A Web Serial by M.C.A. Hogarth
| 192. Mementos. | Table of Contents. |
|---|
193. Going Home
Slow focus on a piece of paper, a hand-written letter. The camera scrolls slowly down it.
Dear Nicola, Lance, Gregory and Vince,Letter fades.
First, Fang... don't take it out on the rest of Team Kitty. It was my idea, I swear. And no, I'm not sorry!
Anyway, I never did get to make you all cookies, but if what you say about your raid on the Seabees' kitchen is right, then you have the ingredients and you have an oven. So I thought I'd attach a recipe. You should be able to find all these things... just follow the directions and you should be fine. It's not as good as having Mom make them for you, but it's better than no cookies at all!
MAMA SPOTS'S EMERGENCY BASE COOKIES
4 cups flour
4 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups dry milk powder
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 tablespoon dry egg powder
2 tabelspoons water
1-2 cups of other stuff you can find (chocolate, carob, coconut, fruit, nuts)
Flashes now.
Claws on a porch, knocking on a wooden door, painted green. He is in dress blues, and the sword is cradled against one side of his body. A middle-aged woman, honey-skinned and hair covered with a green and blue scarf, answers the door. She looks at him, at the sword... and tears well in her eyes. She steps aside so he can enter.
Fang stepping into the Armory; the rest of Team Kitty is studiously not looking at her. She frowns at them, puzzled, then unracks her armor. And stops. The kill count on the back has been augmented by a giant pink crown. She stares at it, mouth working... then starts laughing. Whiskers mimes her glorious shot at the Queen's head while Fang2 retells the story. She shakes her head, still grinning, tells them to suit up. She's the last out the airlock. Glancing back at the base door, hand on weapon, she smiles.
Spots using a key on the front door to a modest cottage, its facade overgrown with flowers. Stepping inside and finding her family at the breakfast table. Her kids rush her: she grabs up her daughter and pulls the boy to her hip. Her husband, a giant blond bear, watches her with overwhelming pride, then enfolds her in his embrace. She and her kids fit into it completely.
The camera pulls out on that slowly, very slowly, letting it fade to black on Spots's face.
Out of the dark, then, another face resolves: a Fiddler King. His eyes are closed, his head bowed. Abruptly, the eyes open: faceted pink, rose, garnet. Slim hands fly to chitinous cheeks.
A gasp, echoing, echoing.
Cut back to the letter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes.
That should do it. Have fun. :)
All my love,
Spots
P.S. This time don't steal from the Seabees, please? Ask them politely, I'm sure they'll be glad to share. Better yet, offer them some cookies. Cookies make everything better.
Begin End Credits
Music: "Weatherbeaten," by The Republic Tigers
Thank you to the following people for lending the author their expertise.
Sgt. Jennifer D. Atkinson, Texas Army National Guard
John M. Atkinson, Staff Sergeant, United States Army
Bill Ernoehazy, MD, LCDR, MC, United States Naval Reserve (r)
JC Gibbons United States Air Force (separated)
Stacy "Mouse" Lucas, E-4 (Sgt), United States Air Force
TJ Macheski, HM3, United States Navy
Thank you also to the following people:
Jeriendhal, for writing the Spots the Space Marine TV Tropes page
S. Gosik, whose equipment recorded Spots's Lullaby.
Finally, the following patrons helped make Spots available with their generous donations.
Super-Sponsors
Stacy "Mouse" Lucas
Jesse Stringer
Sponsors
Keitha Bailey
Eric Bitton
Joseph Bonis
Leslie Brown
Jennifer Broschinsky
Billy Clark
Stephanie Clough
Lorena Dinger
Jim Doolittle
Brendan and Lydia Dunn
Mary-Grace Ellington
e_scapism101
Elizabeth Fallon
Mike Fannin
David Fenger
Beth Finn
Natalie Ford
Kathryn Frech
Mary Ellen Garland
JC Gibbons
Lyle Gordon
Jonathan Green
Kara Hash
Suzanne "Wispfox" Hillman
Sean Holland
Tim Hoyt
Jari James
Chng Joyce
Jonathan Kaplan
Mey Lawrence
Richard Loll
Amanda Lord
Ashley MacDonald
Jeremy Matt
Steven Martindale
Margaret Middleton
Ellen Million Graphics
Meilin Miranda
Steven Modugno
David Morris
Clayton Oliver
Rachyl Perrotta
Steven Peterson
Gina Pond
Scott Ruggels
Robin Sanford
Cosma Shalizi
Torrey Stenmark
Toni Sturtevant
Katherine Tomlinson
Kim Turner
Gregory Ullman
Ted Vollmer
Grey Walker
Seth Watkins
Laura Weston
Conrad Wong
Vicky Woodard
Anonymous Donors (2)
Reference Materials
U.S. Marine Guidebook
One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer, Nathaniel Fick
Helmet for My Pillow, Robert Leckie
Making the Corps, Thomas E. Ricks
With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, E.B. Sledge
A Civilian's Guide to the U.S. Military, Barbara and Richard Schading
Partial Soundtrack
Spots was conceived and brainstormed from beginning to end while listening to music either running, on the treadmill, or on an elliptical. While the entire "exercise" playlist was over 80 songs long, these are the songs with the strongest associations with Spots.
Rock the Casbah, The Clash
Jigsaw Falling Into Place, Radiohead (Dancing in Armor)
Friday, I'm in Love, The Cure (Dancing in Armor)
Weatherbeaten, The Republic Tigers
Zombie, The Cranberries
Winterborn, The Cruxshadows
Ave Maria, Schubert (Samuel-Colt's solo)
END
| 192. Mementos. | Table of Contents. |
|---|
Stardancer.Org