Craters

By Kristine Kathryn Rusch

In the future, humans retain the capability to commit acts of terrible violence. For the reporter known as Martha Trumante, determined to find the truth behind the horrors, that truth raises questions so disturbing she might never find a way to report it—or to hang onto her own humanity.

Chosen as one of the best short stories of 2007.

“...an intense, appalling, memorable story.”
—Locus

“Like early Ray Bradbury, Rusch has the ability to switch on a universal dark.”
—the London Times

International bestselling writer Kristine Kathryn Rusch has won two Hugo awards, a World Fantasy Award, and six Asimov’s Readers Choice Awards. WMG Publishing is putting her entire backlist into ebook format. For more information about her work, please go to kristinekathrynrusch.com.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WMG Publishing
• Release date: Feb 22, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301084593

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

New York Times bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes in almost every genre. Generally, she uses her real name (Rusch) for most of her writing. She publishes bestselling science fiction and fantasy, award-winning mysteries, acclaimed mainstream fiction, controversial nonfiction, and the occasional romance. Her novels have made bestseller lists around the world and her short fiction has appeared in eighteen best of the year collections. She has won more than twenty-five awards for her fiction, including the Hugo, Le Prix Imaginales, the Asimov's Readers Choice award, and the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award.   

Book preview

Craters

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Copyright Information

Craters

Copyright © 2013 by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

First published in Future Weapons of War, edited by Joe Haldeman, Baen Books, 2007.

Published by WMG Publishing

Cover and Layout copyright © 2013 by WMG Publishing

Cover design by Allyson Longueira/WMG Publishing

Cover art copyright © Galyna Andrushko/Dreamstime

Smashwords Edition

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

Craters

Kristine Kathryn Rusch

What they don’t tell you when you sign up is that the work takes a certain amount of trust. The driver, head covered by a half-assed turban, smiles a little too much, and when he yes-ma’ams you and no ma’ams you, you can be lulled into thinking he actually works for you.

Then he opens the side door of his rusted jeep and nods at the dirt-covered seat. You don’t even hesitate as you slide in, backpack filled with water bottles and purifying pills, vitamins and six-days dry rations.

You sit in that jeep, and you’re grateful, because you never allow yourself to think that he could be one of them, taking you to some roadside bunker, getting paid an advance cut of the ransom they anticipate. Or worse, getting paid to leave you there so that they can all take turns until you’re bleeding and catatonic and don’t care when they put the fifty-year-old pistol to your head.

You can’t think about the risks, not as you’re getting in that jeep, or letting some so-called civilian lead you down sunlit streets that have seen war for centuries almost non-stop.

You trust, because if you don’t you can’t do your job.

You trust, and hope you get away from this place before your luck runs out.

***

I still have luck. I know it because