After the latest Alershian attack knocked out most of the planet’s communications network, it took almost three weeks for Lieutenant Williams to learn his brother was dead.

The lean figure of Major Sophia Villafana appeared from behind a towering blackish-red fern that was the color of drying blood. Despite her bulky white environmental suit, the biologist practically skipped a beat  as she moved from one plant to another taking samples.

He is not mine, this boy. Not of my blood, at least. My sinewy arms cradle his round and tender form. The wind tries to pull him from me, but what can the wind do that even God cannot?

Tom Morestead stared through the plexiglass observation window and looked for it. It was out there amid the trees. For the last 20 years of his life on Mars, Tom had tended to those pines. That was a long time to spend with them. Long enough to learn when something was off.

The fence that marked the border of Renaud’s estate came into view, tipped with elegant spear points and bearing the requisite lightning bolt symbols at intervals—the warning he gave to ensure everyone would know his home was not to be trifled with. The car stopped at his front gate, and the back window lowered beside him. A camera pivoted, the facial recognition software identifying him with a chirrup.

“Aren’t you embarrassed?” Asked the blonde news anchor of Wake Up! Waterloo. “I’m sorry?” Sarah asked, running her hands down the front of her smart gray suit. That question hadn’t been on the list her publicist had sent over.

“Aren’t you embarrassed?” Asked the blonde news anchor of Wake Up! Waterloo. “I’m sorry?” Sarah asked, running her hands down the front of her smart gray suit. That question hadn’t been on the list her publicist had sent over.

During the flick, the guy had tried the old yawn-stretch move on her in the theatre. Who does that?

“Well, it’s safe to say her occupation didn’t have her killed” Whether he was right or wrong depends entirely on the meaning one chooses to give to the word “safe”.

“Well, it’s safe to say her occupation didn’t have her killed” Whether he was right or wrong depends entirely on the meaning one chooses to give to the word “safe”.