"You are the Deathmind." Tul shivers, though the humid blackness that envelopes him is warm. A salivating steel maw. The solitary red point of light shifts in an implacable way. "A weak statement, more so for its implications than its approximations." It hurt just to hear the Deathmind speak, like its voice turned Tul's bones… Continue reading Deathmind
Category: Science Fiction
Starslinger
"They say it's the work of a Starslinger." Eyes widened and hands covered mouths during the rapturous silence that followed. Only Bilia had something to say, and it was as against the grain as ever. "Then they're wrong." Nine turning faces made him the focal point of a human parabola, wearing expressions that said I'm not… Continue reading Starslinger
Neon Orbits
Caracara 7-12 had been daydreaming, for lack of a better word, for...well, for a long time. Objectively speaking, anyway. He—it still thought of itself as a he, old habits and such—was watching the neon orbits of the galactic center, stars whipping around Sagittarius like a carnival swing ride. It was hypnotic. When he slowed his… Continue reading Neon Orbits
A Bad Way to Go
"Goddammit, Darian! Let. Me. In. That's an order!" She pounded on the plexiglass partition, leaving a sticky palm-shaped residue like strawberry preserves. Ensign Darian Harn knew that he was safe on this side of the airlock, but he took two steps back anyway, bracing himself against the back of the flight chair. "I can't do that,… Continue reading A Bad Way to Go
Fluke
Far away, in a galaxy which we have not yet catalogued, in a time we could call the present—though to do so would be at the midpoint of a span terminating at impractical at one end and meaningless at the other—there is a planet that we shall call Fluke. On planet Fluke, there are things… Continue reading Fluke
Revelations of Pilgrimage
Enev wasn't the least bit interested in the pseudo-religious Pilgrimage, but was even less enthused about making the journey with his parents. Going with his grandfather, Hershel, had been the compromise. Grandpa Hershel had nearly a century on Enev, and the two remained cordial but had little in common—they didn't even look alike. They spent… Continue reading Revelations of Pilgrimage
Professional Courtesy
"Captain Itsu to the cockpit, please." There was no acknowledgement, but moments later there were two klanks against the hatch. I buzzed him in. "Problem, Aviator?" I looked back over my shoulder, past the captain, at the squadron seated in the cabin, and then nodded at the co-pilot's chair. He made his aggravation known but… Continue reading Professional Courtesy
Zyz’s Syzygy
Zyz awoke staring straight into the sun through a shattered skylight. Full charge. Elapsed down-cycle: 14:11:55.25. She remembered now wandering the tunnels for days in the dark and then scrambling to find a place to recharge before a forced shut down. In the end she'd had to tap into the aux capacitors to stay conscious;… Continue reading Zyz’s Syzygy
Souvenirs From the Front
Pearl stood at the foot of her bed, staring at it with trepidation, not feeling the least bit like sleeping. She glimpsed herself in the mirror; it was getting worse. She wished Reyna were here. She was a good partner, even if she couldn't actually help. Reyna would wake Pearl from her terrors and rub… Continue reading Souvenirs From the Front
Garden of the Lightflowers
I missed home. I missed my garden. So I planted a new garden, right in the middle of everything in an unused emptiness. I added nutrients to make it fertile and put in scaffolding, a trellis of sorts, to give it structure. I love my new garden. I grow lightflowers—uninspired, I know. No braided vines… Continue reading Garden of the Lightflowers
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