by Silent Draco II Master Gunnery Sergeant Thomas F. McIntyre, USMC (ret, await. recall) took one step back from the thing it mashed into the mudhole. Espying the ranks of guards, he called in his parade-ground voice, “You! Where is your CO!” The demons looked in confusion. No one challenged them, not here! They…
Category: Short Story
To Hymn Who Waits – Part 1
by Silent Draco I Something unusual happened at the Gates of Heaven. Peter had been called for a special question, so James the Lesser was minding things for a half-eon. Outside, there appeared a burnt blood-red tumescence in the continuum. A lesser demon emerged, keeping its nether portion firmly toward the Gates. It backed…
The Beast And The God-Woman – Part 1
by Michael Kingswood The beach stretched forth as far as the eye could see, a blazing strip of white sand that returned the sun’s touch with a fire of its own as though daring the sun to burn hotter. Small crabs, barely larger than a thumbnail, dug their way up from beneath the scorching sand…
Delphinus – Part II
by Michael Kingswood Part I Sleep was impossible for the rest of the night, and not just because of the horror they’d witnessed. The creatures growled, roared, and barked, and tried endlessly to ascend the shuttle’s hulk. One got halfway up, but Stan knocked it off with a strong kick to the muzzle. Then, after…
Delphinus – Part I
by Michael Kingswood Wind rushed past, ruffling his hair and roaring in his ears, as Piter banked right. The instruments on the control console showed what he already knew: altitude was decreasing rapidly, and there were no landing strip beacons within reception range. Not that he expected there to be any. As far as he…
Life Plus 99 Years – Part III
by Silent Draco Part I link Part II link Part III Hilda and the old woman sat near the hut door, enjoying the sunlight and more tea. The old woman insisted on serving them both, bringing out her treasured pot of wild honey. “Is right to share with family, grandson and granddaughter,…
Life Plus 99 Years – Part II
by Silent Draco Part I link Part II Johannes blinked as they neared her little hut. There was a simple lean-to for a woodshed, but nearby was a small cottage. The babushka chuckled, “well, hut is full with many, and hard to stretch, da? Trade some tea, some coffee, make simples for workers. Small hut…
Life Plus 99 Years – Part I
by Silent Draco A life sentence is complicated by who pronounces it, and with what method … Part I “Husband,” said Hilda patiently, “bitte, why is it that we must return home by train? Could we not have returned by steamer? Business is very good for you. It is early October, beginning to cool and…
Stasis Treatment
by Michael Kingswood Some folks call dead bodies stiffs. And boy, they ain’t kidding. Couldn’t tell you what happened before then or how I got there. But when I opened my eyes on the cold stainless steel of the medical examiner’s exam table and looked up at the bright fluorescent lights shining down on me,…
O’Bannon’s Talisman
by Michael Kingswood Humidity made Carl O’Bannon’s shirt cling to his torso, almost completely soaked despite not being out and about all that long. He felt like he was sweating a river, though in reality it wasn’t all that hot out. It was like an ocean itself was condensing on top of him, and he…