Author: Robert Beech The sun rises slowly over the horizon, its pale rays piercing the low-lying clouds to illuminate the circle of standing stones as they have done for millennia. The arc of time turns slowly, biting its own tail like the worm Ouroboros, spinning endlessly ...

Author: Alzo David-West Struik's heart was pacing. She went into Data-comM. “Keting, I have something to tell you,” she said. “What is it?” “The UDL–it's autonomous.” “But I thought it was autonomous,” Keting replied. “No, I mean it's really ...

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer He’s banging on my helm with some ornate looking rod. The noise is incredible. Echoes of echoes. Being found is usually welcome after so long doing math problems in my head, but this is a bit much. “Hey! I can see you! Stop hitting this ...

Author: David C. Nutt Christopher Robin stopped to catch his breath. He wasn’t actually the Christopher Robin but he was a Christopher Robin. What made him a Christopher Robin (a C.R.) was the chip set his parents got for his 8th birthday to help him bond with the family ...

Author: Alastair Millar “Given the different composition of the atmosphere,” said the surgeon carefully, “your lungs will need to be entirely replaced.” No problem. Even as a student, I’d known that xenobiology would require sacrifices. “The artificial eyes should mean ...

Author: Amy Dusto ON My motor whirs and my wheels start to spin. Obstacle ahead, turn, obstacle ahead, turn. Bump. I’m not driving, just a passenger, watching through 180 degrees. Everything’s red. I engage in a three-hour wander until I automatically slow. Searching, ...

Author: John McNeil "You won't get it," said Granan. "I'm better." They strode the polished halls of the Mentalist Academy. Marcus tossed his head. "No you aren't," he said. "But I'd get it even so. Preceptor Elius likes me, and knows you're an arrogant foistling." There it was, the ...

Author: John McNeil "Before you plead, remember you lived your whole life under surveillance." She's right. There is no defense. I grew up during the death of privacy, when everything was recorded and stored, never to be forgotten. "A foothill of trash. A kiloton of ...

Author: Riley Meachem “You know, this is the third damn time this week alone that cab’s broke down. I still ain’t seen you do shit about it,” Chalks Mabley leaned against the side of the cruiser, face dour. Then again, his face was almost always dour. “What do you want ...

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer She stands there in the street, head cocked to one side, hair in disarray. I pause to watch what happens next. These ‘no loitering’ walkways are still new to smaller towns. A patrol drone rolls up next to her. It beeps in what’s supposed ...

Author: John McNeil Excuse me, I thought it was my turn. You had your hours and hours to say your so-called evidence, and now I'd like to talk about what really happened. Can we have Javert with a clipboard over here stop interrupting? Thank you. As I was trying to say, ...

Author: David Barber The Princess was touring the human quarter. She savoured these adventures, accompanied only by a human guide and her security flock. Jomo was an amusing companion. As they made their way through the raucous marketplace, he regaled the Princess with ...

Author: Stephen Murtough The blank screen became the words: Jasmine loved Jonathan more than he loved her. Thirty children were seated in individual booths with individual screens, and they each answered by pressing one of two buttons. Twenty-eight were correct. The ...

Author: Hillary Lyon “How about: ‘Rainbow’s End’?” the art consultant said as she swept her hand in an arc through the air, eyes aglitter. “How about: No,” said the polling consultant seated beside her. “That might attract little kids, I’m afraid, and that would be ...

Author: Jason Kocemba Greg has finally breathed his last. He was a good boy, faithful. He deserves to be buried and not left to be carrion, but I’m tired. In the beginning, when the dead were fresh, I buried them: single, double, mass graves, it didn’t matter. When I ...

Author: Connor Long-Johnson A crowd had gathered and soon snowballed into a frenetic mob on the bridge overlooking the river. Cries and shouts swirled in the air as the crowd surged and morphed like the uneasy river below, sirens blared in the background and two lone police ...

Author: Julian Miles, Staff Writer The third moon of Charius has an erratic orbit. The survey vessel noted that fact, but evaluated the deviation to be within acceptable margins. Nobody bothered to investigate any further because, by then, the planet was desolate: ruined by ...

Author: Brian C. Mahon Maurice yells in capitalized white letters across her left eye’s field of vision: [DO NOT MOVE.] Target confirmed - ten feet away, closing. Shiori’s training keeps excitement in check; the suit keeps her mute. The target, Meng Mei, born to the ...