Fictional Worlds

Author: Rick Tobin Baylen continued with standard disease treatment questions for applicants, after verifying Sheila Barston’s financial capabilities. Baylen took on a wizened senior’s appearance f…

Author: Jae Miles, Staff Writer “You’re going to record this?” “Of course. The world must know.” “So, this is where I’m supposed to tell all about the nefarious schemes my diabolical organisation h…

Author: Philip Berry Reciprocation minus 90 minutes: Rebecca Fenton tapped in the melt codes, but the circle of light that had appeared briefly on her curved monitor persisted as a dense shadow in …

Author: Rick Tobin “Nobody makes choices carelessly about losing one of their senses, but you know the risk of blowing your neural nets outweighs keeping all your Earthly capacities.” Paloma Derth …

Author: C.R. Caison The laser round exploded in a flash of light by Yuri’s head. He jumped and rolled to the side before a second shot struck the wall where he’d been standing. The blast weakened t…

Author: Jae Miles, Staff Writer I’ve shipped many things since the day I left Oktoberfeld. Some legal, many dubious, a few contraband, and nineteen wanted beings. Technically, this is my twentieth.…

Author: Mina Ana waved at the barperson with rainbow hair and forced herself to speak louder than usual to order a Cosmic Sunrise with a Twist. The drink was slapped in front of her as she waved he…

Author: David C. Nutt Hand in hand they walked up the hill to look at the night sky. “Am I old enough for the download Papa?” The old man smiled. “Yes sweet pea, you’re old enough. Been old e…

Author: Dylan Otto Krider We thought after landing on the moon, we would be like Christopher Columbus, and usher a new world. In turned out, we were like the Vikings, who frittered around before be…

Author: Ron Humble The most deadly device ever conceived by the human mind has not been a weapon, but a word. It’s a word of mass destruction. Its danger lies not in the power to motivate foolish a…

Author: Ken Carlson Ron had some time before the cartoon was over. He saw Dan the cameraman who glanced at his Timex and silently signaled, “three minutes.” Ron remained in the wings, enjoying the …

Author: Mina CROSS PATCH Merike caught him out the usual way. Why were cheating spouses so unoriginal? She’d wondered who he was messaging non-stop on his wrist com, so she’d hacked it. She was ang…

Author: Jae Miles, Staff Writer Do you see the snow as it gently falls? Can you feel the frost as it climbs the walls? How do you feel now our world is gone? Why did you leave us to carry on? Well,…

Author: Patrick Hueller Peter cinches his only tie, pushes the bathroom door open, and there Laine is: standing in their bedroom, trembling with excitement. He’s never gotten used to seeing her tre…

Author: Joachim Heijndermans “And thus concludes this portion of our tour,” said Theo to his group. “If there aren’t any further questions, I suggest we all sit down for lunch and–,” He…

Author: Mina Newsflash: The outpost supply ship Reliant exploded this morning at 09:00 earth time. All 62 crew members died instantly. The Nicene anti-expansionists claimed the attack as one of the…

Author : Duncan Shields, Staff Writer It started, as these things always do, with a kiss. Advice is useless to the young. That is their curse and their strength. They have no idea that some of the …

Author: Alex Sventeckis “Have you ever skinny dipped before?” Raheleh winked with his second eyelid, and Rian tried mightily not to blush. She hid reddening cheeks underneath her mop of blonde hair…

Author: Jae Miles, Staff Writer “Everybody ready?” “Hell, no. I want to go home.” “I didn’t ask where you’d rather be, Andrei. I want to know if your suit is sealed so you don’t give us away.” Mute…

Author : Scott Hallford They called him Dragon. I never understood why until I saw one of his “shows”—the little gatherings in the dark alley behind the pub. Some folks traveled over from War…

Author : Mattias Ahlvin The man in the gray overcoat sat in his old station wagon. He waited. He took a sip of coffee from an old thermos and adjusted his glasses. He glanced at his watch and looke…

Author : Jae Miles, Staff Writer “Why are we all the way out here? If we had taken the Rigel mission, I could have been home for mid-winter revel.” Chapni sighed. That was the problem with the Urul…

Author: Kate Runnels Tan sighed as he turned course, with the gimbaled piloting stick, following the search pattern. They needed to find a flux field. Even a flux point. That would take them somewh…

Author: Rebecca Field Each time I go to the morgue, I expect to find him. And then each time I leave, I wish that I could fall asleep and not wake up again. Become one of them. Lined up in death, a…

Author : Andrew Bale At a touch of her finger, the words on the single sheet of paper scrolled and changed, revealing the final words of the story. Angeline sighed. It had been a good book, and she…

Author : Janet Shell Anderson The sunlight’s dim, strange, blood colored. “I was framed.” He doesn’t say “That’s what they all say.” He doesn’t know enough. He doesn’t know what I am, what he is, w…

Author : Leanne A. Styles I skip down the corridor, swinging my gun in delight. Even above the wail of the alarms, Ben’s screams carry, amplified by the lofty glass walls. As I enter the stairwell,…

Author : N. Thomas Parshall “Twenty minutes to launch, Shortfall” “Roger that, Command. Shortfall ready for launch.” “Copy. Stand by.” Lt. Commander Warren Sheffield looked over at his co-pilot, Ma…

“So what you’re saying is that—” “What I’m saying is that I want you to look at me when you speak!” Christie scowled at her husband. It was an argument they’d had at least a dozen t…

Author : Jae Miles, Staff Writer The tide is full of bodies and the sky is filled with lies. Sullen waves roll corpses back and forth, trailing organic tatters in varying shades of death. Above me,…