Two Tales from TOMORROW: Tales from TOMORROW, #1

By John Patin

In this first issue of Tales from TOMORROW you will enjoy two original Science Fiction short stories (a total of 11,000 words) by John R. Patin:

Passengers - 4,100 words
     Humanity had just built its first starship, but it seems version 1.0 always has a few bugs.
          *** and ***
Aid Station - 6,900 words
     When a retreating mankind dug in on the strategic world they named Blackrock, most were little interested in the discovery that someone had been there before them; someone who had blasted the wretched place into an airless cinder in an ancient war. Humanity had its own war to fight against the implacable NeDan and it looked like the outpost on Blackrock was about to become an Alamo. The past would have to wait. Or would it?

An excerpt follows...
     With each blast a man died, his passing marked by a fleeting ripple of pressure and sound echoing down from the levels above. Hand-to-hand combat with an eight-limbed monster is normally a losing proposition, but you can come out even if you do it with a short-fused satchel charge strapped to your back. That equation worked out poorly, however, when your Enemy bred his assault troops in vats and cared not for their loss as long as victory was achieved. The tactic was working. Having reached a furious crescendo, the explosions were coming less frequently now. The desperate battle was almost over.

From the opening of 'Aid Station'. Did the past hold the key to mankind's future?
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: John Patin
• Release date: Mar 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781497774414

Book preview

Table of Contents

Two Tales from TOMORROW

PASSENGERS

Aid Station

The Omega File

Two Tales from TOMORROW

(Tales from TOMORROW issue #1)

Two Science Fiction Short Stories:

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PASSENGERS

and

Aid Station

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By

John R. Patin

D2D Edition

~ 12,900 words total

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Cover art by S. P. Smith

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Passengers

TEXT COPYRIGHT © 2012 JOHN R. PATIN

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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Aid Station

TEXT COPYRIGHT © 2012 JOHN R. PATIN

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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The OMEGA File and all other materials contained in this E-zine are COPYRIGHT © 2013 by JOHN R. PATIN unless otherwise specified.

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Cover art

COPYRIGHT © 2012 S. P. Smith

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PASSENGERS

Humanity had just built its first starship, but it seems version 1.0 always has a few bugs

~ 4,100 words

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Aid Station

When a retreating mankind dug in on the strategic world they named Blackrock, most were little interested in the discovery that someone had been there before them; someone who had blasted the wretched place into an airless cinder in an ancient war. Humanity had its own war to fight against the implacable Nedan and it looked like the outpost on Blackrock was about to become an Alamo. The past would have to wait. Or would it?

~ 6,900 words

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The Omega File

(No, it isn’t a suicide note, just a few ramblings from the author.)

~ 1,400 words

PASSENGERS

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Blaine hated passengers. He hadn't always held this opinion, but it was growing about as rapidly as the throbbing knot on his forehead.

The design genius who had run an armored cable trunk above his bunk at exactly the wrong height was three light years beyond reprisal. Not so blessed was the malefactor who had just awakened his captain to such a painful start. Blaine wondered if he might be forgiven a summary execution or two this far out from Earth. No jury would convict him. Certainly he could show ample provocation. Or maybe just a simple insanity plea: ‘Captain driven to madness...’ If he could just find a couple of loose ball bearings to play with...

The commotion that had interrupted his sleep continued to penetrate the poorly insulated deck of his quarters. The villain had to be one of his unwanted passengers. His crew knew enough to let sleeping captains lie.

Dealing with a new ship and crew was a challenge Frank Blaine welcomed. His ability and enthusiasm had earned him command of Earth's first manned starship, but the Captain of the Far Quest had little experience as a cruise director. That requirement had not been in the job description. Neither was school bus driver, but that was what Blaine was beginning to feel like.

Originally not even included, every extraterrestrial specialist with any clout had called in dues to be on this flight, and had succeeded in cobbling a quick shakedown and recon into a full-fledged expedition. So far it had been more like a travelling circus.

The 'Quest was not equipped with the recreational facilities of a passenger liner. That left some very bright minds with nothing to do until they actually got somewhere. In the future, the journey to Alpha Centauri might be measured in hours, but this time out the astrogators and engineers were taking it slow and easy.

Tuning the new drives was a cinch compared to plotting a course across deep space. It turned out the place wasn’t as empty as everyone once thought, turning a voyage from one star to another into a game of interstellar Frogger if things weren’t carefully mapped out. ‘Charting the starlanes’ was going to be more of a chore than even the old pulp writers thought. The astronomers were ecstatic, but most of the rest of his passengers were getting a little... fidgety.

Exercising