Drabble #14

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Shelby saw the rainbow but decided to stay in bed anyway. She knew they’d all be talking about it by lunch. And later in the day, the first sketches of “Martian Leprechaun” would be shared all over the M-web. It would spread on Earth too, but interest there would wane fast. The Martian settlers were no longer news, but slotted below “entertainment” on most social platforms. 

People thought Mars would be a terraformed promise land, alleviating the pressure on Earth’s resources. Shelby wanted to tell people the truth. Mars was alive when they landed. It made the rainbow for her.

Art created using Dream by WOMBO

Drabble #13

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When we finally fled to our nearest suns, we had a few favorites at first. The children knew the names and had little songs. People excitedly chose their destinations and formed little rivalries. At one point someone made banners. It was all in good fun.

After the last of the bigger ships, and only the oldest one remained, everyone left knew where they were going. There were no more choices. No more banners. Just one long dirge of the last million, selected to stay behind and be witness to the end. Clustered in the hold of the Intrepid, they sang.

Art created using Dream by WOMBO

Yes, I am writing these right before I post them.
I don’t stockpile Drabbles, though that would be smart.

Drabble #12

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“What I’m trying to do,” she said and she stumbled with her words in front of the men. “What I’m trying to do is give you time.”

She waited, watching the confusion shadow their faces one-by-one, like a shopping mall shutting down for the night. The beeper in her briefcase buzzed, a compromise for her husband, but she ignored it.

“We’ve only translated part of the message. We can’t know…”

“Read what you’ve got.” The glossy-haired man at the head of the table pointed at her.

He knew what it said and she knew she’d lost.

“You have been selected…”

Art created using Dream by WOMBO

Drabble #11

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Calorie packs are fine when on the walkabouts, but they suck inside. I don’t remember when we noticed the dwindling supplies, but Gable was the first to start complaining about the food. We didn’t listen until he put the auto-hammer to his temple and flicked the lever. 

I suck down the last seaweed-flavored gel in his honor. 

Dowd and I are huddled in the infirmary, waiting out Hanna’s tirade. Dowd’s the only one who can run the rover now and I’ve stored all the security codes in my head. Once she’s down, we’ll feed, just me and Dowd. Friends forever.

Art created using Dream by WOMBO

My apologies. I have been sick and am trying to catch up.

Drabble #10

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Filling the capsule, Sarah understood her new shape. The restructuring [program started and she felt herself melt and solidify in stages. Her skull had been first, letting the new spongy container mold around her brain – the one irreplaceable organ. Then, as her thoughts shifted into softness, her legs and arms relinquished her bones, their tiny brethren in her ears hearing their clinks against the metal. The skeletal bits dissolved into what the scientists called “the muck” and her new limbs slithered and slid up and down the container. She was becoming fluid, a more suitable body for a new environment.

Art created using Dream by WOMBO