Nick Armbrister celebrating 30 years in writing April 1996 to April 2026. g April 1996 to April 2026.

Nick Armbrister celebrating 30 years in writing April 1996 to April 2026. g April 1996 to April 2026.

Nick Armbrister celebrating 30 years in writing April 1996 to April 2026. g April 1996 to April 2026.

Nick Armbrister celebrating 30 years in writing April 1996 to April 2026. g April 1996 to April 2026.

Riga Events Propagate by Brian Von Blimp

  Join Riga as she flies her flying saucer to different planets. She also flies her plane and grieves after her lover crashes. Riga also works in varied jobs, as diverse as a call centre and also making fighter jets. Work is work, life is life, love is love, Riga is Riga. Small but terrible and very funny. Do not annoy her! Win her over and she will adore you. Take a look at Riga and her escapades in different realities. Have a think and compare your own life. How different is it? Are you happy in just one reality? Go and change it. Learn from Riga.

 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GDM23CKQ

 

 

Riga always

Riga Always

This Riga knew it would always be this way. There was always a transporter taking her somewhere. The vehicle to be boarded. Often in a hurry. Make sure not to forget anything. Not herself, her weapons, her colleagues, her Pedro when in company of, her mission aim. Never forget what reality you were in. The military transporter. Even if used by civilians or religious zealots. It was always a military transporter. This one was painted a dirty green. It looked squat and armoured. Business like. Like Riga. Small and dangerous.

Why was it always this way, Riga? You bawled Pedro out for touching your arm. Now he sits silently next to you. Hurt and sulking like a child. Fix this mess damn Riga! Is he mission ready? No. As you upset him. Again! Riga shook her head and looked up at her colleague and sometimes lover. She tapped his arm. He looked away. What a damn bloody bitch I am! The transport left the atmosphere and climbed up steeply. The G-force was not too bad. It passed as they climbed into space.

“I am sorry for being a total bitch with you Pedro. Again. I am sorry. Please don’t be upset or hurt or mad. It’s just that I’ve been stressed and have a lot on my mind. Being in charge is hard… I’m sorry for hurting you and being the bitch that I am… Pedro… Look at me, please Pedro…”

It took slow seconds for the big gunner to acknowledge his small protagonist. He looked down at her and adjusted his battle helmet strap. “It’s always this way, Riga. I say or do something and it triggers you again. You say things, words, that pierce right inside me. Or you do things to hurt me. Or are silent or give me the silent treatment. I am sorry for triggering you Riga. I know you have a lot on your mind. We all do. I just don’t know why you have to take it out on me…”

“Thank you for your reply Pedro. I didn't know I’d hurt you so badly. I am sorry. I will not do it again. This is a hard war. The hardest yet. The generals are asking us to do the impossible. I have to show them the results. The pressure, it gets to me. I’m sorry for snapping and saying words to you Pedro. Command is a lonely hard difficult job. You can find that out if you ever are in a support position. Please accept my apology and know I am truly sorry…” 

“I accept your apology Riga. I will try not to trigger you again and I will think before I speak. Though you know me, I am direct. I know the pressure you are under. As we all are. Your stress is different from mine. As you are our boss. I will try to help you more in any way I can Riga. Anything to make things easier for you.” The tanned gunner rubbed his left eye and blinked.

“Thank you for your kind words Pedro. It’s all fine. There is one thing you can do to help me. I was thinking.” Riga paused and thought of the words. “You can be jointly in charge, Pedro. It’s about time you got a high seat position. I need help and support at times. You know, I miss being a grunt. I miss being a battle soldier and taking orders. Can you believe that shit? I miss it. So I’m giving you an upgrade, a promotion. Consider yourself a Captain now. You’re an officer baby! The same as me.” 

Riga removed her helmet and untied her hair. She ran her fingers through it and sighed. It had been a long war. A long time in command. Why was it always this way? It simply was. And Pedro and her always interacted this way.

“I thank you for your kind words Riga. I know you are tired, stressed and being a normal soldier. The truth is you are still a normal soldier. Even if you command us and send us into battle. You’re not a distant general behind the lines sending us to battle. You are there with us. And for your promotion of me, I accept. I would’ve done it months ago. All you needed to do was tell me or ask. I’d say yes immediately. I always have your back, you know that. Thanks for the promotion Riga dear. I accept…” Pedro took his comrade’s hand and held it. When their gaze met and remained. Now it was like the old days. The love, respect, trust and sincerity that bound them together was there. It would never leave them. 

It was a long flight. They leant against one another  held hands. The stardrive engines thrummed over and the hull gently vibrated. Soon both were in a deep sleep. They would need it where they were going. The risks would be many. Would both safely return after being asked to do the impossible? That is performing extreme violence while being extremely smart and supremely resourceful. Humanity and the world depended on their actions on a far off very alien world… 

***

Riga Timed

 

 

 

 

Riga Timed

Riga was inside a grey pipe. The pipe was above a road and footpath in Madrid. She climbed inside the pipe via a service hatch at midnight. There was nobody about midweek. She dressed in black. Ankle boots, combat trouser, jumper, jacket and wool hat. Plus gloves. The hatch was hard to open but she used WD40 and spanners. It was heavy and cumbersome so she took her time. It opened upwards. She lifted it up and slithered inside. Upon lowering it she left the fasteners unconnected. An observer wouldn't suspect then. The pipe was five feet in diameter. The height of Riga! She ducked a little bit as the upper surface was greasy. The pipe was used for oil. At the moment it was empty except for a small amount in the bottom. Riga walked thirty yards to where the pipe was above the footpath. It crossed the road. From inside her shoulder bag she took a time bomb. This was wrapped in water proof tape. A small green digital dial faintly illuminated. Riga carefully programmed the bomb and saved it. This was set to detonate in the future. Not just at any time. She knew when a certain individual would be passing. The bomb would explode wrecking part of the pipe and the passing person. Even if oil started to flow the bomb would work. Riga placed the bomb on the side of the pipe. It was held onto the metal side by strong magnets. The battery life was months. Four kilos of plastic explosive would do the job. The target would die. The target had done several bad deeds that were hindering the world. For this he was a target. His dastardly deeds would cease. The world would be partly safer. Little Riga doing another operative job. She left after planting the bomb. She had never been here...

***

Riga Pedro's Sanity

Riga Pedro's Sanity 

Riga ender her relationship with Pedro due to him being married. She no longer wanted to live a lie and she wanted to live by her dead father's values. She tried to be friends with Pedro as she still cared for him. He also cared for Riga. At this both she and he failed. Riga felt guilty due to time with Pedro hiking the mountains. This was time away from her father and her daughters. Riga only realized this several months later. It wasn't right away. Her attitude and behaviour changed to Pedro. She was cold irate stressed bitter. At times she apologized for being cold and distant. She did this face to face and in a message. He was witnessing her survivor's guilt. He tried to reach out multiple times to her. Riga had out up impenetrable walls. He said they'd known one another for three years. He said what will it take to be friends? Add me again in FB. Friendship can't be forced she said. All of this was very interesting. This behaviour. It was documenting her terrible journey after her dad died. Her falling apart, trying to cope and much more. Plus Pedro falling apart. It partly ended when he quit the job after four years. Then he was physically away from Riga. On his last shift there he saw her. She'd been to her locker to get her phone check her messages. Not his. For he looked. He could've said Hi and this is my last shift here. He hesitated. Why? He was unsure. He didn't want to part on an argument. Bad words were no good. So he went back to his work station. His TL said go take a break. He did and saw Riga going back to work. He said it's my last shift. Good luck she said. If he had talked to her what would she of said? Would she of kept the walls there and no personal connection? Of would she say she missed him and be her old caring self. The old Riga he missed? Or be the 2925 Riga. And the reason he was leaving his second longest job. If she had talked to him and not treated him this way, he'd of stayed. Not resigned. They failed at being friends. His terrible moods pushed her away and pissed her off. Her side of things was 75% of it. He apologized for his moods. She never said sorry for blocking him or not messaging him. That was that. Mostly. Riga still affected Pedro. Six months after leaving the job he still missed her. There was no word off her in that time. He tried to get a new sim number for his phone. It wouldn't work. It did in two other phones. The settings were out. Was it the universe saying don't call her? You are still emotionally vulnerable. Her capabilities were immense. Riga has his details. He will wait and let her contact him. If she ever does. He doesn't trust her. From her an apology and explanation is needed. And a new start. All that takes time will and effort. It's easy to do it her way No Contact. Though Pedro missed her he needs to save his sanity. That's why he left his old job. Five months into the new job it's hard. Month five is decision time. Is he regularized or does he quit and get a new job? Time will tell and he will do his best. If need be he has plans for a new job. And he writes about Riga to make art, to understand and to save his sanity. He wishes her all the best. This chapter is closed. The book they wrote is done. It will continue in the future. Later in this life or the next. Not just now. 

***

Riga Spiral Surround

Riga Spiral Surround

Riga had landed her flying saucer on a ledge of rock. This was perched atop a peak by the right side. It looked like the rock would tumble down. Yet it was solid and the fabric of the mountain. She stood near the edge looking down. There was a drop of a mile. With binoculars she scanned the lower ground. Animals could be seen down there. Grazing and slowly migrating. Six legged purple creatures. This planet was like Earth yet a little bigger. There were three main landmasses. Water covered the rest. Riga had flown several over flights surveying it. Her readings would be added to a galactic database of habitable worlds. These needed protecting as well as surveying. Her silver spaceship glinted in the twin Suns. Riga wore a cap and shades. She noted the number of animals. Then she looked at the rocks. At the composition and texture. What kind were they? Were they like Earth rocks? Were they igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary,  mineral or something sales? Riga the explorer. With a backpack full of sandwiches, a flask of coffee and a notepad where she jotted down her observations. Riga could have programmed the ship to do all of this. it was easy even boring work but the small gal enjoyed it. Liked the simple pleasure of counting strange animals, finding the deepest ocean and much more. After this was done, it was time to upload the information. Then she would go check out the single small moon. what secrets were up there? 

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