DasLouis

“Keep looking, you’ll see it any second now.  There!” I see a point of light flare briefly, and settle into the form of a new star in the area of sky I know to be the Orion nebula.  I am aware, however, it is more sinister than that. “So, what did they do to deserve the birth of a new star in the immediate neighbourhood of their home planet?” I ask my companion, as he gazes lovingly at the site of the catastrophic impact of gas and dust that wiped out an entire species of only-recently space-capable aliens. He smiles, just a little.  It’s barely noticeable, but I can see the mirth, or perhaps something e

It took only a drop of antimatter, less than one millionth of a millilitre, but it leveled half a city.  Smoking ruins of houses, shops, offices, stretched out before me.  The containment system had failed, for just a brief moment, but it was enough of a leak to start a chain reaction.  A handful of anti-particles slipped into the magnetic walls of the reactor, causing a hole to appear in the toroidal field through which the rest of the reactor's fuel escaped. In a fraction of a second a trillion anti-particles collided with their matter counterparts resulting in a catastrophically vast, uncontrolled efflux of energy, laying waste to the sur

The fire spread through my mind, faster than it was spreading through the house.  Neurons flared, pathways burned, and I watched the destruction wrought my by own hands.  I talked softly to myself; the plan was proceeding as - well, as planned. In my hand was the crystal chalice she had given me for our fifteenth anniversary.  A cocktail of barbiturates, methadone, and absinthe glimmered softly, the liquid swirling lazily inside the glass as I rocked from side to side.  I hummed our song gently, and took another sip of my drink.  She looked so serene. Flames danced in my eyes.  The fire had really taken hold now, floor and furniture ablaze.

"Password." Worst password ever. "Welcome, Qwerty Monkey Jesus."  the security gate intoned. I hate this place.  That is quite possibly the worst code name ever. "Love money."  the gate again, testing my knowledge. "Freedom, ninja writer!"  I replied. Awful.  Just awful code phrases they use here.  Whatever happened to snow falling only in winter?  This is the worst intelligence agency ever. As usual, I stepped through the metal detector with half a dozen knives concealed about my person, and as usual nothing happened.  I looked over at the security guard asleep in his chair, snoring through his hat.  As I passed I punched him, hard, i

Carefully, with gloves on, I place the cheap, disposable phone into a clear plastic bag.  I take the knife from the hob, it's blade glowing dully in the half light of the evening, and use it's heat to seal the bag shut around the phone.  It's important that there is no way to trace it to me, no DNA evidence left behind. Back to the hob, I gently stir the liquid in the large stock pot, being careful not to displace any onto the hob itself.  Despite using the largest pot I could find, it's still dangerously full.  With the greatest of care, the liquid is spooned laboriously into small bottles about 10 centimetres high, each capped with a small

I watched in horror as the giant creatures unfurled from beneath the snow.  Beings of unfathomable size that would dwarf even the tallest buildings unfolded themselves, standing upright in a salute to the arctic sun.  Human in shape, they stretched vast limbs as they unfurled themselves, snow dropping in small avalanches to reveal a body of lichen encrusted rock. Deafened by the noise of grinding stone, I turned to my companion and screamed at him to run away as glowing eyes sought us out amongst the moguls.  He stood, transfixed, and I ran to him, shaking him by the shoulders.  He stared blankly at the titanic creatures,