The Descent

Briggs looked up from her holo display as the whole ship shuddered and Kane fought to keep them from losing control.  Kane could see her eyes burning, filled with fear.

"Sir, it's the cable," she said, her voice unnaturally steady.  "Sir, it's snapped."

Danni California, Part 14

Continued from Part 13, here.
Start the story here.

* * *

With my gun in my hand, turned slightly at an angle to present less of a target, I stepped into the luxury car of the train.

I had seen the flash of red hair through the window before I entered, and my senses were on high alert.  The high seats here obstructed my view, making it impossible to see where Danni had gone, but I knew that she had to be here somewhere.  My instincts were screaming at me, warning me to be ready.

Beneath my feet, I could feel the rhythmic rattle of the train as it rolled over the tracks, the whole car shaking slightly side to side.  I had to be aware of that motion, of how it could potentially throw off my aim.  I needed to sense it, to let the motion into me so that I could compensate for it when I took the shot.

Book 20 of 52: "Twilight of the Elites - America after Meritocracy" by Christopher Hayes

A meritocracy is a society in which an individual advances based on his or her achievements, accomplishments, and overall successes.  In a meritocracy, it doesn't matter who your parents are, or what you inherit - it's your achievements that determine your success.  In essence, it's the American Dream.

In this novel, Christopher Hayes argues that America used to be a meritocracy - but that it's quickly fading.  Why?

"When humans fear the sky..."

I staggered through the ruined streets, my breath coming hard and fast as I panted.  My legs were alight with fire, my tired muscles protesting, but I forced myself onward.

I didn't know how much longer the patchy cloud cover would protect me.

Even as I ran, my eyes in constant motion as I scanned for any shelter, I felt the rays of the sun growing stronger as they cut apart the defending clouds.  In mere minutes, I would be exposed - and then, then I wouldn't have any time left at all.

Danni California, Part 13

Continued from Part 12, here.
Start the story here.

* * *

I didn't even bother to call this sighting of Danni in to the Organization.  I had too many other thoughts, too many other conflicting questions in my head to deal with first.

I couldn't deny to myself that now I was obsessed.  There were others out there, after Danni, but I had to get to her first.  I was going to beat the rest of them out, no matter how much of me it took.

"But why?" asked the little voice in the back of my head, still slinking around at the periphery of my mind.  "Are you looking for her to kill her?  You've failed at that twice already.  And if you want her dead, why does it matter whether the bullet comes from your gun or from another's?"

I didn't have answers to those questions.  But I was still determined, driven despite not knowing why I was so motivated.

Book 19 of 52: "Sham - How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless" by Steve Salerno

Last week, I was reading about the invisible poor in America.  This week, I'm reading about how the "self-help" movement has done terrible things to America.  C'mon, when does America get a break here?  And when do I get something upbeat to read?

Maybe I can find a way to help myself...

A mundane meal

I only noticed the man when he stood up to leave.

I didn't see the green of any dollar bills on the man's table, and I briefly wondered if he'd chosen to stiff me my tip.  Sure, I hadn't provided great service, but it was a lazy Thursday, right in the middle of a mid-day lull.  I was just glad to be off my feet, knowing that the dinner rush was right around the corner.

A moment later, however, I remembered picking up the fake-leather check holder from the man's table a few minutes earlier.  He had paid by credit card, hadn't he?  One of those AmEx cards, the ones with the shiny blue square in the middle.

Danni California, Part 12

Continued from Part 11, here.
Start the story here.

* * *

I stared up at the fiery-haired girl on the floor above me.  Danni's gun aimed right at my face, and I knew that my time had run out.

"Sorry, but it's you or me," the girl repeated - and before I could even open my mouth, her finger tightened.  She pulled the trigger.

The gun clicked.

Book 18 of 52: "The Working Poor: Invisible in America" by David Shipler

Wow.

That's what I had to say at several points in this book, physically putting the book down and staring up at the ceiling.  Wow.

Never before, in reading a book, have I been so grateful for my comfortable life - and scared for my fellow man - as I felt when reading David Shipler's epic chronicle of the lives of America's working poor.

The Hop Off of Earth

"There you are!" my roommate shouted out, making me jump halfway out of my chair as he burst into my room.  "Come on, mate, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Trying to force my heart to calm back down, I spun around to stare at him in confusion and frustration.  "What the hell, Lex?" I burst out, glad at least that there was nothing too offensive displayed on the screen of my computer.

Lex, however, didn't even spare a glance at the computer as he dashed forward, reaching out to grab my hand.  "Come on, we don't have time for squabbling!" he practically yelled in my ear as he bodily pulled me up out of the chair.  "We have to go!"

Danni California, Part 11

Continued from Part 10, here.
Start the story here.

* * *

A month later, I caught up with Danni.

A girl with fiery red hair, a Southern twang in her voice, and far too much cash to throw around.  It wasn't the easiest trail to follow, but Danni was certainly recognizable - and she didn't bother to change her name, either.  Slowly but surely, I hunted after her as she fled west.

When I finally found her, she was just on the east side of the Rocky mountains, making her way through the mining towns.  Always with her big .45 cannon ready, of course - that detail stuck out even more strongly than anything else.  No matter what the big, strong man in front of you might say, he remembers staring down the barrel of that gun.

Book 17 of 52: "Send - The Essential Guide to Email" by David Shipley and Will Schwalbe

I picked this book up on a whim.  "How hard is email, really?" I asked myself, as I considered whether it was even worth checking out from the library.  "As long as you don't write down anything that's completely idiotic, I'm sure email is as easy as talking to someone."

After reading this book, I can honestly admit that I was wrong.

The Happiest Man in the City

The ruins and rubble stretched on for miles.  The area, once a vibrant city, had been reduced to nothing but hiding holes for rats and vermin.  Trees, once kept as ornamental symbols of mankind's conquest over nature, now grew out beyond their enclosures, slowly but surely cracking open their concrete prisons.

The wind drifted through the lifeless ruins, carrying not even the scent of decay.  Even the bodies were long gone, dissolved back to the dust from which they had clawed their way out.

No sound drifted on the wind.

Wait - hold on, do you hear something?

It sounds like whistling...