Stephen Drivick's Blog - Posts Tagged "flash-fiction-floating-city"
Flash Fiction - Floating City Style
"There it is," he whispered, "the safest city on earth." I took a step toward it and said, "Do you wanna knock or should I?"
"I'll take care of it," said the young lady with the rocket launcher on her back. "Just stand back, and get the ammo ready." She unpacked the parts in the case, and began assembling the weapon. She was fast. In just a few minutes, the launcher took shape in her hands. It was a huge and majestic device, almost as big as the girl trying to put it together.
"Are you sure about this, Alyssa? I could make the launch," said the young man. They had traveled far from their home for this mission, and his legs ached.
Alyssa gently blew some stray hairs out of her eyes as she completed the self-test on the launcher. She hoisted it onto her shoulder when the green check light appeared. "Yes, Peter. I got it. Just watch out for bad guys, and prepare to load this damn thing." To Peter, the strong, stocky blonde sounded a little pissed off.
Alyssa took the weapon into some cover by a few sharp rocks. Peter followed behind, with the rocket for the device in his hands. It was a small, spear-like object filled with high-tech explosives and expensive electronics. Just the trick to bring down the floating city.Peter thought of all the people above his head, unaware they were about to fall and die. To them, Alyssa and Peter would be considered terrorists but Peter thought different. He was taught by the elders that he was a freedom fighter, striking a blow for all the people left behind by the floating city people to scratch out a living on the poisoned earth while they lived in luxury in the clouds. Today, they would know pain as they crashed to the ground. Peter jammed the missile into the end, and pressed the small button on the back of the launching tube. He tapped Alyssa on her blonde head, and yelled, "Armed, and ready to go."
The girl looked carefully through the sights at her target. She seemed uncertain at what to hit. "The power couplings at the base," Peter said.
"I know, I know." After a few more seconds of aim, she pulled the trigger.
With a great roar, and a lot of smoke and flame, the missile leaped out of the tube at great speed. The force of the launch threw Alyssa and Peter to the ground. They quickly got to their feet to see the results. This was it. They would never be able to do another launch. The weapon was too expensive and rare for a repeat performance. Peter and Alyssa started to swell with pride as the powerful missile neared the floating city. Today, the pampered population of all the floating cities of the earth would hear the ground people.
They watched as the missile streaked past the city, missing the power couplings and impacting into a stand of dead trees. Peter heard the dull boom of a distant explosion. The city would not fall today.
Peter and Alyssa looked at each other. The girl's mouth was in a perfect "O" shape of disbelief. Peter could hardly speak. "You missed. How the hell did you miss?" he said, not quite believing what happened.
Alyssa dropped the mega-weapon to the ground, and sank to her knees. "I ...I don't know. I can't believe it. We walked for days to get here. What do we do now?" Tears formed in her pretty, green eyes.
Up above, the proximity lights on the floating city changed from green to blinking red. The city was on alert. Infrared sensors were turning on, drones were flying, and soon agents would be on the ground looking for whoever fired on the city.
Peter kicked the rocket launcher down the embankment, and grabbed Alyssa's hand. "We've got to get out of here."
As they started their long journey home, Alyssa said, "How are we going to explain this?"
Peter just shook his head, and continued to run. They had to get away from the city. Peter and Alyssa were selected for this mission. They were supposed to be going home as heroes, but now they were laughing stocks. Peter didn't know how he was going to explain it all, but at least he had a hundred miles or so to think up some kind of excuse.
**********************************
Flash fiction inspired by the picture from this Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/bando...
It was supposed to be 300 words, but mine is about 740 or so. I can't cut any more, so I'll post it here. :)
"I'll take care of it," said the young lady with the rocket launcher on her back. "Just stand back, and get the ammo ready." She unpacked the parts in the case, and began assembling the weapon. She was fast. In just a few minutes, the launcher took shape in her hands. It was a huge and majestic device, almost as big as the girl trying to put it together.
"Are you sure about this, Alyssa? I could make the launch," said the young man. They had traveled far from their home for this mission, and his legs ached.
Alyssa gently blew some stray hairs out of her eyes as she completed the self-test on the launcher. She hoisted it onto her shoulder when the green check light appeared. "Yes, Peter. I got it. Just watch out for bad guys, and prepare to load this damn thing." To Peter, the strong, stocky blonde sounded a little pissed off.
Alyssa took the weapon into some cover by a few sharp rocks. Peter followed behind, with the rocket for the device in his hands. It was a small, spear-like object filled with high-tech explosives and expensive electronics. Just the trick to bring down the floating city.Peter thought of all the people above his head, unaware they were about to fall and die. To them, Alyssa and Peter would be considered terrorists but Peter thought different. He was taught by the elders that he was a freedom fighter, striking a blow for all the people left behind by the floating city people to scratch out a living on the poisoned earth while they lived in luxury in the clouds. Today, they would know pain as they crashed to the ground. Peter jammed the missile into the end, and pressed the small button on the back of the launching tube. He tapped Alyssa on her blonde head, and yelled, "Armed, and ready to go."
The girl looked carefully through the sights at her target. She seemed uncertain at what to hit. "The power couplings at the base," Peter said.
"I know, I know." After a few more seconds of aim, she pulled the trigger.
With a great roar, and a lot of smoke and flame, the missile leaped out of the tube at great speed. The force of the launch threw Alyssa and Peter to the ground. They quickly got to their feet to see the results. This was it. They would never be able to do another launch. The weapon was too expensive and rare for a repeat performance. Peter and Alyssa started to swell with pride as the powerful missile neared the floating city. Today, the pampered population of all the floating cities of the earth would hear the ground people.
They watched as the missile streaked past the city, missing the power couplings and impacting into a stand of dead trees. Peter heard the dull boom of a distant explosion. The city would not fall today.
Peter and Alyssa looked at each other. The girl's mouth was in a perfect "O" shape of disbelief. Peter could hardly speak. "You missed. How the hell did you miss?" he said, not quite believing what happened.
Alyssa dropped the mega-weapon to the ground, and sank to her knees. "I ...I don't know. I can't believe it. We walked for days to get here. What do we do now?" Tears formed in her pretty, green eyes.
Up above, the proximity lights on the floating city changed from green to blinking red. The city was on alert. Infrared sensors were turning on, drones were flying, and soon agents would be on the ground looking for whoever fired on the city.
Peter kicked the rocket launcher down the embankment, and grabbed Alyssa's hand. "We've got to get out of here."
As they started their long journey home, Alyssa said, "How are we going to explain this?"
Peter just shook his head, and continued to run. They had to get away from the city. Peter and Alyssa were selected for this mission. They were supposed to be going home as heroes, but now they were laughing stocks. Peter didn't know how he was going to explain it all, but at least he had a hundred miles or so to think up some kind of excuse.
**********************************
Flash fiction inspired by the picture from this Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/bando...
It was supposed to be 300 words, but mine is about 740 or so. I can't cut any more, so I'll post it here. :)
