Pegasus (Part 139)

The corridor turns left, then right. All the time, I could hear the pounding feet of our pursuers. Then an explosion goes off behind shaking the building and knocking us off our feet. The ceiling has fallen in behind us, covering everything in a white dust.

I struggle to my feet knowing that we are now racing against the clock. Tabitha does likewise, her jaw clenched.

A lift is only a few feet away. We get inside knowing there’s no chance we would leave our comrades behind.

I press the button to go down a floor and we go back in the direction from which we came.

As the lift opens, there is another explosion. ab

We run. In front of us are the enemy troops who pinned us down earlier. We start firing hitting them in the back. Only one of them manages to turn around, his eyes wide open as his body is riddled.

Charging down the stars I roared, “Everyone to the ship. It’s going to blow!”

Then came out of their cover positions and followed. Then we all came to an abrupt halt. The Emperor, now a sickly yellow stood in front of us. Barely audible he said, “Whhaat have you done?”

Pegasus (Part 138)

I looked Tabitha straight in the eyes, “You keep them back, I’ll prepare things in here.”

She turned and started returning fire. Her muscles bulged as the heavy weapon went back and forth in her arms.

“Hurry,” she yelled. There are too many.

Sown into the inside of my jacket was the critical device. I took a blade from my side pocket and cut it out. It was a long wire with a circuit connector on each end. I put one side on the mechanical device and the other on the cylindrical device.

A few seconds later, it flashes yellow.

They have to keep it connected for another two minutes for the reaction to become self-sustaining.

I watch in horror as Tabitha falls to the ground, a line of blood coming from her shoulder.

Immediately, I take up her position and return fire. The bodies of dead troops lie on the floor.

“Are you okay, Tabitha?” I shout over the din of my fire.

She gingerly gets back to her feet. “Yes, I’ll live.”

I glanced back at the wire. It flashed purple.

We need to get the hell out of here.

“Are you able to run?”

“Yes, I think so!”

“Okay, on the count of three. One, two..”

I step out into the hall. “Three.”

Tabitha runs. Then I turn and do likewise.

Pegasus (Part 137)

Our pace now quickened. I thought back to those plans I had seen all that time ago. The Emperor’s habitat and the palace on it had been constructed many generations ago. But even then, there was resistance to the autocracy.

One of the contractors had built a flaw into the palace’s emergency shield. A power line for the habitat runs very close. If they are connected, it triggers a massive explosion in just minutes, which ultimately reverberates throughout the entire habitat, destroying everything. A secret that the resistance had managed to keep.

The Emperor would finally be no more, and peace and freedom would finally prevail. Or, at least that was what I hoped would happen.

The hallway led to one room after another. All full of ornate wooden furniture. The tables were golden.

We were close now. I could feel it.

Tabitha grabbed my hand. “We’re being followed.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Damn”

The next thing we heard was shouts of “Stop!”. Then the firing started.

I opened the next door. It was what we were looking for. It was bare except for a mechanical device in its centre that took up most of the room, and a large cylindrical tube on the left side. They were what I needed to connect.

The dog, the bird, the wheelchair user and the blind woman (comedy)

A few weeks ago, during the glorious weather that visited Ireland, I was out the back of my garden sunning myself. You know, working from. I notice a bird flying low that flies straight into one of my upstairs windows before falling to the ground with a thud.

“What was that?” Tina asked. Tina and her fiancé are currently visiting my house, like forever, while their own house is being completed. They both have visual impairments.

“A bird crashed into the window. Ah, no, it’s after walking into the kitchen. We’ll never get it out.”

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Paris coming to the rescue. Paris is a Labrador, and an occasional guide dog when it suits her.

Now, I imagine its honed instincts, which evolved over millennia, turning it into a cold, ruthless killing machine.

Paris went into the kitchen and then came straight back out. There was no sign of any blood. It put its toy bird in its mouth and brought it into the kitchen before exiting again.

“Ah, it brought a friend for the bird,” Tina gushed.

That dog is such a disappointment.

“Okay, Tina, you go in next. Get rid of the bird.”

“Me, shur I can’t see it. You’re the man.”

“Well, I never,” I replied with indignation, “I believe in equality and women in leadership. This is your time to shine.”

There is a bit of back and forth before I convince her to go in. Bad news, I have to follow.

We are all in the kitchen, except for Paris, who is resting. The bird is standing in my bowl of bananas on the counter.

The bird flaps its wings and briefly flies. Tina screeches. She’s worried about it flying into her face. Well, at least it wouldn’t be mine.

“Be brave, Tina, take the sweeping brush and get it to go out.”

The bird flaps again, and Tina threatens to abandon me.

It does another short flight and lands near the back door.

“Okay, Tina, stick out the broom. It’s on the floor.”

She moves towards the bird, and it walks outside before flying away.

I was so brave.

Pegasus (Part 136)

“Let’s go!” I roared.

We ran into the palace, my pulse racing.

Immediately, we ran into fire from the floor above. We took cover behind some of the pillars. I sensed the threat of us getting pinned. This was not something we had time for.

There was a screech of pain. Jeanne had been hit in the leg.

I shouted to the others. “We don’t have time for this. On the count of five, provide cover fire for me and Tabitha. We’ll come back for you once the mission has been completed.”

They nodded, and I began to count. On reaching five, we darted across the large room to the lifts. I pressed the button to go down multiple times.

Tabitha placed her hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. They can’t target us here.

The lift door opened, and we stepped inside. There was space for many more. I looked into Tabitha eyes. She didn’t blink. A couple of seconds later, the lift opened. We stepped onto the fine carpet that bore images of battles into a wide corridor.

An alarm sounded, and the lights took on a red hue.

Tabitha smiled. “Guess they know we’re here.”

“Apparently,” I replied.

Pegasus (Part 135)

In less than a minute, battered bodies were strewn across the ground. A minute later, they were cuffed and bound with their own equipment.

“Come on, hurry, there will be more of them,” Tabitha frowned.

“Yes, come on, everybody,” I added.

We jogged out from under the pyramid. I could see other troops in the distance but they seemed disinterested in security.

“What the hell is going on?” I said.

Leanne was beside me now. “It’s the Emperor. I got one of the communication devices from one of the troops. He’s critical. If he dies, it sounds like fighting could break out.”

This was the time. We had to take advantage.

Leanne pointed to a megastructure in the distance. “That’s the palace. It’s huge.”

With that, we went into the vegetation and went straight for it.

It glistened with gold, and the main pathway was cut in emerald diamond. The opulence was there on view for everyone to see.

We went right up to the entrance undiscovered and peered out at the tourists and two heavily armed guards.

Tabitha looked at me knowingly, and we raised our acquired guns. The two guards collapsed in a hail of bullets as panicked onlookers ran in every direction.

Pegasus (Part 134)

“Let’s do it,” Leanne shouted. The others all nodded.

This was my moment. I could feel it in my racing heart. “Follow me. The first priority is to try to get some weapons. Otherwise, we’re toast.”

We go back out and along the corridor before we reach a stairwell.

“Come on,” I whisper back to them as I wave. It takes several minutes to get to the bottom.

Leanne, who had gone ahead of me, abruptly stopped. I went in front of her, and glanced around the corner.

There were some of the men in red uniforms who had captured me earlier. In intense conversation, they seemed oblivious to what was happening around them.

I knew we only had one choice. A sneak attack, we needed to get into hand-to-hand combat, before they drew their weapons.

In whispers, I told the others that I would go first. They were to follow in a line behind.

With care, I placed one foot in front of the other till I got within striking distance of the closest soldier. I put my arm around his neck and began to squeeze. Then all pandemonium broke loose as the rest got involved, punching and kicking the soldiers into submission.

Pegasus (Part 133)

Moments later, she sat at the side of the bed, her mouth ajar.

“You were being drugged by a tube inserted into your neck. They did the same to me. I’m sure all the others are the same. Come on, help me with the others. We don’t have much time.”

She nodded in agreement and went to Leanne, while I went to her Mum. Within a few minutes, they were all back standing up and ready for action.

For the first time, I could see steely determination in their eyes,

Leanne was the first to speak. “What now?”

I knew she wasn’t talking about escaping. They were all looking in my direction.

“The Emperor has taken ill. Now is the time for us to strike. If we run, it is only a matter of time before we are all captured once more. We keep to my original plan. Except we’re all in it now.”

“And what is that?” was murmured from the rear.

I replied with gusto, trying to keep their spirits up. “A nuclear blast inside the Emperor’s chamber can blow the whole habitat. That is what I have been trying to achieve since Tabitha and I left the dinosaur habitat. And we are now so close to achieving our objective.”

Pegasus (Part 132)

But which way to go? I tried to remember my time with the Emperor for any little hint. Then I remembered that he had looked in a particular direction when he had mentioned my friends. I thought back to where my bed was positioned at the time. I needed to go to my left.

Without hesitation, I quickly walked in that direction. The next door was over twenty meters away. There was a circular red button to the left, which I pressed. The door opened to reveal a darkened room. I stepped inside, careful not to make any noise. I could make out that several people were lying in what looked like hospital beds.

I searched the wall for a light switch and pressed it. The glare briefly closed my eyes. I reopened them to see Tabitha and the rest of the crew lying in the beds, shouting for my help.

Tabitha was closest.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Tears were flowing down the side of her face as her eyes darted from place to place. “I can’t move, love.”

I guessed what the problem was and lifted her head with care, searching for a tube, which I pulled out.

“What are you doing, love?”

I rubbed the side of her face with my palm. “Give it a minute.”

Speech at Disability and Older Persons Event 2025

Ladies and gentlemen, it is great to be here with you on this beautiful day. Independent People with Disabilities have long been associated with this wonderful event.  It is great to see so many familiar faces, and I hope you all enjoy the day. This is an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about what services are available to you.

Independent People with Disabilities has had another busy year since our last day here, continuing to try and improve the lives of people with disabilities.  We took part in a Regional Networking Event in Cavan, Make Way Day in both Mullingar and Athlone, and hosted an Event about Disability and Employment in Athlone. The Disability and Employment event made me the most proud. It detailed the supports available for people with disabilities and their employer. I think it highlighted serious issues and gave out vital information.

The organization maintains a strong local presence through active participation in a variety of committees such as Westmeath Public Participation Network, Disability Sub group of Westmeath Community Development, Westmeath Youth Forum and Westmeath Older People’s forum.

 On the national stage, we have a representative on the Board of Iarnrod Eireann, and regularly engage with in discussions with the Department of Social Protection.

Our office is also an invaluable resource providing information on disability related issues, addressing questions, concerns, and making a positive impact on countless lives.

All of this would not be possible without a dedicated Board, and I wish to thank my fellow directors such as Dermot Hope, Larry Quain, Gene and Noel Mulvihill among many more. I would also like to thank our funders, especially you the ordinary people who give at our collections.

Thank you and enjoy the rest of the day.