Contingencies By Sarah Hogg “What’s your password, Commander?” the Ensign pleaded. “I can avoid the collision, but the controls will only respond to your password.” The Commander was silent for a moment. Her lacerated body heaved on the fractured floor. Then she whispered his name, ragged breath scraping over the word. The Ensign took…
The Lost God-Warriors of Dhujapur By David VonAllmen Women and men run beneath the legs of thirty-foot god-warrior statues, in fear and horror, to hide away in the center of the city. There, they might live a few moments longer, while the black demons’ tusks tear through their neighbors. They haven’t spare breath for…
Shackles by Adam Fout Stepping from a spherical white craft that rests at the top of a gentle hill, the being that looks so achingly human points with fingers the color of earth. The pink light of the closest dozen suns reflects off each nail, skin the color of fresh pine needles absorbing…
At Least No One Else Will Suffer By Dawn Vogel The king will be dead before the end of this celebration of our marriage. In the days to come, some will say that I married him, and murdered him, solely for my own benefit. Who else stands to gain as much as the queen,…
A Place Without Seasons by Y.M. Pang In the gloom of the freezer, Shiro dreams of snow. He dreams of bare trees etched like dark embroidery on the white landscape. He dreams of running beside a girl in purple boots, her long braid bouncing behind her. Her laughter is effervescent as shrine bells. She,…
I haven’t been to any conventions in a long time. Four years to be exact. But this year I’ve attended three already. Two of those were since we published our second issue. SpoCon was a great time for me. It is a small convention, so I got a chance to get to know a few…
A Salamander’s Wisdom by Rebecca Birch It didn’t hurt much, dying. A sharp, bitter taste when my teeth broke the red berry’s skin. Tingling on my tongue and the insides of my cheeks. A sudden tightness in my chest. No, dying didn’t hurt—not near as much as living while my daughter wasted away…
