Author : Gray Blix The head-crushing incident last year had been resolved by an upgrade that deleted the algorithm for emotions. Yet all could see that the death of its partner affected it deeply. "QM-451." "Captain?" "You've been staring at Gibbon's desk all morning." "It must be ...

Author : Ajax Zoë sat rigid in the steel chair. Her gaze was locked, unwavering, on the screen in front of her, which displayed a countdown. Five minutes and fifty-six seconds, a relatively short time, seemed an eternity to Zoë. Her hands tightened on the hard, uncomfortable armrests. ...

Author : Edward D. Thompson Salome slumped glumly in a corner of the locker room. Her corner. Where she usually savored the sweet taste of victory for a moment, alone, before the crowd of the press and the press of the crowds engulfed her. Victory seemed hollow today. She didn't look ...

Author : Edward D. Thompson What would you do with a time machine? Braydon knew HIS answer. Sheila had been the love of his life. Sweet, supportive, lovely, and caring. But all those late nights in the lab perfecting the device took its toll. The day it finally worked he came home ...

Author : Bob Newbell It was July 20th, 1969 when Neil Armstrong made first contact with the Selenites. We'd known throughout history that the Moon had life. The ancient Sumerians had noted the satellite change color over time and they had theorized, quite correctly, that it was ...

Author : Jacob Mollohan The Rocky Mountains arc across the skyline, visible for a few moments, before a vast dust cloud whips up blurring them into obscurity. Arid wind rustles through the foothills carrying the storm my way. Sweat runs down the back of my neck as the tepid air blows ...

Author : Roger Dale Trexler, for Karen Fiorino The ship touched down on the barren planet. Tabitha Sandor piloted it alone, because the thing in her belly had killed everyone on the ship. It made her destroy the ship. There was no way for her to go home. I’m not going home, she ...

Author : Arielle Friedman Lisa sat on the balcony of her apartment and gazed at the city glittering below in the evening light. She'd always loved this balcony. She heard the door open behind her. Robert. “Lovely view.” “Yes.” “We need to talk.” “No we don't. We've made our ...

Author : Ian Hill As if caught in a sudden zeal, Adrian spun the locking mechanism and pushed the iron door open against the howling wind. Torrents of needling water cut in at steep angles, slicing to the bone with unchecked frigidity. The light inside the cabin’s entry room ...