The Time Warriors and Beyond

Is Torchwood’s Adrift the Perfect episode?

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors aand Zombie Blues

photo copyright BBC

If something like Torchwood can do so much good but only in the shadows then is that good ephemeral in the long run? Some secrets are best kept hidden because they will only destroy those with good hearts.

Good drama is hard to come by. The sci fi genre produces some of the greatest episodes of solid drama which is emotionally draining that stays with the viewer long afterwards. There is no happy resolution and you know there is a long road for the characters to walk to deal with what has happened to them. It is stories like this that fans rewatch time and again because they speak to something within ourselves and the human condition. In Torchwood’s Adrift, it is the phenomenon of missing people that is explored in what could be one of television’s most perfect episodes that cannot be picked apart.

In Adrift, Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles) is asked by her former police colleague and best friend PC Andy Davidson (Tom Price) to look into the disappearance of a teenager Jonah Bevans. He disappeared within minutes from home while texting his mother. But as a nonchalant Gwen soon discovers the truth is far more terrifying than she thought and sometimes it’s best to keep your mouth shut. It’s also an interesting look at her character and how life as a member of Torchwood changes you in ways you don’t even realise. Gwen is initially dismissive of Andy’s plea as she puts it down to just another missing kid but she is slapped in the face by Andy when he attacks her for not caring anymore. He claims the old Gwen would have been on this in a heartbeat but since Torchwood she has lost that part of her. She no longer has compassion which impacts her relationship with husband Rhys who wants kids but she doesn’t as long as she works for Torchwood. Does life with Torchwood really mean you stop caring because the world is more than you once thought it was?

Photos copyright BBC

Andy shows Gwen the footage of Jonah’s disappearance. There is a flash of light as he vanishes and minutes later Jack Harkness shows up at the scene. To her surprise Jack denies being there at all and is told to drop the investigation into Jonah. She ignores his order and goes to meet Jonah’s mother Nikki played byGavin and Stacey star Ruth Jones. Nikki spends her days searching through crowds on videos looking for Jonah. Hope is killing her and she is desperate for an answer of some sort. The mystery is making her doubt her ability as a good mother. She sleeps in his room sometimes and even writes in his diary for when he comes back. What must life be like waiting for that ring of the door bell for that moment your loved one returns? How much disappointment can one person take before despair swamps them especially where your child is concerned? Gwen is touched by Nikki’s situation especially when he believes Jonah may have disappeared because he felt he didn’t love him enough or too much. To help cope, she has set up her on support group for other families whose loved ones are also missing.

Something in Gwen has changed and she knows it but turns to Rhys to ask him if she has changed. If he can give her some confirmation that she hasn’t then it will make her feel better about Andy’s opinion. She ropes Tosh in to help her look into Jonah and doscovers that there have been hundreds of people missing in Cardiff and that the rift itself has been taking them. But to where? The rift depositing all sorts of aliens in Cardiff is bad enough but now it takes as well is terrifying. But how come no one has noticed before?

She and Andy go to Nikki’s meeting but they are the only two there at first. In one of many powerful scenes in this episode, the hall suddenly fills with other people whose family members have disappeared. Gwen is stunned at the severity of it. The old Gwen resurfaces. If no one is here for these people then she will be.

Tosh and Gwen put together all the names and discover the number of missing literally fill a wall. She confronts the team with her evidence and is told to shut it all down and leave it. Gwen believes that they have a care of duty to help the families left behind rather than leave people in a limbo where they often blame themselves. Her argument falls on deaf ears. But this good intention is marred when she and Rhys have a huge fight over kids and her working at Torchwood. Rhys reminds her that she does what she does so people can live their lives, real lives and if she thinks that she is more important than real life then it means nothing. Torchwood is a job and she must keep her worklife away from home life. While both sides are valid Gwen knows that Rhys deserves a normal life despite Torchwood including kids. Torchwood is draining her of her morality despite the fact Jack brought her in to remind them all of what it is to be human. I bleive that it is seeing how much pain Nikki is in that is making Gwen dither over having kids. If the same happened to one of hers she would go mad. The only answer is to find out why Jack is so against her plan.

It is Yanto that supplies the key when he gives her a clue with a GPS. She must travel to Flat Holm but she betrays Andy once again by leaving him behind. This time it is to protect him from whatever is on the island. He has already expressed interest in joining Torchwood but was rebuked by Gwen. Going to the island may mean he can never go back to normality in a way saving him from the emotional turmoil she has felt from day one.

On the island she sees Jack and discovers a secret facility. Staff hired by Jack are taking care of peopel with severe issues and Gwen recognises the names as some of the missing. She finds Jonah but he is middle aged now and severely burned. When the teenager disappeared off the bridge he found himself in an alien war zone and on fire. He was rescued but ended up back in Cardiff older and disfigured.

Jack arrives and tells Gwen the truth. These people are taken and returned by the Rift completely at random. However many are not. Each person comes back unable to return to normal society. Jack set up this care unit to make them comfortable and live out their lives as best they can with secret 24 hour care. Gwen, haunted by Nikki’s words, insists on telling her which Jack strongly advises her not to do.

Ignoring his warning, Gwen takes Nikki to meet her son. At first she freaks out but Jonah tells her things only he would know. Despite his aging and scars Nikki insists she is taking her son back home with her. But Jonah’s scars go far beyond the surface. He screams solidly for 20 hours every day which they cannot control and causes severe pain to those that hear it. It is primal. He had looked into the heart of a dark star and it had driven him mad.

Jonah can never go home to his mother. To the world Jonah will forever be a statistic but privately Nikki must live the rest of her life alone knowing what really happened to her son. Nikki tells Gwen never to do this to anyone else as all her beautiful precious memories have been replaced by the screaming. Knowing Jonah is alive but so far out of reach is worse than not knowing. It was better when she didn’t know. Nikki had hope before Gwen turned up and turned it to ash with what she thought was the right thing to do. Nikki’s suffering is worse now despite Gwen’s good intentions. Sometimes it is best that the public or the individual doesn’t be told the truth no matter how much it hurts them.

It is a lesson to Gwen that life in Torchwood is filled with grey areas that will go against everything she is. Poor Nikki now is left to put Jonah’s stuff in black bags as she collapses with grief. Though if Jack had told Gwen the truth in the first place he could have spared Gwen and Nikki this agony.

The episode ends with Gwen collapsing in Rhys’ arms in tears as she tells him what has happened. If something like Torchwood can do so much good but only in the shadows then is that good ephemeral in the long run? Some secrets are best kept hidden because they will only destroy those with good hearts.

You cannot fault this episode in any way. It involves the entire cast in substantial roles. The incidental music is used in other episodes but tugs at your heart here especially Nikki’s tragic final scenes. Ruth Jones, cast against type is phenomenal as Nikki. Her journey of hope to despair makes you want to hug her but even if you could, you cannot ever tell her it will be alright. It never will be for her. She now lives in a limbo where she must outwardly appear as the mother of one of the missing but inwardly suffer her son’s fate. Like Torchwood she must live a double life; one that cracks your soul. Eve and Kai Owen smash it as the bickering Gwen and Rhys whose marriage is falling apart so quickly. Tom Price as Andy is the victim as Gwen keeps him dangling throughout the investigation but he remains her best friend. But perhaps it is better to keep him from being brought into the world of Torchwood as it will consume him too. Given what happens to Nikki, Gwen can rest easy Andy is safe from the tendrils of Torchwood. Life is not fair as we know and Gwen believes in doing the right thing. But her enthusiasm keeps her from getting all the facts first anout Joah and the others. It destrpys her good intetnions to ghe point it turns her into a villain in Nikki’s eyes when the truth is revealed to her. However, Jack once again could have told Gwen about Jonah’s affliction but he doesn’t. If he had, it would have spared both her and Nikki. Could it be to keep Gwen in line, Jack makes sure she learns a harsh lesson about how Torchwood works? She will never be as quick to tell the truth about what she sees ever again.

As they say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions which Gwen experiences first hand in Adrift. For outstanding drama and a perfect story that will break your heart, Adrift is the one for you.

Book Excerpt: Zombie Blues Don’t Call Me Andy Zombie

By and copyright of Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Cover by Conaire McMullan

The zombie rollercoaster continues as the undead continue to give us their view of being a rotting corpse under the control of Mother Nature.
This time round we meet Comic Book zombie and the zombie who thinks the ending of Toy Story 3 is sacrilege. What happens when a zombie’s faith in God is rocked to its very foundation and why is the spirit of Elvis Presley still going strong in the vast
roaming herds?
A zombie tells why the covid pandemic was much preferable to being undead and why having a club foot makes you feel normal as a zombie. Plus more zombie characters than you can shake a stick at.

Available on Amazon now!

Don’t Call Me Andy Zombie

But this isn’t a story about best friends or the very real importance of friendships as you get older. You should already know that folks, especially in this hellish world. Zombies are spreading across the surface of this planet like mould on cheese. I can only hope you guys are learning just how important friendships are now more than ever and being open to telling others that.

No, this is a story about the differences between two people. It’s about learning to really accept someone else’s differing opinion and respecting it. If it opens your eyes to a new way of thinking then that has to be healthy and make a better world for everyone.

Yeah, anyone that knows me will laugh out loud at that. As a human I took the nick when someone had a different opinion about sci fi or movie than me. I did it mostly to wind them up but part of me was feeling sorry for those who couldn’t see I was right; which was all the time of course….

At this stage of the game folks, you hopefully have learned to see us shuffling moaning zombies in a totally different night.

As I walk this shivering land seeking out scavenger humans to feed on, I relive my life in my head thinking of those happy times in work and home. Anyone with a best buddy will know you end up talking to them more than your wife at times because you go through things together totally outside the husband and wife stuff.

They’re the ones who take the hump because you didn’t tell them you were in hospital or going though something yet they do the same. You’d drop everything for them yet don’t want to bring your woes to their lives either. Your buddy is the one you talk shit with and find it the most hilarious thing on the planet. Hence the point of this story; how two laughing argumentative mates similar yet different, saw the ending of the classic movie, Toy Story 3, with completely opposite eyes.

War, most certainly had been declared Mervin!

Both of us love Star Wars, for me it kept the bullies out of my head as a kid. I escaped to the galaxy far, far away through my toys. I still remember the first time I heard of Star Wars on the news and when I bought my first two action figures, Luke Skywalker and the Death Squad Commander for the princely sum of ninety nine pence. Little did I know the path that would send me on for the rest of my life. I still had a lot of Star Wars vintage toys from growing up but when Mervin took the notion to start collecting them from scratch, it spurred me on to fill in my missing blanks. War had suddenly become the search to find our childhoods again. To be honest I never lost mine. I might have the forty something body of a stud with medallion hairy chest and come to bed eyes…fine, can’t you let a man have a little hope when his body has decided to go south? We both took the notion to fill in those missing blanks and complete our Star Wars universe action figure and vehicle collections. Those bonds for both of us had been strong all our lives but adult stuff got in the way. The many figures and ships we amassed over the years were in boxes and plastic tubs and to be fair neglected for years. Knowing they were there was enough.

But that kick-started a new buddy quest to look at what we had and finally finish it. It is a side effect of being mid forties because you have a disposable income to a degree and you want to complete things you never got round to. EBay became our second home and in one of those couldn’t be bothered days in work, our conversation turned to Toy Story 3.

Now as you know at the end of that movie Andy gives away Woody, Buzz and all the others to a little girl because he is going off to college life. He is hoping the toys will bring as much happiness to her that they did with him. Then he drives off into his new adult life. Now, the world thought this was a perfect ending and cried including my buddy.

My face fell like someone had just thrown a turd cross the room and it had landed in the luscious flowing chocolate fountain.

The ending of Toy Story 3 was a horror story. It was as shocking as Ripley falling to her death with the alien popping out of her chest. It was like Brad finding his wife’s head in the case at the climax of Seven. I didn’t cry along at all with the dewy eyed masses enraptured with Woody and the others.

Stuck in the cinema, I stared open mouthed but inwardly was screaming at the screen, ‘NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!’

Book Excerpt: Zombie Blues 3: My Dog Died Today Zombie

By and copyright of Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Available on Amazon now!

My Dog Died Today Zombie

I don’t know why I’m going to tell you this story. It just seems the right thing to do because it feels like a sliver of normality that we can all identify with.

I am not going to tell you my name or where I live. Somehow it just feels right to do that because what I’m about to tell you is something that is universal. Well, apart from those countries that eats them. The thought of that literally turns my very stomach to this day especially now this zombie shell would not think twice about devouring one right now.

When I tell you my story you will picture yourself and family members in my place because my story happens to us all, well most of us but enough of us. They are universal in all walks of life. In ways they are closer to humans than most humans ever could be through their undying loyalty and love. They are the protectors of our children and ask for nothing but table scraps and love in return. Whether you are the most powerful person on the planet or a homeless man on the street, they are there by our side no matter where you look. There are websites dedicated to them. There are Instagram pages for them. Tom Hardy’s cuteness factor increased a thousand fold when photos were posted online of him holding all sorts of types of them. They are man’s best friend.

Let’s face it, there has always been a connection between man and dog that cannot be explained. Cats have always been the second best friend but boo hoo pussies. You will see homeless people with only a dog for company. You see only poverty and loneliness but what you’re really seeing is a picture of pure loving loyalty. Why would a dog stay with someone who has nothing to their name not even food yet they stay with these people walking the streets with them or huddled anywhere they can for shelter. Environment means nothing to a dog; for them it is the person they connect with and stay with because in their minds this is no other option. This is their human and they would stick with them no matter what. You often see dogs sleeping on their owner’s graves long after their death because they miss that human so much it is unbearable for them. We feel the loss of a loved one deeply on their passing yet when you look at a dog during this time, you can see how subdued they get too. It is obvious they loved their owners and death confuses them as much as it does a human. Both species get lost in sorrow.

There is no doubt dolphins are intelligent but dogs equally so if not more. You’ve all seen the videos all over the internet where dogs are confused by magic tricks or protecting their owner’s new born baby. Make no mistake that some dogs are lethal but those that live in your home truly are part of the family. I knew a well to do woman once who only fed her Chihuahua minced lamb. It refused normal dog food like a spoiled brat and sat perched on its own embroidered pink silk cushion on its own side of the sofa watching television with its owner.

Then of course you have your celebrities with tiny dogs in their handbags for all the paparazzi to see. Not forgetting the poodles dyed pink or sculpted like a hedge and paraded in a competition. Is that the equivalent of a kids’ beauty pageant? We have dogs in talent shows that melt the hearts of millions of viewers. Even the Queen of England loves her corgis. Plus again Tom Hardy has his very own page where he poses with adorable dogs and it’s massive. I have a man crush on Tom I think because I wished I was the beagle he was hugging in one of those photos. I haven’t touched Southern Comfort since now I think of it. Hunters take their dogs out hunting all over the world in all weathers and how can we forget the fantastic guide dogs that work in absolute harmony with their blind owners.

For me, I don’t think there is a better example of the unbreakable bond between both species. I remember standing across a street watching how patiently the dog sitting at a street crossing waiting for the lights to change. It was a golden Labrador and their relationship was almost balletic in nature. I clearly recall how the Labrador sat on the kerb’s edge and looked up at its owner. It was a look of pure loyalty and undying willingness to help I’d never seen it before and it was amazing. Dogs are everywhere in our society in every aspect whether we like it or not. They’re even on the front of toilet rolls to entice us to buy them. To be honest I’m not going to dwell on the psychology of that at all. It’d take away from my tale. Why does the image of a cute puppy want to make us wipe our backsides? I’d love to meet the person that thought that up. Bet it was a man.

Of course, we now know that interaction with dogs helps people mentally and physically as witnessed by bringing them to old peoples’ homes and kids in hospitals. The positive effect of dogs is right there in front of us to see. For me it was the day I peeked into the living room and there was our horse of a dog lying sleeping next to my daughter with his big front legs placed across her protectively.

With a grin, I motioned to my partner to come and see. We stood there smiling at the sheer cuteness of it, listening to them breathing peacefully. He was the three girls’ protector whether the three amigas were asleep or awake.

This is the story of our dog, Jerry, the other beloved member of our family. This is the story of the day my dog Jerry died.

The 2nd Greatest Cliffhanger in Star Trek: Azati Prime!

By Owen Quinn author of the Time warriros and Zombie Blues

Photos and video copyright Paramount Pictures

There is no doubt that the season three cliffhanger to Star Trek: The Next Generation caused a sensation at the time. The Borg have kidnapped and converted Jean Luc Picard into a Borg leader called Locutus who will speak for them in all things. The Enterprise crew have devised a one off weapon that will blow apart the Borg cube. When Locutus tells them their lives as they have been are over and will now service the Borg, Riker has no choice but to give the order to fire killing their beloved captain along with the Borg. Even today the power of this cliffhanger is undeniable. Fans went into meltdown and suddenly Star Trek: The Next Generation became the show to watch for everyone. With rumours Patrick Stewart wanted to leave the show, it went crazy.

However the reaction seemed to scare writers as when it came to every season cliffhanger they were good but seemed muted somewhat, with fans being able to figure how the story would resolve. Sometimes viewers were right and sometimes they were wrong. But none seemed as strong as the Best of Both Worlds. When Voyager tried the same trick with Janeway, Tuvok and Belanna being turned into Borg, the shock of this was dumbed down when it was made clear that it was all a ruse of some sort and that the trio were in no real danger from permanent residency on the Queen’s cube.

However there is one amazing cliffhanger that blew fans away but is barely recognised because the show was locked into a network and not syndicated like the others. It wasn’t until the release of Star Trek: Enterprise on Netflix that the show had a resurgence and a whole new generation of fans.

Season three of Enterprise was an attempt to prevent cancellation as there were behind the scenes goings on with the network and the show became a victim of politics. Manny Coto, of the brilliant one season show Odyssey 5, was brought aboard and helped craft the season and indeed went full throttle on season four making these two seasons better than some of the other shows. And let’s face it, some previous seasons of Trek were just drivel. Let’s not look through rose tinted glasses. If Manny had been allowed to go the full seven seasons and it had been syndicated, Enterprise would have been better thought of sooner. It was a superb show with Quantum Leap’s Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer. He commanded the Enterprise NX 01 as the first Starfleet vessel to explore deep space against the Vulcan’s wishes. Just as a side note it was great to see the show mentioned in the recent episode of Strange New Worlds crossover episode with Lower Decks, Those Old Scientists. In order to power a time portal they need an alloy called Heronium but they have used all they have. Jack Quaid’s Boimler, being a Starfleet superfan, realizes that Archer’s ship had it on its plated armour. When a new ship is launched a piece of the old is used in some capacity. It’s a wonderful nod to the show, especially when Ortega reveals she is a fan of helmsman Travis (Anthony Montgomery) and Uhura is a fan of Hoshi (LInda Park). It is a moment of acceptance to a show that was almost left out in the cold but is fully embraced now by casual viewers and fans alike.

An alien race consisting of several species collectively known as the Xindi has launched a test weapon on Earth that has killed seven million people. They learn there is a second more powerful weapon close to being launched that will destroy the Earth completely. Archer leads the Enterprise on a potential suicide mission to stop the weapon or make peace with the aliens. It turns out that a dimensional race of aliens called the Guardians or sphere builders have populated the Xindi region of space (the Expanse) with giant spheres that generate anomalies that can destroy, maim and kill. They have convinced the Xindi collective (the reptiles, the aquatics, the primates, the insectoids and the aborelas) that the humans will destroy them in the future so they must strike first to prevent that from happening. The Xindi have survived a great war where they lost another faction, the avians, so the fear of losing what they have left is easily manipulated.

It is a brutal season where we get everything from T’Pol’s drug addition to Archer killing and stalking to save Earth to Trip Tucker’s grief ripping him apart as his sister was one of those killed. The Expanse is in fact being turned into a wasteland for the Guardians to live in with no intention of giving the Xindi a new homeworld. They are to be sacrificed, the survivors of which will become allies, join the Federation and battle the Guardians 400 years in the future. The Guardians can see across multiple timelines and pick which one they want to come true. The reptilian Xindi are the most ruthless in their quest to destroy Earth and their hunt for the Enterprise. Archer manages to convince some of the Xindi he is telling the truth by showing them a Xindi badge from the future. He is able to pick holes in the Guardian’s story swaying the council to at least hear him out.

But in Azati Prime we get the most stunningly brutal cliffhanger since Best of Both Worlds. Archer is prisoner of the Xindi being tortured and pleading his case. T’Pol is suffering badly from the effects of Terellium-D and is determined to save Archer leading to conflict with Trip. The weapon is close to launching and time is running out. But the reptilians take over Archer’s interrogation overruling the rest of the members. The reptilian leader Dolim tells Archer that he has found the Enterprise and ordered an an all out attack to reduce it to dust.

In a sequence that is truly heart thumping; Xindi ships attack the helpless Enterprise in a fashion as ruthless and single minded as the Jem’hadar did in Deep Space 9. This season had its balls out on display like never seen before on Trek and Azati Prime leaves us speechless. If you thought there was no way out of Locutus’ dilemma then you can only sit in horror as our heroes fight losing battle.

There are no holds barred here as the ship is torn apart. Crewmen fall in battle consumed by fire, sections are blown apart blowing members of the crew into space in shocking detail. Engineering collapses, forcing Trip to evacuate what’s left of his team. The bridge is smashed to pieces as fire rages all around them under every shot. Travis is nearly killed at his station when the overhead lighting system crashes down. Archer is lost to his people and being brutalised in a reptilian detention centre. The nacelles are dead, the engines burned and we are left staring in horror as the ship tumbles end over end in space as the Xindi fire again and again. The camera pans over the crew desperately trying to find hope in the flames as the camera then zooms into a close up on T’Pol’s scorched sweaty face.

This is put together so brilliantly just like the entire season and it really feels like the mission will fail completely as there seems no way out. How this cliffhanger is resolved but you will have to watch on Netflix to find out how. But suffice it to say, there is no easy solutions here and the threat of failure is very much in the air. No techno babble will resolve this season and it will take the determination of the Vulcan, Denobulan and human Enterprise crew to save the day.

Go see this and, like Best of Both Worlds, the shock factor of Azati Prime does not diminish over time but instead makes you appreciate Star Trek: Enterprise all over again. Quite frankly, it’s bloody brilliant!

Damo Danger Larkin interviews The Time Warriors’ Owen Quinn

Check out my latest interview on fellow author Damien Larkin’s website today!!!!!!!

Just click on the link below to read the whole thing.

https://www.damienlarkinbooks.com/mars-occupation-force-press-office/268-an-interview-with-owen-quinn

Dublin Comic Con Summer 23 Meeting Linda Hamilton

Presented by Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and zombie Blues

As we hurtle towards the 10th anniversary of Dublin Comic Con Terminator fest, the guys have announced a quick guide for meeting Sarah Connors herself, Linda Hamilton this weekend so we all get a chance to meet her. Sadly I will not be attending due to an amputation but the Time Warriors were there at the first con ten years ago and we will be there in spirit this weekend. Enjoy and show the love for the guests!

Linda Hamilton Announcement

We know you are all super excited at the chance to meet Linda Hamilton but in order to ensure that she is able to meet as many fans as possible and give you all equal time we request that you abide by the following rules:

– If you would like the autographs dedicated to either you or someone else have the name written in bold on a piece of paper to ensure correct spelling.

– A max of 3 items will be signed, any more then this and you will have to re-queue!

– Have your phone ready on camera mode – not selfie mode. We will have a person there to take the picture.

– If you are getting a DVD or VHS covered signed, the sleeve must be outside of the case before approaching the table.

– Have anything you wish signed clean!

– Cash will be accepted at the table but credit card sales are at the merch desk in the guest area.

– If you want a certain ink or pen to be used, please bring your own.

– Please be mindful and respectful of the guests, crew and other members of the public. Rude or aggressive behavior will not be tolerated. We want everyone to enjoy this event!

– No voice recordings at the table.

– No videoing either in the queue or at the table.

– In order to ensure Linda can meet as many fans as possible, there will sadly be no opportunity to have conversations with each person.

Thank you!

The DCC Team

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#dublincomiccon #dcc #dcc2023 #dublincomiccon2023

Book Excerpt: Zombie Blues 3: Faithful Zombie

By and copyright Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Available on Amazon now!

Faithful Zombie

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name”

I know Lord that this calamity that has wiped away all shades of our normality has not been initiated by you. As a missionary in Lima, Peru I dedicated my life to helping the poor children of the cities and its surrounding outlying areas get a proper education. Their eyes were full of life and smiles so warm and welcoming you couldn’t help but fall in love with these people.

We faced struggles in the beginning of our mission but our faith kept us strong. The outpouring of love and appreciation we received back for our efforts was payment enough. To witness the children learn and grow, opening their eyes to the bigger world and education was a rewarding journey all in itself I can’t even describe. I believe that journey will help the children survive this and build a brand new world.

Even in this sickening zombie form from hell I still have faith. If I didn’t I would not only be betraying you but the very vows I have devoted my life to. I know Mother Nature did this terrible thing to us without your intervention or consent so there is no blame on you. I know you are helpless before her power just as the human race is. Somehow I have to keep strong in this shell and try to fight back with every ounce of my hope and faith. I’m not expecting a sudden arrival by you to wave a hand and restore everyone’s souls, I’m not dumb. But the day simple Joan K. Walker from Alaska became Sister Joan K. Walker, my life was yours. Never did my faith falter despite some of the terrible tragedies I’ve seen across the world.

Life is a learning curve as is the long history of the human species. We will make mistakes but as long as we learn from them, good will come to the world in the end. I hear survivors whisper about the Book of Revelations but they are grasping at straws that do not exist. None of his is your fault. I believe that just as I believe your divine guidance brought me to Lima to help those vulnerable and less fortunate; to aid those left scarred by the atrocities spawned from the darker side of human nature. We are your servants and through us your great power reaches the people of Earth. You help them through us just as Mother Nature takes her vengeance through us. I have no doubt she tricked you somehow. I also know you are trapped up there locked away from the world because our souls are still here. The fact that all zombies can still think for themselves is full testament to that. The gates of heaven are locked therefore we cannot rise to join your eternal Glory.

I held my faith when we were trapped in the rubble the smell of burning flesh making us wretch. We covered our ears and protected the children as best we could with our bodies. All the while we prayed to you to keep us deliver us from this terror. It felt like Hell had come upon the Earth that day but my vocation helped me through it. The fact that we all made it out alive bruised and bleeding when the soldiers came to rescue us was testament to me that my faith had not been misplaced. You are the Lord and the creator of all of us. We are more than your image. We are the vessels through which we bring your light to the world. On that day as we huddled in the back of the military jeeps with the Red Cross personnel, I saw it on the frightened but relieved faces of all the children. We are the embodiment of all that is glorious within you.

I don’t need to recite the rest of the Lord’s Prayer because it will come to pass once more. Even if I am faced with a legion of snarling disbelievers who have lost faith in you after the zombies came, I will stand tall proud of my faith; a beacon in the dark, a testament to your Glory.

They may ask why I have faith that a world will be born again when I won’t see it come to pass but the answer lies in their own fickle natures. The only thing any survivor has to do is look in the mirror to see the answer to their own questions.

Man is quick to trespass with no forgiveness then claim the land under his feet as his own. History is littered with it when you look at America and Australia. Invasions like that cause festering boils that rumble angrily across the centuries.

Forgotten Villains: The Black Hole’s Maximillian

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

I was recently made aware of just how many movies and television shows the younger generation have never heard of, never mind seen. So to that end, we look back at some characters you really need to see before you kick the bucket.

To this day, Disney’s The Black Hole remains one of my favourite movies. Released in 1979, the whole thing is still a visual feast from the robots to the black hole visuals. It is let down only by the bizarre ending when the crew go through into the black hole itself. it’s all very metaphysoical and makes little sense but everything before hand is great.

This is truly a big name cast including Norman Bates himself, Anthony Perkins, Maximilian Schell as Doctor Hans Reinhardt, Yvette Mimieux as Kate McCrea and Planet of the Apes star Roddy McDowall as the voice of Vincent. The effects were in response to the success of Star Wars and this truly is a visual feast. For the droids of the galaxy far, far away we have a range of delights but in the Black Hole we meet the scariest robot of them all. Built and commanded by Dr Hans Reinhardt, Maximilian does not obey the three laws of robotics at all. Maybe this is how Reinhardt programmed him to protect the mission but Maximilian is the ultimate bodyguard. He has arachnid like appendages with a drill shredder and weapons. With all his appendages extend the robot looks demonic which fits in with the final image of him in the movie. In many ways Maximillian reflects the dark side of Reinhardt’s nature insofar as the mission to take their research ship the USS Cygnus into the black hole is all consuming requiring sacrifice beyond the normal. This could also be why Maimillian was not given the ability to speak as Reinhardt only requires action not a debate especially in the form of any doubts he hrbours. But what Reinhardt has done using Maximilian is murderous.

When the crew of the Palamino discover the Cygnus anchored on the edge of a black hole, there is initially no response to their communications. Boarding the ship, they meet Reinhardt and Maximillian’s initial on screen appearance is scary. He is built like a tank, coloured red like the Devil with armaments that we will see can shred anyone he targets. He cannot walk but hovers so he floats down from an upper gallery almost like an angel of death. Unlike the movie’s other good guy robots Vincent and Bob, Maximillian’s tank like appearance is one of threat and ill intent. Despite Reinhardt’s reassurances of his robot’s good intentions, Maximillian is far from welcoming taking an instant dislike to Vincent. Vincent meets an earlier model of his type, Bob who warns him about Maximillian. Bob is not in great condition and needs repair but Maximilian is in perfect shape. His ability to fly gives him an advantage that only Vincent and Bob have which may be why he dislikes them. The other drone troopers are the standard two legged ones. Maximillian can swoop and wipe them out from above. He is powerful and relentless as Anthony Perkins’ character Dr Alex Durant tragically discovers when Kate McCrea tells Durant that the robots are in fact what is left of the crew. Reinhardt turned them into mindless zombies with the simplest of basic actions. When they try to flee, Maximilian, listening to their conversation from above swoops down with his drill like shredder active. Durant futilely holds a book in front of him but Maximilian uses his drill shredder to rip through and tear his chest open. This is against the robot directives in regards to causing harm to a human but Maximilian’s cold silent murder is terrifying because of the lack of emotion. Reinhardt scolds the robot for killing a good man and asks McCrea to protect him from his own creation. Maximillian backs off like a child caught with his hand in a cookie jar beneath the wrath of his disapproving parent.

Totally out of his mind, Reinhardt orders Kate to be surgically turned into a drone as he aims the Cygnus into the black hole. Meteors pummel the ship as they move toward the event horizon. Rescuing Kate the remaining crew of the Palamino along with Vincent flee to a probe ship before they too are sucked into the black hole but are pursued by Maximillian. They are all marked for death. Bob is killed when he is shot by Maximillian in one of the best robot death scenes ever.

What ensues is a battle between David and Goliath as Vincent takes on the behemoth. Their ariel fight is beautifully done and Maximilian realises he has underestimated the little robot. He tries to electrify Vincent burning out all his circuits but Vincent is able to drill into Maximillian’s stomach area destroying his circuitry. His damaged shell loses power and floats into space only to be sucked into the hole along with everything else.

Helpless against the massive gravity forces of the hole, everyone is sucked inside. Almost like fate itself intervenes, Reinhardt finds Maximillian’s shell and clings to it. Somehow he merges with his robot, his eyes peeking from Maximillian’s visor. Beyond the black hole is another reality. the last we see of the robot is of hin perched atop a massive boulder with Reinhardt’s eyes looking out from inside. The robot has all his appendages extended as he stands over a fiery landscape. As I said at the start of this article, there is something demonic in his design. There is more when we see this image as the camera pans back to reveal the flames brning all around them. Could this be Hell and now Reinhardt is now king in th shell of his robot which now loks like it has horns like the Devil? As I said the end makes no sense but the impact of the imagery cannot be denied.

Maximilian lives; long live the King of Hell.

Book Excerpt: Zombie Blues 3: I F**king Love It Zombie

By and copyright of Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues

Available on Amazon now!

I F***ing Love It Zombie

Don’t listen to any of them yappy crying bastards you have already met so far lads and lasses.

Being a zombie is bloody brilliant. I fucking love it!

How cool is this? We get to ramble at our own pace the entire country without restraint where we like and we retain our human minds. We are suddenly weatherproof, don’t feel pain and don’t have to go to the toilet any more. Do you know what a design flaw that is for humans? How many times have you had to hold it during a great movie because if you moved you would miss something? Despite both your bladder and bowel groaning at you to let them empty you are stuck where you are. Plus last time I bedded a girl I had to suddenly piss before I could even cum; not ideal when she’s hot and horny.

None of that happens any more. It’s such a bloody relief. The rest of the deep fried corpses whine and complain about their woes and this terrible tragic thing that has become of them as one of the undead but what a load of crap they’re feeding you. They can argue and recall all they want about their woes and how awful it is they were cruelly ripped away from their lives by Mother Nature. Oh no, we are only to live so long as zombies they cry. You know what? We only had so long to live as humans plus your life span was determined by an eternal rat race that made you consume fast food because the lunch hours were reduced to half hours. Worse than that if your workload was way too much then you had no time for lunch at all. Your gut wrenching bosses wear you down with targets and workloads that take longer than the eight hours you are supposed to work per day. So consumed are you at keeping that wage so the bank doesn’t take the house and keeping the mewling mouths of your brats spawned with someone you don’t even love after a too much alcohol romp ensures your work becomes part of your home life. All boundaries of work life balance evaporates when that happens.

Your life is spent trying to ensure Christmas is a magical time for ungrateful kids that get things too easily these days and appreciate nothing. They have to have the most expensive phone, the most up to date games console and the poor saps buy it for them no matter what the cost or how far into debt they have to go because we are now a material world of keeping up with the Jones. Let me tell you folks; the Smiths were well on their way to an early mass grave and for what? All for that magic Kodak moment of the smiling child that disguises the fact Mummy or Daddy are developing health issues for that Disney home life that doesn’t really exists.

My Mum was a strong single parent and did a great job. She taught me life is too short and that my Dad was a waste of space. He didn’t want to know when she told him she was pregnant mostly because he didn’t want his clueless faithful wife to know for some strange reason. Yeah it takes two to tango but at least my Mum never shirked her responsibilities. She worked full time in a supermarket as a cashier and shelf stacker to give us a home. My aunts and uncles took care of me when her shifts fell outside school hours because that’s what family does. On many nights she came home so tired and deflated mum was on the verge of collapse but she always made time for me. I never went without, was never hungry and was never cold. We didn’t have very much but we were comfortable. Deadbeat dad came about when I was eight but he was soon sent on his way when Mum found out.

Several times coming home from school I noticed a dark navy car parked across the road. I usually walked home from school every day so when you do that the route becomes ingrained in your head. Instinct and muscle memory and all that. Ever find yourself driving but not really concentrating?

All of a sudden you realise you’re going a familiar route somewhere like work without even thinking? It’s like that. I could simply close my come to bed hazel eyes and let my feet do the walking. Kind of like now as a zombie dude.

Anyway I noticed the same car at certain points on the route home. The glint of a mobile phone in the sunlight caught my attention. With all of Mum’s warnings about strangers and bad men screaming in my head I whipped out my phone and took a photo back. A split second later I took off down the road like a terrified rabbit fleeing hunting dogs.

Taking one look at my photo my Mum’s pursed her lips hardened into a determined expression. I knew she knew exactly who my stalker was but instead of screaming blue murder my master schemer Mum hatched a plan worthy of a TV detective.