by John H. Dromey While the house shook like a road train crossing a speed hump, a visitor asked his host, “Is this an earthquake?” “No, just some construction work being done next door. My neighbour conjured up several mythical creatures to help him. A satyr is inspecting the roof of his garage, for […]
by Nerisha Kemraj “Run, Billy!” Dad said, trying to hold off the droids, a true rebel. His father had prepped him for this, but Billy never thought the time would come. “Mom! The machine men are here!” He slammed the front door and noticed the back door broken off its hinges. They were already […]
by Meera Dandekar The dark alley felt more like home and reality hit me. What was the point of running? Nothing was going to make the sinking feeling of void leave my chest. A robotic voice outed me; my location pinged on every broadcasting frequency. The white, powder-coated, metallic subhuman flew in to arrest […]
by Jacqueline Moran Meyer Dad and I hid underneath a burned-out hovercraft, taking cover from the drone spraying us with hydrocarbon needles, which not only kill but turn the dead into fuel for the Cyborg’s vehicles. “Take it,” Dad murmured after being hit. When he died and transformed, I rummaged through his remains, swiping […]
by Andrew Kurtz “I have been chosen by the people as a representative. Your tyrannical ways must cease! “Executing women who are pregnant to avoid population increase, instead of getting an abortion, is monstrous! “Publicly burning the old and sick alive because they are unproductive to society goes beyond inhumanity! “The people chose you […]
by Joshua D. Taylor Max looked around the room that was covered in Jennifer’s splattered remains. He had no idea what happened. One minute he was trying out the new salsa dancing skills he had downloaded. The next thing he knew he was covered in gore. A notification from the developer popped up in […]
by Darlene Holt When CyDocs became a thing, they needed volunteers to test out the new ware. I was among the first, opting for a cybernetic arm which promised never-before-seen strength. I won arm wrestling contests with ease, effortlessly ripped doors from hinges, and threw blows like a sledgehammer with my fist. One night, […]
by Colleen Anderson The layering of nanobytes into his hypodermis laced Nirved’s nerves with lava. The pain muffled him. The nanotechnologist paused. “No,” Nirved grunted. “Continue.” The protective barrier had been set. Planting came next. Large swaths of jungle lay barren, plants crisping under the sun’s inferno. Trees toppled throughout countries, and oxygen thinned. […]
by N.E. Rule My stomach growls in anticipation of the U8-rations downloading to my dwellment dispenser on sign-on. I push down memories of Mom’s last warning during her D-leet ceremony: Don’t accept it. But living as a grid-free hacker during the Great Overpopulation is a struggle. Employment is impossible without it. Convertors say it […]
by Rich Rurshell Dana tore through the Obsidian Plaza Hotel, despatching security with ease. Her body had cost a pretty penny, but her speed, reflexes, and combat capabilities were unrivalled. All four limbs and her torso had been replaced with top of the line Linneman Industries augmentations. It was ironic she was on her […]