CSI: American Carnage (Tuesday, June 23, 2020)
TULSA – Little Timmy, pup reporter, and the Professor’s small strike force stand outside the BOK Center in the wake of the rally. The Ship of Black Eternity is pulling up its gangplanks, preparing to sail south, to Arizona. A wizened cadaver, dark and crumbling, approaches. Could you spare a minute of your time, he says to the Professor. Certainly, certainly, the Professor responds. The cadaver holds an old, beaten hat. Well, sir, he says, we were hoping you might help us redeem our comrades, the Army of the Undead, help us gain a little peace, and such. The Professor says, Of course. What’s troubling you? The cadaver straightens his skull. He says, Well, sir, we need to be with the Ship. The Ship carries the full weight of Black history. Most of us, as you can see, are Black. We need to be with our comrades. They need us. But the Ship is so heavily freighted, there’s no room for the recently departed, like myself. The Professor says, I see. We will help in whatever way we can. Sarah, Timmy’s friend from the resistance pot luck, says, This great army bears witness to the disparities and injustices that have marked our history from the beginning. The Autocrat cares nothing for them. They are, in fact, a reminder of his failures and the failures of his nation. Mohammed, Timmy’s friend, says, These are not failures. These are successes. The continuation of injustice is the point, in my opinion. Sarah says, You are right of course. The Autocrat is only concerned with the perception of failure. He cares nothing about the reality one way or another. His interest in the dead and in the living is how best they can serve him. Timmy turns to the cadaver and says, What is your name? The cadaver says, Bill. I am Bill. We are headed to Arizona for the next rally. We will pursue him like the furies. We will bear witness to his failure and stand up for our brothers and sisters throughout history. Sarah says, It sounds like a reckoning. Bill says, It is. We have fought for centuries and we are making a stand. And we will force you to make one, too. The dead are the burden of the living and only the living can carry the load to redemption. The Professor says, I see. Timmy says, What can we do to help? Bill looks up at the sun. He looks across the empty BOK plaza. The army stands silently in the parking lot across the street. Bill says, To Arizona! Cries of Arizona! Fill the air above Tulsa. The Professor says, Just take the main trunk of The Cyber, turn right and you’ll be there in no time. Can’t miss it. Bill says, Thank you. He walks away as the strike force looks on and the sun beats down, hot and dry. – Tuesday, June 23, 2020