Through the Valley of Death

Alex and Whiz looked onwards toward the crowd of young adults ever so curiously, as they spread out in a nearly circular fashion. Someone had gone down, and a few were busy trying to help that said person.

Turns out, there doubled over in pain on the floor, was John Titor. A lovely lady patron presented the down and out John, who was barely able to hold on much less move forward as he crossed the club and pointed over towards his party.

Whiz smiled, charmed and delighted at the female friend. Alex had no idea how to proceed, but knew something was wrong with John. "Too much moshing," he said jokingly.

The lady friend sat John down and doted over him for a few minutes, ordering him a glass of water before disappearing back into the crowd.

Whiz laughed. "Nice catch John, get her numbers? What's wrong...you're looking paler than her!"

John shook his head, color returning to his face. "I had a vision. That alien is in trouble, and I think I know where he is."

Alex cracked his knuckles, shrugging. "It's safe to say he's in the hands of a Nimziki."

John growled. "Good, I'll have a go at him here, too."

Whiz shook his head. "You really need to cool your jets about him, what is between you two?"

Alex held up his hand. "Enough. Climb back into the SUV, we'll teleport out of here and towards Nimziki."

Whiz left a fold of bills on the table, then unceremoniously stood up, heading back for the vehicle.

John took his turn to shrug. "I'm warning you Alex, I don't care who you are--I'll tear him apart if we find him."

Alex sighed. "John, you're in enough trouble as it is. Even if you weren't under control of your own body, you can't convince everyone of that on the council if you continue to fight it out with Nimziki every time you meet him." Alex stood up, without a comment, and John followed.

No one heard the engine start, but as quickly as they had appeared there they were gone like that--in a flash of immediacy.

Just cold
and black
and emptiness,

above the clouds!

A tril-

-lion miles

of dark-

-ness wove

into

a shroud!

That covers all the bases!

and ties up all the lose ends!

ignoring every question!

The paper trail is burning,

to keep the planet turning,

and all of us from learning!

Beyond your vision,

beyond religion,

beyond perception,

and all other man-made restrictions....

There is an answer

that we cannot hear,

it is not spoken by a kind and loving deity.

Just cold,

and black,

and emptiness,

above the clouds!

A tril-

-lion miles

of dark-

-ness wove

into

a shroud!

That covers all the bases!

and ties up all the lose ends!

ignoring every question!

The paper trail is burning,

to keep the planet turning,

and all of us from learning!

It's out of our reach,

We take for granted,

the explanations that we have always been handed!

It's so convenient,

but what will happen,

when we traverse the greatest barrier?

Time and distance...

Time is running out.

Time is running out.

Open your mind...

Listen to these words.

Listen to these words.

Time and distance...

Time is running out.

Time is running out.

Open your mind...

Listen to these words.

Listen to these words.....

There is no god in space.
Our creator has no face.
There is no god in space.
Our creator has no face.....!

Just cold,

and black,

and emptiness,

above the clouds!

A tril-

-lion miles

of dark-

-ness wove

into

a shroud!

You still have no idea!

You still have no idea!

...where you come from,

where you're going,

where you come from,

where you're going,

where you come from,

when you're gonna die!

Albert Nimziki wasn't pleased. He took another couple of Tylenol, washing it down with a shot of Jack. Sitting at his desk, he cradles his forehead in his left hand. "I thought my partying days were over, but that would be a release from this pain."

Swinging open doors, Nimziki's assistant was busy trying to explain why Alex, Whiz, and John had somehow alluded security and found themselves in the office. "I swear, they just appeared out of nowhere in the lobby! Them...and a black Escalade."

Nimziki shooed his assistant away. "Obviously, these men have something important to say. Leave them here." The assistant nodded, and scampered off back to her desk. Wishing she had another job. Things were getting too weird.

"Albert," Alex said. "We meet again."

Albert took a cigar out of the box on his desk and lit it, his gas fuelled lighter in the shape of a gun. "Sit down, you three, and tell me what's up?"

The party took a seat, except for John, who was relegated to standing. He had tried to sit down, but Whiz pushed him off his lap. Alex spoke up. "We have reason to believe this world line has been irreparably altered by a space-time slider."

Albert smiled, sat back, and chuckled. Then gripped his still aching head. "Despite everyone here having migraines and bloody noses, he's dead. Been that way since last night."

At that exact moment, the phone rang. Albert sighed and pressed the speaker button. "Yes, what is it now?"

An unsure voice responded back. "Sir, it's about the coroner. He's dead. And the alien's body is missing."

Albert's forehead began to bulge with a vein. "Dammit, nothing ever goes right for me! Where's Charlize? Does anyone know where it went? Can't be walking around the desert now, can it?!"

The voice on the other end stuttered a view times. "No sir, of course not sir, we're on it sir!"

Albert smiled. "That's a good minion. Find Charlize and send her up!"

The phone went dead, Albert leaned forward and took another puff on his cigar. "Well, missing or not, he's still dead."

John shook his head. "Every time I meet you, you're a complete and utter buffoon. You know that?"

Albert growled. "And who is this guy, anyway?"

Alex stood up and tried to wriggle his way between the two. "Hey now, everyone keep calm. We're not going to find lxxy if we're fighting."

Albert erupted out of his seat and pointed towards the door. "This is my mission, my alien, and my office. Get the hell out, all of you!"

John rounded the side of Albert's desk and stood over him, arms crossed. "Make me."

The sun has arisen yet again, and lxxy now crawls through the desert. Dune after dune, his tongue hangs out completely parched. "Water..." he says, crawling just a few feet further. "Please, someone, there has to be water out there..." just a bit further, now..

Suddenly, a car honks and lxxy looks down at that which was supporting his weakened body and realizes he was no longer on sand, but on gravel! It was a ROAD! He was safe! Right?

Standing up, he braces the hood of a familiar red car and gleams ever so happily as he sees Towelie driving it.

"Hey lxxy, ya thirsty?" As lxxy hops into the passenger side seat, Towelie hands lxxy a bottle of water. Gulping it down, lxxy leans back and looks over to Towelie. He had some phone booths strapped to his feet so he could reach the pedals. "Bacon....bacon..."

Towelie stared over with eyes more dry than the desert lxxy had just crossed. "There's some in the bag in the back seat. Pre-cooked, you're favorite."

Diving into the back seat lxxy made quick order of tearing open the cartons of pig meat. He'd mainline it, but then the taste wouldn't be nearly the same.

After some time, lxxy felt a whole lot better. Rehydrated, rebaconized, and ready to rawk. "Towelie, you're the best plot saver in the world, you know that?"

Towelie looked over to lxxy, who was now back in the front passenger seat. "Thanks man, I know. Where to now?"

lxxy shrugged. He didn't know...all he knew was he was waiting for Charlize to contact him. "Just keep driving," lxxy suggested. "We'll know where we're supposed to go when we get there."

Towelie pushed the phone book to the floor. "You got it man!"

And so, once again, our two misfit adventurers head off, westward bound...

(^{Gripping the wheel, his knuckles went white with desire. The wheels
of his Mustang exploding on the highway like a slug from a .45. True
death: 400 horsepower of maximum performance piercing the night...
THIS IS BLACK SUNSHINE.})
Yeah! Move me in the silence Baltic motorway, hang me on the edge
before I fall away!

Apocalypse is dawnin' ashes on the mile.

A "can-do" revolution. Earth to the river....

Sweet'n the ride - Black Sunshine!
Sweet'n the ride - Yeah!
Sweet'n the ride - Black Sunshine!
Sweet'n the ride - Yeah!

Cry a river "cosmic." Moon in Scorpio, feel her body "breathe."

Acid radio!

Tell me that you like it - when I'm going down!

Tell me that you like it! Move to the speed of....

Sweet'n the ride - Black Sunshine!
Sweet'n the ride - Yeah!
Sweet'n the ride - Black Sunshine!
Sweet'n the ride - Yeah!

Slide into - I said "44" cool heart can hypnotize! Sream into infinity,

I turned the love to lies!
Crawl across the water way, and sink into the sea!
Reflect'n onto everything that you can never be! "Check-out!"

Yeah! To the devil a daughter comes, from 2000 worlds away!
Yeah! Born to lose the love you choose - destroy another day --

CHECK
OUT!!!

Sweet'n the ride - Black Sunshine!
Sweet'n the ride - Yeah!
Sweet'n the ride - Black Sunshine!
Sweet'n the ride - Yeah!

Stare into the T.V. kiss off the pain! Wonderland is falling - no
sing - no rain!

Momentary - damage into the high drift me to the circuit sky!

(^{Finally nothing moves. High noon - Black top rolling below the
asphalt drive. A concrete fascination scraping the edge of nothing!
THIS IS BLACK SUNSHINE!})