Desert Roses & Rusted Aggression

Desert Roses and Rusted Aggression

Intro: 

Sue: Are we there yet? Jak: Yes; just a few more dunes of sand and we will then make our way to the dome B12. (Dome C7. was supposed to be our new home, but the guilds that were left behind after the great migration to colonize another planet; where making people choose a side, basically join a guild or leave to another dome.) Sue: Why are we going to dome B12 and not the other dome? Jak: Because I have a job waiting for me at dome B12.

(As I look out of the armored vehicle and look past the armored glass window I take note of the 

lightning striking up from the ground, shooting into space and then watching the particles that were formed by the lightning and spores and the atmosphere melting together creating sand that makes up the desert of planet Nox fall to the ground.)

The atmosphere is thick with spores that come from the north and south poles that are mostly made up of bog. There are no oceans or lakes, so no water except for scattered oases and the large bogs that are at the north and south poles. It doesn't rain for most of the year on planet Nox. There is deadly radiation outside in areas that are called dead zones or a categorized anomaly.

Still looking out the window I can make out the top of dome B12 just over a dune and the glass like shoots of organic sand that are on top of the dome that are formed by the lightning.

The shoots look like green and blue glass trees without leaves and few branches. From this distance the dome looks like a city of colored glass, but it only conceals the true beauty of life hidden under this amazing phenomenon.

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Chapter 1

Nine miles to Dome B12 

As I lean against the armored transport window; my arm begins to go numb and has a slight warm soft tingling sensation every time lighting strikes up from the ground outside, I start to go into a daze; drifting into a light dream state and my whole body starts to stiffen up and I start to feel the environment that is outside as if I was out there where I feel the soft but coarse sand,  I feel the fuzzy yet strong pull on my mind and body every time lightning strikes.

Right then, as I pass out the hazard anomaly warning, light starts to flash red and the oxygen mask drops from their hidden compartment. I then begin to regain consciousness and note that someone has covered my face with an oxygen mask.  As I begin to breathe deeply I look out the window and see something I had not seen in many years, rain… “it is raining” I say out loud   

but softly to myself… I take my gaze from the window and look around the armored transport to see if I'm alone.

 As I look around while laying on the floor of the armored transport,  I can make out  white boots with a red line stomping around; it is a science team from the Nexus-7 or the “mothership” that orbits the planet Nox. (Nexus-7 or the mothership was the 7th ship out of 12 that was supposed to leave the planet Nox to go and try to colonize another world, but for some reason the Nexus-7 has stayed in orbit for about 20 years now. Contact with the Nexus-7 has been spotty. All we know as of now is that they are on a mission to help the populous of Nox regain a solid foothold on the planet because of all the hazardous anomalies that forced us to leave and try to inhabit another planet.

Still feeling fuzzy and with my vision darkened I see one of the science team with there white boots that has a red line come over to me and straps an arm pad to my right arm and pushes a button on the arm pad, It begins to vibrate slowly with long and warm intervals, i can hear them talking but I can not make out what they are saying, they seem rushed and frantic. Two more of the science team came over to me and lifted me up onto a stretcher and carried me out of the armored transport.

 As I look towards the sky I see beams of light and tracer rounds from gunfire pass overhead.  Lifting my head; I look back at the armored transport and see others being carried out with me. I then look to my right and see hazardous anomalies repellent devices set up next to us. A few seconds later I then find myself in another vehicle; but this one seems much larger than the last one. 

I try to talk to ask where they are taking us but only manage to cough up a small amount of blood, I wipe my mouth with my hand and look at it and start to panic and again I ask where they are taking us! One of them turns their masked head and looks me in the eyes and then turns their head away and ignores me. Someone else runs up to the right of me and pushes a few buttons on the arm pad that was placed on my arm when I was removed from the armored transport.  Right then my whole body begins to feel light and tingly and a cold sensation in my chest where my lungs are; start to vibrate.

 I feel as if my lungs are floating up out of my chest. This feeling repeats over and over, and with each time I feel a little better. Now fastened in what looks like a medical transport, I then grab one of the individuals arms and pull them to me and ask “what's going on.” But I am left with silence. I hear other passengers all asking what is goin on, then suddenly I feel a cold but sharp prickly pain in my neck; someone has stuck me with a sleeping agent from a medical device and I start to pass out. 

 An unknown amount of time has passed; and I start to wake up… feeling heavy in my arms and legs. I look around; first at the ceiling then to the left of me and all I see is metal walls and what looks like an engineers work station. Then as I look to the right of me I hear sound from a broadcast device mixed with voices over the intercom of this transport. It all seems to blend together and I'm not able to make sense of any of it. 

Someone comes up to me beside my sleeping area and offers me some water.  With a heaviness I lift my head and take the water container and drink; after ⅔ of the water container is gone I ask where I am and what happened? She replies with an optimistic voice “You and 49 others are now in a Nexus-7 transport land craft, we will be on our way to a place of meeting in a short while… wait here; let me get you a device that can display the news on planet Nox, that

is if any news stations are still broadcasting.  I ask “What do you mean that is still broadcasting? What happened and how long have I been out?

You have been asleep for two days and there are still others that have not woken up as of yet.

She asked: “do you remember where you were before you woke up here ?” All I remember is I was on my way to dome B12 and we were hit by a strong anomaly and I passed out and then you guys came and rescued us… She says “Yes…  well that is the short version. Here, listen to the news on this device…” 

This is Amber-12  guild news of the Dome B12 broadcasting to you on the events that have taken place for the last 3 days… we are still under siege by an unknown metallic force and it appears every time they attempt to attack Dome B12 or any dome for that matter, it rains and there is an intense lighting storm that last for the entire attack attempted upon the Domes. We are getting reports that this is a global attack on all the domes on planet Nox. 

Amber-12 of Dome B12 has sent out a public news alert to all that have questions so that they may be answered… Also, we are in full contact with the Nexus-7 in orbit of planet Nox and they are in full support in giving aid however they can. I ask “So how far are we from Dome B12?” She replies “roughly about 9 miles.” I ask “have there been any attempts of taking refuge in Dome B12?” Well a few have left to try to get to Dome B12 but we have lost contact with them… I ask “so what about you and the rest still here, what are you all going to do?” She replies… “I'm going to stay here and save as many lives as I can until it is to hazardous to stay and then I'll attempt to join up with the Nexus-7 team at dome-B12”

Now feeling better I sit up and ask “Is there anything I can do to help?” She replies well you need to take a medical exam first, but given the circumstances I will lend you a former college’s key card that will let you at least get you out of this room and into the maintenance wing. I ask “how big is this land vehicle?” she replies “big enough, now if you will excuse me I need to check on the others… just exit this room and follow the orange signs and use the keycard I gave you. You will end up in the maintenance wing entrance. 

There you will see a security checkpoint. There is a guy there, his name is Marcus, show him the keycard and tell him Katherine sent you.”  “Ok, on my way.”  As I walk down the hallway passing door after door and windows that are magnetically shut with metal shielding, I can not see outside but I can hear the rain and lightning hitting hard. “It must be a mess out there” I say to myself.      

As I pass a door that is open I hear someone say “Why aren't we moving?” and as I fast walk to the checkpoint I hear someone reply “the engine is overheating and a few heat sinks have melted.” I then think to myself “dang they must have been driving full speed to get here to rescue us, not to mention having the anomaly repellent devices on full for three days.” Following the orange signs I have now made my way to the checkpoint leading to the maintenance wing. And there sits a man in a security guard's uniform. He’s watching a video broadcast; he then looks at me and says “Keycard please.”  I show the guard the keycard and tell him Katherine sent me.  He replies “Ahh Katherine; good girl… ever since this new major anomaly we are low on personnel.” I ask “where is the rest of the personnel” he replies “doing what they can for dome-B12…speaking of helping I am sure we can put you to good use.”

Marcus hands me back the keycard and unlocks and opens the door to the maintenance wing. Marcus then says "I advise you to find Jeen; she is most likely in the last place you will look... she is funny like that. Go to the yellow wing; I would start looking there.” ok thanks Marcus. I then slip the key card in one of my pockets and walk through the checkpoint and as i do so i start to see a blurry image as if i looked at the sun for a moment and then looked away into the distance and tried to make out my surroundings with the image still burned into my retina..

I blink my eye lids quickly trying to dissolve the image but fail to do so, I then rub my eyes with them closed roughly rubbing with my fist, I then try to see again quickly blinking my eye lids and as I do so the image slowly fades away.. And for a moment I forget where I am and what I was doing. I tilt my head down and rub my 2 temples with my fingers and try to focus and for a few seconds I can see the image clearly with my eyes closed.  “it is as if I'm looking down from above at the Nexus-7 transport, where I'm standing in.. and i can see past the outer metal shell of the transport every time lightning strikes out side and as i look deeply with my gaze i can see the orange glow of people and red pulsing of there blood veins..”

A moment longer than the image fades away for good this time and my perception is back, and I'm left with a buzz in my head and a soft fuzzy pulsating feeling deep in my bones. ‘I think to myself these anomalies are going to tear me apart.’ I then hear a familiar voice; it is Marcus “Hey did you hear me; just follow the yellow line on the floor it will lead you to the yellow wing” I look back at Marcus and say with relief ‘yea sorry i got lost in thought.’ walking on the yellow line as if it was a game to not step off of it, i make my way to the door to the yellow wing. 

 Before I walk through  the door I take note of a trimmer or rattling of the land craft that I am in. As I walk in the room I see small hover pods still in their tubes; I guess they are for evacuation. I walk around looking for Jeen but no one is in here, so I walk to the next room but before I enter; another trimmer, this one much stronger.. ”Is the land craft that I am in moving now?” I ask myself. More rattling of the land craft followed by a loud voice over the intercom; “All personnel go to their designated areas; this Nexus-7 transport will be separating.” I ask myself “What do they mean by separating?” I hear a mixture of sound, people talking, some shouting, and footsteps of all of them going to their designated areas in this Nexus-7 transport.

(Chapter 2 describes the past of the main character )     

Chapter 2  

The Course of a Desert Rose

The Desert Rose:

(Sand of the desert.. Lush; and void of a breath of fresh air, yet thirst quenching because of its vastness. Should void be given new meaning here in this desert full of roses?. Heat, it is hot here in this rose abundant desert. Cool at night, there is hope; because there is an oasis in this lush desert of abundant roses.. That which we seek is said to be here in plain sight yet hidden because of the desert's vastness. I will find it; God is my strength and salvation is my destination; but salvation is already here, it is the Course that I tread through, The Course of a desert rose.)

A place to crash:

(A place to crash and call home… home is where the heart is, they say… and I've been missing it so much… So much…  I could cry, but I will not because I am done with this Acid-Rain on my cheeks… sandpaper rubbing against my heart..  My chest is going to burst, I can't stand it any longer; but yes I can… I can stand it a little longer… I Love You… and so there it is, my chest did burst… Now the time consuming point again in my life is to now pick up the pieces and like a puzzle fit my heart and chest back together again, and again…I Love You!!! Amen………..and now I ask… is it over… is it time?)

2/18/24

 Deja vu:

(I have been here before, haven't I ? Yes I have because, when last I had this Deja vu I thought the same thing. And again it continues in the same way, at the same place, 5 times now. )

 Bursting:

(When life leaves me in the dark I want to Burst… NO! … not out or away from, but too a place.

A place I call home.. It's a nice place. A place of acute pain and followed with an abundance of relief, its that familiar sharp prick to the heart followed by an out of this world euphoria.. With a heavy heart I laugh and with desert tires I cry out to the infinite blackish-void that echoes behind me going in a 180 of my sorrow full vector of mockery.. Life is a tease now.. But the blood flowing from my heart is all too serious… and yet, I still ask… can I pray for you?

P.S. I pray for you all the same.)

9:34 PM

8/10/2024

Bittersweet:

(I walk down a narrow road.. Looking at the footprints of the past; passerby’s.. muddy water; a reminder.. A skull jawbone sunken in this seldom traveled road stands upright and clean and well bleached by the sun.. lost in this moment; it seems to stretch beyond time itself.. But.. well… and yes I am a fool.. A fool for you or should I say Jesus or both ? i just do not know.. I can not see as well as I could a long time before this moment… My head is spinning. There is 

hope though, in what used to be; let me tell you a little secret that hides in plain sight; the mundane will come alive.) 

7:20 pm

12/4/2024   

(I see big whales with passerby's:     

Walking alone on the bottom of the ocean; my feet sink into the sediment making it difficult to walk. I must yield to time… it is slow going and messy, I must be careful as to not lose my shoes, my skin is pruning due to being saturated by the heavy salt water.

The pain is gone and I'm left with all my senses in full use, I ask… how did I get here? And then a huge whale swims by and spits a new passerby out of its mouth, the new passerby is struggling to understand. It brings me low… so low… I could just sink into the sea flower, but there is hope because I see rocks that are open to stand on, the passersby and I are willing, but hesitant.

Some of us take advantage of this opportunity to stand on solid ground and others… well… 

I just pray for……. Amen………………..

12/31/2024

P.S. 

My time at oceans behavioral health hospital of Waco)  

             Chapter 3

The Past Clashes With The Present: