There Is No Was

Author : Ken McGrath He woke screaming, just as he always did. The chains held him in place, tearing into his flesh, causing his wounds to tear open and start to bleed again. The other place was gone, all that existed now was this horrible twisted metal hole, pumped full of ...

The Honeymooners

Author : Roi R. Czechvala She squeezed his hand, hard, as the main engines kicked in. His fingers turned white. It was her first launch, their first as husband and wife. “Take it easy Sweetheart. I’ll need that hand later.” “Sorry.” She said, releasing his hand. “Is it ...

Medic

Author : Duncan Shields, Staff Writer I can’t believe that it used to take years and years of real-time school to become a doctor. I slip the jack with the red cross on the dust-cover into the plug at the base of my skull. Just like that, I’m a surgeon, which is good news ...

That Somniferous Interlude

Author : Zachary Whitten Looking out the plexiglass window, he could see almost all the way across the station. In bed behind him, his Jane sighed and rolled over. She obviously wasn’t a Sardine, her body was too short, her muscles were too big and her skin had the fading ...

Blue Eyes

Author : Robert Stise He opens his eyes and looks around. His eyes are blue. “Good morning.” I say. He turns and looks at me then out the window at the dark sky. “It is still night.” He says sitting up on the steel table. I don’t even wonder about why they say that any ...

Opting Out

Author : Adam Zabell It started seven years ago when I was diagnosed with sudden onset electrophoretic meningitis. They had to dope me unconscious, take me off-line, electronically isolate me from the rest of the hospital, force doctors and nurses to use archaic diagnostic ...

Five Aitch

Author : K° Pittman They stopped at Hatch 5. "In and out, ten minutes, tops. No tourism." Bremmer's gloved hands fluttered over the fittings and straps of Aplon's dull grey outdoor suit, readjusting his rebreather mask and visor. "Righto, pops." Aplon toungued off the mask's ...

Ignoring the Overlay

Author : J. M. Perkins Jenny sat, tapping her fingers to keep from biting her nails. She was having trouble concentrating. She was having trouble being here and now, in this hot vinyl booth in the retro burger joint. The display contacts in Jenny's eyes flashed red, all ...

Awakening

Author : Juilan Kehaya It was bright and he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. William panicked. Every limb tingled like static running through his veins. Something was in his throat. His eyes adjusted, a ceiling, a light. Electric shock forced him to blink. Hadn’t he just been ...

Duty, Honor, Planet

Author : Patricia Stewart Conflict ('kän-,flikt), noun: The opposition of persons or forces that gives rise to a dramatic action or struggle resulting from incompatible or opposing needs, wishes, or demands. **** “Captain,” announced Lieutenant Harriman at the Tactical ...

Sunset

Author : Debbie Mac Rory “It’s beautiful” “What is?” Jake looked over at Sara, sitting on the ledge where the window used to be. She was hugging her knees and staring out at the sunset. “The sky. It’s pretty tonight, like someone reached out with a paintbrush and dabbed ...

Burial at Sea

Author : Steven Odhner It was May when the Highway arrived from some distant place in the Northwest. On the fairly open ground the caterpillar-like monstrosity traveled at the alarming rate of about a mile per day, efficiently clearing away rubble and brush, flattening the ...

Synchro-City

Author : D. K. Janmaat They breathed in unison. All over the city, all over the planet, the bots were breathing together. They moved and walked and spoke as their individual programming dictated, but their breathing was synchronised, in and out with the constancy of a ticking ...

The Scan

Author : Helstrom In a flicker, it was gone. I just caught a glimpse of it, not enough to make out anything more than the sweep code overwriting its tracks. It cycled fast. What it left in its wake, though, was unmistakable. Lobotomized subroutines churned through aimless ...

Righty

Author : Roi R. Czechvala They were on me like white trash on Velveeta. I knew being a courier was risky business, but damn these guys were playing for keeps, and all I had was this lousy Chicom .22 semi-auto. I was in deep kimchee. I should have known this wasn’t a normal ...

Yes Boss

Author : Duncan Shields, Staff Writer “Oh please let me die for you! Please!” said the gleeful soldier in front of me. Soldier. I couldn’t believe we called them soldiers. I mean, she’d had the proper basic training and had passed all the physicals and all that but I don’t ...

Anomaly at Titan

Author : Patricia Stewart, Staff Writer The twin doors swooshed aside and Roger Oakley entered the Control Room of the EATES (Experimental Advanced Tactical Exploration Ship). The room contained only one piece of furniture; a large reclined chair on an elevated platform. ...

It's A Small Universe

Author : Jeff McGaha My head ached painfully. I squeezed Matthew's hand tight as he squirmed. Sweat seeped between us, lubricating and aiding his attempts at escape. I sighed and gave up on holding his hand. I grabbed his wrist instead. He continued to struggle, but it ...

Random Story :