I o0o Nadezsha Ivanov huffed softly to herself as she bustled around the restaurant, making sure that the diners in her section were comfortable before going back into the kitchen to check on the potato soup. Her cousins were goofing off again, Ludmilla lingering at a table flirting with an attractive patron while Mikhail texted his friends. "Mikhail, the...
In view of the essentially unlimited technological power that existed in 2634 and beyond, I, Arcturus00347 am transmitting this story back in time to those of you in the early twenty first century, who we call E21s, using a language – English – that was common back then but that no longer exists. First, my name; I am the 47th Arcturus born in District 3. In...
Note: The main character in this story is transgender. Also, no sex in ch1, sex is present in every subsequent chapter, however. *** Shae frowned at the alien terminal she'd been working on. She'd been organizing a schedule of visitors and meetings for the Rei-sa ambassador and the quartermaster. It was honestly about 80% of her job there and it would bare...
Author's Note: This chapter isn't very plot-heavy at all. *** The troop rode through a farming village, then a slightly less agricultural village, and finally a city. It was dark when they were in that city. Finding enough rooms in enough inns and taverns was a rushed and difficult experience. Some groups of soldiers had to make do in the village just ou...
Vladimir stood unmoved on the spot. A slight smile began to play across his lips. Vyeila's eyes narrowed and she looked back and forth between Vladimir and Melanie. "Come, my betrothed," Vladimir extended a hand towards Vyeila's direction, "You must be getting ready now. There is no time to waste. The ceremony is tomorrow." Melanie bit on her lip. This stil...
It was a breezy autumn evening as two trench coat wearing NYPD detectives walked down a side street in Chinatown. The sidewalk glowed red with the cumulative reflection of stoplights, tail-lights, and marketing signs. The threat that the sheen on the pavement might be refreshed by yet more rains remained. Most, but not all, of the businesses complied with th...
Earth Gatineau Park Dungeon, Quebec August 12, 2019 11:41 EDT While the first level was fairly well lit, the second was in complete darkness. Luckily, we came prepared and each carried a few light globes. Light globes are clear crystalline spheres that light up when you channel mana into them. They're quite durable, so you can channel mana into them and...
Three cracking tones. A long high pitched tone. Silence. A computer generated voice said, "This is the Emergency Alert System. This is not a test. Repeat. This is not a test. A highly infectious pathogen has spread beyond control. On advice from the Center for Disease Control the President has issued a nationwide state of emergency. For your safety, do not l...
"Hey, Dad. Is there an old wooden queen size bed frame anywhere I could use?" Brian asked as he stared at the vista of his father's collection filling the old sales floor of the closed down hardware store. His father let out a hum as he thought, and then said, "There's a queen you could use over in the northwest corner, as long as you don't scratch up the h...
She woke just as the sun was coming up. Still dressed, her book open on the bed beside her. Lying on her back, she stared up at the ceiling of her room, and counted the cracks she found. Ten this time, same as last. The house was old, and run down. A far cry when it had been one of the finest in town then. Not that any of the towns better citizens ever stepp...