From Cattimothy House comes the apex of Military Science Fiction anthologies. Edited by the outspoken and fearless Timothy the Talking Cat, one of America's foremost political philosophers and one of the aspiring leaders of the future, There Will Be Walrus contains stories of adventure and excitement but also insightful essays into the nature of war, politics and the a brilliant take down of the evil presented by squirrels. If you value good old fashioned science fiction with actual stories, if you hate squirrels, if you value people speaking the TRUTH to you, then this the book for you. Yours, united in the struggle against squirrels Timothy the Talking Cat
They send me in alone. I'm the elite. The best of my kind. A titanium behemoth built with one job in mind. In war you need someone like me - somebody who can get the dirty jobs done, the jobs nobody else can take. They know I'm the only one who can handle the psychological trauma, the stench, the stain of conflict.
I crack open the triple sealed bulkhead door. The outpost still has power. I have my own thermonuclear back-up generator but I'll make use of whatever erg-source I can find. An operative like me has to take what we can find. Improvise. Adapt. Survive.
Get in and get out. When I've gone there will be no trace that I was ever there.
There are scorch marks on the walls. Plasma bolts have charred the concrete. I track the line of fine and asses the damage. The wall is secure but the damage is structural - not my field. I've got bigger worries.
The enemy hit the outpost hard. A breach into the gymnasium near the where the bunker interfaces with the living wrong. Smart. Sealant foam around the breach to stop pressure loss.
I scan for life signs. Nothing. This place is a tomb. Doesn't matter. They don't send my kind to mourn the dead. There will be enough time for weeping widows later. I have to focus on mission priorities.
I follow the schematics. The officer's quarters are past the secondary bulk heads.
In the vestibule before the Base Commander's office I find the bodies. A Squirm - the green, gelatinous inhabitants of the Borealis Nebula. An inverter grenade sucked it inside out, blew it apart and baked the remains. The walls and floor are covered in it. I know what I have to do.
"Sergeant Atomic - sit rep asap copy over."
"Its bad captain" I reply, my eyes narrowing as I assess the damage.
"Grue dammit Atomic, you knew what you were getting yourself into."
"Captain, this carpet...it's silk, Grue dammit. Silk!"
Silk. When will HQ learn? Didn't I warn them? A synthetic fibre or even wool - that I could clean just with the careful application of a detergent, warm water and some methodical scrubbing. But silk? In what grue damn upper-echelon puke's mind did silk carpet sound like a smart idea?
I extrude the diamond tip needle effectors onto my forelimbs. I'll need to pick off each fragment of Squirm remains from that carpet - piece by grue-dammit piece.
I'm the elite. The best. The enemy whispers my name - they call me THE CLEANER.
Behold the Valiants
Introduction by Timothy the Talking Cat. Flappypants wrote this. I checked it for suspicious stuff but it looked safe. Lots of shooting and manly heroes, just like I asked for.
Behold the Valiants
By Camouflage Flappypants (ha ha, I changed his name!)
There were only six of us left in the foxhole. Our mortar attack on the Citadel of Evil had gone rapidly pear-shaped when we were caught in RPG crossfire from the Citadel. The psychoactive deception shielding prevented us from perceiving the true structure of the Citadel - it shimmered in our vision, taking on the appearance of a normal office building.
I could see my comrades were becoming disheartened. They had begun to doubt their vision, themselves, their trust in our leader and their faith in the mission. Was I strong enough? Did I have it in me to lead? Somebody would need to take charge and sarge had bought it back when the dropship had collided into a gun emplacement disguised as a florist.
I closed my eyes and prayed. I prayed not for victory and not for salvation but for hope.
I looked up and it was if God had sent us an angel.
An angel framed in light and carrying forty pounds of XM312 heavy machine gun like a lesser man might carry a satchel of beatnik inspired poetry books. For this man the point five-oh Browning Machine Gun cartridge was his Ginsberg and forty rounds per minute in five to seven round bursts was his Kerouac.
He looked down at us, his expression caught between pity and contempt.
"You let the enemy double-down. Have you forgotten my teachings?" he asked but we could not answer because the weight of his disappointment fell on us like brooding thunder clouds approaching a desolate beach of moral betrayal. We knew we had failed him and we knew we would sacrifice anything to regain his esteem. But we also knew hope had come and salvation and the promise of victory - in the form of Field Marshal Vax Doy Phd, MBE, Grande Maitre Légion d'honneur and Nobel prize recipient three times over.
His shirt had been torn away by the blast of the rocket propelled grenade attacks from the citadel of evil, exposing his rippling muscles, that rippled as he stretched his arms southwards pointing us to safety. The muscles in his arms rippled as he showed us the way - yes, a retreat but one with honour and one made knowing that we would be back to fight again. As we left he turned his head scowling at the citadel, the muscles at the back of his head also rippling as his mighty brow flexed in anger at his mortal and cowardly enemies.
We headed south towards our extraction point. Behind Field Marshall Vax kept up covering fire, accurately picking off enemy snipers with his precision machine gun technique. With his spare hand he lit a cigar as the muscles in that little spot between his ear and his jaw rippled in the light of the setting sun
Safely in the belly of the specially customised Boeing CH-47 Chinook, its twin engine tandem rotors purring like a benevolent but angry mother lioness that is pulling its cubs away from a pack of hyenas by their scrawny knocks, we sat shame faced as Field Marshal Vax looked out at the field of our defeat.
"Now listen men, we are heading back east to take out a secondary target." said Vax, his voice rippling with authority in the same manner as his thigh muscles rippled through his tight uniform.
"East, sir?" queried the roookie recruit timorously, "By the position of the sun we appear to be heading South?"
We all shook our head knowingly. Classic rookie error.
"Are you going all gamma on me private?" glared Vax, his eyes pinning the rocky to his seat like iron pilling pressed home by a pile driver.
Vas turned and addressed us all: "Platoon! What mistake did this here private make?"
"Sir!" we all replied in unison "He treated your description of our direction as dialectic sir!"
"And what should he have done?" asked Vax, his commanding voice booming out over the drone of the Chinook's powerful motors.
"Sir! He should have recognised that it was rhetoric sir!"
"That's right. Only a gamma confuses rhetoric with dialectic son." He said turning to the rocky with a more conciliatory tone. "If you ever want to be anything more than a gamma then you've got to learn that damn quick."
The Chinook dropped into high-stealth mode as we descended to land into Sea Girt, Monmouth County, New Jersey. We spread out in a delta-N assault landing formation, as the helicopter lifted off behind us. Just ahead was a sign saying "Mitchelville, Iowa" but we knew that sign was just Rhetoric and not Dialectic. Vas had taught us well. He'd translated the works of Humbert Echo the noted Italian Signologist.
We gathered around the Field Marshal.
"Boys, we have one of the worst and most dangerous leaders of our enemy to face. This creature is too vile to describe. Her crimes are legion and her powers of deception are beyond compare." he explained, fixing each one of us in turn with his steely gaze.
We nodded in unison then we chanted the Code:
"One!"
"Rely on the three Rs! RECOGNISE! REMAIN CALM! REALISE NO ONE CARES!"
"Two!"
"Don't try to reason with THEM!"
"Three!"
"Do NOT apologise!"
"Four!"
"ACCEPT-YOUR-FATE!"
"Five!"
"Document their every word and action!"
"Other Five!"
"Do NOT resign!"
"Seven!"
"Make the rubble bounce!"
"Five!"
"Start nothing, finish everything!"
We were ready.
Eight hours later we had penetrated the outer-perimeter of the enemy emplacement. The reality-perception distorters were on full rhetoric. An unenlightened gamma might think they were looking at innocuous rest home for the aged. Those of us who have taken the red pill and gazed at the lies and deception that surrounds us knew better. This was an enemy base, bristling with enemies. Their vigilant eyes constantly surveying the grounds for any violation of the narrative. Point-and-shriek drones were ready to identify us and then descend on us like the harpies of Greek myth.
We burst through the front door - Vax had decided a frontal assault would confuse their sensors. My vision swam - in front of me was what looked to be a reception desk and sitting there a smiling nurse. I knew it was all lies. A deception. A false seeming built from my subconscious desire to give in and join the narrative. I could see the rest of the platoon, dazed and confused by the right lights, the relaxing music, the decor cunningly designed by a legion of elitist lesbian feminists hell bent on imposing on the virile male a castrating culture of indignity.
One by one the platoon succumbed. Zombie like they staggered out the door. Without immediate medical care they would end their days driving a Prius and attending transgender awareness classes.
I struggled to keep my focus. I was going under...
A mighty manly hand grabbed my bicep. Vax! He alone was immune to the siren sounds of the music.
I staggered after Vax as he searched for his target.
We knew we had scant minutes before the full force of the enemy reached us.
Finally we burst into the room that housed the target.
"Oh my!" said the evil harridan cunningly disguised as a sweet little old lady "Is that little Theodore? Oh I haven't seen you since you were in short pants!"
"Theodore?" I asked, puzzled.
"DON'T LISTEN TO HER" screamed Vax, "ITS A TRAP"
"Oh little Teddy always liked to play at soldiers. Are you doing one of those 'cosplay' things? I hear all the cool kids do that these days."
Vax fixed her with his steely gaze. "I've come to make you pay for your crimes MRS POOTER!"
"Oh there, there Theodore. You can't be still mad about having to sit in the corner. Daisy's picture deserved that gold star and I'm afraid yours wasn't very good."
"Ypu made me sit in a GIRL chair! It was PINK! I got COOTIES!"
"Woah, hold on." I put up my hands and stepped between the little old lady and Vax's gun. "Are you telling me that this nice old lady was your kindergarten teacher? And the terrible crime was that she made you sit in the corner one time?"
"Stand down soldier. I came here to complete a mission and I'll do that whether you live or die in the process."
"Yeah but seriously, you can't actually wage a war against people on the basis of petty grudges." I said.
Veteran space marine Chiseled McEdifice wanted a peaceful life after decades of fighting evil but a cowardly attack sets him off on a bicycle ride of revenge and into an adventure across space and time. From the pen of Timothy the Talking Cat and his surprisingly loud imaginary friend Straw Puppy, comes a space adventure like no other (except ones a bit like it). Featuring a chapter full of the word ‘I’, a dancing photocopier and guest appearances galore.
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
To the public, Arabella was Owen's trusty secretary who catered to all his needs and served as the primary blood donor of his beloved, who was in a coma. Behind closed doors, she was Owen's submissive wife. Arabella was quiet and obedient, and she endured every humiliation without a word of protest. Rumored to be a neat freak, Owen had tossed the last woman who had dared to kiss him into the river. Yet he pinned Arabella against the wall and demanded, "Give me a child, and I’ll let you go!" Arabella pushed him away and flashed him a cold smile. "You are not worthy!"
What happens when a hook-up gets complicated by a baby? Can she hide the secret from him? Or will he show her how possessive he can be when he learns she's carrying his child? "Seven years ago, I had a one-night stand with my brother's best friend, who also happened to be my lifelong crush. The next day, he vanished leaving me pregnant. Now, I am a single mom raising our son in the same small town. Recently, he returned to attend my brother's wedding and the truth about our son was finally revealed. As he reclaims his place in our lives, the sparks between us reignite. However, danger from his past threatens to shatter our newfound connection. I am torn between my love for him and my fear of getting hurt again, especially now that I have two hearts to protect - our son's and my own."
Rose looked at the reports in her hand and was in shock... The reports said that she was one month pregnant, however, how can she get pregnant when she didn't have any man in her life... "Was it because of that dream? Could I get pregnant because I have sex in my dream?" She thought... She didn't have any mental problems, however, except for this she can't able to think about anything... However, she still didn't get out of her surprise when she met the man in her dream... Kevin Davis looked at the reports in her hand and asked, "Is this child mine?" However, Rose didn't answer but asked... "Was that night not a dream?" Kevin was angry because it was his first time and she thinks it was a dream... Kevin forced her to marry him however, Rose didn't want it... She wanted to abort the child but he didn't let her... In the end... Rose agreed to marry him... She looked at Kevin's blue eyes and said, "I will marry you, however, I had two conditions..." "First, after marriage, you can't control my freedom, I still had the right to do whatever I want. Don't worry I won't harm the child." "Second, if I ever found out that you had cheated behind my back then I will leave with my child and you can't stop me..." Both of them got married... However, after she falls in love with him... She found there are hidden secrets in his past...
During her three years of marriage with Brendan, Adeline had become as humble as dust itself. However, what she got in return wasn't love and affection, but endless indifference and disdain. Worse yet, when the woman in Brendan's heart suddenly showed up, he further distanced himself from her. Finally, Adeline couldn't stand it anymore and asked for a divorce. After all, why should she stay with such a cold, distant man? The next one would surely be better. Brendan watched as his ex-wife left with her luggage in tow. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him and he made a bet with his friends. "She'll definitely regret leaving and will come crawling back to me in no time." After hearing about this bet, Adeline sneered. "Dream on!" A few days later, Brendan ran into his ex-wife in a bar. It turned out she was celebrating her divorce. Not long after, he noticed that the damned woman seemed to have a new suitor. Brendan was starting to panic. The woman who had clung to him for three years suddenly didn't seem to give a damn about him. What was he going to do?
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"