The Fifth Di... September 2018

By J Alan Erwine

The September issue of The Fifth Di... takes you to a myriad of worlds that you could never imagine. Go to a world where humans are struggling against the native plant life, and see just how far the children of the colonists will go to protect that plant life. Visit an interplanetary vessel like you’ve never seen before...even the inhabitants of the ship are surprised by what they find. In another world, a man dies...again, and again, and again. On Earth, a woman is visited by a being from another dimension, and he has something that might be amazing to offer to her. Also on Earth, a man struggles with not inheriting his father’s future. Just how far will he go (in time) to try to get what he feels is his? And finally, visit another reality where the heroes you are familiar with have very different lives...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nomadic Delirium Press
• Release date: Aug 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463292426

J Alan Erwine

J Erwine was born Oct. 15, 1969 in Akron, Ohio. Early in his life he was exposed to science, and specifically astronomy. From there on, J's passion turned to science fiction, a passion that's never died. Due to family issues, J eventually found himself in Denver, Colorado, where he still lives (well, right outside now.) From the time he could put subject and predicate together on paper, J has been writing stories. None of those early stories exist anymore (thankfully), but that passion for writing has never waned. After several years of rejection, the story Trek for Life was eventually sold to ProMart Writing Lab editor James Baker. It wasn't Asimov's, but it was a start. Since that time J has sold more than forty short stories to various small press publishers. In addition ProMart also published a short story collection of J's entitled Lowering One's Self Before Fate, and other stories, which is still available. ProMart also published a novel from J entitled The Opium of the People, which sold a few copies before going out of print. The relevance of the novel after the events of September 11th caused J to self-publish the novel, as he felt the story had a lot to say in the new reality we now find ourselves living in. Now, this same book has been re-released by Nomadic Delirium Press. Eventually J would become an editor with ProMart. Then, after the untimely death of ProMart editor James Baker, J would move on to ProMart's successor Sam's Dot Publishing. J also spends most of his time working as a freelance writer and editor. J's novel was voted a top ten finisher in the 2003 annual Preditors & Editors contest, and his short story The Galton Principle won a ProMart contest for best story over 5,000 words. In addition, a number of his stories have been voted "best of" in various issue of The Martian Wave and The Fifth DI… and have been included in Wondrous Web Worlds Vols. 2, 3, 4, and 6. In 2009, the Ephemeris Role Playing Game was released. J is the co-creator of this game, and has written numerous supplements for the game. J has now sold three novels and four short story collections, all of which are still available from various sources, including Smashwords. J currently lives with his amazing wife, three wonderful children, three cats, and a very quiet turtle.

Book preview

THE FIFTH DI…

September 2018

Edited by J Alan Erwine

Published by Nomadic Delirium Press at Smashwords

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Copyright 2018 by Nomadic Delirium Press

All stories are copyrighted in the names of their respective authors

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage and retrieval system, without the written consent of the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passes in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, broadcast, etc.

Nomadic Delirium Press

Aurora, Colorado

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Persephone’s Children by Tom Howard

The Secret Contraption by Robert N. Stephenson

Forever’s Not So Long by Robert Henley

Nadisa’s Scented Garden by Maureen Bowden

Custer’s Paradox by Eamonn Murphy

The Messenger’s Mission by Lisa Timpf

Persephone’s Children

By Tom Howard

Ronnie hesitated to put his hand into the large yellow petals of the flower. Will it hurt?

The other children watched closely, perched on stones protruding from the floor of the glade. They were familiar with the game. They had each played it before.

No, the strange woman said. She alone sat on the grass, looking as if she’d blossomed there. It won’t hurt. Don’t you want to be like me?

He studied the woman’s green face. He and the others had grown accustomed to her flower-like appearance. Small and graceful, she’d been the children’s friend and guide since they’d first encountered her outside the camp. Her clothing consisted of multicolored fronds covering her from neck to toe. Her hair appeared to be rows of braided plants interwoven with ivy and flowers.

She belonged to the forest, a place the children had been told to fear. Always the adventurous one, Ronnie, the oldest and a nine-year-old, had been the first to sneak through the barricade surrounding the camp. He’d learned the passcode while watching his mother run a maintenance check on the main gate. The colonists, wearing heavy suits and travelling in groups, only left the camp to explore or obtain samples of the local plant life in an effort to create new defenses. When Ronnie hadn’t been killed instantly outside the gate, he’d ventured further into the foliage until he met the green lady. He told his best friend, Joey, and soon all the camp children accompanied him on his adventures.

Will Ronnie look like you? Joey asked.

If he wishes, she said, as she removed a tricolored beetle from a nearby frond and placed it with the others in her hair.

She’d once been human like them she said, one of the early colonists who disappeared into the forest.

Ronnie drew his hand back from the flower, and bossy Abigail grinned.

I don’t think my parents would like me to be a plant, said Ronnie.

The strange woman nodded. Your parents fight the forest. They don’t realize the damage they do with their chemicals and flames. The forest has learned to defend itself. She started to place her hand on Ronnie’s shoulder but stopped, her nailless fingers inches from the synthetic material. The fabric had scorched her hand once when she grabbed one of the twins – either Timothy or Tomothy – before he fell into a stream.

Ronnie had asked her her name, but she’d only laughed and said to call her Flora. She had opened the forest for them, leading them along safe pathways into the interior. She showed them cascades of scarlet flowers, waterfalls dancing between massive trees, snug caves lined with multi-colored moss, and excellent climbing trees. But the forest was dangerous if they weren’t careful. Once Joey picked a flower, and it sprayed acid on his face. He screamed until Flora placed her long fingers on his skin and hummed him to sleep. Tendrils from Flora’s fingers slid beneath the skin and repaired Joey’s face. She pulled away before she turned Joey into a plant-creature like herself. When Joey awoke, he didn’t remember the attack, but the children were careful not to damage plants afterwards.

Ronnie and the other children returned again and again to the forest. The six youngsters were the only children in the colony, most of them born in transit. The adults, upon discovering the inhospitality of their new home, determined there would be no further births until the colony was safer. The children had lots of freedom to explore their new playground because their parents struggled day and night to establish a beachhead on this new world. The children took classes from the colony’s computer and stayed out of everyone’s way.

It’s late, Ronnie told Flora. We better get back before our parents start calling for us.

Perhaps you’ll join me next time, Flora said, looking at the open flower. I wish you could feel how they want to touch you, to be part of you.

Ronnie gave Joey a worried look. We’d better go.

With a nod to Flora, Ronnie led the others down the stream toward camp. Flora wouldn’t follow. She never did.

The small group crossed the patch of dead earth that surrounded the camp - sterilized each morning to keep the voracious forest away from their homes and bodies – and Ronnie thought about Flora’s offer. Would he someday choose the path she had taken?

Ronnie stopped at one of the decontamination gates along the barricade and waited patiently while the other children showered and disinfected themselves. An adult wouldn’t think it unusual to see the children in the decontamination chamber. Even inside the barricade, people cleansed themselves periodically throughout the day.

The children's synthetic one-piece outfits carried spores and microscopic seeds, ready to spring forth and overtake the colony. Even without the children as carriers, enough plant life floated through the barricade to cause serious health risks. Daily, the doctors excised spores and small root systems from nasal passages and sweat glands. Oddly enough, the children weren’t afflicted.

I better get home for supper, said Joey. Mom’s got a half-day off.

See you tomorrow, said Ronnie. What’s wrong with Ruby?

Abigail hugged the little girl. She always cries when we leave the forest. She says the camp smells bad.

Ronnie sniffed. It does stink. I never noticed before.

Abigail’s customary frown was deeper than usual. We should tell our parents about Flora, Ronnie. Someday, one of us will accept her offer and cross over. I don’t think we can come back.

Don’t be such a worry wart, said Ronnie. Flora is just lonely.

He followed the twins, leaving Abigail and Ruby behind him.

Ronnie reported to the cleaners’ hut. Although too young to work a regular cleaner shift like his parents, he could take a small shovel and