Author: Lydia Cline He had always had a quiet appreciation for blue. Not loudly, he would never be as conformist as to declare a love for, like, the number one colour for boys and men. No - he was loud in his love for green - the thinking man’s blue. And yet, as he stared ...

Author: Emily Kinsey “Jessie! Get over here, I think I found something!” Annoyed, Jessie said, “You always think you found something.” “It smells good,” I offered, hoping to entice him. It worked, because Jessie only ever cares about his stomach. He discarded his ...

Author: Stephen C. Curro Veema peered through the glass pod at their latest subject. The human was young, perhaps eighteen years by his species’ standards. Her four eyes noted physical traits and the style of clothing. “Flannel shirt. Denim pants. Heavy boots. This one was ...

Author: Rebecca Hamlin Green I honestly didn’t know where else to turn or if you’re even accepting these requests yourself. I hope you hear me out at least. The day she came, she was perfect, she really was. I almost couldn’t believe it. Everything I thought I knew was, ...

Author: David Barber Inhabitants of Earth, (read a translation of the first signal from the stars) Our clients wish to bring to your attention a copyright infringement with regards to your use of replicator molecules. As the dominant species on your world, we hereby inform ...

Author: Fawkes Defries Stuck out in the black sand, lodged between trunks of thin stone, Kayt lit life to her cigarette and drew the clear smoke in. Her silicon eyes fluttered between the deactivated droid she’d excavated from the Rubble and her sister’s body lying ...

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer Kinswaller reads the report with a mounting feeling of doom: another failure, this time with casualties on both sides. The appended note from the monitoring A.I. cements the feeling. ‘Have recommended Field Combat Intervention. Combat ...

Author: Orin Might They covered the sky like the blanket of the Milky Way. From horizon to horizon, twinkling and watching, countless points of silver light in the black void of the night. They arrived in a flash, sentinels of silent defiance, ominous and horrible. I ...

Author: R. J. Erbacher The wispy antennae that lined the perimeter of my mass sensed a fluctuation. I do not have traditional vision, but I can pick up changes in molecular atmospheric disruption allowing me to judge shape and movement most accurately, and what was ...

Author: David C. Nutt I was having trouble with my rotator cuff again. “Shouldn’t have bought that cheap snap in online sweety” the spouse says. I just grumble and nod. She’s 100% correct of course, but what’s a guy to do? The cheap part offered free same day delivery. ...

Author: Francesco Levato The end of the world was fast, like a ruptured heart, a laceration tearing ventricles apart, flooding the chest cavity with one final gout. It rained actual blood for weeks after, and muscle fiber, and an oily substance like rendered fat. In the ...

Author: KM Brunner Nora didn't mean to yell. She knew better than to make noise in the city. First rule of running: keep quiet. So her question, “Where were you?!”, desperate and sharp in the stillness of the Park Street station, startled both of them. Mac winced at its ...

Author: Majoki Carson knew they were being watched. Quiet in this part of the city was for the birds. Days earlier, he’d been wishing for the damn things to shut up. Now they’d gone silent and the ominous hush made his skin crawl. “What are they up to?” he hissed to ...

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer The thief is sprinting away before I realise they’ve taken my bag. I go after them. “Thieving bastard!” They swerve between parked cars. A silver coupe comes out of nowhere and knocks them flying. It screeches to a stop, smoke or steam ...

Author: RJ Barranco The calculator said "Error" but Davis kept pressing the keys anyway. "You can't divide by zero," said the calculator in a small voice that hadn't been there before. "Why not?" asked Davis. "Because," the calculator replied, "I'd have to think ...

Author: Evan A Davis “Another round for my friends,” Dallas announced, “on me!” Every patron in the Four-Finger Saloon loudly cheered, raising a glass to the famous outlaw. The barkeep tried to protest, but was quickly drowned in the oncoming tide of customers. The ...

Author: Alastair Millar He awoke with a start. Cockpit red with emergency lights. Tried to move. PAIN! Slipped back into darkness. He awoke again; air still red. “Ship?” he whispered. “Yes, captain?” “Need medical help,” he gasped. “Affirmative. Medimechlings ...

Author: Hillary Lyon The tall lean figure stood before the honeycombed wall, searching the triangular nooks until he located the scrolls for engineering marvels. Tsoukal pulled out the uppermost scroll and unrolled it on the polished stone slab behind him. He placed a slim ...