Black
Sapphire gasped for a few moments and then drifted back into slumber, where
once again her dreams were invaded by The Knowledge and the final story of
Arien the Immortal.
Stand Alone 7 - The Bank job
” I walk a lonely road, the only one I
have ever known.”
“Don’t know where it goes. “
“But its home to me and I walk alone.”
“I walk this empty street, on this
boulevard of broken dreams.”
“When the city sleeps, and I’m the
only one and I walk alone.”
-
Billy Joe
Once upon
a time I was part of the royal family, one of the High Blood Caste, I was
called Arien and I acted as an advisor to the Queen’s two sons and served at
her behest to the best of my abilities.
This lasted for centuries until one fate filled day I arrived in another
universe. I was taken by the government
and experimented on for many years.
I eventually
escaped from my captors and made my way to the corner of Eden and Prairie where
I will take the last step in my journey and push forward the unsuspecting
destinies of eleven people.
As I
stepped through the glass doors and looked at the small crowd there I took in
each individual. A young man and his girlfriend giving each other small kisses
as they waited in line near an aging security guard standing near the entrance who
was picking at his teeth with a pen cap.
The manager watching as the two female tellers handled the late evening
customers. A middle aged mother trying
to keep her young son from causing a ruckus with the other customers. A young Asian woman mumbling to herself, an
angry look on her face and her checkbook in her hand being crushed. A young Jesuit priest, his bald head
perfectly shaven clean. His clothing
hiding several tattoos on his neck and arms and finally a young woman brushing
her hip with her right hand each pass showing a badge clipped to her belt that
read COLUMN.
I go into
the arms of our gods with a smile on my face and destiny in my hands. They began to scream and react as my coat
dropped to the ground and they saw the explosives. The woman officer and security guard began to
draw their weapons and cry out as I detonated the device strapped to myself.
He
imploded into a fine red mist that circulated the room and was breathed in by
all in the enclosed space. The curse
that had bound him to the universe was released and he drifted into oblivion.
“One of these days
the ground will drop out from beneath your feet.”
“One of these days your heart will stop and play
its final beat.”
“One of these days the clocks will stop and time
won't mean a thing.”
“One of these days their bombs will drop and
silence everything.”
-
David Grohl
“We are on scene at the Show of Force bank and trust. A failed terrorist attack was just performed
by an unknown individual that resulted in a failure to kill anyone or destroy
any property; however it managed to claim the life of the bomber himself.”
“They are being called The Force Eleven.
Eleven survivors of the attempted suicide bombing that only claimed the
life of the bomber. Information on his
motivations is unknown at this time.
What is known is that no one was hurt and all eleven are being taken to Saint
Angel of the Prophet to be more thoroughly examined by the professionals.”
Christopher Kolumns, Bank Manager
Abdul Manual, Security Guard
Cathleen Richards, Bank Teller
Charisma
Portman, Bank Teller
Todd Nichols, Customer
Lilac Stevens, Customer
Peaches Yakazachi, Customer
Marla Washington and her son James, Customers
Jasper Fact a priest, Customer
Jezebel an officer with the Column, Customer
Elsewhere…
“Gaddamn
lying brother of mine. I followed him
see, followed him to this here bank and I’ll get that money he owes me.” An explosion sounded from within and he
looked up to the source of the sound as a reddish mist puffed from a vent and
he inhaled. “What?” He managed before
collapsing into a heap amongst the garbage of the alleyway.
Willie
Nichols, homeless Person
* Lyrics from Green Day and Foo Fighters used without permission.
TBC in Astrobiology 107
