Contents
LENDERS II
i. Life
ii. Dedication
iii. Acknowledgments
1. Part I - Second Thoughts
2. The Key
3. Marlo
4. PART II - Moribundia
5. Boron
6. The Descent
7. Extarion
8. Single File
9. Inprocessing
10. Part III - Kickoff
11. Lia's Push
12. Campfire Correlations
13. Blood Brothers
14. The Short Hour Walk
15. Rico's Room
16. Ice Cold Beers
17. Dream Stew
18. The Damaged Mug of Oil
19. The Sphere
20. A Transcending Possiblity
21. The Other Side of the Bulge
22. Birthday-Suit Tractor Beam
23. The Head
24. Part IV - A Deflating Malfunction
25. An Agreement
26. Mesmer’s Trance
27. Wonders in the Woodlands
28. Hulh-huuuulhs and Uh-uhuuhhls
29. The Punched Meatball
30. The Chosen Ones
31. Venerable Units
32. Part V - A Broken Promise
33. Old Town Reunion
34. Mercado Morning
35. Coffee Nomad
36. Hard, Hot Work
37. Spaghetti Dinner
38. Pissin' Under the Milky Way
39. Plan B
40. The Worm
42. Rafael
43. Abandoned
44. Racing Thoughts
45. Come Home to Mama
46. Acid Trip Absolution
47. Part VI - No Other Choice
48 The Underworld
49. TGIF
50. A New Vow
51. Marti's Place
52. The Stroll
53. A Night Out
54. Street Brawl
55. The Newcomer
56. Leave the Brother Alone!
57. The Blaze
58. Flushed
59. Spread the Love
60. Andy's Tale
61. Standing Together
62. Descent to Hell
63. Undertown
64. Rabid Growth
65. The Evil Within Us All
66. Part VII - Travel Ready
67. Treatment Options
68. Marlo's World
69. The Alaizions
70. Checkmate
71. Unleashed, Unlimited, Dive!
72. The Plan
73. Unexpected Weather
74. The Time Tribulations
75. System Crash
76. The Happening
77. Six Levels of Hysteria
78. Martin
79. Part VIII - The Midtown Six
80. Julio / Julian
81. Kill Two Birds
82. A Way Out
83. Thirsty Travelers
84. Boron's Deputy
85. Midtown Unite!
86. Baldarn's Session
87. The Source
88. Dyspepsia
89. Superheroes
90. Inflation
91. White Hole
92. Part VIIII - The Call
93. The Connection
94. Ruck Bodgers, Turnips, and the Volunteer
95. The Bunt
96. Holding Hands
97. Vallecito
98. Revelations
99.The Shit
100. Santa's Beans
101. Maddy and Isaac
102. The Decision
103. The Gift
104. Part X - Father and Daughter, and The Wall
105. TV Bowling Ball
106. Spilled Beans
107. Sizzling Fish Dinner
108. Clusterfuck Bliss
109. The Feed
110. The Photograph
111. Soul Mates
112. Rednecks in Space
113. Take Off Your Pants
114. The Act
115. A Spanking for Q
116. Two Pages of a Book
117. The Cookie Jar of Space, Time, and Existence
118. Collision Course
119. A Short Chunk of Code
120. Scribbles
121. Trumpets Blared
122. A Man Had Once Existed
123. Farewell Flight
124. Thank You
Author Bio
LENDERS II
LENDERS II
The Time Tribulations
By Travis Borne
i. Life
If all the bad and all the good were squeezed into a ball, it would still float.
~Travis Borne
ii. Dedication
LENDERS II: The Time Tribulations, is dedicated to my wife. Thank you, Lore, for always being there, for your patience. You have always been my number-one supporter. I love you, our life together, and our family!
iii. Acknowledgments
Lenders II: The Time Tribulations.
Written and edited by Travis Borne.
Cover design by Travis Borne. Visit me at http://www.TravisBorne.com
Also, follow me on social media for exciting news about possible sequels and upcoming novels, and perhaps, some of that weird residual stuff that messed up my brain, the stuff that had oozed off the wormhole’s glowing edges during the transition from the nothing to the something in Lenders I: The Unlicensed Consciousness. Yes, I am still in recovery.
Lenders II proofreading service provided by Mark Schultz. Mark is a master of his craft. Visit Mark at his website to read his many in-depth book reviews, and to learn more about his various services. http://www.WordRefiner.com
A big thanks to Lore, Barry, Sean, Neil, Adrian, Mark, and Jonathan, you know who you are. As well all Lenders insiders, for support. My gratitude. I didn’t go at it alone. I’m grateful for your friendship and opinions, likes, comments, shares, all that stuff, as I progressed, word by word, day by day until Lenders II became the massive 220K-word reality it is.
Now, once again, buckle up and don your lending headgear. Get ready to embark on a fantastic, ludicrous, mind-blowing journey! And please, remember, even though it might be difficult to retain your lucidity at times, this is a work of fiction. It will take you into the hellish world of dreams, to the bloodbath underworld and colorful Midtown, to the ends of the universe and the end of all time, to the future and beyond. It will make you laugh, even cry. There will be horrific, shocking, gross and unreal moments, scathing, gruesome challenges and unfathomable time tribulations, and moments of wonder, awe, inspiration, and the ability to overcome all odds. And, as hard as it might be to believe, everything from this page forward is NOT real. Names, characters, places, businesses, events and incidents are either the products of my twisted imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
1. Part I - Second Thoughts
He descended the spaceship’s chrome ramp. When Jim’s foot touched the smoldering ground, he looked back. At his side, Jon also turned for a final farewell.
Standing before the various alien beings they’d met, Herald, Ana, and Amy stood closely together, and except for Herald, they smiled, although ruefully. Herald only shook his head slowly; his perspicacious mind could envision the road ahead for the last humans on Earth. It would be barren, desolate, and lonely—a dead end, checkmate. Herald knew it was suicide to remain.
A part of Jim wanted to change his mind—run back up the ramp that seemed to magically float in the air, then yell to the others he’d somehow convinced to stay. But wi
th all he had recently learned from the injection of memories, he had decided: it was do or die, and he’d give it his all unconditionally. His heart was a torch, and inside his chest the hot flames of his new decision stirred with passion like no other time in his life. He would use the gift the Amy he’d known so personally, had given him.
That damn decision!
It still made his blood boil. Even though Herald said she was in a sense only a dream character, designed specifically to save the many, he would not let her death be in vain. Yes, he still had the hate, plenty of it, and he had a few ideas, some that he knew, with all he now knew about Herald, might not receive approval from the others. But he’d have to think outside the box, even if he had to force it—for the only way to save his older brother Jerry, who’d been scanned by the machines, was to unleash all, use every possible resource and option.
Jon waved goodbye to his best friend. Herald responded by shaking his head slowly, but did finally concede to a wave, then a slow nod before turning away. As well Jon knew he had to try—for Jerry, and undoubtedly the countless others who could be trapped, somewhere. Life in the musty cave had been torturous and the days were long, but it made him strong and strengthened the bond he’d forged with Jerry. He knew why Herald couldn’t stay to help—he’d learned enough by traveling around the Universe with him to surmise that much—but someone had to. Jerry was his brother, just as much as he was Jim’s by blood.
The chrome oscillated, becoming a liquid once again. The ramp reformed onto the mirror blob of liquid metal that was some sort of spaceship. Jim and Jon stood together, watching, as well Ted, and all of the others. And they could see the real Amy, crying, standing with her mother while Herald somberly walked away. She fell into her mother’s arms just as the metal lost its translucence and melted onto the ship.
Then it rose. This time with no portal to reenter it disappeared, leaving behind an arcing trail of white light. Flash! A gleaming star was all that remained, and it faded into the clear blue. A final twinkle and it was gone for good—and they were alone. The last humans on Earth stood behind Jim and Jon, looking up.
Jon turned, then after five seconds, so did Jim. They faced the townspeople and lenders who had decided to remain in what was left of the Jewel in the Desert. They’d each chosen by their own free will to remain on a dying, moonless Earth. There was no talking and everyone projected blank stares. But a lingering peace interconnected them; feelings dispensed from the purple zap were a thousand hits of ecstasy. Minds were stuffed with hope, as well turbulent ideas and boiling determination. Each of them shared a feeling of being a part of something greater than their individual selves, a feeling of belonging together, family.
Trees were fallen black toothpicks. Across the flattened and smoldering park, the wall had a gaping hole behind what was left of the old gymnasium. Tan desert stretched out to the horizon—it was the first time many of them had seen the outside at ground level for two decades. Weights and tipped over lifting machines were scattered like they’d arrived with a downpour. The warehouse building that had once resounded Bertha’s train horn had been blown clean off its concrete foundation. Exercise made them feel so alive, once. Slothful minds going through the motions in a black and white world—yet no longer; perception took on new meaning. The false savior had crashed through the wall at tremendous velocity. It even took out half of the hospital building before breaching what had once seemed impregnable. The destruction, as terrible as it was, flooded minds with new levels of clarity. It was a bridge that had been burned and there would be no going back—it was move forward and fight, fight, fight…or die.
All was quiet for a minute that felt like several, then, movement. Buzzing like flies, glints ensnared attention. It was nearly a mile away but something flickered in the air as if a bag of coins had been fired from a cannon. They could make out the glimmering dots buzzing about the gaping hole. Now, behind them too—small drones! But these were not coming down at them like wasps with a grudge. They focused on the wall. Exiting broken edges at the massive breach, quickly, there were hundreds.
“Maintenance drones,” Rico said, calming a flutter of nervousness. “They work for us. They’ve been there all along.” The little ones inspected the damage. There were tiny flashes and sparks, and grinding noises could be heard. “But it’s just too much destruction. They manage the auto-repair systems, basic maintenance. There is no way to repair this massive amount of damage.” Rico knew. He shook his head. They were simple, basic appliances—like the one Amy had seen when they made the arduous wall climb, encircling the broadcast needle a little over three months ago. Likely the small empowered tinkerers were just as awestruck as the minuscule nodule of humans gazing up at them from below. As the drones hovered quietly, people stood solemnly with arms loose at their sides, watching, hoping.
Did we make the right choice? Jim thought, for the second time. But his resolve quieted that, it had to. Never think it again. He looked upon the group, Jon and Rico dutifully by his side, and said, “Why in hell did you all choose to stay with me?” A few laughs abound. What?
Next to Nanny, Fran spoke up, “Because we’re nuts, Jimbo, like you. But you really want to know? We’re a family. And this is our home. We believe in you, Jim, and what you said.”
“Right! We’re in this together,” Trixie said, standing next to her longtime lending partner Alex Pennington who also nodded.
“For our Amy!” Myron yelled. Hardened tears and a newfound sense of seriousness and determination plastered his freckled face.
“Many of us lost someone on that ship,” Rob Price said sadly. “Kim.” The thin tower of a man that was he, lowered his face as if he was about to cry. His secret lover had excitedly run ahead and boarded that damn monstrosity. “Yes, Jim, we believe you and feel the same, and we are going to try to save them.” He looked up. “I must save Kim.”
Jim felt bad for his old thoughts toward Rob. He betrayed Rob, as did Kim. They’d snuck out to meet each other many a night, and she also fixed him up with the happy poison he’d once needed just to achieve baseline.
“Rob, thank you,” Jim said. “We will succeed, all of us, together—a team.”
“A family!” Bertha exploded.
Of the half of the town that didn’t get snatched by the trap that was former #486, cleverly disguised as their salvation, about half had chosen to stay: most lenders remained as well as Rico, Ted, Ron and Devon, and the twins, Jackie and Jenny. Abell stood cradling Lia, who’d just received some sort of regeneration treatment—as the blue beings on the ship had tried to explain. Tall Alex Pennington had his hands on Trixie’s shoulders. Even Myron and Terri, Amy’s classmates and best friends, were there; and everyone displayed a firm stance of optimism amid the smoldering, almost unfathomable destruction.
Jim’s eyes gulped a hard swallow. They really did have his back. We really are going to attempt this. Then he spotted her, Amanda. She stayed too! She was Amy’s personal trainer, his ex, and he was glad, but unhappy at the same time. Why? She should have left, she would have been safe. She passed to him a gentle, forgiving smile. And Jim returned one for the first time in years. A first, and his animosity and hatred died a neck-snapping death. It was his fault he’d lost her. He was bitter, grumpy—but now he was not the grouch he’d once been. He had truly loved her, once, until the hate engulfed him totally: when he and Lion really went full-on hardcore with their rampage, DC massacres, daily horror movies. Could he ever, even after what he’d told her—how he’d cursed her into a corner, yelled until he was a steeled, red statue with a beet for a head—get her back? Then he thought of the good times they’d shared, he thought of her on top him, and how she never wore—
“So where do we begin?” Bertha asked loudly, stealing Jim’s attention.
“We rebuild—as best as we can,” Jim replied, “then we prepare to kick some ass, get our friends and family back. We will take our town back, and our planet.”
2. The Key
The status band wrapping the broadcast needle went dark, no longer did it pulsate with the pleasant purple glow; a one-time deal, a spent bulb. And with every lender logged out, green status was slipping. The buffer had been topped off, all systems were online and making auto repairs in ways not seen previously, and they had time, but learned, never to cut it that close again.
“Let’s get some lenders logged in quickly, it’s back to work people,” Ted said, checking detailed status readings on screens behind the hologram table (HAT). Then mumbling to himself, “If I am right with my suspicions…”
Ted realized anyone could be a lender and provide high output, and likely, just as Amy was capable, could provide output without dream-character (DC) kills. So now, work would be a dream vacation? No more sadistic bloodshed, no more of Nanny’s toxic farts, no more false bomb threats purposed to instill the fear of death. Less beds would be needed at any one time—and perhaps the new excess could be used in other ways. His imagination danced: he pictured Bertha lending, sliding down a towering water slide, and all joined together having the time of their lives in the water-world map. Then he double blinked and refocused on tasks at hand.
Standing beside him, Jim and Jon noticed his momentary distraction. Jim held up the key card; Ted turned to see it. There were two special items Herald had placed into Jim’s hands: the key to the city, as Herald had called it, and the other still bulging from Jim’s pocket, a three-inch-diameter mystifying sphere; Herald simply called it technology, and warned him to use it wisely from this day forward.
“A reader!” Jon took particular notice of the key card and his memories sparked. It was a small, flat card, oddly similar to the black file cards used at Meddlinn; he thought, so long ago that had been. And Jon remembered something else just then: Herald sliding him the exact same card, a shimmering green version. It was in Herald’s apartment next to the lab, right after their adventurous night in Tijuana, Mexico, when he received plans for the blocker. Memories locked and loaded, Jon set forth about the tech area of the broadcast room (BROCC: Broadcast Room Operations Control Center) looking for it, a file reader.