#Welcome To The End Of Eras; (Fuse!Ben)

[0mnitrixter]

     As the bright green light filled the empty room, the loud, unceasing beeping made him suddenly wake up.

Ben growled, trying to cover his ears with the pillow to ignore whatever was happening. But after that sound became louder and louder, the boy finally peeked from the pillow, trying to locate the source of that fuzz.

It was coming from the night table next to his bed. It took a moment to realize, but once he understood that it was the Omnitrix going off, he quickly sat up, reaching for the device to see what was happening.

Instinctively we wore it; Dexter pressed for him to take it off at least when he was sleeping, both fearing that it could malfunction while Ben wasn’t aware and because of the damage it was creating on the boy’s wrist.      Finally, he pressed on the device, to see what the alarm was for.

[WARNING: NEW ALIEN DNA DETECTED]

     That completely caught his attention. He navigated through the settings, trying to determine the location of that new extraterrestrial life form the Omnitrix was detecting.

Strange... it said it wasn’t coming from anywhere near Offworld Plaza or the Space Port. He tried to scan the Nanocom Map, but everywhere he looked, the Omnitrix kept saying that the source of the new DNA wasn’t anywhere in there.

Sighing, a bit annoyed, he got up and walked to his desk, switching on the computer to try and solve that mystery once and for all.

He connected the watch to the network and started a larger scan of all known area to find this new alien form.

It took a while, and Ben was really about to fall asleep again on his chair when finally, something came up.      Yawning, the teen stretched and looked at the big screen in front of him. What he saw, left him speechless, and made him wake up completely.

The computer was detecting the source of the new alien DNA on Planet Fuse.

That couldn’t be right,      There was NO WAY the Omnitrix was detecting ANY sort of life form on that disgusting excuse of a planet.

He tried to get more information, scanning all known alien species to see if there was a match with what the watch was detecting. Of course, there were some species the device hadn’t scanned yet, but them being on Planet Fuse? Was that monster keeping hostages for some obscure reason?

But the answer that came up from his search was even more unsettling that he could ever imagine.

[NEW ALIEN DNA FOUND] [SOURCE: PLANET FUSE] [SPECIES: FUSE]

     That... couldn’t be right at all. They passed YEARS trying to understand who Fuse was and how to destroy it. The Omnitrix started malfunctioning once that invader arrived, and it was never able to acquire or even DETECT that monster’s DNA.      He tried to repeat the search more than once, but the same result came up, over and over again.

Ben leaned back on his chair, looking down at the watch, shocked and confused.      He tapped on the device screen, and a hologram popped up.

[ACQUIRE NEW ALIEN DNA: YES/NO]

     Maybe he needed to call Dexter and tell him about what was going on; that could be a big breakthrough in that war.      As he thought this, the signal coming from Planet Fuse began to weaken, and the Omnitrix started a countdown for the acquisition.

He could record all that data and send it to the boy genius.      Or... he could... scan the DNA, store it into the Omnitrix and show it to him the next day...

[COUNTDOWN: 3]

His eyes darted from the computer screen to the Omnitrix, trying to decide what to do.

[COUNTDOWN: 2]

There was no time to copy the information or even contact Dexter.

[COUNTDOWN: 1]

     He whined, and with a quick, resolute movement he smacked the screen of the Omnitrix, allowing it to acquire and store that new DNA.

The beeping immediately ceased. The room went silent, except for Ben’s hard breathing. He was legit shivering from a mix of relieved stress and fear.

It... was there. He had Fuse, LORD Fuse’s DNA stored into the Omnitrix.

That was BIG. That could allow them to really win that war that had been going on for so long. It didn’t seem real.

     He sighed loudly, rubbing his face with both hands and bending down to his legs, trying to calm down a bit, collect his thought and decide what to do next. He even stopped breathing for a few seconds.

Finally, Ben pulled up, taking a deep breath.      He looked down at the Omnitrix once again and tapped a shivering finger on the dial, letting the new alien hologram appear.

Fuse.

It was real.

And now... he was curious. Should he... try it?      Should he verify that that was, in fact, Fuse’s form?           What if it was a trap?

Too many questions and doubts rose up as he looked at that green miniature of the alien who was trying to destroy their planet.

He needed to be sure so that no one would get hurt.

     His hand moved to activate the Omnitrix, right arm up in the air and left one bent in front of his face. He hesitated as all the possibilities passed in his mind on how that could end.

In the end, his instinct prevailed, and his hand flew down and collided with the device, filling the room with a bright green light.

     And a painful, ear-piercing scream of agony.

[trevorbailey61]

Moseley Folk Festival

Moseley Park, Birmingham

Saturday 2nd September 2017

It is a quintessentially English scene. It is early spring, the sky is clear and there is the hint that the strengthening sun that has caused the trees to begin displaying their leaves. The damp ground, however, indicates that this could be just a brief interlude between the showers. The steeple of a church rises above a well maintained walled garden in front of which stand a couple in late middle age looking awkwardly at the camera. A group of people are inside the garden; they can only just be picked out through the trellising but it is clear that this is where something is happening from which the older couple have been excluded. It is wonderfully evocative of its time; the culture was rapidly changing and it was the young who were driving this. The partially open door behind the couple would seem to offer them a route into the garden but easy as it seems, they know that they cannot pass through. They do not belong, the way they dress, their values, their culture; they would not be welcome. “Unhalfbricking” is undoubtedly one of the great album covers, there is no title, nothing to indicate who it is by and the band themselves can only be seen in the background but the image is instantly recognisable even when it is reduced to a thumbnail on Spotify. On the 12” sleeve of an album it was stunning.

Of those taking the stage in the current incarnation of Fairport Convention, only one was seen distantly on the photograph. Simon Nicol is now older than the couple on the photograph were then and all barboured up in shorts and knee length socks during the soundcheck, his country gentleman appearance is as outdated as theirs was in the late 60s. Nicol, however, has not been ever present and the longevity of the band is mainly due to the person alongside him. Dave Pegg joined in 1970 following the departure of original bassist Ashley Hutchings and aside from a short break in the early 80s, he has managed keep a version of the band on the road ever since leading to their 50th anniversary celebrations this year. Whilst the current incarnation has been together since the late 90s making it the longest serving, the remaining three members of the band still seem very much like the new boys. Ric Saunder’s fiddle and the drumming of Gerry Conway maintain the incredible musicianship that has always been a feature but of the three it is Chris Leslie who really stands out. A thoughtful songwriter with a clear distinctive voice, his mandolin and banjo also adds new life to the classic Fairport songs. His craftsmanship on “Eleanor’s Dream” and “Devil’s Work”, the latter about the same limited DIY skills of musicians as Billy Bragg’s “Handyman Blues”, ensures that even after 50 years, there is still new material to work with; his celebratory “Our Bus Rolls On”, however, still seems to be work of a fan rather than a member of the band.

At their own Cropredy festival, something else celebrated in song, “Summer By The Cherwell” but not this time written by anyone on the stage, Fairport play for hours but here, with a strictly enforced curfew, time is more limited. The songs written by Richard Thompson during the band’s early years appear frequently, “Genesis Hall”, the beautiful “Farewell Farewell” and the encore “Meet Me on the Ledge” have all been imaginatively and sensitively rearranged to highlight the strengths of the current band and the older voices now singing them. So familiar do these world weary songs now seem it is startling to think that Thompson was still a teenager when he wrote them. The irony of that sleeve, however, was that locking the grown-ups out of the garden allowed the children to explore music that had been around for a lot longer than even their parents. Their absorption of English folk music was complete on the album that followed, “Liege and Leaf”, and since then traditional songs have always featured alongside those written more recently. Some, such as “The Hiring Fair”  reflect the rhythms of the rural year but a number are also drawn from the sea, the doomed “Sir Patrick Spens”. Nicol is keen to set the context for these in his introduction and inevitably each is played perfectly. The highlight, however, is the one that appeared on “Liege and Leaf” all those years ago, the legendary “Matty Groves”. A great end to the day.

Fairport Convention may not have been the first to fuse American rock music with English folk but their influence is arguable the greatest. During their 50 year career many have followed their lead and the resurgence of interest in the music can be seen in the huge popularity of Ed Sheeran and Mumford and Sons. It could even be argued that without them there may not be a folk festival in Moseley. Josienne Clarke has taken much from their work, in particular those early albums recorded with Sandy Denny. Accompanied by the elaborate finger picking of Ben Walker, she challenges herself with wonderfully expressive interpretations of two songs Denny once recorded, “Reynardine” and “Fotheringay”. In front of an audience well versed in this music, she is careful to to explain that she remains in awe of her heroine and while she may not fully get the subtlety Denny could provide, her clear, expressive voice more than does justice to the songs. Their work, however, goes far beyond being a Denny tribute act and whether her on her own songs, such as the atmospheric “The Birds”, or on an inventive interpretation of Elgar’s “As Torrents in Summer”, the intricacy of the playing and the purity of Clarke’s voice is captivating. Since their last appearance here two years ago, Clarke has gained the confidence to show her dry and self deprecating sense of humour in introducing the bleak songs of loss, regret and the passing of time.

At the same time as the photograph was being taken in a Wimbledon garden, Michael Chapman was also beginning to write and record his music with his own half century being marked by the title of his most recent album. The deep gruff drawl of his singing voice would appear to place him somewhere in the mid west and his lyrics occasionally venture onto the romance of endless freeways and the small towns and truck stops along them. His introductions, however, show that Hull is the place he calls home and his mode of transport is as likely to be on the British rail network as it is on American Interstates. Trains seem to hold a particular fascination, the cap he wears carries the image of the Mallard, the locomotive that holds the record for the fastest ever steam train, a speed it achieved, he informs us, as it left Peterborough. The name of the engine forms the title of one of his best known songs and the piece of trivia is added to the introduction; a quietly moving piece of music where the sadness of the break up of a relationship is given added poignancy as it coincided with the end of the era of steam. The theme continues through “Two Trains”, where through his remarkable guitar work, it is possible to hear the rhythm of the metal wheels and they move along the tracks. The sprawling instrumental follows the journey, rhythm changing as the speed of the train would to form a sound so breathtaking that it is difficult believe it is created by just one man and a guitar.

Matthew Edwards is a rather serious looking man who, like Chapman, draws many of his influences from across the Atlantic. In his single breasted two piece suit and glasses, he looks every bit an accountant although, of course, this being the weekend, he can leave his tie off. He has recently returned to Birmingham, his homecoming covered in one of his songs, after spending a number of years in California where he must have looked very much like the Englishman abroad. His mournful blues was very well played although for some reason it is often sung with an estuary accent; despite his time in the states, however, his Brummie tones remain when he speaks. Josienne Clarke was a little embarrassed to admit that one of her songs included a loop; Laura J Martin, however, had no such qualms and looped flute and mariachi guitar were very much in evidence. This may not win her many friends on the folk circuit but the way she could combine widely disparate elements into a single song was enchanting. Of course, it wouldn’t be Moseley without some American acts with the laid back country folk of Scott Hirsch appearing early in the day. A founder member of Hiss Golden Messenger, Hirsch’s cool soulful voice draws you into his own songs, such as the intriguing “Blue Rider”, as well as the interesting cover of Commander Cody’s “The Sun Comes Up a Purple Diamond”. Shovels and Rope start with a-cappella bluegrass harmonies but the raucous country rock that makes up the rest of the set makes it difficult to believe that just two people can make this sound. Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst share instruments, sing in close harmony and also happen to be married. They have a song called “Birmingham” although changing the pronunciation to their current location would have affected the rhyming so we were to remain in Alabama.

Introducing Jose Gonzalez, Janice Long says that when at festivals he likes to play just as the sun is going down, suggesting that this early evening performance would be just what he wanted. There may, however, be a little more to this comment. When the line-up was announced, Gonzalez very much seemed to be the headline and the expectation was that he would do the longer set at the end of the day. With Fairport Convention being added later, he moved to a shorter early evening slot. That said, I’m not sure his introspective playing and unobtrusive manner would work at the end of the day but it was perfect for quiet reflection as the sun went down behind him. Seated throughout and with his eyes closed, the smooth movement of his fingers across the strings is majestic and his calm reassuring voice is beguiling. “Heartbeats” remains by far his most familiar song but his interpretation of Massive Attack’s “Teardrop” also stood out during this wonderfully laid back set.

The weather has been perfect and the music has risen to the occasion. A full and varied day finished off by a great performance from a legendary act. They may no longer be the bright young things they were in that garden but their influence is as strong as ever.

[0mnitrixter]

@xenithandffgj (GJ) wants to meet “Ben”

He didn’t even notice the recruit arriving, as he was busy giving instructions to the fusions around the area.

A low growl escaped his lips as he saw the boy approaching, but quickly change his expression to look more human.

“Hey. Do you need something?”

[0mnitrixter]

As he finally arrived at his destination, he had to stop and look at the building standing in front of him, imponent and technologically advanced.

It was despicable.

He couldn’t wait have it destroyed along that little human who was interfering with his plans of assimilation of the planet.      But, since that was proving to take more time than he expected, he decided to think about that meddling “boy genius” himself.

Once he would be gone, no one would be able to stop him.

He cracked his neck, hard, a green circle appearing under his feet as he absorbed some of the fusion matter from the ground.      That’s when he noticed that the boy’s right arm had started to being affected by his toxic essence, as green and purple marks appeared on the forearm.

“Humans are such weak creatures.” He let out, growling. “This body is becoming a burden to maintain.” And with that, he composed himself once again and walked up to the door of the Dexlabs facility.

None of the Dexbot around noticed any anomaly; how naive coming from the inventions of someone stating to be the smartest scientist on Earth.      Well, that was just one less barrier to break.

One of those robots required him to wait in the main hall of the building, as Dexter would be there as soon as he could since he was working on something.

He tried to have them tell him what that was about, but they kept saying it was confidential and they were not allowed to talk about it.      If he had to give one credit to that human, he could keep secrets pretty well.

Then, he felt a familiar presence.

Sure, there were different samples of Fusion Matter in that place, but that was... different.

It was alive.      Untouched.           Sentient.

He knew exactly what he was feeling and it made him smile; he’d waited to settle that little misunderstanding for a long time, after all.

Turning his head, he saw it arrive. Or, as the humans started to refer to, her.      How funny he found that.

As he moved to walk to... her, she noticed his presence, and turned to his direction, with a smile on her face.

“Oh! Hey Ben, what are y-”

She didn’t even finish her sentence because she immediately knew. She knew who was in front of him from the very moment his eyes rested on her, restoring that connection they always had but lately was weakened by useless feelings and friendships.

He hated those words.

“It’s been a lot since last time I felt your presence.” He said, keeping to walk towards her.      “What’s wrong, my dear? You seem pretty distraught by my presence. Is there something bothering you? Are you feeling like there’s something you should be doing? Are you feeling like you’re not following the orders of your one and only Lord and creator, the one who brought you to life and made you what you are?

Are you feeling guilty...

--

“There you are!”

A screeching voice with a thick accent came from behind them, interrupting their talk.      Dexter walked fast up to the two of them, seeming quite in a rush.

“Ben! Where were you, I’ve been waiting for MINUTES!” That little boy was hypocrisy made person.      He grabbed his arms and pulled him away with himself, blabbing about reports and missions to review together.

As he was dragged away, he looked one last time at the fusion.

I will spare your little friend for today. And we will have a talk later to get you back on the right side you must follow.

When the two were out of sight, she fell down on the ground, holding her stomach and shivering in fear.