Science Fiction
Red Silence
"You're still in one piece," Ralph breathed, his eyes darting to the blood-soaked fabric of Max's sleeve. He didn't ask how he’d survived; he simply reached out and gripped Max’s shoulder, a grounding gesture that felt fragile against the super soldier's bulk.
By Forest Greenabout a month ago in Chapters
Red Silence
"Thirty seconds, Max! The bypass is almost locked!" Bell’s voice was a frantic blur of static. Max didn't answer. He didn't have a breath. He lunged forward, not to flee, but to drive his weight into the remaining fiber-optic coupling. As he reached for the final switch, a creature launched itself from the floor, its obsidian body unfurling in mid-air. Max caught it with his forearm—the tactical plating on his sleeve shrieking as the creature's needles scraped across the surface—and used the momentum to pivot, slamming the entity head-first into the humming pillar. There was a loud, electric crack, and the creature convulsed, its iridescent shell fracturing under a surge of redirected current.
By Forest Greenabout a month ago in Chapters
Red Silence
He didn't hesitate. Max lunged toward the emergency manual override—a heavy iron wheel designed specifically for the failure of electronic systems. He lumbered across the debris-strewn floor, his muscles straining against the sudden drop in pressure that threatened to pull the oxygen right out of his lungs. He reached the wheel and heaved, his entire body shaking with the effort of forcing the massive steel shutter to slide shut across the breach. For a moment, the mechanism jammed, a grinding sound echoing through the hall, before it finally gave way with a bone-jarring thud that sealed the void.
By Forest Greenabout a month ago in Chapters
Red Silence
"Pass me that wrench, the one with the chipped handle," Ralph said, his voice muffled by the thick fabric of his helmet. They were currently obsessed with a 1974 vintage espresso machine that had somehow survived the trip across the void. It was a temperamental piece of Italian engineering, out of place among the sleek, white-plastic surfaces of the habitat, and it leaked steam whenever the pressure spiked. For the crew, the machine was less about the caffeine and more about the ritual; the rhythmic clinking of the metal portafilter and the smell of roasting beans were the only things that felt like home.
By Forest Greenabout a month ago in Chapters
Solving Khranentitia
Hot gleam rises from the bright beige sand, carrying spicy fumes of salt and minerals, hinting that there might have been an ocean there long ago. But now, these plains only know the persistent dryness of the flat, pressed desert. The sun stands high in the speckless blue sky. The horizon stretches over the land like a perfect line, showing no marks for orientation. This almost infinite desert is a hot and blinding place with no sound.
By Kri Pfeiferabout a month ago in Chapters
Who's the real Monster?
As I drifted off to sleep I thought I saw Papi caressing my cheek. His big strong hands were always gentle with me. Whenever I cried, even if it was for something small he'd cradle the side of my face to wipe a tear away with his thumb.
By Lucy Torralbaabout a month ago in Chapters
Who's the real Monster?
~ Ed What am I doing? What the hell did I just see? Z cried. I heard them down the hall and am glad I wasn't in their sight. From the looks of the wall they got a little violent. I think their body is shaking. Then Nurse Ratchet, wait did Z call her 'Emilia'? Both had a quick chat and now Z asked me for a distraction before I could ask anything.
By Lucy Torralba2 months ago in Chapters
