It’s like an avalanche when you see it
His hands cupped to the sides of his mouth
The mountain comes crashing down
The stones are mixed in the snow like
The pebbles in the snowballs you used to throw
And they overtake the town
And all the buildings fall over
And the dust is a warning sign
So that everyone downhill can get clear
Because light travels faster than death
At least for now
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Gift of Learning
Learning is a gift, a gift we abuse.
And what is a gift without proper use?
Something no one can appreciate.
Don't ever stop learning and teaching.
For without it, we have no use.
Give and receive, this is the gift of learning.
War
War is a game which we all play
They send out pawns so they can stay
Some loose their lives and fade to gray
We fly their colors to make the day
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Text Adventure: Urban Survival 4
Max’s eyes shot open and he looked around. He was dazed and felt that his head was spinning, but soon everything that had happened sunk back in. He shot up only to realize that his hands and feet were restrained and that he was lying on his side. His vision was still blurred but he could make out several Ayra figures and a bright fire nearby.
Soon he noticed one of the Ayra moving towards him. He recognized her as the Ayra from before who asked him for help and got him in this mess in the first place.
"How are you?" she started to say but stopped when she looked at his face and stared at him awkwardly, her brown hair was in a ponytail draped over her right shoulder.
Max ignored her look and started talking himself, “How am I. How am I? Oh that’s right, I’m tied up!”
She pulled some kind of cloth out of a pocket on her belt and began to reach for his face. Max instinctively pulled away at first but realized that there was no way for him to resist so he gave in.
She rubbed the cloth against his right cheek and he winced as the damp cloth touched the large gash from where the one Ayra had hit him.
“You’re a very stupid Human…”
“Risky,” he corrected.
She looked at him and cocked her head.
“I’m risky, not stupid.”
“Risky, stupid. They’re the same thing. Traveling alone in a world like this is both risky and stupid.”
Max thought back to when he was separated from his squad a few days ago. He hadn’t chosen to travel alone they had just run into trouble on the way to the evac zone.
He shook his head, “so many things went wrong.”
The Ayra stopped cleaning the wound, “what?”
“Sometimes things don’t happen as planned,” Max said thinking about how his battle buddy and right hand man was killed just the other day. “Especially in this world, one small mistake and everything is jeopardized.”
The Ayra looked at him intently.
“After that mistake, risks have to be taken. You can’t hesitate or all can be lost.”
There was a pause as the Ayra studied him. He shifted in his restraints and found that he could sit up.
Without saying a word, the Ayra reached into a different pocket and produced an adhesive strip of cloth. Reaching towards Max again, she placed the bandage over his cut.
Max looked at the other Ayra in the room. The room was well lit by the fire they stood around. He could see the smoke drifting up to the ceiling twelve feet above. A hole in the ceiling acted as a vent, letting the smoke out to who knows where.
Max looked back at the Ayra who had bandaged him, “if the Ayra hate Humans so much, why keep me alive?”
She laughed, “don’t worry, we’ll find something for you to do.”
This Ayra didn’t seem to hate humans at all; in fact she seemed almost, “you know you don’t seem to hate me, you seem kind of friendly. Aren’t you mad that I killed some of your friends back there?”
He had no time to react as her hand flew through the air and slapped him across the face. She was surprisingly strong and Max’s cheek felt as if it were on fire.
Looking up, Max expected to see an angry face but to his surprise she didn’t look mad at all, she looked unusually calm.
“You may be stupid but you’re not unwise. We made a mistake. We were sent out to get supplies,” she looked down at her knees, “but it was raining so we thought there was no harm in trying to wait it out. Those weren’t my friends you killed, I hardly knew them. They were just part of the selected scout party. they’re from the lower levels of the building where the Na’li Ayra live. They despise Humans. I was just one of the lucky ones to get chosen for the scout party. ”
“How many of you are there?”
“There’s a whole colony of us surviving here. The Na’li has a couple hundred who live in the lower levels of the building and we have, maybe, a hundred of us who live up here in the upper levels.”
“And what are you?” asked, his eyes wide with amazement; he had no idea there were so many Ayra in one place.
She laughed again, “We’re the Myrx. We don’t hate the humans. After all the Ayra and the Humans are virtually identical to each other.”
Max studied her in the dull light and saw she was right. He had never really noticed it so much before but she could pass off as a Human.
“So if the Myrx don’t hate me, why am I tied up?” Max asked confused.
“I still haven’t been able to work something out with Jaq,” she said.
“Who’s…”
“Jaq is a Na’li and sort of like the leader of our colony. I mean we have different groups in the colony, but everything that goes on in our safe house has to be brought up with him first.”
The Ayra paused, her face stiffened as if she were thinking really hard and then her face light up with excitement.
She got up abruptly and began running towards a door, “I’ll be right back.”
“Wait! Hey wait!”
“You can call me Aeila,” she called back right before she went through the door.
“Aeila,” Max whispered to himself. “Hey, Aeila wait!”
It was too late, she had gone, Max looked at the other Myrx in the room. One walked over to him and handed him a plate of food, “Here eat something.”
He stared at the food for a second and without answering he dug into the food, he was starving.
-------------
Max sat there for what seemed like hours listening to a few the Myrx conversations which he actually found quite interesting. But something caught his attention and he look up at the door. He...
Soon he noticed one of the Ayra moving towards him. He recognized her as the Ayra from before who asked him for help and got him in this mess in the first place.
"How are you?" she started to say but stopped when she looked at his face and stared at him awkwardly, her brown hair was in a ponytail draped over her right shoulder.
Max ignored her look and started talking himself, “How am I. How am I? Oh that’s right, I’m tied up!”
She pulled some kind of cloth out of a pocket on her belt and began to reach for his face. Max instinctively pulled away at first but realized that there was no way for him to resist so he gave in.
She rubbed the cloth against his right cheek and he winced as the damp cloth touched the large gash from where the one Ayra had hit him.
“You’re a very stupid Human…”
“Risky,” he corrected.
She looked at him and cocked her head.
“I’m risky, not stupid.”
“Risky, stupid. They’re the same thing. Traveling alone in a world like this is both risky and stupid.”
Max thought back to when he was separated from his squad a few days ago. He hadn’t chosen to travel alone they had just run into trouble on the way to the evac zone.
He shook his head, “so many things went wrong.”
The Ayra stopped cleaning the wound, “what?”
“Sometimes things don’t happen as planned,” Max said thinking about how his battle buddy and right hand man was killed just the other day. “Especially in this world, one small mistake and everything is jeopardized.”
The Ayra looked at him intently.
“After that mistake, risks have to be taken. You can’t hesitate or all can be lost.”
There was a pause as the Ayra studied him. He shifted in his restraints and found that he could sit up.
Without saying a word, the Ayra reached into a different pocket and produced an adhesive strip of cloth. Reaching towards Max again, she placed the bandage over his cut.
Max looked at the other Ayra in the room. The room was well lit by the fire they stood around. He could see the smoke drifting up to the ceiling twelve feet above. A hole in the ceiling acted as a vent, letting the smoke out to who knows where.
Max looked back at the Ayra who had bandaged him, “if the Ayra hate Humans so much, why keep me alive?”
She laughed, “don’t worry, we’ll find something for you to do.”
This Ayra didn’t seem to hate humans at all; in fact she seemed almost, “you know you don’t seem to hate me, you seem kind of friendly. Aren’t you mad that I killed some of your friends back there?”
He had no time to react as her hand flew through the air and slapped him across the face. She was surprisingly strong and Max’s cheek felt as if it were on fire.
Looking up, Max expected to see an angry face but to his surprise she didn’t look mad at all, she looked unusually calm.
“You may be stupid but you’re not unwise. We made a mistake. We were sent out to get supplies,” she looked down at her knees, “but it was raining so we thought there was no harm in trying to wait it out. Those weren’t my friends you killed, I hardly knew them. They were just part of the selected scout party. they’re from the lower levels of the building where the Na’li Ayra live. They despise Humans. I was just one of the lucky ones to get chosen for the scout party. ”
“How many of you are there?”
“There’s a whole colony of us surviving here. The Na’li has a couple hundred who live in the lower levels of the building and we have, maybe, a hundred of us who live up here in the upper levels.”
“And what are you?” asked, his eyes wide with amazement; he had no idea there were so many Ayra in one place.
She laughed again, “We’re the Myrx. We don’t hate the humans. After all the Ayra and the Humans are virtually identical to each other.”
Max studied her in the dull light and saw she was right. He had never really noticed it so much before but she could pass off as a Human.
“So if the Myrx don’t hate me, why am I tied up?” Max asked confused.
“I still haven’t been able to work something out with Jaq,” she said.
“Who’s…”
“Jaq is a Na’li and sort of like the leader of our colony. I mean we have different groups in the colony, but everything that goes on in our safe house has to be brought up with him first.”
The Ayra paused, her face stiffened as if she were thinking really hard and then her face light up with excitement.
She got up abruptly and began running towards a door, “I’ll be right back.”
“Wait! Hey wait!”
“You can call me Aeila,” she called back right before she went through the door.
“Aeila,” Max whispered to himself. “Hey, Aeila wait!”
It was too late, she had gone, Max looked at the other Myrx in the room. One walked over to him and handed him a plate of food, “Here eat something.”
He stared at the food for a second and without answering he dug into the food, he was starving.
-------------
Max sat there for what seemed like hours listening to a few the Myrx conversations which he actually found quite interesting. But something caught his attention and he look up at the door. He...
Monday, January 4, 2010
Text Adventure: Urban Survival 3
Before giving it a second thought Max looked to the Ayra still standing and said, "Grab his arms... We're throwing him into that cement tube."
The Ayra gave him its attempt at a worried glance and said, "What?"
"After we throw him in we'll follow and get into that building across the way. We can't risk going to the ground level," the Ayra paused and Max repeated once more in the same serious tone, "Come on.”
After another hesitant look, she grabbed her partners arm. Max smacked the wounded Ayra’s face, “Hey… Hey. Are you ready for this?”
The Ayra looked at him through his dark visor and moaned weakly, “no…”
A screech from the floor bellow caused Max to look behind, “No time. Go, go.”
Max without the other Ayra’s help, tossed the wounded one into the pipe then motioned for the other to follow. She jumped the gap into the pipe and began helping the other to get through to the other side. Without turning around Max leaped to the cement cylinder, and moved quickly to the Ayra on the other side.
They crawled out onto the scaffolding in time to see the fastest of the zombies emerge from the ramp onto the top of the garage. Max hoped that the creatures didn’t notice them but, to his dismay, they turned and began running towards them.
“Crap, move! Get higher!”
They pushed the injured Ayra up the ladder to a higher level on the scaffolding. Before Max let the girl climb up the ladder, he grabbed the explosive device from off her armor.
“Hey! What are you doing?” The Ayra cried.
Max jumped onto the top of the pipe ignoring her. He heard her tisk then continue climbing. Max had to stop the creatures from getting to them. He would set the explosive and blow the cable holding the pipe to the crane, easy as that.
He stuck the explosive between the pipe and the cable pressing a random button hoping that it would work.
But before he could jump back to the scaffolding the pipe began to teeter as whole groups of zombies jumped onto it. Some barely made it as they continued piling onto the opening and many of them fell six stories to the ground.
Max then heard the beeping of the explosive he had set; he needed to get off, now.
He turned and jumped to the scaffolding. When he had landed he sprinted up the ladder to the next level and as soon as his foot touched the boards he was knocked onto his side as the explosion went off. The windows on the building all around him shattered at the force of the blast, glass cut into him.
Max had to grab onto something in order to not fall off the scaffolding as the cement pipe hit the lower supports. It wobbled violently for a second then settled. He felt his face for cuts but it was too wet from the rain to be able to tell whether he was bleeding or not.
He looked over the edge; the pipe had broken into large chunks. Zombie bodies lay scattered about on the ground far below. But then Max noticed that some zombies were still alive and others were running in from other streets because of the explosion and they began climbing the scaffolding.
“God! They just don’t stop!” he whispered to himself.
He quickly climbed the ladders and ramps until he got to the last ladder.
The whole scaffolding began to fall away from the building and was starting its descent to the ground ten stories below. Max had been trained not to panic in any situation, but he couldn’t help it now.
Jumping off the ladder towards the building, Max realized that he had jumped too early. He was barely able to grab the edge of the roof as his body slammed into the side of the concrete wall.
Once he was certain he had a firm hold on the lip of the roof, Max looked at the wreckage below. Some of the zombies that had survived, giving up the chase, started walking back to wherever they came from while others started attacking each other.
Max pulled himself up so that his elbows were over the edge. He looked up to see the cold metal barrel of a handgun in his face.
The owner of the weapon was an arrogant looking young Ayra male. He wasn’t wearing a helmet and his brownish hair was drenched and plastered to his head. Behind him were six others, all armed, and behind them were the Ayra he had decided to help.
“Cool… my day just got even better,” Max muttered under his breath.
“Shut up,” said the arrogant looking Ayra, “Your stupidity nearly led those things to us Human.”
Great, he sounds happy, Max thought to himself.
The Ayra signaled to the others and two of them grabbed Max by the arms pulling him up onto the roof and restraining him.
“You’re lucky I have uses for creatures like you, or else I’d kill you for attacking and killing some of my fellow Ayra.”
“They attacked me first! I just need some place to dry off and get warm…”
The Ayra addressing him hit him across the face with the gun, interrupting him. Star bursts erupted in Max’s skull and his vision began to blur.
The Ayra grabbed him by his cheeks, forcing max to look him in the eyes, “You sicken me…”
His words faded as Max’s vision blackened.
-----------------------
Max’s Eyes shot open and he looked around. He was….
The Ayra gave him its attempt at a worried glance and said, "What?"
"After we throw him in we'll follow and get into that building across the way. We can't risk going to the ground level," the Ayra paused and Max repeated once more in the same serious tone, "Come on.”
After another hesitant look, she grabbed her partners arm. Max smacked the wounded Ayra’s face, “Hey… Hey. Are you ready for this?”
The Ayra looked at him through his dark visor and moaned weakly, “no…”
A screech from the floor bellow caused Max to look behind, “No time. Go, go.”
Max without the other Ayra’s help, tossed the wounded one into the pipe then motioned for the other to follow. She jumped the gap into the pipe and began helping the other to get through to the other side. Without turning around Max leaped to the cement cylinder, and moved quickly to the Ayra on the other side.
They crawled out onto the scaffolding in time to see the fastest of the zombies emerge from the ramp onto the top of the garage. Max hoped that the creatures didn’t notice them but, to his dismay, they turned and began running towards them.
“Crap, move! Get higher!”
They pushed the injured Ayra up the ladder to a higher level on the scaffolding. Before Max let the girl climb up the ladder, he grabbed the explosive device from off her armor.
“Hey! What are you doing?” The Ayra cried.
Max jumped onto the top of the pipe ignoring her. He heard her tisk then continue climbing. Max had to stop the creatures from getting to them. He would set the explosive and blow the cable holding the pipe to the crane, easy as that.
He stuck the explosive between the pipe and the cable pressing a random button hoping that it would work.
But before he could jump back to the scaffolding the pipe began to teeter as whole groups of zombies jumped onto it. Some barely made it as they continued piling onto the opening and many of them fell six stories to the ground.
Max then heard the beeping of the explosive he had set; he needed to get off, now.
He turned and jumped to the scaffolding. When he had landed he sprinted up the ladder to the next level and as soon as his foot touched the boards he was knocked onto his side as the explosion went off. The windows on the building all around him shattered at the force of the blast, glass cut into him.
Max had to grab onto something in order to not fall off the scaffolding as the cement pipe hit the lower supports. It wobbled violently for a second then settled. He felt his face for cuts but it was too wet from the rain to be able to tell whether he was bleeding or not.
He looked over the edge; the pipe had broken into large chunks. Zombie bodies lay scattered about on the ground far below. But then Max noticed that some zombies were still alive and others were running in from other streets because of the explosion and they began climbing the scaffolding.
“God! They just don’t stop!” he whispered to himself.
He quickly climbed the ladders and ramps until he got to the last ladder.
The whole scaffolding began to fall away from the building and was starting its descent to the ground ten stories below. Max had been trained not to panic in any situation, but he couldn’t help it now.
Jumping off the ladder towards the building, Max realized that he had jumped too early. He was barely able to grab the edge of the roof as his body slammed into the side of the concrete wall.
Once he was certain he had a firm hold on the lip of the roof, Max looked at the wreckage below. Some of the zombies that had survived, giving up the chase, started walking back to wherever they came from while others started attacking each other.
Max pulled himself up so that his elbows were over the edge. He looked up to see the cold metal barrel of a handgun in his face.
The owner of the weapon was an arrogant looking young Ayra male. He wasn’t wearing a helmet and his brownish hair was drenched and plastered to his head. Behind him were six others, all armed, and behind them were the Ayra he had decided to help.
“Cool… my day just got even better,” Max muttered under his breath.
“Shut up,” said the arrogant looking Ayra, “Your stupidity nearly led those things to us Human.”
Great, he sounds happy, Max thought to himself.
The Ayra signaled to the others and two of them grabbed Max by the arms pulling him up onto the roof and restraining him.
“You’re lucky I have uses for creatures like you, or else I’d kill you for attacking and killing some of my fellow Ayra.”
“They attacked me first! I just need some place to dry off and get warm…”
The Ayra addressing him hit him across the face with the gun, interrupting him. Star bursts erupted in Max’s skull and his vision began to blur.
The Ayra grabbed him by his cheeks, forcing max to look him in the eyes, “You sicken me…”
His words faded as Max’s vision blackened.
-----------------------
Max’s Eyes shot open and he looked around. He was….
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