Principles

by Milo James Fowler


There would be no stopping them this time. Already the pirates had managed to breach the hull of the Effervescent Magnitude and phase-shift through walls and floors, straight to the engineering deck.

"They plan to cripple the ship at its core." Captain Bartholomew Quasar pensively chewed on his knuckles. Then he shouted, "Blow the reactor!"

"We'll never survive!" countered his first officer.

"Neither will they." Quasar struck a meaningful pose in his deluxe-model captain's chair. "Sometimes sacrifices must be made for the greater good."

"Whose good, sir? There's no one else out here."

"It's the principle of the thing, dammit!"




Author bio: Milo James Fowler (@mfowler76) is a teacher by day and a speculative fictioneer by night.

Options

by Milo James Fowler


The hideous alien on the viewscreen bared its white teeth in some sort of bizarre greeting ritual. "I am Captain Bartholomew Quasar of the Effervescent Magnitude," it said.

Gorthrexx the Goobalob Sector Twelve toll collector scowled with most of his eyes - and he had a myriad of them, located all over his gelatinous body. "Prepare to be boarded," he droned.

The alien blinked its measly pair. "I don't understand-"

"You have trespassed into our space and will be enslaved."

"Is there a second option?"

Gorthrexx sighed. "You pay the toll."

Captain Quasar checked his credit. His shoulders slumped. "Welcome aboard."





Author bio: Milo James Fowler is a teacher by day and a speculative fictioneer by night. Stop by anytime: http://www.milo-inmediasres.com/

Reformat

by Milo James Fowler


For days, the Effervescent Magnitude, star cruiser of the indomitable Captain Bartholomew Quasar, had been dead in the water, so to speak, with no systems functional.

Garbed in environmental suits, most of the crew had exhausted their O2 supply and were drifting off to sleep, never to awaken. Quasar punched the intercom on his deluxe-model captain's chair with what strength he still possessed and prepared to exhort all hands one last time-

Suddenly all systems, including life support, came back online. Quasar's console read: IMPROMPTU SURVIVAL TRAINING COMPLETE. WELL DONE!

The ship's computer could look forward to a complete reformatting.





Author bio: Milo James Fowler is a teacher by day, writer by night. Stop by anytime: http://www.milo-inmediasres.com/

Flashback

by Milo James Fowler

Captain Bartholomew Quasar did not believe in living in the past, and he abhorred flashbacks with a passion.

But finding him dangling here from the edge of a cliff on a desolate moon - Arterion 789 - one has to wonder how he came to find himself in such a terrible predicament…

"Don't you dare!" He digs in with both hands, fingers grappling for purchase among the crumbling rocks.

How about a little exposition, then?

Grumbling curses, he adjusts his hold, boots swinging above a two hundred meter drop, and shouts, "That's what got me here in the first place!"

Author bio: Milo James Fowler is a teacher by day, writer by night. Stop by anytime: http://www.milo-inmediasres.com/