The Ribbon: Volume One

By Marc Alvarez

The Ribbon is ageless, boundless, and undying. Its inhabitants are as diverse as they are sequestered. There are only two constants in a world where oblivion is just beyond the horizon; an uncanny reverence for the sun and the machines that provide a servant like devotion to any who ask. The Ribbon volume one collects twelve stories set in this enigmatic world of metal and light.

From the bizarre forms of work and entertainment that take shape in a world where no one goes hungry, to the struggles of both young and old to find a way to be remembered, the focus of the Ribbon becomes sharper, but its mysteries deepen. Its heroes are replaced and forgotten, while its enemies are ignored or trivialized. The Ribbon is utopia created, but a darkness hides in the shadows.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 11, 2015
• ISBN: 9781312826687

Marc Alvarez

Marc Alvarez is Executive Vice President, Products & Marketing, at TAP Solutions Inc., a financial software firm headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada, with clients worldwide. He is a veteran of over twenty years in the financial information industry, spent between London, New York, Toronto and now the West Coast. At TAP he leads all research & development, product management and strategic marketing activities, with particular focus on automating and streamlining the acquisition, management, and application of capital markets content for financial services firms.

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The Ribbon: Volume One10872298_819077651495918_292457799_n.jpg

The Ribbon

By

Marc Alvarez

Dedication

For friends and rivals

for family and heavenly crown

and those who came before the fall.

The Stories

Flashes of Lightning

Consensus

The Mirror (Dance of the Passing)

Hare

The Mountain Pushers

The Foster

Electric Flowers

The Dragon

Tiger Baby Boy

The Inheritance

Life, Relocated

Peals of Thunder

Flashes of Lightning

Boa’s heart skipped a beat as the sky exploded with the sound of thunder. The land took no solace from the red lightning that preceded the thunder, as the only thing the sky dropped anymore was fire and ash. Boa had no other compulsion than to lie on the ground and let the elements take her, whether that be the cursed ground that had claimed the rest of her people, or the space above the sky, that rumored sanctuary. The tight grip on her wrist had other ideas and even as her knees buckled under her the undeterrable person dragging Boa behind him made a straight line for the abandoned concrete building ahead of them.

The man who called himself a knight let go of Boa long enough to clear the rubble away the blocked the entrance of the crumbling circular building. Then, he rushed her inside, away from the monsters that stalked the land, away from the remaining machines that opposed, away from the new growth and away from the plagues and plasma that devoured the land. But as they made their way inside and down the staircase that greeted them, Boa knew that there was nowhere they could go that would keep out death, the only friend the world had in this age.

The knight called Ox struck a flare, casting the stonewalls surrounding them in a red glow. The musky air of the place made Boa want to gag, and the old stonewalls creaked and crumbled so loudly that it felt like an army could be watching them for all they knew. Boa, despite her apprehensions toward him, wrapped her arms around Ox’s arm as they continued down the long staircase. He was not a bad looking young man, well spoken for the most part and seemed to possess a certain amount of courage. However, it was his insistence on calling himself a knight that truly bothered Boa.

Because she knew that the only real knights could come from her bloodline, and someone like Ox would never have been accepted in her family. Boa looked down sadly. She guessed it didn’t matter anymore anyway, most likely being the last of her people.

Here we are, Ox said in front of her.

They had reached the bottom of the staircase where a large antechamber room awaited them. There were pieces of broken and dust covered furniture scattered across the room and walls had the peeling remains of color on them. Boa had seen many abandon buildings before, but this place felt different. It somehow felt separated from the rest of the world, but also felt familiar in someway.

What is this place? Boa asked, more to herself than her companion.

Shelter, Ox answered, excitedly. He rushed to the center of the room where a rusted cauldron was waiting. The armored young man inspected the fire pit and threw some nearby debris into it. Then, he threw the flare into the cauldron and let out a hardly chuckle as the debris ignited and lit up the room. Fortune smiles on me again.

The young man darted up the stairs again, leaving Boa by herself in the dark dank room. She could hear the soldiers armor clanked, the strained curses, and shifting of rubble above her. Boa felt a darkness fall over, as if someone was burying her alive. Never had Boa felt so isolated, she approached the soldier’s fire trying to rub the coldness out of her hands, but it was a coldness coming from within not from any lack of heat in the room. A shuffling of feet and the rustling of armour brought her attention back towards the staircase.

With a big goofy smile on his face Ox strutted over to Boa, wrapped his arm around her waist, and brought her closer to him. He brought his head down to her, opened his mouth, and tried to force his tongue down her throat. Boa screamed and tried to push the man’s bulky body away from her. When he didn’t budge she started to hit his chest with her fists.

What are you doing? she yelped.

Ox gave her a confused look. I’m comforting you.

Well stop it! Boa said, finally getting free from his grip.

The young soldier groaned in frustration and plopped down on a nearby dust covered couch. A brave act in itself Boa thought to herself, who knew what could have been hiding in those ancient cushions. The broken ribbon shuddered around them, shaking the dust in the room flying all over and causing Boa to feel ill. She reached out to the wall beside her to steady herself as the tremor subsided. She was about to apology for hurting her rescuer’s feeling when something on the wall caught her attention.

You know my name is well regarded among our order, Ox boasted.

Is that right? Boa said, absently. She wiped away the dust from the wall in front of her, revealing the faded gold lines beneath. Lines that resembled those etched on her earrings. She whispered, I think my people were here.

Ox either didn’t hear her or chose to ignore the comment. The Ryan Knights are the last hope for humanity. It will be our descendants who will usher a new age of man.

Boa’s eyes shifted to the studly young man. As part of the venerable Marble family, Boa would have been engaged to a distant relative or someone adopted into the family by now, but now she probably the only person in the world with the once powerful name. Boa trembled with an immense feeling of dread. She was about to recite the Marble family creed to herself, but was surprised to find it written on the wall in front of her. No distance too great, no hour too late.

Excuse me? Ox asked. She ignored his question as the golden lines in the wall seemed to shine to life in response to her words.

It’s nothing, she said. She followed the shine of the lines to where they converged toward the rear of the room. She started dusting off the heavy soot where the lines disappeared underneath.

I have been recommended for captainhood, Ox continued. Boa could feel the young man’s eyes on her as she struggled to clean the wall off. My name is trusted among the leadership.

I’m sure it is. Boa was disappointed to see that the wall was no longer glowing with the same shimmer of before. She repeated her family’s mantra, No distance too great, no hour too late.

Again the lines that covered the walls of the room started shine. The golden glow of the lines traveled across the room until they met in front of Boa and formed a golden disc, before disappearing again. Boa smiled and repeated the summoning words, No distance too great, no hour too late.

What is that! Ox said, angrily. He got to his feet and tightened his fist around the staff weapon he had with him.

Boa jumped and turned around to face her would be paramour. She remembered the knights in the stories her mother told her, the sons of the Marble family. The kind of men who would have never raised their voice toward a girl. It’s my families creed, she took a step forward, The Marbles were the first hero’s of the Ribbon, we brought order and stability …

Are you serious? the young soldier laughed. He plopped back down on the faded green couch. That’s all in the past, the order is going to change all that once we have victory.

Boa sighed and turned back to the wall with the gold disc. She leaned forward letting her forehead rest on the cold stone surface. She whispered, No distance too great, no hour too late.

Again the golden glow came, causing Ox to pause and again the glow left after a few seconds. Ox continued, Without your archaic regulations we’ll be able to rebuild the Ribbon as we wish and I will be given my fair share of the responsibility of creation.

With tears in her eyes, Boa pounded on the wall with her fist repeating the phrase over and over. She could feel the glow of the golden light behind her closed eyes and she heard a mechanical moan come from behind the wall. She lifted her head and saw that the glow had stayed longer this time. She smiled, and started to repeat the phrase again.

What I am trying to say, Ox continued to talk, is that a beautiful girl like you would be lucky to find someone like … Suddenly the wall in front of Boa began to move, causing the dust in the room to fall from the walls and ceiling. What did you do?

Boa watched as the wall sank into the floor exposing another room