A slow mental suicide, the way of the universe. Snake’s shot out to the kaper belt is put on hold. They chart a course to our favorite corporate space station, Barron station designated alpha omega. Rumors are that the emperor himself may be there currently. “They know we’re coming, I hope the beefed up security will not intimidate us, shields up!“ Mudd responds to Snake,”We don’t have shields.” “I know I just wanted to say that. I hope negotiations go well.”
Author: sjel22
Artist- Philosopher- Musician
11
Shaking asses for the masses. The thing on the mind was becoming half altered for Snake. “There is more to this I know, but can’t recall,” he says. Not to get to close to the flow of mind and emotions both Mudd and Snake exchange bits of information to each other. “I’ve been here a long time,” Mudd says. “Call for Geni.” Snake goes to the corridor openings to make his way to the front end of the ship. The next 6 months results in the crew not finding anything as far as mineral acquisitions, only the need to decide to call it in regards to resupply themselves at this point. They wanted to make way where they could hall in remote sectors wealth, but were just wasting their time. So the time was just a waste then? Certainly yes, unequivocally so. On the way back to a outpost station they as a group wringing their hands to failure to deep space. Mudd uttered to Geni, “It’s like we scratched on the 8 ball.”
10
“Ok, we are being hunted, yes,” Snake says to Mudd. “We must first think of Geni’s safety because we love her so much and I can’t live without her.” “You’re acting like a pussy, it’s hilarious.””Nuh-ah, she really likes me… she just expresses it in a way that makes no sense.””Ok thanks for clearing that up. Any way the nano dust passes in farts so we should be good in a couple days. Hopefully you can keep up some rouse to keep Geni away while we ‘yoga clense’ our selves from another errand meat modem of our thought waves if it makes any sense why us what so ever.”
Curse of a Bitter Heart: Dedicated to DDaron
To be a creature is to have a receptive heart, one should act accordingly. The act of eating ones heart is a symbol for an unpleasant living. “The Heart” written by Stephen Crane tells of a creature, bestial, and naked that feeds on his own heart. The narrator asks the creature “Is it good, friend?” in which he reply’s, “It is bitter—bitter, but I like it because it is bitter, and because it is my heart.” The interest of the poem lies with the mystery of this creature’s existence. This creature’s remorseless life can easily be imagined as frightening. The fact of having managed to sustain living is the most basic level of survival. The bitter taste of his heart indicates that his heart is receptive to feelings of anger and resentment. Perhaps his primal mind is at odds with his sensitive heart. Can this creature be human? The act of eating ones heart is unheard of; but similar rituals are known, such as Indian warriors eating the hearts of their defeated enemies. These dubious rituals are forms of expression aimed to communicate to receptive beings. The poem stands as a powerful allegory for the significance of balance.
The motto ignorance is bliss comes to mind when pondering the life of an impulsive creature that lives without remorse or pity. Surely no one could escape the consequences of their actions. It’s been said that one cannot know true success without
ever experiencing failure. One can believe that the creature knows this to be true. Imagine the bitter existence of living in the vast desert, a slave to lonesome comforts. The most basic feeling of fear most have ultimately gripped at the creature. In reaction to his distressing disposition the creature makes what can be described as an expression of resentment; resentment towards his vulnerable side. He cuts out the source of his distress allowing him to move past it. Then he eats his heart in hopes that it will be the final step to concur his weakness. What sensation he must of felt as his heart was digested. Funneling down his heart through his throat causing his muscles to swell and retract. Realizing what he has done he seems to have a moment of clarity; he understands the consequence of his action. Devouring the sensitivities of his human feelings the creature somehow manages to be receptive to the loss. The remnants of his devoured heart must of lead him to believe that he had failed to improve his disposition. The last moments as human before he turns completely beast realizes his heart was what gave him his identity.
All creatures must have the aptitude to survive the forces that threaten ones health. The human creature, most complex , endures the greatest difficulty. No ailment can match a resentful heart that broods misery and darkness. A bitter taste is usually perceived to be unpleasant, yet the creature claims to like it. Yes, a human is a creature, one with the capacity for both good and evil. To love, hate, to be compassionate, to fear, to be receptive to emotions is what makes us human. The creature in “The Heart” is bestial, lacking normal human feelings of pity or remorse. His motivation for eating his heart is unclear, maybe a means of comfort, an impulse of a
carnivore engaging his teeth. Whatever the purpose, the action serves as an expression to his life in the desert. To express the feeling he had was means for him to like the bitter taste as his last means to convey himself to his surroundings. The creature had acted in accordance to his lamenting heart and would learn that a balance between suffering and desire would serve him better than overindulging in one side of his nature.
“The Heart” induces the reader into a dreamy imagery of a creature’s dwellings in the desert. The vision renders a primal creature unnatural ability to devour his sensitivity in the form of flesh. At the peek of the creatures suffering and desire he utters simple words in reflection to his state of being. In digesting Stephen Cranes poem one is forced to know introversion in ones own life to sympathize with the creature. In which case you are left only to say, “…Because it is my heart.”
9
“So what does this stuff do,” Snake asks Mudd. “An enchantment, straight to the brain I’m afraid. They say this dust is manufactured underneath the finger nails of some real bad people.” The two become high not knowing what to do with themselves. Snake walks to the nearest com and speaks, “Um Geni we got a situation here. Stay out of the cargo room we have some particulates that are in the room. “Well they have a way to talk into our minds now, that’s great, pure manipulation.” “That’s what it is, we will be playing the game whether we want to or not.” Geni replies on the com, “well please check in, OK?” To high to know what is going on Snake walks around in circles mumbling, “crap, shit, fuck, ass. crap-fuck, shit-shit, fuck-whoa, ass-whoa… no um fuck-ass, ass whoa. Yes yes I’m piss! Mudd nods in agreement and says,”You’re dead.” meanwhile Geni notices as she walks through the commons room the screen now was showing a picture of an 8 ball like in billiards. She says, “How do you explain that, I’m the only boss here now I feel like a pontsy asshole.”
8
“So I know you don’t like talking about it, but should we be worried about the next would be count abyss,” Snake says to Mudd. “I would be more worried that Dub had friends.” “Yeah maybe so.” The two figure the gold plac will be more important then just it’s weight. “Let’s remove the plac from the rock,” Snake says as he pokes around the storage cubbies and caged supplies on the wall. After cracking the rock with a hydraulic charged spike they found a cavity in the middle of the rock in the shape of a perfect cube. “How is that even possible,” Snake says to Mudd. “That was a solid piece of rock.” “I guess it’s what’s on the inside that counts.” “You mean to say we just opened up something into the air?” “I would say so, nano dust I bet. Witches.”
You got the piece of cheese, right?
7
“OK, I’m bringing this thing in,” Snake says. He pushes the cable retractor button on his suits control panel located on the left sleeve remotely starting the crane winch slowly pulling him and the rock to the port hatch. “Mudd, grab the dolly and some beers… just kidding, but I think we can work on this thing inside.” Snake enters the hatch then hits the locking button closings the hatch. He then presses the atmospheric regulator button. Within ten minutes he is warm and ready to meet Mudd through the second hatch. Snake opens the second hatch and Mudd says,”So who is fucking with us?” “This might not be your forte or even Geni’s for that matter. It looks like a gold PLAC embedded in this rock with an inscription on it.” It reads: VII AMON.
6
Snake looks on from the cockpit not seeing much out there. Mudd enters the cockpit, “what do you think?“ “I’m not sure, there doesn’t seem to be many rocks out here, but the utility scanners picked up that packet… Fuk u Fuk u Fuk u, what does that mean?” “It’s just someone stomping on your nads,” says Mudd. “Well we should search the area. You take us back to where the message started. I’m going to suit up and take a look.”. Snake dawn’s the space suit and helmet with a security cable attached to his belt that feeds through a side port along with his perpulsion exsoframe that allows him to move out in space. Once the small room is decompressed the exterior hatch is opened and Snake bounces out. “I see some small groupings of rocks,” Snake says on the com. Snake gets out about a hundred meters to a rock the size of a six drower dresser. He uses the mechanical claws on the exosuit to grab onto a convexed edges, then turns the rock slowly. “Guys, your not going to believe this.”
5
We decided Alpha Sentara was north. The long blistering journey to cunduct business. The common quarters had screening walls for images not unlike a movie theater or TV. The idea being to set a landscape of world feeds of such a thing as a beautiful beach. As Snake, Mudd and Geni are watching a series of Earth shows that happen to be the Simpsons the screen started to flicker, then a scroll of text reading: fuk u fuck u fuk u… was repeatedly flashing in red & black. “That’s just great,” Snake stands and walks to the cpu terminal. “Yeah there is a feed comings in through the utility sensors. The local patrician has picked up an unaccountable file. My guess some rival miners in the area.”
