Justin’s Comments (group member since Mar 13, 2016)

Justin’s comments from the Science Fiction Microstory Contest group.

"Several tropes were beamed to this ship by rebel spies. I want to know what happened to the tropes they sent you."

Help me Obi-wan Kenobi...you're my only trope.

Deploying tropes on the ground.

Oddly enough I didn't clue in on my own published work. The planet where my first novella starts is called...wait for it...

ENTROPIA.

Seriously.

Entropy - state of story telling where well-worn clichés go from bad to worse.

Poignant Dean. Nice one.

-End of Line-

In the troposphere.

Paula wrote: "I like "Utropia." Or "Uhopia." Or. . .
Some very very fine stories already.
And Jack and Justin both, you got me laughin' in the aisle."

Thanks Paula! Once I overcame my trope-o-phobia with some well-worn clichés, I was in utropia with the completion of my second submission. :)

I also nominate Heather to begin a dissertation on the history of tropes, the use of tropes in developing nations, phototropism, and distropian science fiction.

Emit fo tuO

I jolted awake and found myself seated behind a small table in a dark room. A single light burned overhead that did little to push back the shadows. My hands were manacled to the table’s bare surface, palms turned up as if in supplication. Across the room, a large, mirrored plate glass window stared back at me - which I was certain hid someone behind it. A muffled cough confirmed my suspicions.

I had understood the risks when I entered the program several years ago. Temporal research is dangerous and delicate work after all. But after several successful forays into the past that returned with answers to questions long unanswered, like Jimmy Hoffa’s final resting place and who really shot J.R., not one of our temporal missions had come back. I was a last gasp, a final throw of the die if you will, the ace-in-the-hole to try and beat time and force it to reveal its secrets.

The giant mainframe computer INTELIVAC had blessed my temporal voyage with a simple, “Mission confirmed,” data tape and an atomic pile that pulsed with the necessary energy to split the time rift. I was wined and dined by my colleagues, then given, ahem, a more intimate sendoff from Janice in accounting. We had professed our undying love for each other as something that would last across time. But the words felt tired and trite, as I did trying to get some final winks before the mission.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

Suddenly a door I had not noticed opened swiftly and the room’s single bulb swelled with warm illumination. Two nearly identical men entered, yet they were as different as night and day. One was dressed in an impeccable black suit and wore dark sunglasses that hid his eyes and accented his closely cropped black hair. The other wore a similar suit, only in white, and sported mirrored, silver-rimmed sunglasses and a mop of perfectly coiffured blonde hair. They placed their respective black and white briefcases on the table and opened them simultaneously.

“Very sorry to keep you waiting…Doctor?”

“Galt. Dr. Edwin Galt.”

“Yes of course. Doctor Galt. I am Mr. White and this is my associate Mr. Black.” Mr. White shuffled some papers in his briefcase and passed a file to Mr. Black who nodded imperceptibly.

“We are with the Department of Corrections, Bureau of Virtue and Vice. We’ve been expecting you.”

“Let me guess,” I said to Mr. Black. “You’re Vice and he’s Virtue.” I could almost see the eye rolls behind their corresponding glasses. “That’s a common misconception,” said Mr. White. “Really, it is an anachronistic old trope. Not worthy of a temporal researcher such as yourself.”

“Then why is Virtue wearing black?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“It’s slimming,” he deadpanned.

“And you?”

“Well…Vice has such a…negative connotation. The Department feels white is much more approachable.”

“Anyway,” Mr. Black interjected, reinserting himself into the conversation.

“Quite right Mr. Black. I’m sorry.”

“Pray continue Mr. White.”

“Indeed.”

As I sat in my gray jumpsuit, I continued to wonder just where in time I was. All of the chronometric readings were null before I had been so rudely pulled out of my displacement sled.

“You’re probably wondering where you are,” said Mr. Black.

“And why,” rejoined Mr. White.

“Is this the part where I refuse to speak and demand representation?” I said sarcastically.

“Oh, there is no representation here Doctor Galt. No courts, advocates or any of that silly legal nonsense,” answered Mr. Black.

“I get it now,” I interrupted. I was beginning to get annoyed at these two…whatever they were.

“You’re good cop and he’s bad cop. Right?”

“Doctor Galt, those old tropes are in the past as you well know. Now let’s be reasonable. Your organization has continued disrupting the timeline, sending shocks throughout history and causing a great deal of consternation and confusion. We got fed up with your meddling so we devised a…” Mr. White paused, searching for the right word.

“Net,” supplied Mr. Black.

“Yes! Thank you Mr. Black. A net if you will. Every time one of your displacement sleds trips the rift, the net snags it and drags it back here.”

“And where is here?” I answered testily.

“Why Doctor Galt, it should be obvious to you.”

“It is not obvious to me!” I shouted.

“You’re in Time Out. We’ll make you quite comfortable of course. In fact, several of your colleagues are already here. I’m sure you’ll have a lot to talk about.”

(749 words in story) Justin Sewall © 2016

I'm feeling like a preschooler with water wings in this pool of talent! Great stories!

Jot wrote: "Andy Lake provided some comments about the stories:

Chris – A question of Time
Intriguing start to a story, multiple timelines and conditional history, etc. Well written and I want to see more

..."

Thanks for the great feedback on all the stories Andy. For my own story, I really appreciated hearing how others interpreted it, even better than I did myself!

Here, here! Great work Jeremy!

Oh, I only picked one, which happens to be in the first round finalists. Good to know for next time, and in case I need to vote again for the next down select. Thanks for the clarification.

Okay, got it. Thank you!

So do we need to vote again now that the first round finalists have been announced?

As a new contributor, I relished each one. I'm going to go and pick up "The Future is Short" to read earlier works. I'm really looking forward to next month's contest!

Next month's themes: deadlines, dead space and the undead!

Great story Jon! Nice that you don't even see the twist until the end. Reminds me of a dream I had once. I could have stayed in it forever. Nice work!

As a first-time contributor, I am blown away by the high quality of writing here and the interesting conversations. I liked all of the stories and had a hard time choosing. Ultimately I did. Best to everyone and thanks for the opportunity to participate.

Do any of you have published SCI-FI works on Amazon? I would like to check them out and pick them up. Are there other anthologies from this group to read as well?

At the risk of appearing to ask only to promote my own work (a whopping two novellas), I would like to respectfully offer up my Cerulean Rising series for your consideration. They are only available digitally on Amazon.

Thank you for letting me share.

Best to all and really outstanding writing from everyone.

Andy wrote: "@Greg - good story.
I hope the Cessna is registered to fly ... can be an issue these days :-|"

I agree with Andy. Great story Greg, loved the story and the little twist at the end.