Stories tagged “saturn”
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Saturn is missing
“That’s a big ol’ wtf”, she said, pronouncing each letter individually. Me, I say ‘m all together, wift, and yeah I know they’re out of order but that’s how I rock, right? “What is?” I said. “...
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A Room with a View (Sci-Fi Me Challenge)
He found her at the viewing port looking out at Saturn. The planet filled a quarter of the sky, and clouds of beige and white, brown and umber, mixed in swirling patterns like milk just poured into coffee. The rings reflected sunlight back to them, yet...
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In Space No One Can Hear You Fix a Station, but They Can See You
The liquid hydrocarbons were coming down in sheets, but such was the climate on Titan. The dim glow that diffused through the methane fog as if it were possessed by an etherial demon was amplified somewhat by the lights on the outside of the building. ...
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A Thorn in Saturn's Side
Antonio spoke. “Those old tourist stations were powered with fusion engines. Our initial views from the ‘scopes identified it as an old DoubleTree. They had a contract with Pratt & Whitney to build the engines. Those things’ll las...
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Setting Up Shop
XJ-399’s lizard-like body wriggled out of his exoskeleton, leaving it securely clamped to the station’s surface near the airlock. His body was covered by his pressure suit, but XJ-399’s helmet allowed a little sunlight to shine throug...
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A New Discovery
XJ-399 was walking down a dark corridor, holding the tether of a power transmitter as one might hold a balloon. Every so often he placed little self-powered lamps on the walls as he went along. His receiver cut in. “Hey XJ?” It was his most...
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Establishment
Lights, unused for over a millennium, flickered to life, and the gentle hum of machinery deep within the station began to quietly resume its existence. XJ-399 let out a startled shriek. “Sorry,” YU-443 offered. “I’m at one of th...
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The Reactivation of 1000 Procedures Begins with a Single Process
XJ-399 changed the subject. “You got the main power online yet, or just one of the subnetworks?” “Just one of the subnetworks,” YU-443 responded. “I’m trying to find one of the main access shafts.” “Okay....
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Door
XJ followed the pipes and wires in the ceiling to an unremarkable door labeled Processing Hub. Black wires ran in a hasty tangle up and down the floor, convening to disappear beneath the door and into the room. That’s a bit off, he thought, this ...
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Taking Care of Business
“We’ve got launching orders, boys,” Lieutenant Bonzer shouted. This announcement was met by hurrahs from most of the rest of the 501st. Stationed on Mimas, nestled deep within the massive crater Herschel, their official patch referenc...
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Squadala!
There was a Bioid in the pilot seat of the Fury-161. His cybernetic alterations were very extensive, to the point where he was almost entirely a robot save for his exterior. On his uniform he wore the mark of the Defectors, the Bioids who had gone agai...
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Flashback: Surprises
The Earth Defense Force had been losing the war in the Inner Solar System, and those forces around Jupiter and Saturn had been tapped, as no Bioid attack had been feared there within the reasonable future. The Fourth Reich, long eliminated from any eff...
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Flashback: Gambit
Johan switched into instinctive mode, hacking at the Bioid with all the might he could muster. Red blood mingled with blue hydraulic fluid and clear coolant as the enemy agent was terminated. His victory, however, was short-lived. He heard a noise behi...
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Ouch!
“Ow! Damn it!” XJ-399 held onto his broken hand. His bones were already refitting into place, but it still hurt, a lot. “What was that?” YU-443 was finished with his work outside and was heading inside. The blue biot called out ...
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Ringing the Doorbell
Bonzer commanded Arnold: “Okay, Arnie, bring us in. Park it and see if we can interface with the onboard systems.” They had made their skew flip about forty-five minutes ago and had arrived at the old hotel. They had decelerated for the maj...
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Getting The Hell Out
Arnold laughed, “I think they know we’re here. They’re booking it to their ship.” “Nonononononononononono!” XJ-399 was running at top speed. YU-443 trailed after him. “But what about the equipment?” XJ-3...
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Whatwhatwhat?
XJ plopped into the pilot’s seat. YU took his station in engineering. Through the speakers YU said, “Come on, these humans aren’t that bad. The worst that could happen is that they arrest us. If the Biot empire ever finds us we’...
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To the Other Ship
Corporals Parker and Geddiman utilized their manned maneuvering units to cross to where the Bioids’ ship was. Privates Sully and Vassily followed behind, wielding axes and magnetic-accelerator guns. “So what do we do when we open ’er ...