Shoe Foot Other
Fantasy. Four short stories.
"A New Dawn" - Earth’s new settlers look forward to their peace-making role.
"Event Midwinter" - Two mistrustful groups, who have never met, must work together to continue life.
"Shiny Solutions" - A young woman carries a powerful message in her empty bottle.
"Shoe Foot Other" - Human visitors find a new planet ripe for exploitation.
Excerpt
(From "Event Midwinter")
Tanea leaned forward with a shudder. “Some of the mothers are excited that aliens are marching here. Do you know your greeting for them?”
“Yes, Shea has taught me it many times.” Although one hardly needed to be taught a word they heard every day. Sometimes she wondered if Shea was her mother – or even Cara Battalion, who always seemed overly protective. “We may be given as food or chosen to have children with them.” Now Eliya shuddered too. “If we have children with the aliens, do you think they’ll look anything like us?”
Tanea nodded hopefully. “Some may. Our father is gone but since we’re the last generation, we must share some of his strengths.” She looked excited as she made her favourite observation again. “Who knows, we might even be sisters. Everyone says we look much more similar than the other Seedends.”
“We could be full-blood or half-blood, Tanea, but you know they’d never tell us. Knowledge of one’s bloodline could create too much division and envy.”
“Or perhaps it would create more unity.”
Privately, Eliya disagreed. If her dreams were anything to go by, the only unity would be in the unanimous decision that the Seedends would be sacrificed to pacify the invaders. If she were deemed nutrition, as the youngest Seedend, she would be the first to be summoned.