Embedded Files
everything on this site is (c) Chris Brancato, Larry Sugar, Pearson Entertainment, Vidatron Television, and Francis Ford Coppola. i don't own it, so don't hurt me, please! and don't sue me, as i have no money, either...
(since these are from the actual episodes, there's spoilers in here, as i have the ending journal entries, too)
Which Episode?S117Target 117 | Deepthroat | the Apostles | Susperience | the Channel | Red Flag | Prayer for the White Man | Lost Souls | the Heist | Ohio Players | Night Falls | Normal, Illinois | All About Eddie | Playland | the Harvest | Rubicon | Gladiator | Underworld | Tomorrow | the Believers
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 99, century 1
- Heed the call to the isle of commerce
- But be watchful of footsteps that lead unto battle
- Look to the light to guide thee
- The hacking blade has a double edge
I've spent the last year on the run searching for the alien force that tore my life to shreds. My guide on this journey is a dead prophet named Nostradamus. And if you think that sounds crazy, so did I. But I can't deny that an invasion of this planet has already begun.
Tonight I've come to an industrial trade zone called Cosgrove Island. I'm searching for a man who contacted the Paranoid Times, the web site created by my friend and ally, Eddie Nambulous. The man's name is Harold Shanley, and he claims to have escaped an alien experiment much like the one that killed my wife -- and made me a wanted man.
~*~
With our survival comes a ray of hope and a lesson for the dark days ahead. It's been said that we have nothing to fear but fear itself. When Eddie and I confronted the nightmare force against us, we were able to win.
At the same time, fear is our most precious protective device. If we ignore the things we should fear, we are doomed to destruction. If we confront our fears, we can any battle, defeat any enemy, overcome any obstacle. This is the lesson I learned on Cosgrove Island.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 42, century 5:
- When the sun bursts forth at night
- The life of a starwatcher is lost
- But the truth revealed in the heavens
- Is carried to a high magistrate
The starwatcher Nostradamus saw could be Vincente Miranda, an astronomer friend of Eddie's who was shot to death in Ohio. Eddie hacked into local shipping records. Before Miranda died, he sent an overnight package with photos to United States Senator Sterling Preston.
I can only pray that those photos contain alien evidence.
~*~
I find myself lost and frustrated, seeking guidance on a journey I did not choose for myself. Once again, we were unable to expose a conspiracy, that this time, reached to the highest level of government.
But I must take comfort in small victories. I gained the trust of a respected journalist. Perhaps others will follow. I can only hope.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 54, century 7:
- Iron horses blaze a vengeful trail
- A first of many to follow
- Their method must be chartered
- Or liberty will fall
Residents of Crestline, Wyoming say a biker gang killed a man named Nick Randolph, but authorities haven't come up with a body. Could the gang's motorcycles be the iron horses of the Nostradamus quatrain? Time to rev up the investigation.
~*~
Is the quickest way to destroy evil simply to crush it without regard to who gets hurt? Is innocent life a necessary casualty of war? Nostradamus said that the method must be chartered, and on this day, my method became clear. To take a life is God's decision -- if God even exists. It's not mine. I cannot, I will not, shed innocent blood, even if it prolongs the terrible battle that lies ahead.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 23, century 3:
- The two-sighted will meet death in sleep
- Purged from the nightmare of the hidden enemy
- Barricades protect spurious sleep
- And the spectre is lanced with a common blade
Prescott Maine: Rachel Cates is buried today after dying mysteriously in her sleep. According to Eddie's research, she was one of a handful of renowned psychics who make their home here.
I usually think of hotlines and con artists when psychics are mentioned, but after everything I've seen, I wonder if the Gua have decided that this group is a threat they can no longer afford to ignore. I'm no psychic, but I have a strong hunch there's an alien in my future.
~*~
Our choice in this matter is clear: we fight or we die. Quinn finally acknowledged the responsibility he has in this war. He found the courage to rise to his greatest potential. I'm grateful.
Quinn now realizes what I know from fighting the Gua: our apathy will seal our fate. Our action will ensure our victory. All we have to do is make the choice.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 4, century 9:
- She will rise from the dead
- With words of fortune on her lips
- For one in need of purpose
- A dispatch to the twice-blessed man
The local newspapers say paramedics revived a waitress in Cranston, Rhode Island, after six minutes with no heartbeat. She woke up speaking words of fortune, only the words belonged to Nostradamus. I know Chloe Wells is reciting the lost quatrains of Nostradamus. The aliens must know it too. I have to find her -- before they do.
~*~
Chloe Wells felt her life had no meaning. She has no sense of purpose. But all that's changed. She knows that she’s helped me gain insight into this journey.
At a point of great frustration, I received a message from a man who lived and died five hundred years ago. His message is to take the journey one step at a time, each day gaining the experience, wisdom, and skills necessary to wage this war.
I must have the patience to be mindful of the journey, rather than just the end result. If I learn these lessons well, there will come a final battle. And god-willing, I'll be ready for that day.
~ * ~ * ~
Special Forces Colonel John Russell died suddenly of extreme internal temperatures -- literally boiled to death. And his first lieutenant, Alex Harken, disappeared immediately after. Harken was suspected of being a deep-cover spy, and was due to face an inquiry before his hasty exit.
Quatrain 18, century 10:
- The town will not ring its cracked bell
- For the hero has gone astray
- The crimson banner lures the one and the many
- With each victory so will victory undo.
Lieutenant Harken, West Point grad, and twice-decorated for heroism, hailed from Philadelphia, home of the cracked Liberty Bell. More importantly, he was also the winner of the Red Flag -- a little know award given to the best of the best in the military. The 'crimson banner' and the 'hero gone astray' are both mentioned in the Nostradamus quatrain. I wanna know how the red flag and the aliens are connected.
Eddie and I cooked up some Triple-A credentials, and I became one of five contenders for this years' Red Flag competition. Time for me to be all I can be.
~*~
If Lopez had won the Red Flag, the Gua would have been able to place another one of their spies deep within the military system. With access to our defense secrets, they would have had the ability to destroy us from the inside.
Eddie bombarded every branch of the armed forces with emails to try and alert them to the Gua. I'm hopeful that any evidence left at the proving ground will wake the military up to the threat within.
Trevor Payne made the choice to fight a more important war and give up the prizes and medals that come with recognition. Payne sacrificed winning the Red Flag to become a soldier against the Gua. He's a believer now, and I count him as an ally. A time will come when I will call forth all my believers and allies. A time will come for us to end this war.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 43, century 9:
- In the woods of Winchala
- A cimmis lights the flame of affliction
- Elders set the course
- To choose wrongly will mean woe.
Don't know what a cimmis is, but Nostradamus may have been talking about the Winchalas, a small tribe with a proud history. It's been said that gambling is the most insidious of vices. The allure of chance that slowly overtakes reason and bank book. Is this the flame of affliction of which Nostradamus speaks?
If so, the flame may be spreading. The Winchala Tribal Council is about to vote on the expansion of gambling onto all of the reservation lands. The elders of the council have an important choice to make for the tribe. Time to let the chips fall where they may.
~*~
Once again, I've come to see how the spiritual side of human existence can be our strongest weapon. I think the Gua know that too, and they're scared.
Our spirituality is something they can't hope to understand. But if we allow hatred to creep into our hearts, it lessens our connection with the spirit world. Lonetree figured that out in the nick of time.
I have shame for the barbarism of the past, and the injustices that we have inflicted on one another in our quest for dominance. We all share responsibility for our painful past, and our uncharted future.
~ * ~ * ~
Eddie picked up a wild story in a paranormal news group. Travel writer Francesca Dutton disappeared over 55 years ago without a trace. Two days ago, she was found, entombed in the concrete walls of a New York subway tunnel -- alive.
Impossible to believe, but then I read quatrain 19 century 4:
- A maiden cut aloft from humanity
- Locked in a coffin of stone
- Her resurrection a clue for the man twice-blessed,
- Till the fate of her soul has been sealed.
A medical technician on the scene said Dutton was transferred to the Maple Ridge Retreat, a small psychiatric hospital in upstate New York. I needed an excuse to visit Francesca Dutton. Eddie worked his usual magic and got me in as her one surviving relative -- her grandson Jack.
Did the aliens bury her alive? How'd she survive that long? I can only imagine what may be waiting for me in that room.
~*~
Verbitt was a friend, and was the best chance I had to convince the authorities about the Gua. But at least I know I'm not the only one fighting them. there are others out there.
Frederick Lansing took them on a half a century ago. I pray in the end I that fare better than he did.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 29, century 4:
- The weapon will fall upon cities
- Unless thieves deliver humanity from woe.
- The enemy of triumph is intellect
- For faculties failure requires sense anew.
I spent my early years in a top-notch thief crew, so this Nostradamus quatrain piqued my interest. But touching base with my past quickly collided with my present. Now I'm back in the game -- working as their break-and-enter man for a score going down in the Silicon Valley.
Harley Daniels -- she finds the scores to make sure they get set up right. Richie Black -- a wild boy, who happens to be the best alarm-bypass man around. Have we been hired by the Gua to steal computer weaponry that will some day be turned against humankind?
Before I met Hannah, these people were my family. Out of necessity, they've now become my allies -- with one difference between us.
They're here for the money, I'm here for a bigger score -- aliens.
~*~
Harley and I showed the Gua that we can defeat one of their most powerful weapons -- a machine that traps you in the labyrinth of your own mind. We did it by trusting senses beyond those we ordinarily use in life.
It's these extra senses that may become weapons in our own arsenal. In coming here today, I reopened wounds from the past that was growing farther away with each passing day.
I found new strength through forgiveness. And I can use that strength for the journey that lies ahead.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 19, century 11:
- Where the good river runs north
- Young fortunes are reversed in mock battle
- Enslavement takes myriad forms
- The key to them all is control
The Ohio river runs north of the eastern border of the state. In the Iroquois language, "Ohio" means "good river." Could high school football be the 'mock battle' of which Nostradamus speaks?
If so, the Fairvale Falcons have thrilled the state, as they reversed their fortunes. They're 11-and-0, an amazing turn-around for a team that's been in last place for nine years running.
Some would say that every dog has his day, but I've learned that the alien race known as the Gua will stop at nothing in their experiments to enslave humanity. I've also learned that in war, the best defense is a good offence.
~*~
Fairvale, Ohio. A good town with good people, like Trevor Jenkins. Had the Gua's experiment succeeded, their plans to create a hive collective would have extended far beyond Fairvale's city limits.
If we have any hope of defeating the Gua, it rests with those who don't blindly follow where they're led.
Trevor reaffirms my belief that one individual can make a difference. Get enough of those individuals on our team, and maybe we can win the war ahead.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 29, century 7:
- Three rivers amidst iron wrought
- Barren ground shall be sowed once more
- The hunter and the hunter are one
- When shadows descend on the twice-blessed man
Followed up an email in the Paranoid Times website, which led me to the iron city of Pittsburgh, searching for possible alien activity.
I thought Nostradamus' mention of 'barren ground' might have been the Soames Medical Facility, which had been closed for years. Didn't quite work out that way.
We made a mistake this time -- a big one. The Gua have probably joined the hunt by now too. I'm running out of time.
Taking a hostage is a desperate move, but I can't trust anybody these days. The person you least expect could turn out to be an alien.
~*~
Maybe I was foolish for trusting Lena. But hell, I'm only human. When we say someone's only human, we speak of weakness and imperfection. We acknowledge that each of us is vulnerable in heart, body, and mind.
But only by exposing our vulnerability can we achieve the human connection each of us craves. Though the bond Lena and I formed today was betrayed, she awakened something I feared lost. At our most vulnerable, the common thread of humanity is awakened in all of us, creating an intimacy where none before existed. It unites prince to pauper, black to white, man to woman. By revealing our weaknesses we show our true strength. That's the paradox of being human.
~ * ~ * ~
My friend Crazy Eddie publishes the Paranoid Times -- a website devoted to documenting our ongoing battle against an alien invasionary force known as the Gua. Every week we get more and more emails from others who believe the unbelievable -- that the aliens are here to take over our planet.
One of our readers, Robbie Harlock, emailed us repeatedly about the bizarre death of Carson McAuliffe during a pool party here in Normal, Illinois.
The email bore similarity to quatrain 66, century 7:
- Where the waters are contained
- Nature's course is obstructed
- And youth imprisoned by devil's lightning
- Whose use shall tame the rivals' ardor
In my recent experiences, following up emails can be risky business. But I know our network of believers is starting to grow. And sometimes, the risk is worth it. That's what brought me to a place called Normal.
~*~
A core of believers is growing, and perhaps a core of Gua who will fight their own leaders against an invasion that seems ever closer to becoming a reality.
My journey is long, and sometimes the path seems without an end in sight. But then something comes to remind me that our efforts are slowing getting results. And I feel we might be moving towards our goal -- to defeat the Gua, and bring things back to normal.
~ * ~ * ~
They say that high school is a practice run for the marathon of life. If that's the case, then what started out with a blaze and burst of speed ended in the lipid, lameness of loserdom.
A terrible personal event closed out my school years and has haunted me to this day. A failure so profound I cast off my closest friends like obsolete software and never looked back -- until now.
That's why I've decided to leave the warm security of the trailer for the cold harsh reality of Heisenberg High. To reconnect with the people who once were my friends, and seek answers to the enigma that is my life.
~*~
As for my friends, I would have never guessed that Stanley could have taken part in Herman's theft so many years ago. But I also never guessed that either of them could be so brave in the face of death.
Now they know the invasion's here. New believers in our fight against the Gua. By confronting the pain in my past, I healed old wounds and gained a better understanding of who I am. I may be paranoid, but I sure as hell ain't crazy.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 32, century 1:
- Through a threshold of light
- The savage land spits youth most murderous
- Amid machines that amuse
- Comes a reckoning for the man twice-blessed.
Fork Falls, South Dakota: Gary Lanning shot and killed nine people at a fast-food burger joint. When the cops found him, he was stuffing his face with French fries.
When Gary's psychiatric record was released to the public, it said that he had delusional fantasies of time spent in an amusement park called Playland. Of course, that was before he stabbed his shrink in the heart with a pen.
Are 'youth most murderous' like Gary part of a Gua experiment? That's what I'm here to find out.
~*~
I know that desire for revenge can be all-consuming. Peter had the strength to renounce violence, in part because I promised him a better world on the outside. Wish I could have delivered.
Message to the aliens: You've wasted your time on this experiment. We don't need a feeder to turn our kids into monsters. We're doing a damn fine job on our own.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 21, century 8:
- On the fields of revolution
- Where England's traitor king runneth
- Passion's dew is stolen from opulence
- The undercroft keeps the salve of enemy wounds.
The Charles River in Boston is named after Charles the First, the traitor king or England. Bit of a stretch, except that three wealthy women have recently disappeared in Boston.
The quatrain suggests a connection to the aliens. I'm here to find out.
~*~
There was no alien evidence in that church basement lab. Signs, but no proof. The Gua cover their tracks, but I'm right behind them.
I know there are other labs out there, other people being used to make the enemy stronger. The battle ahead will be difficult, so we must be determined to fight. We have to keep our faith in each other, to work together, to trust.
If we do that, we can beat them.
~ * ~ * ~
Blaylock said the true definition of a hero is one who never takes the end for granted. Ironically, it was those words that made me flee the Gua facility.
If seductions of comfort and security can blind us to the real evils that plague humankind, we have to look past temptation and keep fighting. Because that's what a true hero is -- someone who wakes up and fights through the day with determination to see a better tomorrow.
So open your eyes. The invasion is coming. We need heroes. Now more than ever.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 63, century 9:
- In a city risen from blue-grey ash
- Gladiators vie for blood-stained glory
- The fabric of man undergoes lethal alchemy
- A patron of his own destruction
I've come to Atlanta -- a city built from the ashes of the Civil War -- to check out the world of bare-knuckle fighting, and seek an ally in my fight against the Gua.
I passed a wanted poster on my way into town, and the face staring back was my own. The net of pursuit draws closer, and desperate times require desperate measures.
Time to take off the gloves.
~*~
I asked Healy to join me in the fight against the Gua. And although I warned him of the danger, I can't help feeling culpable in his death. Like the general, whose orders necessarily condemn some of his men to the grave, am I responsible for the lives of those who join me in battle? I believe I am.
At the same time, I marvel at Healy's sacrifice -- in his recognition that he gave his life for the biggest fight of all. For this reason, he'll always be a champion.
~ * ~ * ~
Quatrain 46, century 9
- In the City of Fountains
- Blood spills between families of disrepute.
- Seek an alliance with the steed
- As the enemy makes ready for battle.
City of Fountains is a nickname for Kansas City, Missouri, a town whose headlines scream of a gangland war that's left over 30 dead. It's no mystery why the Gua would seek out organized crime: drugs, gambling, prostitution -- all things that could weaken mankind's resolve.
But why did Nostradamus point to this gang war? The quatrain suggests I form an alliance with the steed. The man I suspect is Sammy "The Horse" Kozak, head of a Kansas City crime family for over 10 years.
Eddie thinks mixing with mobsters is insane. But, if Sammy "The Horse" leads me to the Gua, it's an offer I can't refuse.
~*~
Did Sophia plant the bomb that killed Sammy? If she did, maybe it was an act of love for a man who once said he'd rather die than back down.
Why did Sammy choose to make a deal with the devil? It is human nature to save oneself at the expense of others? Whatever the answer, such betrayal fills me with fear, because I know the Second Wave is coming.
~ * ~ * ~
The Gua flag hangs over the capital city of United States, and I can only presume that my worst nightmare has come to life - that humanity has lost to the Gua. But how?
I have no memory of the invasion, nor the battle that must have lost us control of the planet.
~*~
- Eventually, I saw the truth -- humanity was headed for destruction -- wars, famine, pollution, disease. We were doomed.
- Then, in answer to our unspoken cry for help, the Gua came to this planet. Like caring parents, they have reorganized and re-educated a dying planet.
- They made it whole again.
~*~
Today I witnessed a possible future for humanity -- enslavement by the Gua. In the face of that future, my journey is given new purpose.
I wonder about the fate of Joshua -- an alien who might have been a key to stopping this war. With Joshua out of the way, the Gua have taken the offensive. They want the Nostradamus book.
And most of all, they want to stop me. They can take what they learn from my torture to heart: I'll never back down against them.
~ * ~ * ~
Fugitive. Murderer. Madman.
That's how most of the world sees me. All my efforts to prove my innocence have come to nothing. I'm here today because I've finally run out of options.
Two years since the Gua ripped my life to hell. Two years. I've tried to warn people about the danger that looms so close. And now, I'm convinced the Second Wave is about to begin.
Two years, and what have Eddie and I accomplished? A few dead aliens, and a small group of believers who are regarded as lunatics.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. If we die in a hail of bullets, will that bring recognition to our cause? Or will we be martyrs in vain?
Today's the day we'll find out.
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