Black Skies

by Casey White

Alin’s mission was supposed to be joyous.

Generations past, an expedition from the ni’drassi collective discovered a world filled with a young species - bipedal, smooth-skinned, and just beginning to blossom. Knowing it was too soon for the nascent race to join the rest of the galaxy, they left.

And now, they’re coming back.

Sitting at the helm of a ship filled with translators and diplomats and researchers, Alin’s task is clear: Return to the world, and welcome them to interstellar society. It’s an imposing duty, yes, but simple enough.

So he thought - until they reach their destination, and find their mission turned on its head.

Genres: Short Stories

41 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2020

About the author

Casey White lives in Michigan with her husband and the requisite herd of roaming cats. She splits her time - spending her days working the desk as a civil engineer, and her nights writing fiction ranging from fantasy to scifi and everything in-between.

Her stories tend towards the more personal - she favors first person or over-the-shoulder third person that matches punchy, fast-paced storytelling with ongoing internal dialogue.

Her fiction can be found at her website, listed above, or at the subreddit where she publishes her novels one chapter at a time - https://www.reddit.com/r/Inorai/

Reviews

[OldBird · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this short story told from the point of view of a sympathetic, enthusiastic reptilian alien race coming to make first contact with (presumably) Earth. What they find isn't what they expect, and the story balances sadness, mystery and hope really well. It even works as both a satisfying read in and of its own as well as remaining open to continuation - double win! The only down side for me was how many times both narration and dialogue drifted off into ellipses or dashes, as if no one (not even the third person narration) could finish a fully-formed thought or sentence without interruption or having to re-word themselves as if nervous. I found it really distracting from how interesting the story was and how much I liked the rest of the writing. I'd love to read more if it were more sure of itself!

-I received a free copy of this e-book in a giveaway. This does not influence my review-

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful heartbreaking tale. I would love to know what happens after this!