Ask, and you shall receive They fled. The nuclear plant was dangerous, the scientists said, although nuclear energy was centuries-forgotten technology. It was just the farmer and his wife left in the empty lake bed, shadowed by the plant’s towers, fertile for corn. His wife died three years ago, but…

Who needs a green thumb when the garden takes care of itself? — The winter winds chased Alison inside the greenhouse, rattling the metal door until she locked it. The rust, the rattling, and the rot worsened every year. Alison brushed thick chunks of snow from her hair with lilac-coloured wool gloves before she got to work. Dad paid for her yearly vacations…

Gelatinous and oh so lovely. — Saturn was so delightfully human, all things considered. Marlow could see Neptune trembling through the crimson, wrinkled artificial atmosphere during her evening stroll. With an ancient textbook under one arm and a cup of coffee in her right hand, Marlow searched the crumbled stone streets for Giggle Jellies. They were…

Tropic 11 Jean wasted no tears in the aftermath—she had to save them for herself. Despite her loneliness, Jean had plenty of company. Between hacking at endless trees and the gnats swarming her sweaty skin, boredom didn’t exist during her forest “hike.” …

Where Man’s best friend is harnessed by Man’s greed. — Fred. It was the most fitting name for the bag of bits and bolts in the paper bag. Oliver dropped Fred on the oak dining table, with complete disregard to its fragile varnish. “I got you a present,” he announced to his wife. Marie winced. Whatever Fred was, he was…

A Visible Legacy Dr. Raymond Plummer bragged frequently of his achievements, both old and new. His favourite? Although the lowest-rated professor in the Manicheel Institute’s History, Dr. Plummer also had the greatest death toll on his hands in the Manicheel’s history. Out of the 10 students that remained of his…