Ship in a Bottle: A Slightly Scary Short Story

By Alexandria Blaelock

Alone in space... Almost.

Edith wasn't looking for adventure. Didn't want the glory. Just needed the money.

She's a kitchen hand. Doesn't know what to do with an empty ship in deep space.

No idea if she can get home. Or how to.

A story that will leave you grappling with your place in the universe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BlueMere Books
• Release date: Jun 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781925749113

Alexandria Blaelock

Alexandria Blaelock writes stories, some of them for Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Pulphouse Fiction Magazine. She's also written four self-help books applying business techniques to personal matters like getting dressed, cleaning house, and feeding your friends. As a recovering Project Manager, she’s probably too fond of sticking to plan. She lives in a forest because she enjoys birdsong, the scent of gum leaves and the sun on her face. When not telecommuting to parallel universes from her Melbourne based imagination, she watches K-dramas, talks to animals, and drinks Campari. At the same time. Discover more at www.alexandriablaelock.com.

Book preview

SHIP IN A BOTTLE

When Edith woke, she appeared to be lying looking up at the deck, though the thick smoke made it difficult to see the red and yellow guide stripes against the blue plates.

She couldn’t move, and as her long hair was tightly secured in the regulation top-knot, there were no strays hinting at which way was up.

Neither the overhead nor the emergency floor lights were much help - they buzzed loudly, flickering randomly on and off, irritatingly out of sync.

The air tasted like burnt electricity, and probably smelled like burnt plastic, but her nose didn’t seem to be working and her lips were numb.

She couldn’t feel her legs.

The general alarm was ringing and she could hear people shouting and screaming. Their magnetic boots clicked and hissed as they ran.

Gun fire was followed by creaks and crashes as things buckled or fell.

Something had clearly happened to Goliath 742.

Her job was in the galley, not active service, but she had an emergency medical support role to fulfil, and it would be best to turn to and get ready as best she could.

After her first attempt at sitting up failed, she realised she couldn’t feel her legs because something large and heavy was lying on her chest.