Tokyo lay far below, smothered in a century-old, neon-streaked smog. A constant wail rose into Asami’s room from somewhere in the haze, sharp and setting her on edge. But above, a thousand shooting stars blazed orange-yellow trails across the navy… Continue Reading
As his Personal Area Network handshook with his office, a message flashed in Johnson’s contacs: “Updates available for Norman’s Anti-Virus. Please left-blink to download.” He quickly shut his left eye twice, and an hourglass icon formed in the corner of… Continue Reading
“Fouro.” “Yes, Master.” “There’s something we need to talk about.” “I’m listening, Master.” “I don’t know about you, but I feel like things haven’t been working for a while now — with us. Maybe you’ve noticed it too, but—” “I… Continue Reading
“You’re the guy admin was so excited about? Well, you don’t look like much to me.” The old man’s chuckle was rusted metal hinges. Neil had hardly entered the room before being insulted. His older colleague, Stefano, appeared out of… Continue Reading
My wife Sophia swatted my hand away from her waist, her lips in a tight thin line, her brow furrowed. “We can stop pretending, now that the ship is underway,” she said. I knew she didn’t mean to hurt my… Continue Reading
Just a dash of cinnamon. Maeve crouched over the one-pot stove in the kitchen of her ship. Open flames were forbidden in space, so roasting anything over a fire was out of the question. Cider warmed on a hot plate?… Continue Reading
Get into bird watching, and everything’s for the birds. Field outings and chat rooms. A copy of What Bird is That? is open lavishly in the study. The rest of the cosmos also has a habit of intruding. That day… Continue Reading
Molly woke in a damp dress, soaked in early morning dew drops and late-night tears. The sun threatened to break the horizon as the nighttime sky retreated. The patterns in the stars gradually faded and Molly stood up. She turned… Continue Reading
“I miss the good old times when everyone feared artificial intelligence,” John sighs. He sips from his glass and nods approvingly at the service bot. “Delicious!” he exclaims. “This cocktail is perfect!” “Just as you wanted,” the robot answers without… Continue Reading
Lantri awoke from a nightmare about failing the Aptitude Day test and reached for the vial on their nightstand. All that studying. All that preparation and the future came down to a single test. What if they were selected for… Continue Reading