Sci-Fi Shorts

Sci-fi Smackdown Qualifying Entry - O Canada

A/N - The Sci-fi Smackdown was a multi-round competition held by the Science Fiction profile a year or two back, which I was fortunate enough to win.  The following few chapters consist of my entries, and the prompt for this first story is the section in italics. 1200 words.

"We're remaking the world, Frank. I don't know why you can't get your head around the fact this is a good thing. We're doing this for everyone. For us, for our ancestors and for our kids.

"We're remaking the world the way it should've always been and don't worry, Frank, I feel kinda bad for the people who've gotta' die to make it all possible, too. It's not just you carrying that weight, it's every single one of us. But we all knew what we were signing up for, we all knew there was gonna' be blood on our hands. All of us, each and every single one of us, knew we were gonna' carry the trauma of committing genocide to our graves.

"And you know what, Frank? I'm all right with that. There's plenty enough inhibitors for me to be able to say I honestly don't give a damn about anyone I've killed an' those who're still to meet their end at my hand.

"Do I know what I'm doing is murder? Sure, 'course I do. I'm not an idiot, Frank. There's no denying that we're bad, bad boys an' girls. There ain't even a circle of Hell for what we're guilty of.

"Thing is, Frank, it's the way it's gotta' be. Come the twenty-first century, FUBAR ain't even gonna' come close to cutting it with regard to the state of the world an' you know that just as well as I do. That's why you're here, same as me an' same as every bloody grunt who signed on for this gig.

"We all know, Frank, that the only way to save the world is to make sure that by the time the twenty-first century rolls around, though a lot earlier would be a lot bloody better, Earth ain't the only planet we've got an' we do that by going back a hundred thousand years an' carrying on developing our technology.

"Masters reckons that within a few generations we'll have colonised the Inner Solar System. Mercury, Venus, Mars, the Asteroid Belt.. They'll all be ours and there'll be no need pillage the resources of any of 'em. That's his best guess, anyways.

"Ain't gonna' make any difference to you an' I of course, Frank. I mean it ain't like we're gonna' be around to see that. You an' me an' every other screw-up here, we ain't gonna' live that long. We'll be long gone, dead an' buried with trees planted an' park benches erected in our honour.

"See, Frank... Future generations are gonna' see us as heroes. Us; lads an' lassies like you an' me. It'll take time but soon enough our grandkids' grandkids' grandkids'll forget all about the atrocities we gon' done to give 'em a fightin' chance an' they'll immortalise us, Frank, I guarantee it.

"Don't you wanna' be immortalised, Frank? Don't you wanna' die knowin' your name's right up there with the names we remember? Don't you wanna' live forever, Frank?"

"Nope," the man replied, his expression exactly the same stoic, disinterested expression it had been since his incarceration thirty-six hours prior.

"Nope? That's all you gotta' say for yourself?"

"Depends," said Frank, flatly. "What time is it?"

"Almost three. Why? What's that got to do with anything? You got somewhere to be, Frank?"

"Nah." Frank smiled. Doing so felt unnatural after hardly changing the alignment of his facial muscles for several hours. 'Just that you're right about one thing, Davey boy."

"And what's that, Frank? What's the one thing I'm right about?"

"You and me, we ain't gonna' be 'round for none of it." He stared deep into the other man's eyes, perhaps searching for a flicker that would allude to there being remnants of some level of humanity, but Frank saw nothing except the darkened, empty soul of the man for whose children he was Godfather.

 "Oh and one more thing, Dave."

"What's that, Frank?"

Frank grinned, inhaling slowly and deeply before he replied and when he did so, he ensured eye contact with Dave was maintained... 

"You spout more crap than a busted sewer.  We'll be heroes, we'll be villains, we're doing good, we're doing bad—which is it, you contradictory, hypocritical son-of-a-bitch?"

Dave blinked in surprise.  He hadn't seen Frank this animated since - well, ever.  "It's complicated, Frank.  You know that."

"Davey my boy, that's where you're wrong.  It's actually very simple.  It's just that misplaced pancreas you choose to call a brain that's making it seem complicated.  Blowing up Canada is wrong.  Doesn't matter how you spin it.  I don't even like the lousy, stinking Canucks and even I know that."

"But Frankie, how else are we gonna make the wormhole?  How else are we gonna go back in time?  How else are we gonna stop armageddon?"

Frank scratched his crotch, reflectively.  "Those are all good questions.  Too good for meatheads like us.  The eggheads can work on those, that's what eggheads are for.  Meantime, you and me are gonna be saving the maple syrup industry from a serious downturn."

Dave got to his feet, his chair scraping across the cement floor of the cell.  "Now I know why they locked you up.  You're crazy, Frank.  This is a done deal, there's no going back now.  Canada is toast."

Frank cocked an eyebrow at him.  "French toast?"

"Burnt toast, more like.  And this is no time for jokes, you sicko."

Frank grinned mirthlessly at him.  "But you like jokes, Davey.  And the punchline is coming in—what time did you say it was again?"

Dave checked his watch.  "2.59."

"In that case, the punchline is coming any second now."

Dave gave him a look of contempt.  "You coulda been a hero, Frank.  I'm outta here."  He strode to the exit, but just as his hand touched the doorknob, the door exploded inwards, knocking him flat on his back.

"Ta-da," said Frank, without emotion.  Wearily, he climbed to his feet and left the cell, making sure to step on Dave on the way out.  "I may not be a hero, Davey.  But at least I ain't a door mat."

The undercover mountie was waiting for him in the corridor.

"Hey, buddy.  Ready to go deactivate the wormhole device, eh?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, Wayne.  Can you get me in?"

The mountie nodded enthusiastically.  "Oh yeah, for sure.  They totally won't suspect a thing, eh."

Frank regarded him steadily.  "Don't you think the hat might be a bit of a giveaway?"

"Eh?  But you're not wearing a hat."

Frank rubbed his temples.  "The hat you're wearing, Wayne.  The mountie hat."

Wayne reached up and with some surprise, discovered he was wearing a hat.  "Well, I'll be darned.  Force of habit, eh."  He tossed the hat into the cell.  "Let's get this done.  I can't be late, 'cause Celine Dion is launching her new album in Quebec tonight and I've got tickets.  Eh."

Frank's right cheek began to twitch.  "Wayne, my friend.  You and Celine  just consigned Canada to the dustbin of history."

"Eh?"

"I've changed my mind."