P and M jumped in and out of bodies. They preferred good-looking 20-somethings, with interesting jobs. Considerable time was spent observing potentials before attaching. They would usually leave by the mid-30s. P liked having many sexual partners. M preferred to… Continue Reading
Iggy was a curious rock, expelled from an adventurous planet to travel to an unknown new world, Earth. The journey was long. Rocks make ideal interstellar travelers; they have no need of support equipment and bear the boredom well. Iggy… Continue Reading
The Mother marched her son past the kettles and toasters. “I’m returning him,” she told the sales assistant. “This child is not suitable.” The boy fidgeted with the buttons on his school blazer, lip trembling. “Stop fiddling, Jeremy!” The Mother… Continue Reading
If she went back over her logs she might be able to say when Oliver changed, from a hundred and two centimetres and brown hair and big knees, to a hundred and sixty-two centimetres and white hair and wobbly legs.… Continue Reading
Four ranks wide, thirty deep. He could feel the fear of every one of them. Feel it crawling up his back, pressing through the seams of his armor, working through every gasket and seal. It wouldn’t last long, a mayfly… Continue Reading
Cherry Peters, commander of the American Sector’s moon base, was considering disobeying orders. “A Halloween get together?” she raged. “What kind of publicity stunt is that?” “It’s a secret, UN-sponsored meeting, Ma’am,” replied Peters’ communications officer. “Conducted under a radio… Continue Reading
We lived in blinks, a few seconds here or there, never more than a minute. You just pop back into existence, like you’d only been daydreaming. You’re always welcomed by a chemical odor reminiscent of burnt plastic or fat liquefied… Continue Reading
Randle lowered his Stetson and nodded. An after-image singed his retina as he crossed through the gateway to the back of the queue. Along a dusty road, a line of people snaked towards a diner with a neon sign blinking… Continue Reading
The aliens came down and wanted to help. They gave away free technotricks to big firms like Westworld Petroleum, Royal Dutch Smell, and Coke Oil. The economy boomed and everybody was happy. The aliens just wanted one thing in return… Continue Reading
We march forward, just the three of us, winding through the endless maze of the toxic jungle. My brother’s boots squelch in the sucking mud, pools of dark liquid earth cast with a purple, oily sheen. Unnatural, and yet completely… Continue Reading