Stephen L. Thompson's Blog, page 57
April 19, 2012
30 Stories in 30 Days #18 – “Faulty Programming, I”
Faulty Programming, I
Stepping from her hibernation chamber, it took Huytr a few moments to notice the time readout on the console. “Ship,” she asked, “why did you wake me thirty-seven cycles early?”
“One of the bio-simulates on Planet 764978-03 is not acting in accordance with its programming.”
“It what fashion?”
“One of the sub-groupings of sentient beings on Planet 764978-03 governs themselves through a primitive representative democracy. The bio-simulate in question has been elected to the hi...
April 18, 2012
30 Stories in 30 Days #17 – “Quieting the Voices”
Quieting the Voices
Veronica sat at her desk staring blankly at her computer screen. Closing her eyes she rubbed her temples and stated, “I’m too tired to write. Why won’t you be quiet?”
No answer came. She sighed. With her eyes closed her hand opened the lower drawer of her desk and – by feel – found the specialized screwdriver. Opening her eyes, Veronica looked at the screwdriver for several moments.
She shook her head and said, “I need to sleep. You’re making me do this.” She inserted the scr...
April 10, 2012
30 Stories in 30 Days #11 – "Priorities"
Priorities
"… Those are my Christian values, and I will not stand for anyone taking them away. God bless America."
The auditorium erupted in applause. Once they died down, the moderator said, "Senator Cole, same question."
Senator Cole thought for a moment, then began. "Governor Bilton, I have never discussed your personal religious beliefs – other than to say I don't share them – for two reasons. The first is, I really don't care. I feel that people can believe whatever they want, as long ...
April 9, 2012
Nine days in, ten stories down
I am nine days into my 30 Stories in 30 Days Challenge and I've written ten stories. I'd say that's pretty good. But I think I'll take the rest of the day off and let my creative juices refill.
30 Stories in 30 Days #10 – "Job Security"
Job Security
"And that is five minutes ladies and gentlemen. If you'll say your goodbyes – for now at least if sparks flew – the gentlemen can then move on to the next lady on their list."
Elaine smiled as Jon left her table, both on the outside as courtesy and on the inside for seeing the last of him. She had dated guys who lived for football or video games before, but she'd never dated someone as dumb as a brick and she had no desire to start.
The next man to join her was rather average...
April 8, 2012
30 Stories in 30 Days #9 – "One Question"
One Question
"Hello and welcome to our panel discussion on how to better use technology to solve the problems society faces. For those of you who don't know me, I'm John Lemke the Chairman of the Physics Department here at the university. I specialize in making very fine tuned laser pulses that have a variety of uses, but the one I'm focusing on now is using them in the production of nanomachines, which will almost certainly play a large roll in our lives in the future.
"But I'm sure you...
30 Stories in 30 Days #8 – "Stuff Happens"
Stuff Happens
"That is why in my first term I have worked so hard to-"
The President stopped speaking as an aide walked quickly from the side of the stage. His opponent looked from the President to the debate moderator and back again.
The aide whispered something in the President's ear and the President announced to the audience, "I'm sorry, you'll have to excuse me." He then followed the aide away from his podium.
The audience exploded with muttered questions and once the President was off the ...
April 6, 2012
30 Stories in 30 Days #7 – "Bad Scifi is Universal"
Bad Scifi is Universal
With his lower hands, GleTha spread the branches of the bril exposing the central trunk. Several kass grubs were attached to the trunk sucking on the sap. Using the claws on his upper left hand, GleTha plucked the fattest grub and returned with it to the living space. He closed all of his eyes and was just about to eat the grub to savor the chilling effect it had on the mind, when his mate oThen walked in.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
His arms sagged and GleTha...
April 5, 2012
30 Stories in 30 Days #6 – "Free Crap"
Free Crap
Shaking her head, Sue put a bookmark in her book and laid it on the bed beside her. She looked over at her fiancé Mike and asked, "Problem?"
He looked up from his Kindle. "Hmm?"
"You've been muttering."
"Oh." After a moment he explained, "The other day I saw some guy on Facebook promoting his self-published collection of scifi stories. To try to build up buzz about it, for one weekend it was free. I figured I should check out the competition, and the price was right, so I...
April 4, 2012
30 Stories in 30 Days #5 – "A Cabin Under a Cloudy Sea"
A Cabin Under a Cloudy Sea
The airlock from the garage cycled through and then opened into the habitat's living area. "Lights on," Tamara called into the dark. Once the lights turned on she quickly carried her luggage and crate of supplies inside. She then closed the airlock and dogged it.
The habitat was a hemisphere seven meters in diameter buried under four meters of lunar regolith. Back in the old days, it had served as an emergency shelter for those constructing the Collins Highway...
