Stories 12
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Off the Rails
As usual, the airport was crowded and bustling, I easily found the departure board, identified my check-in counter and went to drop off my luggage. The business trip to NeuroTech’s London office promised to be interesting – they were preparing us for the launch of new security systems for quantum AIs, and my specialization in cyber defense was just what was needed. The girl at the counter smiled sweetly, I also broke into a smile, my mood was excellent and it seemed that both the day and the entire trip would be the same. The girl clicked something on her computer and suddenly the friendly smile slipped from her face, she looked at me and quickly looked away. After searching for another minute, she spoke:
Orbital Deception
Detective Erik Lindgren was watching the screen in his Stockholm office, displaying the trajectory of the orbital station “Aurora Borealis.” Forty minutes ago, an incident occurred that was officially classified as an accident.
Cave of Revelations
Marco Rodriguez pressed his back against the cold rock, trying to suppress his shivering. Four hours ago, dense fog had covered the trail, and he had lost sight of his group at an altitude of two thousand meters. Now, as the sun disappeared behind the sharp peaks of the Andes, the temperature was dropping rapidly.
Another Try
The rusted metal door groaned as Eli pried it open with his crowbar, releasing decades of stale air into the harsh afternoon light. He pulled his scarf tighter around his face, protecting against both the ever-present dust and whatever might be lingering inside the bunker.
5th Dimension
Takumi Nakamura stared at his data terminal, heart racing as the numbers on his screen defied everything he knew about physics. As lead physicist at the Tokyo Quantum Observatory, he had dedicated his life to understanding the universe’s constants. Now, those constants were changing before his eyes.
Final Voyage
The research vessel Prometheus drifted silently through the void, its sensors extended like curious fingers into the darkness. It had been 3,427 years, 216 days, 14 hours, and 37 seconds since its last communication with Earth.
Mechanical Witness
They called him Milo. His designation was Pediatric Care Unit PCU-9, but the hospital staff found it easier to give him a name, especially since his emotional subroutines had developed far beyond his original programming.
Frozen Horizon
The air recyclers hummed their familiar drone as I packed my meager belongings. Bunker 42 had been home for ten years—since the bombs fell and the world turned to ash and ice.
Echo
Captain Markov activated the final sample. The artificial gravity hummed quietly, holding them in orbit around the nameless planet. Forty-three days of research, and tomorrow—home.
Quantum Echo
The quantum resonator hummed softly as Dr. Eliza Chen made the final adjustments. Twenty years of research had led to this moment—the first attempt to send a message back through the quantum foam of spacetime.
Stellar Nomad
Captain Zara Okafor stood on the observation deck of the Stellar Nomad, watching the impossible planet rotate below. According to all stellar charts, this system should have been empty—just another void in the unmapped sector of the Cygnus Arm.