Author: Heather R. Parker What a long trip. Gone for four years, studying at Nivoria University in the Sao X3D Galaxy, and another whole year to get back to Earth. I couldn’t exactly pop home on the weekends or on holidays. Now, as my ship touches down on Earth for the ...

Author: Joe Prosit I didn’t do much, really. Well, I learned some German. Sorry. Ich lerne Deutsch. See? And I learned some Karate too. Well, not Karate. Kendo. I kind of had to do that because of the Time Nazis. And I suppose you could say that’s why I learned German ...

Author: Alzo David-West The hyoum had left after his four-and-a half-year visitation. He had not been entirely satisfied, though in the beginning, he had a broadly favorable impression. Disembarking on the southwestern region of Otoa, he had appreciated its warmth and ...

Author: Steve Smith, Staff Writer Alex stood next to James and tried to make sense of what he was looking at. He had been annoyed at being called from his bed at this ungodly hour, but that feeling was slowly being replaced by curiosity. "It's a time machine, kind of," ...

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer Is all she asks. Four bloody words. I stand there like an idiot. Meanwhile, buildings burn and people run about screaming. Alarms, sirens and explosions blend into a constant din. The news said it was a ‘massive layered drone swarm ...

Author: Amy Dusto Excerpts from the Times-Gazette daily puzzle, September 5, 2061 7 down, 5 letters -A writhing, flying group of insects or nanobots (Hint: together they're like a friendly cloud that eats carbon! Be assured they don't bite people, though.) 28 ...

Author: Michael Dempsey Peter, standing in the bathroom, heard a voice crackle over the intercom. “Mr. Walker, you have five minutes to leave your apartment. If you go on your own volition, you can remain free. If you do not, we will forcibly arrest you and take you to the ...

Author: Ryan Watson 853 is a rather unremarkable number. It is the approximate weight of a male grizzly bear in pounds. A sloth will travel at approximately 853 feet in an hour. It marked a central year of the Danish Viking raids of Europe, resulting in a Swedish Viking ...

Author: S.R Malone An officer with a square-set jaw greeted us at our front door. “Daddy, who is this man?” Myra asked. “Oh, this kind gentleman is from the army,” I crouched by her side, “He’s here to take you to space camp.” Liar. She stared at me with wide, ...

Author: Robert Beech The sun rises slowly over the horizon, its pale rays piercing the low-lying clouds to illuminate the circle of standing stones as they have done for millennia. The arc of time turns slowly, biting its own tail like the worm Ouroboros, spinning endlessly ...

Author: Alzo David-West Struik's heart was pacing. She went into Data-comM. “Keting, I have something to tell you,” she said. “What is it?” “The UDL–it's autonomous.” “But I thought it was autonomous,” Keting replied. “No, I mean it's really ...

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer He’s banging on my helm with some ornate looking rod. The noise is incredible. Echoes of echoes. Being found is usually welcome after so long doing math problems in my head, but this is a bit much. “Hey! I can see you! Stop hitting this ...

Author: David C. Nutt Christopher Robin stopped to catch his breath. He wasn’t actually the Christopher Robin but he was a Christopher Robin. What made him a Christopher Robin (a C.R.) was the chip set his parents got for his 8th birthday to help him bond with the family ...

Author: Alastair Millar “Given the different composition of the atmosphere,” said the surgeon carefully, “your lungs will need to be entirely replaced.” No problem. Even as a student, I’d known that xenobiology would require sacrifices. “The artificial eyes should mean ...

Author: Amy Dusto ON My motor whirs and my wheels start to spin. Obstacle ahead, turn, obstacle ahead, turn. Bump. I’m not driving, just a passenger, watching through 180 degrees. Everything’s red. I engage in a three-hour wander until I automatically slow. Searching, ...

Author: John McNeil "You won't get it," said Granan. "I'm better." They strode the polished halls of the Mentalist Academy. Marcus tossed his head. "No you aren't," he said. "But I'd get it even so. Preceptor Elius likes me, and knows you're an arrogant foistling." There it was, the ...

Author: John McNeil "Before you plead, remember you lived your whole life under surveillance." She's right. There is no defense. I grew up during the death of privacy, when everything was recorded and stored, never to be forgotten. "A foothill of trash. A kiloton of ...

Author: Riley Meachem “You know, this is the third damn time this week alone that cab’s broke down. I still ain’t seen you do shit about it,” Chalks Mabley leaned against the side of the cruiser, face dour. Then again, his face was almost always dour. “What do you want ...