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Checkmate

By Roi R. Czechvala | January 20, 2010
Author : Roi R. Czechvala, Staff Writer President James Jonathon Mathews spent the first evening of his administration alone staring out the window of the Oval Office. He contemplated the events that had led him to this moment. He considered the countless intertwined series ...
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Preempting the Martian Attack

By Patricia Stewart | January 19, 2010
Author : Patricia Stewart, Staff Writer After trudging for miles through the soft, shifting red sand, I was nearly exhausted. Using all the strength that I could muster, I climbed over the lip of a crater, and ducked into the shadows. I’d be virtually invisible now. I’d be ...
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All Will Be Gooden

By Duncan Shields | January 18, 2010
Author : Duncan Shields, Staff Writer It’s dawn. Unisun now, Twosun later. Wee mickle Trisun appresta that. The colony’s ticking up. Auld’uns like me waken up early. Shipment-time belding crops back to Earth coming down uswards. Myself, I’m worrying. The woild musk ...
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Eighty Tons of Happiness

By submission | January 17, 2010
Author : Helstrom Neil hadn't been the same since he became a MALCIV. For one, he didn't drink anymore. Couldn't, really. Of course we all tried to find ways around that, Neil first and foremost – leave it to the Marines to find new and interesting ways of killing braincells. ...
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Two Minutes

By submission | January 16, 2010
Author : Axel Taiari ...And warps him back two minutes ago through an internal blizzard of gunmetal sparkles, the time-storm scrambling his brain before the world reboots. Swirling colors rearrange themselves. Janus stands still, gulping down the motion sickness, his confused ...
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When It's Time

By Stephen R. Smith | January 15, 2010
Author : Steve Smith, Staff Writer "I don't care if it's selfish, I don't want you to go." Sam stood halfway between the doorway and the foot of the bed, caught between staying and walking away. "It is selfish, but I understand. I'm tired Sam, I'm worn out and it's time for ...
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Time Travel

By submission | January 14, 2010
Author : Katie West “I’ve figured it out you know,” I said it casually as we ate lunch at our kitchen table. Right before I took a bite of my sandwich. “Figured what out?” He looked at me questioningly, and then with annoyance once he realized I had filled my mouth with food ...
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Garbage Scow

By submission | January 13, 2010
Author : Asher Wismer Jenkis and Layla examined the husky robot. It stood fifteen feet high, maybe nine feet wide at its thickest point, gaping, many-toothed mouth in the front. "It's pretty ugly," Layla said. "Maybe a coat of paint." "Maybe a coat of new parts," Jenkis ...
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Married Life is Strange

By Kathy Kachelries | January 12, 2010
Author : Kathy Kachelries, Staff Writer My husband doubts the existence of history.  I wonder why I married this man. When I woke up to the banshee-screech of a bandsaw, I assumed we were getting another door.  He likes that too, building doors.  But, when I came downstairs ...
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Molt

By J.R. Blackwell | January 11, 2010
Author : J.R. Blackwell, Staff Writer The suns rotate around each other, red over yellow, yellow over red, and Sharra's skin sheds again. Yet again, she had refused to mate. He hasn’t had a single sexual encounter during the last sun rotation and her body knows. It thinks it ...
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Relative Weather

By submission | January 10, 2010
Author : S. Craig Renfroe, Jr. The hail slammed the ground like the ground was some poor kid who preferred writing out math problems to kicking a red rubber ball. That ball pitted like the kid’s face. The ground was pretty pitted by the hail. I never had that problem. I ...
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Texicana

By submission | January 9, 2010
Author : Christopher Booth The war was over…sorta…The big one was over. It led to the Texan independence wars. Eventually five states all wanting to be called Texas. He is dressed in blue denim and gray to match the day. A cold dull light comes inside. Vern never liked ...
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Empty Nest

By submission | January 8, 2010
Author : Richard "Zig" Zagorski Harmonia, in low orbit, drifted over the red planet just as she had done for over a year now. Her electronic ears constantly straining to hear the voices of her children down below. It had been too long since she had heard from some of ...
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Guardian Angel

By submission | January 7, 2010
Author : Daniel Titus Allan stood alone on the observation deck. He had been there for hours, looking down at the planet below. It was a breathtaking view, the clouds, the sea, the land, but the physical features were ultimately unimportant. What was important were all the ...
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Et Tu, Boris?

By submission | January 6, 2010
Author : Q. B. Fox “Ah, Mr. Dolgonosov, welcome to the Vatican,” enthused Father O’Connor. “Please, call me Boris,” the Russian said in barely accented English, thrusting his long fingered hand deep into the priest’s pudgy grasp. “Boris it is,” acknowledged O’Connor, ...
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Orinoco II

By Patricia Stewart | January 5, 2010
Author : Patricia Stewart, Staff Writer The three scientists stood over a fully clothed skeleton. “I told Jill not to wander off by herself,” said Anthony Caroni, the mission commander. “Damn. What could have done this?” “I don’t see any animal footprints, and there’s ...
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Feelings of Remorse

By Roi R. Czechvala | January 4, 2010
Author : Roi R. Czechvala, Staff Writer The drop from orbit was as uneventful as they ever are, and if they’re not you usually don’t live long enough for it to bother you. Grounding was pretty hard though. After I gathered my senses I saw that somebody’s leg had snapped off ...
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Fear no more the heat o’ the sun

By submission | January 3, 2010
Author : Richard Watt They don’t know that I can think. I’ve slowly come to understand that they don’t know much, period. For example, they don’t know about the misalignment on my shields. It’s a matter of a few microns, and it is difficult to detect, but it means I’m ...
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