Short Story Collection #02: Short Story Collections, #2

By S. Thomas Kaza

This second collection of fantasy, science fiction, realistic fiction, and ghost stories includes- robots, Romans, poetry readings, rowboats, rifles, runaway spiders, resurrection, revenge, regret, and redemption. There is something of interest for everyone in these short stories that range from the past to the present to the future to the supernatural.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S. Thomas Kaza
• Release date: Jun 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223493020

S. Thomas Kaza

S Thomas Kaza was born in blue collar Michigan, grew up along the Maumee River in Ohio, went to school in the cornfields of Iowa and the great city of St. Louis, before spending several years living in Japan and China. He returned to the U.S. to raise a family. He is the author of a medieval dystopian series, a middle grader fantasy series, and short stories in several genres (realistic fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and ghost stories).

Book preview

Introduction

By S. Thomas Kaza

This second collection of my short stories starts back in 2012 when I was still dutifully writing two short stories a year. It was fun. It was exciting. It gave me the opportunity to try my hand in several different genres- realistic fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and ghost stories. I enjoyed trying to write a good story in all of them. They all have their challenges. How can I introduce a new system of magic in the brief space of a fantasy short story? How can I make a character in realistic fiction interesting? What is there to write about in science fiction that has not been written about before? All writers of short fiction face these challenges. And like them I did not shy away.

There is no particular theme to this collection. It is merely the second dozen short stories I wrote one after the other in chronological order. In some ways they may reflect my personal life at the time I wrote them. Robot Resources was influenced by my reading Isaac Asimov. Ring of Lies was influenced by my researching on Roman life and society. Not In My House was inspired by a small incident at my mother's house. But more than anything else, these stories are really just my attempt to write a better short story every time I tried.

I now have two dozen short stories under my belt. I still remember the excitement I felt when I wrote that first one all those years ago. I dreamed about writing a dozen, then two dozen. It is amazing. Where do the ideas keep coming from? At times I may forget about a story. I see the title on my computer. And I shake my head trying to remember the details of the story. But when I open up the file and start reading it, I smile. I remember. I see each of my stories as one of my literary children. They bring me happiness. I may find fault in them, something I missed the first time and realise now that I would have liked to do differently. But I love all of them the same. I hope you will too. Please enjoy this collection of my short stories.

Robot Resources

Copyright 2012 by S. Thomas Kaza

Isaac Asimov was not only an incredibly prolific writer, but also a great science fiction writer. Anybody who has read him will know that he loved to write about robots. In his time robots were really pretty much still science fiction. Today they are gradually becoming a part of our society. I have always been fascinated with the idea that no matter how helpful robots will become to us, they may also make society more complicated. Will we treat them like appliances? Like pets? Or as we make them more and more human, will we start to feel that they are like family? How future generations adopt robot technology into their daily lives will certainly be interesting. Robot Resources is my take on that.

What a waste of my time, Mr. Smith mumbled over the hum of the copy machine.

As he watched the copier spit out fresh pages for the seventh revision that day of a presentation, he decided he would say something the next time his boss just dumped some project on him at the last minute. The old man was too inconsiderate. He never bothered to ask people if they had time to do the work he demanded they do. He just threw the most menial jobs at them, jobs the old man could easily do himself.  As he waited for the last pages to finish printing, Mr. Smith decided he had taken the old man’s abuse for the last time. He needed to take action.

The presentation finished printing. He collected up the warm sheets of paper. But when he turned to hurry back to his desk, he found a robot standing in the doorway of the copier room. Mr. Smith stopped. He had seen robots before around the company. They worked in several departments. But they were usually in a hurry to get somewhere. This robot stood in the doorway observing him.

Can I help you? Mr. Smith asked.

I couldn’t help overhearing you just now, the robot said.

I was just making some copies.

The robot stepped into the copy room. Mr. Smith noticed his steel hands and face. The rest of his frame was clothed in a company uniform and brown office shoes.

I heard you just now, the robot said, You do not seem to be happy in your present position. Do you feel unappreciated? Are your skills not being used to their full potential?

I’m..... well, I’m a little.....

The robot put his hand up in front of him and whispered, It’s OK. I hear about these situations up in Human Resources all the time.

You work in HR? Mr. Smith asked.

I do, the robot said reaching forward with his steel hand. My name is Elton.

Mr. Smith had no choice. He reached forward with his own hand and shook the robot’s hand. When he did, the robot looked at Mr. Smith’s employee badge clipped to the front pocket of his shirt.

Ah, Mr. Smith, the robot said, Nice to meet you. They have your records up in Human Resources, you know.

You do? I mean..... yes, I know that.

How many years have you been with the company? the robot asked.

Seven, Mr. Smith answered.

The robot nodded his head.

Seven years of laboring away in sales, unappreciated and unfulfilled

It’s not that..... Mr. Smith started to say. But the robot cut in.

Listen, chum. My job is to put smiles on the faces of the company’s employees. I’m a kind of happiness maintenance man, if you will. Happy employees do much better work and stay healthier. It only makes sense, don’t you agree?

I’ve got to take these copies to my manager, Mr. Smith said. He started to move around the robot for the doorway, but the robot held out its arm to stop him.

I know about a position in marketing that recently became vacant.

You do? Mr. Smith asked.

A few minutes later they were climbing the stairs up from sales on the second floor to marketing on the seventh.

Why don’t we take the elevators? Mr. Smith asked.

The company has microphones in the elevators. They monitor conversations there.

They do? Mr. Smith asked.

He could not recall saying anything when he rode the elevators other than hello or good day, but it caused him a bit of alarm to find out the company was monitoring their conversations in the elevator.

That’s just like them, he said, always snooping into our personal business.

You know they monitor your activity on the internet, don’t you? And if you have a company phone they sometimes keep track of where you call.

I knew about that, Mr. Smith said.

When they reached the seventh floor, the robot led the way. Mr. Smith could not recall coming up to the seventh floor for several years. He attended a meeting once between the sales and marketing teams. He recalled how the marketing department had comfortable, black leather chairs in their meeting room that made you feel like you were somebody important just by sitting in them. And the projector was much nicer than the projector down in sales.

In fact, based on what he saw over the years during his visits to the seventh floor and snippets of conversations he heard between marketing people on the elevator, Mr. Smith had drawn a conclusion that marketing was a better place to work than sales. He told himself if he could choose to work anywhere else in the company, he would choose marketing.

They came around a corner and a young man with a hearing piece sticking out of his ear nodded at them as he walked passed them.

Jerry’s looking for you, Elton, the young man said to the robot.

Who’s Jerry? Mr. Smith asked when the young man disappeared around the corner.

The robot smiled. He’s just one of my colleagues.

They turned another corner and went down a row of cubicles. The occupants were all gone. Mr. Smith recalled it was now lunchtime. Most of the company’s employees took their lunch in the company cafeteria.

When they reached the end of the row of cubicles the robot said, Here it is.

Mr. Smith saw an empty cubicle. There was a chair, two drawer cabinets for files under the desk, and two overhead cabinets for binders above. But Mr. Smith’s jaw dropped open when he saw the view out the window. The whole city seemed to be spread out before him- all the buildings, the traffic, the people. He leaned forward until his forehead bumped the window.

Do you like it? Elton asked.

Yes, Mr. Smith said. He could not take his eyes off the view stretching out before him. He loved the city.

It became vacant several weeks ago. They have not advertised the position. But I have it on good word that they plan to start looking for someone before long. Do you have any marketing experience?

I..... I do marketing research sometimes, Mr. Smith said.

It will help, but I think it will be more like a starting position. For you it might seem like a lateral move..... or maybe even more like moving down a little. But you know how that works. If you put in some time and show your worth, you will get noticed. People move up in marketing, the robot said, It’s not like sales.

Yes, Mr. Smith agreed, Sales is a dead end.

I can put in a good word for you with my colleagues in HR.

Mr. Smith turned to face the robot. Oh, could you? Would you? I want to get out of that place.... I can’t stand my boss. I know I shouldn’t say that. He has a good heart and all, but he can be totally over demanding.

I understand, Elton said.

You don’t know the half of it, Mr. Smith said.

Just then they heard voices approaching.

Two men came around the corner. Mr. Smith recognized the younger man. He was the same man that passed them several minutes before after they go off the elevator. But he did not recognize the older man with grey