“I can’t believe it’s taken you this long to get high-speed, Adam,” said Holly as she finished setting up her friend’s brand new internet router. Adam Grayson shrugged, replying, “Never needed it before now. I don’t do much in the way of gaming and videos and what not. Mostly just …
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To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Subject: Application for Planet Conqueror Captain position (PCC32) To whom it may concern I would like to apply for the position of Planet Conqueror Captain. I am not affiliated to any planet or squadron. I have had many astro-years of experience and have acquired a …
From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: System 887, Sector 442617 The Agrestis is approaching System 887 in Sector 442617. Long-range scans show 8 planets in the system and the 4th planet to be inhabited. The other 7 planets are incapable of supporting human life. Proceeding to take a closer look, will …
From the highest of the retro-deco corporate towers, to the slums of the forgotten sewer cities, citizens and aliens of old earth tune their radios to the frequency of the Needle. Breathlessly, they await the announcement. Somewhere star ward, a merchant fleets twinkles in orbit. Congratulations to our Winner: …
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Michael blurted out to himself. It wasn’t a question but he knew it was always wise to word complaints and protests in the form of questions, especially to one’s manager. “It’s no problem, don’t worry,” he replayed in a whiny voice. “There …
It’s an interesting experience, riding in one of the old combustion engine automobiles, the kind that were all over the place back in the days before the Celerity Rails got so cheap and easy to use, back when petroleum was king. This one isn’t an antique, though. It’s a reproduction. …
The office was silent, still, and dark except for the shaft of light from the open door that fell across the corpse. I blew out cigar smoke and stared down at High Senator Gunnar Hagrim’s body. His eyes were wide, but rolled back in his head so just the whites …
When men rushed to mine the asteroids, the corporation built a network of space stations to process the ore and to provide respite for the miners. But the miners proved unruly, needing a guiding mind to keep the peace and ensure that the ore continued to flow in… Backlit by …
Some mornin’s you wake up on top. Some mornin’s… well, you just don’t. She could smell it in the damp air before she’d even opened her pounding eyes. That burnt, chalky tang stuck in the back of her dry throat. Stupid bastard’s been on the pipe again. The stench of …
After much collaboration and consternation amongst our judges, a winner has emerged. Congratulations to Amber McGlothlin. Amber just edged out the victory in a tightly contested award. If you read both submissions this week you would know there wasn’t much between them. Two talented writers giving it their best. We’re keeping a …
“Here’s your room-card, sir. I trust you will enjoy your night. If there are any problems at all, do not hesitate to call us here in the office. Oh, and one last thing,” The proprietor smiled, a little too widely for my liking, his beady green eyes twinkling beneath a …
This week’s short list sees two high quality submissions go head to head for the CROMULENT Award. Newcomer Amber McGlothlin takes on last week’s prize winner, Ashleigh Mounser. We sat down with both authors for a chat… …Ok we emailed them. Enjoy! NITH: How long have you each been writing? …
I suppose you want to hear a story. Everyone always does. I’m very busy, you know. I have things to do. You wouldn’t understand. When you’re as old as I am doing laundry and making yourself a bowl of high-fiber cereal can take all day. So you see I really don’t have time. …
For the past fifteen years, I have been in love with a man named Avery St. Clair. There are some men who are good looking, smart, and charming, but Avery has it all. In fact, in all the time I’ve known him, I have only found in him one major …
Part of the pressure of running a site like this is keeping all the threads together. Keeping the awards ticking over, making sure all the submissions get a fair read, that the short list is representative not only of personal taste but of the broader fiction scene. Getting all …
Verity is a lovely young lady who wished to become an archaeologist. She is very interested in history, has a sharp analytical mind and was brought up in an environment which was and still is very supportive of her aspirations. She is generally modest, not the vain, greedy, thrill-seeking type …
So, that’s how it feels. Not what I expected. More deliciously powerful than I could have imagined. More sickeningly horrifying than I could have dreamed. Ed stared at his outstretched arm. It trembled as the internal war between his mind’s vindication and his stomach’s nauseous churning built to a crescendo. …
Vice Admiral Heather Johnson floated in a tank of viscous, red fluid, entangled by a thousand gently glowing nerve fibers. She did not see tank, however, or the gray, conduit choked room in which it rested. The tank hijacked Heather’s senses, and to her it seemed she floated in space …
Tonight is the night The Chittermen come out to play. When the sun goes down and the streetlights start blinking into life; the Shadowlands open doorways into the world. Small pockets of darkness creep across alleyways and under cars, beside large buildings and in parks. At the foot, and in …
Oscar Lennon wants to clarify that the situation he is about to encounter does not show him in his best light. He wants to make it clear that he managed a B average this year, so if you’re planning to accuse Oscar of being stupid, you’d be way off the …