A Signal Escapes the Libra Syndrome
Two science fiction short stories.
"A Signal Escapes the Libra Syndrome" - A female space cadet is trapped on a planet with two malfunctioning male borgs.
"The Bright Lights of Galrea 4" - A planet that brings new chances and unusual changes.
"An Entanglement in Hagerty's Hole" - A show-not-tell conversation between two friends about black holes.
Excerpt
(From "A Signal Escapes the Libra Syndrome")
“LEEWAN IS A LIAR, beloved. I vote we kill him.”
I counted to five before speaking. “Kill him, Seetu?”
Seetu nodded. “I’d be happy to do it, sweetness.”
“Which would make you a killer.” I kept my voice low and my tone level, adapting my heartbeat to a suitable systolic rate. I’d had sufficient training as a way of preserving my oxygen. These days, trapped with a Borg who could detect stress the way healthy human eyes could detect light, I used it as a way of preserving life. Specifically, mine.
Seetu wasn’t deterred by my ethics. “What’s your concern, darling Aki?”
I tried to explain. “Well, killing’s worse than lying.”
His handsome features remained poker-faced. “How so, dearest?”
“You might want to kill me too.”
Seetu smiled his reassurance. “I wouldn’t lie to you about it.”
“But what if I didn’t ask you?” I mean about whether you were going to kill me?”
That charming droid winked easily at me. “You’d still find out.”