Semperia. The Crown Jewel of the South Sea. Seat of the Fabricia throne. Capital of Harenae. It was truly...something of an eyesore. Lacus had not seen it from this angle before, from atop the hills to the south, looking at it in the midday light. It was a cloudy day, casting wide shadows across the land. He'd been born and raised in the city, only leaving it a few times after becoming a Royal Guard and returning along the road. Usually at night. City was a lot more impressive from inside. In its defense, Lacus considered that it might have looked better were there not armies marching around ..read more

"Lucifer, I did not expect to see you up here for this one.” “Gabriel, you bitch come here and hug me like you miss me! How is Dad doing?” “Oh you know, hanging out in his den.” “Still? I get it, he created everything in a week, and he deserved to rest, but come on, it's been 6,000 years. It's time he touched grass and got these hairless monkeys under control.” “Preach brother, but be careful, last time things got out of control.” “Seriously? You're gonna crack jokes about The Fall?” “Yeah I figure it's about time, plus fuck you for the whole apple thing. That completely fucked everything up ..read more

“The Troubles at Thermal Flats” “My love; It’s not that your duty is wrong. Nor am I a noble freedom fighter. It’s just that I am here, always; and someday, all of you will be gone. This is simply, my home.” Eugene Sutherland, 2503 I was just a girl, when the first of the federal marines landed on Nowhere. Before that, the Feds showed little interest in our far flung dirt infested rock. Other than the few roving indigenous from nearby star systems looking to score a deal in trade or the wayward smugglers of a variety of species, we were mostly left alone. It’s been the way of things since “Th ..read more

It was the dead of night. I don’t know why I ever woke up. Normally, when I rise in the morning, I am usually subject to listening to my family remark about how I am something of a heavy sleeper. I had been for a long time. Since my early years. But, on this particular evening, I woke up. At first, I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary. The muted roar of the AC remained present. The indigo-tinted moonlight rested upon my settled face. And, after grazing it’s outline with my hand, it appeared as though my 9mm was in the same spot it was last night. Everything was normal. But, if that wa ..read more

It happened every Christmas. The entire family descended on Grandma’s house, having the whole big traditional family shindig. Christmas dinner, gift exchange, the whole thing. And nearly every year, someone would ask Grandma to tell her story. THE story. The time she saw Grandpa’s ghost. It always went the same way: “Well, I’m here to tell ya, I don’t care what anybody says, ghosts are real, and I know it ‘cause I’ve seen one with my own two eyes. I was right here on this couch, watchin’ TV one night, late, and I heard somebody say my name- But they didn’t say Kate, like most people- They sai ..read more

“Deadly Attractor” (TOC) by P. Orin Zack [2003]   Chapter Five … Wednesday … Wednesday morning’s autocab eavesdropping left Tuesday’s in the dust. This time, the strangers that Frank shared a ride with actively sought out ways to connect their discussion with medical politics. It was obvious to him that they didn’t know much about the subject, but that didn’t stop them from trying to see reflections of it everywhere they looked. It wasn’t the topic, or even the viral spread of their misunderstandings, but rather the dynamics of the process that interested Frank, though. This was one of t ..read more

The man in the black suit and tie opened the front door of The New York News main building in Manhattan, New York and walked in. Mark was his name and he walked briskly through the building to his cubical. He passed by some of his coworkers as they typed away at their computers and talked back and forth, some with lower voices and some with high voices, and sipped coffee. He felt as if he didn't have time for small talk. He walked through the the building and into the office room and sat down at his cubical. They wanted him to write stories about mundane life, which he found to be boring. A f ..read more

Despite the shrill alarm, my day starts peacefully. No animal nor ray of sunlight disturbs my morning. After getting up, I dress myself and head out, there is no time nor need for breakfast, I need to lose weight one way or another. The industry has made it known. During my journey on public transportation, I am graced with the luxury of a beverage called "Coffee". Its contents allow me to function with what sleep I have been allowed. During travel, I consume my country's media. My leaders support the politicians of my country financially and I am glad, for we need good politicians. The media ..read more

The sound of a raindrop hitting the windowsill took her out of the moment. She could have sworn that today was expected to be sunny with minimal cloud coverage. She put aside her task and looked out of her apartment window to take stock of the situation. For a weather phenomenon the rain today seemed awfully self-conscious, sheepishly announcing its arrival with the occasional plink off the windowpane. It knew it was unbidden, but it was inevitable, the timidity in its approach very human. Those who wanted no part of the rain were given the opportunity to hide away inside, close their windows ..read more

I looked around my feathered bed, the dropped and shed feathers from previous season’s shed laying about with no clear pattern. I blinked my beady eyes, still stuck with sleep, and felt odd. It wasn’t exactly right, though I couldn’t tell what it was; I just felt a certain lightness in my chest; possibly from whatever my human had left in the food that night. Maybe it was that glowing rock. Who could say? I stood tall and fluffed up my feathers, trying to brush off the sleep and this strange discomfort. It didn’t go away with the shake, instead it lingered uncomfortably. I looked around mysel ..read more