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One More Fence
Ok, Alice, here comes the translation. The message does say: Notice to inhabitants of planet number 3 orbiting star 42p42. Stay where you are. Refrain from sending insecure vessels towards planet number 4, or any other galactic destination. Stay on your planet. Repeat: STAY ON YOUR PLANET. DO NOT BOARD. DO NOT LAUNCH. STAY PUT,…
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Empathopotion
Here I sit, in my high speed low carb train, minding my own business. It’s 2052 and it’s one fine world rushing past outside. Would love to savour the view, rows and rows of splendid windmills, but annoyance. People are so gross these days. Instead of politely lowering their voices, they talk as if this…
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Teaser Pleaser
To share or not to share? Waso feels an all too familiar awkwardness welling up. Talking to people, still one of her least favourites activities. This is Sam, she reminds herself. Harmless. Harmless! The most harmless of males she ever met. ‚Certified one thousand percent gay‘, as he puts it. No problem talking to Sam.…
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Priorities
A slice of salami. Just one slice of this salty, fatty miracle. Recalling how salami melts on a human tongue sends Paul shivering with want. If there was any chance to taste salami again, just once, he would be prepared to climb the highest tower, and jump. One slice of salami is worth any effort…
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Mathilda Mason
Any minute now. Her peace won‘t last. Someone is going to approach her, ask, and the sequence will unfold. Whenever Mathilda attends a posh event, she has to brace herself for the sequence. She’s used to it, has a bouquet of answers ready. She’ll shoot the right one back, her voice steady, her posture and…
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Ronnie Roofer
“Come on, Seedie, good boy, we can do this, one more effort. Less than two hundred square meters to go, you can’t fail me now! We can do it. This will be one more wonderful roof garden, all green, and capturing lots of carbon to deliver oxygen, like the Amazon reloaded in Nigeria. We can…
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No Veg Rack
Having turned the corner, Pride stops short, taken aback by the size of the building she now discovers to her right. She goes: „Wow. What a veg rack. Never seen one that big.“ And it is big. Huge, even. Totally unlike the row of low houses in the first street of ArcheoTown. This was a…
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Recalling Cow Void
“Grandpa, what are those for? Can I have one, for pling practice? It’s just the right size. I’ll hang it up by its straps, this way round, like a little basket, over my bed. I won’t damage it, grandpa, I promise. Can I have one, or two, just in case, please?” Blief is doing her…
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Bolda Bookbinder
„Blinking is not going to work, Arthur. With antique visio readers, the bat of an eyelid won’t get what was considered a display when this was called tech to move on to the next section. No embedded RMT connection. That kind of sophistication wasn’t even invented in the glory days of this device. You have…
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As Advertised
Flicking awake in a panic, Paul opens his eyes only to squeeze them back shut at once. Insufferable brightness. He must be falling into that bloody sun. Horror. Despair. Terminal. Final. Overwhelming. Five thumping heartbeats later, there’s still not much happening. Paul’s body also feels much better than an ongoing sun dive would suggest. He…