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<blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 5379836" data-attributes="member: 3285">Music of the Spheres: Part 17 – Checks and BalancesJudy drove along the main road, putting some distance between them and Hayden.&nbsp; One step closer to freedom.&quot;Randy?&nbsp; Can you hear me?&quot;&quot;Yeah Donny,&quot; said Randy.&nbsp; &quot;Just talk to me in my left ear.&quot;&quot;Randy…&quot; Donny coughed.&nbsp; &quot;I um.&nbsp; I ain't right, Randy.&quot;Randy lowered his head slightly.&nbsp; &quot;I know.&quot;&quot;I'm…I don't know how I caught it.&nbsp; But I caught it.&nbsp; Like Judy said it ain't rabies.&nbsp; But…that music was so beautiful…&quot;&quot;Try not to think about it.&quot;&quot;It's all I can think about. I can't stop thinking about it, that's just it.&nbsp; And I'm feeling…what's the words…a lack of impulse control.&quot;&quot;Like back in the tower.&quot;Donny nodded.&nbsp; &quot;Like back in the tower.&nbsp; I just shot those folks.&nbsp; Truth be told I didn't know the girl had a knife.&nbsp; I made that up.&quot;&quot;I know,&quot; said Randy quietly.&quot;I don't want to scare the girls.&nbsp; But I think—&quot;Judy slammed on the brakes. Donny had to grab onto the seat to not pitch forward.&quot;What is it?&quot; asked Randy.&quot;Look,&quot; she said, pointing.Two military trucks were butted together to form a checkpoint two hundred yards down the road.&nbsp; Six heavily armed soldiers blocked the path in biohazard suits.&nbsp; Judy stopped the minivan and pulled it over.&nbsp; The guards hadn't seen them, but then she doubted they could see much in their suits. She looked at the map they had taken with them.&nbsp; &quot;There's a way around, through an adjoining field, but…&quot;&quot;Ain't no way you and the girls could make it without them seeing you,&quot; said Donny.Randy's jaw was set.&nbsp; &quot;We'll have to smash our way through then.&quot;Donny put one hand on Randy's shoulder.&nbsp; &quot;Come on now, you know that's not the way.&nbsp; You've got the girls and yourself to think about.&nbsp; Judy needs her husband and the girls need their father.&quot;&quot;Donny…&quot; interrupted Judy.&quot;Shh.&quot;&nbsp; Donny smiled at Judy, a sad little smile. &quot;It's okay.&nbsp; They're government, right?&nbsp; I got rights.&nbsp; You and the girls sneak around.&nbsp; I'll keep them busy.&quot;&quot;Donny,&quot; began Randy.&quot;Don't try to stop me.&quot;&nbsp; Donny opened up the minivan door.&nbsp; &quot;I wasn't.&nbsp; Just…thanks.&quot;&nbsp; He clapped one hand on Donny's shoulder. Donny blinked back tears.&nbsp; &quot;You all better go.&nbsp; I'll be honest, I kind of want to kill you all right now.&quot;That was enough motivation for them to move.&nbsp; Judy whisked the girls out of the minivan, with Randy in tow.&nbsp; They crept into the tall weeds.Donny took out his pistol.&nbsp; It would get their attention for sure if he was armed.&quot;Hey!&quot; he shouted, jogging down the road.&nbsp; &quot;Hey!&nbsp; I'm a deputy of the Hayden County Sheriff's Department!&nbsp; I need some help!&quot;&quot;Get down!&quot; shouted the men, leveling automatic weapons at him.&nbsp; &quot;Now! Put the weapon down!&quot;&quot;Okay! Okay!&quot; shouted Donny, dangling the pistol from one finger, slowly.&nbsp; &quot;I'm putting it down!&quot;Four of the guards, seeing his pistol lowered, advanced.&nbsp; Two remained behind but they were glued to the events before them, weapons at the ready.Judy led the way.&nbsp; She knew this part of town because it was where Randy and she had met, as kids.&nbsp; They'd grown up here; she left to pursue her degree, he stayed behind.&nbsp; But eventually they ended up in the same place and before they knew it there were weddings and kids and mortgages.&nbsp; They had once made love by a tree where Donny was kneeling, guards scanning him some kind of device. It beeped and blinked red.&quot;Go girls,&quot; she whispered, as they circumvented the checkpoint to a series of stopped cars.&nbsp; &quot;Go!&quot;&quot;Do you think they'll hurt Donny?&quot; asked Alexis.A single machine gun burst rang out.&nbsp; Randy didn't say anything.&nbsp; Alexis covered her ears, weeping silently, but soldiered on.Judy ducked from car to car, looking for keys.&nbsp; She shoved a corpse with a bullet hole in its forehead out of the driver's seat of an ambulance.&nbsp; The keys were still in the ignition. Randy climbed in and turned the key.&nbsp; The car coughed.The girls got in the back of the ambulance.&nbsp; Judy slid into the passenger side. &quot;Dad,&quot; whispered Crystal.&nbsp; &quot;Do you hear that?&quot;Randy couldn't hear anything.&nbsp; He turned the key again.&nbsp; &quot;It's…it's a buzzing.&quot;Judy turned around to look out the back window.&nbsp; &quot;Randy…get the car started.&quot;Randy pumped the gas and tried again.&nbsp; He didn't have to hear her, he could tell by her body language what she meant.&nbsp; &quot;I'm trying.&quot;&quot;Randy…we have to go. NOW.&quot;The car whirred to life.&nbsp; The buzzing was audible now, loud enough to penetrate the ringing in his ear.&nbsp; He had heard that sound only once before, back when the farm was nearly decimated by a locust swarm.The black cloud blanketed the sky.&nbsp; Machinegun fire poked tiny, useless holes in the swarm as it descended.&nbsp; Randy gunned it, smashing two other vehicles out of the way. In the rear view mirror, he could make out one of the white suited soldiers being lifted up in the air, helpless in the whirlwind of the swarm.&nbsp; He disintegrated in a mist of red and white.As they drove safely out of reach, Randy muttered: &quot;That ain't normal.&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="talien, post: 5379836, member: 3285"] [b]Music of the Spheres: Part 17 – Checks and Balances[/b] Judy drove along the main road, putting some distance between them and Hayden. One step closer to freedom. "Randy? Can you hear me?" "Yeah Donny," said Randy. "Just talk to me in my left ear." "Randy…" Donny coughed. "I um. I ain't right, Randy." Randy lowered his head slightly. "I know." "I'm…I don't know how I caught it. But I caught it. Like Judy said it ain't rabies. But…that music was so beautiful…" "Try not to think about it." "It's all I can think about. I can't stop thinking about it, that's just it. And I'm feeling…what's the words…a lack of impulse control." "Like back in the tower." Donny nodded. "Like back in the tower. I just shot those folks. Truth be told I didn't know the girl had a knife. I made that up." "I know," said Randy quietly. "I don't want to scare the girls. But I think—" Judy slammed on the brakes. Donny had to grab onto the seat to not pitch forward. "What is it?" asked Randy. "Look," she said, pointing. Two military trucks were butted together to form a checkpoint two hundred yards down the road. Six heavily armed soldiers blocked the path in biohazard suits. Judy stopped the minivan and pulled it over. The guards hadn't seen them, but then she doubted they could see much in their suits. She looked at the map they had taken with them. "There's a way around, through an adjoining field, but…" "Ain't no way you and the girls could make it without them seeing you," said Donny. Randy's jaw was set. "We'll have to smash our way through then." Donny put one hand on Randy's shoulder. "Come on now, you know that's not the way. You've got the girls and yourself to think about. Judy needs her husband and the girls need their father." "Donny…" interrupted Judy. "Shh." Donny smiled at Judy, a sad little smile. "It's okay. They're government, right? I got rights. You and the girls sneak around. I'll keep them busy." "Donny," began Randy. "Don't try to stop me." Donny opened up the minivan door. "I wasn't. Just…thanks." He clapped one hand on Donny's shoulder. Donny blinked back tears. "You all better go. I'll be honest, I kind of want to kill you all right now." That was enough motivation for them to move. Judy whisked the girls out of the minivan, with Randy in tow. They crept into the tall weeds. Donny took out his pistol. It would get their attention for sure if he was armed. "Hey!" he shouted, jogging down the road. "Hey! I'm a deputy of the Hayden County Sheriff's Department! I need some help!" "Get down!" shouted the men, leveling automatic weapons at him. "Now! Put the weapon down!" "Okay! Okay!" shouted Donny, dangling the pistol from one finger, slowly. "I'm putting it down!" Four of the guards, seeing his pistol lowered, advanced. Two remained behind but they were glued to the events before them, weapons at the ready. Judy led the way. She knew this part of town because it was where Randy and she had met, as kids. They'd grown up here; she left to pursue her degree, he stayed behind. But eventually they ended up in the same place and before they knew it there were weddings and kids and mortgages. They had once made love by a tree where Donny was kneeling, guards scanning him some kind of device. It beeped and blinked red. "Go girls," she whispered, as they circumvented the checkpoint to a series of stopped cars. "Go!" "Do you think they'll hurt Donny?" asked Alexis. A single machine gun burst rang out. Randy didn't say anything. Alexis covered her ears, weeping silently, but soldiered on. Judy ducked from car to car, looking for keys. She shoved a corpse with a bullet hole in its forehead out of the driver's seat of an ambulance. The keys were still in the ignition. Randy climbed in and turned the key. The car coughed. The girls got in the back of the ambulance. Judy slid into the passenger side. "Dad," whispered Crystal. "Do you hear that?" Randy couldn't hear anything. He turned the key again. "It's…it's a buzzing." Judy turned around to look out the back window. "Randy…get the car started." Randy pumped the gas and tried again. He didn't have to hear her, he could tell by her body language what she meant. "I'm trying." "Randy…we have to go. NOW." The car whirred to life. The buzzing was audible now, loud enough to penetrate the ringing in his ear. He had heard that sound only once before, back when the farm was nearly decimated by a locust swarm. The black cloud blanketed the sky. Machinegun fire poked tiny, useless holes in the swarm as it descended. Randy gunned it, smashing two other vehicles out of the way. In the rear view mirror, he could make out one of the white suited soldiers being lifted up in the air, helpless in the whirlwind of the swarm. He disintegrated in a mist of red and white. As they drove safely out of reach, Randy muttered: "That ain't normal." [/QUOTE]

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