kicked the first one in the head and chucked it at the second, which held a long metal staff. I picked up the staff and took out another drone with ease. The fourth drone also had a staff and caught me off guard. It struck a shattering blow and broke my staff in two. I jabbed it with the jagged edge of the shorter half and hit the core, shorting out the drone. I took it's staff along with the other half of mine and bashed the final drone into pieces.

"Here's your staff," I said.

"Keep it, you might need it," replied the captain.

"Thanks."

I slept well that night, knowing I would have a chance to go home. When I woke up I gathered my stuff and went to thank the captain, but strangely enough, the door wouldn't budge. I tried again, pushing with all my strength. No luck. I decided that there must be something blocking the door and knew the only way to get out was through the air vents. I stood on my bed and heaved myself up and into the vent. I dropped down outside my door and looked in amazement. There wasn't anything there, the ship was on lockdown. I looked around and saw nothing but punctured walls, scorched floors, and bent doors. Something was definitely wrong…

To be Continued...

Trouble Atop Pluto Base: Part III

I woke up with a startled look on my face. I heard a howl nearby, and was sure that something was here. I peeked out over a small rock, my eyes barely visible. I saw a flare wolf scouting around a nearby crevice. A long time ago, a small meteor crashed here and released several species of lava monsters. The flare wolves served as loyal scout. Like the rest of the species that landed, they're capable of producing a warm, flammable gas that keeps them alive, even out here. I hid myself behind the rock I slept by last night. If the flare wolf found me, it would drag me back to their camp, dead if required, and use me for food. I needed to find their home, but I didn't feel like getting eaten today, or any day, for that matter. I tossed a pebble at the back of the cave, and crept out of the cave. When he had determined that the area was clear, the fearsome creature began its journey back home, unaware I was behind it the whole time. Hours later, I saw their camp, along with an obvious supply line leading home. I had to report this. Once I sent the message, I looked for more information. I saw something and went to investigate. Bows, arrows, armor, they were planning an invasion! I reached for my phone, and found a blaze warrior...

Trouble Atop Pluto Base: Part II

Author's Note: This is an extention of a previous post. Please DO NOT READ until you have read the first part. Enjoy.

The beam creaked and groaned under my weight. The path was becoming steeper and more difficult to climb as the beam continued to bend. Then I heard it. The erie squeek followed by a sharp snap. The metal that was holding me up fell down into the crater below. I snached at the remaining stub unsuccessfully, as the shards of metal cut deep into my hand. I made no attempts to bandage it, for I knew I was finished. I heard a sharp thud as the old beam managed to strech itself across the crater, and an even sharper clang when I fell on top of it. The beam crunched under the impact and my hand was bleeding furiously. I grunted repeatedly as I climbed up the beam, trying to ignore the pain. I leapt at the edge of the crater as the rusted chunk of metal fell into the seemingly endless pit of darkness. I was far below the construction site, and knew I would have to fend for myself until I could get back up there. I tore off a scrap of fabric from the last person to fall down here and wraped it around my wound. A small Plutonian bear was gathering food nearby, and seemed to be unaware of my presence. I drew the small dagger that was provided to each of us, and threw it as hard as I could. It wasn't enough to kill, but the sudden pain had paralized it. I skinned the beast and roasted it over my lighter. Belly full, I fell asleep in a shallow crater, covered by a blanket fashioned out of the remaining fabric from that dead guy I had found earlier...

To Be Continued

4/27/11 - Ranger's Apprentice - Book One: The Ruins of Gorlan

Authors Note: This is my first response to my book, and it may not be the best because I am not far in the book yet, and therefore, do not have much information yet. Please enjoy.

So far my book, Ranger's Apprentice, is very interesting. The main character Will is trying to get into battleschool because although no one is quite sure who his parents were, he knows that his father died a great hero, and Will wanted to follow in his footsteps. His mother died during birth, and he was left on the doorstep of the castle when he was very young. He then became a castle ward, despite his small stature. He was very agile, and from years of getting into places he wasn't supposed to be, Will could cross an open field right in front of a guard at night, without being seen. Although he was not fit for battleschool, like his roommate Horace, nor was he fit for any other professions that were available, like his other roommates, Jenny, George, or Alyss. But Halt, the Ranger, saw something in him, and wrote it down on a slip of paper, which was given to the Baron. The Baron said he would think over what was written on the note, and Will decided he just had to know what was on that slip of paper. At the point where I left off, Will was scaling a tower, trying to reach the Baron's room.

Trouble Atop Pluto Base

I crawled along the beam, trying not to look down, and admittedly, scared out of my mind. I neared the complex ever so slowly, and hoped that the beam would hold. They were building a base on this planet, and exploding methane had sent me flying, harshly landing here, on a beam high above the ground near the top of the base. I passed out when I made contact with the beam, and woke up nearly three hours later. So now, with a small cut under my right ear, and a broken left leg, I neared the elevator that construction workers were using to reach various areas of the building. Just as I was getting on the elevator, disaster struck. One of the four main support beams gave way, and the section of the construction area I was on began to collapse. A fast reaction by the construction crew stopped the collapse, but after sliding just over thirty feet, I was hanging off one of the northern beams, hanging on for dear life. A large cherry picker was on its way, but I was slipping, fast. All of a sudden I heard a cracking sound. This was an older beam that they were trying to reuse, and it was nearing its breaking point...

To be continued...

"A Secret for Two" Response

Author’s Note: This is a response to the short story “A Secret for Two” by Quentin James Reynolds (1902-1965). This is not a description, rather how the story made me feel, and you are in no way required to agree. Please do not use this for anything but its intended purpose, and do not use without permission prior to usage. Enjoy.

Friendship is a very important part of life, even if your only friend is an animal. It is essential as water because, with friends, comes knowledge, and with knowledge, comes the future, the future of technology, the future of man, the future of life itself. In “A Secret for Two”, Pierre experiences this.

Pierre and Joseph have an obvious bond. They seem to be inseparable, and help each other learn about life. Despite being blind, Pierre is driven by the thought of delivering milk with Joseph. They worked hard every day. Pierre even declined an offer to retire and keep his paycheck because he knew, that if he retired, he would never see Joseph again. Joseph was the only one, other than Pierre himself, that knew he was blind, and therefore had a special spot in his heart.

The pair remind me of my dog, Radar, who is undoubtedly my best friend. She is hilarious, always making me and my dad laugh. Whenever she needs to go out, she howls in the cutest way and then chases her tail. And when she wants to play, she howls and brings a toy over to us. Radar can usually be found in one of three places, on my dad’s bed, on my dad’s chair, or on the couch.

At the end of “A Secret for two”, Joseph dies of old age and Pierre, without his best friend, was less alert and got hit by a truck. Just like Pierre and Joseph, If my dog Radar died, I don’t know what I would do. If this short story had one point, it would be that friendship is extremely important, even if it comes from an animal.

Prompt - 1/5/11

 Author's note: This is a response to the prompt asking me to discuss the main character of my book: Oathbreaker: Assassins Apprentice.

Aron is worried about the tragic event of being stolen to reinforce the Stone Guild's army and be trained as an assassin, but is happy about the fact that he will be trained in raising livestock next year if he is not taken. Unfortunately, he is taken in the third chapter. Nic is upset because his sister just died, and the rest of his family except for his mom were killed in the same manner by some deep-acting poison.

All this tells me that Aron is quite good with animals, and will soon become an assassin. It also tells me that Nic is probably in danger. The theme so far seems to be tragedy, although the first chapter was probably romance.