Guilty Conscience: A Sci-Fi Short Story

 GUILTY CONSCIENCE

Henry N. Silva

The scientist and his assistant wait patiently in the alley…

“You sure this is where he said to meet?” The assistant asks.

His mentor nods in assurance, “Positive.”

Not too long after, an older man emerges. A man whom the assistant only knows as the terrorist.

“Did you do what I asked?” The older man snarls.

“Yessir,” the scientist hands the terrorist the suitcase he had been carrying. “Used the leftover uranium you gave us to make exactly what you wanted.”

The terrorist takes hold of the suitcase, “If this bomb turns out to be fake, you and your family are done for, yah hear?”

“No need to worry.”

“So what’re yah making with all that extra uranium anyways?”

“A time machine.”

“Ha, that’s rich!” The terrorist bellows, before turning around and leaving…

The assistant then turns towards his mentor, “Did you really just give him a real bomb?”

“Sure did.”

“How do you not have a guilty conscience about that?!”

“Like I said… No need to worry.”

***

The terrorist makes his way towards the amusement park, suitcase in hand…

Suddenly, a flurry of police officers surround him, “Freeze!”

Among them is the scientist himself…

“You?!” The terrorist shakes his head in disbelief, “How?!”

“I waited until you would try to detonate the bomb, to see where you’d be and when,” the scientist explains. “Then I went back in time to stop you.”

Related: Fiction Repository

The Choice: A Narrative Poem

 THE CHOICE

A Narrative Poem

Henry N. Silva

Midland; where day meets night and where night meets day

Where magic and science become one

Gio takes it all in, knowing this day will be his last there

He takes in the perfect sky and weather

Not too bright or dark, not too hot or cold

He looks upon all the wonderful machines

Aided ever-so-slightly by magic

The limited land which everyone wants

Which is exactly why he must now go…

His superior stands before him

“Sorry,” the brooding man says, plainly

“We can no longer afford to employ you”

“But I have no family,” Gio sighs

“How can I stay?” He asks, despite knowing the answer

“You can’t,” the older man responds bluntly,

Raising his arms in opposite directions, “Now you must choose.”

Gio looks through the clear, virtual shields protecting Midland

Far into the east, he sees Nightland

Where bright spots of magic pierce through the darkness

Far into the west, he sees Dayland

Where cities stand tall, beneath the eternal sun

The magic and mythic creatures of the night entice him

As does the advanced technology of the day,

More advanced than anything else he has known in his two decades alive

He looks back at his former employer, “Is magic hard to master?”

The older man raises an eyebrow, “Have you ever tried it?”

Gio sighs again, “Yes… It was fun… But hard…

I think I’ve made my choice.”

He points to the west, and then instantly wonders;

Did I choose right?

TEN YEARS LATER

Gio awakens in his small, rundown home…

Through his window shades, he sees the eternal light of Dayland

Grunting, he stumbles out of bed,

Doing his best to ignore the industrial sounds outdoors…

He looks up at a bought painting on his wall,

Depicting a wizard of light and a wizard of darkness

He gazes at the hero, lamenting what he did not strive for

His eyes then move over to the villain of the piece,

As he wonders if he would have become that instead…

“Things could always be worse, I suppose…”

He had always thought about trying to paint as well,

But always told himself “Some other time!”

As usual, he steps out into the streets,

Heading towards his mundane work of fixing machines

On his way, he finds a homeless man, drawing in a notebook

“Did someone buy that for you?” Gio can’t help but ask

“No,” the hoodlum responds. “Bought it with the money I had left”

Gio raises an eyebrow, “May I ask why?”

“Helps me live with the choices that ruined my life…

That’s all life is ever about, right?

Finding a way to live with the choices you make!”

Related: Poetry Repository

Random Favorites

  The title is self-explanatory, so let’s just jump right in:

MUSIC ARTIST: Red Hot Chili Peppers

SOLO MUSIC ARTIST: Michael Jackson

EP: Alice in Chains - Sap*

*I consider Jar of Flies to be an album

CONCEPT ALBUM: Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication

LIVE ALBUM: Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York

PSYCHEDELIC/BLUES ARTIST: Jimi Hendrix

PSYCHEDELIC/BLUES ALBUM: Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced? (US Version)

PSYCHEDELIC/BLUES SONG: Jimi Hendrix - “Little Wing”

PROG ARTIST: Pink Floyd

PROG ALBUM: Pink Floyd - The Wall

PROG SONG: Pink Floyd - “Wish You Were Here”

RAP/HIP-HOP ARTIST: Outkast

RAP/HIP-HOP ALBUM: Outkast - Aquemini

RAP/HIP-HOP SONG: Outkast - “Rosa Parks”

GARAGE ARTIST: The White Stripes

GARAGE ALBUM: The White Stripes - Elephant

GARAGE SONG: The White Stripes - “Fell in Love with a Girl”

SHOEGAZE ARTIST: My Bloody Valentine

SHOEGAZE ALBUM: My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

SHOEGAZE SONG: My Bloody Valentine - “Loomer”

THRASH ARTIST: Metallica

THRASH ALBUM: Metallica - Ride the Lightning

THRASH SONG: Metallica - “Ride the Lightning”

POP/R&B/SOUL ARTIST: Michael Jackson

POP/R&B/SOUL ALBUM: Michael Jackson - Thriller

POP/R&B/SOUL SONG: Michael Jackson - “Thriller”

NU-METAL ARTIST: Linkin Park

NU-METAL ALBUM: Linkin Park - Meteora

NU-METAL SONG: Slipknot - “The Heretic Anthem”

BRITPOP ARTIST: Oasis

BRITPOP ALBUM: Oasis - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

BRITPOP SONG: Oasis - “Champagne Supernova”

NY ARTIST: Kiss

NY ALBUM: Kiss - Hotter than Hell

NY SONG: Kiss - “I Stole Your Love”

BOSTON ARTIST: Aerosmith

BOSTON ALBUM: Aerosmith - Rocks

BOSTON SONG: Aerosmith - “Rats in the Cellar”

CHICAGO ARTIST: The Smashing Pumpkins

CHICAGO ALBUM: The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

CHICAGO SONG: The Smashing Pumpkins - “Mayonaise”

STONER ARTIST: Tool

STONER ALBUM: Tool - Undertow

STONER SONG: Tool - “The Pot”

DESERT ARTIST: Queens of the Stone Age

DESERT ALBUM: Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf

DESERT SONG: Queens of the Stone Age - “You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar (But I Feel Like a Millionaire)”

NEW WAVE/SYNTHPOP ARTIST: Depeche Mode

NEW WAVE/SYNTHPOP ALBUM: Depeche Mode - Violator

NEW WAVE/SYNTHPOP SONG: Dead or Alive - “You Spin Me around (Like a Record)”

BRITISH INVASION/POP ROCK ARTIST: The Beatles

BRITISH INVASION/POP ROCK ALBUM: The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour (US Version)

BRITISH INVASION/POP ROCK SONG: The Rolling Stones - “Gimme Shelter”

GROOVE METAL ARTIST: Pantera

GROOVE METAL ALBUM: Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power

GROOVE METAL SONG: Pantera - “Cemetery Gates”

NOISE ROCK/SHOCK ROCK ARTIST: White Zombie

NOISE ROCK/SHOCK ROCK ALBUM: White Zombie - Astro-Creep: 2000

NOISE ROCK/ SHOCK ROCK SONG: White Zombie - “More Human than Human”

INDUSTRIAL ARTIST: Nine Inch Nails

INDUSTRIAL ALBUM: Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

INDUSTRIAL SONG: Nine Inch Nails - “Head Like a Hole”

BLACK METAL ARTIST: Mayhem

BLACK METAL ALBUM: Mayhem - Live in Leipzig

BLACK METAL SONG: Mayhem - “Carnage (Live in Leipzig version)”

UK ARTIST: Led Zeppelin

UK ALBUM: Oasis - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

UK SONG: The Rolling Stones - “Gimme Shelter”

CANADA ARTIST: Rush

CANADA ALBUM: Rush - Moving Pictures

CANADA SONG: Rush - “Limelight”

COEN BROTHERS FILM: No Country for Old Men

MARTIN SCORSESE FILM: The Departed

STEVEN SPIELBERG FILM: Raiders of the Lost Ark

ROMCOM FILM: Man Up

LEONARDO DICAPRIO FILM: The Departed

MATT DAMON FILM: The Bourne Identity

LIVE-ACTION SHOW: Beat Bobby Flay

LIVE-ACTION DRAMA SHOW: Breaking Bad

LIVE-ACTION SITCOM SHOW: Seinfeld

LIVE-ACTION SCI-FI SHOW: Firefly

LIVE-ACTION FANTASY SHOW: Game of Thrones

FOOD: Pizza

DRINK: Tea

ANIMATED FILM: Toy Story 2

2D ANIMATED FILM: The Iron Giant

VIDEOGAME: Tetris

NARRATIVE VIDEOGAME: The Legend of Zelda (any of them)

CARD GAME: Solitaire

FILM DIRECTOR: James Cameron

WRITER: Philip K. Dick

POET: Charles Bukowski

POEM: “So You Want to Be a Writer?” by Charles Bukowski

ACTOR: Marlon Brando

ACTING PERFORMANCE: Marlon Brando in The Godfather

STORE: Barnes & Noble

GROCERY STORE: Trader Joe’s

COLOR: Brown

Peace!

Related: List Repository

My Top 5 Albums Per Year: 1986-2024

        Awhile back I did a list of my Top 3 favorite albums per year from 1963 up until now. Being the lunatic that I am, I’ve decided to now expand that Top 3 into a Top 5. Only this time, I was only able to make it as far back as 1986 before my brain broke. Furthermore, to make things a bit easier on myself, this time around I decided to include EP’s and box sets. Also, I’m including albums that I’ve released myself under my real name (fuck you, I can do that). Lastly, I included extra lists for 1991 specifically (cause that year was insane).

        …Here we go again:

1986

1.Metallica - Master of Puppets

2.Van Halen - 5150

3.Ozzy Osbourne - The Ultimate Sin

4.The Smiths - The Queen is Dead

5.Guns N’ Roses - Live ?!*@ Like a Suicide (EP)

1987

1.Guns N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction

2.Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Uplift Mofo Party Plan

3.U2 - The Joshua Tree

4.Michael Jackson - Bad

5.Def Leppard - Hysteria

Honorable Mention: Ozzy Osbourne - Tribute

1988

1.Metallica - …And Justice for All

2.Guns N’ Roses - G N’ R Lies

3.Soundgarden - Ultramega OK

4.My Bloody Valentine - You Made Me Realise (EP)

5.My Bloody Valentine - Feed Me with Your Kiss (EP)

1989

1.Faith No More - The Real Thing

2.Nirvana - Bleach

3.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mother’s Milk

4.Soundgarden - Louder than Love

5.The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses

1990

1.Alice in Chains - Facelift

2.Pantera - Cowboys from Hell

3.Megadeth - Rust in Peace

4.Depeche Mode - Violator

5.Mother Love Bone - Apple

1991

1.Pearl Jam - Ten

2.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik

3.Nirvana - Nevermind

4.Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger

5.Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog

MORE 1991

1.Metallica - The Black Album

2.U2 - Achtung Baby

3.Michael Jackson - Dangerous

4.Guns N’ Roses - Use Your Illusion I

5.EMF - Schubert Dip

EVEN MORE 1991

1.My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

2.The Smashing Pumpkins - Gish

3.Guns N’ Roses - Use Your Illusion II

4.Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears

5.Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge

1992

1.Faith No More - Angel Dust

2.Alice in Chains - Dirt

3.Stone Temple Pilots - Core

4.Patnera - Vulgar Display of Power

5.Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine

Honorable Mention: White Zombie - La Sexorcisto, Devil Music Volume One

1993

1.The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

2.Nirvana - In Utero

3.Tool - Undertow

4.Pearl Jam - Vs.

5.Guns N’ Roses - The Spaghetti Incident

Honorable Mention: Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion

1994

1.Soundgarden - Superunknown

2.Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York

3.Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies

4.Oasis - Definitely Maybe

5.Weezer - The Blue Album

Honorable Mention: Green Day - Dookie

1995

1.Oasis - (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

2.White Zombie - Astro-Creep: 2000

3.The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness

4.Faith No More - King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime

5.Red Hot Chili Peppers - One Hot Minute

Honorable Mention: Foo Fighters - Foo Fighters

1996

1.Outkast - ATLiens

2.Alice in Chains - Unplugged

3.Metallica - Load

4.Soundgarden - Down on the Upside

5.Fugees - The Score

1997

1.Foo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape

2.Kiss - Carnival of Souls

3.Faith No More - Album of the Year

4.Buckethead - Colma

5.Daft Punk - Homework

1998

1.Outkast - Aquemini

2.Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

3.Rob Zombie - Hellbilly Deluxe

4.System of a Down - System of a Down

5.Kiss - Psycho Circus

Honorable Mention: Oasis - The Masterplan

1999

1.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication

2.Foo Fighters - There Is Nothing Left to Lose

3.Eminem - The Slim Shady LP

4.Guns N’ Roses - Live Era ‘87-‘93

5.Metallica - S&M

2000

1.Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory

2.The White Stripes - De Stijl

3.Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP

4.Pantera - Reinventing the Steel

5.The Smashing Pumpkins - Machina I & II

2001

1.John Frusciante - To Record Only Water for Ten Days

2.Michael Jackson - Invincible

3.The White Stripes - White Blood Cells

4.Slipknot - Iowa

5.Weezer - The Green Album

Honorable Mention: Daft Punk - Discovery

2002

1.Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way

2.Queens of the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf

3.Audioslave - Audioslave

4.Jerry Cantrell - Degradation Trip

5.System of a Down - Steal This Album!

2003

1.The White Stripes - Elephant

2.Linkin Park - Meteora

3.Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

4.Kiss - Symphony: Alive IV

5.The Strokes - Room on Fire

2004

1.Green Day - American Idiot

2.Velvet Revolver - Contraband

3.Keane - Hopes and Fears

4.Slipknot - Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)

5.U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb

2005

1.Depeche Mode - Playing the Angel

2.System of a Down - Hypnotize

3.System of a Down - Mezmerize

4.Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor

5.Daft Punk - Human After All

2006

1.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

2.Buckethead - Crime Slunk Scene

3.John Mayer - Continuum

4.Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds

5.The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers

2007

1.The White Stripes - Icky Thump

2.Radiohead - In Rainbows

3.Arctic Monkeys - Favorite Worst Nightmare

4.Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight

5.Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

2008

1.Guns N’ Roses - Chinese Democracy

2.Buckethead - Albino Slug

3.Metallica - Death Magnetic

4.Weezer - The Red Album

5.Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone

2009

1.Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue

2.The Dead Weather - Horehound

3.Silversun Pickups - Swoon

4.Paramore - Brand New Eyes

5.U2 - No Line on the Horizon

2010

1.The Dead Weather - Sea of Cowards

2.Slash - Slash

3.Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns

4.The White Stripes - Under Great White Northern Lights

5.The Black Keys - Brothers

2011

1.Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

2.Adele - 21

3.Red Hot Chili Peppers - I’m With You

4.Soundgarden - Live on I-5

5.Adele - Live at the Royal Albert Hall

2012

1.Jack White - Blunderbuss

2.Slash - Apocalyptic Love

3.Linkin Park - Living Things

4.The Antics - Running Faster

5.The Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania

Honorable Mention: Soundgarden - King Animal

2013

1.Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

2.My Bloody Valentine - m b v

3.Red Hot Chili Peppers - I’m Beside You

4.Arctic Monkeys - AM

5.Alice in Chains - The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here

2014

1.Royal Blood - Royal Blood

2.The Orwells - Disgraceland

3.Buckethead - Claymation Courtyard

4.The Antics - Send It Out (EP)

5.The Smashing Pumpkins - Monuments to an Elegy

2015

1.Hamilton - Hamilton

2.Faith No More - Sol Invictus

3.Darlia - Petals

4.The Dead Weather - Dodge and Burn

5.The Antics - Emily Jones (EP)

2016

1.Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Getaway

2.Metallica - Hardwired… to Self-Destruct

3.Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 3

4.Nuno Henry Silva - Beautiful Corruption

5.Weezer - The White Album

2017

1.Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark?

2.Greta Van Fleet - From the Fires

3.Foo Fighters - Concrete and Gold

4.The Orwells - Terrible Human Beings

5.Liam Gallagher - As You Were

2018

1.Alice in Chains - Rainier Fog

2.The Smashing Pumpkins - Shiny and Oh-So Bright

3.Greta Van Fleet - Anthem of the Peaceful Army

4.Guns N’ Roses - Appetite for Destruction: Locked N’ Loaded

5.The Antics - Sweet Vermouth

2019

1.Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

2.Tool - Fear Inoculum

3.Weezer - The Teal Album

4.Nuno Henry Silva - Influx

5.The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger

2020

1.Run the Jewels - RTJ4

2.ACDC - Power Up

3.The Strokes - The New Abnormal

4.Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory 20

5.Nuno Henry Silva - Daytime Moon

2021

1.Royal Blood - Typhoons

2.Foo Fighters - Medicine at Midnight

3.Jerry Cantrell - Brighten

4.Greta Van Fleet - The Battle at Garden’s Gate

5.Weezer - OK Human

2022

1.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimited Love

2.Slash - 4

3.Red Hot Chili Peppers - Return of the Dream Canteen

4.Jack White - Fear of the Dawn

5.Guns N’ Roses - Use Your Illusion: Super Deluxe Edition

2023

1.Metallica - 72 Seasons

2.Foo Fighters - But Here We Are

3.The Orwells - Friendly Fire

4.Linkin Park - Meteora 20

5.Extreme - Six

2024

1.Linkin Park - From Zero

2.Jack White - No Name

3.The Smashing Pumpkins - Aghori Mhori Mei

4.Slash - Orgy of the Damned

5.Jerry Cantrell - I Want Blood

Honorable Mention: Lenny Kravitz - Blue Electric Light

Peace!

Related: List Repository