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    Apocalypse Tango
    Apocalypse Tango
    Apocalypse Tango
    Ebook71 pages48 minutes

    Apocalypse Tango

    By Dale T. Phillips

    ()

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    About this ebook

    These five tales explore the concept of Apocalypse, world-ending disasters. Some methods are long, drawn-out affairs, others threaten us in the blink of an eye. Even if our take on Mayan calendars was all misinterpretation, there are plenty of other terrors that we could fall prey to. Here are stories to make you think, and some to make you laugh. Come do the Apocalypse Tango and dance while the world burns.

    Some of these stories have been previously published in such places as Space and Time, Kasma, and Atomjack.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDale T. Phillips
    Release dateMay 20, 2012
    ISBN9781476333861
    Apocalypse Tango
    Author

    Dale T. Phillips

    A lifelong student of mysteries, Maine, and the martial arts, Dale T. Phillips has combined all of these into the Zack Taylor series. His travels and background allow him to paint a compelling picture of a man with a mission, but one at odds with himself and his new environment. A longtime follower of mystery fiction, the author has crafted a hero in the mold of Travis McGee, Doc Ford, and John Cain, a moral man at heart who finds himself faced with difficult choices in a dangerous world. But Maine is different from the mean, big-city streets of New York, Boston, or L.A., and Zack must learn quickly if he is to survive. Dale studied writing with Stephen King, and has published over 70 short stories, non-fiction, and more. He has appeared on stage, television (including Jeopardy), and in an independent feature film. He co-wrote and acted in a short political satire film. He has traveled to all 50 states, Mexico, Canada, and through Europe. He can be found at www.daletphillips.com

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      Book preview

      Apocalypse Tango - Dale T. Phillips

      Apocalypse Tango

      A Five Story Collection

      Dale T. Phillips

      ***

      Apocalypse Tango

      Copyright 2012 Dale T. Phillips

      Cover Design copyright 2012 Melinda Phillips: http://www.snapichic.com

      Yesterday and Today was first published in Space and Time, Summer 1996, and later in

      Atomjack, Issue #87

      God Save the Queen was first published in Kasma, March 2010

      Night of the Annoying Dead was first published in Flashes in the Dark, December, 2010

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      All rights reserved. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, no portion of these stories may be reproduced without written permission from the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author and thank you for purchasing this short story.

      ---

      Other works by Dale T. Phillips

      Zack Taylor Mystery Novels

      A Memory of Grief

      A Fall From Grace

      Story Collections

      Fables and Fantasies (Fantasy)

      Crooked Paths (Mystery/Crime)

      Strange Tales (Weird, Magic Realism, Paranormal)

      Halls of Horror #1 (Horror)

      Halls of Horror #2 (Horror)

      Jumble Sale (Mixed Genres)

      Non-fiction Career Help

      How to Improve Your Interviewing Skills

      For more information about the author and his works, go to: http://www.daletphillips.com

      ***

      DEDICATION

      For all those who came before us, that we might live for a brief time here on Earth

      ***

      Table of Contents

      Foreword

      Yesterday and Today

      God Save the Queen

      Ruination Beach

      Night of the Annoying Dead

      Killer Angel

      About the Author

      ***

      Foreword

      It seems we’ve been predicting the end of the world ever since the beginning of the world. These days, there are a number of all-too-likely scenarios for bringing down the curtain on our existence. Everyone has their favorite end-of-days cataclysm.

      We even have a large number of people who believe (and in some cases are actively working for) an imminent, fiery end to humanity, in which, of course, they will be saved by their belief— belief mostly in their own innate special place in the universe, which exempts them from the horrible death awaiting the rest of us. Despite the fact that their own guidebook, the Bible, says they shall specifically not know when this time comes. Can’t even follow instructions their own rule book, but they know the plan. Read the manual, people— this time without ignoring the parts you don’t like.

      There’s also a show (or possibly several by now) on television about people preparing for Doomsday, by laying in stores of food in bunkers and stockpiling guns. In one, they had about 500 jars of pickled cucumber stored up, despite the fact that the nutritional value is mostly nil. And that’s gonna get boring real soon. What’s for dinner, Ma? Pickled cucumbers again? AAAUUUGGGHHH!!!-- Cue sound of gunshots echoing in the bunker. The funniest (or saddest) part is, many have these well-stocked lairs for bunkering down in, but have some elaborate plan that involves leaving their home base! Their thousands of dollars and years of preparation are going down the tubes in a heartbeat, with the first armed gang they meet.

      Once, at a firing range, we saw a man pull out an automatic rifle. When asked what he could possibly need that for, he said For when things fall apart. Note that it was not if but when. Rambo-boy wants the world to collapse, so he can enact his sick fantasy of shooting hapless starving survivors. No doubt his perfect world then involves retiring to his lair for the purpose of repopulating the earth from his stock of nubile young women, who are grateful to him for saving them from the awful fate of those outside his fence. A very popular fantasy for a certain set.

      Apart from man-made deadly endings, there are natural disaster possibilities. Years ago, in Yellowstone Park, the ranger on duty told us we were standing on a giant volcano that stretched for miles. My conception of a volcano was one measly hill, but the whole park is a massive caldera, and if it erupted, like some overripe pimple, it would likely make our whole planet uninhabitable. Geologically, it’s overdue to erupt. Sure, it may be thousands of years— or it may be tomorrow. Got a volcano rider on your insurance?

      Forget the Mayan calendar nonsense, that dead horse should no longer be beaten. The Mayans did not predict the world

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