Tonight we present M Day by David “Doc Blue” Wendt!
The Skinner Co. Network
FPGE19 - M Day by David “Doc Blue” Wendt
(upbeat music) - Welcome to Flashpulp, guest episode 19. Tonight we present, M-Day, by David Doc Blue Went. This episode is brought to you by the mob. Why aren't you already at Skinner.fm/mob? Huh? Huh? Flashpulp is an experiment in broadcasting of fresh pulp stories in the modern age. Three to 10 minutes of fiction brought to you Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. Tonight, we present a very special Doc Asriel related guest episode. Huge thanks Doc Blue. M-Day, written and narrated by David Doc Blue Went and audio produced by Jessica Mayk. (upbeat music) (upbeat music) Tonight, instead of our regular offering, we present a story from a reality located somewhere between our own and the world of Doc Asriel. M-Day. Why do we have to visit these stupid statues anyway? 11 year old Michael trunched along the paved path, making no secret of his displeasure over having to leave his handheld game console in the cab of great Aunt Dotty's old pickup truck. Show some respect, boy. A gravelly voiced man chastised the pre-teen from a stone bench shrouded in the deep May afternoon shadows. Hush you, leave the lad alone. The old woman's eyes twinkled. He's a smart boy, always asking questions. Michael had no idea how old great Aunt Dotty really was. He knew that his grandmother had called her great Aunt Dotty and that the old man had hinted she was even older than that. But despite her advanced age, Dotty looked and acted like a woman only a little bit older than Michael's mother. Come sit with me for a bit, Michael, let me tell you a story about these four men. Settling onto a stone bench facing the memorial to the four freedoms, great Aunt Dotty started her tale. Two events in the second half of 1939 changed the world forever. I know all about that Aunt Dotty. We covered the era of history in the world culture class this year. Hyperhumans in World War II, right? FDR forms the first super team. But what about the statues? The old woman patted the boy's shoulder. Looking at the man in the shadows, she chuckled. I told you he was smart. That's right, Michael. President Roosevelt recruited his four freedoms, the wasp, Lieutenant Gollum, nature man, Dr. Sticks, from the most powerful beings in the United States had to offer. He then introduced them to the world during his 1941 State of the Union address. Michael kept looking at the man in the shadows and then back at his great Aunt. Mama says you're not supposed to talk to strangers. Your mother's a smart woman, but sometimes she's too cautious. Besides, that man's talking to us. But the story isn't about talking to strangers. The story is about an important part of American history. Dotty ruffled the boy's hair. Less than a year after the formation of the four freedoms was announced, the United States found themselves embroiled in the Second Great War. The four freedoms were not able to prevent the Japanese attack on American soil, but they soon found themselves leading the charge in Europe. They weren't the only ones, interjected the gravel-voiced man. You can't tell the story of the freedoms without talking about gale force and the liberty bells. Dotty shot the man a look that Michael didn't recognize. I will thank you to let me tell the story, however I wish. She turned back to her one boy audience. What you have to understand, Michael, is that war changes people. Gollum and Sticks and the others went to Europe as heroes, confident in their abilities and bullied by their successive stateside. But what they saw and faced as part of the war shook them to their core. I still think you should tell the boy about the liberty bells. Again, she gave that man that look. Officially, the liberty bells never saw any action. They were just a USO troop doing their best to raise morale in a bad situation. Bill Yeats, those girls weren't just picked for their looks. They were hyperhose in their own right. Now don't you fill the boy's head with those old stories made up by soldiers with too little sleep and even less hope? The shadowy man harumphed. Dotty sat in silence for a few moments staring past the statues. Great Aunt Dotty, Michael interrupted her reverie with a small voice. I'm sorry, Michael, let me jump ahead a bit. Toward the end of the war, the Allied forces in Europe had pinned down the aggressors, but were unable to bring the conflict to a close. You see, the enemy had its own supermen, the iron scorpion, thatco, the fiend, and others. Each time the military attempted to close the trap on the Axis leaders, one or more of these so-called uberments would show up and crush our forces. Finally, the Allied generals called the four freedoms together for what would be the last time. From the shadows, the old man interjected. Not just the-- Quiet, you. Dotty brushed imaginary crumbs for her lap in irritation. With the freedoms leading the charge, the Allied troops made their biggest offensive yet into the heart of enemy territory. Suddenly, the Axis hyper-humans appeared, leading an armored column. Dotty paused and shivered. There was an utter silence for a long moment, as both sides contemplated their opponents. Never before had the four freedoms faced such directed power and never before had the uberment been opposed by the full might of the American hyper-team. As any man who was there and each has a different story about what happened next, some say the black scepter unleashed a wave of inky black energy against the arrayed Allied forces. Others say it was a nature man who broke the stalemate with a gout of lightning. But regardless of who started the battle, the result in conflict was epic. And when it was ended, the war was over, except for the paperwork. The Allies had won, but at a great cost. The loss of life was staggering. But more to the point of the story, the four freedoms. The original four freedoms were no more. There was a low rumble from the old man in the shadows, but a glance from great Aunt Dotty silenced him. Now I know hyper-men aren't all that cool anymore, but Michael, these four men, the old woman gestured at the statues. These four heroes were cool. Michael stared at the stone silence in a bit and then shrugged. If you say so, Aunt Dotty, can I go back to the truck now? The old woman chuckled. Go ahead, Michael. I'll be along in a few minutes. She watched the boy retreat along the paved path. You're looking good, lieutenant. Gravel voice man stood and approached the monument, a bundle of flowers in his gray hand. It is good to see you, too, gale force. You know we couldn't have done any of it without you and the girls. Nonsense. You boys earned this. She nodded at the memorial and the two stood in silence for several minutes. Well, I should go find the boy. His mother would disapprove of me leaving him alone for so long. Her stony's companion nodded. Still looking out for impressionable young man, even after all these years. He handed her the bundle of flowers. With a kiss on his rock-like flesh cheek, Dotty accepted the blooms and made her way out of the plaza without another word. As he watched her leave, lieutenant Gallon whispered, "Happy Mother's Day, Dotty." [MUSIC PLAYING] Flashpulp is presented by flashpulp.com. And is released under the Creative Commons attribution non-commercial 3.0 unported license. Text and audio commentaries can be sent to comments@flashpulp.com. But be aware that they may appear in a future flashcast. We'd also like to thank the Free Sound Project, found at freesound.org. For a full listing of effects used during the show, as well as credits for the users who provided them, check this episode's notes at flashpulp.com. And thanks to you for listening. If you enjoyed the show, please tell your friends. 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