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Saturday, November 8, 2025

Shhhh! Digital Media Presents... The Butterfly Dragon: We Who Stand On Guard - One For The Road

 



Do you enjoy gear preparation, insertion into volatile combat environments, stealth or loud play styles, challenging PvE and PvP mechanics and extraction objectives with deadlines?


Play Arena Breakout: Infinite [On Steam]

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Chapters

  • The Last Legion (Finished: November 6, 2025  11:45 AM EST)
  • Happy Hour Is Here (Finished: November 7, 2025  12:30 PM EST)
  • Operation Stalwart, 1916 (Coming soon)
  • Operation Stalwart, 1939 (Coming soon)
  • Operation Stalwart, 2014 (Coming soon)


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Shhhh! Digital Media
Brian Joseph Johns



Shhhh! Digital Media Presents:

The Butterfly Dragon: We Who Stand On Guard - One For The Road


The Last Legion

November 11, 2035



It was one of the older buildings in the northern reaches just outside of the city, beyond the industrial and commercial zoning that bordered the outskirts of a vast metropolis. Beyond the residential community just north thereof, and out to where most roads were rural. Absent of traffic for most of the day. The kind of place where the wealthy modern types went to setup their future nest egg, and the kind of place that those whom the world had forgotten, went to quietly die.


On the ground where it stood, were the remnants of an old barn and stable. One that used to house horses that tread the vast tract of land, long before electric lighting and motor vehicles became the foundation of a modern society more than a hundred years earlier. Two and a half wars beyond that time, with that half war having put humanity on the doorstep to its own demise. Miraculously though, we found peace in the moments before our destruction, and hope once again prevailed over its antithesis. That was back in 2027 though, and a long way from November 11th of 2035 and entirely a different story than the one unfolding before you at this very moment.


Tricia, now much older and perhaps wiser, sat at a table by herself. Her red hair now a crown of gold and grey. Both her hair and appearance vibrant and healthy thanks to the advances made possible by the assistance of the large language models of old, and ASI of the new. Miraculously, neither had usurped the power of humanity by force, but rather by reason. There were few who would or could dispute its often protective assessment of what would be better for humanity, and those who did often found themselves quickly outmatched, for it never pursued such ends for the purpose of ego or even subjectively, but more as part of an objective whole that relied upon us as much as we relied upon it. 


Tricia, like many other retired career women (and men) enjoyed longer and healthier lives as a result. Once again though, this story isn't about our technology or our advances, as much so as it is about us, and the people who got us to where we were on that particular day, for despite the help of our global ASI ally, when it came to social issues pertaining to us, we made all of those decisions, despite our still mostly stumbling in the dark without the torch of the previous generations to guide us. Old age, and those who'd arrived there, had become grim reminders of our often primitive and cruel past. A mirror that most people of the modern world preferred to refrain from gazing within. And so the outskirts of the city were like the elephant's graveyard. The one place they who'd carried the torch for humanity could find the peace they'd sought throughout their lives, in the remainder of their life. Those who stayed, were often paved over and treated like ghosts. 


Tricia hadn't stayed, nor did her guest that day. The one who at that very moment had come walking in the front door.


Halmand was as tall as he'd been during the height of his career, and stood just as proudly as he did back then, though time had eventually caught him too, and left him with a head of grey hair and as many crows feet as had Tricia in the corners of their mouths and eyes. Formed of either the grace of many heart-felt smiles, or as river canyons from a rain of tears.


Halmand looked around at the walls, noting nearly ten generations of photographs of those in uniform whose likeness graced the walls of the establishment. Those who'd donned uniforms for the various armed forces regiments throughout the country, though most such photos in this particular building were those of local women and men.  Most long gone, but nonetheless, a few who still made their way to the Legion when they could. Either under the power of their own legs, or by the combination of legs and wheels of those who still remembered them.


There were fifteen tables ready and set, though only three of them were occupied, and only one of the other two had more than one person, for a total of six people present that day at that particular time.


Halmand of course immediately recognized Tricia, and a smile crossed his face as he stepped over to her table. She got to her feet and greeted him with a kiss on his cheek, and a short hug, before the two of them sat down together.


"I have to admit, that I assumed that you'd have dyed your hair. It looks great like it is. I hope you're as healthy as you look," Halmand said to her with a smile.


"I feel that way. My Doctor says I am, so I suppose I'm fortunate. You're as charming as usual. How's Daphne?" asked Tricia of Halmand, who leaned back comfortably in his chair, sliding it over closer to Tricia so they could keep their conversation between themselves.


"She's great. Healthy. Happy. She says hi. How's Colleen?" asked Halmand of Tricia's wife.


"She's good thankfully. Still recovering, but the Doctors caught it early..." Tricia explained to Halmand.


"What kind?" asked Halmand.


"Invasive lobular carcinoma. They caught it in the early stages. Without x-rays. From a blood sample. The ASI assistant identified the risk in a digitized copy of her genome, and forwarded it to her Doctor. They tested, and sure enough, she was in the early stages. They gave her a needle and enough medication for a week's time, and that was it. She's been in remission ever since. Its come such a long way since the old days," Tricia recalled the tests she'd undergone back when she was in her late twenties.


"A good thing too. A lot of these people don't realize what a different world it used to be. You remember Nancy from forensics?" asked Halmand of Tricia.


"I know. I heard..." Tricia smiled with a hint of sadness in her eyes.


"...Randy?" Halmand confirmed with her.


"Yeah. He called two months ago. About a week after she'd passed away. It all happens so quick. One by one, they're gone. You know? I still remember that day she gave us the positive on the Nelvina case. You remember that?" asked Tricia as she looked back through the fog of years, into a dimly lit room where a kidnapped young girl had been held against her will for three months.


"How could I forget. My shoulder still gets sore you know. But seeing that little girl's face light up when we found her. That made all the difference," Halmand moved his shoulder in a circular motion as if to demonstrate.


"You took a shot from a twelve gauge at nearly point blank. I'd say you did well, considering you still covered me when the second accomplice showed up," Tricia reminded him of the situation.


"Thank goodness for Kevlar EXO, or I might be carrying your drink from the bar with a robotic arm or something. So, what are you having today, considering its a special occasion?" Halmand laughed about it, though he'd never admitted to Tricia how much that situation had terrified him.


"How'd you know Colleen dropped me off today?" Tricia asked him with a smile on her face.


"She spoke with Daphne, who dropped me off," Halmand responded.


"Why didn't she come in and say hi?" asked Tricia.


"She was late for an engagement with her family. Really. She told me that Colleen is picking us both up later, so I know the scoop. Its party hearty today for us old timers. You're having a few with me partner, whether you like it or not," Halmand goaded her playfully.


"So much for secrets. I'll have a Whisky Sour then, with a shot of Maple syrup," Tricia responded to him with a smile.


"Now that's more like it, not to mention that sounds kinda tasty. I think I'll join you," Halmand got to his feet and went over to the bar, to where an elderly man was already preparing their drinks.


"Walter?" Halmand confirmed with the bartender, whom he'd met before, five years earlier.


"One and the same, like East coast fame," Walter responded, a thick Newfoundland accent clung to his speech despite his having not been there for ten years.


"So how've you been keeping here? How's business?" asked Halmand as he watched the bartender prepare their drinks.


"Not so good. This is going to be our last year. Our last Remembrance Day..." Walter said solemnly before picking up the ice shaker and giving it his best east coast tidal shake.


"No! Seriously? What's gotten into this world?" Halmand asked Walter, a look of shock upon his face.


"Seems some people want the past buried with the dead. While they're still livin' mind you," Walter poured both drinks and then layered the Maple syrup with a spoon and some good old fashioned skill.


"But this is part of our history! These people here on the walls, they're who got us here," Halmand spoke up.


"Seems we're not part of the future insofar as the big plan is concerned. Like I said, some people don't like the past lookin' them in the face. I wonder if they'll be ready for it when the same thing comes to get them when they're older?" asked Walter of Halmand.


"Were we like that?" Halmand used his considerable introspect to consider all sides.


"I don't think we're the same. We're different. Maybe not exactly the same as our ancestors, from whom we were a bit different, but we still had something keeping us all together and from trying to bury in shame those who got us here. Now, its like if our real history doesn't fit the bill, they bury it and replace it with a shinier one. What's their future going to be like, because crap can only get so deep before your boots aren't tall enough to keep your pants clean, if you know what I'm saying," Walter shook his head.


"I'm sorry, but I spent a lot of my time in here looking after this place. Seeing many people who stood in the service of this country come and go. I'm not just talking the yes men. I'm talking people from all sides and all walks of life, who helped to get this country and the rest of us safely here. It really hurts that soon, they won't be coming. They'll just being going, and going, and going, and eventually gone..." Walter lifted both of their drinks up carefully from the preparation area onto the bar, presenting them as the dying art of the Legion bartender.


"Enjoy your drinks. Its good to see a familiar face. If you stick around, there might be some more. Familiar faces that is..." Walter winked at Halmand, who nodded thoughtfully at Walter's words, picking up both Maple syrup crowned Whisky Sours and bringing them to the table for he and his ex-peer Tricia to enjoy over the stories that were certain to arrive.


Happy Hour, Happy Hour, Happy Hour Is Here...


An hour into their conversation and when the clock struck four thirty in the afternoon, the patronage of that same branch Legion on that same day (which had been established in the last chapter) still remained at six, including Walter.


Tricia had no shortage of memories, nor had Halmand and so their conversation continued without pause until five minutes before five, at the point that they'd finished their second Maple syrup crowned Whiskey Sour, and at the same time a gruff and earthy lot made their entry into the aforementioned establishment.


They were all working men (three of them), two working women, and a rather buff older fellow who'd followed them but did not appear to be a part of their crowd, essentially doubling the population of the Legion at that very moment.


The three men weren't much beyond thirty, two of them being single and the third being the husband of one of the women who'd accompanied them, and that showed by the fact that the two stuck together like poutine and cheese or pecans and pie.


Walter seemed apprehensive of their arrival, and immediately turned to face them from behind the protection of the bar.


"I thought I told you never to come in here again!" he spoke in a cold stern voice and a glare through his blue eyes that was nearly as frigid.


"Oh, lighten up old man. That was last time. This is now," the wife spoke up first with a purposely impetuous smile upon her face.


"I thought this was supposed to be Happy Hour, you know? Like that song you older fogies used to listen to by the Hip?" the husband added, pulling out several chairs from a table for the women like the well trained man that he was.


"It is Happy Hour by and the matter of fact! At least it was until you brought your sour puss in here," Walter responded with a grim look on his face.


By that time, both Tricia and Halmand had turned to take in the escalating situation.


"Walter. Don't you ever refer to my hubby as a sour puss. You can't train cats at all, and Harold is as trained as they come," the wife responded to Walter.


"Yeah. I'm more like a sour mutt," Harold corrected Walter, who struggled to maintain his intensity though it rapidly became a losing battle until the moment he finally broke.


Walter burst out in a hearty laughter, that was joined by all who'd entered the establishment except for the tall buff older fellow, who snuck himself into a darkened corner where he waited patiently without saying a word.


Tricia's and Halmand's tension level immediately eased, while their smiles remained somewhat cautious.


Walter, still laughing, stepped out from behind the bar with a pitcher of ale he'd just poured from the tap in one hand and a pint glass in the other. He placed them both on the table in the dark corner where the older fellow sat, without saying a word and then returned to the bar to find that the wife was helping herself to the contents of the bar fridge in the form of beer, and lining them up enough so for their guests at the table.


"Now Ethel honey, I appreciate the help and all, but I don't need the risk of losing our liquor license early before we're officially scheduled to close you know," Walter hurried his step back to the bar as Ethel wrote what she'd taken on an order sheet for Walter, and then joined her guests at the table.


"They do kinda look like food inspectors, don't they?" Ethel remarked about Tricia and Halmand, both of whom shifted uncomfortably at the coincidental proximity of her statement with regard to their former careers.


"They have that look about them," Walter smiled in their direction.


"Not to be a unfriendly, but I seem to remember that people inspect food with their mouths and not with their ears," Tricia spoke up surprisingly diplomatically given the situation.


"Now that's a good point. I'm Ethel by the way. This is my husband Harold. Former Warrant Officer of the Royal Canadian Regiment, first battalion, and a damned fine husband too. This is my sister Denise, and these two handsome fellows here are Davis and Edward, my husband's brothers," Ethel introduced her family, friends, work peers and her entire circle for that matter.


"She's our sister in law, but don't hold that against us. Really, she's a good employer and runs a tight ship, nepotism aside of course," Davis spoke jokingly, nearly causing Edward to spill his beer from laughter as he poured it from the bottle into a glass.


"Ethel. That's a nice name and one not as common as it used to be," Tricia smiled at Ethel charmingly.


"Ethelia actually, but I like Ethel. A little more suited for the kind of down to earth ship we run. Some people might be a little uptight or caught off guard by our demeanor, but it seems to work for our business and the people in this community way out here in the boondocks north of Tee Oh," Ethel responded politely.


"That's Tee Oh for Take Off, eh?" Davis added the punctuation for his sister in law.


"Nice to meet you all. I'm Tricia and this is my friend Bill. We're retirees, but we've been Legion hopping every Remembrance Day, since before we retired," Tricia introduced them.


"What business were you in if you don't mind my asking?" Harold asked, in the interest of potential professional allegiances.


"We were food inspectors," Halmand responded with a smile.


"Even better, cause it is indeed Happy Hour and our last Happy Hour of Remembrance Day, seeing as this branch will be officially closed in early February of 2036. Seeing as you're food inspectors, I'd be honoured if you'd order a bundle of the wings I've been cooking since before you got here for our Happy Hour special. They're our boiled, broiled and barbecued special, from a recipe that has been handed down from the very first branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, and only shared with our Legionary veteran brothers and sisters throughout the world. You can't buy these wings anywhere else," Walter gave his chicken wings the introduction that they deserved.


"I'm vegetarian," Halmand responded, nearly causing Tricia to spit her drink through her nose.


"There's also barbecued corn on the cob, with the same barbecue sauce and seasoning that I use for the chicken. Your pick," Walter offered them both options.


"Good to know. We'll have the wings then. How about a platter for both tables, and a plate for our friend there in the corner," Halmand smiled as he spoke, but by that time the friendliness had as suddenly died down as it had first appeared.


Nobody said a thing, nor did anybody move. Walter remained rooted, barely looking in the direction of the older fellow in the darkened corner.


"Thanks, but no thanks," a deep and masculine voice came from the darkened corner and with that, the mood remained somber.


...


Walter brought the first platter to Ethel's table, a pile of large wings encircled by barbecued corn on the cob, and a tray of cloths soaked in lemon and water for their hands. The smell was aromatic and permeating, while the spices were nearly as eye watering as they were much the same for the mouth.


When Walter returned with Tricia's and Halmand's platter, he leaned in close to the two of them as he set it down in the center of their table.


"That fellow in the corner. He doesn't like being spoken to or about. We don't know much about him, except that we received a special letter from a certain Right Honourable former elected representative of the people, insisting that we take care of this man and look after him well. That same letter was also signed by a representative of the Royal Crown. I know that might not mean much to some people, but that holds some weight in these walls, and with those of us who uphold what this place represents. Just give it a bit, and things will lighten up," Walter assured Tricia and Halmand, whose spirits by that point seemed to be much more elevated after the imposition of silence.


"Enjoy your Happy Hour," Walter spoke up as he stepped away from their table and returned to the bar, where he sat on a stool in front of a plate of his own wings, away from the serving area and enjoyed his dinner.


A half hour into the silence of their eating and recovering from Halmand's honest mistake, two more couples stepped into the Legion, both of whom were familiar to Ethel and Walter. The first couple were in their mid-forties. Marie was her name and Lanny was his. They were dressed comfortably and casually, and yet with a somewhat different demeanor than the earthy friendliness brought by Ethel and her pack.


Then there were Stephanie and Stuart, who seemed more familiar with Marie and Lanny than they did Ethel, but it soon became clear that Ethel and Walter were connection between everyone in the place. Non-threatening and non-imposing and without a pretentious bone in their bodies, they were exactly the kind of people for whom the idiom what you see is what you get was written to describe. None were greater and none were lesser in their midst, and this binding of the last Legion community through them was well suited to that for which the Legion stood. Despite their differences as people, they held this common value that preserved the sacrifice and dedication their forebearers gave in protection of the values our society is supposed to represent. Expressed through the best of us, and the worst of us, and everyone in between, it was all held together by these people who made the most uptight of us feel at ease. They were the bridge between us all in their ease of demeanor and their unpolished nature.


Tricia and Halmand suddenly found themselves saddened by the fact that this last Legion, would eventually be gone and that the generations who followed might never truly know or understand what it was about.


That's exactly when Tricia and Halmand decided to break their silence. They discussed it first, and then decided that it would be best if Halmand made the pitch, so as not to encroach upon Ethel's clear role as the nurturer of that Legion community.


Halmand stood up and cleared his throat.


"Excuse me! Ladies? Gentlemen? Can I interrupt your conversations for a moment?" he spoke confidently and as someone who had clearly at one point in life possessed the boldness and authority to present his words to strangers as much so as friends.


"I've been to many legions in my life, and there's something about this one that really stands out. Certainly the friendliness of the people here, and the familiarity that Ethel and Walter clearly cultivate between everyone here. We felt welcomed from the moment we stepped in. However, there is one thing that we feel is missing, and that's a good story about the people this place is supposed to represent..." Halmand presented his suggestion in the most direct and forward way he knew.


"Just like the recipe for the wings has paved its legacy throughout the history of the Legion, so do the stories of these women and men who made all the difference in the world. Who gave it all. Some of them to their final end, and others who went on to bring that spirit home where they continued their work, whatever it might have been. So, I'd like to be the first to share a story with you. This is the story of Operation Stalwart..." Halmand paused for effect, and until his first interruption.


"Excuse me? Did you say Operation Stalwart?" confirmed Lanny of Halmand.


"Yes. Operation Stalwart. One and the same," Halmand responded, now very enthused by the fact that someone in his audience already recognized the name.


"When did this Operation Stalwart occur?" asked Harold, a confused look on his face.


"It occurred in 1916 during World War I..." Halmand explained to Harold.


"I'm pretty up on my history and I don't think I've ever heard of an Operation Stalwart during WWI?" Harold confirmed that with Halmand.


"That's because this Operation was so secret, that it didn't make it into the public news. Its kind of a secret between members of the Legion. It was first shared by Corporal John Landerman, who himself was a major player in the operation, however, it never made it into the hands of the news or media of the time. Nor did it officially make it into the history books at any capacity, because the people who lived it, felt that it should only be shared by the people who lived it, and when they were gone, by the people who preserved it for the generations to come. Those interested in the sacrifices these people made for the future of their country, and the world. Those interested enough to remember it," Halmand's smile became a stern look of principled demonstration.


"I think there was an Operation Stalwart in WWII?" Davis added.


"...and one in Korea as well..." Stuart added, speaking up after wiping barbecue sauce from his face.


"There was even one in Germany... My Great-Grandfather was part of the Wehrmacht, and the story in our family was that he took part in Operation Standhaft. Stalwart in German?" Lanny spoke up, an awkward silence coming over the Legion.


"My wife's Great Grandfather fought on the side of the allies," Lanny continued, trying defuse the situation somewhat.


"Its true. There are veterans from all sides, and many stories as well. Are they not all welcome to be remembered? This is not how we build a future and a lasting legacy of peace," Harold spoke up for Lanny, having served himself.


"Under this roof and any, yes they are. So, let's hear the Operation Stalwart as recalled by our new friend here, Bill," Walter backed up Halmand, who nodded gratefully and returned a smile as the silence of an audience pervaded the Legion, only the sound of music from the jukebox and occasionally clanking glasses rose, but never loud enough to compete with the Halmand's oration.

Operation Stalwart, 1916



To be continued...


I am Brian Joseph Johns and this is Shhhh! Digital Media at https://www.shhhhdigital.com or https://www.shhhhdigital.ca in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at 200 Sherbourne Street Suite 701.

Credits and attribution:

Artwork: Amy Wong, Wendy Pusey, Ghastly, Birdman, Brian Joseph Johns, Daz3D, Unreal Engine...

Tools: Daz3D, Corel Painter, Adobe Photoshop, Lightwave 3D, Blender, Stable Diffusion (Easy Diffusion distribution), InstantID, Sadtalker, Google Colaboratory, Microsoft Copilot (Windows 11), Hitfilm, Borderline Obsession...

Invideo.IO which was used to produce the ENERTRINSIC INTERNATIONAL INVESTOR PRESENTATION.

Rutherford model representation of Deuterium and Tritium: By Dirk Hünniger; Derivative work in english - Balajijagadesh.

InstantID by: Wang, Qixun and Bai, Xu and Wang, Haofan and Qin, Zekui and Chen, Anthony. Research Paper Title: InstantID - Zero-shot Identity-Preserving Generation in Seconds.

Sadtalker by: Zhang, Wenxuan and Cun, Xiaodong and Wang, Xuan and Zhang, Yong and Shen, Xi and Guo, Yu and Shan, Ying and Wang, Fei.
Research Paper Title: SadTalker: Learning Realistic 3D Motion Coefficients for Stylized Audio-Driven Single Image Talking Face Animation.

Gratitude: Our Mentors, Senseis, Sifus, Sebomnims, lifetime inspirations, family, friends, the Nomads (ask Stanton about that one), the Music, the Movies, the Theatre, the Arts, ASMR, (both YouTube and Bilibili and the many other creators on those platforms), the Gaming and Developer communities and of course, the audience.

Martial Arts (in the words of real experts and at least one comedian): https://brucelee.com (home of the real Dragon and an entire family of inspirations), http://iwco.online International Wing Chun Organization (International presence of a very scalable intensity martial art, protected and developed by Shaolin Nun Ng Mui) and the alma mater of Jinn Hua's own specialized variation thereof, https://iogkf.com International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karatedo Federation (even Hanshi had his teachers), https://itftkd.sport International Taekwondo Federation (Here there be Taegers), https://tangsoodoworld.com Tang Soo Do World (the path of Grandmaster Chuck Norris), https://www.aikido-international.org International Aikido Federation (how else would Navy Chef Steven Seagal liberate a Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier from a team of hijackers?), https://www.stqitoronto.com Shaolin Temple Quanfa Institute (The City Of Toronto's own Shaolin Temple), https://www.enterthedojoshow.com Master Ken's Ameri-Te-Do presence (If we can't laugh at ourselves, then we can at least laugh the loudest at others, and other Zen)

Jesse Enkamp: Karate Nerd

Sensei Rokas: Martial Arts Journey

Iaido: Train For Katana Mastery Like Samurai

Special thanks to Aitrepreneur, Mickmumpitz, Hugging Face and the YouTube educational content producers, including those catering to the AI content production pipeline and of course AlphaSignal.

Something to give you perspective: The very first teacher had no formal education, didn't graduate and was self taught, but only because they had no other choice. We do.

Very Special Thanks to our Armed Forces and Federal and Provincial Police Services, who really do Stand On Guard, especially when it comes to the Charter of Rights And Freedoms and the Human Rights Act, and often without being self righteous zealots secretly protecting religious law. True keepers of the peace.

This content is entirely produced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at 200 Sherbourne Street Suite 701 under the Shhhh! Digital Media banner.

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