"Martin...what is this place?" The intricate web of the jump-gate network was the backbone society. Without it, every star system would be as isolated as if it were its own self-contained universe, at least as far as humans were concerned. But the jump-gates weren't built by humans. They were built by someone else; someone long… Continue reading The Crypt at the End of Time
Tag: Alien Relics
Beneath the Mondlebrid
The rushing sound of 15 million cubic meters of water diverted off course drowned out the sounds of the pumps. It drowned out the sounds of the endless procession of heavy equipment and raw materials for the constructors. It drowned out thought, and the city did not sleep. The last cranes were erected by first… Continue reading Beneath the Mondlebrid
A Very Old Door
Denton sat uncomfortably across from the Secretary of Defense. The chair was fine, but he was a man meant to be on his feet. She handed him a tablet displaying an image of a metallic circle surrounded by gray dirt. “This was taken four hours ago at a secret dig site in the Nishina crater… Continue reading A Very Old Door
A Collection of Martian Antiquities
"Can I just tell you something?" The detective removed his rain-soaked wide brim hat and plunked it on top of tall shipping crate. Water pooled and soaked into the splintery pine. The crate held an ancient statue that most would consider priceless. But Viktor wasn't most: he set the price at $480 million. "I would… Continue reading A Collection of Martian Antiquities
Mapping the Tetra
"Seen one Tetra, seen 'em all. What'd I tell you?" "More than I asked for," said Pia. "I hired a pilot, not a color commentator. Stay the course." The impossible bulk of a Predecessor Tetra loomed before them, a lightyear to a side and as smooth and as black as any human tool could measure.… Continue reading Mapping the Tetra
Canaries
Trent never committed a crime, but he found himself a convict anyway. Wasn't uncommon. He'd heard one in five citizens across the empire was a convict now—more than starvation, or even Phlox Syndrome. It was probably all exaggerated, but for every grain of salt there was a grain of truth to go with it. The… Continue reading Canaries
Bait
It was a gray day—overcast but bright, and the brightness amplified by a patchwork of melting snow. Cold puddles formed in the mud like tidepools along the shore of some vast alkaline ocean, still and lifeless. Karsaca remained vigilant, her finger at the ready, and tried not to think about the dryness of her eyes… Continue reading Bait
Nothing Comes From Nothing
The tunnel walls were smooth as blown glass, hard as diamond, and cold as everything else in the empty depths between the stars. A brown marbling splintered across the cream-colored surface like veins. Jiten had never seen anything like it anywhere in the solar system, and he'd been to three rocky planets and a hundred… Continue reading Nothing Comes From Nothing
Resplendent Roulette
"Bull shit," said Myke with his distinctive edge-world drawl. "I got ten coin and a brand new jacket that says you ain't got the guts." He held his hand to his eyes and squinted as the clouds passed and the twin suns beamed warmly on the three boys standing in the short silvery grasses. "You ain't… Continue reading Resplendent Roulette
Ex Astris
Roman's heart raced. This was it. The culmination of three years of painstaking nonstop work. Truly nonstop; he'd found it easier to live in the lab for the last several months—years? Surely it was only months—venturing out less and less frequently. His fellow lab assistants shared his zeal, but no one could compare to Dr.… Continue reading Ex Astris
Warmup Pages 