Tag: science fiction

Distant Love (Sci-fi Romance)

Maeve leans back from her computer monitor. The smell of eaten pizza rafts through the air.

Why did she need to know Maths anyway? Isn’t that what AI was for?

Looking out the window, the blue dot, Earth, is still visible. It is not possible to make out any of the orbiting space stations. The rest is darkness with stars.

She had begun her Maths assignment two hours previously. Most of that time had been spent fidgeting.

Who needs to know about the multiplication of matrices?

She wishes Derek were online. He always knew how to get her to focus. He’d tell her that if she wants to own the family business, she needs to have a grasp of these things. She has to know what to ask the AI.

All very exciting. Did she even want to run the family business? There must be more to life than ferrying a bunch of old people from low Earth orbit to Moon orbit. Like really, that’s all she has to look forward to?

Turning around, she looks at the body-length mirror beside her. Her hand pushes back some of her long red hair over her black uniform, which consisted of a shirt and trousers.

Pegasus (Part 108)

As we left the ship, we stepped onto a platform that led to elevators on the wall. Chrissie walked ahead of us and pressed the button. Nothing seemed to happen at first. Then we heard a whizzing sound coming from below; it grew gradually larger. Then someone saw the elevator just before it arrived,

An artificial voiceover speaking in Irish told us to take a ticket, to remember where our ship was parked and that it would bring us to ground level. Hearing that the ancient language once more made me feel warm inside. I took the piece of pink paper and put it in my wallet.

Much to my surprise, I felt nothing on the way down. The opaque doors stopped you from seeing any movement also. The doors opened and we walked out to a packed street and a cacophony of sounds. People brushed up against our shoulders as they tried to get past. Large buildings looked almost magical as they stretched upwards. I realised I was feeling queasy, and took a moment to get my bearings. We needed to go towards the centre of the city, and see if we could do some sort of deal to get to the Emperor’s habitat.

In one direction, there was definitely an increased density of buildings.

“This way,”

Pegasus (Part 104)

The Taurus V Military Complex was legendary, an almost mythical place. It was a spherical rotating habitat with a habitable surface area equivalent to Africa’s. It was home to the Emperor’s most loyal, best-paid, well-armed battalion. They were called the Blue Core and numbered over thirty million soldiers. Their armor consists of over one hundred thousand tanks, four thousand dreadnoughts, thousands of heavy lasers, and artillery pieces. The Space Core is required to transport them to battle, a cautious Emperor wary of giving any of his forces too much power.

They regularly carried out war games on the habitat, which was very close to the real thing often resulting in thousands of casualties. They were easily replaced in a large empire.

The Blue Core was infamous for its role in many battles such as putting down the Lunar Rebellion and the Comotose Habitat conflagration.

Still, it was the massacres that they were best known for. Men and children were murdered, the women were raped first. Any habitat that dared to resist. A thoroughly delightful bunch.

And I was now on a spacecraft veering through space right toward them. Because their corruption was also legendary. That was the weakness we were going to be depending on.

Pegasus (Part 103)

“It would be very dangerous,” Casey said with a smile.

“Indeed,” replied Leanne, “But it was the Emperor soldiers who killed our father and robbed us of a home. I say fuck ’em. Let’s do this.”

With a simple nodding of heads, it was agreed that they too were rebels.

“So what now?” Leanne asked with wide eyes.

I felt now was a good time for me to speak.

“The plan is to get to the Emperor’s habitat and to launch an explosive device to kill him. I am one of his distant progeny so I will be more trusted. Still, I can’t just fly there or I’ll be shot down. I need an official invitation of some sort. We will need to get incrementally closer. Our next stop is the Taurus V Military Complex.

Once there we need to bribe our way to a habitat closer to the Emperor’s. It will not be easy but it’s the only way.”

Tabitha then took control.

“The two of us have been through so much already. At times, things have looked really grim, but we persevered. With your help, I now truly believe that we can make this happen.”

Chrissie went to walk to the controls.

“I’ll input the details of our next destination.”

Pegasus (Part 89)

I slowed down the craft. We needed to arrive during the cold front, preferably in the night. Only then, would the temperatures be just about bearable on the surface. Any inhabitants at that latitude lived underground.

Taking out the leaflet, I flicked through the pages.

“So, who are we meeting anyway?” Tabitha asked.

“”We’re to go the coordinates and ask to speak to a Harold Stoker. Only, then will we find out more about what we need to do?” I replied.

“I don’t know about this. Going to Earth doesn’t seem like a great idea.”

“I know but that’s where we’re at. I’ll put the craft on autopilot, we should rest.” I raised my hand and moved it over my shoulder and we briefly held hands.

After what must have been several hours, I opened my eyes. the Earth was larger now. It was possible to make out distinctive features. The seas were mostly a dull purple, but patches were also green. There were the continents, brown with a reddish tint. I could just make out the island that was our destination.

A few minutes later, the craft began to shake.

“”What’s happening?”

Tabitha’s voice was sharp.

“We’re about to enter the Earth’s atmosphere.”