He plugged in a few wires, crossed fingers, and threw the switch. The stage flashed briefly before lights warmed the park clearing. Jeremy clapped his hands for success then closed the junction box. It wasn’t perfect but the old stage would do for the performance. He walked towards his car and tossed the electrician’s belt into the back then grabbed a box of decorations. Jeremy was pleased with himself. He had thought the...

Thirty by thirty, with an inner ring taking up most of the space. Little to no light, save the soft blue of the birthing room’s floor. The midwives worked slowly, directly, moving from station to station and helping the little mothers bring to the world the new young. There are cries of bliss, joy, pain, and disappointment as the day continues. Each new life is given a quick rinse to clear it of the birthing. They are weighted,...

“No, I’m not really super happy about this either,” Ariel muttered into the phone. She knocked another high-tech piece of trash to the ground around the other bits of the PILC-DI. The machine looked like it had been nuked, and from the inside. “Look, Batey, I was here as soon as I could after you rang. The big guy’s the one who could travel at will remember?” She kicked over some debris as the phone...

He flicked the wand again but the hat remained an empty hat. Jeremy groaned as he started twisting the top off the wand and dumped out the batteries. Giving them a quick glance, he then hesitantly licked the positive side. He twitched and jerked the battery away. Still a charge in there. He gave the wand another shake and there was only the slight noise of the ball bearing inside moving and clicking against the switch. The wand was working...

Raw vacuum pulled and twisted everything that wasn’t latched, bolted, or welded down in the docking bay as the Glorious Anger lifted into launch position. My grip tightened around the slightly rusty pipe, thank Gaia for that. Anything smoother wouldn’t have given me the anchor I needed to keep from being sucked into the big empty beyond the hanger doors. I gave a quick thank you for ineffective maintenance drones. It had been...

“Zero-point-zero-two metrics and closing,” the tower speakers sounded, only slightly louder than the exhaust from the galley. At the distance the ship was from port, the formality of giving the range to arrival was lost in a hurricane of wind. The harbor banked for a moment as it took on the extra weight of the transport, corrected itself, and the system went clear. With the ship’s bulk blocking the bay’s view, the travelers were...