by Eva Schultz Dear Charlie, I need to say a few things before I go. Captain Mayfield says it’s best to put our affairs in order before a trip like this. I haven’t said anything to you, because I didn’t want to upset you needlessly. But now that it’s time to leave, I realize that…
Read moreCrossing the Barrens
by Paul Stansbury Will was searching the skies over the Barrens. “Will, stop daydreaming,” Ryan called. He stood up, stretching his aching back. “If you want any supper tonight, we need to finish digging the blueroot before nightfall.” “I wasn’t daydreaming, I was looking for it.” “You won’t see it.” “Why?” “Because it landed last…
Read moreThe Greatest Emptiness
by James Moran “Good, I caught your attention.” “Here at the center of the galaxy, you stick out.” “And why’s that?” “The standard of cleanliness you observe surpasses that of the outlaws and murdererssheltering in these parts. Who referred you to me?” “No one. That’s how I was able to find you.” “Explain yourself.” “I…
Read moreFlight of the Rainbow Dragon
by Christina Moore The attack was over in seconds. But even a half a second would have been enough to destroy my entire investment. The fuel it took to get here, the food, the rum, every credit I paid my squad of hired goons– each burning bottled atmosphere at the rate of two tanks per…
Read moreStorm Over the Ashlands
by Garrett Kirby Two small, horrendously gaunt forms waited with building anticipation as their father climbed the ancient, rusted ladder leading from the underground tunnels to the ruins above. Both of their mouths were twisted up into large, crooked grins which clearly showcased their avid excitement. When their father assured them it was safe to…
Read moreOffload
by Michael Just It’s just that at night I have to offload, is all. If I don’t offload, I’ll get real sick by morning. Some days, I just call in sick because I haven’t done a complete wipe by the a.m. I appear normally enough. Normally? Is that a word? I have a job, an…
Read moreWelcome Home
by Dan Yokum He’s eighteen now, graduated, and ready to leave the bay. Ready to leave his father who fishes for scraps in the dirty water, and his mother who sells bread on the docks. He’s struggled enough, the misfit, the weirdo. As everyone and everything around him falls apart, he’s still always the kid…
Read moreA Whole New Form of Warfare
by James Moran It was hard to locate the scent of our exact meeting spot against the barometric pressure fluctuations. Clouds wandered overhead. The landscape was desert as far as the eye could see. Terrain such as this were common enough for our showdowns. No perceptive species around to witness the flashes, smell the ozone,…
Read moreLight as Air
by Peter Medeiros Lauren Chen didn’t think the crinoline would cause any trouble. It seemed innocuous enough when her stepdaughter Delwyn, almost fifteen now, pointed to a shop window and said, “That’s what I was telling you about! It’s from France. They used to make them with horsehair, but now they’re all supported with a…
Read moreHow to Kill an Electric Man
by Glenn Dungan He is wiry and nude, sprawled between a tumbleweed of wires from a gutted EMP and a pond of lichen which repopulated this once full and vibrant place. Wisps of smoke rise from the crater and disappears into the air. Jack goes into the crater to check on the man. He puts…
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