by Nicole Powers



The day started out so well. We began it with a hearty breakfast (our first sit-down meal in 4 days!), before heading down to the Occupy Chicago Convergence Center. The well-organized facility is located in the basement of Wellington Ave United Church, a branch of the United Church of Christ which is run by Dan Dale, a pastor that is sympathetic to the movement, and has gone above and beyond to help the cause.



By the time we got there, Occupy Wall Street’s Lauren had made herself at home in the Chicago occupation’s kitchen, and was serving up delicious breakfast burritos to anyone in need of sustenance. We spotted many familiar faces from the bus ride from LA milling around in the grazing area/community space, and met up with several personalities we’d conversed with on Twitter and seen on the livestreams over the past few months.

Our friends from OccupyLA’s #BaconBloc, whose mission is to push back against the overwhelming veganism of the movement, were busy planning an action involving candied bacon. We were also introduced to the mastermind behind Clown Bloq, which has been enjoying quite a lot of media attention of late. And while we awaited the bus, which was scheduled to take us to our next appointment, which used 99% Solidarity’s stamps to embellish our dollars bills with the meme “THE SYSTEM ISN’T BROKEN – IT’S FIXED.”

When our chauffeur arrived with his big ass bus, we headed to the back to hang with our new heroes, the Bay Area Nine, who’d been through hell and high water to make it to Chi-Town. Our destination was Homer Park, which served as a staging area for our scheduled protest outside the Ravenswood home of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Our aim, to exercise the First Amendments rights he’d tried so hard to quash outside his front door.

The atmosphere was jovial as protesters gathered in the park, greeting friends and rehearsing chants ahead of the march. The sun shone and the sky was blue, the only clouds on the horizon where the two omnipresent police helicopters, which hovered overhead.



As our procession made its way through the park, and then the streets of the upper-middle class neighborhood, the rotating chants du jour included, “Fight, fight, fight. Healthcare is a human right”, “Healthcare is under attack. What do we do? Stand up, fight back,” and “Healthcare not warfare,” echoing the sentiments of yesterday's NNU’s Robin Hood Tax rally, which called for a miniscule tax on trades to pay for, among other things, true universal healthcare. It was indicative of our government’s current priorities, that they spent tax dollars on helicopters to police a march for something that more civilized countries already consider to be a fundamental human right.



while moving through the well-kept suburban streets, we were greeted with a surprising warmth by locals, who came out of their business and homes to watch our procession. Cod Pink’s “MAKE OUT, NOT WAR” stickers proved to be popular with the young female activists of tomorrow that we met along the way. Other locals en route that I spoke to told me they thought what we were doing was “amazing” and wished us “good luck.”



There was a large police presence when we arrived a Mayor Emanuel’s home. Most were wearing riot helmets, and were armed with plastic zip ties, batons, and bikes – the latter serving as mobile barricades which physically barred us from stepping on the mayor’s front lawn. Not that we would have. The protesters were very respectful of the fact that it was a residential neighborhood. The chanting had mostly ceased, and the human mic was functioning at a suitably low volume.



Vendors were serving refreshing frozen treats from carts. Despite their clear capitalist exploitation of our political gathering, many protesters, including this one, were more then happy to indulge in their wares. Indeed, the scene was more than a little comical, as battalions of riot cops stood amidst flowering shrubbery, policing protesters who were milling around eating ice cream.


[A member of the newly formed Ice Bloc]

After making our point, the protester gradually dissipated. As I walked back to the train station I saw two ACLU legal observers, who were easily identified by their bright orange T-shirts, thanking a group of CPD officers for their mostly good natured and restrained job. When I engaged the ACLU staffers in conversation, they told me that given the size of the action, which spilled from the pavement and onto the street due to the sheer volume of people, and the fact that it was un-permitted, things could easily have gone another way.

I remarked that this show of restraint was likely prompted, not by the Mayor’s new found respect for free speech, but by the fact that he didn’t want to be portrayed as the bad guy on the world stage. After all, though the mainstream media was conspicuous by its absence at this action, many around the world had tuned in thanks to the feeds pumped out by Occupy’s ever present livestreamers. Little did I know, that in a few short hours these brave citizen journalists would become the prime target of law enforcement agencies.

TO BE CONTINUED…



To keep tabs on the progress of the Chicago bus trip and actions, subscribe to the 99% Solidarity media Twitter list and check in with us via the following livestreams:

OccupyFreedomLA
CodeFrameSF
TheRevolutionWillBeStreamed
CrossXBones

Full disclosure: Nicole Powers has been assisting with 99% Solidarity’s efforts and is in no way an impartial observer. She is proud of this fact.

Related Posts:

99Solidarity Occu-Bus: Day 1 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago
99Solidarity Occu-Bus: Day 2 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago
99Solidarity Occu-Bus: Day 3 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago

by Nicole Powers


[Tom Morello and a crowd that sartorially supports a Robin Hood tax]

After 50 hours on the road, and three days without a proper night’s sleep, tiredness was becoming a serious factor. Our ragtag group of activists, occupiers, and livestreamers had gathered in Pershing Square between 3 and 4 AM on the morning of Wednesday, May 16, and most, including us, had foregone sleep the night before in order to make last-minute preparations. The expected 4 AM departure of the three 99% Solidarity-organized and National Nurses United-funded Los Angeles occu-buses had been delayed for two hours while we awaited the arrival of the Bay Area Nine – a heroic group of Oakland and San Francisco occupiers who had traveled down via Greyhound after their direct ride to Chicago had been cancelled at short notice. It was therefore around 6 AM before we finally set off from Downtown LA.

Our journey time had been further extended by two separate cases of overheated-engine syndrome as we convoyed through the Nevada desert, and a minor medical emergency 100+ miles away from the Illinois state line. A few over-extended, but essential, pee and smoke breaks had also impacted our ETA. When we arrived at our final destination, a short walk away from Occupy Chicago’s Convergence Center at around 6 AM on Friday May 19, we were nearly half a day late. But despite the exhaustion, our spirits were for the most part high, boosted by the excitement of what was to come, and by the beauty of the city, which the majority of our group had never visited before.

As one of three designated bus captains, I hung around to make sure everyone was situated. Since the lateness of our arrival meant we’d mostly missed our accommodation opportunities for the night/ Some of our group decided to join other occupiers who were occupying Lake Michigan’s beach, some headed off to meet with friends, and the rest followed representatives from Occupy Chicago, who had kindly greeted us with an offer of breakfast, which would be served was soon as their Convergence Center opened at 8.30 AM.

With photos to edit and upload, and words such as these to file, I headed to a motel room which was serving as 99% Solidarity’s temporary base. Having been starved of a reliable internet connection for the past two days, there was much to catch up on, and very little time, since the march leading up to the NNU organized People’s G8 / Robin Hood Tax Rally was scheduled to star at 11 AM.

Following a shower, and a frenzy of emails, uploads, and social media posts, I grabbed a much-needed Starbucks, a liquid breakfast/boost being all I had time for. (Unfortunately, sometimes, corporate crack is unavoidable – and this was one of those occasions!) I met up with a core group of occupiers and activists at Michigan and Madison, and headed over to Daley Plaza with them.

As we made our way down E Washington, we admired the barricades which the Chicago Police Department had kindly laid out on either side of the street to make out of town occupiers feel right at home. Given the much-publicized increased police presence, which involved importing officers from several other states, the atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed. When a group of CPD officers wearing full-on riot helmets cycled past on bikes, at this juncture, quite frankly the sight was more ridiculous than threatening. But as we closed in on Daley Plaza, the police presence was far less frivolous.


[Tom Morello rages against Mayor Rahm Emanuel's bullshit machine]

It was heartening to see an impressively large crowd had turned out to support the nurses and their call for a Robin Hood Tax. These overworked and underpaid group of individuals are on the frontlines of the war against the working and middle class, and the breakdown of our economy is particularly salient to those who staff our emergency rooms. There is therefore a natural affinity between the goals of Occupy and the nurses union, who were among the first of the traditional labor organizations to support the fledgling alternative grassroots activist movement.

Another stalwart supporter of the Occupy movement is Tom Morello, who performed at the rally once the talk was done. He gleefully taunted Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who had attempted to silence the Rage Against the Machine guitarist by pulling the NNU’s permit after they announced he was scheduled to perform. The resulting public outcry having forced Emanuel to relent.

“I know damn well I’m welcome in Chicago” Morello said to the cheering and appreciative crowd. “The mayor’s office tried to shut this whole thing down…How ridiculous for the mayor’s office to think I would do anything to hurt Chicago? Chicago is my favorite city on the whole world.”

After Morello’s perfectly pitched mix of rhetoric and rebel songs, the rally dissipated. The nurses took to their buses, occupiers took to the streets, and, after another burst of essential online activity, this activist/journalist voted for sleep.


[Freedom in the crowd]

Visit our gallery at SuicideGirls.com for oodles more images from the event.

To keep tabs on the progress of the Chicago bus trip and actions, subscribe to the 99% Solidarity media Twitter list and check in with us via the following livestreams:

OccupyFreedomLA
CodeFrameSF
TheRevolutionWillBeStreamed
CrossXBones

Full disclosure: Nicole Powers has been assisting with 99% Solidarity’s efforts and is in no way an impartial observer. She is proud of this fact.

Related Posts:

99Solidarity Occu-Bus: Day 1 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago
99Solidarity Occu-Bus: Day 2 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago

by Nicole Powers



Day 2 of our epic journey was very flat, but literally, rather than metaphorically. Having made it through Denver’s Rocky Mountains under the cover of darkness while most on the bus were asleep, we woke up to a spectacular sunrise as we sped across the border into Nebraska. There the terrain was level, very level, as were heads on our designated LA media bus.

California Dream Stream Team member, OccupyFreedomLA conducted classes aboard the bus on livestreaming and social media. A veteran occupier, she also made sure everyone knew the local Chicago National Lawyers Guild number and also read out a briefing she’d been given on the Chicago Police Department’s provisions for press over the long weekend. The CPD “Ground Rules For Media” included these ‘highlights’:

That last line about reporters becoming targets of protesters was particularly inflammatory, and received the appropriate derisive response from our 99% Solidarity media crew, who though not impartial, were there to accurately report the news rather than make it with acts of violence. Indeed, everyone on board all of the 99% Solidarity buses had signed a pledge confirming their peaceful intentions, which was a pre-requisite for boarding.

Talking of peaceful, positive and progressive intentions, after members participated in one of the weekly Media Consortium Inter-Occupy press briefing calls, we had some great conversations on the direction of the movement over the course of the day – and some even greater ones with our bus drivers’ who shared their thoughts on Occupy, which were all very constructive if not entirely supportive. Of the three drivers we’d had (who'd operated in shifts due to the length of our trip), somewhat surprisingly given his former occupation, it was our last driver who turned out to be our biggest supporter. Though a former Marine, he shared many of our anti-NATO sentiments, expressing a frustration at our government’s overseas policy and treatment of veterans, which was naturally tempered by his loyalty to his fellow servicemen.

When the conversation died down, the documentaries Casino Jack and The United States of Money, about corrupt lobbyist (is there any other kind?) Jack Abramoff, and Exit Through the Gift Shop, about street artist Banksy and his accidental protégé Mr. Brainwash, kept our group entertained. The standard revolution diet of pizza, again, kept them sustained.

As we drove into Iowa, we were confronted by another spectacular sunset. Our livestreamers, who by now had their own designated hashtag #CaliDST, were getting quite competitive when capturing these.

A minor medical emergency delayed us for an hour just before crossing the Illinois state border. As we headed into Chicago almost 50 hours after our journey had begun, those on the bus let out a collective cheer as we spied the spectacular skyline. Another sunrise, this time over the waters of Lake Michigan, greeted us as we drove into the heart of the city.

Our buses stopped at Lakeshore & Belmont, just a few blocks away from Occupy Chicago’s Convergence Center. Local Occupy members kindly met us with promises of a much-needed breakfast as soon as the staging area opened at 8.30 AM that day. Most on the bus decided to take them up on their offer, not wanting to make history on an empty stomach. Indeed news of the protesters arrival in the Windy City in a fleet of 14 99% Solidarity/NNU buses had already made the news, with a photo of the first of four from NYC taking up most of the Chicago Sun-Times front page!

I]To keep tabs on the progress of the Chicago Bus trip and actions, subscribe to the 99% Solidarity media Twitter list and check in with us via the following livestreams:

OccupyFreedomLA
CodeFrameSF
TheRevolutionWillBeStreamed
CrossXBones

Full disclosure: Nicole Powers has been assisting with 99% Solidarity’s efforts and is in no way an impartial observer. She is proud of this fact.

Related Posts:

99Solidarity Bus Trip: Day 1 Of Our Epic Coast-To-Coast Road Trip From Los Angeles To New York By Way Of Chicago

by Steven-Elliot Altman (SG Member: Steven_Altman)

Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World...

By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.

Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.

When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.

(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)



[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW – CHAPTER ELEVEN, PART FOUR]

[SUPERBOWL CXC]

[Previous Chapter]

“It’s time we granted your death wish,” Primrose said, training the rifle on Haggerty.

“Last request?” Haggerty said.

Primrose paused, cocked a brow.

“Pull the damned trigger,” Corbin snapped.

“Go ahead, Haggerty.”

“Satisfy my curiosity. Zephyr registered for his unit when Corbin got hers. Was he another classmate?”

Corbin snorted. “The little shit dropped out of high school to form a band. Never studied anything but music and never stopped whining about his art.”

“Then how was he persuaded to get involved with you?”

“Never underestimate an artist’s ego, Mr. Haggerty.” Primrose smirked. “All Nia had to do was play the adoring fan and pretend to admire his philosophy, all the while she was manipulating him into espousing ours. She convinced him there were no more challenges for him, he’d already accomplished everything, and his future was all downhill. But if he had the courage, he could make a lasting impression on the disaffected and disenfranchised youth of the nation.”

“He thought he was going to save his generation?”

“He doesn’t give a damn about his generation,” Corbin said scornfully. “I just promised that he and his music would become immortal.”

“We’ve answered your questions, Mr. Haggerty. Time to say good night.”

The door to the suite exploded inward, clipping Corbin’s shoulder as it crashed down. Elsa leapt in, armor protracted, arms spread in defensive posture, landing in front of Haggerty.

“Don’t!” Corbin screamed as Primrose switched to detonator, his finger tightening on the trigger.

A small explosion flattened Haggerty against the wall. He opened his eyes to find Primrose bloodied and lifeless on the floor — the inevitable result of the backlash from plasma fired at point-blank range against Elsa’s hypersteel shielding. Corbin lay nearby, blood staining the carpet beneath her head. He didn’t know if she were dead or merely unconscious, and he didn’t much care. He turned to Elsa.

The burst had blown her to pieces. What little was left — her legless torso missing one arm — lay twisted on the ground. Haggerty went down on his knees and touched her ruined face, more than half of which was a grotesque mesh of circuitry and burnt synthaderm. She’d overridden his command and come back for him despite her disengaged Personal Loyalty Chip.

“Jason . . . ,” a garbled, deconstructed voice spoke through broken lips, “are you unharmed?”

Startled, he leaned over her one eye that might see him. “Yes,” he choked out. It was painful seeing her like this.

“I have disobeyed you,” she said, her voice degrading. “I have not . . .” A liquid squelching sound, as of shorting circuitry “. . . fulfilled my duties to the investigation. I did not . . . want you to terminate. I do not . . . care . . . about the evidence . . . as you do. I have . . .” Another circuit sizzled. “. . . acted selfishly, inhumanely.”

Haggerty held her broken torso, fluids draining out of her across his lap. Had the chip left some imprint on all her programming, the imperative to protect him become habit through years of service? Whatever the explanation, he was humbled by the nobility — there was no other word — of her actions.

“No, Elsa,” he said. “Don’t you see? The fact that you care about me means you’re capable of caring, and discerning who you care about. That’s one of the most confounding elements of the human condition, and I’m so grateful you’ve achieved it.” And while putting one person’s life above the lives of millions might not be humane, it was only too human. Haggerty wanted desperately to comfort her. “Thank you,” he said. “You saved my life. You’re the best assistant anyone ever had.”

The lamp behind Elsa’s eye brightened. “Do you want to hear . . . my conclusion . . . regarding suicidal . . . tend . . . tendencies that arise . . . from despair?” More circuits shorted. He didn’t know how she managed to keep going.

“Yes, very much,” he said.

“Osmosis is a . . . process that is capable of . . . working both ways.”

Haggerty nodded that he understood, tears running down his face. She convulsed in his lap. She reached her arm toward his face and then struggled to turn herself toward the wall where Max’s corpse had fallen, her eye fixated there. Her arm reached spasmodically outward.

“What, Elsa? What is it you want?” he asked hopelessly.

Elsa convulsed again, spitting a torrent of coolant. She twisted free from Haggerty and struggled to drag her shattered torso toward the wall.

Haggerty put his arms around her and pulled her to Max. “What is it, Elsa?” he asked again.

A gurgling sound as the coolant choked her into another convulsion, and still she reached, not for Max but for something on the wall behind him — an electric outlet. She upturned her hand feebly and sprung her prongs. Haggerty steadied her wrist and guided her fingers to the socket. Trembling, she turned to face him. Her powerpacks made their final discharge. Haggerty felt the last pulse of energy leave her.

“Please don’t —” she said, and powered down, whatever she meant to tell him unfinished, the final piece of evidence lost along with her. He doubted he’d ever know what she’d hoped to accomplish.

Haggerty wept, rocking Elsa tightly in his arms, having no desire to untangle himself from her. Her chestport had come unclasped, revealing something inside. He opened the port and found an unpopped KV unit. It had to be the one they’d taken from Regina’s cupboard. He’d thought they lost it in DeAngelo’s Corvair.

He slid the unit out and pressed the ARM switch, knowing intuitively that it must be his own. “Recording,” said the familiar voice he’d chosen long ago; the light beneath the button flashed pale amber. Regina must have scraped the serial numbers off to protect him. He’d had it with him all along and Elsa had broken the law and reviewed it. What was on it? The dozen or so recordings leading to his failed presses? He flushed with shame. And then he realized she’d never have judged him. It simply was not part of her programming.

Haggerty pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to hold back wrenching sobs. Finally, it was time, he decided. Max and Primrose were beyond the reach of justice, but their threat was eliminated. The evidence was lost, and with Stelwyn dead there was no one who could support Haggerty’s version of what had happened. Svoboda would not risk his colony. But none of that mattered now. Haggerty had done his duty. The band had been stopped. Doug and Elsa, the last of his friends who might regret his passing, were gone. And Regina would be better off without him.

Haggerty had his finger on the button. One tiny exertion of pressure and he would know if there was a God. If indeed He damned those who pressed. Or would Saint Peter greet him with a post-press review of his own?

The stadium crowd cheered as a trill of electronic melody washed through the suite. Haggerty looked up. Clone Jesus was onstage, warming up.

Breathing deeply to get himself under control, he reached his thumb along the gunmetal, over the cold onyx button, and pressed the ARM switch again, shutting down the unit. Until he stopped Zephyr, his job wasn’t finished. If he was going to die, it would be while seeking to stop an untold number of other deaths.

He slid the unit back into Elsa and sealed her chestport. “Good-bye my dear friend,” he whispered, leaning close over Elsa’s shattered form.

“What the hell?” a voice above him said.

Haggerty looked up to find agent Keenan staring from the scorched walls to the bodies to himself hunched over a broken android. Several men in dark jumpsuits entered the suite and fanned out, stuns drawn. One of them led Regina, hands bound behind her. She had bruises on her face and her blouse was torn but she was alive. She looked questioningly at Elsa.

“What’s going on here, Haggerty?” Keenan demanded, stepping over Brian’s body.

“I think the ex-footballer is just stunned. Get him in wristbonds before he wakes up,” Haggerty said. “You’ll need to wristbond the bitch over there, as well.”

Keenan bent to examine one of the bodies. “Tell me this isn’t Antonio Stelwyn,” he said.

Haggerty pushed off Elsa’s limp torso and shakily got to his feet.

“Why aren’t you restraining Corbin?” he asked Keenan.

The Federal agent turned his stunner on Haggerty. “I’ve got dead bodies, unconscious bodies, and the suspect everyone’s been hunting the past eighteen hours is the only man left standing, and you want me to arrest her?”

Haggerty crossed weakly to the window of the suite. “If you want to prevent the suicides of untold thousands of kids and their parents, we have to stop the lead singer from giving them the idea,” he said, pointing to the stage at centerfield where Clone Jesus were playing, magnified on the giant viewscreen behind the goalposts.

“He’s going to suicide onstage?” Keenan asked incredulously.

“Not if I can stop it,” Haggerty said.

“He’s telling the truth!” Regina shouted. “Help him!”

Keenan barked an order to his men to take Corbin and Brian into custody and leave the girl. He disengaged his earpiece and leaned toward Haggerty. “I know what’s planned,” he said, voice low. “Everything you told me was transmitted to my superiors. Now for the love of God, trust me and follow my lead.” Straightening, he produced a pair of wristbonds. “I’m glad you’ve decided to cooperate,” he said loudly. “I’m sure things will go much easier on you because of it.” He kept eye contact with Haggerty as he fastened the first bond; Haggerty could feel that the clasp hadn’t been engaged. He allowed Keenan to turn him and pretend to fasten the other bond.

Keenan was still reading him his rights when the last of his men cleared Brian and Corbin out of the suite.

* * *

Excerpt from The Killswitch Review, published by Yard Dog Press. Copyright 2011 Steven-Elliot Altman.

Steven-Elliot Altman is a bestselling author, screenwriter, and videogame developer. He won multiple awards for his online role playing game, 9Dragons. His novels include Captain America is Dead, Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires, Batman: Fear Itself, Batman: Infinite Mirror, The Killswitch Review, The Irregulars, and Deprivers. His writing has been compared to that of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton and Philip K. Dick, and he has collaborated with world class writers such as Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves, Harry Turtledove and Dr. Janet Asimov. He’s also the editor of the critically acclaimed anthology The Touch, and a contributor to Shadows Over Baker Street, a Hugo Award winning anthology of Sherlock Holmes meets H.P. Lovecraft stories.

Steven also bares ink on his body, and is bi, as in bi-coastal, between NYC and LA. He’s currently hard at work writing and directing his latest videogame Cursed Love, an online free to play gothic horror RPG from Dark Hermit Studios, set in Victorian London. Think Sherlock Holmes, Jack The Ripper and Dorian Gray mercilessly exploit the cast of Twilight. Friend Cursed Love (Official Closed Beta) on facebook and you can have fun playing out this tawdry, tragic romance with Steven while the game is being beta tested!

Diane DeKelb-Rittehouse spent several years in Manhattan as an actress before marrying her college sweetheart and returning to the Philadelphia area where she had been born. Diane first worked with Steven-Elliot Altman when they created the acclaimed, Publisher’s Weekly Starred-Review anthology The Touch: Epidemic of the Millennium, in which her story “Gifted” appeared. Diane has published a number of critically acclaimed short stories, most notably in the science fiction, murder, and horror genres. Her young adult fantasy novel, Fareie Rings: The Book of Forests, is now available in stores or online.

Interested in buying a printed copy of The Killswitch Review? Well, Steve’s publisher Yard Dog Press was kind enough to put up a special page where SuicideGirls can get a special discount and watch a sexy trailer. Just follow this link to KillswitchReview.com and click on the SG logo.

* * *

Related Posts:
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Five
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eight, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eight, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eight, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Five
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Ten, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Ten, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Ten, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eleven, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eleven, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eleven, Part Three

by Nicole Powers



In the early hours of Wednesday, May 17, SuicideGirls embarked on an epic cross-country journey in solidarity with Occupy and the 99%. Our “occucation” adventure started out at the current home of OccupyLA, in Downtown’s Pershing Square, where we climbed aboard one of a fleet of three buses organized by Occupy affinity group 99% Solidarity and funded by National Nurses United. The buses are taking occupiers – for free – from Los Angeles to Chicago to participate in the various protests, rallies, and gatherings that are planned there to coincide with the NATO and G8 summits.

The Los Angeles to Chicago bus trip is part of a nationwide effort that will be the largest collaboration between the Occupy and union movements to date. Over the next couple of days a total of 14 buses from around 8 cities will converge, bringing approximately 800 occupiers to Chi-Town.

The organizers hope the bridge-building project will unite protesters and union members, who may have different philosophies but ultimately share common goals. They also hope the mass turnout expected over the course of the long weekend will send a strong message to the 1% and those that are supposed to represent ALL of us, that Occupy, despite losing most of its physical encampments, has not lost its way, and is a force to be reckoned with as the American Spring heats up.

***

Though the buses were scheduled to set off from Pershing Square at 4 AM, our departure was delayed by two hours to accommodate a contingent who had traveled by Greyhound from Oakland and San Francisco to join us. Once our NoCal comrades arrived, our three buses set out together in convoy.

As we headed up the I15 towards Vegas, the extended incline and the ambient desert temperature took its toll on the first bus in our fleet, which was forced to take a 15 minute ‘time out’ to cool down. This resulted in a very welcome – if unscheduled – refreshment, toilet and smoke break as we waited at a rest area for the ailing bus to catch up. It also provided an unexpected press opportunity, as our stop off and journey through Nevada made the Chicago ABC 7 News.

Our bus, which was at the rear of the convoy, was the designated media bus. It carried livestreamers OccupyFreedomLA, CrossXBones, TRWBS and CodeFrameSF (who was fresh from Occupy The Farm), and a group of passengers who had consented to be filmed 24/7. Those with cameras were dubbed the California Dream Stream Team, and the super-stream-lined vehicle, the Occupy Real World bus.

As we trucked on through Nevada via Arizona to Utah, most of the group took the opportunity to catch up on some Zzzs, our mass cat nap being roused by another minor case of over-heated engine syndrome and a second unscheduled stop. Once back aboard the bus, we watched Kristin Canty’s excellent pro-raw milk / real food documentary Farmageddon. A third necessary stop – this time planned – for a driver exchange, also served as a pizza-grazing opportunity (the highly deliverable dish being the standard issue hot-ish dining option for the revolution).

As we continued our journey along the I70 towards Salt Lake City, the sun began to set behind the rocky hills providing a stunning photo op for the media bus’ highly independent press corp. It made a nice change for the flurry of shutter clicks to be prompted by something of beauty, rather than a case of all too frequent police brutality.

Attention shifted from the stunning view however, when equally stunning news came in that the sun was setting on the most offensive provisions of the NDAA. As CodeFrameSF read a just-in Federal Court ruling, in which a the judge agreed that the unlimited detention without due process allowed by the extremely vague and open to interpretation wording of the NDAA was onerous and ultimately curtailed free speech, a spontaneous cheer erupted aboard the bus. This victory was not only one for reason – and our Bill of Rights – but one for Occupy, since one of the seven co-defendants in the case was Occupy London founder Kai Wargalla (see previous story).

Though the road trip at times has been grueling, news that true justice had prevailed in what had seemingly been a long-shot David vs. Goliath case raised spirits. Let’s hope our trip to Chicago continues to be a cause for celebration rather than confrontation, as the 99Solidarity road trip spreads a message of unity and continues its mission to inspire a critical mass to motivate positive change by way of peaceful protest. After all, as the Occupy saying goes, the people, united, can never be defeated – and we weren’t today!

To keep tabs on the progress of the Chicago Bus trip and actions, subscribe to the 99% Solidarity media Twitter list and check in with us via the following livestreams:

OccupyFreedomLA
CodeFrameSF
TheRevolutionWillBeStreamed
CrossXBones

Full disclosure: Nicole Powers has been assisting with 99% Solidarity’s efforts and is in no way an impartial observer. She is proud of this fact.

by A.J. Focht

In its second week in theatres, The Avengers broke over a dozen records, including tying with Avatar and Deathly Hallows Part 2 for fastest to a billion dollars. Considering in just two weeks it became the twelfth highest grossing movie ever, it should be no surprise that Disney has confirmed Avengers 2.

After the phenomenal success of The Avengers, Joss Whedon took some time to thank his longtime fans. Posting a letter on his personal site, Whedon thanked those that have stuck with him. After his heartfelt missive, he posted an interview with ‘Rutherford D. Actualperson’ covering some FAQ for his fans.



The Amazing Spider-Man is kicking up its advertising campaign. Now they have released a four minute preview of the film. It includes a scene where Spider-Man saves a child, but reveals his identity. Moments like this show the clear differences between this Spider-Man and the Spider-Man from the previous movies.

The newest news from The Dark Knight Rises is that Marion Cotillard has confirmed she is not playing Talia Al’Ghul. In a recent interview, the actress revealed that her character was a good throughout. This does not mean Talia Al’Ghul is not in the movie, but Marion Cotillard will not be playing the part.

The CW is moving forward with their new superhero television series, Arrow. Now there is an official synopsis of Arrow available. Some of it follows the traditional Green Arrow story, but there have been some changes, including the city, which has been switched from Star City to Starling City.

NBC’s Community has been green lit for another season, but they moved the show time to Friday nights. The series might be coming back, but it’s not clear if the whole study group will return. Both http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=90138 " target="_blank">Chevy Chase and Community creator Dan Harmon have not signed on for the new season.



Jumping on the post-apocalyptic bandwagon, NBC is airing a new show next season called Revolution. The series follows the aftermath of a post-apocalyptic event where all electricity is shut off across the world. It clearly builds off the popularity of Hunger Games, and even includes a bow toting heroine.

In the video game world, Blizzard launched Diablo III at midnight on the 15th. Videogame developers at Bethesda are also looking to move in on Blizzards massively multiplayer online game territory. They have announced they are working on an Elder Scrolls MMO.

by Shotgun Suicide



Suicide Girls are more than just pretty faces. When they’re not taking their clothes off and posing for pictures, they're taking their clothes off and making videos.

This compilation, put together by Shotgun Suicide, highlights some of the sultriest selections from the past month. Tune in next month for another “Best Of” compilation.

Enjoy!
XOX

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by Damon Martin



As summer 2012 fast approaches, in the comic book world the hottest title going right now revolves around the major Marvel event pitting the Avengers against the X-Men. The two biggest powerhouse forces in the Marvel universe are currently battling it out in the pages of a 12-issue bi-weekly release that will run through much of this upcoming year.

Major comic book events are nothing new, and almost every year DC and Marvel put out their own storyline that somehow encompasses most or all of their titles, all touching on a central theme.

In the Marvel world they've bounced from the Avengers Disassembled to Civil War to Secret Invasion, and on and on, and DC has managed to have more than their fair share of world shattering events as well.

With Avengers vs. X-Men in full swing for the mega-event of 2012, let's take a look at the five greatest comic book events of all-time:

5. Infinity Gauntlet

Cosmic badass Thanos (pay attention to those of you that saw The Avengers movie) has captured all of the infinity gems, which give him reign over each of their particular parts of the universe, and locked them onto one all powerful glove now called the Infinity Gauntlet.

With the power to control time, space, mind, soul, reality, and power, Thanos is by far the most powerful being in the universe and he also happens to be in love with a fellow sentient entity known as Death. To impress her he didn't get her flowers or candies.

No, Thanos wipes out half of life throughout the universe to prove his love (take that John Cusack with your boom box over your head!), and in the process pisses off all of the remaining heroes left throughout the cosmos. They make it their personal goal to stop Thanos at any cost.

This major event, that kicked off in 1991, only lasted six issues, but spawned several titles in the Marvel universe and helped to launch the cosmic future of the comic book world. The biggest downside of this series was the golden skinned Adam Warlock, who was resurrected and helped to defeat Thanos in the long run, while his own comic life was something akin to that of Spider-Pig.

4. Secret Wars

Never has a publisher's desire to sell toys ever turned out to be such a great comic book event, but that's how 1984's Secret Wars all came about.

With the growth of the children’s action figure industry, Marvel wanted the chance to launch their own characters into toy form, and Mattel was willing to make a new line on the premise of the comic giant creating a major storyline involving all of the heroes and villains in the universe to hopefully draw more kids into the books.

It worked like a charm.

Secret Wars was essentially the story of an other worldly character called The Beyonder who is interested in the dynamic of the heroes and villains that live on Earth. He decides to bring a group of both to a different dimension called 'Battleworld' where the two factions will battle it out once and for all.

Characters ranged from Captain America to Iron Man to the Fantastic Four to Dr. Doom to Dr. Octopus, and maybe most famously Spider-Man. The reason why he was so famous for this particular series is it was Secret Wars that introduced the new all black costume for the usually red and blue suited web-slinger.

Later it was discovered that the costume was actually alive and eventually became the maniacal Venom, but the origin for the all-black Spider-Man started with Secret Wars.

The book was a huge success through 12-issues, and is still one of the most talked about major events in comic book history.

3. House of M

The X-Men have been a major part of the Marvel universe for decades, and they have had more than their fair share of huge story arcs, but nothing served as a game changer more than 2005's House of M.

The story revolved around the dangerous mutant called Scarlet Witch (daughter of mutant baddie Magneto), who warps reality to make mutants the dominant force in the world, far outnumbering the human population. This alternate reality features many characters in different roles and new situations, while the Scarlet Witch's father Magneto rules with his 'House of M'. In the long run, the Scarlet Witch's madness brings her to the brink of insanity, and with three words she changed the Marvel universe forever:

"No more mutants."

And like that, the millions of mutants that lived around the world vanished in an instant. Even in this year's Avengers vs. X-Men series, the ultimate end of House of M continues to play out as the 'homo-superiors' still feel the wrath of the Scarlet Witch and her death sentence to the mutant population. Now only a few hundred mutants live on Earth, struggling to survive with numbers much smaller than before the Scarlet Witch ripped them from reality.

The ripple effect of House of M is still felt in the books ongoing today, something that a lot of past major events have failed to do.

2. The Blackest Night

Writer Geoff Johns did more to revive the failing Green Lantern franchise than any writer in the last 30 years, but it was his masterful work leading into Blackest Night that may be his greatest achievement yet.

Woven through a multitude of storylines starting with Johns' re-telling of how Hal Jordan became a Green Lantern, all the way to the Sinestro Corps War, Blackest Night was literally an epic tale years in the making.

When it all came to pass, an evil overlord named Nekron brought all of the long gone heroes and villains back to life to help lead his army of the dead, as they attacked and spread their evil, all in hopes of finding the original source of life in the universe.

Nothing was more chilling than in the first issue as Hawkman and Hawkgirl are slaughtered by their good friends Elongated Man and Sue Dibny. Thus, an 8-issue tour de force kicked off that spanned all of the titles in the DC Universe, and featured numerous off-shoots as well.

The book brought back many good guys and bad guys long since gone, and in a great storytelling effort, Johns along with artist Ivan Reis, managed to tell one of the great tales in the history of comic books. While DC has now rebooted the entire line with their 'New 52' contingency, Blackest Night was one of the best major events the company as ever done.

1. Crisis on Infinite Earths

If Blackest Night was one of the greatest stories ever told in the DC Universe, then 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths was definitely the tops.

Throughout the history of the DC Universe, many characters had undergone a shift in back story or even current storylines due to different writers all having a different vision for how characters should be portrayed.

Eventually, it was decided that in reality there were a number of alternate realities where characters could have multiple copies of themselves, all living at once, but all with different back stories and current agendas.

That is until the evil Anti-Monitor decides he wants to destroy the multiverse, and everyone that inhabits the worlds. He's almost successful too, despite the best efforts of heroes like Superman, Batman and others that try valiantly to stop him. Eventually, the Anti-Monitor is defeated, but not until he converges all of the worlds into one distinct reality.

Crisis on Infinite Earths was a great series because of the magnitude of the overall storyline, where beloved characters like Barry Allen (The Flash) and others died, and it reached every part of the DC Universe.

It's widely recognized as one of the greatest series of books in comics' history and was re-visited in the 2005 series Infinite Crisis. Heralded as a landmark series, Crisis on Infinite Earths still holds up today with great writing, fantastic art, and a tale that can be retold for generations to come.

So those are the five series I believe make up the greatest events in comic book history? Did I leave any out? Feel free to comment below!

by Ryker Suicide

Ingredients (enough for two sandwiches):

• 1 avocado


• 1 hunk of brie cheese


• 2 tsp of brown sugar


• Sourdough sliced bread (or whatever bread is to your preference)


• 1/2 sweet onion


• butter

Directions:


1. Caramelize sliced sweet onions in butter slowly. Do not overcook! Let them cook slowly.


2. While they are cooking, butter outer sides of bread with soft butter and slice brie and avocado. On each inner side of the bread, layer brie and then avocado slices.


3. When onions are finished, add them on top of the avocado. Sprinkle with 1/2 - 1 tsp of brown sugar (to taste)


4. Grill sandwich in a buttered pan or press in a panini grill until cheese is creamy and melted.


Eat and enjoy!





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by Steven Whitney

In Chinatown, private detective Jake Gittes puts those two questions to Noah Cross, perhaps the richest man in 1930s California. Those same queries, and others like them, resonant more than ever in today’s America.

How many cars can you drive? How many McMansions can you live in? How many diamonds and jewels and designer clothes can you wear? How many black Escalades filled with bodyguards does it take to make you feel important? Why do you need more when you already have so much more than enough? And most tellingly: how much do you fucking want?

The movie doesn’t provide answers – after all, who can explain rampant and uncontrolled greed? But it does offer a symbolic confrontation between the 99%, in the persona of Jake Gittes, and the 1%, represented by super-rich Noah Cross.

Jake is Everyman working hard to earn a decent living, perhaps with a dodge or two here and there, but living by a code in keeping with Raymond Chandler’s “hero” – a man who walks the mean streets who is not himself mean, a common man, a man of honor.

During a short stint with the police, Jake came to know Chinatown – a dark and dangerous place controlled by a few and impervious to change.

Why? Because he knew it was a game played with a stacked deck, one he couldn’t win...and he never knew if he was helping or hurting.

As the story begins, Jake is hired to expose a love nest that will ultimately determine control of the Los Angeles water supply. While the scandal is false, it leads to an apparent suicide. But Jake senses that he was unknowingly set-up and that the victim was murdered. So he unexpectedly wades deeper into the murky waters and runs straight-on into Noah Cross.

Cross has gotten rich as Croesus by not making any positive contributions to society. He doesn’t create anything – he just buys things, forces up their value (often by illegal means), and then sells them at an obscene profit. Sound familiar?

To make matters worse, he’s everyone’s Moriarty – an old man of gross and unchecked appetites. Indulging in land fraud, assorted swindles, mayhem, murder, and incest. He is both father and grandfather to the innocent girl he now lusts after. This, of course, makes him the worst kind of fucker – worse than a motherfucker and even worse than South Park’s notorious unclefucker (but probably still not as bad as Dick Cheney). By every measure, Noah Cross is an uber-villain.

Imbued with a sense of fairness, of right and wrong, and of common decency, Jake tries to rescue a woman and the daughter who is also her sister from this psycho-sociopath. Tough, smart, and relentless, if anyone can stop Cross, it’s Jake. And, against all odds, he seems at times almost on the verge of winning.

But he can’t win. He can never win because the game is rigged from the top, with scant trickle-down benefits. You can’t fight City Hall, especially if Noah Cross owns it. Jake gives it his best, but he’s a man alone, fighting phantoms he can feel but cannot see as Cross wages scorched-earth warfare. Too late, Jake realizes the only way he can win is to kill Cross. But Jake’s not a killer...so he winds up back in Chinatown, impotent, losing everything, and bone-tired of the whole damn mess.

Cross manipulates Jake (and everyone else) like Republicans maneuver their base – holding out the carrot of the American Dream only to snatch it away at the last second, keeping all the spoils of victory for themselves. Jake, like the rest of us, has been played for a sucker.

In 2012, it’s not morning in America. It’s fucking Chinatown.

Unlike Noah Cross and his ilk, we don’t want it all, we just want a level playing field...with more education, equal access to quality healthcare, and economic parity. We want the freedom to create and control our own lives.

But freedom comes at a high cost. It can neither be given nor bestowed, and it must be fought for and earned, now and forever. If we don’t get angry, if we don’t fight as hard and as relentlessly as the opposition, if we don’t learn to vote for our own interests, if we don’t deploy every weapon at our disposal, our lives will become mere ceremonies of loss in which our rights, our freedoms, and our opportunities are eroded, little by little, until the final whistle blows...and the American Dream is officially dead, stolen by Noah Cross and his brethren of the 1%.

And then we’ll all suffer Jake’s tragic fate – a purgatory of futility.

DARKNESS DESCENDS. MUSIC UP: A noir melody, light tinkling on a piano, backed by lush woodwinds, and then...a mournful trumpet solo, wailing a plaintive cry of helplessness.

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A Last Pitch For Truth

by SG's Team Agony feat. Smythe

Let us answer life's questions - because great advice is even better when it comes from SuicideGirls.


[Smythe in There Is A Light]

Q: My boyfriend is great! We have an adventurous sex life. We're open and young and love each other very much. We have a 3-month old son, but that hasn't changed our sex life much. Recently though, my boyfriend's been avoiding sex. It doesn't matter if I play hard to get or if I'm throwing myself at him or anything in between, he's just not into it. Why could this be?


A: There have been A LOT of changes in you and your boyfriend's life. You were pregnant, and had a kid. Whoa. Huge deal. Is it possibly stress related? There's a big shift in responsibility, both personal and financial. He could be freaking out a little.

You mentioned that you have an adventurous sex life with your boyfriend. Great! But, do you both feel that way? What might make things amazing for you in the sack, might not be what lights his fire.

The thing is, it could be almost anything under the sun causing him to have an aversion to sex. But no matter what you think it might be that is causing a lack of umph in bedroom, you're never going to know until you talk to him. Sit him down and have an open and honest conversation, without judgment.

Smythe

***

Got Problems? Let SuicideGirls’ team of Agony Aunts provide solutions. Email questions to: gotproblems@suicidegirls.com

by Tita Suicide



Hell City Tattoo Festival celebrated "A Decade of Sin" last week, in it's hometown of Killumbus, OH. The three day festival attracted thousands of fans, collectors, artists, and of course, a strong contingent of Suicide Girls.

Each year, more and more girls make the trek from all over North America, and this year was no exception! Anathesia, Wit, Yesnesnia, Chrysis, Sunshine, Rourke, Patton, Luscious, Essence, Glitch, King, Gallows, Damone, Amarena, Damsel, Tovi, Vellin, Cupie, Michaelangela helped man the SuicideGirls booth, greet fans, pose for photos, and hand out the coveted Hell City Tattoo awards each night.

Seeing that SuicideGirls celebrated its ten year anniversary at the end of 2011, it isn't hard to see why we've become such a big part of the show. Hell City, much like SuicideGirls, celebrates art, culture, and alternative lifestyle, while providing a place for like-minded people to convene, share, and get to know one another.

Ten years in, both are bigger, better, and sexier than ever.

Until next year Hellions...

Yay!
XOXO
Tita

Ps. For a trip down memory lane, check out the video below that Shotgun Suicide put together featuring pics from the past decade of Hell City.



Music: "Mirror" by Tokyo Pinsalocks courtesy of ConspiracyMFX

by Steven-Elliot Altman (SG Member: Steven_Altman)

Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World...

By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.

Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.

When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.

(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)



[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW – CHAPTER ELEVEN, PART THREE]

[SUPERBOWL CXC]

[Previous Chapter]

“Go nail that fucker!” Regina yelled, ripping a colorful airboard from one of the fans’ backpacks and clutching it to her chest. By the time the boy got to his feet Regina had powered it on, leapt over the rail, and was plummeting toward the field with the board stretched beneath her at arm’s length. Haggerty felt a surge of pride and admiration as she rolled her foot atop it, balanced on the edge of the wall, pulled up a few feet above the field, and surfed the green toward the center of the game, cannonballing straight for the players.

Haggerty tore off after Stelwyn.

“Hold on a minute, folks,” the sportscaster announced. “There seems to be a girl hurtling across the field on an airboard!” Regina appeared on the viewscreen, tacking through the air, gaining speed. The players halted, unsure what to do. “Must be a Clone Jesus fan. Look at her go. There’s a flag on the field! They’re stopping the clock.”

The stands erupted with laughter, disbelief, and outrage.

Haggerty pushed himself to midpoint, a stitching pain in his side. On the giant screen a half-dozen security guards converged behind Regina, unfurling barbed catchwire nets; more guards moved toward her through the players up ahead, stunners held high.

“It looks like we’re getting a little extra entertainment for our money,” the sportscaster observed merrily.

Stelwyn was far ahead of Haggerty, several yards from the door to the suite. Haggerty willed himself to move faster. Looking out he saw Regina nose right and one-eighty to avoid security. She didn’t have long before they either snared her or stunned her down. A fall from that height and speed could be serious. Haggerty ran on — desperate to properly spend the time she was buying him.

Stelwyn pushed through the final throng of fans to the suite. He turned back, saw Haggerty, drew his revolver, and pounded on the door. Haggerty fumbled for the stunner in his pocket, arriving just as Stelwyn grabbed the security guard by the collar, dragged him outside at gunpoint, and shoved him backward down the steps. Haggerty leaped over the flailing guard and rushed into the suite, stunner raised.

Max and Corbin turned from where they leaned against the suite’s fully stocked bar, registering surprise and raising their hands.

Max smirked beneath flushed cheeks. “I knew you were too dedicated to miss the game, Mr. Haggerty.” He was still wearing his tuxedo.

Corbin laughed under her breath.

“And the game is back on,” the sportscaster’s voice filled the suite. “As they restart the clock, there’s one minute left and it’s third down and twelve yards to go for a first. NewVada better move fast.”

“You little worm,” Stelwyn said contemptuously as he kicked the door closed behind him and stepped beside Haggerty.

“That quaint term is out of date, old man,” Max said derisively. “And a bit misleading, seeing that I hold the power here.”

A dark shape hurtled from the shadows and tackled Stelwyn to the floor, sending his antique gun spinning into the corner. Haggerty kept his stunner trained on Max, who seemed utterly unconcerned.

“I control Shintag Lake, the band, this show, the police, and I’m this close to taking over NewVada’s underground,” he said. “And at the moment, Mr. Stelwyn, it would appear I control you.”

Brian dragged Stelwyn to his feet. The ape seemed indifferent to his mutilated, gauze-swathed hand.

“Stupid punk,” Stelwyn snarled. “Lake is using you, the police will sell you out to the highest bidder, and if you move against the Triads, they’ll cut you to pieces.”

“I’m a song away from cowing them all,” Max said, a nasty grin on his face.

“Why are you doing this?” Haggerty demanded.

The ape’s head snapped around; his eyes narrowed on Haggerty. “You’re the sonofabitch who ruined my hand!”

Stelwyn butted his head into the ape’s Adam’s apple. Brian released his hold and Haggerty stunned him. Stelwyn pulled a small revolver from his jacket pocket, blowing a hole in Max’s face and showering Corbin in blood. The loud report was muffled by a million screaming fans as NewVada scored with a last-ditch shot. No one screamed louder than Corbin.

Max’s body crumpled to the floor. The stadium shook with cheering and jumping and stamping. Stelwyn turned the gun on Corbin.

“Don’t let him do it,” Corbin pleaded to Haggerty.

“Wait,” Haggerty urged Stelwyn. “Think of Tyler. The bitch deserves to die as ruthlessly as she killed him and Zabrowski and the others — and to see it coming. But we need her as a witness to help clear up this mess. Let the Feds take care of her.”

“Both of you drop your weapons,” a new voice said.

Oliver Wendell Primrose emerged from his hiding place behind the bar, plasma rifle in hand. Haggerty dropped his stunner. Stelwyn tightened his grip on the revolver.

“Took you long enough,” Corbin said, lowering her hands and smiling viciously.

“Tell me you’ll really miss that bagbite and I’ll halve your cut for insincerity,” Primrose warned her.

“That’s how you financed things, isn’t it?” Haggerty said. “You manipulated presses where there were no direct heirs, like Nyuga and Rosenberg yesterday morning. Then what? Did you alter the documents so their funds went to a discretionary account?”

Primrose smiled thinly. “Making a favored charity the beneficiary in lieu of or in conjunction with other surviving heirs is a time-honored practice, Mr. Haggerty. And what better charity to benefit than St. Maximilian’s Shelter for Widows and Orphans?”

“I suppose Max was the orphan. Who was the widow?”

“That’s a recent development,” Corbin said coolly, gazing perfunctorily at Max’s corpse.

“Grieving, of course,” Primrose mocked.

“Hardly,” Corbin said. “You were always a better fuck. But I’m not exactly thrilled he’s gone.”

“Come on, princess. You’ve been saying you wanted to kill him since junior year.”

“We needed him. He had the formula for the fucking drug.”

Haggerty realized they’d been classmates together. Primrose had himself aged to join Cromwell and Sons.

“All right, Stelwyn, enough of this. Drop the gun or go for it,” Primrose challenged.

“Don’t do it!” Haggerty warned. “How will Sylvia survive losing you, too?”

Stelwyn hesitated but Primrose didn’t. Haggerty latched onto Stelwyn’s arm and pulled him forward as Primrose fired. The shot missed its target and blasted the wall.

Shards of hypersteel ricocheted through the air. One pierced Stelwyn’s shoulder. A second splinter lodged in his throat, abruptly cutting off his screams. Stelwyn was down, bleeding profusely at the neck, his eyes open and staring, beyond help.

“What a rush,” Primrose exulted. “I killed Antonio Stelwyn! Don’t just stand there, Nia. Lock the damned door.”

“Watch where you aim that thing,” Corbin said flatly. She dusted herself off, crossed the suite, and engaged the digital lock.

Screams shook the stadium. “What an amazing turnaround at the end of the first half of this Superbowl One-Hundred-Ninety!” boomed the sportscaster.

“It’s time we granted your death wish,” Primrose said, training the rifle on Haggerty.

* * *

Excerpt from The Killswitch Review, published by Yard Dog Press. Copyright 2011 Steven-Elliot Altman.

Steven-Elliot Altman is a bestselling author, screenwriter, and videogame developer. He won multiple awards for his online role playing game, 9Dragons. His novels include Captain America is Dead, Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires, Batman: Fear Itself, Batman: Infinite Mirror, The Killswitch Review, The Irregulars, and Deprivers. His writing has been compared to that of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton and Philip K. Dick, and he has collaborated with world class writers such as Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves, Harry Turtledove and Dr. Janet Asimov. He’s also the editor of the critically acclaimed anthology The Touch, and a contributor to Shadows Over Baker Street, a Hugo Award winning anthology of Sherlock Holmes meets H.P. Lovecraft stories.

Steven also bares ink on his body, and is bi, as in bi-coastal, between NYC and LA. He’s currently hard at work writing and directing his latest videogame Cursed Love, an online free to play gothic horror RPG from Dark Hermit Studios, set in Victorian London. Think Sherlock Holmes, Jack The Ripper and Dorian Gray mercilessly exploit the cast of Twilight. Friend Cursed Love (Official Closed Beta) on facebook and you can have fun playing out this tawdry, tragic romance with Steven while the game is being beta tested!

Diane DeKelb-Rittehouse spent several years in Manhattan as an actress before marrying her college sweetheart and returning to the Philadelphia area where she had been born. Diane first worked with Steven-Elliot Altman when they created the acclaimed, Publisher’s Weekly Starred-Review anthology The Touch: Epidemic of the Millennium, in which her story “Gifted” appeared. Diane has published a number of critically acclaimed short stories, most notably in the science fiction, murder, and horror genres. Her young adult fantasy novel, Fareie Rings: The Book of Forests, is now available in stores or online.

Interested in buying a printed copy of The Killswitch Review? Well, Steve’s publisher Yard Dog Press was kind enough to put up a special page where SuicideGirls can get a special discount and watch a sexy trailer. Just follow this link to KillswitchReview.com and click on the SG logo.

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Related Posts:
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Five
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eight, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eight, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eight, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Five
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Ten, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Ten, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Ten, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eleven, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eleven, Part Two

by Laurelin



It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that I’ve been in a serious rut lately. I don’t know if it has to do with my approaching 30th birthday, my increased responsibility at work, my lack of any romantic interest in anyone besides an ex that I just want out of my head, or a lethal combination of all of these things. Either way, I haven’t been very happy lately, and I really don’t feel like myself. I feel…lost. Sad. Alone. Rejected. Like I’m standing in a crowded room screaming -- and no one can hear me, or the ones who can just don’t care.

I know it is nothing more than a temporary hiccup in an otherwise smooth existence, so I have been dealing with this the best way I know how: drinking, reading, working out, whatever. I’m choosing one night a week to do something really fun and taking it to the next level in a vain attempt to forget that for one second, when I go home, I will probably just start to cry about the same thing over and over again.

The one constant in my recent fall from my ever-perfect life is my ex-boyfriend from a few years ago. He was the person who inspired me to start writing this column; first in anger, then as time went on in friendship and in unwavering support. He moved to Los Angeles about five months ago. His leaving made me feel like a part of my life was seriously over. I felt conflicted; devastated and happy at the same time. This city eats bartenders alive, and he was ready for a change. We always said we would go together, and when we broke up I was the one dead set on leaving… but I wound up staying, and months later, he left, and I cried.

He knows me better than most of my girlfriends, and when I call him drunk and crying about another guy at 4 AM, he always answers and he always knows just what to say. Just hearing his voice on the other end of the line is like being thrown a rope, something to keep me hanging on for just a little bit longer.

“You were crying about birthday cake,” he said the other morning, “it was cute, and sad.” Birthday cake, the one that I had custom made for a guy who never showed up for his party I helped plan in Boston, and who shut off his phone when I called to ask what was going on. Instead, I carted the cake home to my apartment and my roommates and we tore it apart; ate half of it and threw the rest in the trash. And I got drunk and I cried, because I was an idiot to care about someone who never cared for me, again.

And then, a few weeks ago, my ex called from LA to say he was coming home. He had had enough of California, and for once, I didn’t cry. He was coming home and finally, maybe, things could get back to normal. He’s been back for two days, and when I woke up this morning I was tangled up in him and for once, I didn’t feel lost.

I woke up, I took his clothes and I washed them with mine. I pulled his old dusty Tupperware container out of the closet and got him new socks and underwear and one of his T-shirts. I made coffee while he slept, and when he woke up he rubbed my back because I had run twelve miles in the rain the day before and I was cold and sore, and we were happy.

We might not be together anymore, and I don’t want to be, to be honest. We’re clearly both lost, but we take care of each other, for now. Sometimes, when you’re in a rut it’s nice to have someone throw you a rope. Other times it’s nice to have someone climb down and sit there with you until you’re ready to muster the strength to get out on your own.



***

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by A.J. Focht

The Avengers has done more than just live up to the extremely high expectations it set forth, it did better than anyone imagined. It’s broken several records already, being the fastest movie to gross $100 million and $200 million as well as smashing the opening weekend record. One of the only records it left intact was the one set by Deathly Hallow Part 2 for a midnight release. Perhaps more importantly, fans and critics everywhere are raving about it.

Critics who didn’t enjoy the movie might be better off just keeping their opinions to themselves or they risk summoning the wrath of S.H.I.E.L.D. After A.O. Scott of the New York Times gave The Avengers a mediocre review, Samuel L. Jackson sent out a call to action to his fans on Twitter to find Scott a new job he could actually do. While many did rally behind Jackson, his remarks made something of a martyr out of Scott and his review, and the small group not pleased with The Avengers jumped to Scott’s aid.

Anyone who hasn’t seen The Avengers might want to jump ahead as there are some major SPOILERS coming….First, let’s talk about our favorite S.H.I.E.L.D. member, Agent Phil Coulson. We all watched him "die" bravely at the hands of Loki, but is that really the end of our hero? In a recent interview, actor Clark Gregg mentioned he is still signed on for two more movies. He doesn’t say what movie, but does say he has a meeting with the director of Thor 2. Could Nick Fury have just been pulling one over on the Avengers to get them to work as a team?



A new trailer for Amazing Spider-Man was released with The Avengers this last week. It sheds more light on the story of Peter’s search into his parent’s past. The trailer is fairly good, but was ultimately forgettable after seeing The Avengers.

Illustrator of Kick-Ass comics, John Romita Jr. has shed some light on the future of the Kick-Ass 2 movie. The film is starting production this summer. It is currently unclear if Chloe Moretz will return as Hit Girl as she has a full filming schedule. Either way, the movie is set to release in May 2013.

Michael Arndt, writer of Toy Story 3, is in talks to rewrite the Catching Fire script. Francis Lawrence has taken over as director on the film, and now they are looking at reworking the script. All of this has to be done fast as the movie is scheduled to release in November 2013.

James Cameron has closed down the development arm of his production studios and doesn’t want to think about doing any new projects. For the foreseeable future, Cameron’s mind is stuck on Avatar and only Avatar. In a recent interview, Cameron said his mind is set on making Avatar 2, Avatar 3, and maybe Avatar 4 and that is all.

Ridley Scott's Prometheus comes out next month, and it now has a rating of R. The film decided to take the hit and not adjust to make the film PG-13. While this might narrow their audience base, it will hopefully help ensure the film is accepted by fans.

What would you say to Inception star Joseph Gordon-Levitt acting in a big screen production of Little Shop of Horrors? Well, that is just what Levitt and Warner Bros. are working towards. Levitt is currently one of the producers on the project and would also like an on-screen role.

by Steven Whitney

For more than a decade, even the smallest truths have been at a premium in the halls of Congress. . . and elsewhere in our government, from the Executive Office and WMDs to the Supreme Court and Citizens United.

But now, finally, Congress is *cough* aggressively attempting to restore truth in government.

Just as the Feds fully cleaned up the Wall Street and Bank disasters of 2008-2009 by convicting homemaking doyen Martha Stewart on charges of trading on “insider information,” they are now prosecuting former All-Star baseball pitcher Roger Clemens on six felony counts involving perjury, false statements, and obstruction of Congress.

The charges stem from Clemens’ voluntary 2008 appearance before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committees in which he denied allegations by others that he had used steroids during his major league career. Stunned in much the same way Claude Rains was “shocked” to learn that nefarious criminals were hiding out in Casablanca, the Committees referred the case to the Justice Department for prosecution.

Clemens’ first trial ended abruptly in July, 2011, when the judge, citing prosecutorial misconduct, declared a mistrial on the second day. The Feds pressed fervently on, and Clemens’ second trial began just a few weeks ago.

Clemens’ defense? Through a 23-year career and 354 wins, he never once tested positive for steroids. Not once.

The government’s evidence? Well, Jose Canseco, who himself admitted to steroid use, wrote a book in which he “suggested” that Clemens “might” have taken steroids. Teammate Andy Pettitte testified that Clemens implied he had taken steroids, but also stated that he (Pettitte) might have “misunderstood.” And then there’s Clemens’ trainer, who’s changed his story five times, and now says without doubt (and no collaborating evidence) that he injected Clemens himself. In other words, the government has over four years built an airtight he-said, she-said case at a cost conservatively estimated well into eight figures.

And why not? Truth is sacred. Especially when spoken in the halls of Congress, a baseball player’s words in his own defense might threaten the security of our great nation.

So lies must be revealed. . . and prosecuted.

But perhaps – just maybe – prosecutions for perjury and making false statements should begin a little closer to home. Say, in Congress itself. After all, it impeached a President for lying about a blowjob, so why not impeach its own members for lies that undermine the very legitimacy of government?

Just a few months ago, Senator Minority Whip John Kyl (R-Arizona) gave a speech in the Upper Chamber in which he stated unequivocally that abortion was “well over 90% of what Planned Parenthood does.”

Of course, only about 3% of Planned Parenthood’s activities actually involve abortion (and much of that is just consultation). But instead of copping to his egregious error, Kyl’s office doubled down by releasing a statement that the Senator’s “remark was not intended to be a factual statement, but rather to illustrate that Planned Parenthood. . . . does subsidize abortions.”

In other words, Kyl’s statement was like Aesop’s fable of the Tortoise and the Hare that “illustrated” a lesson in persistence. But fables employ symbolic metaphors, not untruths. Attempting to “illustrate” any moral virtue with a bald-faced lie disparages both the argument and the virtue it portrays.

In conceding that his oratory “was not intended to be a factual statement,” Kyl admits that he knew it wasn’t true when he said it. Hence, he lied. . . to Congress.

Kyl’s not the only one. Every day yet another elected official ambles forth nearly foaming at the mouth with one falsehood after another (like Representative Allen West’s recent comments that 74, or 82, or 61, or 55 Congressional Democrats are in fact Communists). Do these politicos have any substantiation of their “facts” whatsoever? And if not, why aren’t the Feds prosecuting them as relentlessly as they did Ms. Stewart and Mr. Clemens?

What proof would the Feds have to support prosecution? With Members of Congress (and most other elected officials), every sleazy lie is on videotape. And most are entered into the Congressional Record, signed by the liars themselves. Which leaves only two rationales: 1) our elected representatives are morons who don’t know the truth, or 2) they are lying douchebags inhabiting the lowest rung of Dante’s Inferno. Neither is an acceptable defense.

The key ingredient to a successful democracy is an informed electorate - a citizenry that is told and knows the truth. Indeed, how can any vote be legitimately cast if it is based on lies?

It follows that if truth in government is not our first priority, then government itself is inherently false. For when those in elected office distort truth into illustrative fables grounded in lies, an informed electorate is merely a myth. . . and democracy “of the people, by the people, and for the people” becomes nothing more than a fairy tale.

by SG's Team Agony feat. Tita

Let us answer life's questions - because great advice is even better when it comes from SuicideGirls.


[Tita in West Coast]

Q: I have been with my girlfriend (girl-girl couple) for almost nine months now. Sadly, she had to move so currently we are long distance. My problem is, I am feeling unappreciated. Our relationship seems to be me giving and barely getting anything in return. Recently, I sent her a memory card full of saucy teases and the only thing she has to say is, "The videos are too short." You see my problem?

Just the other day, I told my dad that she is my girlfriend. She asked me to do that. Considering the way he was raised, I was risking a lot. I risked it for her, but she doesn't go telling people about me. She said she isn't ashamed of me, and I understand why her parents cannot know, but why do I have to be a semi-secret – even from friends? These are only two examples of many.

I feel I am coming to the end of my patience. She has always been a taker and I am naturally a giver. How do I talk to her about how unsatisfied and unappreciated I feel without seeming mad, or like a total a-hole?

A: First up, I would like to point out that telling someone you are unsatisfied, or feeling under appreciated does not immediately make you an "a-hole." Communication is an important part of any relationship, and should be one of the strongest bonds that you share.

Asking for what we want and need, and being "demanding" are not the same thing! Just as being "helpful or caring" and "overly accommodating" are not mutually exclusive.

Truthfully, distance seems to be the least of your relationship problems. Or perhaps it has just highlighted issues that were already there.

Have you asked yourself: What were things like before we separated? Was I happier then? Was my partner more engaged, or giving? (According to your email, she has "always been a taker" – so perhaps not.)

And following those questions, why not continue with: What in this relationship is worth sticking around for? You list your girlfriend's inequities, but surely there must be some good qualities, or you wouldn't be sticking it out. Or... would you?!?

Often times we repeat a pattern of behavior because we don't know any different. In this case, it seems the distance should have been as good a reason as any to cut the cord, yet you chose to remain attached. Why is that?

I think you need to take a good look at what is in this for you – without pausing to tell yourself that that is selfish or mean. If you asked yourself that very question right now, gun to your head –what would you come up with?

Sure, coming out to your Dad may be positive for you in the long run, but what made you take such a leap at the request of your girlfriend, and not for yourself? In my opinion, in order to find your place in this relationship, you must first find your own voice. Figure out what you want. Itemize your needs. Visualize where you want your relationship (and life) to go. And then, take stock and see if your current relationship is a good fit.

From where I'm sitting, it doesn't look like it.

No one’s saying it will be easy, but I hope when the time comes you find the strength to take what may be the harder of two roads.

Good luck!

*Besos*

Tita

***

Got Problems? Let SuicideGirls’ team of Agony Aunts provide solutions. Email questions to: gotproblems@suicidegirls.com

by Steven-Elliot Altman (SG Member: Steven_Altman)

Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World...

By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.

Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.

When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.

(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)



[THE KILLSWITCH REVIEW – CHAPTER ELEVEN, PART TWO]

[SUPERBOWL CXC]

[Previous Chapter / Next Chapter]

Stelwyn shouted something as his bodyguards pushed through the turngate past the operator. Alarms clamored as they continued through the security arch, triggering anew as Stelwyn, Haggerty, and Regina followed them under. The roar of the crowd shook the massive stadium. Stelwyn was yelling into his earpiece, trying to explain the situation to security, but the din from the million-plus attendees made communication nearly impossible.

Two uniformed guards rushed from their post with stunners ready, shouting, “Put your hands in the air.” They were immediately confronted by Stelwyn’s men.

Haggerty and Regina complied.

Stelwyn stepped between his men and produced his I.D. “If you want to keep your jobs you’ll lower those stunners,” he said coldly. ‘”If you want to spend the rest of your lives in hellish squalor, keep pointing them at me. This is my damned stadium. Check with the office.”

One of the guards spoke into his com. Bullhorns pierced the mayhem, punctuated by the bark of a sportscaster.

“Sorry for the mix-up, Mr. Stelwyn,” the man said as he unclipped his earpiece. “Enjoy the game with your guests.”

They stepped out onto a first-deck platform amid the raucous crowd in the stands. Haggerty surveyed the two-hundred-yard field below them where the double lineup of gargantuan players in bright-colored body armor faced off as a whistle blew. Even from this distance the genetically enhanced warriors seemed inhuman.

“I can’t stand how the players are deformed,” Regina said. “Their families are so desperate they sacrifice their children so the rest of the nation can enjoy its blood sport. It’s blasphemous.”

Years ago, Haggerty would have said the parents’ choice to have their children mutated was rational, guaranteeing a short, wealthy life with the best of everything rather than a long subsistence in poverty. Since the car accident, his view had changed: Nothing rational warranted the shortening of a child’s life. And parents who might live forever needed their children alive and healthy for at least as long as they planned to live, themselves, or they risked falling prey to despair — and pressing to escape that despair. There were many more arguments to be made against condemning children to an early death in the name of ensuring they lived in material comfort. But right now the players’ lives weren’t his concern.

A flag dropped, halting the next play. A false start call against NewVada unleashed a riot of derision from the crowd. NewVada trailed 21-19, and was lining up to punt, so the crowd was in no mood for mindless penalties. A two-hundred-foot-long plasma screen replayed the call, which only incited the crowd more. The timeclock at the upper right quadrant of the scoreboard indicated three minutes left in the second quarter, which meant ten to fifteen in real time.

Stelwyn clicked off his earset. “Nothing but backtalk from the office,” he told his bodyguards. “You go to the staging area and you to the VIP green room. Use my name and authority. Break legs if you have to. See to it that band does not go onstage. Make sure the stage never rises. Understood?”

The men nodded and left.

“Okay, Haggerty, consider the band stopped. Now help me get my hands on Max. You’re the only one who can identify him. Where do we start?”

“My bet is he’s somewhere out there, watching the game and calling orders from an earset. He said he’d be here in style. That means the suites on the hundred-yard line.”

Haggerty moved along the rail, scanning the stadium. It was impossible to make out the faces of anyone that far downfield and there was no time physically to check each suite.

“Hey man, you’re blockin’ my view,” a fan shouted at Haggerty.

Haggerty turned to his taunter. “Lend me those,” he said, indicating the binoculars at the man’s neck with his stunner.

He finessed the finger dials and surveyed the distant field-level suites. The center suite’s occupants came into focus: Max, Corbin, and a single security guard. He handed the binoculars to Stelwyn.

Unfortunately, the fastest way to get there was through the stands and across the first row. Haggerty flicked the binoculars back to their owner. Then he and Regina followed Stelwyn, descending two steps at a time.

The crowd rose with a roar as Johnson, the NewVada kicker, sent the ball hurtling down the field and the linemen took off after it. Haggerty could not help glancing at the action. The players sprinted forward with tremendous speed. Their agility was inhuman; the biogenetic enhancements had come on so gradually, he’d never really considered it before. When he was a kid the field had been only a hundred yards long. He recalled the first time he’d attended a game, gripping his father’s hand and bursting with excitement. How large the place had seemed then. Eventually the UFL felt the new breed of players warranted doubling the field size. The vastness of this complex was almost beyond comprehension.

“Matheson takes the snap,” the sportscaster called. “He drops back, he’s looking deep. . . Nolan has a step. . . Matheson airs it out. . . and Nolan makes a beautiful leaping catch! That ball was nearly a hundred yards in the air, folks. First down!”

Stelwyn reached field level and cut across the front row with Haggerty and Regina close behind. They dashed along the thirty-foot wall through screaming and swearing fans, toward the New York players’ warm-up bench on the green. Haggerty struggled to keep up.

A hush fell over the crowd as Gerald Sohl, a NewVada linebacker, lay motionless on the field after taking a big hit. Young footballers died now and then; it was part of the thrill of the game. If the linebacker were dead, the game would be delayed while he was carted off the field and replaced, then play would resume. A quarterback’s death could theoretically stop the game, but this had happened only once before, to a stunning talent named Sturgeon, years ago.

“We’re moving too slow,” Stelwyn shouted. He broke into a run. Haggerty and Regina ran after him, shoving people out of their way as the downed linebacker got up and the stadium went wild.

Inhuman, Haggerty thought. He sprinted toward stadium midpoint, his shoes hammering against cement, pounding and pounding, his legs about to give out, his lungs threatening to explode.

The buzzer sounded. The sportscaster’s voice echoed across the stadium: “We have reached the two minute warning, as NewVada, still trailing, is struggling to move into field goal range. It’s been a heartstopping first half of action here in Superbowl One-Hundred-Ninety!”

Two minutes left and over half the stadium still to cover. There was no chance of making it to Max’s suite before halftime. When the band did not appear, Max and Corbin would flee — and there was no predicting how many other schemes Max might hatch if this one failed to bring about disaster.

Regina skidded to a halt, breathing hard. “I think I can buy us time,” she said, looking over her shoulder at a cadre of kids in Clone Jesus jackets in the first row. She pulled Haggerty’s head down for a hard kiss.

“Get outta the way,” one of the boys shouted.

“Go nail that fucker!” Regina yelled, ripping a colorful airboard from one of the fans’ backpacks and clutching it to her chest. By the time the boy got to his feet Regina had powered it on, leapt over the rail, and was plummeting toward the field with the board stretched beneath her at arm’s length. Haggerty felt a surge of pride and admiration as she rolled her foot atop it, balanced on the edge of the wall, pulled up a few feet above the field, and surfed the green toward the center of the game, cannonballing straight for the players.

Haggerty tore off after Stelwyn.

* * *

Excerpt from The Killswitch Review, published by Yard Dog Press. Copyright 2011 Steven-Elliot Altman.

Steven-Elliot Altman is a bestselling author, screenwriter, and videogame developer. He won multiple awards for his online role playing game, 9Dragons. His novels include Captain America is Dead, Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires, Batman: Fear Itself, Batman: Infinite Mirror, The Killswitch Review, The Irregulars, and Deprivers. His writing has been compared to that of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton and Philip K. Dick, and he has collaborated with world class writers such as Neil Gaiman, Michael Reaves, Harry Turtledove and Dr. Janet Asimov. He’s also the editor of the critically acclaimed anthology The Touch, and a contributor to Shadows Over Baker Street, a Hugo Award winning anthology of Sherlock Holmes meets H.P. Lovecraft stories.

Steven also bares ink on his body, and is bi, as in bi-coastal, between NYC and LA. He’s currently hard at work writing and directing his latest videogame Cursed Love, an online free to play gothic horror RPG from Dark Hermit Studios, set in Victorian London. Think Sherlock Holmes, Jack The Ripper and Dorian Gray mercilessly exploit the cast of Twilight. Friend Cursed Love (Official Closed Beta) on facebook and you can have fun playing out this tawdry, tragic romance with Steven while the game is being beta tested!

Diane DeKelb-Rittehouse spent several years in Manhattan as an actress before marrying her college sweetheart and returning to the Philadelphia area where she had been born. Diane first worked with Steven-Elliot Altman when they created the acclaimed, Publisher’s Weekly Starred-Review anthology The Touch: Epidemic of the Millennium, in which her story “Gifted” appeared. Diane has published a number of critically acclaimed short stories, most notably in the science fiction, murder, and horror genres. Her young adult fantasy novel, Fareie Rings: The Book of Forests, is now available in stores or online.

Interested in buying a printed copy of The Killswitch Review? Well, Steve’s publisher Yard Dog Press was kind enough to put up a special page where SuicideGirls can get a special discount and watch a sexy trailer. Just follow this link to KillswitchReview.com and click on the SG logo.

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Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter One, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Two, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Three, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Four, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Five, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Six, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Seven, Part Five
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eight, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eight, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eight, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Four
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Nine, Part Five
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Ten, Part One
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Ten, Part Two
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Ten, Part Three
Fiction Friday: The Killswitch Review – Chapter Eleven, Part One

by A.J. Focht

This last week at StarFest 2012 in Denver, I had a chance to sit down with some amazing comic writers including Tony Bedard. Bedard has been writing comics since the ‘90s and is the current writer on Blue Beetle and Green Lantern New Guardians.

A.J. Focht: How do you like working with Kyle Rayner in the Green Lantern New Guardians comic?

Tony Bedard: Credit where credits due, Geoff Johns had the idea to end the first issue by sending a ring of every color to Kyle. We were talking about what I wanted to do with this series, and he was the one at some point that said, ‘Why don’t you end the first issue with a ring of every color coming to him.’ It was the thing that broke open the whole story, and set up this great mystery that we’ve been trying to follow up ever since. We’re going to finish that off by issue twelve, let you know why that happened, and the significance of it.

A.J.: In New Guardians you use rings of most every color. Do you have any plans to do anything with the Black or White Lanterns in New Guardian?

TB: It’s not so much about White Lanterns, but there is a character, the Weaponer, that was in my Green Lantern Core run. He had picked up some of that white energy and put it in his shield and hammer. It’s become this morphing weapon so that whatever he is up against he can change that hammer to meet the situation. He’s going to be in issue #8. He was only going to be in for about one issue, but it has kind of snowballed into a thing where he’s going to stick around for a few more issues and play a big role.

A.J.: That’s good to hear. Since a lot was retconned during the change to the New 52, it was unclear what events from Blackest Night and Brightest Day have actually taken place.

TB: I’m still personally trying to figure out what had changed and what hasn’t. I would say generally that Green Lantern was not revised as much.

A.J.: Do you have any other projects, or are you just sticking with these two?

TB: These are the two right now. We’ve discussed a few other things, but they really haven’t got any traction yet. I’ve been plenty busy and quite happy with what I have right now. We have big plans for Green Lantern. Geoff always has a long term plan, and New Guardians is a big part of that, this whole third army thing that’s coming together. When you look back, you’ll be able to see a lot of what happens in New Guardians is building towards that. We’ve tried to keep the books separate so they each have their own identity, but the Green Lantern books will be intertwining a little bit here in the year to come.

A.J.: Your other book, Blue Beetle is a new take on an old hero. What’s it been like working with that book?

TB: When we started this [the New 52] we wanted to have a comic for everyone.

A.J.: Yeah, there are many niche comics.

TB: Yes. Well I use a lot of Spanglish in the comic, because I am of Puerto Rican decent that’s what it sounded like growing up. It surprised me the responses I got to that. The response from the Hispanic fans who read it was, ‘Yeah, that’s right’ But a lot of other folks who weren’t used to that were like, ‘Okay, we know he’s Mexican, don’t beat us over the head with it.’

A.J.: Do you have any plans to do a crossover with Blue Beetle?

TB: There’s a little crossover in Blue Beetle #9 and New Guardians #9. In Blue Beetle #9, Blue Beetle meets Kyle, and Red Lantern Bleez, and Orange Lantern Globulus on Earth. At the same time in New Guardians #9, the Reach who created Blue Beetles armor will actually be invading the Blue Lantern’s home world, trying to wipe them out and take their power battery. That story actually became so big that it was rolled into two issues. There is a mystery there too as to how Reach found the Blue Lantern home world, because it’s cloaked. Somebody tipped them off. A lot of that stuff, as you look around the lantern verse, happens to all the different cores. It could just be a coincidence, but you start to see a pattern.

A.J.: Do you have plans to expand the reach of Blue Beetle to reach other demographics?

TB: I think mostly we try to keep that as a personal book, to focus on that character. We do have the Green Lantern thing, and actually in issue #10 he is going to meet Booster Gold. But in a way that you would not expect, it’s not the happy meeting everyone will expect. It’s not the same relationship he had with Ted at all.


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by Blogbot





SuicideGirls have just unleashed a super cute new iPad app for those that like watching "birds" of the non-feathered kind. This field guide is intended to help “ornithological” enthusiasts correctly identify Suicidium Femella, whose markings and adornments tend to make them stand out from the crowd.

“The app is based on a vintage ‘bird' watching field guide,” SG founder Missy explains. “It features beautiful illustrations of some of the Suicide Girls by the amazing Cameron Stewart, who also did the art for the SuicideGirls Comic. All the illustrations are available as prints fulfilled by Eyes on Walls. The encyclopedic text, which helps you identify the lovelies in the field, was created by the talented Caitlin Kiernan.”

SG’s featured include Radeo, Glitch, and über-geek Bob, who’s a huge fan of the new app. “It combines everything SG is about; showcasing wit, creativity, and community,” says Bob. “You can tell a lot of people put a lot of effort into making it from the design of the app, Cameron Stewart's amazing art, down to the cute copy describing each girl. And it's free so everyone can enjoy it and join in the SG fun!”

Getting down to the technical nitty gritty, which is what Bob’s really goot at, she explains: “Aside from the stylized catalog of wallpaper downloads, it’s the little things in the UI that make it really shine. The app's dynamic controls allow the user to choose between a contents search interface or page flip one that works just like the real field guides it was modeled after. There's so much to touch, click, scroll, and read that gives the app – and the girls it features – character and life. PLUS, the integration of a shopping cart brings the possibility of bringing that downloadable wallpaper to your actual wall in a quality, frame-able format. So often you see a free app review that starts with the words ‘just a’ – but this app isn't ‘just’ anything, it's just EVERYTHING.”

You can download SuicideGirls’ FREE Field Guide via iTunes.