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| Illustration for "CITY WITHOUT A SKY." Created by the author. Copyright © 2011-2025 Stephen J. Williams. |
“By the year 2194 Humanity has colonised Mars and created large enclosed cities of steel and stone to survive the harsh Martian climate. But there's something evil stalking the city of New Washington and horrific murders have the population living in fear. But where has this evil emerged from? Mars is considered a 'dead' planet and yet, something is very much alive and killing!"
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| Episode may contain the following warnings: |
[1] This episode is COMPLETE but currently NOT PUBLISHED and is under 'REVIEW' by the author as to where it could be placed in the series.
[2]
The original Title for this episode was: ‘MURDER ON MARS’ and an even earlier title was 'TUNNELS OF HORROR.'
[3]
A ‘Jericho Tibbs’ original story. This episode is a very early effort and is amongst the first stories written for the site, as it was then. It's been transferred to the 'New' site for continuity of episodes and because it's part of a Trilogy. [See point [5] below.]
[4]
There is No 'Alexandra' series adult extended version currently available.
[5] This episode is part of a ‘Space Trilogy’ by the author with the central character: ‘Katherine Carlisle’. The other episodes are 'Time Trap' and '13.25 or Flight of the Golden Heart.'
[6] "THE CITY WITHOUT A SKY.” This episode, was conceived and written by the author. Copyright © 2011-2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without written permission. The episode illustration is an original drawing created by the author. It is copyright ©2011 - 2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without written permission.Concept
date: 16th September, 2017
First
published: Unavailable
Status: COMPLETE, BUT UNPUBLISHED.
Location: BOOK SERIES 0 – EPISODE 0.
Revisions: 4 [Last revised May 2022]
Version:
In Review
Published
Episode No. 00
Previous
episode: NONE.
Next
episode: NONE.
Age
recommendation: 15+
Average
reading time: Approximately 75 Minutes.
Angel-in-charge: Peter
Team
Assigned: Team 74
Mission: 0 - 317678 - 9 - 2194
Human time:Gregorian Calendar: MMCXCIV
Muslim Calendar: 1620 - 1621 [AH]
Hebrew Calendar: 5954 - 5955
Christian Calendar: 2194AD
He leaned against the cold dull grey wall and closed his eyes, the words of the Police Commissioner still circulating in his head. Sodding Dagwood Crimes [What a name for the bloody Police Commissioner!] had called him at four-thirty in the morning, waking the mayor from a pleasant dream about naked women’s baseball! Travis – groaning and rubbing his eyes – had shouted at Dagwood for disturbing him until the Commissioner’s words sunk in. Three of the City’s maintenance men working in the sub basement levels [replacing water pipes] had been found by the supervisor [he had called on the men after their radio’s went unanswered] and discovered they had been – literally – torn to pieces in the gloomy basement tunnels. The three big men and been ripped into several pieces and one had his head missing. The corridor the remains lay in resembled a slaughter house where someone had gone berserk with a Chain-saw. But according to the Doctor King [the pathologist and Forensics’ officer called out] the worst bit was that various limbs, intestines and soft parts of the bodies had been chewed or fed on!
The lift door opened and Travis walked straight to his office and sat at his huge desk which was normally empty but for a few files and an antique Chess set which was an incredibly valuable item: it had been made on Earth in the 1800’s from actual Elephant Ivory. Basically their ivory and items made from it were all that remained of the magnificent beasts; they had – like many wild animals – become extinct some years ago. Not that Travis was thinking about bloody long dead elephants; all his thoughts cantered on the freshly murdered employees and the how the city executive would handle this PR disaster. The voting citizens of New Washington wouldn’t take kindly to having a lunatic, mass murdering cannibalistic psychopath running about the city. And invariably; they would blame him and they could show that unhappiness at Election time.
He sat at the desk and ran both hands through his short brown hair, staring up at the brightly lit ceiling. That’s when the video phone screen lifted from the desk top and activated; showing a black screen with white lettering: ‘Incoming Call; Commissioner Crimes, Accept: Yes/No.’
Travis groaned and muttered ‘accept’ and Dagwood appeared looking like he had lost a diamond and found some cat shit. He ran a hand over his face and – to Travis- looked quite pale. “Forensics has finished and the bodies – well what remains of them – have been removed. The corridor they were working on, Sub-Level four, only has cameras on the lift’s and stairs. So we have them arriving by service lift four A, carrying their tools and other equipment, then heading down the corridor to the reported leak. They go out of sight and obviously are never seen alive again.” He took a deep breath and ran a hand over his face. “But the camera above the stairs caught something, a shadow on the wall opposite.” He hesitated and wiped his sweaty face again. “I hope you’re not of a nervous disposition.” He said quietly and played the tape from the stairwell camera. Travis stood slowly staring at the flickering screen as the shadow passed by in just a few seconds but it was enough for the hairs to rise on Travis hands and head. “What the fuck is that!” He said and took a deep breath. Dagwood shrugged his shoulders; “The best we can offer is one of them extinct creatures that use to roam old mother back in the day. [Old mother was a colloquialism for Earth.] It looks like some kind of bear walking on its two legs. It appears to have a head in its paws; that must be young Ronnie Hines – the apprentice – he’s the body without a head.”
Travis said nothing for a good few seconds, then exploded; “Dagwood! Never mind the fuck whose fucking head it has; get some good shots together and arm them with fucking bazookas if you have too and hunt that bastard down and blow it to hell!” Dagwood didn’t smile; “Isn’t this a job for the military, they have more firepower and manpower than we have………..” He never finished, the mayor cut him off in mid-sentence; “Just get your fat arse down there and blow this bear or whatever to hell and that’s a direct order!”
Dagwood slowly nodded and the screen went blank. Travis flopped in his chair then realized he had several calls waiting: all from the members of the executive council of the city which consisted of seven individuals elected by popular vote. He ignored the calls and dictated a message to be sent – in total confidence – to each member telling them to come to the offices at once. NO excuses would be accepted.
Then a very important and relevant thought rolled into his mind; how the mother fucking hell did a long extinct creature on Earth suddenly appear in the sub-levels of a city of fucking Mars? He sat back in his chair; amazed by his own question. He glanced across to the wall opposite and the portrait of Mars’s founding mother Katherine Carlisle and wondered how she would have handled something like this; he had to smile, knowing her reputation she would have been first down there armed to the bloody teeth!
The video screen popped up again and it was the front reception desk downstairs calling. Travis answered it and old man Cord Lassoes’ dour face appeared; “Sorry to disturb you Mister Mayor but strangely enough you have visitors waiting down here.” Travis stared at Cord for a few seconds, and then slowly and quietly asked “Who?”
Cord still didn’t smile; “It’s a professor Gerald Titbits….sorry, Gerald Tibbs…no, Jericho Tibbs with three others, all from the University, he says he’s an Anthropologist and Cryptologist. Apparently Commissioner Crimes called him [and his team] in for expert advice. Shall I let them up in the Executive Lift?” Travis sat back a little amazed how quickly Dagwood had shifted his fat arse and obtained ‘expert’ assistance for this strange, disturbing incident. Normally you would have to use a cattle prod to get any sort of action from him. He nodded and muttered, “Yes, let them up please Cord.” The screen went blank and Travis sat back thinking that he thought he knew most of the senior staff at the university; after all his wife – Kristina – was on the Board of Trustee’s for the damn place.
He asked the screen to pull up the man’s Civic Record. The screen flashed a couple of times and to Travis’s surprise the Security Symbol for Mar’s secret service [based in the Capitol Carlisle] appeared on the screen saying that this citizen’s records were classified and you needed the direct permission of the Secretary of State to access them!
Travis ran a hand over his face; that meant this bloody Tibbs fellow actually worked for the secret service of Mars and so would his team members. He sat back and stared through the glass wall into his outer office; the lights above the lift doors were showing that they had arrived. He eased from his chair and headed for the outer office, fixing a small false smile to his face.
End of Preview.
Copyright © 2011-2025 Stephen Williams. No reproduction of any part without permission.