Marshal Book Iii: Out of the Cold

By Harvey Minnick

Marshal Book III, Out Of The Cold, is two stories in one, Marshal and the rest of the HERO team are sent to Greenland to find out what happened to a missing research team that was reportedly under attack by penguins when all contact was lost. The heroes have to struggle to save themselves and a small village from the erupting volcano while the support team back in Chicago learns how Marshal survived being stranded and space and fought off a ship load of space vampires. It's funny, its exciting and its just more proof that life on Earth will never be the same after the Coming Of Marshal.
Due to mature content, Marshal Book III is not suitable for younger readers. If youre ready for something more mature than comic books, Marshal III is for you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 11, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477266359

Harvey Minnick

Harvey Minnick is an artist, author, aviator, and a buck-skinning nuclear medicine technologist. Harvey is also a failed entrepreneur and a veteran. Being creative can be a curse as there are too many things to concentrate on.

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© 2012 by Harvey Minnick. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 09/05/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-6636-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-6635-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012916650

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Chapter One Baby It’s Cold Outside

Chapter Two Baby, It’s Cold In Here

Chapter Three It All Started With An Accident

Chapter Four Saved By The Bell

Chapter Five Going There Is All The Fun Or You Earned Your Pay Today

Chapter Six A Night To Remember

Chapter Seven A Slight Vampire Infestation

Chapter Eight No More Parcheesi

Chapter Nine Our Place In The Universe

Chapter Ten The Vampire Hunt

Chapter Eleven From Bad To Worse

Chapter Twelve By The Light Of The Moon

Chapter Thirteen The Devil Wears A Red Spacesuit

Chapter Fourteen Slip Sliding Away

Chapter Fifteen All Fall Down

Chapter Sixteen Something Completely Different

Author Bio

Dedicated to my family and friends who have stuck by me.

And especially to Kathi, without her help,

Marshal would be an unreadable

pile of gibberish.

CHAPTER ONE

BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

The cold Arctic air reverberated with the sound of the newborn volcano. Three weeks ago this had been empty frozen waste land, now a thousand foot tall volcano spewed forth smoke and ash blocking out the eastern horizon. The ground, mostly rock and ice, went snap, crackle, pop, not unlike the famous breakfast cereal, but a million times more alarming.

The international research station three miles from the base of the volcano is abandoned, its temporary buildings are shattered and burnt.

Off to the northwest, the ice crystals in the sky sparkled, heralding the coming of another storm.

Fifty miles in from the coast and 150 miles from the volcano, a second much smaller plume of black smoke billows up from the snow and ice. On the ice, an Arctic cat, and it’s sledge are burning.

The Arctic cat has a body like a full sized van suspended from two sets of overly wide tracks. The cat has been ripped open by an explosion and there is a small fire flickering in back. The sledge it was towing is completely engulfed in fire. The life sustaining supplies are burning, giving off the black pungent smoke that would be visible for miles.

There is nothing but snow and ice in all directions from the cat and it’s burning sledge. A ten foot wide crater in the snow is directly in front of the cat. Bits and pieces of shrapnel are scattered all about and imbedded in the aluminum skin of the cat. Fifty feet off to the side of the cat lies the body of a man dressed in a US Army parka. He does not move.

Inside the cat there is movement. At first, it looks to be just the flickering light of the flames playing tricks with you, but then you see it. A large dark figure is moving about inside the cat. The driver side door swings open and back shut. Seconds later, it flies off it’s hinges and lands twenty feet away.

A man carrying a woman steps out of the door and straightens up. He is massive, nearly seven foot tall and broad shouldered, very broad shouldered. He steps down onto the tracks and jumps down to the snow.

He breaks through the crust of ice on top of the snow and sinks in half way up to his thighs. The hood of his parka falls back revealing that he is not human. He has blue skin and black wavy hair. His face has a slightly devilish look to it. He is Marshal, the alien lawman who recently came to Earth.

He starts to make his way through the snow when the hood of the woman’s parka also drops away revealing a pretty face and long flowing platinum locks. After slogging along for a few, steps he gently puts her down on the ice and gives her a push. She slides across the ice coming to a stop when she bumps into the man’s body.

He turns and heads back to the cat, climbing up the tracks and in through the open doorway. Inside, the bench seats are empty. The small fire in back is growing in intensity. He turns to the dash and picks up the mic which barely fills the palm of his hand. He tries to send a distress call. But he is unfamiliar with the primitive alien technology. He fiddles with the control knobs and the radio crackles to life. He tries to make the call but all he can say is alien gibberish.

A voice crackles back from the radio. Is that you Hero rescue? This is Hero control, over.

Marshal replies with more gibberish. The urgency is evident in his booming voice but, gibberish is still gibberish.

Outside, Heather comes to and rolls over to see Tex lying unconscious next to her. She brushes her long hair back and adjusts her hood and tries to jostle Tex awake. He does not respond. Turning her attention to the flickering light, she sees Marshal inside the cat bent over the radio trying to get it to work.

She sees that the back of Marshal’s parka is on fire and that he does not know it. She scrambles to her feet and dashes off to the cat and it’s burning occupant. She runs so fast that she doesn’t break through the crust of ice.

She races up the tracks and into the burning cat. Her sudden appearance surprises the hulking alien. Revived, you are. Contact established I have.

There’s no time for that! You’re on fire, she announced as she beat the fire on his backside out with her gloved hand.

He looked both surprised and confused as he handed her the microphone. Hero control, this is Superstar, come in. She did not get to finish her call. The fire in back had spread to the fuel supply for the cook stove. There was a thunderous explosion. Both of them made a graceful flaming arch as they sailed through the air. The explosion had propelled them out of the cat through the roof. The living fireballs made a less than graceful landing on the ice.

Their landing knocked the wind out of them. Their moves were slow and labored as they lay there catching their breaths for a few seconds before realizing that they were on fire. Then their movements became much more frantic.

With their fires extinguished, they sat on the ice looking back at the smoldering remains of the cat. The explosion hand ripped it to bits. Burning and smoldering debris was scattered in every direction.

Marshal said something in his native gibberish and Heather scooted over closer to him so his translator would work. What’s that you were saying big guy?

Some one said this to me once, and I heard this spoken in one of your entertainment broadcasts. And it seems appropriate.

What’s that?

Baby, it’s cold outside.

She broke out laughing. Baby, you got that right!

It is ironic, he said as he started to shiver.

Yeah it’s funny all right, Heather answered as she too started to shiver.

What is ironic? He looked at her and seeing her parka was torn and burnt reached, around her, wrapping his massive arm around her to keep her warm.

The rescuers are now in need of rescuing. With her head resting on his chest and all wrapped around him she said, I don’t want to freeze to death out here.

We must endeavor to survive. Perhaps they received my carrier wave transmission.

She looked up confused at first and then came to life. Huh? Oh you mean the radio, Why didn’t I think of that! The com link!

She opened the collar of her parka and slid her hand in and pushed on the badge on her chest. This is Superstar calling anyone at Hero. Can you hear me? There was no answer.

Fifty miles to the west at the coastal fishing village, a soldier sits at a radio set up in a small shack. He feverishly works the controls of the radio. Captain Reynolds, a short man with thinning hair stands behind him. Tell me again just what you heard.

The soldier stops working and turns to face the officer. I picked up a transmission on Hero’s rescue frequency, but I couldn’t understand any of it. It may have been Marshal but I can’t say for sure. And a minute later there was some static on the com link. It sounded like Superstar. But I can’t get them to answer.

Have you heard anything new from Dauntless?

No sir, nothing new to report.

Keep after it Gram. Report to me if you do make contact. I’ve got to report this to the Colonel.

Back at the cat, Marshal, Heather and the unconscious Tex are gathered around some of the burning debris. This isn’t going to last too long and then what are we going to do? she asked.

Marshal answered in gibberish and Heather got annoyed. Get back here! You know that thing doesn’t work if you get too far away.

She motioned for him to come closer and he sat down next to her. We are in need of shelter.

Shelter! We’re going to freeze to death before we can find any shelter! She was starting to panic.

Marshal took hold of her by both arms and pressed his forehead against hers. Enhance your calm, we are going to survive. We can use the plasma in my pistol to make a fire and they will find us.

How?

Just visualize the tower of smoke. It is visible from a protracted distance.

They’ll just find us frozen to death. Our parkas are ruined. Even with a fire we’re going to freeze!

Not if we find shelter.

Don’t you get it? There is no shelter out here, she chided through gritted teeth.

Then, I must construct some. And with that, the giant alien with the indomitable personality turned to start. He took off the remains of his parka and wrapped it around Heather and Tex. He wrapped his cape around his body. It was doing him no good blowing in the wind.

"Finding the door of the cat he used it to pack snow against it, making a section of wall. He repeated this over and over forming an igloo out of the packed snow.

As he worked the blowing snow clung to him and started to slow his movements, his exposed arms, legs and head getting the worst of it. He got the three windward sides done but could not finish the last side. He was trembling uncontrollably and just slumped over inside the wind break.

After a minute, Heather realized that something was amiss, and crawled over to investigate. Seeing Marshal inactive, she immediately started rubbing his face and arms trying to revive him. They made eye contact.

She went out and came back with a piece of foam seating out of the cat that had been burning and still held an ember. Next, she took Marshal’s pistol and tried to shoot it at the foam. Fortunately, the massive sidearm would not go off.

He reached over and took the weapon from her saying, No, only some of the plasma. He struggled with the weapon and finally removed the magazine from the pistol grip and handed the clip to her. She took it. The plasma resembled a bar of soap. Turning to her friend from another world she asked, what, do you want me to put this in the fire?

Only a small amount, he cautioned.

She pondered this for a second and then opened her parka further down and reached in to her utility belt underneath and brought out a utility knife which she used to shave some of the plasma off the bar and put it on the embers. With a little huffing and puffing she had a fire going. What do you know? That’s a first for me, she proudly announced.

As Marshal moved closer to the fire she zipped up her parka and went out. She dragged Tex back with one hand and layed him next to the fire.

As the foam burned it gave off toxic smoke which billowed up and out of the wind break. Good thing you didn’t finish the roof. We’ll have to find something else to burn.

Superstar stood up, and using her superhuman speed raced over to the still burning sledge. Reaching the sledge she started to rifle through the unburnt supplies looking for anything useful. She found some provisions and a canvas bag to carry them in. When she returned to the wind break she found Marshal working on putting a roof on by angling the walls in twards each other forming a vaulted roof.

Together they finished the roof and she used the door to close off most of the leeward end of their igloo.

After making enough plazma shavings to keep the small fire going for a while, they settled in. She put the remains of Marshal’s parka around the unconcious Tex. Do you think he’s going to make it?

Marshal looked puzzled and responded, He is unable to manufacture anything in his present condition.

Huh? That’s not what I meant.

Heather started to shivver. It was not as cold as it was outside, but it was far from warm. Looking over at Marshal she proposed, why don’t we try sharing a little body warmth. She almost started to gigle as she said it.

Being in close body contact would be agreeable to me.

She rose up on her knees and opened her parka revealing her formfitting Superstar uniform underneath. Her physique was that of female perfection, full and round in places and thin and muscular elsewhere. I bet it would, just don’t get any funny ideas. This is strictly for our survival.

He opened up his cape exposing his uniform and powerful build. She snuggled up against him as he covered them up with his cape. It felt good to both of them. I fail to see anything humorous about our present situation.

That’s not what I meant, You just behave yourself. She playfully warned him, as she scooched in closer.

It is you who must be reminded to behave yourself. Do not allow my pheromones to inflluence you. This is not the time or place.

She put a stop to his lecture saying, oh will you just be quiet. After a few minutes they were both asleep.

Some time later, Marshal is awakened by movement outside. He gets up to investigate leaving Heather sleeping in the igloo. The blast of cold air when he opens the door temporarily wakes her, but she rolls over and is back to sleep in no time.

Outside in the failing light Marshal is confronted by a bird standing erect. It’s a penguin or at least it looks like one. Its movements seem almost mechanical to him. As the bird waddles closer he notices that there is a package strapped to its body.

Marshal knows that some primitive cultures employ animals to carry messages or even supplies to stranded travelers. That must be what this is. This strange large artic bird must be well suited to carry emergency provisions or even communication devices.

Marshal approaches the flightless bird trying not to alarm it. He speaks in a soothing tone, gibberish only another alien could understand. That is assuming he didn’t know how to speak penguin.

As he got to within a few feet of the four foot tall bird, it became apparent that it was not truly a bird. Not a bird at all, but a mechanical recreation of one. But why? Why would the humans make a mechanical rescue animal?

The package strapped to the bird’s body had a blinking light on it and a red LCD display that Marshal could not read. He couldn’t read Terran. Too bad, it might have helped. He didn’t like the look of the constantly changing display.

He was right. The bird flapped its wings once and quacked. The readout read three, two, one. BOOM!

The explosion knocks down one of the igloo walls and Heather comes clawing her way out into the cold artic air. She is ready for a fight but there is none for her to fight. She looks around and finds Marshal laying face up in the snow at the edge of a smoking crater.

She rushes to him and slips and falls landing against him. He is splattered with bits of shrapnel and is bleeding all over. She delicately removes the bits of metal sticking out of his body. The bleeding quickly stops and the wounds close. As does the damage to his uniform.

He starts to convulse and spits up blue blood. Heather doesn’t know what to do. Don’t you go and die on me big guy!

More pieces of metal are pushed out of his body and he coughs up a big piece. After a few seconds, the bleeding and convulsions have stopped, and he is lying quietly in her arms.

They look into each other’s eyes. As she strokes his hair he tries, but is unable to speak. Take it easy big boy.

She looks over to the center of the crater and notices the burnt and shattered remains of something with duck like feet. What the hell happened here?

Once again their gaze met and he responded weakly, The devil bird exploded.

Devil bird? What devil bird? She asked as she wiped the blood off of his face.

That is what the primitive natives called it.

This confused her at first but then she got it.You mean the Eskimoes and penguins, don’t you?

That is what I said.

How do you feel?

With my hands and sensory nerve endings.

"AUGH! NO! How are you feeling?

I am in need of time to recuperate.

Maybe doctor Cooly was right. You stay here and I’ll fix the igloo She got up and went over to the partially colappsed egloo and started muttering to herself. We have got to get that thing fixed.

A few minutes later they are back in the repaired igloo with the last of the plazma on the fire. Marshal is still shivvering and barely conscious. He is laying with his head in her lap, and she is checking his scalp for head wounds. After running her fingers through his full wavey hair, she declares, No head wounds, but it must have been something for you to think a penguin exploded.

Looking up at her he defensively says, the bird did explode.

She nestels down and fully embraces him. We’ve got to get you warmed up. She vigorously rubs his arms and chest before draping the cape over them and settling in for the cavalry to come.

She gives him a peck on the cheek and he looks at her in confusion. It’s for good luck, she explained, and they setteled into each other’s arms.

Later, a polar bear seeking shelter from the oncoming storm finds the igloo and tears the door down only to find Heather’s foot. The bear, ever an opportunistic feeder, takes her foot and pulls her out of the igloo.

Superstar awakes to find she is being dragged out of the igloo by the white bear. She does the only thing any girl would do in the same situation. She freaks out and starts shouting and kicking wildly.

Now Superstar is superstrong, but fighting a polar bear by herself without weapons might be asking a lot, even for her. Fortunately she didn’t have to. The bear dropped her and she summoned all of her super speed to scramble out of its reach.

Marshal came dashing out of the igloo to confront the bear. He immediately broke through the crust on the snow and sank in to his hips. The bear rushed him. The bear slashed at him with its right paw but Marshal caught it in midswing and held it there while he wound up and landed a right upper cut on the bear’s snout which sent it summersaulting head over tail twenty feet back. The bear staggered back to its feet and scampered away, yelping all the way like a little frightened puppy.

Marshal stood there hip deep in snow looking around and seeing no one. He called out, HEATHER, SUPERSTAR" and some other unintelligible alien gibberish.

Superstar is racing around in the blinding snow at something over 300 MPH She could go faster, but the footing isn’t the best. She takes a corner a little to fast and slips and slides for a hundred feet before regaining her footing. She stops and thinks, Hey, wait a minute, I’m a superhero. I can’t just run away from a bear and leave my friends with no help against it.

She doubles back, darting around nasty blocks of ice and across deep crevasses in the ice. She takes another turn too fast and slams into a block of ice, dislodging it. She finds herself standing on the block of ice as it slides along the surface of the ice covered snow field.

She rides the block like a surfboard until she collides with the fleeing polar bear. The collision knocks the bear sideways and she is sent tumbling across the surface of the ice.

The wayward ice block slams into another ice block and shatters. When she comes to a stop, she finds herself leaning against the dazed animal. They both scramble to their feet and head in opposite directions as fast as they can.

She makes her way back to the igloo and finds Marshal outside looking for her. In relief they embrace. You are unharmed! I was fearful that you had been consumed by that onnivor.

I almost was, but I got away.

A gust of wind blows Heather’s hood back. You know baby, you were right.

Right about what?

Baby, it’s cold outside. Let’s get in before we freeze!

Baby, I find that most agreeable, but first, we must make repairs. They repair the damage done by the bear as the weather gets worse, with driving winds and drifting snow.

CHAPTER TWO

BABY, IT’S COLD IN HERE

Twenty-four hours before going to Greenland, everyone is gathering at HERO HQ in Chicago. Heather Carter, known to the world as Superstar, and Lieutenant Colonel Henry Otis are walking down the polished hall on their way to a meeting.

Heather is wearing her form fitting blue and white Superstar uniform with the high boots. The colonel is, as usual, wearing BDUs (battle dress uniform) Neither of them are armed.

As they walk down the hall, Superstar unzips her collar and shows a little more cleavage then usual. She sneaks a sly little glance at the colonel who is fiddling with some papers and hasn’t noticed. Something more direct, she thought.

She brushed up against his arm as they walked. This startled the older soldier and he dropped the file he had been going through. Sorry!

He shot her a look as he scooped up the errant papers. That’s all right, you startled me. Is there something on your mind?

She knelt down and helped him recover his papers. Here, let me help you.

What is it you want?, he asked .

Do I have to want something just because I bumped into you?, she asked as she gathered up the papers. She hands the papers to him and stands up, towering over him.

Looking up at her in her satin like uniform, he couldn’t help but admire the view. After a few seconds, he stood up but she was still very close to him and just a bit taller with her boots on. It usually does. Ok, you’ve got my attention, what’s on your mind?

She went into her little girl act, swaying back and forth and looking about shyly. Well actually, I was wondering if you had had a chance to talk to the general about my request?

What request? He shot back at her.

You know, renegotiating my contract.

Oh that, yes I did. He said that he was going to consider it depending on your performance, he answered as he rearranged the papers.

She stepped back, and with her hands on her hips like doctor Cooly would, snapped back at him, my performance? But I saved the planet from those horrible Harbingers! What more does he expect?

This caught his attention and he responded with no small amount of indignation. You saved the planet? I heard you were unconscious at the time, face down in a pool of your own blood. Doctor Cooly was the one who shot the Queen with a rocket launcher.

I was, but before that, I was the one who saved Marshal and made it all possible, she said defensively.

He countered, and he’s the one who fought with the Queen while everybody was down and out. Sounds like a team effort to me.

But it was my plan that set everything in motion. Superstar used her hands to add emphasis to her words.

And it was my plan that finished everything and saved the city. You don’t hear me demanding more pay and a luxury apartment, do you?

You were in the hospital while this was going down. She shifted her weight to one leg.

He crossed his arms hugging the file to his chest. But the others weren’t, and they’re not demanding more money either.

That’s because you and Brandy are military. You signed up for this. Not me. I was drafted, she protested with both of her hands on her shapely hips.

Colonel Otis also put his hands on his hips and shifted his weight. He wasn’t going to be stampeded by this girl. Lt. Holmes didn’t volunteer for any of this. She was in the National Guard before all this happened. She didn’t want to be a super hero, it just happened. You could say she was drafted.

She moved closer, getting into his face. That doesn’t change anything. She’s still in the army. I’m not.

What about Doctors Brewvill and Cooly and the others; they’re not military but they are serving.

They’re part of… of, oh I don’t know what area 51 staff is called. She backed off in frustration.

Dr. Cooly was part of the faculty here at the college before being called on.

Yeah, she deserved more money too, but that’s her problem. Heather didn’t like the way this conversation was going.

And you’re forgetting our friend from the stars. We definitely owe him for saving our bacon more than once.

Heather’s pretty face came to life. Then you agree with me. We deserve more money.

That’s not my call. He turns to go but stops and turns back to her saying, You know, arguing with you is just like arguing with doctor Cooly, you’ve even picked up a lot of her mannerisms, the only thing missing was your glasses sliding down your nose.

She latched hold of his arm as they started to go down the hall. Very funny. We weren’t arguing.

Maybe it was a bad choice of words, he agreed.

You do remember that I worked with her for some time undercover as her assistant before all this happened. She thinks to herself, he’s beginning to ease up, but I have to do something to convince him to see things my way.

As they go down the hall, she opens a door and yanks him into the empty file room. She swings him around and presses him up against the wall with her body.

The feel of her body pressing up against his brought on a torrent of emotions in the colonel. He remembered the pain of her assaulting him and how stimulating she could be. After a few seconds he looks her in the eye. Are you under the control of an evil alien insect bent on world domination again? He asks with a sly little smerk on his face.

This confused her. Huh? What, no. She blushed and backed off. Keeping her hands against the wall next to his shoulders, trapping him more or less against the wall, but not actually holding him, she has a funny sly look on her face.

He studied her for a few seconds before saying, Good, that last time you slammed me against the wall like that you were, and I wound up in the hospital. What’s gotten into you?

I was just trying to get your attention, she said with a sweet tone to her voice and a look of innocence that didn’t wash with the colonel.

You got it.

She eased up against him. Don’t you see? I need you, I need you to see things my way.

The feel of her body pressing up against his was both electrifying and terrifying. As the Harbinger of Death she had used her body as a weapon against him and he still had some of the bruises to show for it. Now you’re distracting me. Memories of decidedly less traumatic encounters with her rushed into his mind. It wasn’t all bad.

What? Does being close like this distracts you? There was a twinkle in her eye. Don’t tell me you don’t like it, I know you do. They were nose to nose.

Of course I like it, but that’s not what this is all about. You’re not going to influence me and my decisions, not like this anyway. Get a hold of yourself. Now if you’ll be so kind as to let me go.

She backed off. Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.

He started to go and she hooked his arm and spun him around into her. She hugged him saying. I can see I scared you. Let me make it up to you. She kissed him passionately. He started to melt and give into temptation but his resolve stiffened and he broke away from her.

As he left he advised her to take a cold shower.

She leaned back against the wall and folded her arms and stomped her foot. Rejection was something new to her. She didn’t like it. That didn’t go very well, but if he thinks he’s going to get away that easy, he’s got another thing coming.

Outside in the hall, Colonel Otis meets Captain Reynolds. Todd, I might have a problem with Heather.

What sort of problem?, the junior officer asked as they walked down the hall to the briefing room.

She almost raped me back there in the file room.

The colonel’s statement stopped the captain dead in his tracks. What! When?

Just now.

Well, doctor Cooly did say that she would experience increased sex drive.

But she’s throwing herself at me. Trying to influence me.

They started walking again. Most men would love to have your problem. I should be so lucky.

Otis shot his friend a look. Todd, this is serious.

The captain shrugged his shoulders. Well, maybe if you came on to her it would frighten her away.

I can’t do that, Colonel Otis protested as they reached the door to the briefing room.

Captain Reynolds added as he opened the door, maybe you won’t have to. Beverly did say that it would wear off in time. Maybe all you have to do is avoid her for a couple days and she’ll get over it.

Let’s hope the doctor is right about that. Something like this could ruin my career, the colonel answered as they went in.

The briefing room had a long oak table surrounded by comfortable high backed chairs that swiveled around. A oversized chair was at the distant end. At the near end was MaCos Ex, the pig-faced, multi-jointed alien from Hogon. He was assisting with alien technology like the memory helmet and projector