Nigel
I followed Nigel's car, flying close behind its beat up rear bumper with a Florida license plate. From time to time, I saw him checking his rear view mirror. I could feel that he was afraid.
He didn't drive home, though. Halfway across the Baltimore Bridge, he suddenly pulled off to the shoulder and stopped. He killed the engine and stepped out of the car. For a few minutes, he just stood there with both hands on the railing, looking down at the water below. Below the bridge was a black river, nasty and fast and cold. I hung around while he lit up another one of his endless cigarettes. He was shivering in the night wind, the cars kept going by, and it was starting to rain. I spaced out for a second and when I turned, I saw my beloved civil engineer standing on the metal railing, ready to jump, so I thought, quick.
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Robot Planet: A Story for James W.
“Please don’t format me!” pleaded Boltolomew, as he was being led by Chief Bot and Tech Bot into the operating room. The interior of the room glistened with shiny, scary-looking equipment, but the chair in the middle looked worst of all.
“It’ll be good for you, Boltolomew,” Tech Bot said in his low buzzing voice that sounded like static.
“Give me another chance, please!” Boltolomew cried, stalling in the middle of the doorway.
Chief Bot and Tech Bot exchanged a knowing look. Then Chief Bot nodded, and Tech Bot attempted to invite Boltolomew into the chair—at first politely, then somewhat less politely. Then it turned into a mess: Boltolomew rolled around the room as Chief Bot and Tech Bot tried to catch him, but they couldn't, because Boltolomew was astoundingly fast. Also, and probably very much in spite of himself, Boltolomew set a few things on fire as he rolled around in circles trying to evade his pursuers, so that the Sprinklers ran into the room, and there was a great deal of commotion as they scurried around on their short tripod legs, spraying their fire-extinguishing foam at everything.
When things finally quieted down, Chief Bot and Tech Bot were both covered from head to foot in fire-extinguishing foam, and Boltolomew was nowhere to be seen.
“It’ll be good for you, Boltolomew,” Tech Bot said in his low buzzing voice that sounded like static.
“Give me another chance, please!” Boltolomew cried, stalling in the middle of the doorway.
Chief Bot and Tech Bot exchanged a knowing look. Then Chief Bot nodded, and Tech Bot attempted to invite Boltolomew into the chair—at first politely, then somewhat less politely. Then it turned into a mess: Boltolomew rolled around the room as Chief Bot and Tech Bot tried to catch him, but they couldn't, because Boltolomew was astoundingly fast. Also, and probably very much in spite of himself, Boltolomew set a few things on fire as he rolled around in circles trying to evade his pursuers, so that the Sprinklers ran into the room, and there was a great deal of commotion as they scurried around on their short tripod legs, spraying their fire-extinguishing foam at everything.
When things finally quieted down, Chief Bot and Tech Bot were both covered from head to foot in fire-extinguishing foam, and Boltolomew was nowhere to be seen.
Otherplanet
Dr. Grabengon had only one solace, and that was drinking. When he wasn't drunk, he was miserable and had splitting headaches, during which he mostly saw pink elephants.
The elephants were not very menacing in their behavior and never threatened him directly, but they liked to dance in circles, tapping their feet all around Dr. Grabengon, which intensified his headaches to an intolerable degree.
Therefore, to avoid the dancing pink elephants, he frequently resorted to drinking Gravat, an especially strong kind of drink that was also illegal. His friend Eagle took care of the supply for him as a favor, for they were very good friends.
Dr. Grabengon was a doctor by training, and a charlatan by profession. He traveled from town to town, selling strange potions to the more gullible citizens. The potions had some merit, because he used some of his knowledge and skill in crafting them, but they sometimes had unpredictable effects on their users, or were outright dangerous. One time, Dr. Grabengon very nearly escaped an attack by what he thought were monstrous creatures, only to discover that they were his own customers. They had grown tentacles and spines as a result of drinking one of his potions, and chased him for two hours straight all over town, until he accidentally stumbled and fell into a large ditch by the side of the road.
Fortunately, the monstrous customers did not notice him lying there, and ran right past him, waving their tentacles and shouting bad things.
The elephants were not very menacing in their behavior and never threatened him directly, but they liked to dance in circles, tapping their feet all around Dr. Grabengon, which intensified his headaches to an intolerable degree.
Therefore, to avoid the dancing pink elephants, he frequently resorted to drinking Gravat, an especially strong kind of drink that was also illegal. His friend Eagle took care of the supply for him as a favor, for they were very good friends.
Dr. Grabengon was a doctor by training, and a charlatan by profession. He traveled from town to town, selling strange potions to the more gullible citizens. The potions had some merit, because he used some of his knowledge and skill in crafting them, but they sometimes had unpredictable effects on their users, or were outright dangerous. One time, Dr. Grabengon very nearly escaped an attack by what he thought were monstrous creatures, only to discover that they were his own customers. They had grown tentacles and spines as a result of drinking one of his potions, and chased him for two hours straight all over town, until he accidentally stumbled and fell into a large ditch by the side of the road.
Fortunately, the monstrous customers did not notice him lying there, and ran right past him, waving their tentacles and shouting bad things.
Lovers In The Woods
Above them, the sky was blue and covered with slowly curling, drifting white clouds. The artificial sun shone down upon the great ocean sparkling below, which lapped like a giant silver wing just below the railing of the balcony. Seagulls cruised idly overhead, occasionally screeching unpleasantly when they spotted aerial passersby. This was the simulation. Lucky was intently watching his face.
"Wanna see something amazing?" she said.
"Such as?"
"Close your eyes."
She pulled on a switch in the entrance panel, a courtesy display plaque above which read, "Please leave simulation running." Suddenly, the sky became black, and Leon could see the glass covered view of the real sky above the dome. It was also covered with clouds, but they were heavy, almost solid, and dark violet.
Lucky did not take her eyes off his face now. Leon peered over the railing: there was nothing below. Just a grey, endless-looking wasteland. Thin ant-like tracks radiated from the base of the dome. On a microscopic scale, Leon could see some Mop machines tilling the ground, going in perpetual circles - they were digging up the encrusted upper layer of the radon-contaminated ground and carrying it off to be decontaminated. Their silvery, thin power cables radiated from the central magnet like cords from a swinging merry-go-round. Smaller shiny, green haulers called Locusts took the rubble away in small batches to be detoxed back at the hub.
He stood for a while with both hands on the railing, until Lucky called him.
"Listen, I'm sorry," she said, taking off her shades and folding them down into her pocket.
Leon looked at her. "Is that…everything?"
"Wanna see something amazing?" she said.
"Such as?"
"Close your eyes."
She pulled on a switch in the entrance panel, a courtesy display plaque above which read, "Please leave simulation running." Suddenly, the sky became black, and Leon could see the glass covered view of the real sky above the dome. It was also covered with clouds, but they were heavy, almost solid, and dark violet.
Lucky did not take her eyes off his face now. Leon peered over the railing: there was nothing below. Just a grey, endless-looking wasteland. Thin ant-like tracks radiated from the base of the dome. On a microscopic scale, Leon could see some Mop machines tilling the ground, going in perpetual circles - they were digging up the encrusted upper layer of the radon-contaminated ground and carrying it off to be decontaminated. Their silvery, thin power cables radiated from the central magnet like cords from a swinging merry-go-round. Smaller shiny, green haulers called Locusts took the rubble away in small batches to be detoxed back at the hub.
He stood for a while with both hands on the railing, until Lucky called him.
"Listen, I'm sorry," she said, taking off her shades and folding them down into her pocket.
Leon looked at her. "Is that…everything?"
Lovers In The Woods review on Fantascize.com
Helen Alexander's Lovers in the Woods, is an inventive and imaginative science fiction novel, set in the futuristic landscape of Metrodom. Many of its inhabitants are drones, Dolls, or other creatures having odd appearances with tentacles and wings. In spite of their unique features, they act and socialize like humans.
Leon unintentionally lets loose a deadly virus from the past, while trying to communicate with a young girl, who is mentally reaching out to him, even while in a coma that has spanned centuries. Unfortunately this causes the database controlling their society to start launching missiles, which threaten the entire population of the Metrodom, where Leon lives. Leon’s goal is to undo the damage, but before he does, he and several companions are accidentally sent back in time.
Nina, the girl in the coma, is a sweet and innocent character, but questions about her humanity, identity, and purpose arise throughout the book. This conversation takes place in a dream.
"Listen, Nina," Leon spoke up at length. "I need to ask you something. It's important. Promise to tell me the truth."
"I promise," Nina replied. "What is it?"
Leon thought it over some more, and then said, "Is there anyone keeping you here?"
Nina thought about it for a while. "No," she finally answered.
"Are you sure?"
"No," Nina said, after some hesitation. "But I don't know who he is."
Read the full review on Fantascize.com
Helen Alexander's Lovers in the Woods, is an inventive and imaginative science fiction novel, set in the futuristic landscape of Metrodom. Many of its inhabitants are drones, Dolls, or other creatures having odd appearances with tentacles and wings. In spite of their unique features, they act and socialize like humans.
Leon unintentionally lets loose a deadly virus from the past, while trying to communicate with a young girl, who is mentally reaching out to him, even while in a coma that has spanned centuries. Unfortunately this causes the database controlling their society to start launching missiles, which threaten the entire population of the Metrodom, where Leon lives. Leon’s goal is to undo the damage, but before he does, he and several companions are accidentally sent back in time.
Nina, the girl in the coma, is a sweet and innocent character, but questions about her humanity, identity, and purpose arise throughout the book. This conversation takes place in a dream.
"Listen, Nina," Leon spoke up at length. "I need to ask you something. It's important. Promise to tell me the truth."
"I promise," Nina replied. "What is it?"
Leon thought it over some more, and then said, "Is there anyone keeping you here?"
Nina thought about it for a while. "No," she finally answered.
"Are you sure?"
"No," Nina said, after some hesitation. "But I don't know who he is."
Read the full review on Fantascize.com
