Numbers Stations

Oh man are these awesome, I have a new mini-obsession. Random radio stations on obscure shortband waves broadcasting series of numbers in many different languages. Tell me that ain't creepy. Here's a collection of a whole bunch of recordings.

http://soundcloud.com/the-conet-project/sets/the-conet-project

I am totally going to work this into Untitled somehow, just you wait.

Untitled: Episode 6 Part 2

Why did this get delayed?
It's because I tend to write scenes at the time of day during which they take place... so I try to write night scenes and night, and day scenes during the day, even if it means writing out of order. I find that being able to reference my surroundings for imagery and what not is extremely helpful. However, due to circumstances, I could only begin writing the night scenes in earnest yesterday at about 3:00 am, meaning my mental state was not ideal for writing the lengthy and somewhat complicated dialogue that this part contains. So I took my sweet time with it and got it out today. Here it is!

EPISODE 6: PART TWO

                The door: wooden and showing the first signs of rot whipped open, thin splinters flying off into the dusty tavern. Landover, Hierophant of the Wheel, entered. The few patrons were stirred from their drunken revelries by the sudden noise, looking on at the new arrival with a mixed bag of expressions, from mild bemusement to stunned silence. Landover, through narrowed eyes, glanced across the room. The stools, like the door, showed their age, the wallpaper peeling. Dust coated the more unused booths. It was a half hour before last call.

                The bartender, wearing the complete ensemble of white dress shirt with a black bow tie and suspenders, seemed the most disinterested of the bunch. He and his moustache gave Landover the most cursory of glances before going back to pouring drinks for the customers at the bar. A lack of respect to a Hierophant, one the highest ranks of the Wheel Army… But Landover had no time to deal with distractions. He had been sent here to kill a traitor, and that was what he’d do. He took two more steps into the bar. The eyes of the patrons followed him ; the bartender was not interested.

                “Where is the traitor?” Landover asked of the room. The words came out slowly, crawling out of his mouth a man not quite dead would crawl out of a grave. They floated away from him into the viscous atmosphere of the bar, mixing with the aroma of smoke and wet wood. The bartender cast lazy eyes towards Landover, now absent-mindedly wiping a shot glass.

Tovbistacular Travel Tour 2012

This post has absolutely nothing to do with the story.
Okay that's a lie.
Two weeks from today the Mama, Papa, and Daniel Tovbis are leaving for Prague, capital of the Czech Republic. Lil' Bro Tovbis sadly is not coming because there is fuck-all for an 11 year old to do in Prague. Seriously.

I'm going to be there from July 27th to August 8th, staying in some hotel that apparently used to be a medieval castle. My dad's childhood friend (who is now filthy stinking rich) is generously paying our hotel bills. What a guy!
During this trip we'll be hitting up Dresden across the border in Germany and Vienna down south in Austria. Also during this trip we'll be celebrating Papa Tovbis' and rich childhood friend's 50th birthdays, which happen to fall between this period. Vodka will be had by all.

During this time I'll finish up and release the episodes1-6 compilation, unless I get it done before then, which is really unlikely. I'll also get as many parts as I can out. I tend to write more while travelling since I'm inspired by what I see around me. It's much harder for artistic vision to strike while holed up in your room in a north thornhill suburb.

That's all there is to report. Episode 6 Part 2 is coming Soon™, as soon as I figure out a few more creative ways to kill somebody.

Untitled: Episode 6 Part 1

How I suffer for my art. Microsoft Word is a bitch to work with when you want to make things like tables of contents, or have certain pages have certain designs while leaving the others untouched. All in all, I would sum up my experience as being complete bullshit.

EPISODE 6: INTIMACY AND MURDER ACROSS THE GALAXY

                Junior Engineering Officer Katherin Alley of the DSCS-PRETORIA unlocked and entered her hotel room. She had just returned from a night out with some of her crewmates, all courtesy of the ship’s Captain, that handsome Stefan. Humming to herself, she set down her purse and hung her coat in the closet beside the door. New Pallas City certainly didn’t have the best of reputations when it came to safety, but the Captain had paid out of his own pocket to get the entire bridge crew hotel rooms in the safer parts of town. This hotel was far from the lap of luxury, but was comfortable and close to the tourist sector, so she didn’t mind. The rest of the Pretoria’s crew wasn’t so lucky, and had to sleep on the ship like they always did. Poor guys.

                Although the hotel room was dark, she didn’t bother flicking on the light, instead kicking off her heels and going straight into the washroom. As much as she kept up the clean and orderly look around her shipmates, Katherin in reality was somewhat of a slob. Tonight was fun but tiring, and she wanted to take a shower and fall straight into bed. She undressed in the crisp, white hotel washroom, leaving her skirt, blouse, and undergarments lying in a pile in the corner. She’d clean it up in the morning, she swore.

                Katherin showered and brushed her teeth, throwing on one of the hotel’s bathrobes. She walked out of the washroom and back into the hotel room, preparing to throw off the robe and collapse on the bed.

                Until, that is, she noticed the shining white teeth floating in the corner of her room.

Untitled: Episode 5 Part 3

My goal right now is to get these out as fast as possible. Typos ahoy! It'll all be fixed by the time the six-episode compilation comes out. And besides, this one was a hell of a doozy, and I don't much feel like editing SIX THOUSAND AND ONE HUNDRED words right now.
And I doubt anyone's up to reading them, either.
In any case, here it is.

UNTITLED: EPISODE 5 PART 3

                The hangar bay of the DSCS-PRETORIA could not hold a candle to the one of the carrier DSCS-PORTUGAL. Whereas the Portugal could field platoons of strike craft, all the Pretoria could fit were a few transport shuttles, and maybe one or two fighters if absolutely necessary. Garrett stood at the Hangar’s viewscreen, watching lazily as the shuttle carrying Captain Stefan flew off. He turned away and moved back through the hangar but forward through time, flashing back to the present and to the bridge of the Pretoria.

                With the Captain gone, an uneasy silence hung over the bridge, the crew members not sure how to proceed. The uneasiness turned to shock as the independent fleet took its place on the stage. Members of the bridge crew murmured to each other, many of them frightened at the prospect of a new enemy. The DSC had one source of opposition and it was the Wheel. The fact that there were other groups able to rally military force against the Confederacy came as a shock to many of them. The charismatic Captain Sonett’s absence did nothing to ease their sense of malaise. Garrett took it upon himself to break the tension.

                “Who in the hell are those guys?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

                “That is just it, Colonel.” The man standing beside him answered.

                Lieutenant Captain Artyom Yurevich was a stiff man, earning his position on the Pretoria through relentless, conscientious work, and it showed in his stilted manner of speech.

                “We do not know. They have appeared out of the blue. We have no idea from where they came.”

                Garrett thought for a moment. Stefan would be safe on the Wheel battleship, and despite any personal feelings to the contrary, his safety was crucial, for morale, if anything. The real questions were how well armed were the newcomers, and who was their target?

                “I’m going planetside.” Garrett announced to the bridge. Several of the members turned and nodded, others were absorbed too absorbed with their instruments to respond.

                “That makes sense.” Lt. Captain Yurevich nodded, solemnly. “You take your men; assist the Kaisari on the planet. With Captain Sonett is absent, but he carries a communicator if there is an emergency. I will take command of the fleet.”

                Garrett gave the Lt. Captain a quick nod. It was understandable. The independents could attack, and if Stefan were called back it could both put the negotiations in jeopardy as well as endanger his life. It was best if he remained on the Wheel battleship and Yurevich took control over here. He was just about to head back to the hangar bay when he heard the Lt. Captain cry out. Garrett moved back to the viewscreen to see what the matter was.

                Hundreds of shuttles were escaping the Independent frigates, blitzing down towards the surface of the planet. Observing the attack, Garrett let out a hearty laugh.

                “W..what is so funny?” Stammered Artyom.

                “What are they getting at here?” Garrett said, furrowing his brow. “A fleet that size couldn’t fit enough troops to establish any control over the planet. Are these guys a bunch of idiots?”

                “I do not know, Colonel!” Spluttered the Lt. Captain. “You and your men must get planetside! Whatever these newcomers wish to accomplish, it must be stopped.”

                “Idiots!” Garrett shouted, running towards the hangar.