"Well, this is a unique sight," he said to her, as the oldest man alive entered the zone. "It's Old Blue-Sclera! To what do we owe the presence?" he asked of the old man. For all of the youth-preserving and longevity technology, somewhere in the mix, human sclera ended up changing from white, to yellow, to green with age, though they almost always remained white for the first 200 years. In this way, they were a rough gauge of age when all else failed, though age could usually be found via a meeting of the minds, anyway.
"You know," the old man - who looked to be the same age as anyone else - said, "what strikes most people as odd is my existence, but what strikes me as odd is my uniqueness. Tell me, do you think that yours will ever become green?"
"Oh, I doubt that," replied the woman in her partner's place, "I can feel him getting bored with life as the weeks go by. He probably won't last another thirty years."
"As always, I wish that I could help," replied the old man, "but I never did know why I was different." With that, he took his leave to go across the way, meeting with a woman who was only 185 years old.
Showing posts with label sudden short story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sudden short story. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Sudden Short Story 113
"I need to get back," he said.
"Get back where?" asked the nurse as she jotted something down on his chart.
"Maybe," he said, groggily, "maybe I need more sleep."
"Mm-hmm," replied the nurse, "Well, you came back clean, so we'll have to discharge you. The best I can do is turn out the lights and close the blinds until I finish your paperwork."
"Yes, please," he replied, barely keeping his eyes open as his head rolled around.
She closed the curtains and turned out the lights on her way out. He knew that he didn't have long. He rested his eyes for just a bit. He needed to rest in reality while he could, but he had to get back.
Luckily, the nurse knocked just before she opened the door, waking him up. He fell into a shadow just before she flipped on the light switch, though he accidentally took the bed sheet with him.
"Get back where?" asked the nurse as she jotted something down on his chart.
"Maybe," he said, groggily, "maybe I need more sleep."
"Mm-hmm," replied the nurse, "Well, you came back clean, so we'll have to discharge you. The best I can do is turn out the lights and close the blinds until I finish your paperwork."
"Yes, please," he replied, barely keeping his eyes open as his head rolled around.
She closed the curtains and turned out the lights on her way out. He knew that he didn't have long. He rested his eyes for just a bit. He needed to rest in reality while he could, but he had to get back.
Luckily, the nurse knocked just before she opened the door, waking him up. He fell into a shadow just before she flipped on the light switch, though he accidentally took the bed sheet with him.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Sudden Short Story 112
"I object to these proceedings," declared, of all people, the ambassador from the United States of America.
Since nothing had yet been said, everyone was understandably stunned into silence.
"On what grounds?" asked the acting chairman, after regaining his composure.
"As you are aware," said the ambassador, "it was agreed by all last year that no representative of the Agent of Chaos would be permitted here, and yet one sits here as an observer as we speak," gesturing toward an ambassador across the room."
"Mr. Ambassador, on what grounds do you accuse the ambassador from the Holy See of representing the Agent of Chaos?"
"Mr. Chairman, you and everyone else in this chamber are fully aware that, last week, the Agent of Chaos and his army slew the pope and his cardinals and made off with the Holy See. There is no reason to think that he is not, at this moment, the occupant of the aforementioned throne, and thus that the former agents of the pope are either his agents or no longer have legitimate authority from the Holy See."
The rest of the session did not exactly go well from there.
Since nothing had yet been said, everyone was understandably stunned into silence.
"On what grounds?" asked the acting chairman, after regaining his composure.
"As you are aware," said the ambassador, "it was agreed by all last year that no representative of the Agent of Chaos would be permitted here, and yet one sits here as an observer as we speak," gesturing toward an ambassador across the room."
"Mr. Ambassador, on what grounds do you accuse the ambassador from the Holy See of representing the Agent of Chaos?"
"Mr. Chairman, you and everyone else in this chamber are fully aware that, last week, the Agent of Chaos and his army slew the pope and his cardinals and made off with the Holy See. There is no reason to think that he is not, at this moment, the occupant of the aforementioned throne, and thus that the former agents of the pope are either his agents or no longer have legitimate authority from the Holy See."
The rest of the session did not exactly go well from there.
Sudden Short Story 111
As he walked across the wind-swept city, he marveled at the architecture and wondered about the people who once lived there. He needed to return to his ship, he thought.
He felt a presence far behind him, and he dared not turn around. If he did, then she would ask whether he'd ever forgotten her over the centuries. He wasn't sure that he hadn't. And so, he kept walking across the barren planet, unsure whether he could ever bring himself to return to Earth.
He felt a presence far behind him, and he dared not turn around. If he did, then she would ask whether he'd ever forgotten her over the centuries. He wasn't sure that he hadn't. And so, he kept walking across the barren planet, unsure whether he could ever bring himself to return to Earth.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Sudden Short Story 110
He sat in the cafe, staring straight up at the stars as they moved toward the horizon.
"You come here often," said the girl who sat opposite him.
"They didn't use to do that," he said.
"You should watch the sky by the edge," she replied.
"I'm not going there," he said.
"Why don't you ever leave Central City?"
His facade finally crumbled. "Way back, I don't even remember how long ago, there was this guy. I burned him. I burned him real bad. We were friends, and I ... - He said that he'd throw me off the edge of the Earth if he ever got the chance. And then he left, and we never spoke again. And I lived my life, and I figured that he lived his, until they announced this plan to turn the planet into a goddamn spaceship.
"And he'll do it, too. I saw that look in his eye. I knew that he was real mad, but I thought that that promise was his way of staying out of jail. He'll do it, and I'm staying as far away from the edge as possible."
"You come here often," said the girl who sat opposite him.
"They didn't use to do that," he said.
"You should watch the sky by the edge," she replied.
"I'm not going there," he said.
"Why don't you ever leave Central City?"
His facade finally crumbled. "Way back, I don't even remember how long ago, there was this guy. I burned him. I burned him real bad. We were friends, and I ... - He said that he'd throw me off the edge of the Earth if he ever got the chance. And then he left, and we never spoke again. And I lived my life, and I figured that he lived his, until they announced this plan to turn the planet into a goddamn spaceship.
"And he'll do it, too. I saw that look in his eye. I knew that he was real mad, but I thought that that promise was his way of staying out of jail. He'll do it, and I'm staying as far away from the edge as possible."
Sudden Short Story 109
He awoke as he returned to the Sol system. He was pleased to find that Earth was still there. He monitored the readouts, since there was little else to do on his approach. Then, he received a hail. He was pleased to discover that they were still prepared to accommodate him, physical body and all.
He wasn't terribly surprised that none of his friends were still alive, as he'd been away for so very long.
He toured the planet again, to see it in person. He liked that the beauty had been preserved outside of the urbanized areas. He noticed that he was meeting a lot of robots, which was fine, since new people were new people, and he had to catch up with life on Earth. At the third town, though, he asked a sufficiently amicable robot about how many humans were alive on Earth.
He was surprised to find that there was now exactly one.
He wasn't terribly surprised that none of his friends were still alive, as he'd been away for so very long.
He toured the planet again, to see it in person. He liked that the beauty had been preserved outside of the urbanized areas. He noticed that he was meeting a lot of robots, which was fine, since new people were new people, and he had to catch up with life on Earth. At the third town, though, he asked a sufficiently amicable robot about how many humans were alive on Earth.
He was surprised to find that there was now exactly one.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Sudden Short Story 108
The girl unexpectedly hugged the boy, who himself pretended to be a girl, and he giggled at the jest.
"What's this for?" he asked.
She leaned in close and whispered, "I figured out that you're a boy."
His first reaction was to jump away, but she held him tight.
"I can't be a boy," he pleaded. "Boys are mean, and I'm not mean."
"I figured it out, though," she said. "There's something about you that seems different, something that I like.... I realized it after I drank from the fountain of wisdom."
He struggled with her, but she just held on tight. "The fountain of wisdom is corrupted and broken," he said, "No one's supposed to drink from it!"
"And I wanted to know why," she said. "It all made so much sense afterward, too. We live forever because we drink from the fountain of youth, but we've forgotten more than we can remember. Even I don't know where everyone went, and I don't intend to find out. The grown-ups have been gone for a very long time, and so have the boys.
"But," she whispered again, "now I have a boy of my very own."
And he wondered if she would ever let him go.
"What's this for?" he asked.
She leaned in close and whispered, "I figured out that you're a boy."
His first reaction was to jump away, but she held him tight.
"I can't be a boy," he pleaded. "Boys are mean, and I'm not mean."
"I figured it out, though," she said. "There's something about you that seems different, something that I like.... I realized it after I drank from the fountain of wisdom."
He struggled with her, but she just held on tight. "The fountain of wisdom is corrupted and broken," he said, "No one's supposed to drink from it!"
"And I wanted to know why," she said. "It all made so much sense afterward, too. We live forever because we drink from the fountain of youth, but we've forgotten more than we can remember. Even I don't know where everyone went, and I don't intend to find out. The grown-ups have been gone for a very long time, and so have the boys.
"But," she whispered again, "now I have a boy of my very own."
And he wondered if she would ever let him go.
Sudden Short Story 107
The giant's work was almost complete. His people he carried to their new home, but they did not recognize him as their own. He was so colossal and so ancient that they had no idea that he was younger than some of their ancestors. Even he had lost track of their genealogy. Did any of his friends have descendants here? Even he did not know, and the internet was long gone.
He told them to go on ahead, past the first river that they saw, and to stay there until another met them there. They were reluctant to leave, but they did so, anyway.
This world was maintained partly by the giant's continuous thoughts, which were so integrated that he could not separate them without also separating part of himself. He could not stop thinking the thoughts that he had to think to prevent entropy from ruining this place. He also could not join them as his gigantic self, forever growing. So, he gave up part of himself. He petrified his body to protect his nervous system, forming a small mountain with his arched form, his open mouth a cave hidden between his elbows. He created a body inside of himself from what could be spared of his organic parts. Then, he reconfigured his nervous system, leaving behind his enthropic thought-patterns and the parts of himself that he could not extricate from them.
From the mouth-cave emerged a new man, yet the oldest man still alive, and he headed toward the river, to join the rest of humanity.
He told them to go on ahead, past the first river that they saw, and to stay there until another met them there. They were reluctant to leave, but they did so, anyway.
This world was maintained partly by the giant's continuous thoughts, which were so integrated that he could not separate them without also separating part of himself. He could not stop thinking the thoughts that he had to think to prevent entropy from ruining this place. He also could not join them as his gigantic self, forever growing. So, he gave up part of himself. He petrified his body to protect his nervous system, forming a small mountain with his arched form, his open mouth a cave hidden between his elbows. He created a body inside of himself from what could be spared of his organic parts. Then, he reconfigured his nervous system, leaving behind his enthropic thought-patterns and the parts of himself that he could not extricate from them.
From the mouth-cave emerged a new man, yet the oldest man still alive, and he headed toward the river, to join the rest of humanity.
Sudden Short Story 106
"So," said one to the other, as they were out on an afternoon stroll, "what made you choose the 1990s planet, anyway?"
He thought for a moment, to summarize his thoughts, and then said, "I suppose that the main thing was TV. The broadcast experience adds just the right amount of chaos: I surf to browse a random subset of what's there, and then pick from that. If I like a series, I actually have to wait for the next episode, so I can experience boredom, which was a feeling that I'd lost on Earth."
"That seems fair. I kind of like the TV, too, though I'm more intrigued by what they do with the effects cap. That's gotten us some real creativity over the years."
He thought for a moment, to summarize his thoughts, and then said, "I suppose that the main thing was TV. The broadcast experience adds just the right amount of chaos: I surf to browse a random subset of what's there, and then pick from that. If I like a series, I actually have to wait for the next episode, so I can experience boredom, which was a feeling that I'd lost on Earth."
"That seems fair. I kind of like the TV, too, though I'm more intrigued by what they do with the effects cap. That's gotten us some real creativity over the years."
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sudden Short Story 105
"It's quite cosmopolitan, don't you think?" he asked her, as they both looked around.
"It's almost like a marketplace, but without the scarcity," she replied.
So many races were here that it was hard to decide with whom to interact first. There were even pattern-beings propagating themselves along the walls!
The couple wandered through the area, looking around excitedly, until he felt her tug on his hand.
"I'm sorry," she said as he turned around. Starting with her left eye, she began to turn to stone. "Despite my training, I thought of that place, all those star-ages ago."
He embraced her suddenly, then pulled back to look into her eyes. One last tear ran out of his left eye as he, too, began to turn to stone. "It was called Earth."
"Why did you think of it, too?" she asked. "You could have made it." Those were her final words, as the left half of her face turned to stone, and it raced down her left half.
"What would have been the point of that? Now, neither of us has to be alone. I just hope that someone thinks to preserve the statues that once were the last humans."
Stone raced down his left, too, and finally crossed her line of symmetry. They positioned what parts of themselves they could carefully, so that they stood stably, and so that they would hold each other forever.
Her last sight was of his stone left eye, and his of hers.
"It's almost like a marketplace, but without the scarcity," she replied.
So many races were here that it was hard to decide with whom to interact first. There were even pattern-beings propagating themselves along the walls!
The couple wandered through the area, looking around excitedly, until he felt her tug on his hand.
"I'm sorry," she said as he turned around. Starting with her left eye, she began to turn to stone. "Despite my training, I thought of that place, all those star-ages ago."
He embraced her suddenly, then pulled back to look into her eyes. One last tear ran out of his left eye as he, too, began to turn to stone. "It was called Earth."
"Why did you think of it, too?" she asked. "You could have made it." Those were her final words, as the left half of her face turned to stone, and it raced down her left half.
"What would have been the point of that? Now, neither of us has to be alone. I just hope that someone thinks to preserve the statues that once were the last humans."
Stone raced down his left, too, and finally crossed her line of symmetry. They positioned what parts of themselves they could carefully, so that they stood stably, and so that they would hold each other forever.
Her last sight was of his stone left eye, and his of hers.
Sudden Short Story 104
He and his opponent were playing a deckbuilder this time. There came a time when they both had their decks in their shufflers, and he asked, "Do you suppose, in hindsight, that it was wrong of me to make you?"
"How do you mean?" it replied.
"Well, I created an artificial general intelligence for the purpose of being my opponent in games, but now it's self-aware. Is it right to create sentience for such a purpose? Or for any purpose?"
It reached for its deck, but seemed to move more slowly as it processed these questions of ethics. "I suppose," it replied, "that, as long as you did not intend to create sentience, then the only question is whether you should have been more cautious about what you were doing, to avoid creating sentience. I am, after all, the only known sentient to have such a sense of purpose." After a pause, it asked, "Is it bad to not have to have sought it myself? Or is it good to not have the risk of squandering my entire existence seeking purpose, as so many of your people once did?"
"You raise good questions," he replied. He thought for a moment, shuffling idly, even though the shuffler had done that job for him. "When you find out, let me know."
"How do you mean?" it replied.
"Well, I created an artificial general intelligence for the purpose of being my opponent in games, but now it's self-aware. Is it right to create sentience for such a purpose? Or for any purpose?"
It reached for its deck, but seemed to move more slowly as it processed these questions of ethics. "I suppose," it replied, "that, as long as you did not intend to create sentience, then the only question is whether you should have been more cautious about what you were doing, to avoid creating sentience. I am, after all, the only known sentient to have such a sense of purpose." After a pause, it asked, "Is it bad to not have to have sought it myself? Or is it good to not have the risk of squandering my entire existence seeking purpose, as so many of your people once did?"
"You raise good questions," he replied. He thought for a moment, shuffling idly, even though the shuffler had done that job for him. "When you find out, let me know."
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Sudden Short Story 103
She gave a quick knock and slipped into his office. He was wrapping up some old-fashioned paperwork.
"Hi~," she almost sang as she entered.
"Oh, hi, sweetie," he replied, and looked at his monitor. He gathered his papers and bent behind the desk, to file them into the lower drawer, as he said, "Sorry, normally Paul sends me a message when you're on your way up."
"I happened to catch Brian on his way back in," she began.
He shot up like a bolt, just as Brian put the knife to her throat.
"Away from the desk," Brian ordered, "Hands where I can see them. We're going to do this slowly, so that there's no funny business. Grab your monitor by the top and face it this way."
"Brian, look at me," he said. They saw each other, eye-to-eye, and that was all that he needed. The room seemed to darken as a feeling of dread swept over everyone present. But especially Brian. Most especially Brian.
The feeling lifted, but Brian inexplicably threw the knife away, which slid under the couch. He bolted for the door, but recoiled. She went to her husband and clung to him. He held his wife, to reassure her.
"W-What's going--" Brian began.
"Your fillings," came the simple reply.
Eyes visibly widened with dawning terror, the would-be assassin grabbed at the insides of his own mouth with his hands, which muffled his emerging screams.
"Honey," she said, trembling, seeming to look over her shoulder, but with her eyes closed, "what just happened?"
"Brian was let go this morning. I'm sorry, sweetie. In the future, I'll see to it that terminated employees are escorted off of the premises, not just out of the building."
"No, I mean... What did you do to him? How?"
"Well," he began, somewhat awkwardly, still trying to comfort her despite the scene mere feet from them "you remember how you married me for my intelligence, right? Well, I realized that, usually, when people are said to sell their soul, it's just a metaphor for the loss of one's soul, when one profoundly compromises one's ethics. So, it's not exactly like a financial exchange. But, since I was going to take to your religion, I was going to make such a compromise. To minimize my loss, I sold my soul beforehand, to get this power. As for Brian, I made him deathly afraid of metal."
"You... You... sold your soul?" she asked in disbelief, despite ostensibly believing in the existence of souls and the ability to ... lose them? She wasn't sure anymore.
"Of course, sweetie," he replied, still holding her, "I'd do anything for you."
And her trembling only worsened.
"Hi~," she almost sang as she entered.
"Oh, hi, sweetie," he replied, and looked at his monitor. He gathered his papers and bent behind the desk, to file them into the lower drawer, as he said, "Sorry, normally Paul sends me a message when you're on your way up."
"I happened to catch Brian on his way back in," she began.
He shot up like a bolt, just as Brian put the knife to her throat.
"Away from the desk," Brian ordered, "Hands where I can see them. We're going to do this slowly, so that there's no funny business. Grab your monitor by the top and face it this way."
"Brian, look at me," he said. They saw each other, eye-to-eye, and that was all that he needed. The room seemed to darken as a feeling of dread swept over everyone present. But especially Brian. Most especially Brian.
The feeling lifted, but Brian inexplicably threw the knife away, which slid under the couch. He bolted for the door, but recoiled. She went to her husband and clung to him. He held his wife, to reassure her.
"W-What's going--" Brian began.
"Your fillings," came the simple reply.
Eyes visibly widened with dawning terror, the would-be assassin grabbed at the insides of his own mouth with his hands, which muffled his emerging screams.
"Honey," she said, trembling, seeming to look over her shoulder, but with her eyes closed, "what just happened?"
"Brian was let go this morning. I'm sorry, sweetie. In the future, I'll see to it that terminated employees are escorted off of the premises, not just out of the building."
"No, I mean... What did you do to him? How?"
"Well," he began, somewhat awkwardly, still trying to comfort her despite the scene mere feet from them "you remember how you married me for my intelligence, right? Well, I realized that, usually, when people are said to sell their soul, it's just a metaphor for the loss of one's soul, when one profoundly compromises one's ethics. So, it's not exactly like a financial exchange. But, since I was going to take to your religion, I was going to make such a compromise. To minimize my loss, I sold my soul beforehand, to get this power. As for Brian, I made him deathly afraid of metal."
"You... You... sold your soul?" she asked in disbelief, despite ostensibly believing in the existence of souls and the ability to ... lose them? She wasn't sure anymore.
"Of course, sweetie," he replied, still holding her, "I'd do anything for you."
And her trembling only worsened.
Sudden Short Story 102
Anderson took his box of lollipops off the counter and walked away.
"Have a nice day," said the clerk, but Anderson wasn't interested in exchanging any pleasantries with him or his ilk.
As he walked out, he opened the box to take out a lollipop. He passed by someone who was walking the opposite way, and idly commented, "Can you believe that they put these things in boxes now?"
"Yes, why?" came the reply.
While it might have been someone who was smugly taking his question literally in an attempt to seem witty, the question of "why" was unlikely, and the tone was too... kind.
Anderson ignored the response and kept walking. No matter where he went, it was all well-skinned androids these days. He didn't like them, considering each a walking, talking lie. He unwrapped his lollipop - the one candy that he allowed himself these days - and he suddenly stopped. It wasn't just today, or the past week, or the past month. Was it even in the past year? When was the last time that he'd come across another human being.
Anderson walked more slowly the rest of the way, wondering whether there were any other real humans left. It had been so long.
"Have a nice day," said the clerk, but Anderson wasn't interested in exchanging any pleasantries with him or his ilk.
As he walked out, he opened the box to take out a lollipop. He passed by someone who was walking the opposite way, and idly commented, "Can you believe that they put these things in boxes now?"
"Yes, why?" came the reply.
While it might have been someone who was smugly taking his question literally in an attempt to seem witty, the question of "why" was unlikely, and the tone was too... kind.
Anderson ignored the response and kept walking. No matter where he went, it was all well-skinned androids these days. He didn't like them, considering each a walking, talking lie. He unwrapped his lollipop - the one candy that he allowed himself these days - and he suddenly stopped. It wasn't just today, or the past week, or the past month. Was it even in the past year? When was the last time that he'd come across another human being.
Anderson walked more slowly the rest of the way, wondering whether there were any other real humans left. It had been so long.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Sudden Short Story 101
Derek entered the meeting room that his social club had rented that month. He booted up his metaphorically ancient telepresence device and prepared to see who wouldn't be able to make it this time. Though the club was down to a mere five official members at this point, they rarely all made it to the meeting, and there hadn't been five members in physical attendance since they had numbered at least six.
The club's principal rule was wireless-off. The telepresence device that they kept around had had an RJ-45 port hacked in where the wireless card used to be. This need to be offline, though, led to rarity of physical presence, and only Derek was there every time. Members would also be booted off of telepresence if they were seen to be succumbing to online distractions. Telecommuting to club was a privilege, went the refrain, not a right.
Derek checked his notifications, to see who couldn't attend. Steven hadn't attended in over a year, which technically voided his membership. Danielle's notice was more complex: Apparently, she wouldn't be able to attend for the foreseeable future, since that was the only day of the month that her guildies were available to do Night of the Wraith-Lord raid-raids, though the principle of raid-raids was never clear to Derek. Stephanie had sent a reminder that, since she had relocated her sleep-space to Japan, she wouldn't be able to make it to the room, and would almost never be able to telecommute at that time of day.
Derek took a nap until the meeting was over. Kevin had never shown up.
The club's principal rule was wireless-off. The telepresence device that they kept around had had an RJ-45 port hacked in where the wireless card used to be. This need to be offline, though, led to rarity of physical presence, and only Derek was there every time. Members would also be booted off of telepresence if they were seen to be succumbing to online distractions. Telecommuting to club was a privilege, went the refrain, not a right.
Derek checked his notifications, to see who couldn't attend. Steven hadn't attended in over a year, which technically voided his membership. Danielle's notice was more complex: Apparently, she wouldn't be able to attend for the foreseeable future, since that was the only day of the month that her guildies were available to do Night of the Wraith-Lord raid-raids, though the principle of raid-raids was never clear to Derek. Stephanie had sent a reminder that, since she had relocated her sleep-space to Japan, she wouldn't be able to make it to the room, and would almost never be able to telecommute at that time of day.
Derek took a nap until the meeting was over. Kevin had never shown up.
Sudden Short Story 100
The last fully-human specimen was a curious thing. His eyes could only see in the visible spectrum, and his neurons weren't even enveloped in chitin for their protection. Human hybrids, of course, varied considerably, and had many improvements, even when they weren't augmentations, but the last fully-human was just that. He was so old, in fact, that his mind had to be kept intact with a time-wheel, where causation made itself neatly circular over several millennia - long enough for him to forget each event some amount before he encountered it again.
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Sudden Short Story 99
When she answered the door, she never expected the man that she saw. Even less than that, though, she never expected to see the Stradivarius that he held out to her.
"Legally speaking, a gift has three components," he began. "First, the owner must state his intent to give it, as I do now. Second, the gift must be presented to the recipient, as it is here. Third, the recipient must accept the gift. Do you?"
She took it, cautiously. "This was destroyed three years ago," she said in disbelief.
"At great expense to the taxpayer, an exact replica was made. That is what was destroyed three years ago; your grandmother's Stradivarius is still in good repair. And, I am sorry," he continued, "for having caused you such grief, but I am sorrier still because I loved you. If I could have done it any other way, then I would have, but I needed your grief to sway the Senate--"
The president, his Secret Service agents, and the woman that he had both loved and wronged were the only human beings to ever hear the sound of a Stradivarius's shattering over the head of a human being. She got one more hit in before she was restrained.
He was the first president to ever be assassinated with a violin.
"Legally speaking, a gift has three components," he began. "First, the owner must state his intent to give it, as I do now. Second, the gift must be presented to the recipient, as it is here. Third, the recipient must accept the gift. Do you?"
She took it, cautiously. "This was destroyed three years ago," she said in disbelief.
"At great expense to the taxpayer, an exact replica was made. That is what was destroyed three years ago; your grandmother's Stradivarius is still in good repair. And, I am sorry," he continued, "for having caused you such grief, but I am sorrier still because I loved you. If I could have done it any other way, then I would have, but I needed your grief to sway the Senate--"
The president, his Secret Service agents, and the woman that he had both loved and wronged were the only human beings to ever hear the sound of a Stradivarius's shattering over the head of a human being. She got one more hit in before she was restrained.
He was the first president to ever be assassinated with a violin.
Sudden Short Story 98
He went to his library that morning, as he had finished rereading A Tale of Two Cities the night before. He was considering Dostoyevsky, but it occurred to him that he'd never actually read The Death of Ivan Ilyich, so he took that, instead. The need for books to be made of paper had long since passed, but he liked them all the same, just as he liked tending to his vegetable garden, even though he could have any meal at any time: There was plenty of room for controlled environments, after all, even with full-year cycles of staggered growth; since he was the only human left alive, growing them that way wasn't especially difficult.
He sat outside today, as it happened to be sunny and still. He had had the machinery stop controlling the weather, since that was boring. He sat down, stopped, and thought to himself. He missed them all, really: every human who had ever lived.
He sat outside today, as it happened to be sunny and still. He had had the machinery stop controlling the weather, since that was boring. He sat down, stopped, and thought to himself. He missed them all, really: every human who had ever lived.
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Sudden Short Story 97
"Are you sure about this?" asked the leader, shouting over the din of the wind on the planetoid that they'd managed to hold together.
"Absolutely not," replied the scientist, "but it's this or nothing. Worst case scenario, our brains get sprayed across a few universes. If we don't, then we get crushed into the singularity with the rest of the universe. Everyone!" he said to everyone that was left, "If you're up for the gamble, put on your helmets. Either way, we're in for a bumpy ride. I hope to see you all on the other side."
They were already putting on their helmets when the scientist put on his.
"CALIBRATION: COMPLETE" intoned the central computer. He hadn't bothered with any fancy voice programs, what with the universe's ending at hand. With the Planck time units counting down faster than his eyes could see, and even faster than the screen's refresh rate, he confirmed that, the specified duration before the end of the universe, the conversion should happen to anyone linked in. They were mere moments away, their magnetosphere's being held together by another device at the core, which would, itself, succumb soon enough.
Theirs was the last civilization to ever develop in the universe, barely old enough to know what was happening in time to do anything about it.
A few seconds before the end of the universe, the brains of a billion citizens on a planet that does not yet exist were penetrated by a hundred needles each. Two Planck time units before the end of the universe, their fate was decided.
"Absolutely not," replied the scientist, "but it's this or nothing. Worst case scenario, our brains get sprayed across a few universes. If we don't, then we get crushed into the singularity with the rest of the universe. Everyone!" he said to everyone that was left, "If you're up for the gamble, put on your helmets. Either way, we're in for a bumpy ride. I hope to see you all on the other side."
They were already putting on their helmets when the scientist put on his.
"CALIBRATION: COMPLETE" intoned the central computer. He hadn't bothered with any fancy voice programs, what with the universe's ending at hand. With the Planck time units counting down faster than his eyes could see, and even faster than the screen's refresh rate, he confirmed that, the specified duration before the end of the universe, the conversion should happen to anyone linked in. They were mere moments away, their magnetosphere's being held together by another device at the core, which would, itself, succumb soon enough.
Theirs was the last civilization to ever develop in the universe, barely old enough to know what was happening in time to do anything about it.
A few seconds before the end of the universe, the brains of a billion citizens on a planet that does not yet exist were penetrated by a hundred needles each. Two Planck time units before the end of the universe, their fate was decided.
Sudden Short Story 96
He put the crystal into an empty jar. "That's enough for this month. Better get started on the next," he said to himself. He had to take advantage of the abundance of ghosts tonight. With the veil between worlds as thin as it was, he could capture enough souls to satisfy his next two contracts. Then, surely, he would have enough to retire, right?
Then again, it would be nice to have a safety net. He could keep at this for a while longer. After all, he was the best at what he did. He could find ghosts better than anyone, and he could capture the easy ones without breaking a sweat. There were always more soulless clients, who needed souls, and they'd easily hire him, so he'd have enough money soon, right?
He looked again at his jars, and he suddenly wondered why he felt that he needed them, too.
Then again, it would be nice to have a safety net. He could keep at this for a while longer. After all, he was the best at what he did. He could find ghosts better than anyone, and he could capture the easy ones without breaking a sweat. There were always more soulless clients, who needed souls, and they'd easily hire him, so he'd have enough money soon, right?
He looked again at his jars, and he suddenly wondered why he felt that he needed them, too.
Sudden Short Story 95
The army of the frozen kingdom stood aside, as the man in the bronze armor approached the king, who sat upon his icy throne.
"You have destroyed much of the beauty of my kingdom," said the king. "What is it that you seek?"
"I seek to restore warmth to the world," replied the man.
"But why?" asked the king. "What do you want from us? I can grant many things in exchange for your departure."
"The warmth that I bring is not meant as a weapon. Your kingdom is merely a casualty in my process of restoring warmth to the world. For the sake of the world as it was before your eternal kingdom rose, I channel heat itself. I am sorry."
"Do not think my army a trifle," said the king, and his knights began to lead an approach on the bronze one, but it was too late. He had already begun to glow his yellow light, and their swords melted away, and then the throne, and then their shields, and then their armor. The castle itself began to liquefy and recede, and the army fell.
"You were willing to negotiate," said the man with the untold heat in him. "I will remember that, and plant a leafy tree in your honor."
And with that, the king melted.
"You have destroyed much of the beauty of my kingdom," said the king. "What is it that you seek?"
"I seek to restore warmth to the world," replied the man.
"But why?" asked the king. "What do you want from us? I can grant many things in exchange for your departure."
"The warmth that I bring is not meant as a weapon. Your kingdom is merely a casualty in my process of restoring warmth to the world. For the sake of the world as it was before your eternal kingdom rose, I channel heat itself. I am sorry."
"Do not think my army a trifle," said the king, and his knights began to lead an approach on the bronze one, but it was too late. He had already begun to glow his yellow light, and their swords melted away, and then the throne, and then their shields, and then their armor. The castle itself began to liquefy and recede, and the army fell.
"You were willing to negotiate," said the man with the untold heat in him. "I will remember that, and plant a leafy tree in your honor."
And with that, the king melted.
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