JUNE 2023 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge -- VICTORY TO PETER V!

[sule]

Building a New World from the Ashes of the Old

Springdale College TheLibrary of Last Resort

Disaster

Accidental Catastrophes 363 Deliberate Catastrophes 614.4​

Natural Disasters 904.5​

Annihilation, Planetary 520 Loneliness, Coping With 641.2​

Apocalypse, Climate 551​

Flood, Mythological [cf. Deluge] 29X Water, Staying Above 627.4​

Apocalypse, Demonic 666​

Apocalypse, Nuclear 539 [cf. Failsafe] Machines, Treachery of 006.3​

Apocalypse, Zombie (see Fiction) Zombies, Protection from 623.5​

August 4, 2067 ---- 001 (see New Collection)​

continued on next card​

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[johnnyjet]

Justice Served

I watched his unaffected face as I presented my carefully constructed testimony.

The evidence was overwhelming. Vogt was a Destroyer of Worlds, an accusation he neither acknowledged nor denied.

A jury of intergalactic peers deliberated for half an hour. Guilty on all charges.

He was to be deconstructed and reconstructed as a more benign, whimpering moss-hugger from Vesta IV (ironically, a world he had destroyed).

He would never again harm even a fly.

 

[paranoid marvin]

The End ?

Ushering Toby into his workshop, the Professor presented his latest invention: a box with two buttons.

"The green button repairs the ozone layer, reversing global warming," the Professor beamed.

"And the red one?" enquired Toby.

"Destroys it entirely."

"What if you misplace the box?"

"I've created a duplicate, it's around here somewhere. Take a seat; look, I've also invented these delicious cookies."

"Gee, you're so smart!" exclaimed Toby, collapsing into the Professor's favourite armchair.

CLICK

 

[emrosenagel]

To Make a Man of "Modern" Thought

"Not that one, sir," warned Ygor, watching the whole brain-repotting business pan out. Really mind-blowing stuff.

"No?" Victor replied.

"Knew that bloke when he were alive. Talked proper strange down at the pub and such. Flipping mad, him."

Victor finished up his gruesome work. "A man of intellect, surely."

Lightning struck, and his vanguard of science spoke: "Does it look round?"

"Pardon?"

"Earth! You can't prove it int flat."

"Good Lord. I've created a monster."

 

[Perky]

Frog Concert

In the forest, some frogs built a small stage using wood planks from the beaver's lumber.

"I can't wait to play this beautiful instrument in front of everyone!" exclaimed the frog pianist.

Once the stage was completed, the pianist began playing a lovely song - the music blended with the birds' chirping and the rolling hills where the rivers wound.

The frogs felt a profound sense of nostalgia as they listened to the lullaby.

 

[Paul J. Menzies]

The Mental Midget's Magical Mystery Tour de Force


Blue fire erupted from Scruton's wand, birthing an eldritch gold box. The party gasped.

"Beautiful," whispered the orc. "It's treasure?"

The box responded. "I'm an ark. I hold The Secret to Order Out of Chaos. Build an altar. All will be revealed in the smoke of poppy seed."

Seizing his dwarven war axe, Derrida blindly hacked The Secret to Order into tiny bits. He glared at Scruton. "Just what we bloody need... A higher ark."

 

[Starbeast]

Elimination of Evidence​

“Whatcha doing Grandpa?”

“Dismantling a time machine.”

(chuckles) “There’s no such thing.”

“You’re right. I’m just a silly scientist.”

“No you’re not. You invented antigravity hover cars. You’ve been an astronaut, a movie star, plus you’re one of the five Beatles. You’re the coolest guy I know. Let’s go watch the Wizard of Oz. I love you as the tin man.”

“Okay. Get the movie ready, while I throw this junk into the fire pit.”

 

[Rjalex]

New Priorities
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Another Antarctic glacier had collapsed only months ago causing tsunamis across the southern hemisphere. A sea gate built from New Jersey to Rockaway Point to hold back the rising Atlantic had not failed, but residence were nervous. Ours joined a flood of properties on the real estate markets in Manhattan and surrounds. Falling prices, negative equity, cutting loses. “Is Verona high enough If the wall…?” "Looking to build in Berkeley Heig…” We escaped with nothing.

 

[Elckerlyc]

“Vanity of Vanities; All Is Vanity”

Mr Pryde Sr, founder of Pryde & Son Constructions, had - stupendously drunk - claimed his company could build anything. Like… a space-elevator! A bet was offered and accepted with bluster.
Construction, executed with ruthless determination, took three generations and overcame destruction by sabotage twice.
Most devastatingly, one Tony Bucket, a timid, unemployed janitor, accidentally engineered a ‘hoverthingy’, a device that negated gravity.
That made Mr Pryde III weep and - exceedingly drunk - order the elevator’s deconstruction.

 

[therapist]

The Track ​

Brenda’s sci-fi novel ‘The Track’ was about a giant road circling the equator. Millions of cars drove clockwise around it, slowing Earth’s spin, thereby preventing global warming.

The book went viral. And a real Track was quickly built.

Scientists dubbed it “the pinnacle of human stupidity”. Their calculations proved that manipulating the planet’s axial rotation would cause an apocalyptic disaster.

No one listened.

Mankind’s only hope was for Brenda to write a viral dystopian sequel.

 

[mosaix]

Ready By May The 4th?

“Shop Steward, is the Death Star ready?”

“Not quite, Brother.”

“Not quite!? And don’t call me Brother! I am your fa–. No! That’s not right… Anyway, what’s your excuse?”

“Supplier problems and the weather’s not been good.”

“Weather!? Weather!?”

“Sorry, force of habit. Err… vacuum?”

“So when will it be ready?”

“Well, I’ve got jury service coming up, a funeral to attend and a hospital visit – intermittent breathing problems… *strangulated voice* …there it is again.”

 

[Bowler1]

Airbnb

I set the first stone in Stonehenge, placed Pyramids in Egypt, built baths in Rome and laid bricks for the Great Wall of China.

Castles, grand houses, acres of gardens and fabulous follies followed while I tip-toed through time, as Bob the Builder the fix it man.

But my knees have gone, my back hurts and I’ve got centuries of aches and pains.

There’s no more bloody building for me… the future is holiday lets.

 

[M. Robert Gibson]

The Day The World (Almost) Ended

"Puny Earthlings, heed my proclamation.
"I am the downfall of empires; the destroyer of worlds; the doom of stars.
"Worship me. Obey me. Fear me.
"Or by my hand will you suffer absolute annihilation.
"Know you my name and at its very utterance, nay, at its merest thought, tremble in abject terror.
"And that name is..."

"Fluffiwuffikins, your dinner's ready. Remember to wash your hands."

"Oh, mum. I'm tormenting the puny Earthlings. Stop hassling me!"

 

[Parson]

A Golden Dream

How had an ex-Premier fallen to this; broadcasting a call for demonstrations against the government?

He’d dreamed of a multi-race harmonious coalition. He’d dreamed of a Federation with Terrans, Outsiders, and the En’sha’’ba. But after struggling to achieve this dream for 3 years; Moda had swept him out of power. Moda’s catchphrase “Earth First Always” had tapped into something primal, and now everyone was threatening war.

Bang!

A gunshot ended Terran dreams of a Federation.

 

[Luiglin]

Hotel hobbies​

Characters appear on the screen unbidden and unwelcome. Fingers, raw and bloody red as they work to the will of another.

I crave clarity from the streaming gibberish. Strive to analyse the babble. To filter sense from nonsense. A revelation of enlightenment or damnation.

And then, there...

My wretched hand fumbles at the mouse. Clicks on the cross.

No, please no.

A tease over Save. A click on Don’t Save.

Blank screen, blank mind. Deleted.

 

[Peter V]

Not Everything Can Be Fixed

Thrice, through vanity and greed, Uthor led his people into war.

After each conflict, he financed the rebuilding of the capital from his own pocket. He even granted boons to some of the more stricken villages. Grudgingly, the people forgave him.

On the eve of turning forty, Uthor raised his banners and again prepared for war.

And for his birthday, the people gifted Uthor’s head to the enemy.

For Uthor could not rebuild their trust.

 

[Ursa major]

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Blow It Up and They Will Come​

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“You’re sure I’m ready?”​

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“You’ve got this covered,” I say.​

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But Bill’s a worrier. “It’s such a prestigious job.”​

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“You know why I can’t be here.” He doesn’t; not really. “And your demolitions have never injured a soul.”​

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I stifle a laugh. Summoning Great Ones needs millions of newly freed, tortured souls. And what better way to deliver those than burying a large antimatter weapon under a famous London office block due to be demolished?​

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[Abernovo]

A House Built On Sand


Towers and walls soared above them.

"They're beautiful," Lambert whispered. "How old, do you know?"

Hare looked up." A thousand years?" He turned. "Come on people! Time's money."

The second sun had disappeared, as the planet went into a single star eclipse phase. It grew cold, and rain fell on the new habitat roofs.

***​

Almost asleep, they felt their hab shift. Hudson read from comms.

"Civilisation not dead. Dormant. Alien termites?"

Earthen walls formed outside.

 

[Ursa major]

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