by Curtis A. Bass Lieutenant Caleb Cooper “Burke! Move your ass. We’re on a timeline here,” Gilmore barked. There he goes, showing his ass again. I wish he’d just lay off. “Ignore him,” I whispered, my face close to Burke’s ear as I worked on his helmet. Louder I said, “Hold yer damn horses, Cap….
Read moreThe Forbidden Martian
by Margaret Karmazin I awoke and struggled to sit up. It was dark except for emergency floor lights, and I was ravenous. The door to my cell was wide open. Groggy and confused, I sat up, then very carefully stood. Where were my torturers? Why was it cold? Not sure of my strength, I crawled…
Read moreFractured Mirth
“Fractured Mirth” by Sherry Shahan Iris longs to be with others who resist State laws; others who risk punishment to express themselves however they choose; others who believe that what a person dreams is more important than exams devised to test how little you know about history. She’s been searching for a group she heard…
Read moreKeep Your Friends Close…
Keep Your Friends Close… by Richard Helmling (with compliments to Alan Dean Foster) He thought he was starting to get pretty good at reading the alien’s moods by how its feelers twitched. The Methcalt—a loose aural analogue of the name another species used for them—had no spoken language. They were capable of creating some sounds,…
Read moreIn the Name of Ammalee
The cave was the last place Kold expected to see a preacher. There were plenty of preachers protesting at the entrance to the cave. And there were even more lining the roads that brought him and his sister there. More than once they had to ditch the road entirely, just to arrive safely. But they…
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