September 2016 75-word Writing Challenge -- VICTORY TO JOHNNYJET!

[TheDustyZebra]

RULES:

Write a story inspired by the chosen theme and genre in no more than 75 words, not including the title


ONE entry per person

NO links, commentary or extraneous material in the posts, please -- the stories must stand on their own​

WHEN WRITING YOUR STORY, PLEASE REMEMBER THIS IS A FAMILY-FRIENDLY FORUM


All stories Copyright 2016 by their respective authors,​

who grant the Chronicles Network the non-exclusive right to publish them here


The complete rules can be found at RULES FOR THE WRITING CHALLENGES

Contest ends at 11:59 pm GMT, September 23, 2016​

​

Voting Ends at 11:59 pm GMT, September 28, 2016

You do not have to submit a story in order to vote --
in fact, we encourage all Chrons members to take part in choosing a winner



The Magnificent Prize:


The Dignified Congratulations/Grovelling Admiration of Your Peers

and the challenge of choosing next month's theme and genre


Theme:

Stage Fright

Genre:

SCIENCE FICTION



This thread to be used for entries only.
Please keep all comments to the DISCUSSION THREAD


We invite (and indeed hope for) lively discussion and speculation about the stories as they are posted, as long as it doesn't involve the author explaining the plot.


** Please do not use the "Like" button in this thread! **
​

 

[Glen]

melt


Heart hammering. Mind scraped clear. Joining the crowd of press and politicians.

‘Fresh water from Greenland ice sheet melts is remaining, as we knew it would, at the surface of the Atlantic. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is shutting down.’

It doesn’t matter what I say.

‘Science predicted non-linear climate shifts yet you focussed on celebrities and vested interests.’

Look at them. They still don’t get it.

‘We are all going to die.’

 

[Cat's Cradle]

Scars

He’d left for the Planetary Wars with her promises of unassailable love.

He sits his soldier’s begging mat, croaking “Pity the destroyed.” Passersby stare, while trying to avoid the legless, oblong bundle. A group approaches, and she’s there.
God, no. His hands pass across his plasma-melted face, then again, violently – pulling, twisting...desperate of making the corrupted angles less repellent. “Hello,” he pleads.
She looks away. Her companions laugh; someone whispers “Disgusting!”
Was it her?

 

[Ashleyne]

The Robutler

"Television." Five seconds passed. "Robutler, television, now!"

A tiny robotic voice: "Ok."

A few more seconds. "Robutler!"

"Ok.... Could you close your eyes, please?"

"Oh, for cr... fine." He scrunched his eyes closed.

"No peeking."

Sigh. "Just switch it on." A shadow passed his eyelids. He caught his first view of Robutler: a silver blur leaving the room.

A sniffling and whimpering came through the door. "I said no peeking."

Mitch face-palmed, teeth clenched.

 

[Wruter]

The Phantom of the Space Opera

On the balcony, high above the empty stage, the Phantom clutched Christine to him in a fierce embrace. "Oh my darling," he sighed. "You would not love me if you saw my true face."

"But I would," she replied tenderly. "I would. Show me."

"Very well."

Slowly, he removed his mask to reveal—

Christine fainted.

"I knew it," the Phantom groaned. "You humans say you're open-minded but you just can't live with a few tentacles..."

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

Thus Flesh Betrays Us

Lasers bounce off Miranda’s skin and fill the studio with jewels of pure color. Emeralds, rubies, sapphires. They are born and die as she dances, as if she is creating and destroying stars. Every move is recorded for an audience of billions. She will be a ghost in their homes, dancing for generations yet unborn. Once she would have trembled at the responsibility. Now she is fearless, all imperfections replaced by flawless metal and polymers.

 

[Cathbad]

Thinking


“There she is, Captain!”

I understood the Helmsman’s excitement. The Toronado was within our grasp! Even our green Captain couldn’t mess this up!

“Tactical?”

“Her weaponry is at least our equal; her hull the same. But she has no shields!”

“Captain?” I ask.

“No shields. A single shot and a thousand lives lost!”

“Captain, she destroyed the McDermott!”

“She’s turning on us!” Helm alerted us.

"Captain!"

“A thousand souls…”

Toronado fired. Her weapons proved superior.

 

[Elventine]

The Play.
​

I squeeze into the jacket that was too small (Edward had been eaten suddenly) and prayed that I will not faint with fear, "It won't be that bad!", they said... "You will be saving the crew!", they said. I sidle out of my room and hide behind the curtain in my bright red tights. It was my luck, that the aliens that had captured us would have a love of Shakespeare and I stage fright...

 

[reiver33]

Ladies And Gentlemen…

The near-empty auditorium was saturated in failure and frustration. The auditions panel reeked of ennui and appetite in equal measure.

I bowed. “My name is Alonso Zunz, and I’m an empath.”

Their confusion washed over me. The hard-faced impresario glowered. “Meaning what, exactly?”

“Meaning - ecstasy.”

Writhing, orgasmic joy, release.

“Anguish.”

Tears, howls, hopelessness.

“And, of course, fear.”

Screams, self-mutilation, silence.

Their faces were grotesque masques, frozen for eternity.

I bowed.

Terror as art form.

 

[mosaix]

All's Well That Ends Well...

“Two minutes,” said the voice.

Sweaty palms, trembling limbs, stomach cramps. “Why? Why? I've rehearsed this so many times, I know it all by heart and yet now the time's arrived I'm scared witless.”

“One minute.”

“Why the hell did I volunteer? What am I doing here? I must've been insane!”

“Five, four, three, two... stage one separation complete.”

A jolt as the stage two engine ignited.

“Three minutes to stage two separation.”

“Oh God...”

 

[ThomasG]

Live On: Book Two of the Fight On Trilogy

She stood quite tall, but felt so small.
Large the crowd; chanting loud
Her name.

"But I'm just me, just a flee,
Does my where 'n' why, justify
My fame?"

As silence fell, 'twas time to tell
From thence, from whence
She came.

"A flash so bright, woke my night
Made me there, brought me here,
That flame."

"Y'all fought long. Now live on, 'thout shame."

Large Crowd. Chanting loud. "Nuclear Cloud."

 

[Starbeast]

Lucio Argento presenta: ORRORE DEI PAGLIACCI​

"Those Xenothulians....are horrifying looking."

"I know. But, Xenothulians are coulrophobic. You were a sensation! They applauded and threw roses."

"I screamed, vomited, defecated, cried, my make-up ran, I fainted and fell into the orchestra pit."

"You lasted twelve minutes, most run away within 5 seconds. Oh. Here's your pay, five boatons."

"Wow. How much is that in Earth credits?"

"$23,000,000."

"...........get me a case of strong laxative! I'm going to tour this planet."

 

[Calliopenjo]

Stardate: -287333.27568493155

She among a privileged few had the honor of leading a crew on such a fine machine, not machine but living being.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and steadied her hands. A deep breath in and out as she examined her new ship. It would be filled with beings she would be responsible for. Her throat became dry, her mind swirled with images of death, and her knees buckled out from under her.

 

[Old_Man_Steve2016]

Stage of Fright​

Maryanne and her acting troupe entered the stage to great applause. Maryanne smiled, for it was her first theatrical play.
She blinked twice quickly to load her script into her Chishiki cybernetic system. Error 451. She tried again. Error 451.

No no no not now, she thought.
"My wife, what shall we do?" said the actor to her left.
The next line was hers and she had no clue what it was.

 

[Tanja Bisgaard]

Fresh air

I took a peek.
The entire world was waiting with microphones, cameras and press cards.
To hear about how the machine would turn on with a humming noise and extract carbon from the air.
How because of my machine the ice would stop melting and the increasing water level would stagnate.
How we would all breath fresh air again.
Not to hear that the invention was not mine.
But stolen from someone else.

 

[Droflet]

Walking Man

The problem needed fixing so they sent a hero. Commander Kyle Sikorsky was tough as nails, a real man.

He landed on the troubled, backward planet and tried to hire an aircar.

“A what?” said the gent.

“I need to get to the city.”

“The next stage leaves in five minutes.”

Outside, six horses were hitched to the stage coach.

The Commander felt faint, his knees started to shake.

“Bloody horse phobia.” He began walking.

 

[Coast]

Broadcast


I’m good with languages, but not this. I hate this.

“How many?” I ask.

“Eight billion. Nearly.”

“They’ll all see it?”

“Most of them. If not right away, definitely over the next few turns.”

I feel like I’ve been punched in the gurterine. I regret asking.

The camera floats in close, silently demanding. Zabrag motions to me. It’s time. My hearts beat faster.

I look into the lens. “Humans. Your planet is rich in resources…”

 

[chrispenycate]

Egocollapse

I know not which is worse
Ten thousand eyes that analyse,
Or hundred thousand lenses and remotes.
Information multiverse
Fragment'ry image of those who despise
Technology that spreads, and amplifies
Impassioned dialogue emotes
In pessimistic inevitability
Equation-riddled, my analysis evokes
Gloom of our destruction definite
To hide the truth exceeds verbal agility
Doom inescapable, eternal night.
Myriad personalities focusing on one
Who must explain it's too late, that all hope is gone.
​

 

[Luiglin]

To boldly go

"Orbit established, Captain."

"Thank you, Mr Ulus."

The Captain swivelled in his chair.

"Stage one ready, Mr Kops?"

"Device deployed, Captain. Common sense dictates critical optimum crux point is imminent."

Swivelling back, the Captain leaned forward.

"Mr Vokech?"

"Stage two ready, Sir."

"Steady, steady." He balled a fist. "Fire!"

The BOO device blazed away to explode in the upper atmosphere of the planet.

"Well, Mr Kops?"

"Stage three is successful, Captain. Tectonic hiccups have ceased."

 

[johnnyjet]

In Officio Apparatus

He did not expect to win. Standing on the world stage in front of virtually billions, the first robot President of the United States was being inaugurated.

He sold them on his swift and logical decision making skills.

He sold them on his Presidential demeanor.

He sold them on his inability to make mistakes.

And now the man behind the machine was sweating, afraid to make any decisions in front of the world.