Droplets from the Universe

By Dawn Vogel

Droplets from the Universe contains short stories, flash fiction, and poetry from the vastness of the universe. Dance amongst these droplets of joyful and humorous science fiction. Not every story starts happy, but all finish with positive endings, at least for some of the characters.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DefCon One Publishing
• Release date: Apr 18, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215784860

Dawn Vogel

Dawn Vogel has been published as a short fiction author and an editor of both fiction and non-fiction. Her academic background is in history, so it’s not surprising that much of her fiction is set in earlier times. By day, she edits reports for historians and archaeologists. In her alleged spare time, she runs a craft business, helps edit Mad Scientist Journal, and tries to find time for writing. She lives in Seattle with her awesome husband (and fellow author), Jeremy Zimmerman, and their herd of cats.

Book preview

Droplets from the Universe

Dawn Vogel

The Shell Game, First Rights, Raindrops in Indra's Net, The Message, The Garden Trellis, Corporate Career Counseling Construct, and Gratitude are copyright 2021.

Slime, Or Primordial Ooze?, Portrait Day at Zapus Zone 9 Academy, Lost in Space, and Asylum are copyright 2022.

All other pieces are copyright 2023.

All rights reserved.

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Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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 recipient. 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 these authors.

Table of Contents

The Shell Game

First Rights

Home-Going

Just Right

Simple Joys

Raindrops in Indra's Net

Haight/Ashbury

Slime, Or Primordial Ooze?

Portrait Day at Zapus Zone 9 Academy

Life on Pluto

Undecided

The Message

Bilingual

Aerial Maneuvers

Lost in Space

Aethervirales

Explore Saovis

One Small Step ...

Objects in the Rearview Mirror

The Garden Trellis

Asylum

Colors

What is Love?

Taste of Summer

Corporate Career Counseling Construct

Gratitude

About the Author

The Shell Game

Severina planned to wear her replica Top Diva tiara for her performance at the Galactic Gala, but my augmented vision indicated we'd already diverged from that. The diva, whom her team often referred to as the Princess, was wearing the real deal as we prepped her wardrobe in a locker room that was generally devoted to an entire team of athletes. The large open space had been transformed with bright lighting, a makeup chair, and a rolling wardrobe with Severina's dresses, plus the collection of custom portable cases for her jewelry, makeup, and other sundries. The facility staff for the arena had brought in a couple of mismatched couches, but no one had time to sit as we readied Severina for her five minutes in the spotlight.

Bryce, what happened to the replica? I asked.

Bryce, the head of wardrobe, rolled his eyes, sighing dramatically. The realer-than-real 16K test footage made it look exceptionally fake, so the Princess insisted we swap it out before we left Zesoria.

Well, shit.

My sibling, Robin, was currently on Zesoria, Severina's home planet, in order to steal the actual tiara. I was in Severina's entourage for the Gala on Gabiobos to ensure Robin would know exactly when we were expected, giving them enough time to break into the vault where the tiara should have been. We had a buyer lined up who could dismantle the prize and sell the real, Earth-grown diamonds individually. The payment for those diamonds would finally net me and Robin our own ship. We'd be able to go to the jobs we wanted to take, not just rely on whatever we could find locally. We could take on the high-paying smuggling operations we'd dreamed of since we were kids.

If we got caught, we wouldn't need a ship while we rotted on a prison planet. So we didn't plan on getting caught.

The good news was that Severina's change in plans meant I had access to the real tiara. Up close and personal, in fact.

Li, Severina whined, beckoning me. She gestured to the tiara. Do your trick to get this thing to stay straight on my head.

Of course.

I was indispensable here, clearly, relegated to fixing the Princess's barrettes so the tiara's weight was evenly distributed on her head and wouldn't pull her hair. It wasn't my fault she'd become accustomed to wearing the marginally lighter replica with a slightly different configuration of clips. Stupid 16K cameras.

At least my job was as mindless as it was thankless, so I could consider how to salvage the plan. The bad news was I was the social one, not the sneaky one.

So I'd have to do things the social way.

As soon as you're done with your performance, come backstage, and we'll switch this out for something more comfortable. I eyed her ensemble. The woven silver and ruby flower crown would match your outfit.

Severina wrinkled her nose. Flower crowns are at least six seasons ago.

Sure, but if you wear one, they'd make a comeback.

She shrugged, but the gleam in her eye suggested she was considering my suggestion. She loved to be on the cutting edge of fashion, and bringing back a trend was sure to win her a couple of magazine covers that she might not have otherwise claimed.

As she paraded out of the dressing room, the rest of her entourage relaxed. I pulled out my comm, pretending to be engrossed in some messages I'd missed.

In reality, I loaded up everything I needed to send an encrypted location ping to Robin. I was supposed to meet them on Zesoria tomorrow, but if I sent coordinates tonight, they'd come straight here. My message might even save them the trouble of cracking the safe. If they made good time, I could replace the real tiara with the replica version they'd planned to leave in its place, and no one would be the wiser. The real one was heavier, but it wasn't noticeable unless you were the uneasy head who wore the crown.

I didn't tuck my comm away until the message was marked as sent and received. Not expecting an immediate response, I started prepping for a quick change from the tiara to the flower crown.

Severina stomped back from performing her single song, her forehead creased. Her expression said everything--she didn't get the applause she had expected.

Immediately, the entourage swarmed her. Her personal chef, Jacques, was at the head of the group, presenting her with a plate of bite-sized morsels of what looked like baby food artistically arranged on crackers. It was probably asparagus mousse again, based on the color.

As soon as she'd sampled one, the makeup artists moved in, adding more bronzer and glitter and contouring, as though they could turn her into an entirely different person. If only.

Severina grabbed a second cracker before Jacques retreated, and once it was swallowed, presented her lips to the final makeup artist for