The smell was the first thing to hit Dr. Kottke. The smell of people. He couldn’t pick out any particular aggravating scent; it was simply the unholy medley of too many people crowded together in the atrium of Tython’s Dawn. A far shot from the almost sterile smell of a deep-space hauler...
November 27, 2025 at 6:58 PM
The smell was the first thing to hit Dr. Kottke. The smell of people. He couldn’t pick out any particular aggravating scent; it was simply the unholy medley of too many people crowded together in the atrium of Tython’s Dawn. A far shot from the almost sterile smell of a deep-space hauler...
It smelled faintly like ozone, and the soft whine of electrical equipment filled the air. Jackabacka was floating in the zero-gravity of the Temple, deep in the bowels of the re-purposed generation ship. He grabbed the handholds on the central chamber labeled "DAEOS"...
November 16, 2025 at 11:59 PM
It smelled faintly like ozone, and the soft whine of electrical equipment filled the air. Jackabacka was floating in the zero-gravity of the Temple, deep in the bowels of the re-purposed generation ship. He grabbed the handholds on the central chamber labeled "DAEOS"...
The mess hall of Tython’s Dawn still smelled like warm broth, though Kaia was sure the last dinner had been finished hours ago. She spotted Raven Malek, the outpost’s warden, across the mess, recognizable by the large scar from brow to chin.
October 11, 2025 at 6:20 PM
The mess hall of Tython’s Dawn still smelled like warm broth, though Kaia was sure the last dinner had been finished hours ago. She spotted Raven Malek, the outpost’s warden, across the mess, recognizable by the large scar from brow to chin.
Jackabacka felt the steady vibrations of the IGS Hopeful Endeavor pass through his body. To be so blessed as to walk in the halls of the Holy Vessel...
He took his hand off the blessed bulkhead and relit a candle. The candlelight illuminated the mosaics of the green pastures and forests on Earth.
He took his hand off the blessed bulkhead and relit a candle. The candlelight illuminated the mosaics of the green pastures and forests on Earth.
September 6, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Jackabacka felt the steady vibrations of the IGS Hopeful Endeavor pass through his body. To be so blessed as to walk in the halls of the Holy Vessel...
He took his hand off the blessed bulkhead and relit a candle. The candlelight illuminated the mosaics of the green pastures and forests on Earth.
He took his hand off the blessed bulkhead and relit a candle. The candlelight illuminated the mosaics of the green pastures and forests on Earth.
The floor of the cargo tug was gray brushed steel—the same color as the corridors Jackabacka had grown up in.
The last week had been a tumult of hurried flight from SelTech and a hurried preparation on the spin station Port Mosby.
Jackabacka clutched the stun baton...
The last week had been a tumult of hurried flight from SelTech and a hurried preparation on the spin station Port Mosby.
Jackabacka clutched the stun baton...
August 17, 2025 at 12:50 AM
The floor of the cargo tug was gray brushed steel—the same color as the corridors Jackabacka had grown up in.
The last week had been a tumult of hurried flight from SelTech and a hurried preparation on the spin station Port Mosby.
Jackabacka clutched the stun baton...
The last week had been a tumult of hurried flight from SelTech and a hurried preparation on the spin station Port Mosby.
Jackabacka clutched the stun baton...
In the darkness of the late evening on Herculi-II, the dense snowstorm was lapping against Nico Magallon's visor. It felt like the cold of the outside atmosphere could penetrate even his insulated vaccsuit.
August 10, 2025 at 12:02 AM
In the darkness of the late evening on Herculi-II, the dense snowstorm was lapping against Nico Magallon's visor. It felt like the cold of the outside atmosphere could penetrate even his insulated vaccsuit.
Kaia Winfree felt the calming rhythmic vibrations of the Starchaser's retroburn as she double-checked the instruments for their approach.
She heard someone squeeze into the cockpit as something lightly hit the side of her head.
"Hey!" Kaia complained and took off her headset.
She heard someone squeeze into the cockpit as something lightly hit the side of her head.
"Hey!" Kaia complained and took off her headset.
August 4, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Kaia Winfree felt the calming rhythmic vibrations of the Starchaser's retroburn as she double-checked the instruments for their approach.
She heard someone squeeze into the cockpit as something lightly hit the side of her head.
"Hey!" Kaia complained and took off her headset.
She heard someone squeeze into the cockpit as something lightly hit the side of her head.
"Hey!" Kaia complained and took off her headset.
Novo quickly raised his pistol, but didn't have a clear shot as the woman struggled with the huge, slippery bug. Quickly, he sank two shots into the shelf right above them. In response, the ugly creature perked up and scanned the room. Then the five eyes on its head spotted Novo...
July 27, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Novo quickly raised his pistol, but didn't have a clear shot as the woman struggled with the huge, slippery bug. Quickly, he sank two shots into the shelf right above them. In response, the ugly creature perked up and scanned the room. Then the five eyes on its head spotted Novo...
The corridor that would lead Novo—by all accounts—to the Academy ended in an inner security airlock. The doors were regular oltech and looked rarely maintained.
Novo keyed in the code that was supposed to give him access to his Templar contact in the Academy...
Novo keyed in the code that was supposed to give him access to his Templar contact in the Academy...
July 14, 2025 at 10:57 PM
The corridor that would lead Novo—by all accounts—to the Academy ended in an inner security airlock. The doors were regular oltech and looked rarely maintained.
Novo keyed in the code that was supposed to give him access to his Templar contact in the Academy...
Novo keyed in the code that was supposed to give him access to his Templar contact in the Academy...
The soft tones of a classical piano piece were reverberating from the phonograph at the helm. Novo had a sharp knife in his hand, carving small sculptures out of soft wood, when the door to the helm opened. He didn't look up.
"This ship is ancient." It was the Mercator Captain...
"This ship is ancient." It was the Mercator Captain...
July 13, 2025 at 4:28 AM
The soft tones of a classical piano piece were reverberating from the phonograph at the helm. Novo had a sharp knife in his hand, carving small sculptures out of soft wood, when the door to the helm opened. He didn't look up.
"This ship is ancient." It was the Mercator Captain...
"This ship is ancient." It was the Mercator Captain...
The grainy external camera transmitted a mesmerizing cascade of lights and form as the Emissary floated within the stellar nebula. Novo's gaze was locked onto the instruments at the helm, looking for any sign that the other ships had made it..
July 6, 2025 at 4:58 AM
The grainy external camera transmitted a mesmerizing cascade of lights and form as the Emissary floated within the stellar nebula. Novo's gaze was locked onto the instruments at the helm, looking for any sign that the other ships had made it..
"Prepare for driftfall." The tinny voice of the Emissary's codex-unit reverberated in the helm.
Novo braced himself for the deceleration and translation into Newtonian space.
"Driftfall in 3… 2… 1…"
The aged ship creaked as the Eidolon drives worked hard to diffuse inertia...
Novo braced himself for the deceleration and translation into Newtonian space.
"Driftfall in 3… 2… 1…"
The aged ship creaked as the Eidolon drives worked hard to diffuse inertia...
June 29, 2025 at 9:02 PM
"Prepare for driftfall." The tinny voice of the Emissary's codex-unit reverberated in the helm.
Novo braced himself for the deceleration and translation into Newtonian space.
"Driftfall in 3… 2… 1…"
The aged ship creaked as the Eidolon drives worked hard to diffuse inertia...
Novo braced himself for the deceleration and translation into Newtonian space.
"Driftfall in 3… 2… 1…"
The aged ship creaked as the Eidolon drives worked hard to diffuse inertia...
Interstellar travel is—for anyone but the ultra-rich—a stressful affair. Take Sinda Gateway on Sinda IV.b, for example, which Kedric Hyden currently had the misfortune of navigating. "The Hub of the Modern Frontier” had multiple thousands of terminals...
June 21, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Interstellar travel is—for anyone but the ultra-rich—a stressful affair. Take Sinda Gateway on Sinda IV.b, for example, which Kedric Hyden currently had the misfortune of navigating. "The Hub of the Modern Frontier” had multiple thousands of terminals...
The machine-guts of the Titan were humming contentedly, as the huge sand breaker crashed through the coarse sandsea. Patron let the regular vibrations of the engine flow through him, imagining himself a part of the ship.
His meditation was interrupted when the speaker at his station crackled.
His meditation was interrupted when the speaker at his station crackled.
June 6, 2025 at 5:41 PM
The machine-guts of the Titan were humming contentedly, as the huge sand breaker crashed through the coarse sandsea. Patron let the regular vibrations of the engine flow through him, imagining himself a part of the ship.
His meditation was interrupted when the speaker at his station crackled.
His meditation was interrupted when the speaker at his station crackled.
Tenno tapped a powered gauntlet against the decorative railing of the 250th-floor view platform. His powered suit of armor hissed and squealed as his nervous movements were translated and amplified.
A host had assembled on the dark plaza, a safe distance from the Arcadel.
A host had assembled on the dark plaza, a safe distance from the Arcadel.
May 30, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Tenno tapped a powered gauntlet against the decorative railing of the 250th-floor view platform. His powered suit of armor hissed and squealed as his nervous movements were translated and amplified.
A host had assembled on the dark plaza, a safe distance from the Arcadel.
A host had assembled on the dark plaza, a safe distance from the Arcadel.
The sands lapped against the tiny reinforced window of the outer airlock. No light passed through the flowing grains, but Brianna could see the movement of the rough, coarse sea as it shifted behind the transparent plasteel. The only sound betraying the storm raging outside...
May 29, 2025 at 4:56 AM
The sands lapped against the tiny reinforced window of the outer airlock. No light passed through the flowing grains, but Brianna could see the movement of the rough, coarse sea as it shifted behind the transparent plasteel. The only sound betraying the storm raging outside...
Bright lights started to fill Zerla's view, blinding her. She let the process play out in front of her.
"Have you ever heard of the Fermi paradox?" she asked, as the colors started to change around her.
"Hmm? Yeah, I've heard of it. What about it?" Glorf said into her ear.
"Well, so the ancients...
"Have you ever heard of the Fermi paradox?" she asked, as the colors started to change around her.
"Hmm? Yeah, I've heard of it. What about it?" Glorf said into her ear.
"Well, so the ancients...
May 11, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Bright lights started to fill Zerla's view, blinding her. She let the process play out in front of her.
"Have you ever heard of the Fermi paradox?" she asked, as the colors started to change around her.
"Hmm? Yeah, I've heard of it. What about it?" Glorf said into her ear.
"Well, so the ancients...
"Have you ever heard of the Fermi paradox?" she asked, as the colors started to change around her.
"Hmm? Yeah, I've heard of it. What about it?" Glorf said into her ear.
"Well, so the ancients...
A hydraulic hiss and mechanical rattling accompanied the blow that took Wayne in the stomach. He wheezed and crashed into the worn carpeted floor. Port Mosby's station emblem was visible but almost faded from the coarse blue fibers.
Wayne ran his tongue over his teeth. No blood. Good.
Wayne ran his tongue over his teeth. No blood. Good.
May 5, 2025 at 1:25 AM
A hydraulic hiss and mechanical rattling accompanied the blow that took Wayne in the stomach. He wheezed and crashed into the worn carpeted floor. Port Mosby's station emblem was visible but almost faded from the coarse blue fibers.
Wayne ran his tongue over his teeth. No blood. Good.
Wayne ran his tongue over his teeth. No blood. Good.
"Don't worry, guys, this isn't brain surgery!" Al, the twitchy mechanic, turned away to start putting the spaceship back together.
April 27, 2025 at 11:09 PM
"Don't worry, guys, this isn't brain surgery!" Al, the twitchy mechanic, turned away to start putting the spaceship back together.
Stepping into the captain's personal hangar filled Nance with a surprising sense of serenity. She hadn't noticed, but she had been on edge ever since chaos had enveloped Space Station Sigma...
April 22, 2025 at 2:06 AM
Stepping into the captain's personal hangar filled Nance with a surprising sense of serenity. She hadn't noticed, but she had been on edge ever since chaos had enveloped Space Station Sigma...
"Everything is going great," Nance lied, mostly to herself but also to Seph on the other line.
"It’s all continuing as planned. Stay posted." She hung up. That didn't feel powerful enough, so she roughly threw the comm unit at the floor...
"It’s all continuing as planned. Stay posted." She hung up. That didn't feel powerful enough, so she roughly threw the comm unit at the floor...
April 18, 2025 at 1:33 AM
"Everything is going great," Nance lied, mostly to herself but also to Seph on the other line.
"It’s all continuing as planned. Stay posted." She hung up. That didn't feel powerful enough, so she roughly threw the comm unit at the floor...
"It’s all continuing as planned. Stay posted." She hung up. That didn't feel powerful enough, so she roughly threw the comm unit at the floor...
Space Station Sigma was shuddering; the emergency alarms were still blaring, and the corridors were getting more and more deserted as Joe and Seph made their way to the deeper hab levels closer to the station core.
April 13, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Space Station Sigma was shuddering; the emergency alarms were still blaring, and the corridors were getting more and more deserted as Joe and Seph made their way to the deeper hab levels closer to the station core.
The time loop started like all previous ones before it, with Seph’s stupid reaction to their momentary zero-grav before their vehicle crashed back to the floor.
"What the hell was that supposed to do?!" asked Joe. He was already shifting into reverse, then accelerating the groundship backward...
"What the hell was that supposed to do?!" asked Joe. He was already shifting into reverse, then accelerating the groundship backward...
April 1, 2025 at 4:33 AM
The time loop started like all previous ones before it, with Seph’s stupid reaction to their momentary zero-grav before their vehicle crashed back to the floor.
"What the hell was that supposed to do?!" asked Joe. He was already shifting into reverse, then accelerating the groundship backward...
"What the hell was that supposed to do?!" asked Joe. He was already shifting into reverse, then accelerating the groundship backward...
ACCESS DENIED
The words flashed on the screen of the digital lock for the thousandth time. He knew he had to wait a couple of seconds before he could try the next code in sequence: 6332.
He could feel his sanity slipping away. He couldn't quite remember his name...
The words flashed on the screen of the digital lock for the thousandth time. He knew he had to wait a couple of seconds before he could try the next code in sequence: 6332.
He could feel his sanity slipping away. He couldn't quite remember his name...
March 24, 2025 at 3:14 AM
ACCESS DENIED
The words flashed on the screen of the digital lock for the thousandth time. He knew he had to wait a couple of seconds before he could try the next code in sequence: 6332.
He could feel his sanity slipping away. He couldn't quite remember his name...
The words flashed on the screen of the digital lock for the thousandth time. He knew he had to wait a couple of seconds before he could try the next code in sequence: 6332.
He could feel his sanity slipping away. He couldn't quite remember his name...
Alistair Croaker had been ripped out of reality. One moment, he was walking down a corridor; the next, he was falling from the ceiling and landed flat on his belly. As he collected himself from the floor, he had an eerie sense of déjà vu—and not the usual kind...
March 20, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Alistair Croaker had been ripped out of reality. One moment, he was walking down a corridor; the next, he was falling from the ceiling and landed flat on his belly. As he collected himself from the floor, he had an eerie sense of déjà vu—and not the usual kind...