Most people didn’t notice when the cataclysm came. A new dawn came and everyone went on as usual, unaware that everything had changed. But at first, it was only the little things that were different. Cataclysms are supposed to come with hellfire and trumpets. With nuclear launch codes and packs of ravening zombies. Alien abductions. Continue
Author: tlryder
The Rooted Ones (SF)
Supplementary Log: First Crew Rotation of the Incident Situation Report: After suffering from an as-of-yet unknown systems failure, the Trawlenmastre 33.752 has lost course and fallen into a gravity well. Though the inertial dampers came back online before we made impact with the orbital body in the gravity well, the resulting atmospheric pressure wave decimated Continue
Word Fame (SF)
Hetty studied the derelict with eager eyes. Six months out of the service, her freelance scrapping career had not been as profitable as she had imagined. Sure, she made enough to cover maintenance, docking fees, and feed herself but not much more. Her ship was too small for the bigger jobs. No room for spares Continue
The Edge of Lusk Pt. 2 (Fantasy)
“You can sleep in my barn,” Clorinda said after stuffing him with deer meat stew and biscuits with bull berry jam. “If you go straightways to your claim instead of going back the way you came, you can be back before week’s end.” “So you won’t help us?” Pete said, staring steadfastly into his empty Continue
The Edge of Lusk Pt. 1 (Fantasy)
The problem with the mine started the day Mike Mallone died. Mike died a slow death, innards crushed in a cave-in that was as mysterious as it was horrifying. As he lay on his cot, abdomen bloating in the late summer heat, he rambled. Pete Yetter, known as “Young Pete” to the crew, shifted from Continue
Downtown Nirvana (Magical Realism)
The dawnlight was just beginning to leak over the far-off hills above the city. A tint of pink illuminated the tops of the trees. Below, the city in the valley was still shrouded in semi-darkness, streetlights still giving a glimmer before winking their last greeting to the rising sun. Then the moment passed and the Continue
Reborn Pt. 3 (SFF)
One bright morning a year later, she stood at parade rest with the rest of her training squadron in the great quadrangle of Brundt Palace. Warlord Marc had promised to review the troops. As on previous occasions, nobody expected him to actually show, but the commanders mustered the troops for the form of it anyhow. Continue
Reborn Pt 2 (SFF)
“Seriah, you’re awake!” Ren said from the foot of the unfamiliar bed that she lay in. “What? Who’s awake?” Daria croaked. She blinked and tried to clear her eyes of the crust that had gummed them shut. One eye opened at the expense of a few eyelashes. Ren’s golden eyes were reddened and swollen and Continue
Reborn Pt. 1 (SFF)
Warning: This story contains very mild spoilers for Ran Shaipur. This far under, the water was a green-black, malevolent presence. The pressure crushed her lungs as the currents tangled her legs. Water weeds and her own skirts conspired to drag her further under. She tipped her face toward the lighter surface of the pond and Continue
Outcast
if I had not been unwanted rejected abandoned cast out my life would have been small mean drab inane instead I have had room to wonder explore expand and love in the comfort of my own strange skin
