The shopkeep stuffed a pigeon into a parakeet cage. Coos changed into sweet chirps. "Never let it out of its cage," he warned his customers. Ed wondered why he never saw baby pigeons. He found a rocky seashore, where round stones glowed in the moonlight. He never saw the sunrise. […]
Jamie Lackey
Jim zoned out a little during the speeches. He listened while Ronnie’s dad got up and talked for a while about the purpose of the colony–about exploration and the indomitable human spirit. It was the same sort of thing that Ronnie’s dad always went on about. Jim’s lips twitched. He […]
Martian Adventures: The Naming Ceremony Part 3
Pigeons crowded the sill outside of Sally’s window. They cooed and pecked at the glass until Sally couldn’t ignore them any longer. She flung the window open, and the bird scattered. They regrouped and swooped into Sally’s office. "What do you want?" she asked. They just stared at her with […]
Art Critics
Molly watched as the sun grew small behind them. She was never going to feel its heat again. She missed it more than she missed her family. The AI woke Seth. It said it needed his help, and it kept him busy with little projects for years. When he died, […]
Twitter Stories
Mrs. Morgan looked taller without Jim’s dad towering over her. And she looked pretty in her pink-flower dress and pearls. And Jim looked very solemn in his suit. Ronnie grinned and waved. Jim waved back. Ronnie’s mom had redecorated the cafeteria for the ceremony. The tables had been stashed somewhere, […]
Martian Adventures: The Naming Ceremony Part 2
Allie had no idea why her cousin put cowboys and Indians in his magic cupboard. It was obvious to her that they needed dinosaurs. The children reached the next step in evolution. After their minds expanded, they voted to bring back the dinosaurs and outlaw homework. They thought the creatures […]
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Jim stuffed his tie in his pocket. Ronnie’s mom could help him with it. He crept out of his room and into the dark kitchen. Just a few more steps, and he’d be out. "James?" His mom flicked the light on. "What are you doing up this early? And why […]
Martian Adventures: The Naming Ceremony Part 1
Adam tightened the last bolt and stepped back from his time machine. "It’s ready," he said. "I still think we should do a shorter jump for our first test," Suzy said. "If we can’t get back, the Cretaceous isn’t a great time to be stuck in." "Dinosaurs, Suzy." Suzy sighed. […]
First Stop, Dinosaurs
The fireworks paused all across the nation. The fuses fizzled for ten seconds, then they launched, and each one spelled "Hello, Earthlings." Lacy danced with sparklers in her hands, wishing they were fairies. Something brushed her eyelids, and she saw hundreds of dancing lights. Mary traced dark arcane symbols with […]
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Ronnie still couldn’t get over how everyone had reacted to their discovery. The geology department gave both her and Jim specially created paperweights carved out of Martian rock and had thrown them a party. The engineers had started designing robots to explore the crevasse. Her mom had dedicated a whole […]