NOTE TO SHIPBREAKER: the narrative provides context, while the quotes are intended to be read aloud, recorded and sampled.
HUDDLED UNDER SOME BLANKETS IN HIS BEDROOM CLOSET IN THE PRE-DAWN DARKNESS AT THE TAIL END OF A NIGHTMARISH “BAD TRIP” MAGIC-MUSHROOM EXPERIENCE THAT CAME REPLETE WITH HIDEOUS HALLUCINATIONS OF SPECTRAL DEATH-HAUNTED REALMS SWARMING WITH SLIMY AQUEOUS EVIL AND MONSTROUS BESIEGING OTHERWORLD ENTITIES AND WAS SUFFUSED WITH A MALIGN AURA OF COSMIC ABERRATION AND IMPENDING APOCALYPTIC DOOM THAT SEEMED TO LAST FOREVER, HE WHISPERS INTO A MICROCASSETTE RECORDER AN OMINOUS PROPHECY REGARDING THE DAWN OF A NEW DARK AGE RIFE WITH UNRELENTING MALEVOLENT SORCERIES AND SPORADIC BLOOD-DRENCHED SATANIC MURDER SPREES – A DARK VISION OF DOOM WHICH HE BELIEVES PORTENDS THE COLLAPSE OF CIVILIZATION, EXTINCTION OF THE HUMAN SPECIES AND TOTAL NUCLEAR-DOOMSDAY OBLITERATION OF ALL OF PLANET EARTH INTO A CLOUD OF SPACE DUST WITH THE STENCH OF HUMAN EXCREMENT DRIFTING AIMLESSLY OFF INTO INTERSTELLAR OBLIVION LIKE SO MANY COSMIC SMITHEREENS.
“SUPERNATURAL DEMONIC OCCULT FORCES LUST FOR DEATH, BLOOD AND MURDER,” HE WHISPERS INTO THE RECORDER. “THIS IS THE END TIMES THAT THE BIBLE SO GRAPHICALLY DESCRIBES. TV STATIONS WILL CARRY ALL-DAY COVERAGE OF BLOOD AND GUTS, PURE HATRED RAISED FROM THE DEPTHS OF HELL, A SERIES OF GRUESOME ANGEL MURDERS AND CHILDREN THAT COME AT YOU WITH KNIVES. IN THE STRICT SCIENTIFIC SENSE, WE ARE ALL GETTING HIGH ON DEATH. THE AWFUL FINAL REVELATION IS THAT EVIL IS CONTAGIOUS.”
LATER, RUMMAGING THROUGH A BROWN GROCERY BAG FULL OF YELLOWED NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS OF MACABRE AND SURREALISTIC CRIME REPORTS HE’S AMASSED – A POODLE SLAYING, A BARE-KNUCKLE BRAWL AT A ROTARY CLUB LUNCHEON, A SWITCHBLADE-RELATED PINBALL ARCADE RIOT, AN LSD-SPIKED BABY FORMULA-RELATED EMERGENCY ROOM VISIT, AN OUT-OF-CONTROL PROM-NIGHT SEX ORGY INVOLVING DRUG-RELATED SATANIC OCCULT RITUALS USING LIVESTOCK KNOWN TO BE CARRYING VENEREAL DISEASE, AND SCORES OF OTHER ACCOUNTS OF ULTRA-DEMENTED CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES.
“MORNING NEWSPAPERS AND THE NIGHTLY NEWS PROVIDE CLEARLY IDENTIFIABLE SIGNS OF THE END TIMES,” HE WHISPERS INTO HIS RECORDER. “PROSTITUTES DRESSED AS NUNS, SATANIC SEX AND DRUG ORGIES, DEAD BODIES LITTERING THE GROUND LIKE SO MANY DEAD SALAMIS – THERE IS AMPLE CAUSE FOR ALARM. WE ARE PLAGUED BY RISING DEBT, GROWING CRIME, SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES, STATUES DISPLAYING EXPOSED BUTTOCKS. DEATH CASTS ITS SHADOW OVER THE LAND AND WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES: ARE HEAVY METAL ALBUM COVERS WITH ILLUSTRATIONS OF GORE-BESPATTERED AND SYPHILIS-RAVAGED CYBORGS CRUCIFIED ON THE PLAYFIELD GLASS OF PINBALL MACHINES JUST A FAD? SOME EMBRACE THIS SICK DECADENT DEVIL-VISION AND CONSIDER IT GRAND. TELEVISION COMMENTATORS TELL US HOW TO ADAPT TO THE REALITY OF THE REMOTE-CONTROLLED GUN TURRETS ARMED WITH RAPID-FIRE FULLY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS READY TO SPRAY SCREAMING DEATH TO THE HOWLING HORDES. THE NEW SYSTEM OF MIND CONTROL DEVELOPED BY THE OCCULT CONSPIRATORS MAY GIVE US A SHOCK FROM WHICH WE CANNOT RECOVER. A DARK SORCERY TRAP IS BEING SET. GHASTLINESS LIES AHEAD. RAGNAROK HERE WE COME.
“I HAVE IT ON GOOD AUTHORITY THAT TROUBLE-MAKING CLUB-WIELDING ROWDIES TAKING OVER AND ENGAGING IN ANTICHRIST ACTIVITY IN THE STREETS; GOVERNMENT MIND CONTROL, MASS HYPNOSIS AND TELEVISIED ILLUMINATI WITCHCRAFT; AND GLOBAL CONQUEST BY THE SECRET ALIEN PORNO CONSPIRATORS ARE ALL PART OF THE END-TIME PROPHETIC TAPESTRY. AND I AM CONVINCED THE WORST IS YET TO COME: RAVENING RAYS, ROCKETS, SHELLS AND TORPEDOES HURLING DOWN HEART-STOPPING, THROAT-CHOKING DEATH WITH THE FORCE OF DESTINY; STEAMING WRECKAGE OF MILE-LONG GRAY METAL ALIEN SPACE BATTLESHIPS LITTERING THE SMOLDERING ATOM-BOMB-BLACKENED LANDSCAPE; FORCE FIELDS OF HIGHLY CHARGED IONS, NO MORE THAN A FEW FEET IN DIAMETER BUT HAVING THE FORCE OF A HUNDRED HYDROGEN BOMBS, FLOATING ABOUT READY TO EXPLODE AT THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH; A TEMPORAL TORNADO THAT SWEEPS THROUGH THE UNIVERSE THAT WHIRLS FASTER AND FASTER AND SUCKS IN ALL MATTER FOR A COUPLE OF LIGHT-YEARS IN EVERY DIRECTION AS IT GATHERS SPEED AND THEN WHEN IT HITS TOP REVOLUTIONS BLASTS THROUGH THE VERY FABRIC OF SPACE-TIME ITSELF. IN A DEAD-OF-NIGHT PSYCHDELIC DRUG TRANCE I HAD THIS VISION. SAY YOUR GOODBYES.”