The com console was awash in blood. Maricela swallowed the frightened scream that threatened to erupt from her throat. Her EVA helmet slipped from her stuttering grasp and rolled across the command deck. Its final thump made her flinch again. “Mom? Dad? Aunt Hetty? Uncle Constantine?” The only sounds came from various systems rebooting. From Continue
Tag: sff
Reborn (SF)
He was seven years old the first time he saw her. He’d been sobbing his heart out, hidden under a rose bush far from Brundt palace’s main grounds. “Who are you?” The soft, curious inquiry made him wipe his eyes on the tail of his shirt. He lifted his head. Huge eyes of midnight blue Continue
Forthright Pt. 2 (SF)
Last time: “What was that?” Hercules asked, causing Hetty to jerk from her reverie once more. “Space junk, I think.” Val shifted the view screens from a close-up of the traffic flow around Sigma to their more immediate area. “A little big to be from a ship. You think Sigma is missing a chunk?” Hetty Continue
Forthright Pt. 1 (SF)
The chief problem with being a free trader during one of the most prolonged conflicts between two major galactic powers was both larger and smaller than one might suspect. The pressing issue that haunted Captain Hetty Gaines was that of spare parts. Spare parts were dearer than hard currency from either party in the conflict Continue
The Priestess from Caithel Ur (SF)
The peace and solitude needed for meditative studies was not easy to find in the crystal palace of Caithel Ur. Dagmar’s door flew open with a slam as Tara, her eldest sister, barged in. Eilir and Tegan followed close behind, filling the room with malicious energy. “Father wants you,” Tara said without preamble. “Does he? Continue
Triumphant Pt. 2 (SF)
Previously: “How did you get on our ship?” Estelle gave Zella a cutting glare, arms folded over her chest. “I helped load your crates and didn’t get off. I hid a crate that was about my weight station-side at Antrim. Then I got myself in behind your cargo and between the ship’s ribs so that Continue
Triumphant Pt. 1 (SF)
“I’m telling you again, Captain Barnes. This is a General Union authorized free-trader hauling from Antrim VII to Wexford Station. Wexford Station is still a GU station, is it not?” Hetty paused and took her measure of the unyielding GU captain. “Or has the General Union lost territory in the last standard week since we Continue
A New Friend (SF)
It had been a while since the ships stopped coming. Lillith told herself that it didn’t matter all that much. She had everything she needed. Shelter in her prefab dome. Feasts of plenty from her diverse garden. Books to read, endless vids to watch, all paid for by her simple labor of monitoring equipment that Continue
Voyagers (SF)
How come you don’t know about them? You can’t go on your first deep mission without knowing what to do if you see one. They’re out there in the black. Some say they’re from the before times, Some say they’re proof of alien life. Folks say if you see one, you’d better make a wish, Continue
Bi-yo-Warez: New Year, New You! (SF)
“Take a resolution. I dare you.” Freya’s eyes glittered like blue ice in the reflection of the LED vending machine lights. Under the Bi-yo-Warez: New Year, New You! banner was a simple screen to enter info and make payments. The resolution, picked by biometric scan and social media analysis, would be spooled out like old-fashioned Continue
