A Study in Logic

Author : Patricia Stewart, Staff Writer Inspector Jeffery Lastrade greeted Philip Homes and Bruce Wattson at the entrance of the Metropolitan Police Headquarters in downtown London. “Thanks for coming on such short notice,” said Lastrade as he pumped Homes’ hand. “I ...

Lifeboat

Author : Bill Lombardi He had been awake for seventy-two hours – twenty-four spent in an acclamation unit. His legs hadn’t adjusted yet and he had trouble standing, so he sat at an unshielded viewport in the common area looking off into space, sipping from a nutrient pack. ...

Bug Catching

Author : Alec Ow

My parents always told me the Cold was a gateway bug. All throughout middle-school and for most of high-school I was pretty clean. Then I saw one of my friends coming to school with the sniffles.

He didn't really try to hide it from anyone, thinking back now ...

The Bounty Hunter

Author : Patricia Stewart, Staff Writer As I flew through the Rio Bravo Corridor in western Texas, the town of El Paso rose above the horizon. I banked northward and began a gradual arc to align my ship with the Juárez Flyway. I descended to 100 meters and throttled back to ...

Très Salute!

Author : Asher Wismer It was about the size of a leaf, but a little flatter, with scalloped edges and covered all over with a glimmering sheen of circuitry. At one end, a little nozzle protruded, making a gentle swell in the surface of the leaf, while other, smaller holes ...

Ambush

Author : Roi R. Czechvala It was just a routine patrol. Twelve men. Whitcomb was on point; I was bringing up the rear. He had just forded a narrow stream when they hit us. Claymores blew hell out of the main body. Seven died instantly. There was no mistaking that. When chunks ...

The Next Life

Author : Ben 'Inorian' Le Chevalier Invas charged forward, his sights set firmly on his enemy. The blood was rushing through his body, filling him with life and vigour. The only thing he could see was his prey. He leapt, and bore his adversary to the ground. His spear moved ...

Mayor

Author : Duncan Shields, Staff Writer

I felt sick.

I had a fever and a headache and my joints were complaining. I shuffled across my carpet into the light. I stood looking out over the city while holding a steaming zipmug of CitruSinus in my hand. The windows overlooked a new ...

Wage-Slave Avatar

Author : Ryan Somma Ng's eyes were straining as far as they could go in their sockets to get a look at the brand new shiny avataris sapiens parked at the end of the conference room table. His client's attention was on the current speaker, a real-life sales person local to the ...

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit…

Author : Peter Carenza APRIL 14, 2065 3:30 AM The phone startled Lofton out of a restless sleep. He poked the speaker button. “Lofton.” “We’ve got a situation Delta at the compound, Rick…. It’s a runner. This is serious.” “Do you have any idea where he’s headed?” “We’re ...

Blood and Ozone

Author : Steven C. Rockoff There was no blood, just the smell of ozone. That’s the thing about lasers. They’re cold, impersonal, and efficient; like a seductive bureaucrat. There is something comforting about blood, about seeing your life escape. But here I was, flung on ...

Red Shift

Author : Ben Spivey 10:25am, on the wall hung an old analog clock. The second hand ticked once forward then once back; the battery was close to dead. Josh sat in front of his pc; its glow illuminated his sharp face. Behind him his fiancé slept under a neon blue blanket. Her ...

Conspiracy Theory

Author : William Tracy The president leaned back into the couch on Air Force One with a smile and a sigh. She had been in office for only a month, but she was already getting used to the perks. The secretary of defense cleared his throat. “Mrs. President, we need to ...

Dust Bowl, Day 704

Author : Josh Zingg Ariston crunched his way along Access-01 toward what was left of the capitol, keeping his head down and goggles tight over his eyes. The wind surged at him, and he felt its coarse touch wearing away his spirit. Wasn't much left to wear, these days. He ...

Human

Author : Duncan Shields, Staff Writer It seemed a little silly to admit but I had gotten quite attached to the program that I was loading. I had it start in full surround. Suddenly, I stood at the top of a steep hill. He appeared before me. Doug was his name. The ...

Windows to the Soul

Author : JY Saville "Iridescent," she said without looking. "Aren't they?" Henry Deaton shook his head, exasperated that his wife still couldn't remember the colour of his eyes. "Never mind," he replied. He raced up on deck and peered through the reinforced bubble covering ...

Airplane

Author : William Tracy I am an airplane. The wind whistles down my fuselage as I soar in the bright sky, the earth spread beneath me. I pull a barrel roll for the sheer joy of it, weave through an invisible slalom course in the sky. A voice crackles in my mind. “You aren’t ...

Romeo Uniform November

Author : Steve Smith, Staff Writer Claire cleared the fire-doors just moments before they sealed the lab. She knew they would hold for a while, but still ran down the corridor dragging the unconscious Doctor behind her. He out-massed her by a wide margin, but she severely ...

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