Quelling the Insurrection
Author: R. J. Erbacher The leather-wrapped handle of his dual-edged battle-axe was slick in his clenching fists. The snow-coated everything of Sverre’s including his helmet, beard, massive bare arms, and boots. He was in the seventh or the tenth line of men, he really…
read moreTrolley Protocol
Author: Glenn Leung Good evening, parents and teachers. As you all know, I was the engineer in charge of investigating the accident. I’ll begin by recapping what was on the news. Eighteen-year-old Samantha Chen was on her phone and did not see the STOP signal for the…
read moreThe Trial of Socrates
Author: Hart St. John Ring, Ring… “You’ve reached the dwelling of Socrates, if you’ve called hoping for a public apology, please hang up, and don’t call again. Hemlock suppliers, please leave me detailed instructions on where to procure your wares. Time is of the…
read moreThe Time Wanderer
Author: Irene Montaner Time was born the moment Erisha did. And when she breathed for the first time, in and out, a world was brought to life. A land of flames and fumes. Erisha made herself a home in it and watched time go by from the warmth of her hearth. Decades,…
read moreDiplomatic and Justified
Author: Jae Miles, Staff Writer They throw me through a window, barely a grey panel against the dusk of the underground I’m falling through. I can just about make out the floor – it’s coming up fast. Using the slight angle of my fall, I try for a roll-out and nearly…
read moreThe Law of Conservation
Author: Daniel Tenner Every 10 seconds, we birth another child in the black hole. This one, Amy Freida Felicia Lua, is a daughter, I think, for now at least. She’s three seconds old already. We are traveling through the infoverse together, I’m showing her the data…
read moreDesolation on the Third Rock
Author: Irene Montaner The planet gleamed faintly under the light of its star. Beneath a thin layer of clouds, its surface was mostly blue. Navy blue, according to the photosensors. Earth used to be the planet’s name. Voyager 11 had traveled for centuries and covered…
read moreSoulmates
Author: David Berger (The Phenomenon Known As “Soulmates” – Ms. Blu) “Why are you always complaining?” my wife asked me one night from across the kitchen. “You’ve got me; you love your work; we have a nice home; good friends; the sex is great.” “Yeah, great,” I said….
read moreThe End of History
Author: Glenn Leung Levi ducked around the corner, cowering as the teenagers closed in with their crowbars, pipes and other hard-hitting objects. He wanted to run, but his brass soles would give him away. He had no choice but to extract the soft plastic layer from his…
read moreSky Watching
Author: Breeze Navarro This is it. I remember the nights the scent of mint would gently pull me to consciousness. Our home would be lit by a single candle. You don’t want to disturb the darkness too much, mom would say. I’d sip tea. She’d sip whiskey and tell me the…
read more“How Much?”
Author: Lynn Finger “How much to fix this glitch?” I said. “You can’t afford it,” he tossed back. We were suspended in our respective amplifications, parked in an enabled space elevator made from light. We were formed and holding in the black expanse, our talk focused…
read moreWelcome to Cloneville
Author: Jae Miles, Staff Writer They stare at me as I go by. Heart-shaped faces, pale skin, a hint of freckles, eyes like summer sky reflecting in still ponds. Every day since I got here, they stop what they’re doing to watch me go by. Still makes me uncomfortable,…
read moreSpaced
Author: Shon-Lueiss Harris The dining hall offered the best view. All the brushed steel and matte finishes throughout the rest of the ship stopped at the door. Entering the kitchen felt like stepping into a new world replete with delightful aromas, vibrant colors, and…
read moreOne More Shot
Author: Griffon Kaye You sit on the bathroom floor to smoke, on the thin rug, back hunched up against the tub. Whatever, your back hurts anyway, twenty minutes on the hard floor isn’t going to make it any worse, you’re not that old yet. Sit in the bathroom because…
read moreThe Vanished
Author: R. J. Erbacher I was twenty minutes outside the airport going 65 on the interstate headed to a meeting to smooth some feathers; my illustrious job. Watching the road around me I passed a bus on my right, in front of that was a small red hatchback, then an…
read moreThe Lucky Ones
Author: Chris Stewart “Dr. Marco Nutrice. M-A-R-C…” The council chairman, rumpled and sleep-deprived, interrupted, “Doctor Nutrice.” The witness, far chipper, countered. “Noo-trees” “Pardon?” “It is pronounce, noo-trees.” “My apologies, Doctor.” Sighed the chairman….
read moreDreams of a Traveler
Author: R. Michael Jenny sat looking at the wonders out her window. In her right hand, she slowly twirled a bit of her silky, auburn hair, and in the other hand, she held a pen. Though intending to jot something down, she mostly just chewed on the end. In her mind’s…
read moreRed Queen
Author: David Barber “So,” Hoffmann said to Cally. “You are the poet. The one who claims to hear meanings in queentalk that our software misses.” The man from Transuranics GmbH had brought his own translator rig; Cally listened to it murmuring the subtext of…
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