“There he goes again,” Joseph said, peering at his neighbor through the blinds, “I think he’s Mexican or something.” His wife reclined on the loveseat, with her book and her bad leg propped up. “I don’t even know how you’d know that. You haven’t even spoken to the man.” “He’s dark skinned. Well, darker.” “It’s dark outside.” “I just know these things, okay?” He said testily. “Joseph, get away from the window and let the man take out his trash in peace.” Joseph's desire to kee

The watering hole—with its dusty plastic counters—was at the end of the known universe. He had traveled to every imaginable star just to come here to see where it all began and it all ended. Somehow, the Spaceman expected more. The walls were a harsh white, and the rest of the bar was comprised of large opaque panels. It felt less like being inside a bar and more like being inside a giant vending machine. Besides himself, he shared the room with no one save the Donizetti play

He shouldered open the door after keying in the lock, pulling off his soaked coat and shirt almost immediately. He divested them in a pile on the ground, and the harnesses he hung. Alice suppressed a shudder as a cockroach scuttled across the wall to escape his hand. “Whoa now,” he said softly, drawing his hand back. His voice was weighed with exhaustion. She felt the hair on her arms prick when she spied Cat’s neck, where an old site for hardware integration sat between his

Alice woke in a sticky sweat to the sound of Cat swearing at his computer. The lights were completely off in the apartment and the fans had stopped blowing. Counting tonight, this would have been the third power loss this week. She shuffled into the kitchen, peering into the fridge. It was beginning to give off slightly warm air. Sighing, she tested her theory by smelling the wrapped food on the top shelf. Her lip curled. “Oh man, the rest of this stuff isn’t going to last lo