Boom Town

By Francis Bass

On the living planet of Eltru, a vast reserve of fuel is discovered beneath a small town. Katherine, a young girl whose family lives on a spice farm over the fuel reserve, quietly observes her parents as they struggle over whether or not to sell their land to a mining corporation, and move away from their home. She relies on her close relationship with her brother Julian to help her understand the secret conflicts and tensions between the adults, and ends up keeping some dangerous secrets of Julian’s herself.

The publication also includes an afterword by the author, in which he describes how subscribing to Asimov’s influenced the story, and how it influenced his writing sensibilities as a whole.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Francis Bass
• Release date: Apr 14, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370844838

Francis Bass

Francis Bass is a writer of science fiction and fantasy. His work has appeared in RECKONING, ELECTRIC LITERATURE, and others. He lives in Philadelphia.

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Boom Town

Copyright © 2017 by Francis Bass

All rights reserved.

Title and byline font Rolling No One by Dieter Steffmann

Subtitle font Built Tilting by Raymond Larabie

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Table of Contents

Boom Town

Afterword

Standing on tiptoes, Katherine saw over the rows of spicebushes the lights begin to blink on in sudden isolated fits. The town was waking up as Eltru warmed. Katherine knelt back down to observe a caterpillar chewing away at a weed. She repositioned her lantern to get a better look at the creature. As she squinted at the bug she heard a faint rattling, accompanied by rolling thuds. She stood and walked to the roadside fence. Up the dirt road she saw a pinprick of light, flickering like a star. It was growing brighter, quickly. The low-pitched thumps and wooden clatter grew louder, and Katherine could make out four horses pulling a wooden box painted bright red. A large lamp blazed atop the roof. And then it roared past their house, and all she saw was the back. Katherine stared after it.

She heard the door open. Someone else must’ve heard the stagecoach go by. Katherine turned and saw Uncle Jerome shutting the door he’d come out of. Behind him, lights began to shine through the windows.

Good warming, Katherine, he said.

Good warming Uncle Jerome. Did you see what just passed?

Indeed.