I’m piddling around a farm, rubbing the heads of various moo-cows (you know it’s more fun to call ’em thatโdon’t deny it) when clouds overtake the sun and darken theย skies. ย What the hell? ย Suddenly the cows hunch over and begin shaking. ย I take slow steps backwards, my eyes wide and uncertain. ย Then I hear it too: ย That quiet, nearly imperceptible whir of the world’s worst Evilโa Powerpoint projector! ย Agony ripples through my brain, and I gasp as a burst of arterial-looking blood jets out from my nostrils. ย Through tear-watered visionย I see the cows eyes light red. ย Coarse muscle sprouts from their back, jagged fangs spring from their gums. ย They begin charging toward me, no longer the benevolent moo-cow we all know and love; now they’ve got serious beef with me (I know: ย grooooooooaaaaaan. ย But I couldn’t resist!). ย I open my eReader to Echo. ย Magic flash. ย The WHUP-WHUP-WHUP of a helicopter consumesย my hearing, and a second later Velociraptor commandos rappel down from an assault craft. ย Fangs meet talons as the V-raptors begin tearing into these mammoth monstrosities. ย One of the commandos scans the farm with enhanced optics and spots the unholy powerpoint projector that’s caused this heinousness. ย He throws a grenade at itโI hear a throaty FRAG OUTโand the V-raptors crouch and cover their ears. ย My ears pop as the explosion pressurizes my hearingย for a brief second. ย When I look up, the moo-cows have reverted to their typically placid forms. ย The V-raptors tie themselves onto a line dropped by the chopper, then SPIE rig away. ย Their squad leader gives me the taloned equivalent of a thumbs-up. ย So cool!
Ever seen a moo-cow transformed by evil powerpoint radiation? ย It’s not prettyโkinda like watching Xenomorphs from aliens bust out a dude’s chest. ย Getย Echo Vol. 1 on Kindleย here: ย Vol. 1 on Kindle. ย Vol. 2 on Kindle here: ย Vol.2 on Kindleย Vol. 3 on Kindle here: ย Vol. 3 on Kindle


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