<squirrels>
a quick look away
</squirrels>
#quikfic 17
The hangman let the scaffold’s trapdoor fall open. In that instant, Plundering Pete remembered a library book he hadn’t returned.
Fiction: Acceptable Risks
I agreed to meet her in the relative quiet of station night.
A space station never sleeps; the same work goes on all the time. But in a nod to our animal selves, some of the station’s lights dim at a certain hour, and business tends to be done more quietly while not quite half the people sleep.
I knew why she wanted to see me. We had a history. It was almost businesslike; we would make an exchange, and then I wouldn’t see her again until she wanted to make another exchange.
I walked slowly down the twilit corridor toward her apartment. Station personnel like me have quarters; civilians have apartments. It’s a nice distinction. Someday I’d like to have an apartment, but what would I do on Outreach Four if I weren’t in Spacefleet?
At her door, I paused. If I got caught, I’d be cashiered and sent back to Earth. Worse, her part of the exchange…
Quotable 117
Most things good for writing are bad for life. “May your life be not very good material” is a blessing I offer students.
– Lorrie Moore
haiku 229
German shepherd
half again as tall
as the fence
haiku 228
anniversary –
less than a month left
before our divorce
Fiction: Gentle Winds and Waters Near
The reboot program worked furiously for seventeen minutes, trying to get Killmech 215-70308 back into action. The basic repair functions were destroyed; rebooting was the only chance for reactivation. The reboot attempt would continue until it was successful or the mech was permanently powered down.During the eighteenth minute, the mech’s sensor array and AI came online.
The mech realized that it was on the ground. None of its limbs or its assortment of weapons were active, and neither was its powerplant. A quick diagnostic revealed that they would never be online again. The mech was alive on limited battery power.
It listened for the sounds of the battle but heard nothing.
The battle is over. Were we successful?
Quotable 116
A story isn’t about a moment in time, a story is about the moment in time.
– W. D. Wetherell
#quikfic 16
Arnold finished the staircase long before most of the other renovation work was completed. He appreciated an early riser.
Author’s Note: Changes for This Week Only
We’re doing things just a little differently this week. The haiku will be posted Friday rather than Tuesday, and the #quikfic will be posted Tuesday rather than Friday. There is a reason for this.
Also, there will be a new short story Thursday.