Monument Valley

[calibanX]

citycapitalizer: I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Thanks for the thumbs up!

Episode IV

With the Velveteen Rabbit secured its journey to Monument was underway. The salvage value of a modern craft with its technology intact was immense. A craft the Rabbit's age and condition was only as valuable as its primary metallurgical components. The structure would barely be worth the effort. The very fact of its existence, in another age, would be fantastically valuable. However, under the watchful eyes of the Tide the artifact would be destroyed in the most efficient manner possible and the process carefully monitored by trusted Tidal officials. Information contained in its ancient data banks would not be allowed to corrupt the population.

Once on the planet's surface Ni-Admiral Shore and his crew began the process of stripping the Rabbit of its components. Tiko Shore had been trained in the art of human programming and indoctrination but as this was the first time an artifact of this size and importance had been discovered, he had been ordered to oversee the operation.





"Beautiful." Tiko breathed, climbing into the cockpit. He was accompanied by Carlson on a closer inspection of the wreck, which rested inside a cavernous hangar deep under the city. The dark cockpit was a treasure trove to him, with all of its instruments and screens and, and well, it was all so magnificently archaic. His eyes shone as they drank in the history which he loved so dearly. Carlson's eerie gaze followed him, crawling up and down his back until, distracted, Tiko sent him in search of a piece of equipment. Finally alone, he bent down to a vac-suit webbed into the pilot's seat and his lamp gleamed off the white skull within.

Thank you friends. See you soon.

Geoff

[jmyers2043]

Hello Goeff

I was reminded of the movie, Logan's Run when I saw the picture. The craters, bluffs, and futuristic buildings all work together to make a nice Sci-Fi scene. 

[Battlecat]

Fascinating story, sorry I missed the last page!  The terrain does an excellent job of conveying the feel of some sort of war involving meteorites, and those buildings are amazing!  Looking forward to the next page!

[Tomas Neto]

Hi Geoff!!! This update made me to remember also of a film, the machine of the time!!! That beautiful image, with this watercolor effect, and the story is impressive too!!! 

[calibanX]

jmeyers2043: That's a great compliment. I love that movie. The T.V. series didn't quite cut it however. Great to see you!

Battlecat: I'm glad the alien world came through as such. I was hoping it would look alien enough.

Tomas Neto: Yes, the Time Machine. Fantastic story. Thanks for stopping by. Always good to see you here.

Episode V

The skull's empty sockets stared back at Tiko Shore lifelessly from within their protective suit. He became suddenly uneasy. He felt he had been here before, at this very place. But that couldn't be possible could it? The skull seemed to be smiling at him.

At that moment a flood of memories came rushing into his mind. Vivid pictures raced through Tiko's mind's eye.

He saw a city. It was an old city, unrecognizable if compared to the cities of Tiko's world. The memories would not reveal the name of this city. It was a beautiful place full of life and vigor. The smells and sounds came to him as though he were there. Vehicles moved quickly through the corridors between the giant structures. Those structures reached toward the sky and housed tens of thousands within their bulk. The inhabitants moved through the cityscape in the millions.

Tiko fell deeper into the memories. More revealed themselves.

Tiko awoke in his bedroom. He was in bed with his head nestled deep in a white pillow. He opened his eyes. A large window let the morning sunshine lay across his face and he welcomed its warmth. Pulling himself out of his slumber he rose and climbed from the bed, keeping the sunlight from his tired eyes. Only moments ago he had been somewhere very far away. The image of the skull smiling at him lifelessly was still with him. Wherever his dream had taken him it felt more real than the bedroom he now stood in. That feeling and the images wasn't fading this time as he moved about.

Sorry for the long delay my friends. I won't let that happen again. Thanks for your enthusiasm.

Take care.

Geoff

[Battlecat]

Very interesting story!  I went back and reread it, it's very well written!

[Dreamcat]

Wow!  Simply amazing!  I am really liking the story you've written here!  Very well done. 

However, I have know what those buildings are in the last update's picture.  Where did you get them?  And if you tell me they're photoshopped in I think I'm going to cry...

[calibanX]

Thanks for your enthusiasm Dreamcat. I'm glad you like the story.

As for your question. Try this [linkie]. I think it's what you're looking for 

Geoff

[Tomas Neto]

Fantastic story, really fantastic. I looking forward to the next update. 

[calibanX]

Tomas Neto: I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm getting a lot of region building done during this little experiment into storytelling. There is a method to this madness

Episode VI

Today Tiko planned to see his friend, Carlson. Carlson had been framed by the Tide Corporation during the investigation. The frame was a simple one. Documents unrelated to the case had been surreptitiously placed in the very well hidden safe at Carlson's home. His home was searched after a 'complaint' was filed and the documents were discovered. The documents were then claimed to be proprietary information and highly valuable. It was quite an impressive operation. One for which there was no defense. The point being made was that they could reach anyone. The point was well taken. Tiko's investigators had been looking over their shoulders for the remainder of the case. Some even moved their families out of the city. Carlson was now free from his temporary stay behind bars after being charged but his legal problems had only just begun.

Carlson contacted Tiko immediately after being released on bail. When they last spoke Carlson had said he had important information to add to the case. He needed to see Tiko in person...urgently. Tiko was anxious to reveal his own break in the case. A meeting place was agreed upon.

Over the years Tiko and Carlson had been followed, spied upon, bugged, and otherwise monitored in numerous ways. A secure location was required to counter prying eyes and ears. One site was chosen among the rest.

Carlson would be waiting for him at the airport.


Take care all.

Geoff

[Tomas Neto]

The strange life of Tiko Shore it's the appropriate title for this history, and really is a fantastic history! I'm liking very much! It's a pity that your updates has a space of time very big between them! 

[Battlecat]

Very interesting developments here!  Looking forward to seeing where you're heading!

[calibanX]

Tomas Neto: Thank you very much for your enthusiasm! I'm hoping to wrap up the story pretty quick and get back to some Monument Valley!

Battlecat: The developments will come fast and furious now. Good to see you back Battlecat!

Episode VII

The skies around the airport were restricted and monitored. Movement by vehicle was slow and easy to monitor. Once inside the terminal the masses of people were a perfect cover and security was total. Stand in one spot too long and you attracted attention. Using the airport as a secure meeting spot was sound counter surveillance strategy. It worked.

Tiko entered the terminal after parking his vehicle in one of the airport's massive cement ramps. Carlson would be monitoring his entrance and looking for any potential unwanted scrutiny. Tiko quickly made his way to one of the many small shops along the retail promenade. The racks held all the current bestsellers and the most prominent magazines. Trinkets and small gifts were well represented. Carlson had positioned himself in front of a small rack of children's books and pretended to leaf through a hard copy of 'The Velveteen Rabbit'.

Carlson said, "We had better make this short. The information I have is dangerous and I don't trust that we're safe here, however we won't be safe anywhere."

"What have you found?" Tiko asked.

"As we know the Tide Corporation is global. Its leaders are politically connected." Carlson glanced over his shoulder nervously. The bookstore was now empty but for the two friends. "Those relationships are being formed in parallel with a terrible agenda, an agenda more dangerous than anyone could imagine."

"We knew they had a secret, Carlson. What is the secret? That was always the unanswered question."

Carlson continued. "The Tide Corporation has been forming relationships with military leaders all over the world. They're working to set off dramatic acts of violence. The violence would be the most spectacular terrorist acts imaginable. This violence is intended to provoke chaos and to destabilize governments. When the chaos becomes intolerable, it would be their excuse to march in military units and assume the controls, initially with martial law.''

"That would be consistent with my findings." Tiko said. "I've discovered that the Tide Corporation has been making deposits of large sums of money into banks all over the world. That would make those deposits payoffs."

Carlson pulled an envelope from the book he was still holding and handed it to Tiko. "There's one more thing Tiko. It is extremely important that you read this. Don't open it now. Wait until you're alone."

"What is it?" Tiko asked.

"It will determine whether you live out the day." Carlson abruptly left and was quickly lost in the crowded terminal.



Thank you all for stopping by. See you soon.

Geoff

[Tomas Neto]

Impressive!!! I feel a similarity with some series that I like very much, such as Flash Foward!!! You have great talent to make fantastic stories!!! 

[Battlecat]

And the plot thickens!  Very cool to see another update so quickly, looking forward to the next episode!

[calibanX]

Battlecat: Thanks for stopping by and posting Battlecat. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. The end is near, I promise.

Tomas Neto: I've never seen Flash Forward. I've wanted to check it out. I'm a huge fan of Lost though. The X-Files is a big influence too. The Twilight Zone is another. I'm glad you're having fun with the story.

Episode VIII

Tiko was now acutely aware of the myriad of faces in the crowd as he walked past them in the hundreds and thousands. He waited for a sign that an anonymous form in the crowd might be more than just that. They all seemed to be watching him. In reality one solitary set of eyes was set upon him. Those eyes watched him leave the terminal and walk toward the parking ramp.

He picked up his pace and was soon within sight of his parked vehicle. An airport security patrol car passed him slowly, the officer briefly looking Tiko over before moving on. It was a cool afternoon and the smell of the exhaust as the car passed was sweet and strong. Tiko pulled the envelope from his pocket as he walked, anxious to know its ominous secret. He quickly ripped the short end and the note slid out into his hand. The message was brief and cryptic.

The message was enigmatic. It shed no light on their situation and Tiko was befuddled. He didn't have long to ponder its importance. As Tiko walked the last few steps and was readying his keys he noticed a human form that was suddenly before him. The broad-shouldered man wore a dark coat and turned slowly in Tiko's direction. Tiko froze.

"Hello Rabbit" The man said with a smile.

Tiko paused, speechless. He recognized the nickname his Father gave him as a child. As a young boy he would beg his Father to read the story of the rabbit that longed to be real.

"Dad?" He finally uttered. "How can this be?"

Memories flooded Tiko's mind. Images and events that had been buried or lost since his youth came quickly and vividly. There was confusion though too. Reality seemed to blur. His Father standing before him looked exactly the same as the images of the same man in the distant past. The memories of his Father wasting away came too. It was a long journey toward death that his Father rode from the tumor deep inside his brain. By the age of twenty Tiko had lost his Father.

"What are you doing here?" Tiko asked.

With a comforting smile his Father said, "I've come to say goodbye Tiko."

There was a brief, sudden movement in the corner of Tiko's left eye. Before he could react he felt the impact at the base of his skull.

His world went dark. There was blackness.


Happy Thanksgiving all! Have a safe weekend.

Geoff

[Battlecat]

Crazy and interesting.  No worries, I'm looking forward to seeing how this ends!

[Tomas Neto]

Wow, on every part of the story that I read, more and more I feel how you can enchant us with your way of write!!! This story is fantastic and magic too!!! 
Flash Foward, X Files, Lost, Twilight Zone, Fringe and the Mentalist are great series, in my opinion!
Awesome update my friend!!! 

[calibanX]

Battlecat: The end has arrived 

Tomas Neto: Thanks for your continued support Tomas. You're a trooper.

Episode IX

"Greetings" Came a voice from the void.

The voice brought Tiko out of his dream. The white skull still stared at him impassively from within its tomb. The dream remained vivid in Tiko's mind, whereas they had faded in the past. He remembered his father saying goodbye.

"Carly? I thought I told you to...."

The voice came again. "Greetings. My name is Howe, Johnathan Peter Howe. Lieutenant, Queen's Royal Air Force. As you can well see, I'm dead. Before the transport was attacked I piloted the Rabbit for all of her thirty-seven years. We loved each other, the ship and I."

"Wha...wha...but," spluttered Tiko, "but how, if you're dead, can you be speaking to me?"

"Well you see, it's really quite complicated, but I'll explain it to you as best I'm able. Basically, I programmed my history, my experiences, and my personality into the ship's artificial intelligence software. Over time the ship adopted my personality to a startling precision. This was something that occurred slowly, mind you, over all our years together. When my body was shot through in the attack, the artificial intelligence shared my pain. The ship's computer IS me, so to speak, just a bit more intelligent. What you're hearing is my voice transmitted through my suit's receiver. I tell you lad, it's a strange and lonely thing to stand by for thousands of years, watching your body turn to dust."

"It's just that this is such a shock. Never before have we documented such an occurrence. You pre-date even the Tide."

"Forgive my ignorance, but since I've spent the past several thousand years floating in space I do not know of the Tide."

The Tide! How could he have forgotten! It was of utmost consequence that the computer be updated at once. "You must listen to me now. What I'm about to tell you could make the difference in whether you live out the day. This is not the society you knew. Things have changed, our children are taught, 'for the better'. No human has participated in a war since the Tide came to power three-and-a-half-thousand years ago. There is no religion, no metaphysics, no imagination. Since the Tide's ascent all knowledge and studies that are judged to have been detrimental to humankind were made illegal. All languages were outlawed except the standard tongue. Families, cultures, and even the races have been melded into a single humanity without difference so that we might live in peace, so that philosophy might catch up with science. All pre-Tide history was banned. Through twenty years of education I never heard spoken the word God, nor war, nor money. Only in the dark of night was my father able to tell me the stories his father told him and his father him; stories of old Earth. We have achieved peace, though at such a cost."

His summary was met with a long silence.

Finally Howe replied, "And so I'm in danger of losing my life...again."

"I'm not sure. Did you make your presence known to Carlson while he was aboard?"

"No. You're the only one I've talked to."

"Then there's a chance. If we can 'record' you, then I could remove you from the ship and hide you away until I could download you onto another computer. Of course, you would have no consciousness or sense of time-lapse during the interim, but it's that or face certain destruction."

Howe sighed. "I don't like the idea of being unplugged even for a short while, but obviously I've no other choice. I've already recorded myself onto a data chip that originally held our flight plan. Take it. I will turn myself off."

Tiko reached for the small data chip which had ejected from a panel on the control board. Slipping it into a cargo pocket on his suit's hip, he smiled once at the helmeted skull and then left the Velveteen Rabbit.

Tiko thought about what he was doing. He knew it was illegal, but he didn't care. The Tidal Code was wrong. It was that simple. Was he doing the right thing? Yes. It had to be. Knowledge could not be evil. It was only evil in the ways which some people used it to hurt and cheat each other. Knowledge by its very nature was good. It was people who were evil. He made his way toward the ship's open airlock. He would soon be in the hangar. Stepping through the doorway he saw a flash of movement behind him and to his right. Then the world exploded white and the ground rushed up to meet him.

There was a pink haze. After a while, two bright lines of light appeared in the pink and gradually grew wider. Darker lines began to be discernable within the white. The lines darkened and assumed more definition as the minutes passed. Suddenly it occurred to him that he was alive and he was looking into the face of his colleague, Carlson. But Carlson was no longer wearing his uniform. He was dressed in the maroon of a Tidal officer. Carlson was looking down at him with a hateful sneer spread across his lips. He spoke as though he were a recording being played slowly.



"I just wanted to wake you up so that you would know exactly what's been done to you...and what will be done." Carlson sneered again. "We have suspected you of having subversive thoughts for over a year now. We can not tolerate that in a fleet officer of your rank. Indeed, we cannot tolerate it in anyone of any rank, but yours made you a priority for investigation. The Velveteen Rabbit was devised and built solely as bait in a trap which, I might add, you fairly jumped into. I and the rest of your new crew, all of which you shouldn't be surprised to learn are Tidal officers, have reviewed your case and have come to a conclusion. We have found you guilty of treason against the state and the human race. You are to be reconditioned. Just in case you don't know what that means I should be happy to explain. Perhaps 'describe' would be a better word. Either way the result will be the same. You will have no self-will. Your eyes will stare glossy and mindless. You will have no pride, nothing but a tendril of drool hanging from the corner of your mouth. You will be unfit to do anything but the simplest of tasks. The process will be excruciatingly painful." Carlson was preparing a syringe. "Know then, as your last complex thought as a human being, that it is your fault and no other's. I bid you goodbye, Tiko Shore."

End

[Tomas Neto]

The narrative is so vigorous that I can see a movie in my mind! This image that you put in the middle of the text made still more sensational the update of this story!   

I'm really enjoying, very much! And a fatal end to the Tiko. What a pit!!!