The writer gives life to a story, the reader keeps it alive.
After escaping from Floating Asylum Ship One, before its capture, Helga Ritter is deeply upset about the loss of her life’s work. As compensation, and under instruction from Lord Anderson, Helga delights in the transmutation of the remaining haernyara into Haernyarn, vampire-like creatures, loyal to Amanojuko masters. Retreating to one of the haernyara strongholds in Murmansk, she attempts to recover from her defeat.
Present Alexand, has not relented to Inajda’s request for her to sit patiently inside the containment cell, (see issue 586: The Prison of Souls Part 7)
Lord Ichitumbu Jalhavi fought his way onto the highest deck of the ship, to where he can see only a few haernyara left in the sky around the vessel. He attempts to use his anti-gravity device to join them but right beside him, fighting what is left of the mutated haernyarn, is a very angry looking blond man, who seems to recognise him, despite Ichitumbu having no idea who he is. (Unbound Boxes will return on Wednesday 6th November 2024)
After watching President Allerton distributing a Bad Thing Box to those amongst the Knights of Amanojuko who had not yet launched this experiment onto their populations, Lord Anderson materialised into the conference, joined his knights to a roar of praise. It was his intention to share his blood with them, and make them Amanojuko, as a reward for unleashing the Bad Thing Boxes on their countries.
The Guild Masters General has been working on Project Petra for ten minutes, not enough time to show Petra Teslov a familiar set of prefabricated buildings, in the Academic District of Moscow where her mother lives. They had materialised in Vorontsovskiy Park, Gen disguised in a black wig under a Russian Ushanka hat, his dark sight enablers replaced by low profile clear glass. Petra’s hands had been tied, and he had covered them with a shawl. A scarf wrapped around the lower part of her face to conceal her tattoos.
Omorose Merek-Balsara transported her enemy, Andre Kruus, to a little village in Estonia, where Andre’s parents still live, decades after their son was stolen from them, by thieves in the night. Omorose deactivates the tracking device in his arm, to prevent the Amanojuko locating him.
Helga Ritter, outsmarted by three versions of Xan Medani, having escaped her laboratory, ran towards the bowels of the asylum, towards the Guard Tower, and the last remaining sanctuary, in the hope that she could hold onto her control of the ship.
Future Alexand, along with three versions of her grandfather, Xan, have battled through hordes of rabid haernyarn, ex socialites, scientists, and guards, corrupted by Lord Anderson’s promise of immortality.
As a result of Lord Anderson’s warning, President Allerton had to interrupt his three-week vacation in the Bahamas to hold an emergency conference with other Knights of the Amanojuko
Back on Civil Earth in 1277 FD Alexand and Katherine’s mansion is emptying of guests. The children have made their way to bed, Inajda and her ex haernyara friend and ward, Anya, sit by the pool, as the full moon reflects on the water.
After being invited (obligated) to attend an ancient but important battle, by her Guild Master, (Heyem Merek,) Future Asenath Bomani, President of the Kyo-ashita army, who resides on the second cloned earth, Martial Earth (in the year, 1277 FD) arrives just in time to witness her great great granddaughter, Hope and the broody Guild Master’s General, take control of the Floating Asylum Bridge.
Lord Anderson has planted bugs all over Floating Asylum Ship One, and listens in complete resignation, from the safety of his castle in Moscow, as Helga’s ship is being taken over by the enemy.
Future Alexand, tormented by memories of her torture in a different life, battles her way towards the Guard Tower, alongside three versions of her grandfather, Xan Medani, to emancipate the captive inmates onboard Floating Asylum Ship One. (For Nana.)
Hope, her body a weapon, retains her grip on the Amanojuko Lady, attempting to disintegrate the monster. (No real monsters were harmed in the making of this story)
After deactivating the antiquated Amanojuko forcefield separating her and the Guild Master’s General, from the captain of the Floating Asylum, Hope and her companion leapt through the observation windows, surprising the socialites barricaded inside.
As a furious Alexand stormed down into the lower decks, she is confronted by another warrior, a woman dressed in full battle gear.
Retreating from the top deck, Helga Ritter rushes towards her laboratory, to secure the DNA samples of the cloned Merek twins. Her entire project has been compromised by the arrival of aggressive biological weapons, bearing resemblance to the original weapon, Xan Medani. (Unbound Boxes will return on Wednesday 6th December, as the writer has broken. Please catch up on back stories here. Thank you for your support.)
From their vantage point overlooking the ocean, Xan and Xan receive a distress signal from their past self.
Helga Ritter retreated from Gianti Dincrind’s laboratory, furiously intent on combatting the Amanojuko enemy. Unable to control this trigger, she feels sudden rage, something an Amanojuko Lady rarely experiences. She knows exactly how to cauterise this pain. (For new readers, please note, Helga Ritter’s views do not reflect my own. When fighting monsters, it is essential to understand the mind of our enemy in any world, reality, or fiction. LGBTQI+ and disability rights are human rights and a high proportion of the protagonists in Unbound Boxes belong to or are allies of these communities.) Featured song is “The Lavender Song,” (Das Lila Lied) written by Mischa Spoliansky and Kurt Schwabach in 1920.
General Medani travelled away from the Prison of Souls, back on the submarine. From Antarctica, he materialised on a half-submerged mountain, Volcan Los Atlixcos, overlooking a distant ship in the Gulf of Mexico, 3992.
Gianti Dincrind has co developed a more resistant strain of the haernyarn virus, to administer into subjects onboard Asylum Ship One. She has been ordered to test these newly turned haernyarn on the biological weapons technology inside the cloned bodies of the Merek twins. (The Coast of Laguna, Mexico, 3992)
General Edith MehXian listens to her granddaughter’s conversation about past and future selves, Guild Masters, and Generals, sacrifice and protection.
Each month, Filius Anderson walks along his wall, with a chosen sleeper agent. He has picked Ye-shin, the agent who attempted to capture Heyem Merek, and failed abysmally.
After twenty minutes of negotiation, the very stubborn Dylwyn Sumian allowed President Bomani and her companion, Samira Ganesh safe passage into his reinforced laboratory, so that they could collect Inajda’s debt.
Inajda is excited to see stashes of weapons stolen from Amanojuko strongholds, piled in places as high up as the cavern ceiling.
Posing as Kyo-ashita warriors, charged with the rehabilitation of the ex-Haernyara, Anya Ranyevzsky, Future Alexand, (Creya Johal) and her grandchildren, Eldenath and Zero, head towards the deck of the Kyuunansen.
Faced with an unstoppable indestructible Amanojuko in their home, Alexand appeals to Inajda, to help get out of this impossible situation. (Re: Longsheng, See Issue 299 The Unbound Box part 4, Issue 300 The Unbound Box Part 5 and Issue 326 The Search for Filius Anderson Part 8)
Helga Ritter stands alone in the cloning laboratory, onboard her Floating Asylum ship. She had ordered three agents to capture Heyem Merek, so that she could conduct more intense experiments into the bioweapon’s technology in the Merek twin’s DNA.
Heyem is suspicious that the two strangers who have gate crashed her lecture are not innocent passers-by, interested in herstory.
Alexand (posing as a socialite tourist called Barbara) is still in shock as she attempts to come to terms with the horrors in Gianti Dincrind’s laboratory.
After taking possession of the man who could not age, (Eric Mehmed) or rather his dead body, Gianti Dincrind has cloned his cells and the cells of his twin daughters Alexand and Heyem Merek, and his dead son Farokh so that she can find out a way of fixing the glitches in Amanojuko DNA. So far, she has had very little success. (This story is dedicated to Jinkx Monsoon, and all the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race, who have lifted me up throughout the pandemic. “A little bit of love, goes a long, long way. Lifting you up to a brighter day.”) Thank you to everyone who has supported Unbound boxes for the past twelve years. It, along with my son, Sam is my reason to feel alive.
Inajda and Alexand, disguised as socialites, Barbara and Susan Hendry, make their way to the lower decks of what Alexand discovers to be one of Lord Anderson’s Floating Asylum ships.
Alexand is tired, and cold, but her mother’s offer to show her the true extent of Lord Anderson’s campaign is far too tempting to turn down.
After realising Heyem did not wish to be protected by her, Inajda set search for Alexand, so that she could fulfil Asenath Bomani’s wish for Colonel Merek to gain full intelligence to the Amanojuko agenda.
Anya has watched Alexand Merek place each soul tube next to the children’s hair, inside bags, which she has marked with their names. (Happy Birthday, Dad, this is for you, wherever you are.)
Future Alexand’s Guild Master has arranged for her alter ego, Creya Johal to have lodgings onboard the Kyuunansen. Future Alexand had to pretend not to care about Katherine, and they both reluctantly parted from each other, Kat returning to her laboratory and Alexand chaperoning her ward, Anya Ranyevzsky.
Anya watches the angry Alexand Merek stomp away, leaving her in the company of her old friend and saviour, Inajda Rekaya. (This is for you, Dad.)
Alexand materialises along with Inajda and the captured Haernyara, outside Jochi’s burnt out studio.
Whilst Anya was unconscious, Inajda had retrieved all that she needed from her ex hideout, aware that she could never use it again, and that the Amanojuko should not have access to it or know it existed. She had planted a series of invisible bombs around the edges of her old apartment complex and she, Alexand and their rescued ex Haernyara, retreat to the safety of the adjacent street.
Anya wakes up in her parents’ bed, with her hands tied up, and two women sitting, arguing with each other about her (in a dead language, Russian.)
Anya has become overwhelmed with the memories of her childhood, and what she expected to be a nostalgic visit, has triggered deep emotions, and she remembers the atrocities that occurred inside her apartment before she was taken and made a Haernyara.
Anya’s memories have been triggered by her return to Moscow. She has been awarded two hours leave, by Helga Ritter, for presenting the American president with the Bad Thing Box. Fully aware that there is a tracking device in her wrist, she is compelled to visit her parent’s old home, to return to a place full of good memories.
Inajda and Alexand, in the guise of two Amanojuko candidates, watch from the Auditorium as the vice president of Mongolia is offered eternal life by Lady Helga Ritter.
Inajda has placed a recorder inside Alexand’s contact lens and will return to Abouna Panak with the incriminating evidence implicating high up members of the world’s government, including the American President and Mongolian Vice President in the abduction, torture and murder of children. (News – The Broken Writer – I will be taking a break from 23rd June until 1st September. Next issue – Wednesday 1st September. Thank you for your patience.)
After being given immortality by Helga Ritter, Agnes Harlaut is in Moscow, and has been charged with handling the detention and interrogation of subversives acting outside the Russian wall. She has in her custody a group of Mongolian teenagers who took incriminating photographs of Amanojuko delegates.
Alexand follows Inajda into her hideout in the heart of the Amanojuko Capital City. (If you enjoy this story, then please consider donating to the DEC India appeal. This issue is dedicated to a friend of mine, who happens to live in India. This story is for you, Siddiqui Fayesal Stay safe.)
Georges has barricaded himself into his mansion, after fearing retribution for funding the Katherine’s Bullet project. As he had predicted, his wife, Kavita had killed herself again, and he was alone, wandering his mansion, his writer full of weapons, in case Lord Anderson sent an assassin to break in.
Katherine walks back to her apartment, disorientated, attempting to come to terms with being stranded back in her own time, alone. (This issue is dedicated to Rainbow Railroad, a charity set up in Canada to enable people from the LGBTQI community to escape from persecution and relocate to safer countries.)
Professor Sumian analyses the bugs found inside Alexand’s house and metal finger.
Inajda is one of the few people who has been granted access to Anesidor Sumian’s Transient Laboratory. She and Alexand materialise inside the laboratory, hoping to find Anesidor Sumian.
Lord Filius Anderson watches another of his Floating Asylum ships arrive at the docks of his castle in Krestovaya by the East Siberian Sea. His agents have abducted many deviants and enemy operatives, who had been cured by Katherine’s Bullet. The National Guard have chained the captives, who are forced to wait in a line, to board the ship.
After Sister Ancille confirmed that Alexand’s grandparents were the suspects in her father’s murder, Alexand retreated from the city, frightened that her father’s legacy did indeed suggest that she and Heyem were in danger from the Amanojuko, because of what could potentially be in their blood. (Special thanks to David Gittlin. You can read David’s blog here.)
Georges De Somme is aware that it won’t be long before Filius Anderson realises it is he who is funding the Katherine’s Bullet program. Georges has stopped attending functions and has barricaded himself into his mansion. There is a forcefield around the perimeter which prevents Amanojuko being able to teleport in. He is now trapped, along with his wife Kavita.
Helga Ritter returns to the Floating Asylum to give news to Lord Anderson about the death of Eric Mehmed.
Filius Anderson has placed a bug into Colonel Merek’s mechanical index finger and has been monitoring her conversations. He is pleasantly surprised to learn that her prodigal mother, Inajda Rekaya has re appeared, and is in fact an undercover enemy agent.
Heyem has stopped going out at night and rarely socialises. She has thrown herself into her work, and every night, after her lectures have finished, she studies the list of Amanojuko agents given to her by Alexand. Helga Ritter is the only one on the list she has recognised, but she is becoming increasingly paranoid and suspects practically everyone.
Inajda watched Grace O’Malley’s interrogation of the Amanojuko agent from behind a spy mirror.
Grace O’Malley takes the Amanojuko agent back in time to Ireland, March 1574.
Helga Ritter is introduced to Sister Ancille, who was present at the time of Eric Mehmed’s death. (Stay safe everyone. Keep inside if you can. This story is dedicated to all the key workers across the world, who are in the front line.)
Helga Ritter travelled to Kolkata, to the convent Eric Mehmed was reported to have died, to gather further information about who killed him. She knocks on the convent door, of the order of Handmaids of Mary, feeling an overwhelming repulsion.
Helga Ritter has conducted various tests on the body of Eric Mehmed, Alexand and Heyem Merek’s father, and has found something else.
Alexand brought Heyem back to her apartment in Hong Kong, along with a doctored writer, in case Helga Ritter returned. Heyem sits alone, watching herself in her bedside mirror, unable to feel safe in her own home. She has bolted her door and hasn’t been outside since Alex left.
Once on board the submarine, Inajda was taken down into the black waters of Antarctica, the only passenger on board an ancient craft salvaged from the Third World War.
Two of the three agents returned to the Floating Asylum ship, scraping Eric Mehmed’s coffin across the deck, as it was too heavy for them to carry. Helga Ritter had two more agents help them place it on a slab in her laboratory.
Antun Rekaya has been quite shaken up by his niece Alexand’s recent high-profile announcement, against an invisible enemy, that she believes responsible for infecting her with that virus. Antun remembers being taken from his own home as a boy, in Russia, and seeing his parents murdered. He has a very bad feeling that history is about to repeat itself, as it is rumoured that the people responsible for annexing Russia are these Amanojuko fundamentalists. Antun has been guarding his children obsessively, to the point of madness.
Lord Filius Anderson has intensified the Amanojuko agenda, creating more positions of power for sleeper agents, and rich socialites funding his secret regime, guaranteeing them immortality leading up to his takeover in 4006.
Alexand has been receiving letters from her family, concerned about her exposing the Amanojuko, and the latest letter arrives from her Uncle Antun. She opens it, feeling responsible and accountable, but she is now three months pregnant, and suffering severe morning sickness, her career is demanding, and she is bickering with Jarad again. She feels very alone as she opens up her uncle’s letter, and wishes that Katherine was here.
Helga had crept out of bed, and extracted a blood sample from Heyem. With a horrible feeling inside her, she retreated back to her Floating Asylum and to her laboratory to test whether Heyem, like Alexand, has a hereditary immunity to ageing.
Helga Ritter, disguised as a Swedish tourist called Elsa, and a former one night stand of Heyem’s, waits as the last of Heyem’s students leaves the lecture theatre.
Lord Filius Anderson has personally followed Alexand around, ever since she exposed the Amanojuko live in front of the world. He has camped out in the woods near Alexand’s house, and is currently observing her and her husband as they sit on a flat roof having dinner. He has planted bugs all over their cabin, and is listening into their conversation. He is waiting for the perfect opportunity to make Colonel Merek ‘disappear’, as she has caused great damage to the safety of his vision for a new world order.
Alexand has a plethora of questions she wants to ask Katherine’s father, but due to their pact, she continues to walk with him in his gardens.
From the safety of his castle, behind the walls entombing Russia, Lord Filius Anderson watches another live press report, from the Katherine’s Bullet news story. (This issue is dedicated to the truly brilliant Toni Morrison 1931-2019.)
Gianti Dincrind transports herself back to the Floating Asylum Ship, where she presents the sample of Alexand Merek’s blood to Helga Ritter.
Gianti Dincrind has sneaked into the queue for the women’s toilets, and is three people behind Colonel Merek. She has assessed with the aid of her writer, that Colonel Merek is menstruating, and therefore acquiring her blood to test for antibodies, will be easier than first thought.
Gianti has waited all day and into the evening for any trace of Colonel Merek. The military has packed up their relief mission for the night, and the queues of people have been turned away until the morning. Finally, Colonel Merek appeared from the same doorway her sister emerged from that morning. Gianti followed her towards some army tents attempting to keep a low profile.
Gianti Dincrind has travelled to Hong Kong University, to locate and monitor Colonel Merek, so that she can take a blood sample back to the Floating asylum ship for Helga Ritter to analyse.
Gianti Dincrind left the group of surviving inmates in darkness overnight, and returned in the morning to continue the experiment.
Helga Ritter is developing new biological weapons, on board the Floating Asylum ship. She receives a distress call from Lord Anderson.
Helga Ritter has continued her bio-weapons project in the safety of a floating asylum ship, far away from any of the resistance. She has begun to rebuild her life’s work, acquiring test subjects, deemed potentially dangerous to the Amanojuko vision of a New World Order. (This issue is dedicated to Stan Lee, who will live forever in his characters and the universe he has created.)
