The Stud

Author : Desmond Hussey, Staff Writer I hear the electronic lock on my door buzz open, waking me from my brief nap. I crack one weary eye and spot a nervous, but pleasant looking woman, 30ish, standing timidly by the entrance to my sanctum sanctorum. “Come in,” I say. “Welcome to my ...

Tears of a Clown

Author : Julian Miles, Staff Writer They wrote me to catch the quiet ones, the ones who live in the shadows of the glittering cities that are spread across so many worlds now. They stole the latest research and incorporated it into my build. They put me in a moon-sized data centre ...

The Locket

Author : Mae Thann “Akita General to base, do you read me?” A crackling voice finally answered. “Base to Akita General. Report.” “I have visual on Target Cougar. Akita Pack is out of reach. Request permission to pursue alone.” From my vantage point near the edge of the forest, I felt ...

Your Species Needs You!

Author : David Kavanaugh YOUR SPECIES NEEDS YOU! That’s right, you! All of you brave men and women out there who watched the skies light up on January 8th and felt your hearts swell with rage, passion, and love of species. Never forget that day, brave humans, for the Silvers certainly ...

Party for Two

Author : Kevin Richards I stepped up the walk of the gravel drive, breathing in the cool, quiet night air. Ringing the doorbell, I was greeted by a sharply dressed woman with a pleasant smile. “I’m here for the party,” I said, pulling the invitation out of my jacket. “Right this way.” ...

Dis' Country

Author : James Zahardis Ambassador Xiao, with decades of political service and negotiation of the Nigerian Treaty still evoked an inauspicious “Is this the best we’ve got?” when it was Worldcast that he would be sent to Arizona. He was a paunchy sexagenarian, whom one would expect to ...

The Taste Twins

Author : Morrow Brady I surfaced from the suckling gel, my memories muddied like debris in a low tide canal. I know gelwork has long term memory risks but this post work haze was getting ridiculous. "Shell clear", I mumbled. Layered, milky scales shimmered transparent, revealing an ...

Empathy Test

Author : George R. Shirer The assessor is attractive in a button-down kind of way. Blonde hair, pink jumpsuit, digital makeup set to minimal. Her face is a sculpt, something from one of the mid-level catalogues. Attractive, but not too attractive. The same face you see on a thousand ...

Franny

Author : Bronwyn Seward Franny, I know this letter will be nonsense, beyond your wisdom and understanding. But I need to write it. You need to read it. I dated it so that years after you have shoved it into an old shoe box or tucked it away in your hope chest, you can look back on ...

I Just Want My Dreams Back

Author : James McGrath The knife blade gleams in the half-light, sliding through its target. The tape then gives and the box lid opens. This must be box five-hundred, I think as I pack the circuit boards onto the conveyor belt. But what do I know? All time has moulded into a lump; one ...

The Bar

Author : Bob Newbell, Featured Writer The man wearing Victorian garb with what appeared to be brass welding goggles pushed up on his forehead walked into the bar. The look of confusion on his face had little to do with the bizarre menagerie that comprised the establishment's clientele. ...

Mathmagicians

Author : Desmond Hussey, Staff Writer “… Mathematicians have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and confine man in the bonds of Hell.” - St. Augustine Numerals flow in random digital pulses around a wide black band high in the perilous chapel’s white marble ...

Patsy

Author : Julian Miles, Staff Writer “Oh for god’s sake, not again.” It’s only the fourth time I’ve thrown up in the last hour. As I reach for the towel, everybody in the room tenses. They relax after I wipe my mouth and sag back into the chair. “For a killer, he doesn’t show ...

An Offer He Couldn't Refuse

Author : Clint Wilson, Staff Writer We were pretty much finished. A dozen seven-foot Parakti loomed over us, spewing their fowl breath past yellow fangs. The survivors huddled behind me, fourteen hungry women and children. They had all looked up to me for protection. Now? The leader’s ...

Player Pianos

Author : Duncan Shields, Staff Writer Greenland. That’s where we discovered them first. All melted wires and skin grafts. Christmas lights in their eye sockets and playing poker with old-school punch cards. The population of an entire small town turned into player pianos. We found ...

Full Circle

Author : John Kinney When I was twenty years old, advancements in medical science and our understanding of DNA coding finally climaxed. I invested half of my money in a company called Stockholm and Siegfried, who specialized in genetic manipulation and, most importantly, cloning. They ...

It all Makes a Difference

Author : James McGrath "I know you've all heard it, but you have to hear it again..." We'd heard the guide's speech six times, so Kirstin and I stood at the back joking around as usual. He'd recite the dangers of leaving the tunnel, how we'd be guarded and eventually he'd tell of our ...

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