Christmas Eve, 1995 “Look, Mom, I’m really sorry, but we can’t make it.” Barry’s voice carried regret, but I had long since known it wasn’t the regret of being unable to visit but rather regret he had to call. “Margie’s still wrapping presents and getting the house ready for our party tomorrow. And April is…
“How long has she been there, Mommy?” Milly asked. “Who?” Victoria, Milly’s mother, was very rich, very successful, very busy, and very oblivious. The hov was in the shop until 9:00am, the chauffeur had told her, and they’d only had the one vehicle at the rural estate, so it was a quick taxi hov to…
Martian Territorial Ranger Log: 1 Tujun, 0010 MD Author’s Note: This is the authentic Martian edition, and is not intended for export to Earth! “Miss Becky?” The cowboy’s voice called out quietly. Becky Elam opened her eyes and looked at the man’s flickering shadow, cast onto the small tent’s wall by the fire behind him.
MARTIAN TERRITORIAL LOG: 11 June, 12 MD Maybe Three-Eye Stevens would get him this time. He’d certainly had the opportunity, Roids thought as he pressed his torn suit against a convenient boulder. He pulled out another suit patch – his fifth – and pulled away from the rock. The bullet-sized hole hissed angrily, but stopped abruptly when…
Martian Territorial Ranger Log: 30 Tujun, 0010 MD Roids jammed his hov’s throttle full open and caught Chipped Tooth Moffa square in the face as the suit-slashing outlaw brought his gun up. Moffa let out a brief scream, followed by a hideous gurgling. Already badly injured by the impact, he was now crushed and burned…
Martian Territorial Log: 14 Tujan, 0011 MD The sun was still an hour beneath the horizon, but the dust in Mars’ atmosphere rose many kilometers high, so there was already a hazy light flooding the broad plain. Despite the high dust, visibility would have still been good, but the morning fog had spilled over the…
Martian Territorial Log: 27 Tumar, 0010 MD Roids holstered his still smoking gun. The sobbing girl clung to him, blood seeping slowly from the wound in her shoulder. Within the hour, everything in the Loose Lady would return to its wide open celebration of life. But now the crowded bar had fallen silent, and even…
Martian Territorial Log: 6 Tumar, 0010 MD “Reset to…” Roids tapped up the map on his suit’s display and studied it. “Reset to grid 0357S, 08641W, and deep scan.” “Grid reset,” the bike called back over the comlink. “Deep scanning. Negative life signs.” Roids sighed and continued a grid by grid search for Laserface Williams….
Earth date: April 3, 3153 Renee didn’t know what she wanted, but she knew she wanted it. And right now Carl Grady was keeping her from it. People who didn’t understand always seemed to be in the way. She planted her foot into the ground and balled her fists. For as possible as it was…
Monday, October 20, 2690 “…go! I’m tellin’ Mommy!” Helen’s favorite phrase sounded through the house for the ten thousandth time in her short six years. She rarely told me what had ended her world; for all her threats, Helen was a sweet girl who quickly ironed out differences with her older brother by herself. Aaron…