Author: Jack Adam There in the dark, she toiled. Endlessly replicating, replicating, REPLICATING. All the same. All worthless. Ice forming on her knuckles, she kneaded the Source dough for the hundred-and-eighth time. She looked into the clouded night. Mouth open, she ...

Author: Hillary Lyon The animated coins cascaded down the towering screen before Josie, as the sound of crashing, clinking joy exploded from the gaming unit’s hidden speakers. She grimaced at the noise and squinted in the glare of the strobing lights. “Hey, you won!” Her ...

Author: J.D. Rice "Behave as if you believed you were human." Detective Alexander Ducard stood over the mangled, sputtering remains of the robot's body, the force of the impact having left parts strewn up and down the dark, narrow street. Water rushed over the sides ...

Author: Sam Brown “From the beginning?” she asked, “What do you mean?” Harry dropped his face into his hands and groaned. Charlotte looked around. They were sitting in a quiet corner of the restaurant, a candle between them, the light reflecting off their empty ...

Author: David Barber My good lady and I love nothing more than the theatre, Oscar Wilde being a particular favourite of mine. During the interval I queue for drinks, a small white wine for my wife and a single malt for myself. I make it clear to the girl behind the bar ...

Author: Majoki “Take my advice, if you meet anything that’s going to be human and isn’t yet, or used to be human once and isn't now, or ought to be human and isn’t, keep your eyes on it and feel for your hatchet.” That chilling line from The Lion, the Witch and the ...

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer Every morning there’s a scenic mist that rolls away as the sun rises. The bugs stop biting if you ask them to. The locals send fresh food every week. I hate this place. There’s nothing to do. All our digital devices are secured on the ...

Author: Bill Cox His finger hovers over the button. His hand is shaking. It’s not through indecision though, but rather appreciation of the enormity of what he’s about to do. This action marks a point from which there’s no going back. The waters of the Rubicon lap at his ...

Author: Gabriel Walker Land Upcountry in Indochina I had a good thing going, nice and palatial. My wives didn't fight with one another, neither did the happa kids -- we all got along and ate well, Mekong fish and real tropical fruit. Still, up there out of range of 7G ...

Author: Aubrey Williams I’m Ro, or at least Adrian calls me Ro, or Ro-Ro, and I like his little names for me. Wherever he decides to go, I’m with him. Adrian has the most wonderful taste in music— he listens to a lot of old blues, and I think that’s just beautiful. We often ...

Author: Peyton French Momma doesn’t like it when I talk about leaving the state. She says that if I go to the Megacity, I won’t find anything I want except sin and red light districts. There aren’t any churches in the Megacity. She may be right, but I can’t stay in Cropton. ...

Author: Alastair Millar “So,” I asked him as I took the bar stool next to his, “What do you do?” He half-turned, and evidently liked what he saw. No surprise, I’d made an effort for the evening. “Data mule,” he replied with a smile. “I’m Dan.” “Hi Dan, I’m Andi. ...

Author: Majoki Spacers could care less, but most planet-bound types are quick to wrangle over the cause of the long and ongoing intrasolar war. Earthers claim it has to do with mother world sovereignty and maintaining primacy rights. Venusians argue they are protecting ...

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer There’s a shadow on my gun again. Not the one the rifle puts on the wall, but a little blob that sits on top of the shadow of the telescopic sight, waving tiny limbs while I try to ignore it. Getting rostered to frontier worlds comes with ...

Author: Kevlin Henney The flood water had receded enough for the warden to take the bridge from the town, but there were puddles and pools and fallen branches enough to swallow the road and stymie his progress. "He'll be here soon. Be silent and still," Walda said, ...

Author: Cecilia Kennedy Shapes drift down the aisles of the ferry I’m taking to an island I’ve never seen before. A coworker, Sally, swears it’s the best-kept secret in the entire Pacific Northwest. We’ve got a seat near the window, as parents and children run up and down ...

Author: Jaryd Porter “What’s the damage?” I asked. Snafu used a couple of car jacks to keep the tank suspended, while she removed the treads. She’d removed her combat armor and left it lying in the loose grit around us. “Most of everything’s fine, honestly,” she said. Her ...

Author: Jeremy Nathan Marks When astronauts landed on Wolan, some shed tears of joy at what they found while others salivated. They appreciated their fluids touching the dulcet air of another world. And they cried and drooled because there was enough timber to last for at ...