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
I went into the bodyshop to order new legs. The assistant had a screen projection in front of his face, but he burst it as I came up to the counter. Gleaming limbs hung from the wall behind him. He… Continue Reading
Jandwat knew he was going to copulate tonight. No matter what his wife said. “If we aren’t home for the latest holo-episode of Galactic Crime Investigators, there’ll be no mating ritual,” she said. Jandwat rolled his eyes as he set… Continue Reading
“Say again, Control. Should I cut the red or the blue wire?” I wait, cutters poised in mid-air above both. Status reports scroll through my eyeline, but I ignore them. Every previous time I’ve dealt with an Improvised Explosive Device… Continue Reading
The Traveler’s name was Renapath, it was Wastool… once Schloopy. He had answered to all these names. Quick jumps among a legion of hosts clouded the memory, and few Travelers could recall clearly their origins, hampered as they were by… Continue Reading
The young man leaned closer to Dave and said with quiet menace, “Are you ready, David? I don’t want you making any more… mistakes. Follow the script I approved.” “I’ll do my job,” Dave answered, leaning away and avoiding eye… Continue Reading