The house was unoccupied. Private Fritz and Private Altamin had cleared it in the usual way, breaking through the sliding door at the rear, securing the mostly open downstairs including the tricky closet in the half-bath, and then getting through the choke point made by the staircase to check the loft and two bedrooms upstairs.… Continue reading House Cleaning
Tag: Military
The Past Casts Shadows As Long As the Future
Marshall sat on the ledge of the fountain in the square in front of the Naluo Center, tucked between the imposing towers of the city and the more imposing crowds that scurried frantically at street level. He was early for his interview; career change. Naluo had a good program, or so he'd been told. He… Continue reading The Past Casts Shadows As Long As the Future
Spacejacked
The Phorcys 72-72 was unremarkable for a passenger spaceliner as far as most people could tell. However, a handful of engineers at Beryl Manufacturing could point out that it was the only commercial spaceliner with a cargo hold that had a dedicated pressurization system and seals. The design was a marketing tactic that failed to… Continue reading Spacejacked
Intro to Endings
"Over the last several months, you've trained hard, and you've learned how to kill." Commander Imogen Diver paused while the would-be operatives elbowed each other and snickered with self-satisfaction. "This week, you're going to learn how to die." That shut them up. She stood in the shifting light of the projector, watching cold fear wax… Continue reading Intro to Endings
Sidelined
"Damnit, Snooze, watch the spread. What are you doing back there?" Lt. Bram "Twofer" Vuurtoren fought his hardest to keep his heartrate level. The flashes of starburst beams scattered broken prisms of light through the cockpit of his missile corvette like firecrackers going off on his lap. He dogged his target as they spiraled dangerously… Continue reading Sidelined
Memory Games
There was a high droning hum. Ice water came down in buckets like razors licking at her cheeks and shoulders and thighs. Oh, she thought, it's me; I'm screaming. I thought I was dead. "Wake up, Violet. Wake up." Her body was a vague outline in her own head, a far away pain that she was tethered… Continue reading Memory Games
Without Warning
Declan hit the water without so much as a splash. The radiation increased the viscosity and surface tension. He waited for his heavy armor to pull him downward, holding still to avoid creating bubbles. He soon reached the metallic floor, below the reach of the spotlights high above, and he army crawled his way to… Continue reading Without Warning
Private Casser’s Patrol
Private Casser slogged through the mud and rubble. The late afternoon sun was at his back, leaving him to trudge endlessly into his own shadow. Patches of reeds stood in tall, defiant patches, but the radiation would do its work for years and years until the reeds yielded like the buildings that had come before… Continue reading Private Casser’s Patrol
A Nice Fantasy
The sun was a few degrees past he zenith; it was early afternoon. The clouds from this morning's rain were far to the southeast now, towards the mountains, leaving only blue skies and the scent of water in their tracks. The patches of greenery atop the white marble tower applauded politely in the breeze as… Continue reading A Nice Fantasy
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