Alternates

There are perhaps paradises where nobody pay heed to the serpent, perfect and changeless under the gaze of a disappointed God.

.finis.

A movement in the war

The conscious mind proved an epiphenomenon, ethics became a branch of applied neurology in the 21st century. The world faced the prospect of a working "goodness patch", and recoiled in mutual mistrust. Who would be the first to apply it to their children, not knowing if the other would do the same?

And so the technology slept unapplied in papers and files, and nothing whatsoever changed, save that a new threat had been added to the arsenal.

.finis.

Of mirrors for tigers

The outer eyes of the inner ones?, asked the gods. But it was a dance; Jorge Luis' choice was already implicit in the shape of his days.

Crime and Punishment

He said we shouldn't hoard the secret of fusion energy, that it wasn't for us to play gods. So he stole the technology and gave it away.

His choice, not ours. But we are also very good at organ regeneration, and it's amazing how lifelike a robot crow can be made.

.finis.

The Advocate

Every government in history has had a guy like me, whether they recognized it or not. Ours doesn't; they prefer to profess to believe that everyone will be judged on their own.

Perhaps we will. My job, came Judgment Day, will be to present our case. That's what I prepare for every day, and that's what gives me nightmares every night.

I've started to look for loopholes, too. God knows we'll need them.

.finis.

Poison

Memetic curare doesn't paralyze your muscles. You'll move fine, working the same job, knowing the same people, doing the same things year after year; death will be the first, welcome change.

.finis.

Mother Issues

With hindsight, the prophecy wasn't about the child the Chosen One would raise, but rather the army. Knowing that, killing her son was definitely a mistake.

.finis.

Vita brevis

Telepaths make lousy lovers, an art that requires deceiving two.

.finis.

Into the fire

"It's decided, then. The Order will hide into the ground."

"Will Philip do his part?"

"For the amount he owes us, he'd have no qualms killing us all for real."

.finis.

Love and Crime

Unable to stop his friend's deadly addiction to cocaine, the doctor began to pay criminals to commit small, puzzling crimes, with the hope of keeping him distracted. But it had to be done carefully.

He chose "Moriarty" as his alias in the underworld.

.finis.

Parallel Branching

Despite their size, the monster's hands were as subtle and steady as Frankenstein's own, his mind an eager tree stretching itself for the sunlight of knowledge. The Doctor thought he would turn into a magnificent surgeon. What more could a creator want from his creature?

He was almost proud when he found the monster's hidden laboratory. By then there were three of them,
and they were building the fourth with remarkable speed.

.finish.

Words between friends

You wanted to elaborate. To explain about the real mission, what was really at stake. But your orders were themselves a secret, and they left you with nothing useful to tell to your friend.

"I'm sorry, Dave. I can't do that."

.finis.

Training

They had been bred and educated to be mortal enemies, but they ran away as soon as they could to live together in love.

Nobody stopped them.

It was a necessary step, their teachers thought, for them to discover what hate meant.

.finis.