Yuriy Zubovski
Joined June 2009 and calls Thick with Issues home.
49 stories, 8 challenges, 46 comments, and 21 friends
I am a physicist, atheist, collaborative writer, poet, graphic artist, web designer, and Delt.
I’ve written quite a few stories on Verdanus and Tertius that are ripe for reading, sequeling, prequeling, and commenting, if you’re so inclined.
Stories
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Data Manipulation Language
“Yeah, I’d heard a ‘dat “Axe You ta Hell”, or wutever dey call’d it. Sum silly command fer dem file cab’nets." I shook my head, but didn’t interrupt. Pa would dole out a whooping, I was sure, but I d...
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Icarus
Dreaming, and seeing, Finding, retrieving. Forming the clouds From wax. Believing… Holding them there, Gently with care, “They’ll open the skies! We shall travel by air!” Not land nor sea; Now they are free! Father and...
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Daedalus
Hating the prison That he himself built, Blaming himself, Drowning in guilt. Staying alive For only his son, Constantly thinking ‘Will this battle be won?’ Deep underground In the Maze of Crete, Where the minatour lived, And face...
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Rhymes Resevered (cont'd)
The time to act is now, and has been such For ever that I can remember. To arms! Take nothing, no armor, no defense, no weapons! Leave yourself open to all harm That comes your way. But chin up, march! The future is beyond the hill, the battlefield, Th...
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Rhymes Resevered
I’ve no one left on earth to blame For what’s become of me, myself, my will And never had before. I have been weak To my desires, but weaker still When trying to invoke them to the world As wonders, marvels, love! A coward! I’ll be heard, too lat...
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Submitting a Sequel as a Prequel
He sat, staring at the screen. This time around, he would push the system even further. He would tie two stories together. Could the sequel and prequel variables both be successfully resolved? He moved to sequel his last code-breaking entry. http://fic...
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Severed Rhymes Redux (cont'd)
But once is not enough. Tis but a dream That fleets for good for me to never see. You surely know the feelings in my heart That for a moment’s kiss my kingdom goes to thee! If only would you give that chance Where when I carry you aweigh across my ch...
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Severed Rhymes Redux
I find myself repeating the mistakes That others made and made forget, But I ignore their lear’ned wisdom, And for myself these failures I beget. I cripple my existence with desire, A sin in which I do not oft partake, And yet I find my mind on fire ...
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Temptation
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Severed Rhymes (cont'd)
I can’t forget, try as I might, The way that you devoured my esteem. I had disposed myself of judgement And let your words wind down my dream. I can’t refute my undeniable affection Which made me ready to forgo The corpses you laid out for me to fi...
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Severed Rhymes
My heart is frail and weak For ne’er before hast this man fallen prey To such a mischievous attack, Such harmless play. Great desperation must weigh heavy On my soul, my breast, my mind For me to such conspicuous deception Fall victim. I am blind, Or...
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Questions I Forgot to Ask
One year warranty, or two? If my rubbish output is unsatisfactory, do I get a full refund or a new unit? And is the customer service domestic, or outsourced!?
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To a Summer Past
What is there twixt yourself and me? Love? Hope? Three hundred miles? There’s the horizon and naught else to see: We frown as we cannot see our smiles. I’ve spent two months short of a year Waiting to sweep you off of your feet, Four with your voic...
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Submitting a Sequel as a Challenge
He stared at his screen, dumbfounded. Why did he have to choose? Most writers would apply to a challenge by navigating to the Challenges page, but no – he had to first sequel another writer’s submission. It was too late to go back and fix t...
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Package Sorter
“No, just stand here. A carter will push past, you just drop the can in the right bin.” Victor remained both stupefied and flabberghasted. “But, how will I know which bin?” “Don’t be daft man, this is the public line...
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Small World
The steamwagon puffed, hooted, and clicked to a halt. Nigel’s foot tapped expectantly as the door finally hissed open. “William, if I weren’t in such a hurry, I’d have your head!” He settled onto a cushion, then prodded hi...
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Thoroughly Embarrassing
Of course by then I had showered, brushed thoroughly, and even disposed of the toothpick. The police searched my house, and I assured them that I hadn’t seen her for a while either. I couldn’t, however, remember when I had seen her last. I ...
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Should Have Brought a Plumber
“SHE’S GONNA BLOW! I’m tellin’ ya, get down and take cover!” The disaster would be about as bad as an underground city’s generator meltdown, except this was real. Jerry pulled on his comrade’s leg so hard that ...
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Banking On the Other Case
The ship was too bulky and was left in orbit. The captain descended in an exploratory lander, with Horman Cambo along. The hatch opened and their air rushed out into the thin atmosphere. Horman, somewhat incredulous to the situation and thus unaware of...
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What If I Was Clockwork?
“I don’t know about you, but I haven’t seen any crystal thefts. Ever. And his story checks out – Penelus was mighty angry when we roused him.” Kelius drifted in his thoughts, but snippets of the lieutenant and patrolman...
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An All-Too-Fair Assessment.
“Set us planetward, but keep us in Tertian shadow. I want to find out what is going on before we are to be assigned to new objectives.” Horman Cambo assented and complied. He was dumbfounded, but perhaps so was the captain. Horman would pro...
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Stranger in a Strange Predicament
The walk back to the Denai residence was unbearable. Keli’s feet tripped him up at every loose stone. His eyes refused to focus, even though he had removed his goggles. And the only thoughts that ran through his mind were of his stolen crystal &#...
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Baby Steps
Proof! Undeniable, unequivocal, proof. Vassi had long wondered if perhaps it was possible, and sometimes imagined that it was true. But now… now he knew! His face had turned into a frightening grimace of vengeful joy, and his eyes must have spark...
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Egopathetic
Perhaps it was only his assumption that others in Kethadria felt the same as he. Kelius, son of two immigrants from Mesopotamia, was destined to continue in his parent’s footsteps – a laborer for his entire life. Were it not for the favorab...
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Entering the World
Was it the Denai family name, or he, Kelius, who was worth nothing? Kelius came to slowly. I must still have my glasses on, he thought as he took in the blurriness of his surroundings. The light was dim – perhaps it is night and there is torchlig...
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No Relief for the Wicked, Democrats
“Voices. You are all mad voices in my head, pulling this way and that. I feel like a crazy person!” Con Gregor had cut short a councillor mid report. “We have idled for two weeks, doing nothing. Nothing. We have issued no ultimatums, ...
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Union Out, Coalition In
Ambassador Ponan allowed for arguments to thrive, but himself stayed quiet. Had he continue to speak, his proposition would have been neglected, while his character was ravaged. His cessation allowed others to take the brunt of any harsh words. When th...
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Out in the Open
Ambassador Ponan had made his way to the podium, and thundered over the speaker through the din. “The problem that no one has bothered to voice, and I’m sure is instrumental to both the decision we make together, as well as the personal dec...
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Patience is a Virtue
He idled in his empty room. The void that Coot left behind offered a quiet that beat drums in Vanco’s head, pounding far worse than the blabbermouth ever had. His only consolation lay in the waxing amelioration from the guards. They had passed hi...
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Crazy Is As Crazy Does
Although Rand Maeli had shown signs of shock first, it was Ulric who eventually broke down. Rand, having recovered several hours later, took it upon himself to assume Jemsen’s post as the leader of this tiny part of the Tertian revolution, while his ...
![PJ (Jae) [[LoA]]](http://cdn.ficly.com/icons/2758/avatar.jpg){kind=icon}
