Seven Tarbos, the Main Conference Hall The Main Hall was full, full of delegates and their aides in the front, families, friends and curious Tarbosians in the rear. Bob Pritchard strode into the room, walking purposefully up the main aisle to the front of the...
Six The Star of Carolina, in transit “Did you ever imagine anything like it?” One of the Star of Carolina’s outstanding features was its observation bubble, a large poly-steel blister on the outer hull that offered a slowly rotating view of space – or, in this case,...
Five A shuttle approaching the OWME Passenger Liner Star of Carolina, orbiting Forest “Geez, Dad, that thing is huge.” “It’s not as big as the old Mayflower, but it’ll do,” Mike Crider agreed with his son, staring at the huge, slate-blue mass of the passenger liner...
Ten Barrett and her crew followed Gomp, who was tracking the pod of the Hive that had taken Amole and his men. The creatures had made no effort to cover their tracks, and when one group, then another, fell in alongside Barrett’s party and made no move to interfere...
Part 9.
Part 8
Part 7
Part 6
Part 5
The Shade Tree Jean Barrett and Darrell Weems, Amole's "executive assistant," were overseeing the loading of the three cargo containers containing two small pre-fab shelters and various and sundry supplies for Amole’s fledgling colony when the call came down from the...
The Shade Tree “Now this is more like it,” First Watch Scanning tech Ophelia Watts announced. “This one is about 1.4 AU out from a large blue-white star, so it’s got a long day, looks like about twenty-nine hours, and a solar year of about four hundred and...
Two The Shade Tree “Are we clear for space?” “Engineering reports O2 and water tanks are full, drive is at 100%, injectors charged, all systems online. All decks report secure for space,” the Exec reported. “We have departure clearance and a traffic vector,”...
Part 1
Part 9
Part 8
Part 7
Part 6
Part 5
Part 4
Part 3
Part 2
A new story from Animal, Part 1.
Thirteen Earth Hector Gomp surprised his Captain and the Exec by showing up at the shuttle in impeccable Marine blues. A white service cap gleamed on his close-cropped head. He looked at the small view screen on the bulkhead next to the shuttle port, to see Earth...
Part 12.
Part 11.