The aliens have gone, after their offer of an immortality among the stars proved too good for anyone to refuse. Except Casey, who now finds herself crossing an abandoned landscape, looking for a reason to keep on living.Just someone, anyone to talk to would be a start. Anyone, that is, except the Farmer.The aliens have gone, after their offer of immortality among the stars proved too good for anyone to refuse. Except Casey, who now finds herself crossing an abandoned landscape, looking for a reason to keep on living.Just someone, anyone to talk to would be a start. Anyone, that is, except the Farmer.A motorcycle, a recovered cop, gallows humor, a very sharp ax, and, eventually, a purpose in life... and death.(Character-driven SF with a dash of horror - all in 4.043 words)

For a solid century, the Arkitect has been overseeing the construction of the Ark, humanity's escape from a techno-ravaged world. She's too old to accompany the billion-fold survivors, of course, but she doesn't seem to mind. Is she an unreformed Earth-hugger? A Gaia-worshiper? Find out for yourself, in a not-too-short story that's dark, bitter, dry... and evil fun.For a solid century, the Arkitect has been overseeing the design and construction of the Ark, humanity's escape from a techno-ravaged world. She's too old to accompany the billion-fold survivors, of course, but she doesn't seem to mind. Is she an unreformed Earth-hugger? A Gaia-worshiper? Find out for yourself, in a not-too-short story that's dark, bitter, dry... and evil fun.Classic science fiction--towering interplanetary ships, space elevators and other speculative technologies, eco-engineering, draconian social planning--with a very human spin.