Of Bone and Steel and Other Soft Materials

By Annie Bellet

Eking out an existence as a scavenger in post-apocalyptic Russia, Ryska never thought she would be more than a blind, discarded military experiment. Then she ends up in the middle of a kidnapping gone wrong and must use her all her skills to save herself, and the young boy who brings back painful memories of her past.

This is a science fiction short story that originally appeared in the anthology Mirror Shards: Volume One.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Doomed Muse Press
• Release date: Dec 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465976833

Annie Bellet

Annie Bellet is the author of the Pyrrh Considerable Crimes Division, The Twenty-Sided Sorceress, and the Gryphonpike Chronicles series. She holds a BA in English and a BA in Medieval Studies and thus can speak a smattering of useful languages such as Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Welsh.   Her short fiction work is available in multiple collections and anthologies. Her interests besides writing include rock climbing, reading, horse-back riding, video games, comic books, table-top RPGs and many other nerdy pursuits.  She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a very demanding Bengal cat.

Book preview

Of Bone and Steel and Other Soft Materials

A Science Fiction Story by Annie Bellet

Copyright 2011, Annie Bellet

All rights reserved. Published by Doomed Muse Press.

This story is a work of fiction. All characters, places, and incidents described in this publication are used fictitiously, or are entirely fictional.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, except by an authorized retailer, or with written permission of the publisher. Inquiries may be addressed via email to [e-mail]. This story was originally published in Mirror Shards: Volume One.

Cover designed by Greg Jensen with image from © Stanislav Perov | Dreamstime.com

Electronic edition, 2011

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Of Bone and Steel and Other Soft Materials

 Ryska froze as the staccato of Kalashnikov rifle fire rang out across the abandoned office complex. The length of copper wiring she’d tugged free of the crumbling wall hung in her hands as she focused on pushing away the memories that threatened to overwhelm her and tried to pinpoint where the noises were coming from.

The rifle fire rang out again, this time accompanied by angry male voices shouting. Not too close, probably coming from across the wide, overgrown square and beyond the low storage buildings near the main