Static screams across the graveyard, a cascade of black and white snow that only a fool would consider beautiful. It is, even to my eyes, a television-screen blur, the feed coming through my optic-receiver lost for a moment in the… Continue Reading
Eureka! I’ve been waiting a lifetime to say that. I can’t wait to see Wolkoff and Liu and all of those other Self-Organizing Society snobs and rub this in their faces. I did it first. I conquered where they failed.… Continue Reading
The guitar would cost extra. Liam tallied up the baggage costs in his head. His son usually forgot something important like underwear or Ted Bear. Liam didn’t remember seeing Ted last night when he tucked his son into bed, though.… Continue Reading
Six-year old John barely fit in the storage cabinet, even with his knees pulled close to his chest. Red light pulsed in tempo with the blaring alarm klaxon, bleeding in around the door’s edges. Where was Mom? When the alarm… Continue Reading
“Our health plan doesn’t cover this.” “I know, but it’s the only hope you’ve got. The doctors are saying that it’s a serious case, that your liver will fail within weeks and that you’ll lose brain function with it. It’s… Continue Reading
He had the perfect face of a professional boy toy, but his eyes were blank and yellow. Sol system law required androids to have yellow eyes. “Mister Arbogast,” he said in flat, plastic tones. “My name is Alexander. I want… Continue Reading
Captain Balkan strode forward, his semi-transparent shield casting rainbow shadows across the desert sand. Two red-shirted crewmen without shields followed, trying to hide behind him. As they rounded the sand dune, the captain spotted exposed bone peeking out from under… Continue Reading
We’re the best ventriloquist act there’s ever been, and we always will be. It was tough at the start. We came in when vent acts were on the way out. People thought they were old-fashioned, like jugglers and mimics. The… Continue Reading
“I have no idea, sir,” I lied, adding creatively, “Perhaps tomorrow?” Ralph Sigma-Two continued dancing from foot to foot. “Wutterfuk?” He bawled in a brief interlude from biting his bitty fingernails. “Wutterfuk ‘no idea’?” He aimed a vicious kick at… Continue Reading
AR-D6 was first on the scene, bursting through the door to find a little girl and a corpse smeared with blood. The girl looked up with a tear-streaked face and asked if mommy was okay. Her name was Tallulah, age… Continue Reading