Author : David Henson "Sign here, human, to give us permission." A titanium alloy finger taps the document they've put in front of me. Here we go. "Permission?" "Yes, just sign here." Tap. I look over the paper, but everything is written in robotistic lingo I can't ...

Author : Samuel Stapleton I get very tired of the color blue. But other than that, I have no complaints. Well okay. One. I work on a synthetic farm you see. A portable pod anchored in the ocean. The company grows synth plankton, krill, shrimp, crabs, fish, and even a ...

Author : Samuel Stapleton “Hey Doc,” I said as I leaned into the recliner. “Ian, so good to see you again. I hope everything is relatively okay. Why am I seeing you today?” She said softly. “Straight to the point, huh?” “You and I know each other well enough, I ...

Author : C. James Darrow “If you think you are ready for this race, I assure you—you are not.” That had been the first thing out of the host’s mouth in quite some time since they arrived planet-side. But now the cameras were rolling and his charisma resurfaced in the ...

Author : B.York, Founding Writer Knowledge is power. Carved into the stone next to her in an elegant font as Maisy slumped back against the structure to catch her breath. Salty tears drew down her cheeks. She stretched out her hands and observed the fingers ...

Author : Steve Smith, Staff Writer Nikki sat on the edge of the bed. The neon flicker from the motel sign outside bathed the room in intermittent blue through the thin fabric of the curtains. The girl behind her stirred, then rolled towards her and curled almost fetal ...

Author : Julian Miles, Staff Writer Ninety-eight gazillion miles from anywhere I want to be and some teenage alley-captain and his squad manages to get the drop on me. That’ll teach me for daydreaming about places I’d rather be. “Well, now, what do we have here?” Oh, ...

Author : M. Irene Hill Declinism is the belief that society is declining or otherwise falling apart. It is the predisposition for people to view the past favorably, through rose-colored lenses, and to regard the future in a negative light. Many seek to relive the good ol' ...

Author : Kate Runnels Torque stood before the captured pirates, a few years older, in their late teens. What daring to try and capture an airship. And Torque had stopped it. Oh, how they glowered at her. But they were chained together, hobbled and Captain Makoto sent them ...

Author : Eva Schultz To: John (john823x70@cbdynamics.com) From: Alison (ajeffries@starnet.com) August 23, 2079 at 9:14 p.m. Dear John: I don’t know how to do this except to just come out and say it. I’m so sorry, but it’s time for us to break up. I’ve met someone. ...

Author : David C. Nutt The notice hit Carlton just as he was about to base-jump off el Capitan. He tried to ignore it, but each time the simulation got to the jump point it wouldn’t let him go any farther. Carlton sighed, “Fine.” He took himself out of the jump line and sat ...

Author : Beck Dacus “It says here you’ve been experiencing depression, Nathan,” Dr. Krosett said. “Can you tell me more?” “Okay,” RX-1017 said. “I just have this negative feeling all the time. It’s almost like a voice, telling me I’m doing something bad. That it… needs ...

Author : Dylan Otto Krider Qualifications for the office of Head Chieftain were demonstrated by the battle of wills: Each was given a vehicle of equal weight so they could drive headlong toward each other; the one who didn’t swerve was chieftain. A head-on smash prompted a ...

Author : Julian Miles, Staff Writer The bridge is quiet. That special kind of quiet when everyone is busily engaged in not paying attention to something. In this case, it’s the trio who stand in a tight group to the left of the command chair. “I didn’t mean it like ...

Author : David Henson Bridget goes to the DBG keyscreen in the kitchen, taps in a detailed proposal for Frank and her to host Clarise Jenkins and Tremont West for dinner, then hits SEND. "Please specify reason for engagement" appears on screen. Bridget rolls her eyes ...

Author : David Barber "Yes," answered Moreau. "A landmark legal verdict." Absently he trailed a fingertip between the vorpal racer's eye-nacelles and down the streamlined wedge of her face. They had opened windows but the crowded room still sweltered beneath the lights. ...

Author : Phil Rejmer Humanity and its lost tribe met, finally, in between the stars. We faced each other, the representatives of each clan, standing in the metal halls of each others' vessels. It had been so long since humanity had abandoned Earth. Almost as long since ...

Author : Jules Jensen She needed a couple more voice samples. And then this would be the perfect catch, exactly what the buyer wanted. She sidled up closer to him, and nodded to his wife as she browsed the wares for sale at the next booth in the bazaar. “So, does your ...