“Phase Blue! Launch all fighters! Civilian ships to Delta formation!” shouted the lieutenant. Orders were barked across the bridge as dozens small red circles appeared on the 360°-view portal. A raiding party had dropped out of dimensional shift at multiple points around the convoy as it reconfigured their nav trajectories; an opportune moment for an … More Circle the Wagons
“Again,” came the command. “Yes, sir,” grumbled Eric. He knew what the outcome would be, but he set up the testing apparatus again. Being a lowly tech meant no one would pay his prediction any mind. “Is it ready?” asked the officer with stars on his shoulder. “Yes, sir,” repeated Eric as he verified the … More Beta
My fellow Americans, I’m speaking to you today because we have the privilege to be the stewards of a new age for our great nation and the world. We today must be brave and bold. As stalwart as those who first sailed across the vast oceans with nary a hope of survival. Since the dawn … More My Fellow Americans
It’s a sensation that the astronaut is all too familiar with by now, the lack of gravity, of sound, of any sort of sensation at all. He’s immune to the effect now, space walks being as commonplace as they were. This is different, though. Even though he can’t feel it, he knows he is travelling … More G’s
“Do you require anything else, Master Joshua?” “No, thank you, Kara-2.” “Then I shall take my leave of you.” That was a lie. Though the robot, standing six feet tall with strong, slender shoulders and a pretty, friendly face, turned on its heels and left the room, it wasn’t actually gone. The physical body had … More Complacency
“Because I’m cursed, John.” Daisy sat on the front porch of her family’s big white house with her friend from school, John. She pushed herself back and forth in the swing using her toe, which was just barely touching the wood of the deck. Her arms were crossed over her blue overalls and a single … More Cursed
“It’s awakening,” said Thel. “Oh, good,” replied Bir. “Yet another drone.” “Yes. And what a glorious addition it will be to the expedition.” “It’s a cog, nothing more, Thell. Your romantic notions are tiresome.” “My romantic notions drive us ever forward, Bir. You could use a sense of wonder in the work that we are … More 01001110 01000101 01110111 (New)
Jonah sat in his bed, the sheets pooled at his feet. He wore no shirt and only thin pajama pants covering his legs. The night was hot and his open window offered little in the way of relief. He had considered sleeping in his boxers to try and escape the heat, but now was glad … More Midnight
The small orb had been in his possession for four days now and had been confounding Eldrich at every turn. One day it was absorbing sunlight and turning it into energy as though it was photosynthetic, the next it was consuming dead crickets and using them for fuel. Other days it took light and amplified it without using any observable energy or changing in temperature at all. The weight and size of the object never changed, no matter how much output it had or how much it consumed. It always sat at a constant 3.5489 kilograms and had a radius of 7.874 centimeters. It didn’t eat, it only absorbed, as though it was osmotic, but with compounds besides water. It had no face nor any sort of communicative output, yet was mocking him. His anger grew until he spoke for the first time in hours.
“Damn it, why aren’t you obeying the laws of physics?” … More Physical
Where am I now? Ramone wondered. He felt nothing in his fingers and toes, could see nothing, hear nothing, nor could he taste air, yet he did exist. His thoughts were as clear as ever and he could reason that since he was thinking, then he was still real. Oftentimes, when he was a young man … More Ghost in the Machine
Aaron Nieson 