Havok Publishing

Category - Techno Tuesday

The Creature of Sigma-248

Shut the gates!”
Lieutenant Pearce snapped up as his comm unit screeched with the command. His chair creaked angrily at the abuse, and the report he had been engrossed in fell to the floor.
“Copy that? What’s going on?”
“It’s Farley! Gamma Patrol! Shut the gates, Pearce!”
The officer instinctively moved his hand

Read it now

CT 1109

CT hunched his shoulders against the drizzle and the gazes of other pedestrians, his hood pulled up to hide his face. Neon signs colored the sidewalk and steel buildings odd tones in the night. Between the hordes of people, he glimpsed an officer ahead and swung toward a video advertisement sign, feigning interest.

Read it now

Verdant

This venture was supposed to be a pushover, thought Dor Manti as he dodged yet another vomited plume of emerald flame. The great, galloping beast was gaining on him, its maw still crackling with that damnable green glow.

And now I’m gonna die on this stupid backwater rock.

Read it now

The Red Chord

Bahar stared down into the multilayered concourse and slammed her fist against the rails. Where is he?

Spinning around, she ran slap into a man’s chest.

Vrill.

A shudder shook Bahar and she ducked her head and attempted a hasty sidestep. “’Scuse me.”

Vrill grabbed her arm and grinned.

Read it now

Red Shift

The captain brought the rubber stamp down on the document and frowned at the blood-red imprint.

“This makes grim reading,” he sighed. His stare burrowed into the chief inspector’s face. “You found no evidence of survivors?”

From across the desk, he watched Holzfäller fold her hands across her lap.

Read it now

Inverted

I run backward through time, toward the mushroom cloud that will soon be my invention warehouse, thankful that the inversion suit I’m wearing wasn’t destroyed in this inferno.
The eruption shrinks over the warehouse, and the fire bursts bright before reassembling the near end of the building.
Perfect.
I run in through the

Read it now

Safety Recall

NOTICE OF SAFETY RECALL: DOMESTIC BOTS

According to our records, you recently purchased a domestic bot from The Gentrifix Corporation. A routine safety check revealed an anomaly in the bot’s code that makes it aggressive when exposed to the unique shade of Martian Red.

Contrary to recent, unsanctioned news reports

Read it now

Starlink Sabotage

“Recepticore is offline. Starlink power is depleted.”
Eddie Caplan burst into the engine room. “What the blazes is it this time? Reeves, report!”
“Dunno.” His young assistant snapped her gum. “Just like the ship said, couldn’t link up with the star’s recepticore. Psh, dwarf stars, am I right? Betcha we wouldn’t have this

Read it now

Z Karr and the Golden Doom

Glistening golden slime mold enshrouded the city and surrounding valley. Yellow strands crept up the sides of the surrounding mountains. Blinking lights radiated across the expanse in shades of amber and lemon, twinkling like the stars above.
“It’s a variant of Fuligo septica.” Zach scanned the area. “The spores got through after a

Read it now

The Hologram Hypothesis

Their footwork was flawless. Their abdomens vibrated at just the right rate. They executed each turn with precision. Every eye was on the golden dancers, mine most of all.
I was halfway to proving my hypothesis about bee communication. PhD, here I come.
Dr. Young shrugged. “At least this bee hologram

Read it now

Down Memory Stain

Vermont sunshine lights up the blooming forsythia like neon as I pull into the driveway. Back when I was a kid, I thought those bushes were magical—fairy torches or some such nonsense. Now they remind me of something else.
“…last known location.” Agent Vex’s voice fizzles over the intercom, but I haven’t

Read it now
S2 Techno Tuesday featured image (season 2)

50UL

“This is a mistake,” 733 beeped, its camera whirring as the focus zoomed out to train on the figure standing in the snow beside it.
The woman wore a thick fur-trimmed parka frosted with ice flecks from her long trek up the hill to the outpost. The climb had left the subject

Read it now