The Package
The grinding of the air conditioner’s worn fan may as well have been a jet engine blasting into his ears. The occupant laid back on the wiry mattress, even…
Jack White
In the corner of the room sat a man hidden by a thick cloud of wispy smoke, he wore a fedora of some kind, and a long, brown overcoat upon his shoulders. His…
Casting a net
“A wired connection. How quaint.” He plugs it in, then says “uh?” with a look of surprise. Those were his last words. I stop the playback, my emotions a mix of…
The Drive for Freedom
Acrylic righted himself up, fumbling as Fetus’ limp body flopped down across the back seats. Hard Drive turned his head to face them, neon lights glinting…
Fire Escape
Acrylic, bewildered, looked around nervously. Fetus’ now-gloved hand remained at her ear. “What?” she demanded, unusual emotion coloring her voice. “Why?”…
Damage
We struggled to get our bearings after our heads popped out of the vent shaft like prairie dogs in the night. A flutter of several lights off to the side…
Going Up, Again
As Acrylic got out his grappling-gun, I tried to change the subject. “So why don’t you think you can see the plans anymore?” Turning his face me, he explained…
A Flare for the Macabre
As Fetus dealt with the machines with a ferocity I’d not expected out of her, I noticed the faint scoring the lasers dealt the glass. Remembering why we had…
Articulate Greg, part 2, Epilogue
If Janet had seen “pages of figures”, Greg was seeing libraries of them. A fog of images flew in and out of his vision, and he struggled to focus on even one…
Articulate Greg, part 1, Epilogue
Janet’s eyes fluttered, as if she was clearing them. Visions of pages, illustrations, figures, graphs still clouded her vision. “600,000 books, Janet. What’s…
Articulate Greg, part 2
Greg saved his project in Storyline. “17 million books?” asked Janet. “But-” Silent, he jammed the “knowledge jack” into his brain. Then- “My God!”
Articulate Greg, part 1
Greg saved his project in Storyline. “Ready to eLearn, Janet?” He jammed the “knowledge jack” into her brain. Seconds later, she knew everything.
The Brains Behind the Operation
“Give us one exemplary reason as to why we ought not,” challenged Acrylic. The man, his hands up in mock surrender, sidestepped closer to us. He seemed to look…
Don't Worry About The Man Behind The Curtain
For such a low tech entry, Mephisto was the high tech masterpiece we’d all imagined. When the door opened, a curved glass wall stood before us. The short hall…
Safecracker
Beyond the elevator doors there were no cameras, no decor, just a space and a huge steel door. On each side of the door was a small box containing a flat…
Going Up
Acrylic shifted to a neutral standing position, apparently staring off at the wall. It seemed as though he were just standing there, but I knew he was going…
Life and Times of an Unattached Medical Professional
“Let us begin,” he said. In a few precisely controlled movements, the doctor pulled a small leather bundle from his duffle bag and unfurled the tools of his…
What do you give someone who has nothing?
Roger pushed aside the dingy rag that was his door “You’re home! Did the baker remember anything?” He sighed and said “Yeah, he was really nice about it. It…
Grandma's Ramblings
I lost my sight on my 23rd birthday. It was early in the morning and I wasn’t sleeping well. Not because I was excited for my party (my boyfriend was flying in…
A Brief Respite
Those of us who had run paused at the door. I could see the concentration written all over Acrylic’s face—hacking through various networks as he came within…