Science Fiction Microstory Contest discussion
Congrats to Greg Krumrey and Justin Sewall, tied Champions of the Science Fiction Microstory Contest
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Greg Krumrey
Asteroid miners launched the Interstellar Revolution. Iron ore from the asteroid belt, free of the gravity well of Earth, fueled the building of ships and humanity’s spread beyond our home system. Like the coal miners of a hundred years before, they were a rough and resourceful bunch…
When on an asteroid, he was the Charter Master but here was the Captain of the ore transport freighter. Colliers, Datallers, Shotfirers and Drawers took on similar duties on the ship and the Engineer who oversaw and repaired the digging machines on the surface maintained the ship’s systems while in flight.
At the moment, they were crowded together in a control room, looking at the alien craft that emerged from hyperspace, opened fire on them and then made their demands.
“They want our ore,” said the Captain.
“I say we give it to them,” said the Lead Drawer.
“They’re pirates. I don’t think they’ll take it and leave us alive.”
“Oh, I didn’t say let them take it. I meant delivering it. Using the Orbital Insertion Rail Gun. At about 21,000 to 22,000 MPH.”
They laughed for a moment until they realized he wasn’t joking.
“Whoever is flying that ship stole it. It’s heavily armed and yet they used only a phase cannon on us. It’s only a matter of time before they figure out how to operate the big guns.”
Suddenly intrigued, everyone grew silent.
“We may not have fancy weapons, but we are not unarmed. We can’t outrun them and soon they’ll be able to outgun us. But we have a chance.”
--
On the bridge of the pirate vessel, there were several arguments happening at once.
“Why didn’t you figure out the weapon control system before we attacked?”
“You wanted a quick win, a chance to plunder. They won’t take us seriously unless we shoot them with something bigger and I don’t know how.”
“Shoot them again with what you do know to let them know we are serious.”
“They’re still tumbling from the first shot. Ok. I’ll get a lock and try again.”
--
“Here it comes,” said the engineer.
A blue white beam lanced out and hit the cargo hold amidships. The crew’s Shotfirer scanned the row of detonators he had lined up, selected one and hit the switch. The small explosion became a much bigger one as the ore packed into the cargo bay was blown out into space. In a matter of seconds, the space between the two ships filled with debris and dust.
--
“Now we can’t see them! Must I do everything myself? Move us in closer and be ready to fire again.”
The next shot was mostly dissipated by the debris field. But it must have hit something, as a large chunk of rock shot out of the field and smashed into the pirate’s engines and shutdown their sub-light engines. Another crashed midship. A third just missed the forward weapons array.
“Wait until you can see what you’re shooting at, you idiot!”
--
“Damn. I missed!” said the Shotfirer.
“Two out of three ain’t bad,” said the Captain as he clapped him on the shoulder. He turned to the Engineer. “You’re on.”
The engineer adjusted some controls and the rising hum of the sub-light engines filled the cabin. “You might want to hold onto something.”
The miner’s ship rotated on several axes, tumbling through space. As the pirate ship scanned the debris, it momentarily lost its lock on the other ship and missed the sudden orientation change. As the forward section, packed tight with ore, swung around to face pirates, the tumbling stopped. Hidden behind the bulk of the freighter, the impulse engines came alive.
The distance between the ships closed rapidly.
Too late, the pirates saw the other ship emerge from the debris. As they attempted to open a wormhole, the freighter ship hit just aft of midship. Over the next several seconds, the two ships seemed to merge until the freighter ship broke through to the other side. The two halves of the pirate’s ship tumbled away, atmosphere and plasma venting from the wreckage.
“I think we got salvage rights on this one, boys. Do you think anyone would want to buy both halves of a pirate ship?” asked the Captain.
Mod
Justin Sewall
The Elder sat upon his tired steed as it chewed its cud in the evening cool. He had ridden many lengths to reach this massive thrust of rock that jutted towards the sky like a dagger, and now he gazed at the night sky. His steed snorted and pawed at the ground impatiently, so he gave it a gentle nudge with the small fins that protruded like natural spurs from his calves.
“We’ll head home soon,” rasped the Elder, and he patted the beast’s enormous head between its three horns. He unfocused his eyes and slowly searched the heavens, not knowing exactly what for. Some lights merely twinkled, others tore across the firmament in a flash, yet there was one that caught his attention. He held a webbed hand up as if to shield his face, but placed the light between his thumb and index finger to measure its size. The Elder sighed and blew his breath out through his gills.
“So…you are coming at last,” he said to himself. A chill rippled down his spine, causing his small dorsal fin to shudder, and those on his forearms to stand on end.
“Come my friend,” he clicked to the Triceratops. “We’ve lingered here long enough and my skin longs for the waters of home.”
***
“Father, why do the Old Ones not recognize us any longer?” asked the boy as they swam lazily in the saltwater lagoon near their village, their dorsal fins breaking the surface ever so slightly. He breathed deeply and forced the water through his gills. The boy preferred breathing on land, but his Father told him it was important to be able to do both.
“Well,” his Father hesitated, “It’s hard to explain.”
“But they’re basically the same as us, they just don’t come on land. Right?”
“They can’t come on land,” his Father corrected. “Long ago, before my great-grandsire’s first row of teeth fell out and giants roamed the land, we and the Old Ones lived together in the deep waters. All the creatures of the sea feared us. But as some of us learned how to spend time on the land, they began to hate us. Eventually we became so different in their eyes that now they usually attack us as prey. Even our languages are foreign to them because they rarely speak, and when they do, it is only of raging hunger and blood.”
As he finished speaking, the Father noticed a dark shape trailing some distance behind them. The sway of its tail and shape of its fins were unmistakable.
“Son,” the Father said calmly, “I want you to swim as fast as you can to shore and meet me on the beach.”
“But,”
“Do it!” his Father gnashed at him, exposing his three small rows of serrated teeth. “Quickly now!”
The boy obeyed sullenly and sprinted to shore, eventually coming to stand on the beach where the Elder was waiting.
“I must speak with your Father,” the Elder said.
A violent thrashing of water erupted behind them, followed by a darkening pool of foaming blood.
“Father!” yelled the boy, who tried to run back to him but was held back by the Elder.
The lagoon’s surface once again became placid, but finally a small dorsal fin broke the surface and the boy’s Father emerged, bleeding, but alive. The two embraced as the Elder spoke.
“My Chief,” he said, “We have much to discuss.”
“Then let us council, for I have food to share!” said the Chief, as he raised the torn body of a great shark above his head.
***
The asteroid approached Earth, gaining speed with each passing second. Its brightness in the night sky was soon matched by that in the day. Even if the great saurians had known their end was near, there was nothing they could have done about it. But the tribe’s Elder was wise, as was their Chief, and so it was decreed that all would now forsake the land and return to the sea. They abandoned their simple village, left no tools or implements to speak of, and had made no art or monuments to forsake. Those who had died before them had already been returned to the waters of their ancestry, of the Old Ones. For the few who had died far from the water, their cartilaginous bones left no remains. Thus, as the asteroid remade the surface of the Earth, any evidence of the Shark People was completely and entirely erased forever.
(750 words in story) Justin Sewall © 2024
Reviews/critiques welcome
Congratulations, Greg and Justin! Great stories!
Well-crafted, well-detailed, finely paced piece, Greg. Congratulations!Justin, what a beautifully honed and original tale, and fine characterization! Congratulations to you.
Thank you all! I am but a very large shark in a very small pond - or a very small shark in a very big ocean, or there's always a bigger fish - or something like that!Greg, do you want to do the theme and elements or would you like me to? Just let me know!
Justin,How about a theme of "bad customer service"
with an element of "Catastrophic Failure"?
Or, if you have something more interesting...
(I'm dealing with an insurance change with my employer)
Greg
PS. The first time I posted this, I got a 3000 character error message...
Hello Jot, I've posted the three August theme and element discussion topics. Please move them to the top. Thank you!Theme: Catastrophic Failure (of anything – ships, life support, governments, relationships, etc.)
Required element: Bad customer service
Regression by Justin Sewall