Alien Skies: An Anthology

By Jason Moore

This short anthology is a collection of ten science-fiction and horror short stories. These stories span from the terrors of the Earth to the glories of Deep Space.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 23, 2013
• ISBN: 9781304259417

Jason Moore

Jason Moore runs Midnight Oil Productions and is formerly a co-founder of Lumicon Digital Productions in Dallas, Texas. He has previously worked as a graphic and animation artist at the Ginghamsburg United Methodist Church in Ohio. Len Wilson and Jason Moore have co-authored several books, including Design Matters: Creating Powerful Imagery for Worship (Abingdon Press, 2006), Digital Storytellers: The Art of Communicating the Gospel in Worship (Abingdon, 2002) and The Wired Church: Making Media Ministry (Abingdon, 1999). They have been featured in several articles for publications including Clergy Journal, The Ooze, Homiletics, Next Wave, Rev., Technologies for Worship, Wired, Worship Matters, Your Church, Church and Worship Technology, and various newspapers around North America. Their digital productions from Ginghamsburg and Lumicon have received several Telly Awards for excellence

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Alien Skies: An Anthology

Alien Skies

Alien Skies

1st Edition

Copyright © 2013 Jason Nicholas Moore

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-304-25941-7

Standard Copyright Licence

http://www.lulu.com

Introduction

The following is a collection of ten short stories that I wrote over a period of a few years. In keeping with my own literary interests, they involve horror or science-fiction themes. If you read these, it will become apparent, I think, that one of my main influences in writing these short stories has been not other short stories, but the original Twilight Zone series. There’s just something about those short episodes, usually with some kind of twist at the end, that really impressed me, and still does.

The actual inspirations for the following stories are as varied as the stories themselves; despite appearances, Menagerie was not inspired by Jurassic Park, but by a short story from the American science-fiction writer L. Sprague de Camp. One story was inspired by the works of the American horror writer, H.P. Lovecraft, my favourite writer, and was done in a hopefully not-too-poor imitation of his style. Another story was inspired by a dream. You will notice references to the long-gone Soviet Union in a couple of the stories; I left these anachronisms in, as they didn’t affect the stories in any significant way.

I feel that one story in particular needs some explanation; China. In rereading it, it appears to me that it might be taken as some sort of cryptic attack on immigration. Nothing could be further from the truth; the story instead is an attack and a cautionary tale on expansionism, nationalism, and imperialism.

You will find the stories themselves to be a somewhat varied lot, and the one thing I hope they have in common is that they bring you some enjoyment!

Jason Moore

July 2013

www.learstang.com

The Collar

I

My name is Sho'Khar. At least that's the nearest human equivalent to my name. I'm what would be in human terms a cop. I've been searching for a criminal, a very special kind of criminal for a very long time, longer than the Earth has been in existence. If nothing else, my people are noted for their peculiar persistence. For billions of years I've searched for him, across half the Universe. I've finally tracked him to here, this obscure planet circling a mediocre, middle-aged star in one of the outer arms of the galaxy known by the inhabitants of this barbarous second-rate planet as the Milky Way. I can't help but feel a certain pride in my accomplishment, though I know that pride is a sin. Still, I have searched long and hard; I finally have him!

It seems that he has hidden in what the primitive inhabitants of Earth call a city.

Disgusting. As far as I can tell, a city consists of nothing but foul-mouthed primitives, filthy unsafe concrete structures, hydrocarbon-belching vehicles, and pavement that serves no apparent purpose except to reflect the intensely hot rays of their ridiculously close sun. What I would give to bask in the cool rays of our civilisedly far sun, and to breathe in the lovely ammonium air of my planet! How long has it been? 6 billion years. My children will barely remember me. It won't be long, now, however. Soon my assignment will be over, and I will get a long-deserved vacation. Tor-Tak, you're mine!

II

Tor-Tak stood in line at the ice cream stand. Earth was a nauseating place, but they had excellent ice cream. Strawberry was Tor-Tak's favourite. Maybe if there had been strawberry ice cream where he was from, he wouldn't have gone off the deep end and done his crime, the crime that had gained him his six-billion year pursuer. Thank you, sir said Tor-Tak, who now masqueraded as a Hasidic Jew. He didn't know if Hasidim were supposed to eat ice cream, but he rather liked their forelocks.

In another part of the city, Sho'Khar ate his bagels. Maybe I've been wrong about this planet; these strange circular yeast-flour things are wonderful, especially with those salt-water fish muscles on them. Soon, Tor-Tak, soon. I know what you're hiding as. I can feel your presence I'm so close. As soon as I finish these wonderful delicacies, I'll move on you! You think you're so clever, we'll see who the clever one is!

Tor-Tak was feeling rather good. He had visited every single ice cream vendor in the city and had consumed, using the barbarous measures of this planet, some 45 tons of strawberry ice cream in the last twenty-four hours. Sitting there in his cheap apartment, he wondered where the nearest ice cream parlour was, and if they happened to have 10 tons of strawberry ice cream just lying around, as he was feeling a bit hungry just then. Probably not. Humans seemed to be rather unprepared for his appetites. Still, their television was interesting. He especially liked the police shows. Sitting there in his long black coat and hat, he giggled to himself as he saw America's Most Wanted. Amateurs, he thought, I could teach you a thing or two.

III

Sho’Khar walked down the street, that's what these foul ape-things called it. These apes were amazingly primitive, and they rather smelled, yet despite himself, Sho’Khar found himself liking them. Their strange dietary requirements were rather addicting, and he was up to 1200 chilidogs and 1500 bagels a day by now. Tor-Tak was down this street, Sho’Khar knew that. He fingered the dshioosr in his pocket. This amazing device, if it still worked, he hadn't tried it in a billion years, would hopefully incapacitate Tor-Tak and transport the both of them 5 billion light-years to Sho’Khar's home planet, where Tor-Tak would stand trial for his crime.

Sho’Khar stood before the vile brick structure where Tor-Tak now stayed. Walking up the stairs that led to the doorway, he looked around, Gods it's hot here; I don't know why they don't all just boil away into space. Knocking on Tor-Tak’s door, he waited.

Who is it?

The ice cream man. Sho’Khar had done his homework and he was well aware of Tor-Tak's weaknesses.

Thank God you're finally here. Please come in, he said as he opened the door onto his spartan apartment, unadorned except for the hundreds of empty ice cream bowls and containers that adorned every surface of it.

Well, where is it?

Right here, Tor-Tak Sho’Khar said as he pointed the dshioosr at Tor-Tak.

You finally found me. And it only took you six billion years, very impressive he said sarcastically.

Still, here I am, and there you are helpless. You can't escape now, can you Tor-Tak?

No. You want me to apologise for my crime. The Shuntra were filthy, they deserved what they got. I'd do it again.

Ah, how charming, the repentant criminal. It's over, Tor-Tak, let's go. Sho’Khar pointed the dshioosr at him and fired. Nothing. Pointing and firing again. Nothing again.

Oh my, Sho’Khar, please, have mercy on me. Tor-Tak laughed now, his forelocks jiggling. Well what are you going to do now?

I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I know a wonderful little place on 24th street. It has the most wonderful bagels in the Universe, and I believe it has strawberry ice cream too.

Taking Tor-Tak's arm in his Sho’Khar said, You're right, the Shuntra were filthy, they did get what they deserved. I figure we can stay here for a billion or so years, and then maybe we'll go back. What do you say Tor-Tak?

Sounds reasonable to me. In a billion years I suppose these apes will be out of strawberry ice cream and bagels.

Menagerie

I

There it is, over there, you see, right behind that acacia.

Good God, it's huge, and it's not even full-grown?

Nope, that Andrewsarchus is just a pup. That was quite a feat growing that one in the clone tanks. I really didn't think we had enough DNA to culture a whole specimen, but that Dr. Kasparova is a wizard. She just kept at it till she got enough. And she was able to recover both female and male DNA from the fossils so with a little luck we may be able to breed the little sweethearts. I imagine they'd make wonderful watchdogs Dr. Lorenzo said jestingly.

Over near the acacia, across the moat and wall, a huge, fuzzy, gray-brown creature sniffed along the ground. It resembled a long-bodied, short-legged wolf, with an enormous head, and although just a pup as the Doctor had said, it was already over ten feet long.

God, what a monster. When will it be full-grown?

"Oh, hopefully in a few months it'll be full-size, but even then I imagine it will continue to put on bulk until it's about two years old. We guess it'll weigh about 1200 kilos when full-grown. We're going to keep it in