Nano-Bytes

By Daniel C. Smith

Nano-Bytes features five stories from Daniel C. Smith that first appeared in The Fifth Di... In these pages you'll find a virus which has startling effects on a team of archaeologists, parents looking to splice their son's genes, a man who realizes he is all he can ever be, the unexpected consequences of mating with an alien, and a trip through space that ends up in an unexpected destination.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nomadic Delirium Press
• Release date: Sep 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370910984

Book preview

Nano-Bytes

A collection of short shorts

By Daniel C. Smith

Published by Nomadic Delirium Press at Smashwords

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This book is dedicated to the best friend I ever had,

Abby. Her watch ended much too soon.

CONTENTS

Macro-Virus

Real Good Looking Boy

Part of the Machine

Crimes of Passion

Escape Artist

MACRO-VIRUS

Between the two of them they had five PhD’s-- archaeology, ancient languages, Native American studies, that sort of thing-- still, the complexities of the internal combustion engine had left them baffled. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the car-- excuse me, jeep, either. But then I’m just a lowly grad student, why should I be expected to know anything?

I know my phone worked fine yesterday, and I know the jeep purred like a kitty when we pulled into the trailhead two days ago.

Now nothing. Zip. Nada. The engine wasn’t even attempting to turn over, and my phone wouldn’t fire up. The professors' phones weren’t working, either. That‘s how the three of us found ourselves traipsing across the desert, left stranded after a weekend of spelunking in the canyons along the lower San Juan River, stirring up the ghosts of the Anasazi, at least that’s how I heard Professor Chesterton, the self-appointed leader of our little expedition, put it. Following dutifully behind the professor was his live-in soul mate and full-time antagonist Doctor Sarah Meriwether and of course behind her was me, the one carrying all the heavy gear across the burning sands, the not so studious grad student who got himself into this mess just trying to make some points, Carl McElroy.

Professor Chesterton and his lovely whatever had ‘invited’ me along on this little sojourn by casually reminding me that my grades weren’t so hot, and my known expertise (ahem!) in all things concerning caving could be of use to them in a little sortie of discovery they had concocted, and my help would go ‘a long way toward delivering the benefit of the doubt’ on my behalf come grade time.

The experience’ll do ya good, lad, Chesterton said as he slapped me on the back. Then, leaning in close and whispering--