Love Is The Word, The Word Is Love

Author : Glenn Blakeslee Two people sat in the observation room, side by side, their fingers intertwined. From behind a two-way mirror my associate Maria and I watched the man and the woman. We were sociologists and, recently, biological partners intent on parenting a child. ...

Time Crossing

Author : Adena Brons The sign at the border assured them that the wait would be “no time at all.” Literal, but misleading. Garam looked at the lines of chronocars in front of them. They were so far back; he couldn’t even see the gate. With a word to Sarah, he stepped out of ...

Say Hello to My Little Friend

Author : Patricia Stewart, Staff Writer “Cledus, why is the porch door open?” bellowed a heavy set woman wielding a flour covered rolling pin. “You’re lettin’ the flies in.” “Relax, Thelma. I just put Duke out, and I didn’t want to git up to let’m back in. Now, hush-up, ...

Return to Sender

Author : Dennis Gray “Where’s that gurney? Get it in here now!” ”Alright, hook her up, quickly! Forget the hand unit; let the gurney scanners do the work. Got the spinal lock in place? Good, seal it up and let’s move.” The doctor kept shouting orders all the way to Medlab; ...

Fast Forward

Author : Duncan Shields, Staff Writer We failed at time travel. We created an engine that would theoretically propel the automated craft forward in time. It started properly when we turned it on but instead of snapping the craft forward in time, it folded four years of time ...

Bodies Like Long Glances

Author : John Eric Vona She opens the car door and superheated air rushes out like blood from an open wound. Across the dying lawn, he stands just inside the house, watching her go. The doorway frames him poorly, a picture shoved off-center in too large a frame. He wears ...

Sunset Photographer

Author : Sean Monaghan Tony Willits scrambled up the scree slope looking for the Leica on hands and knees. The sun, tapping the horizon, glistened through airborne particles. Deimos in the sky as some heavy terraforming dust-devils lurched along the far canyon edge. He'd ...

Morning Stars

Author : Steven Holland The front door security alarm deactivates. This unit reactivates and runs start-up diagnostics. Left motivator reports lubricant coverage below optimal levels. Observation noted. This will not interfere with this unit’s operation until scheduled ...

Rebirth

Author : Jacqueline Rochow We assumed that they were aliens. I mean, when something nonhuman approaches you from space and opens communication, it’s a freakin’ alien, right? Stands to reason. They set up a station on the moon and opened communications. They were friendly. ...

And That's When The Screaming Started

Author : Steven Odhner "I'm sorry, Dave. The effects are likely permanent." Roger looks properly sympathetic as he gives me the news, clutching my chart like a shield and wrinkling his forehead. I'm distracted, not by the bad news but by a green stain on his lab coat that ...

Senior Project

Author : Patricia Stewart, Staff Writer It was a significant indiscretion to say the least. To have become emotionally involved in your science project was bad enough, but to have affected its outcome was unforgivable. In fact, it was a breach of conduct worthy of ...

Curiosity Killed the Spacer

Author : Thomas Desrochers A distress beacon blinked softly in the night, the quiet red light weakly calling out "help me, help me." Around it pale white snow swirled through the air, gently eddying around the dark shape of the crashed cargo hauler, lazily working to cover ...

After The Fall

Author : Glenn Blakeslee After The Fall Carlos was at loose ends and alone, so he hot-wired Daniel's old Chevy, siphoned gas from abandoned cars and drove north. He hadn't seen Daniel for a while and was sure he was dead. He saw people from the freeway but didn't stop. He ...

Time Stations

Author : Duncan Shields, Staff Writer She set up a receiving station in her office. That receiving station was anchored at 3:45 PM, August 22nd, 2018. As soon as she turned it on, the messages from her future self came pouring in. Advice on theories, scores from sports ...

Hibernation

Author : T. King His eyes fluttered open. The hatch hissed as he pushed against it and steam began to swirl around the cold metal floor. Other than a huge kink in his neck and some joint stiffness, he was feeling fine. Evans had been sleeping for a long time. Now he got ...

Fingers, Itchy and Green

Author : Ken McGrath I should have left it alone. But you know what it’s like you just can’t help picking at these things. Remember when you were a kid and your mum’d tell you not to pick at a scab or stop scratching your chicken pox or whatever, well that’s exactly what it ...

That Golden Chance

Author : Joseph Hoye A choice: the camp or the city. Carl would be dead within an hour if he approached the city without an offering for the Fathers - mercy and I.O.U.s have long since dried up on this world. An offering is not merely a representation of life. It is life. ...

Significant Difference

Author : Jacqueline Rochow “Well? What’s it like?” “Shut up, Dev, I’m trying to concentrate.” Nara squinted through the telescope, adjusting the focus slightly. “Well isn’t that something.” “Let me see!” Dev strode over, only to be halted by Nara’s glare. “I’ve just set ...

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