0001: Blue Screen
Blue Screen
Toby stared in horror at the blue screen of death, and knew that his life was over. In a mad cocaine driven rush, he'd sat on his dissertation and written for 5 hours straight, clocking in a whopping 10,000 words of pure inspired beauty on the Theoretical Applications of Cartesian Mathematics on Agriculture in developing countries. The deadline was in 12 hours.
He decided that his life had not been worth living anyway, and so promptly went to the pawn shop to sell his now dead computer in exhange for a pistol. Yes, he'd shoot himself over the bridge near the water. It would be a nice last view to see.
The pawn shopper was easily amendeable to the exchange, and Toby played it off as easily as he could - not that the man needed any moral push on the matter, but it helped that Toby was great at communication.
He thought of the blue screen and how he should've backed up his work as he walked over to the bridge. It was a shiny, sunny day. The days that made you wistful and weepy. A truly beautiful day. Toby almost missed the fact that a man was stepping out of an unmarked sedan with an assault rifle and aiming it at a car before him.
Toby withdrew his pistol with almost police-like reflexes and emptied three rounds into the man before him. The attacker let off one shot before crumpling to the ground. The car reversed and sped off, leaving a shocked traffic block in the vicinity. Toby looked at his gun like a foreign object, and only let it drop when a Police officer screamed at him to do so.
Later, after the interviews on the Channel 10 News he learned he was lucky he hadn't got shot. The cop had seen everything and given him the benefit of the doubt. The Royal family - particularly The Prince and his new girlfriend - were even more thankful, knighting him for his work.
He got an honourable Doctors' degree and a knighthood, making him Sir Dr. Toby McWall.
Years later when he died he let his son get his ceremonial sword - and the pistol. It became a sort of family heirloom down the line.
Toby stared in horror at the blue screen of death, and knew that his life was over. In a mad cocaine driven rush, he'd sat on his dissertation and written for 5 hours straight, clocking in a whopping 10,000 words of pure inspired beauty on the Theoretical Applications of Cartesian Mathematics on Agriculture in developing countries. The deadline was in 12 hours.
He decided that his life had not been worth living anyway, and so promptly went to the pawn shop to sell his now dead computer in exhange for a pistol. Yes, he'd shoot himself over the bridge near the water. It would be a nice last view to see.
The pawn shopper was easily amendeable to the exchange, and Toby played it off as easily as he could - not that the man needed any moral push on the matter, but it helped that Toby was great at communication.
He thought of the blue screen and how he should've backed up his work as he walked over to the bridge. It was a shiny, sunny day. The days that made you wistful and weepy. A truly beautiful day. Toby almost missed the fact that a man was stepping out of an unmarked sedan with an assault rifle and aiming it at a car before him.
Toby withdrew his pistol with almost police-like reflexes and emptied three rounds into the man before him. The attacker let off one shot before crumpling to the ground. The car reversed and sped off, leaving a shocked traffic block in the vicinity. Toby looked at his gun like a foreign object, and only let it drop when a Police officer screamed at him to do so.
Later, after the interviews on the Channel 10 News he learned he was lucky he hadn't got shot. The cop had seen everything and given him the benefit of the doubt. The Royal family - particularly The Prince and his new girlfriend - were even more thankful, knighting him for his work.
He got an honourable Doctors' degree and a knighthood, making him Sir Dr. Toby McWall.
Years later when he died he let his son get his ceremonial sword - and the pistol. It became a sort of family heirloom down the line.
Comments
Post a Comment