Collaborative Fiction:24 hours in Swayspeak.

Irene and Barney are stupified, and in shock to what they are witnessing. Both of them are locked in a stare at the pillars of light as a orb of light descends down from the sky, they grip one another's hands firmly. The orb dissipates and before them stands an female angel, dressed all in white, holding a out a great silver sword.

"I am Azariel, protector of the waters of earth, take this sword and place it in the bloody waters of the earth," she says to them.
"Well, this takes the cake," Barney answers while turning to Irene.
"It will cleanse the waters, and heal them," Azariel continues on, "and I must go back to the battle in the heavens."
Irene holds out her hand and grasps onto the sword, extending her arms out in sheer wonderment of the beautiful weapon. Barney is bewildered and almost jealous that he didn't take hold of the sword first. Azariel ascends quickly, as an orb or light consumes her and she leaves into the heavens.

"Follow the yellow brick road," Barney says to Irene.
"I don't think we are in Kansas anymore, Barney."
"The Great Oz has spoken," Barney affirms.
"Are you goin' to be okay with this?"
"I don't know. I can't get the song "Hell Bells" by AC/DC out of my head."
"What line?"
Barney starts singing, "See my white light flashing as I split the night
�cause if good�s on the left, then I�m stickin� to the right
Irene giggles and says, "That's my favorite song."

Irene and Barney embrace and kiss. They tear away from each other, and launch off into a sprint toward the east to complete their mission.

Meanwhile, far away from the now world famous Swayspeak, in Washington DC the President talks to his advisors,

"What the # are we gunna do boys? huh? Does anyone have any idea? The national guard have been destroyed along with all the police we can get..."

"All available troops have been deployed sir," the general muttered back to the President.

The President began to shout again,

"This is it Roy, I'm finished with this wierd # thats goin' on in that town. Lets nuke the place! Wipe it off the map..."

"But sir," Roy, the general interupted.

"We have no choice. This deadly plague cannot be stopped.....SO LETS SEE SOME FIREWORKS!"

"Affirmative sir."

Outside the Whitehouse the doezens of reporters were shouting at cameras. They all had the same topic: swayspeak. The bizarre series of events that occured in that town were now being followed by millions.

"*....The President is about have a press conferance regarding the whole affair, and will answer questions about how this problem will be contained."


The clock was now ticking for Irene, Barney and all of Swayspeak. The nutball President now ahd his finger on the big red button. Only fate could save this two deranged lovers from certain incineration.

Roy summons two Secret Service agents over too him while The President goes out to address the nation on the matters at hand.
"Follow me, we have a job to do," the General says to them as the two agents approach. Roy and the two agents go back to the White House oval office and open the lap top computer upon the top of the President's desk. The computer powers up and displays the President's seal on the monitor. Roy types in "BIGOIL" for the password and the monitor displays a picture of the United States and all of the national defense systems. Roy hands both of the Secret Service agents a key, "Here you go, both of you hold the fate of Swayspeak in your hands, and the whole world also if need be."
Both agents look at the keys in their hands, almost nauseated because of the shock of what deed must be done.

The panoramic windows of the Oval Office disintegrate into thousands of pieces of glass, wood and masonry and a huge, black, dragon-like creature stands before them holding an enormous sickle. In a rough commanding tone Puzuzu says, "This is not your war!", and swings the sickle around his head, meeting it with great accuracy to all three of their necks in one fatal swing of the giant blade. All three of their heads separate from their bodies and fly off into the wall, blood shooting from the jugular veins and the bodies fall lifelessly onto the Oval Office floor.

Meanwhile back in the main press room of the White House, the President takes a stand at the podium, looking extremely solemn and full of grief.

"You and I serve our country in a time of great consequence. During this day of utter horror and mystery, we have the duty to protect parts of the country vital to our survival; we have the opportunity to save millions of lives abroad from a terrible disease. We will work for a solution that is broadly shared, and we will answer every danger and every enemy that threatens the American people.

In all these days of promise and days of reckoning, we can be confident. In a whirlwind of change and hope and peril, our faith is sure, our resolve is firm, and our union is strong.

This country has many challenges. We will not deny, we will not ignore, we will not pass along our problems to other countries, to other presidents, and other generations. We will confront them with focus and clarity and courage.

During the last twenty-four hours, we have seen things happen on a Biblical proportion. To protect our country, we reorganized our government and created the Department of Heaven Security, which is mobilizing against the threats of a new era. To bring our nation out of certain doom, we will deliver the largest nuclear device in a generation, and wipe out a small town called Swayspeak.

The qualities of courage and compassion that we strive for in America also determine our conduct abroad. The American flag stands for more than our power and our interests. Our founders dedicated this country to the cause of human dignity, the rights of every person, and the possibilities of every life. This conviction leads us into the world to help the afflicted, and defend the peace, and confound the designs of evil men and demons.

People of the great nation of America, gather your loved ones, get down on your knees and pray, hope for a end to this terrifying day, and God Bless."

The President faints and falls to the ground, and Secret Service agents jump into action surrounding him. The people of the press all looking on in total disbelief and demise.


[Edited on 21-11-2003 by xenongod]

*Langley AFB*

The base was in chaos. Fighters were being scrambled, pilots and mechanics were running all over the place. General Steinberg was waiting for the go from the president. There wasn�t enough time to hesitate, Swayspeak had to be destroyed, now.

A trio of three F-22 Raptors were in for the job. They carried two low yield nuclear weapons each. An escort of Tomcats was being assembled. Within 15 minutes of notice, every plane could be in the air heading towards Swayspeak.

Steinberg was sweating now. His hand trembled as he walked around his office. He joined the air force to explore the world. He never dreamed that he would have to even come in contact with weapons of mass destruction, and now, he�s under orders to use them, against his own people. He didn�t know what would come afterwards Swayspeak gone, problem solved. Every single American would question the validity of the government after using a nuclear weapon in it�s own borders. His job was to follow orders, serve and defend his country, but is it really worth it?

Half way across the base, the last of the planes were being prepared and loaded. It would only be a matter of minutes and they would be off. The only thing left was the order to launch.

The call should have came 10 minutes ago. There was no telling what could have been going on in Swayspeak now, or if bombing the hell out of the place would even make a difference. If he launched now, he would be violating a direct order from the president. If he did nothing, he would be responsible for anything that happened afterwards.

Steinberg picked up the telephone. A voice on the other line responded �Your command sir?�

�Launch at will.�

He lifted the phone away from his ear and set it down with trembling hands.
----------------------------------
The engines of the Tomcat flared, as it slowly gained momentum on the runway. Soon, it was traveling at full military throttle, and up in the air. The other escorts and Raptors followed. Their engines screamed and rocked the foundations of the earth as they rocketed across the sky, towards Swayspeak.

One of the pilots spoke into his headset, �Foxtrot One. Fall into formation and hold.�

�Roger�, replied the other 5 aircraft.

Soon, they were at cruising altitude, slashing through the sky at subsonic speeds. In just half an hour, they would arrive at their destination.

15 minutes into the flight, something went wrong.

Air traffic control comes over the six Tomcat's communications systems, "Hallow one, maintain altitude, we have an unidentified flying object at one o-clock."
"Dodger, I have collision warning on radar."
"Spike, I concur, my bird is all red with warnings."
"Anyone got a visual on our U.F.O?", flight leader, Lt. Barkley says.
"EJECT....EJECT....EJECT!"
Lightning flashes all around the group of planes, striking everyone of them multiple times, and a stampede of horses appears in front of the sortie. The steeds are black and enormous in size, flames shooting from the their nostrils, and a deafening sound of trumpets blaring a war cry, they meet the jets in mid-air. All six of the Tomcat's canopies leave the fuselages, ejection jets from the pilot's seats go into action ejecting them from the ball of flames that used to be fighter jets. Parachutes open and the pilot and co-pilots descend back to earth.
"OH MY GOD!!", Lt. Barkley screams, looking back at the total chaos in the skies.
The F-22 Raptors, carrying nuclear warheads, are enveloped in a giant ball of fire, but the flames quickly extinguish as if smothered.
Pammus, riding upon his great steed, and with Cordelia riding behind him fly in from the clouds. Pammus calls out, "Afflict him with a painful blow, sores and pain afflict him now."
As the pilots are gliding back to earth, their skin begins to crawl and blisters form, popping and oozing out a yellow fluid mixed with fresh blood.

Back at flight headquarters, General Steinberg watches on, flight control's radar goes blank and sparks shoot from the corners of the monitor and then catches fire.
"Com two, do you have status on Hallow one?"
"Negative, sir."
"Com three, can you tell me anything, at all?"
"Negative, com three is out of commision."
"Can anyone tell me what we should do now?!!", Steinberg says while he rolls up into the fetal position and starts crying, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Mommy!"

The sky was covered in smoke, streaks of lighting and fire. The figures of Pammus and Cordelia could be seen riding majestically against the sky. Pammus reaches in his quiver of arrows and fixes one in his bow. He pulls back on the bowstring until the point where even his mighty hands couldn�t stretch it farther. The arrow flies loose, shaking the skies like a thousand violins. It leaves a blinding wake of light in its path. A second later a magnificent crash rips through the ground, as if a pair of cymbals the size of the moon has been played. The shock of the impact tears apart the earth as if it were made of paper. Giant crevices open up and swallow up everything in its vicinity. Columns of explosions ignite, sending aircraft, buildings, and crewmen flying in a thousand directions at once. Confused and bewildered soldiers roll out anti-aircraft guns and GTA missiles. Gunmen frantically run across the base to man their stations. Alarms, sirens, screams, and explosions are the only sounds to be heard.

General Steinberg is shaking so hard that he might as well be going through a seizure. Tears stream down his cheeks as the world goes white around him. He opens the drawer of his desk with trembling hands, and slowly takes out his prize revolver. He raises the barrel towards his head and fires.

He never felt the bullet.

*Not too far away�*

Irene and Barney are running as fast as they can. A strong gust of wind suddenly blows past them as the earth shivers. Surprised, they stop in their steps. They turn around and witness the beautiful glow in the sky. The sky pulses red, orange and white to the cadence of the faint pops they hear. The wind grows stronger and trees begin to tilt towards the ground. �Let�s keep moving!� Irene shouts over the wind.

*Central Intelligence Agency HQ*

News had reached them about Swayspeak. Government employees were running around the building in panic. Everything was chaotic enough just when every single window and mirror in the building shattered. Shards of glass imploded at the speed of sound, lacerating and impaling everything in their path. The shockwave of the blasts from the AFB sliced through the building. Everything went flying as if the building had just been uprooted from its foundations and shook violently by a giant 3 year old. No one felt the heat of the blast that consumed them.

*The Battle of Langley*

Spontaneous explosions sprouted from the ground every few seconds, ripping up the terrain and it�s surroundings. The sky was filled with tracers, bullets and missiles. Pammus was being bombarded by pellets that bounced off his armor as if they were pebbles. Angrily, he let loose another arrow. Before it hit the ground, he launched three more.

Several seconds later, Langley no longer existed

Irene and Barney finally reach the east coast beach head just on the outskirts of Swayspeak. The ocean is red, boiling, and calm, with no waves, only a stinch of death. Even with the torrential winds, sand blowing in their faces, there should be breakers upon the beach, but there were none. Both of them are exhausted and in near shock to what has been happening for the last twenty-four hours in Swayspeak.

"Well, let's do this", Irene says while she raises the mighty sword above her head.

"NO!", a deep, disgruntled voice from behind them can be heard.
They turn around and face a gigantic, black, dragon-like form. Eyes blazing with fire and holding an ominous sickle in it's hands. Puzuzu now stands before them, and he takes a step towards Irene and Barney.

Irene turns away, with the sword still above her head she screams, "With this sword, I seal you fate!!"
The sword comes swinging down, the blade sinking into the sand almost up to the hilt. Lightning flashes all around them, the skies open up, and a ball of lightning shoots down from the troubled skies to where the sword stands in the ocean. The lightning dissipates and the waters of the ocean begin to glow a bright green.

Puzuzu goes in for the attack, but a great whirlwind of sand and water appears in front of the hellion blocking his way. The earth trembles, and Barney falls to down to the ground, raising his hand over eyes trying to block the blowing sand and water. Irene runs over to Barney and falls down facing him, tears streaming down her cheeks, the sand and water pelting her as she says, "We did it."

Puzuzu let's out a horrible roar, arms flailing around him, the sickle falls from his grasp to the sand. The earth opens up around Puzuzu's feet, his wings begin to flap to no avail, and he gets sucked into the ground, back into the lower realm of lost souls he is cast.

The winds calm and the tornado of sand and water disperses. Barney lowers his hands, his eyes meeting Irene's and smiling at one another, both of them embrace and collapse in each other's arms.

*Back in Swayspeak*

The walking dead all stop in their tracks, moaning and speaking in broken languages, their souless bodies fall to the ground. Toads can be heard croaking and then suddenly the noise stops.

Military personell carriers of the National Guard accumulate on the outskirts of the city of Swayspeak. Guards can be seeing sifting through the bodies of the dead, wearing biochemical protection suites and gas masks, piles of bodies burning, the smoke can be seen from miles around the town of Swayspeak . Rapid fire gun shots can be heard echoing all around the town.

*Puzuzu's lair*

Puzuzu lies upon the cold hard stone floor of his own lair, his dominions letting out gut wrenching cries. He raises up his head to face the mirror which holds Jobrill within.
"This war is not over", Puzuzu gasps out, holding out his enormous arm towards the mirror, his wings twitch once more, and darkness consumes him, and the beast is gone.
Jezebel appears as is from nowhere, holding a chalice of blood in her hands. She takes a drink from it, and then shoves it into the mirror.
"Drink from this, it will free you."
Jobrill's eye's can be seen in the mirror, he grabs ahold of the cup, and drinks from it. He takes a step out from the mirror, blood trickling from his lips he utters, "Curse those people of Swayspeak, this war IS not over."
"Plaguebringer, they won, it is over, for now," Jezebel answers back.

*THE END*