Well, last night at approximately 2 AM, I finished writing “The Vessel” – which consisted of laying down the last three chapters. I apologize for any historical inaccuracies that may result, but hopefully I shall gloss over them/fix them in the edit, to come when I finish every short story to be included in Dark Aeons. Thanks to Carolyn, my dear friend and consultant in all things Roman, for pointing out flaws in my Roman nomenclature, and who will be editing it for historical accuracy (yes, I did do research and took a Roman History course, but I’m sure I missed some things)!
I also managed to churn out in one day today – in about six hours, really – “Station Fourteen,” a horror story set in a science fiction setting. See my post below for the distinction. It deals with people losing their faces. Personally, I think it’s the most disturbing story I’ve written so far. Included below is an excerpt – the pseudo-computer syntax at the start and at the end, with an excerpt from the transmission content in the middle (completely unedited, as always, so forgive any typos or grammatical errors):
*-*-*
<<Incoming Transmission: Priority 12>>
<<Specify Action>>
<User 112 Action: Forward Transmission>
<Destination Path: /115/–>/264/–>/3/>
<<Transmission Forwarded>>
<<Incoming Transmission: Priority 12>>
<<Specify Action>>
<User 115 Action: Forward Transmission>
<Destination Path: /112/–>/115/ contd>
<<Incoming Transmission: Priority 12>>
<<Specify Action>>
<User 264 Action: Open Transmission>
<<Confirm Action>>
<User 264 Confirmation>
<<Transmission Opened>>
[To whomever may receive this. I am Sergeant Jacqueline de Moray, current ranking and only officer of Station 14-A7-B2-3C in the Quatradi System. In fact, only human survivor left on Station 14-A7-B2-3C. The rest are dead – devoured by the things or facing space instead.
…
But his mouth was changing, I swear it, and closing up right before our eyes. Extreme terror welled up in his eyes, and tears began to flow. His lips vanished into his face, and there was soon no marker indicating to us where his mouth had been. He closed his eyes then – but it was probably just intended to be a blink… but his face didn’t care, for his eyelashes and eyebrows were sucked into his head as well, and his eyes fleshed over, vanishing in a matter of seconds.
…
My god, they’re here! Help me oh Lord, they’ve found me… no…AAAAAAGHHH… help me… I’m bleeding… dammit, my heart… no… my face… its moving… help… no… not my mouth… God, don’t let thism… mmm… mm! Mmmmmm mmm mmmm!]
<<<\\System Override//>>>
<<<\\Delete Viewing Record//>>>
<<<\\Reset Viewing Record//>>>
<<<\\Reseal Transmission//>>>
<<<\\Alter Timestamps//>>>
<<<\\Restart Process//>>>
<<Incoming Transmission: Priority 12>>
<<Specify Action>>
<User 264 Action: Forward Transmission>
<Destination Path: /112/–>/115/ contd>
<<Incoming Transmission: Priority 12>>
<<Specify Action>>
<User 3 Action: Open Transmission>
<<Confirm Action>>
<User 3 Confirmation>
<<Transmission Opened>>
[…Transmission Content…]
<Query Viewers>
<<Viewers: None>>
<Detect Block>
<<Block Detected>>
<<<\\Override Block//>>>
<Query Viewers>
<<Viewers: User 264>>
<<Specify User Action>>
<User 3 Action: Delete Transmission>
<<Confirm Action>>
<User 3 Confirmation>
<<Transmission Deleted>>
<<Specify User Action>>
<Delete User 264>
<<Confirm Action>>
<User 3 Confirmation>
<<User 264 Marked for Deletion>>
<<Confirmation To Be Sent Upon Deletion>>
*-*-*
I would like to point out here the awesome downward-pyramid shape the centered text makes – completely unintentionally – in the second set of pseudo-computer syntax, and also send out a plea for help – I need to find a better way of vocalizing a scream in writing than “AAAAAAGHHH!” That just looks stupid… but it was the best I could come up with.
Also, I found that I have obtained some free reading time!
*cue gasps of surprisie*
Yes, that’s right! And in this time, I shall be reading (finally) Superior Saturday, book six of Garth Nix’s (an awesome writer/man) Keys to the Kingdom series. Hopefully it will be good (yes, I know it’s a teenager series, but do I look like I care? I’m a child at heart anyway)!
So until next time, mmm mmm mm!
Z. M. Wilmot 