An Award-Winning Documentary from 2100

A Promethean Dilemma: Should Androids Reproduce?

Blink

“Thank you,” she whispered, grateful for his coy wink. 

Her cheeks crimson with giddy glee, her smile betraying lipstick-graffitied teeth, her ticker tocking, her once emerald eyes twinkling through jealous cataracts, she clutched the man’s hand with her wizened fingers. 

He left, pondering why she’d appreciated an eye blink. 

An A.I. on Trial

A.I. demands mistrial after Chatbot's perjury.

Fathers' Day

   I stood behind them in line at LAX, a balding father and his teenage daughter traveling together on Fathers’ Day. 

     “Pff…Fathers’ Day,” she scoffed, punching his backpack affectionately. “Whatever. I wanna know when’s Kids’ Day?”

     Without missing a beat, he retorted, silencing her. “Every other fucking day of the year.”

An Alien Artifact

Dunes of Zunes on Neptune's moons.

The Prank Gone Awry

     The crowd watches Jacob’s sweaty fingers fumble over the tumblers.

     “Help me!” 

     Screaming reverberates inside the metal locker.

     Feeling fear, shame, regret, he yanks. 

     Nothing.

     “Move!” barks the Principal, mentally juggling safety, parents, lawsuits.

     Snip! goes the bolt cutter. 

     She flings open the empty locker. 

     Inside, a wireless speaker giggles one utterance.

     “Gotcha!”

A Fight Between Old Friends

Two friends quarreled. Two strangers parted.

The Parable of the Cheater

     “He cheated me!” she exclaimed to her book group, who tutt-tutted their sympathetic disapproval. “He’ll cheat you too!”

     And so like drops her words became showers. 

     He hadn’t, but he’d heard her rumor. When confronted, she apologized. 

     With her group, however, she confirmed his guilt. 

     And so like showers her words became storms.

The Title of My Best-Selling Biography

My families: third time's a charm!

The Price of Public Opinion

     Cleopatra cavalierly plunked the priceless pearl into vinegar, stirred, and sipped, still staring serenely at Caesar. 

     Guests aghast gawked and gasped, gazing and gossiping gustily, guessing at obscene sums she had dissolved and drunk. 

     Rome’s dictator nodded dismissively, grinning at his garrulous guests whilst surreptitiously swiping away a telltale trickle of icy sweat.

The Future of Vegetables

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A Transporter Malfunction

Three beamed up. Two arrived, screaming.