The Inkers Pen

A Taste of Earth

A Sci-Fi Short Story

When an amateur astronomer discovers an asteroid headed for Earth, he names it Hachiman after the Shinto god of war and patron god of the samurai. He has no idea how prophetic it would be. Upon closer inspection, NASA’s Near Earth Asteroid team discovers this asteroid may be more than it appears. Hachiman does not behave like an asteroid should. The fragments from it impact across the globe and start changing the environment: diseased plankton in the Atlantic Ocean, silicon-based killer organisms in northern Russia, and green-house gasses spike globally. Will NASA’s Near Earth Asteroid team be able to reverse the process before it’s too late?

A Taste of Earth is a 8,600 word short story.

Death Has No Shadow

A Sci-Fi Short Story

A military accident releases swarms of microscopic robots called forger nanites into the environment, and science intern Kutisha finds that her lab is their target. As three swarms head her way, the military dispatches hover-tanks carrying human sized robotic mechs. Alone, late at night, she places her faith in the mechs, watching the battle between the big and little machines unfold on her doorstep. The question may not be who will win, but who to trust.

Death Has No Shadow is a 7,000 word short story. 

Cohesion Lost

A Sci-Fi Short Story

For Alexander Sevik, providing for his family is hard enough without losing grip on reality. His dreams are real. One night, he lives the entire life of a deckhand on a Spanish galleon. The next night, it’s life as an ancient Roman senator. Next, he is a cyborg on a space cruiser. When he wakes, he sometimes forgets who he is. His hands tingle for no reason, and the strange man who is following him talks about aliens. When he discovers the key to his dreams, he uncovers a national threat. And he has to choose between his own sanity or saving lives.

Cohesion Lost  is a 14,000 word short story. 

Child of the Stone

A Sci-Fi Short Story

When an old peasant in medieval Spain unearths an ancient box, he discovers a power that will change his life. A silver plate promises to bring him and his wife out of poverty, but the true treasure lies hidden in another artifact: a simple stone. Once he discovers the stone’s powers, he must either tell the truth and forfeit it to the authorities, or let his greed corrupt it.

Child of the Stone is a 4,000 word short story.