The Newcomer E-Book

Jonathan C Gillespie

• Herausgeber: Alasdair Shaw
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

From a young couple struggling to look after their baby to a new captain's reluctance to take command of her ship, and from a sun-addled stranger's appearance in town to the emergence of a sentient AI, the twelve tales presented here explore the central theme of an arrival by someone or something new.There's even an alien puppy.The stories are:Tithe by Griffin CarmichaelExodus by Alec HutsonFirst Bonding by Tom GermannIce Dreamer by J J GreenThe Nanny by Cindy CarrollRight Hand by Jonathan C GillespieWhat Make is Your Cat? by Richard CrawfordKaxian Duty by Cherise KelleyLessons Learned by J Naomi AyThe Humra by Laura GreenwoodThe Hawk of Destiny’s Fist by James S AaronRepulse by Alasdair Shaw

Leseprobe

The Newcomer

Twelve Science Fiction Short Stories

edited by Alasdair Shaw

Copyright © 2016 Alasdair C Shaw et al.

All rights reserved.

First published 2016

ISBN10 0995511012

ISBN13 978-0995511019

Contents

Contents

Introduction

Tithe

Exodus

First Bonding

Ice Dreamer

The Nanny

Right Hand

What Make is Your Cat?

Kaxian Duty

Lessons Learned

The Humra

The Hawk of Destiny’s Fist

Repulse

Conclusion

Introduction

This collection of short stories was put together to showcase the variety of talented authors writing science fiction today. The twelve chosen come from around the world, including the US, Britain, Canada, Taiwan, and China.

Each tale presented here explores the central theme of an arrival by someone or something new. And the reactions produced range, as they often do, from hope to fear.

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The world is nothing but a dry husk of itself. Jacob Heinlein has lost his home, everyone he knew, and hope. While on a journey to the mythical ocean, an unforgiving sun beating down on him, Jacob finds himself in a town with a source of fresh, clean water. However, there is a “Tithe” to pay for the privilege of staying.

In “Exodus”, the orphaned children of Old Earth are scattered across the solar system, protected from the darkness by god-like beings fashioned from lost technologies. But something has changed. Ancient rules have been broken, and after centuries of isolation one of these beings approaches Mars with overtly hostile intent. A defence must be marshalled, and the coming conflagration could result in the destruction of one of the last bastions of man.

Humanity had aimed for the stars and a glorious future in space. The alien’s arrival had tarnished that shiny dream. Now the first AIs are fully coming online, even while the government tries to block their use, and humanity is once again looking to the future. “First Bonding” tells of the illegally-created level 8 AI known as Genghis, and his reactions to an alien attack.

In “Ice Dreamer”, lab technician Prussis has dreamed all her life of reviving someone from the past. Whilst no-one understands why she keeps trying, she works long hours defrosting heads. In her latest attempt, what happens is the last thing she expects.

Then in “The Nanny”, the first natural birth in over two hundred years brings a new life to Cardea’s family. Despite the risks, she and her husband are determined to raise a family the old fashioned way. But social habits die hard.

The war with a forgotten conqueror has been over for decades, but that doesn’t mean the Earth has recovered. Life in the American Midwest is only getting more dangerous. His town besieged by hunter-killer drones left over from the conflict, gifted high school senior Daniel Bell would give his “Right Hand” to make the Army believe that the machines are somehow not being harmed by their operations.

“What Make is Your Cat?” welcomes you to London-Atlantis where, after the tsunami, your cat has higher social status and earning power than you do, and evolution is an elite, designer trend you can’t afford to join.

Three-month-old Clem faces his first day of “Kaxian Duty” with anxiety. He is keen to find out what his assignment will be, but runs into distractions on the way to headquarters. Training will be hard. Mistakes will be punished. Oh, and his tail has a mind of its own, which doesn’t help matters any.

Ary had known he was destined to be a starship captain his whole life. After all, his mother was Captain Sandy and his father was the guy who was supposed to be Fleet Admiral. However, the prospect of attending the Spaceforce Academy was daunting. Enough to make Ary question his future. In his first few weeks there will be quite a few “Lessons Learned”.

Bounty hunter Braillen takes a new job on “The Humra” to get close to her mark. When the crew discover her identity she is whisked in front of the captain. She must face her nightmares if she wants to finish the job and realise her deepest desire.

New captains take command in a variety of situations. Sometimes the passage isn’t an easy one. In “The Hawk of Destiny’s Fist”, Asarik Leah is sent to replace ShipLord Till and lead his InquiryShip on a dangerous new mission. Tradition demands she proves herself fit to take his place.

And in our last story, newly-promoted Commander Olivia Johnson is posted to the destroyer “Repulse”. Most of the officers are dead and the remaining crewmembers are exhausted. Johnson must step up to the mark and lead them back into battle despite her personal misgivings.

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And so, on to the stories. I hope you enjoy...

-o-

Tithe

by Griffin Carmichael

It looked like a mirage, tempting him at the edge of his vision. The heat shimmered and baked better than any oven he’d ever seen, and the dryness of his throat was a cruel reminder that it had been nearly a week since the last trickle of water he found. He didn’t have to shake the canteen hanging from his waist to know it was empty.

Jacob stood wavering in the sun, squinting. He could go forward, head to the mirage, or he could try west, and try to find the end of the desert. He vaguely remembered people talking about something called an ocean, long ago in his barely remembered youth. Ocean meant water. Salt water, his brain insisted. Not good. But water was water. There were ways to get the salt out. His Grandpappy had said so, long ago when he was a boy.

There would be people close to water, he knew. Maybe they would teach him how to banish the demon salt.

It looked like real buildings ahead, though. If it was a town, a Wanderer’s caravan, even a group of travellers like himself, searching for a new beginning, there was a chance he could get water. Trade or work, it didn’t matter. He needed water.

Jacob sighed and trudged forward. The mirage was to the south of where he wanted to be heading, but he’d followed a dry stream bed this way, hoping to find the source, a spring or pond that might hold enough precious moisture to get him further along.

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Maybe the town was built beside a good source of water. Jacob’s mind wandered as he walked towards the mirage. It didn’t seem to get any closer, which made his heart thump hard in his chest. He couldn’t walk much further, so tired and dry he felt like an old corn husk. He’d have to head west soon, or die here in this wasteland.

The thought of corn, sweet and moist as the boiled ear came out of the pot made him want to cry. It had been so long since he’d tasted anything so pure and good. Corn took water to grow, and as the rivers and streams and wells began to dry up, water was too precious to spare to grow corn.

It was getting hotter. Jacob rummaged in his pouch for a small stone, placing the rounded pebble under his tongue. If he was lucky, he could bring a small amount of saliva out of his squeezed-dry cells, just enough to keep him going for a little longer.