IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Aliens

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Aliens — Blue Ink Alchemy

I may have said this before, but it bears repeating: there was a time when sequels were not foregone conclusions. People like a good serial, to be sure, but not every entry into a genre is going to become a bestselling franchise. These days sequel hooks are practically a requirement as part of the conclusion of a story. Having one person survive a horrific ordeal doesn't necessarily qualify as a sequel hook, but it does have the advantage of concluding the original story in a satisfying way while leaving the door open for a new story to pick up where the original ends. Such was the case in 1986 when Ridley Scott's Alien was followed by James Cameron's Aliens. Of the events aboard the ill-fated Nostromo, there were two survivors: Warrant Officer Ripley and Jones, the ship's cat. Rescued by a salvage team as the Nostromo's shuttle drifted through space, Ripley is awakened from cryonic stasis to find 57 years have elapsed and she has no evidence of the unknown attacker that savaged her crew and forced the destruction of her ship. The company revokes her flight status and tell her that if such creatures exists, the 50-60 families that colonized the planet her crew landed on would have said something, right? When the company loses contact with the colony, they tap Ripley to accompany a team of Colonial Marines sent to investigate. They have military training, superior firepower, plenty of attitude... and are completely unprepared for what awaits them. This film is a significant tonal shift from the original Alien. Ridley Scott's film is a claustrophobic and shockingly intimate descent into nightmare, while Cameron's plays more as a sci-fi action yarn with horror elements. Even so, there is a coherence in aesthetic that keeps the stories feeling closely related beyond threads of the plot. Despite not taking as much time to expound on every character involved, Aliens still contains the close environments and elements of tension that make the original memorable to this day. In other words, it does what a sequel needs to do in order to be a true success: it holds true to the original while expanding the scope of the story.
It's all about girl power. While many action films draw their power from the decidedly male side of things, Aliens also continues the tradition of not only having a female lead, but playing on rather feminist themes. Alien dealt very much with rape and bodily violation (even if it was interspecies) while Aliens focuses on female empowerment and motherhood. From the smart-gun wielding take-no-prisoners Vasquez to the dropship pilot Ferro, women are seen comfortably holding positions of power and performing jobs with distinction. Ripley herself continues to grow, showing a great deal of depth and complexity along with the ingenuity and bravery that got her through the first encounter. This isn't to say the men are marginalized by any stretch. Michael Biehn and Lance Henriksen turn in great performances, and Al Matthews' Sergeant Apone is quite memorable, serving as the template for future Marine sergeants in places like Halo. Carrie Henn turns in one of the most effective child performances I've ever seen. Finally, Aliens pulls off the feat of making everybody want to punch quintessential nice guy Paul Reiser in the face. Though I'm sure those who didn't like the TV show Mad About You wouldn't need his role as a sleazy corporate douchecanoe to add to their incentive. In addition to its cast being well-rounded and progressive rather than running entirely on machismo, Aliens seems to have something to say about the nature of asymmetrical warfare. Here we have a team of highly-trained well-armed soldiers plunging headlong into an environment they know little about, trusting their high-tech weaponry to prevail over whatever's in their path. But the enemy is something they've never encountered before. They are belligerent and numerous. They exist in a setting that is unnerving and (let's face it) alien to the Marines, and they use the enemy's ignorance to their advantage. They conceal their numbers, they strike without warning, and their methods are brutal and inhumane. This setup could be used as a metaphor for quite a few of America's wars, though Cameron had Vietnam in mind when he was making the film.
Oo-rah. All the same, it goes without saying that Aliens is decidedly less frightening than Alien. There are elements of horror, to be sure, mostly in the form of jump-out scares, but given the expansion of the cast, the shift in focus, and the presence of so many automatic firearms, this should come as no surprise. It does have tense moments, though, exemplified in the Special Edition scene involving the sentry guns. It's funny to me that 20th Century Fox said this scene showed "too much nothing" when building tension in a movie like this is essential to its success. I guess it shows what studio executives know about storytelling. No matter what edition you see it in, Aliens is definitely worth watching. It's solid construction comes from being built on the great foundation of Alien and it wisely finds ways to expand its scope without sacrificing what worked the first time around. A strong female lead, great character beats all around, and the visual aesthetic of a sci-fi action director who would become one of the best in his field contribute to make a memorable film that may other movies and several first-person shooters would borrow heavily from for decades. It's a great mix of fun and frightening. Josh Loomis can't always make it to the local megaplex, and thus must turn to alternative forms of cinematic entertainment. There might not be overpriced soda pop & over-buttered popcorn, and it's unclear if this week's film came in the mail or was delivered via the dark & mysterious tubes of the Internet. Only one thing is certain... IT CAME FROM NETFLIX.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Alien

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Alien — Blue Ink Alchemy

[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/alien.mp3] Our fear of the dark is something primal, something elemental. It hearkens back to the days when we were scraping out our existences in caves and under large trees hoping bigger predators covered in fur and claws weren't about to leap out of the underbrush and use our intestines as a meaty spaghetti dinner. Since then we've learned to do things like create firearms, build sturdy housing, and put all of our information in one place so we can share, argue over, and laugh about it all day instead of doing necessary jobs. But even with the Internet and guns, the fear of the dark is, for many, still there. And it doesn't get much darker than the depths of space, where as Alien reminds us, nobody can hear you scream. Unless you're on a spacecraft of some kind. The events do in fact take place on a spacecraft, the interplanetary ore hauler Nostromo, crewed by the half-past-the-future equivalent of a team of truck drivers. The captain, Dallas, receives orders from his corporate masters to set down on a planet nearby to investigate a distress signal. Despite the protestations of his crew, he sets out with his first officer Kane and navigator Lambert after they land. When they return, Kane has been... attacked. Warrant Officer Ripley, senior member of the crew with Dallas away and Kane incapacitated, orders them to remain outside for quarantine, but the science officer, Ash, lets them in anyway. What happens next has rampaged through nightmares and five more movies of varying quality. This is where it all began for the disturbing alien creature referred to as a 'xenomorph' in the sequel. Strange creatures born out of space doing nasty things to human beings is nothing new in cinema. War of the Worlds and This Island Earth immediately spring to mind as examples of previous films that dealt with this sort of close encounter. Few of those films are truly frightening, coming off these days as more cheesy or quaint. Alien, however, despite thirty years of film making innovation, holds up as something disturbing to an effective degree. You may not lose all bowel control as folks tend to do when playing Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but you'll probably come away from the film at least little unnerved.
"No. I don't care what you say, I am NOT sitting in its lap." Part of this is due to the casting. Veterans Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm, John Hurt, and Yaphet Kotto were joined with newcomer (at the time) Sigourney Weaver to play normal, working-class people who just happen to do their jobs in space. Their conversations and interactions should remind modern fans of the sort of back-and-forth seen in shows like Firefly, if a bit more subdued and quiet. It's still a bit difficult for me to hear every line spoken in the first twenty or so of the film, as the conversations are held at a low, interpersonal tone. I have to wonder if this was intentional on the part of director Ridley Scott, drawing us as the audience closer inch by inch until things start grabbing bloody hold of the crew. When shit does hit the fan, it does so as viscerally as possible and there's very little time to catch one's breath. The scenes in the latter two thirds of the film are filled with tension and uncertainty. Very wisely, we don't get a very clear view of the xenomorph until we're close to the end. As it crawls through the Nostromo's air ducts picking the crew off one by one, the brainchild of H.R. Giger shows itself to be a very intuitive, very vicious, and very perverse sort of creature. It seems to truly enjoy stalking these humans and doing unspeakable things to them. This is a major part of what makes it so fearsome. It isn't a mindless beast lashing out in fear or hunger. This thing knows exactly what it is, what it does, and likes it.
Bilbo's probably just missing Bag End. There are a couple jump-scares that happen, but most of Alien's effectiveness comes from the fear of the unknown, the twists that new viewers may not see coming. They're done so well and with such sincerity that even I, a repeat viewer, am still a little unnerved by what happens. This is the sign of a story well-told. No matter its age, no matter the scene of popular media around it, its beats still ring true and its characters still come to life. This, above any of the disturbing imagery or foundations of films that came after, is why I highly recommend Alien. Fire it up and see how this nightmare began. And next time, I'll tell you how it continued. Josh Loomis can't always make it to the local megaplex, and thus must turn to alternative forms of cinematic entertainment. There might not be overpriced soda pop & over-buttered popcorn, and it's unclear if this week's film came in the mail or was delivered via the dark & mysterious tubes of the Internet. Only one thing is certain... IT CAME FROM NETFLIX.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Alien

IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! Alien — Blue Ink Alchemy

[audio:http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/uploads/alien.mp3] Our fear of the dark is something primal, something elemental. It hearkens back to the days when we were scraping out our existences in caves and under large trees hoping bigger predators covered in fur and claws weren't about to leap out of the underbrush and use our intestines as a meaty spaghetti dinner. Since then we've learned to do things like create firearms, build sturdy housing, and put all of our information in one place so we can share, argue over, and laugh about it all day instead of doing necessary jobs. But even with the Internet and guns, the fear of the dark is, for many, still there. And it doesn't get much darker than the depths of space, where as Alien reminds us, nobody can hear you scream. Unless you're on a spacecraft of some kind. The events do in fact take place on a spacecraft, the interplanetary ore hauler Nostromo, crewed by the half-past-the-future equivalent of a team of truck drivers. The captain, Dallas, receives orders from his corporate masters to set down on a planet nearby to investigate a distress signal. Despite the protestations of his crew, he sets out with his first officer Kane and navigator Lambert after they land. When they return, Kane has been... attacked. Warrant Officer Ripley, senior member of the crew with Dallas away and Kane incapacitated, orders them to remain outside for quarantine, but the science officer, Ash, lets them in anyway. What happens next has rampaged through nightmares and five more movies of varying quality. This is where it all began for the disturbing alien creature referred to as a 'xenomorph' in the sequel. Strange creatures born out of space doing nasty things to human beings is nothing new in cinema. War of the Worlds and This Island Earth immediately spring to mind as examples of previous films that dealt with this sort of close encounter. Few of those films are truly frightening, coming off these days as more cheesy or quaint. Alien, however, despite thirty years of film making innovation, holds up as something disturbing to an effective degree. You may not lose all bowel control as folks tend to do when playing Amnesia: The Dark Descent, but you'll probably come away from the film at least little unnerved.
"No. I don't care what you say, I am NOT sitting in its lap." Part of this is due to the casting. Veterans Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm, John Hurt, and Yaphet Kotto were joined with newcomer (at the time) Sigourney Weaver to play normal, working-class people who just happen to do their jobs in space. Their conversations and interactions should remind modern fans of the sort of back-and-forth seen in shows like Firefly, if a bit more subdued and quiet. It's still a bit difficult for me to hear every line spoken in the first twenty or so of the film, as the conversations are held at a low, interpersonal tone. I have to wonder if this was intentional on the part of director Ridley Scott, drawing us as the audience closer inch by inch until things start grabbing bloody hold of the crew. When shit does hit the fan, it does so as viscerally as possible and there's very little time to catch one's breath. The scenes in the latter two thirds of the film are filled with tension and uncertainty. Very wisely, we don't get a very clear view of the xenomorph until we're close to the end. As it crawls through the Nostromo's air ducts picking the crew off one by one, the brainchild of H.R. Giger shows itself to be a very intuitive, very vicious, and very perverse sort of creature. It seems to truly enjoy stalking these humans and doing unspeakable things to them. This is a major part of what makes it so fearsome. It isn't a mindless beast lashing out in fear or hunger. This thing knows exactly what it is, what it does, and likes it.
Bilbo's probably just missing Bag End. There are a couple jump-scares that happen, but most of Alien's effectiveness comes from the fear of the unknown, the twists that new viewers may not see coming. They're done so well and with such sincerity that even I, a repeat viewer, am still a little unnerved by what happens. This is the sign of a story well-told. No matter its age, no matter the scene of popular media around it, its beats still ring true and its characters still come to life. This, above any of the disturbing imagery or foundations of films that came after, is why I highly recommend Alien. Fire it up and see how this nightmare began. And next time, I'll tell you how it continued. Josh Loomis can't always make it to the local megaplex, and thus must turn to alternative forms of cinematic entertainment. There might not be overpriced soda pop & over-buttered popcorn, and it's unclear if this week's film came in the mail or was delivered via the dark & mysterious tubes of the Internet. Only one thing is certain... IT CAME FROM NETFLIX.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

The Abuse of Opinion

The Abuse of Opinion — Blue Ink Alchemy

We live in a day and age where it can be scary to think for oneself. This should not be the case. Today's world is more connected and coherent than ever before. Some countries are still outside of certain loops, of course, and there are those individuals who simply refuse to participate in the new public consensus because they'd rather sit in their dark homes and reminisce about simpler times before everyone had Internet access and women so openly thought for themselves. This constantly evolving society continues to grow as more people share, confer, and disagree with one another. It's those disagreements, however, that can make things a bit scary. Each individual has the right to maintain their own opinion. It's a simple fact. And it's also a fact that not everybody is going to share that opinion. When someone is in a position to transmit that opinion, it would be ludicrous to assume that all recipients of said transmission are going to agree. The mature thing to do is accept or discuss those disagreements and, at the very least, part ways with the understanding that individuals differ. And yet, this is how wars get started. This is how accusations are lobbed against skilled professionals. This is how young people feel so trapped and isolated that they'd rather take their own lives than face the people who disagree with them. We have the right to disagree with one another. Seeking to harm one another over a disagreement is another matter entirely. It seems to me that there's a lot of this going around. It's becoming unfortunately rare for the response to a stated interpretation of a fact or a broadcasted opinion to simply be: "I disagree, and here's why." More often that not it's accompanied with some form of dismissal or derision. "This person's getting paid to say the product is better than it is." "They're being overly sensitive feminazis over something that is actually empowering to women." "These people are going to burn in Hell for not believing the universe was created over 144 hours." "Little Jimmy has simply been brainwashed by the liberal media and it's our job as his community to pray, shout, and beat the gay away." Each of these stances, and those like them, are knee-jerk, immature, misguided, and ultimately destructive. They're all born from fears. Resorting to accusations of bribery, dismissal of progress, condemnation, shaming, and violence is clear indication that the opinion being promoted in this way is too weak to stand on its own. Subjective viewpoints and individual experiences do not constitute irrefutable evidence. Resorting to the aforementioned weapons of the ignorant is, unfortunately, easier than forming one's own opinion based on the evidence that does exist, even if does at the very least make you sound like an entitled or bigoted moron. Yet these moronic voices are so loud, so prevalent, and so forceful as to make the venturing of an opinion frightening for some. Professionals do their utmost to maintain their opinions in the face of such stupidity, and God bless them for it. There is support out there for kids who feel bullied based on something they've said or the way they live. But it's still pretty scary. You can ignore some of the stupidity up to a point, but there's always the chance that insecure jerks looking for power and validation will flock to some focal point of negativity just to be part of this damaged culture, and rather than adding an individual viewpoint or piece of evidence to support the dissension, the newcomers just lob words at the target intended to harm, like "whore", or "heathen", or "faggot". It's very difficult for me to get into the mindset of hating an individual. Yes, I can get upset at being cut off in traffic or someone out-performing me in a game, but these things pass. I can't even say I hate the individuals to whom I'm referring that participate in this stupid and damaging behavior. I hate the behavior itself. I hate the culture that looks down on intellectualism and enlightened opinions. I hate the fact that I continually see professionals I respect dealing with or suffering because of this behavior. I hate the fact that children kill themselves because they get bullied. I hate the fact that people in the 21st century don't realize the world has changed and some ideas just need to be left in the past. I am an individual. I believe what I choose to believe. You have no obligation to believe the same things I do. And if you don't, that's cool. You don't have to like everything I like. You can adore something I despise. It's part of what makes the world a beautiful and interesting place in which to live. We all deserve to be treated like human beings, and if you treat me like one I promise I'll do the same for you. Just stop abusing your opinion. You are ultimately not helping your case. And, in the end, it makes you look really fucking dumb.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

My Favorite Quarian

My Favorite Quarian — Blue Ink Alchemy

This has become something of a tradition. BioWare's games tend to eat up a lot of my time, and the habit has become to dash out a post as I push myself towards the usually somewhat disappointing ending. I'm doing my best to keep my fingers in my ears to drown out all of the entitled whining, bitching, and moaning going on regarding Mass Effect 3, so before I reach the conclusion of an overall fascinating sci-fi trilogy, let me break up the crusty surface of cynicism that is current gaming-related writing and talk about something sweet. Or rather, someone. Back when I first played the original Mass Effect, I thought all of the characters had something going for them. Even if Ashley Williams was a horrible racist, she was interesting. Saren, despite being the villain, did what all good villains did and had nuances to explore and motivations that, while extreme and ultimately very wrong, one could understand from a certain point of view. But as much as I loved sniping with Garrus or headbutting with Wrex, over the appeal of a blue-skinned bisexual bookworm, I was taken by Tali'Zorah nar Rayya. From the very start, Tali showed she was fully capable of taking care of herself in a galaxy poised to swallow up a young woman out on her own for the first time. Very smart, unflinching in combat, and with a wicked tongue adept at snark, Tali's experience with machinery made her an invaluable asset in the fight against Saren and the geth. Indeed, her experiences not only helped her complete the Pilgrimage her people all took on the cusp of adulthood, but also allowed her to return to the Migrant Fleet with more information and confidence than she could have imagined at the start of it all. My primary Shepard is male and is trained as an Infiltrator. This unfortunately meant that he and Tali shared some redundant skills, so the adventures they shared on that first outing were not as numerous as they would have been otherwise. I took the time to talk with her as much as I could on board the Normandy, at least, but there was no option to really get to know her better, not like there was with Liara or Ashley. And considering I wasn't about to let Kaiden die if I could help it, that limited the infamous romance options to Mass Effect to exactly one. And then BioWare announced the option to romance Tali would be in the sequel, Mass Effect 2. Sing, choirs of angels. Considering this was long before Lair of the Shadow Broker, it seemed that Liara would remain a distant figure throughout the second game. I was okay with this for two reasons. One, it added a lot of much-needed depth to her character and made a great deal of sense given her brilliant mind. The other one, of course, was that I could look into Tali's feeling without feeling a great deal of guilt. That was my rationale for that play-through, at least, and it was worth it to hear Tali stammering a little when the subject came up. Seeing Tali grow between games into a full-fledged adult Quarian with responsibility and leadership skills was heartening. Tali'Zorah vas Neema (and, later, vas Normandy) continued to show exemplary skill in Mass Effect 2, and provided an emotionally charged loyalty mission that is still very much worth doing even if you're not pursuing her romantically. I know there are some out there who consider romancing Tali a somewhat creepy option. It's possible to see her as just another video game damsel in distress, a fulfillment of some sort of juvenile male power fantasy involving a young and ineffectual girl unable to survive without the strong hand of a man behind her. When I look at Tali, though, I don't get that. Setting personal bias aside, her first encounter on the Citadel has her brushing off unwanted attentions, easily evading capture through clever deception and explosives use, and immediate participation in the ensuing firefight. She can handle herself. She doesn't need a man in her life. And being attracted to that capability, that bravery, and those smarts is creepy? Seriously, I do not get "cool" cynical hate-filled gamers sometimes. Making decisions in Mass Effect 2 specifically so she has no option but to stay with you, though, that is creepy, and a little sad. Anyway, after a Hardcore play-through as a female Vanguard, I resurrected my Infiltrator to play through both games on Insanity. Revisiting the first game was fun, and also afforded me with an opportunity to make a few decisions differently, including deflecting advances from both female characters. Basically, I held out for Tali. And considering how things have turned out so far, now that I've completed events on the planet Rannoch in Mass Effect 3, I can tell you it was definitely worth it. Games need more characters like Tali. Her presence is strong, a good mix of smarts and combat capability, with occasional touches of femininity and deep emotion that make her far more interesting than most obligatory video game love interests. To me, at least, she's one of the best things about the Mass Effect trilogy in general, and this final game in particular. So far, at least. We'll see how that bears out at the end. Keelah se'lai.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

Flash Fiction: World's Deadliest Hunt

Flash Fiction: World's Deadliest Hunt — Blue Ink Alchemy

Chuck's "The Business End", from Flickr Chuck Wendig chose my words - Beast, cape, dinosaur, finger, gate, insult, justice, paradise, research, university.

---

They were three by the time the reached the gate. Two of Johnson's partners had backed out of the actual trip, saying they'd be satisfied with evidence. Daniels was the only one crazy enough to volunteer to leave the lab after all the calculations and research were finished. And Peters had always been something of a lone wolf, ever since the disaster at Cape of Good Hope. It couldn't have been easy, seeing one's entire squad wiped out due to bad intelligence and the resulting political backlash driving him out of the service. "I still think you two should be carrying more than just pistols," Peters said as they stood in front of the gate. "We'll be fine. The target isn't dangerous unless you get very close." Daniels was calibrating his equipment. Peters shook his head. "You draw down on something back there with just that 10-mil, you might as well hurl insults. Those might be more effective." "Gentlemen, please." Johnson approached, sporting khaki shorts and sturdy boots as he slipped into a utility vest. Predictions were for a hot, tropical environment with uneven terrain. "It is not as if we are planning to stay there. We are as prepared as we will ever be, and further dawdling may cause us to lose our window." Peters shrugged. "I just don't want to have to drag you two back through, screaming for your mothers." Daniels rolled his eyes, finishing the final calibrations at the gate. He checked his watch and synchronized it with the one in the lab. "We're set. We have three hours, twenty-one minutes. After that another alignment won't happen for seventy-four hours, sixteen minutes." "I don't want to be stuck there three days. Let's do this." Peters cocked his rhino gun. "After you, Professor." "I never went to a university doctorate program, but I appreciate the sentiment!" Daniels turned to the gate, which was now filled with a cloying darkness. He took a deep breath and stepped into it. There was a feeling of vertigo, one similar to the feeling he'd had during the zero-gravity training they'd had. He'd been prepared for the nausea, but not the sudden and complete disorientation. It passed almost immediately, replaced by oppressive humidity and a cacophony of noises made by the sorts of insects and beasts that dwelt in dense jungle areas, but it took the scientist a moment to regather his senses and keep his breakfast down. He felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Johnson was the oldest member of the trio by at least two decades, but he'd also served in the military and had been keeping himself in shape. It was the only reason Peters had allowed him to join in. Daniels' citations of Johnson's monetary contributions, and those of the other moguls, meant little to Peters. His mind was entirely practical and procedural. Daniels often wondered what it was like to live with such an apparent dearth of imagination, but when Peters stepped through the distorted space in the narrow space between trees, Daniels was glad he was there. "Exhilarating." Johnson took a deep breath and patted his chest, his mustache crinkling with an earnest smile. "Makes one feel good to be alive, eh?" "Yeah. Great." Peters had the butt of his weapon to his shoulder, aiming down the sights as he turned slowly in place. "Daniels, track down the target. I'll plant our marker." Daniels nodded, reaching into his satchel for the thermohemogauge he'd created for this trip. While the directional sensor was a touch crude for his tastes, he was more than a little proud of a ten-meter temperature sensor that could pick up variations in air that indicated when a warm-blooded creature was occupying nearby space. He turned in place for a few moments as Peters activated their low-frequency location beacon and shoved it into the ground near the distortion that indicated their way home. "Found one." Daniels looks up and pointed. "That way, about eight meters through this thicket. The ambient temperature's a bit high for a precise read on what it is, but there's too much localized differential for it to be anything smaller than..." "Okay, we get it." Peters stepped into the brush. "I'm on point. Daniels, you're behind me. Mister Johnson, watch our tails." "I shall. Do be careful not to disturb the surroundings overmuch, gentlemen. We are, after all, serpents in paradise." "What do you mean?" Daniels was adjusting the knobs on his device, not looking up as he walked between the other men. "This is land untouched by human hands, my boy. No pollution, no war, no diseases spread with malicious or underhanded intent." "Oh." "Some of my colleagues would surely like to exploit what resources they can from here, but I simply wanted to see this place for myself. Such purity seems like something from a dream..." "Quiet." Peters held up a fist. Both Daniels and Johnson kept quiet as Peters watched the underbrush. He raised two fingers and indicated the others should back up. As they did, a large trunklike leg descended and hit the ground. The noise that followed was a splintering and tearing as the long neck of the dinosaur reached up to allow it access to tastier leaves. Peters raised his weapon. Daniels touched the shotgun lightly. "It's a herbivore, Peters." The scientist's voice was barely above a whisper. "No threat to us as long as we don't get underfoot." "We came here to shoot a dinosaur, though. Didn't we?" "That we did, my man." Johnson's words were filled with awe. "But I do noflcit know if we can do this great creature justice." "Only one way to find out." Daniels swapped his temperature device for another, ensuring it was loaded. He checked his aim, readied his finger, and took a deep breath. "Nobody make a sound." For a moment, it was almost as if the jungle itself was holding its breath along with the three interloping humans. Then Daniels took the photograph.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy

Interruptions & Invasions

Interruptions & Invasions — Blue Ink Alchemy

Courtesy American Superman of DeviantArt Okay, I'm very behind on things this week. The dayjob has been a little bit intense, and a free copy of Mass Effect 3 showed up at my door thanks to the generosity of an Escapist user running a contest. I'm flattered & honored that my review of Deus Ex: Human Revolution was declared to be the top user entry of February. I've been carving time out of my schedule to try and knock out one revision so I can move on to the next and hopefully have both done by April. This sort of schedule has a tendency to burn me out. So I'm taking a brief break. I should be able to resume some of my writerly duties over the weekend. The double-shot of IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! will happen next week, with Alien on Thursday and Aliens on Friday. That way I can give both entries in the seminal sci-fi horror franchise the due they deserve. I'll also be working on Mass Effect 3, not just because the game (so far) is rather good, but also because I'll have plenty to talk about in the inevitable review. Thank you all for your time and patience. I appreciate knowing people are coming by, taking a gander at my work, and considering it worthwhile. I do my utmost not to let any of you down.

---

Blue Ink Alchemy