Nocomus Columbus Presents Filth.O: A Silo Saga Short Best of His Short Stories In My Opinion...

Prologue 

My name is Lieutenant McDonald.   Let me take that back actually.   My name WAS Lieutenant McDonald.   I’m just McDonald now.   Old McDonald.   Like the children’s song.   I can’t remember how that song went.   I can’t remember much of anything; got my head bashed in during the rebellion.   It’s the kind of thing that makes you forgetful.   That was years ago.   I think he was a janitor or something. 
"I was a homicide detective.   A lousy one in fact.   That’s an understatement.   I was really, really, bad at my job.   Just to put things into perspective for you as to how much I sucked; in fourteen years as a homicide detective, fourteen fucking years, (that’s five thousand-one-hundred and ten days, not to be exact), I never solved one case.   Not one.   
"Not until my last case.   Doesn’t matter much now though.   Nope.   You know why?   Because I’m going to die.   You want to know something else?   I don’t give a shit.   Not about dying.   Oh I think I remember it now. 
"Old McDonald solved case… 
"Now he gets to clean…" 

Filth.O

By Nocomus Columbus

It's been many, many years since I've heard the word filth used. Remember? "Keep away from that filth. There're just no good filth. Get back in the house!"

You know, calling somebody that is evil Filth just may be the nicest word you could use for many of them... Take the guy that shoots up the girl in the first scene of this book. He calls her tramp, a dirty little tramp...a silo slut...

I can easily call him filth and wish I could have told her to get away from that filth when he first approached her. Maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have become a slut...

Oh sure, she was a downer, but that didn't make her an addict. That filth made her that way.

I could probably write the story just as it happened. He probably showed real interest in her. Said she was pretty... Maybe even bought her something...kissed her softly...

She fell for him... That stupid filth...I would have told her to stay away from that dirty old man, I've seen enough of them. Many of the uppers are worse than any downer I ever knew, and I've met a few... Yeah, I'm one of the sluts, but I wasn't an addict...Maybe...

Maybe that's why they killed me... And, you know what, it was that filth that did it!

She could have got some type of job as a downer. Maybe even an upper would have hired her to do something to help them--clean their place or something like that...

Nocomus found me way back and asked me to read his first book. I've read all of his short stories since then and have become a fan. His stories are all extremely unique. But, I believe filth just might be his best so far!

Consider the silo society. All of the rich people found their way to the top, while the average or poor individuals took whatever space was left...

In some ways, the uppers and downers also reminded me of many corporations in today's world...where the upper management and the subordinates never meet... You know companies just like that, right?

Thankfully, this Silo is better organized than some of them. They have a group of police officers... Of course, the uppers had them come in as soon as they were comfortable in their new quarters. The police therefore are in the middle--separating the two sections. Isn't that the way it's always been...

“Get the fuck out of my office McDonald, and don’t come back until you can tell me something useful.” 
"When the conversation was over, McDonald lowered his head, stood up, and walked out. McDonald’s boss, the head of the Silo’s Homicide Unit, had a headache.   
"So he did what he always did when he had a headache.   He reached into his desk drawer, pulled out a bottle of pills, and popped a couple into his mouth.   He swallowed them down with a sip of coffee.   He shook his head.   I’m getting too old for this shit.   
"Three dead hookers in one month.   Three girls… naked, wrapped in plastic, dumped in UPPER level corridors.   And all we got is, “he’s white,” Jesus Christ. The head of homicide fell forward in his chair.   He crashed face-first into his desk.   He grabbed his chest with his right hand; his left arm was twitching around uncontrollably, knocking all kinds of shit off of his desk.     As he lay on the desk, he watched his left arm flutter around in a mad dance.   He watched his favorite coffee mug fall to the floor.   It shattered into a hundred-thousand pieces. Fuck. That was my favorite coffee mug. 
"Lieutenant McDonald heard the commotion coming from inside his supervisor’s office.     He had been standing in the hallway staring at an abstract art painting when the sounds of grunting and crashing tickled his eardrums...
"McDonald struggled to move the large man, destroying more precious items similar to the coffee mug in the process. After a few more minutes of struggling, he was finally able to roll his boss off of the desk. The fat man fell to the floor with a thud, letting out what sounded like a fart, a sound that would normally generate a laugh. Not today. McDonald wasn’t sure if his supervisor was conscious or breathing or what. The man’s eyes were closed. The subordinate leaned in to perform man mouth-to-mouth. Their lips were less than an inch apart. The captain opened his eyes.
“Fuck off McDonald!” Those were the captain’s last words.  He exhaled one final breath.   Pissed himself. And Died."

~~~

But there was one cop... Lt. McDonald. He had been a good cop before we had to come into the silo. Now? Not so much... But when his chief died, he stood up and became a man itching to solve a case...

"And he did..."

dornob.com

"Upcycling" old silos had been an idea that
was immediately called genius...So they had upcycled quite a number of them. Of course, by the time they were done, nobody would have been able to project that you couldn't go outside any more...

So the chief, before he died, and actually before he was named chief, had suggested that criminals be sent out to clean the windows as their punishment... Just that one idea got him promoted! Lt. McDonald hadn't realized that if you got ideas that the Uppers might reward you... so he got busy and he solved the case!

McDonald's and Sol (Photo credit: lurkernation)

Well, yes, he did...but... by now you should probably know that silo sagas usually have weird endings... I loved this one...

Need a break from reality. Try Nocomus Columbus... He's out of this world!



GABixlerReviews

Nocomus Columbus' Silo Saga: Silo 34 - The Horror of Being Alone... of Isolation... Separation...

"There’s one rule in life.   That’s it.   Rule number one, the only rule, the golden rule; No one goes below level 34.   He broke the rule.   I tried, did everything in my power to stop him.   I even followed the old man down, followed him until I couldn’t follow any further."



Silo Saga:
Silo 34

By Nocomus Columbus

Nocomus Columbus introduced me to what I could assume is a cult following for Hugh Howey... This has been opened up via the Internet that permits Fan Fiction to be created. Hurrah, something good should come from this because the U.S. has definitely been fan oriented for many years! I've never heard of Howey, but that really doesn't matter, because the fiction created has no real or legal relationship to what is, has been, or will be created by this author. It is merely a "take-off" from a concept favored by the new author and used to create something all his own...

Nocomus got on the Silo Saga with two short stories in one book, selling for just 99 cents. There are many others writing in the Saga series so if you enjoy short stories and this concept, check it out! I might even submit some from me! LOL...cool idea!

Now Nocomus writes somewhat weird stuff, if you've read him before. I've become one of his fans since I enjoy the unique, the conceptual landscape that is created from just one word: Silo...

What if you lived in a silo? Perhaps the world outside has been contaminated from some of the horrendous toxins or warfare used these days? Or perhaps you came into a life that was in fear of nuclear war and the silo was prepared for that event, like the old days of underground shelters? Or, perhaps there is a perfect world outside full of sunshine, but you were born in a silo and have never left because others living in that silo warned against leaving...

silo (Photo credit: Krebs' Class)

You would never know what was real, would you?


Jonah is gone now. He was the last one in Silo 34 other than me. I'm 13...

Now what am I supposed to do?

“I already told you!”, the old man growled.

"What do you mean?   This?”   

13 held up the letter. 

"Yeah! Now piss off boy!” 

13 held up the letter, irritated with Jonah, 

but frightened at the same time.  

“’ Dear 13.   Goodbye.   Jonah.’”  

~~~

Jonah had been the only person in 13's life for all his life. Jonah had tried to teach him as much as he could--as much as he knew...

But, that didn't mean much when 13 was alone...

Before he left, Jonah had started talking about somebody else in the Silo, asking 13 if he saw him. Each time he looked, 13 answered "no."

Finally, he lied and told him yes--that he would keep watching so that Jonah could sleep now.

Of course the silo was so big that if one of them left and went to explore other parts of the silo, above level 34, they could lose each other, maybe for hours. If more than 4 went by, 13 would go look for Jonah.

Of course, also, they didn't know how long 4 hours were, or whether it was night or day. But when they didn't know, they created their own body schedule for sleeping and eating...

But now Jonah was gone...

You know when 13 lied about not seeing that other person in the silo? Well there really was somebody there.

Her voice came to him...



Part II - Solipsism

In this life we are given one birth and one death. 
That is all that is certain. 
“What a mess”, Jimi shook his head, a head full of question devoid of answer.
Clifton worried about the big man. The way he carried himself had changed. 
His broad shoulders hung lower, like he was gradually sinking into the silo. 
Aren’t we all sinking?
Jimi- a man built to endure. Not built for this horror. No one is.
“You ever seen anything…” Clifton started to ask, before being cut off. 
“No” Jimi kept his gaze locked on the body on the floor. 
Clifton wasn’t sure if Jimi answered his question, or if “No” just meant that there would be no conversation. 
Either way, he decided not to push it. 
While Jimi knelt down to study the body, Clifton’s eyes were drawn elsewhere.
~~~

Clifton and Jimi had never seen the dead man before. Where and how could a stranger be here? They would notify the cleanup crew, but knew they wouldn't do anything... They never did...

It appeared to be suicide again--11 in 4 months... Suicide had occurred before, but never this many. Something must have happened, but what?

Clifton went to where he lived and read until Janis came. Since Clifton was always reading, she asked him whether it was another philosophy book. He told her he was reading Solipsism. That God didn't exist and neither did she... In fact, he didn't know anything about the past since that was only what was from his imagination.

Janis was not impressed, of course...

But Her Voice came to him later that night. Fortunately Janis woke him...

It had been 12 years ago when they had found Clifton deep within the silo...he didn't know who he was nor how long he had been where they found him...

Then in the midst of a large group of silo dwellers at a dance, she asked him if he was ready... To Go Outside...

Columbus' writing makes you think. He demands that you enter into the world that he has created for you. If you do not go willingly, he will not force you. If you are not willing, you may rate his books low. For those who go willingly, he shares with readers about feelings, internal feelings that you may not wish to face. For someone like me, who is alone most of my days, I know of what he writes. For some it will be frightening. For me, the silo is a version of my cabin. I love being alone in my cabin. Can you deal with isolation? If not, you'll find living in his silo a strange place, a horrible place--a place where some commit suicide because of where they live.

If you lived in the silo, would you create an outside world?

Perhaps Nocomus' world is that outside world... Would you stay?

Much to ponder, much to consider... Nocomus Columbus has a unique style of writing that is edgy, unorthodox but his work is well-written... I visited the Silo 34 'cause I'm a fan. But there were too many silo-dwellers partying, so I left to head home... LOL  Try his latest and let me know what you think...

GABixlerReviews

See Also:

http://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheaven.blogspot.com/2013/06/nocomus-columbus-spits-out-new-food.htmlhttp://gabixlerreviews-bookreadersheav

http://gabixlerpersonalopinion.blogspot.com/2013/05/nocomus-columbus-street-lit-whips-up.html?zx=b96accaacc3c905f

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