The exoplanet Aziz was discovered only by means of the latest multi-valent AI technology. When evidence of its existence was first detected by the giant interstellar telescope Oppenheimer 2, astonishment soon turned to jubilation among the few humans directly involved. The pristine blue and white orb revealed its “Goldilocks” features in perfect order and magnitude: orbit, rotation, temperature, atmosphere, land and water distribution, cloud cover, arability and so on easily matched the near-Earth requirements. Alas, that just as the measurements and telemetry were shifting to observe signs of possible life–or, civilization–the whole planet disappeared from our view abruptly, perhaps forever.
About the Creator
Mark Francis
Published translator of verse and original writer of haiku, senryu, lyric, occasional and genre poetry and speculative fiction.
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Spring Crossings
The umbrella yawed sharply to one side, then suddenly to the other, making little progress against its thronging siblings caught by the same gusts. Their bearers were all generously sprinkled by the heavenly spray, but one in particular, under the most pliant spring mushroom, seemed hardly shielded at all. Rather it was as though he fought off creatures of the storm. When the soggy crossing was finally to be breached, bobbing along to the general wave he muttered, “‘Walk.' ‘Walk.' As if I might try anything else!” Immediately, like a moist gloved hand, a second umbrella brushed his face.
By Mark Francis3 years ago in Fiction
The Lesions of Devotion
Every day I set myself down on the freshly cut lawn and strip myself bare. I take my guitar and finger the frets and pick at the strings, listening for dissonance. My life is dissonance. I twist the tuning pegs until each string sounds bright. Then I kneel, calves pointing behind me, kneecaps facing forward. All exposed to the breeze. I close my eyes and play the melody.
By Paul Stewart2 days ago in Fiction
Hollywood Hils
1 —When I was a little girl, my home wasn’t exactly a welcoming place. My parents argued all the time and completely forgot about me. The only thing that could take my mind off reality was the movies on TV. They transported me to another world… sometimes a horror movie, other times a western, a comedy, a drama… whatever. And it may sound silly, but watching those movies on the small TV screen made my eyes light up and made me truly happy, even if only for the duration of the movie.
By Cesar González Torres3 days ago in Fiction
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