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Logan Preaker, Seiner Butch, Amira Dhorian, and Tania Maestas (of Earth Warriors, by Lui Petri)

Dear readers, tonight with us are four unlikely heroes from Earth’s future. They are here to speak about the alien empire that declared war on earth, and about rising to the challenge when militaries and governments crumble.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

Logan: Oh, an interview right here and now?

Tany: Oh yay! We besties are gonna get super famous after this!

Seiner: Tany, focus on the questions for this time, please…

Amira: So, this will be those archival questions back in Sorania? I can take that as you wish, dear human.

Logan: So, where do I grew up for each of us, you say? Well, I was raised near the Little Tokyo district in LA, which is where I could find many people of various ethnicities, most were good, and chatty and go to play around while my parents did their business, others didn’t care much, but my parents always taught me to always love everyone for what they do, instead what they are like. To see the inside instead of the exterior if you catch what I say. It didn’t came without sacrifices, but that’s how it was for me.

Seiner: Alright. Name’s Seiner Butch, originally from the old England, yet no teacups or grey rains as you assume from us. But that nitpick aside, got some dual parents like Logan had, with my dad being the best lawyer back then while I took my chances in studies and curriculums and all that bloke stuff. That’s how I got this brain, yeah. As for how we got here… long story, maybe next time.

Amira: I shall gracefully speak out now. Amira Dhorian, former princess of the Dhorian Royal Family from the Soranian Kingdom, one of the main planets of the Committee of Planets. As princess, I was instructed to practice my knowledge of diplomatic measures, as well as some close combat should the need of war arrive. For that nature, I grew up training in other planets with my brother Varris, where I also practiced my power to understand beings through their hearts and souls, something that benefited us Soranians for decades. Such where simpler times where I thought peace was the guaranteed form for all life forms. Sadly, that didn’t came to be.

Tany: Well, if you want to light up the mood, here ya go! Name’s Tania Maestas but call me Tany if you like! An El Paso girl from my travelling parents who wanted to make their cute lil’ girl smile even if they took odd jobs to feed me and all that jazz, get some besties in school and even try to make it fun for the others! And after the fun, I had even more in Dallas, where I tried to be a goodie one even when my grades didn’t grade on Einstein, but hey, I found my besties. But now… I can make besties with these three!

Seiner: Hopefully without getting to blow your staff up, that is.

Tany: Hey!

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

Logan: Ah yes, I do remember fondly once I went to a day in the beach with my high school pals, just watching the sunset with people no matter who they were was the sight I can always cherish the most in life, the closest I could see in following what my parents and Richard wanted for me. That, and having dinner with the closest town hall in Los Angeles, that act of kindness I won’t ever forget…

Seiner: Me? It’s so obvious from me, but for your insistence, building my first ever functional robot with C-… My brother witnessed it in its full glory back in a park. To even achieve that a tender age? Must mean I have the gift… Or if you want something more sentimental, I’d say my 6th Christmas with whole family. The happiest I’ve been before it went down. No, not the time to say.

Amira: I have so many, but if I must pick one, it is when I felt the touch of Varris when I was born. Even fresh from birth, I could see that Varris’s touch carried warmth that showed me the beauty of a person, the first one I could read. Even if they kept a firm face, I could hear the joy and crying within him, to have a sister to look for. That is what I can cherish right now.

Tany: Awww. Oh, me? Oh, so many to pick, so little to tell, how can I… Oh, got it! Rapid fire! My 10th birthday party with the whole neighborhood, getting my only A+ in class, going to Berlin in class, and of course, tying my shoes, all made me smiley smile so very much I can tell you all day! Oh wait, I forgot when I won the arcade prize and-

Seiner: Next…!

What do you do now?

Logan: The de facto leader of the Earth Warriors while working in tandem with the UEF in the war against the Zlocu. It’s the choice we had to carry out to survive, if what the Guardian see in us is true. I strike with my blade to shield those who need to survive, and also to take down whenever possible, even though I believe there has to be other ways. Given I’m the only left in the family, I had to settle with them, but I like them, I really do.

Amira: Oh, Logan…

Seiner: I’m the gadgeteer and genius. If you need some transport or a specialized weapon or anything else to get through some messy obstacle, I’m your guy. Of course, it’s time limited in how I use them, so I must calculate which one is the best use, so I balance that out as much as I can.

Amira: Well, given that my planet is no more, I am still thinking of what I should do for my people’s memory, while I try to understand humans even more right now, even those oustside Logan, Seiner and Tany while I still look for Varris. It is a scary thought, yet for the sake of all, I must continue.

Tany: And I’m your magical jester student who can summon almost everything you need or if you want to get your sorry butt kicked like a naughty dog! You want some snow flakes to chill? You got it! Want to fire up a BBQ? I got you! Want me to slap little butts with giant gloves? I can-

Seiner: No. Cease.

Tany: But why?!

Logan: I… think because that would a bit too dirty for this interview.

Tany: C’mon, Loggie, not you too!

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Logan: Well, it was a close one to say the least, the first one since Amira got released from custody. Going into a stadium from San Diegoto rescue top scientists and some of our comrades in a hellish three way against the Zlocu was not in my bingo card but despite all, we got through, right guys?

Seiner: Oh, for sure, Logan. At least splitting up in each direction helped us to ease the pressure in knowing who to save and shield while we did our parts.

Amira: Yes, I certainly have done so much to secure everything in place, but when facing Yamja… I tried my best to control myself, but even then, there was so much I can handle. I am thankful for Logan for stepping on time.

Tany: And then we got some pizza party back at base to get everyone happy! Almost everyone though, that meanie Ji-ae sulked with that asshat Walty like we weren’t there. Is that the thanks we get?!

Amira: I believe they are still processing what has happened, especially with their partner.

Tany: Oh… yeah, move on, never mindly that.

Continue reading “Logan Preaker, Seiner Butch, Amira Dhorian, and Tania Maestas (of Earth Warriors, by Lui Petri)” →
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Admiral Nil (of Sons of Taldra, by Duane Simolke)

Dear readers, tonight we bring you a reality show from an alternate reality, one where the human home world comes together under a constitution based on the Iroquois Federation. Our guest is here to speak about interplanetary conflicts, as a race of alien shapeshifters is intent on using people as a food source.

Welcome to the season premiere of Lalololalo’s Celebrity Show. Over the past forty years, you’ve known me as the gossip master who interviewed wallscreen actors, hologram designers, pressure tournament champions, and the like. Well, today, I’m the luckiest woman on the planet Valchondria, because the Top Maintainer herself is my special guest, Admiral Nil! Tell us a little about yourself, Admiral.

As you mentioned, I am Admiral Nil. As the commander of the Maintainers, I keep the world safe.

How would you describe the Maintainers to people who don’t know?

That’s a disturbing thought. We are a combination of military and police on the human home world, Valchondria. We guide Valchondrians in their daily lives, to keep them safe from disrupters and heavy hazard thoughts.

Did you have any favorite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

I had many toys, and I organized them in my room according to size and cuteness. Larger was always cuter. That was before the time when everyone regained the ability to see in color, but I imagine the largest toy was more brown than the gray shade I saw. It was a hiliate, a huge crustacean that our Valchondrian ancestors kept as pets and a mode of transportation.

My parents knew that I displayed the superior genetic code of someone who could attend one of the elite academies that train the Maintainers. They even knew, somehow, I would one day lead the Maintainers. I talked of little else, though I eventually found a boyfriend and told him we would become married one day. My spouse is very ill now, and our son is the only comfort in my life. No, my job is the truest comfort, but I do love my spouse and my son. They are treasures.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

While we’re facing a deadly outbreak of influenza, a spaceship is on a trajectory to Valchondria. As your audience hopefully knows, we outlawed contact with anyone outside our atmosphere years ago, because one of our ships of colonists encountered a hostile alien race called the Naadloosh, while our other ship of colonists became so entangled in an ancient religion that they named their colony planet after their supposed holy book, Degranon.

I’m admittedly concerned about the ship that’s approaching. The Naadloosh never found Valchondria. We have a planetary defense system, but aside from the occasional meteor, we have never had a situation that tested its effectiveness. I don’t want to find out how well it can defend us. The Naadloosh slaughtered the colonists immediately. They were just waiting for a chance to attack someone and kill them. We’ve never understood why. It was something about their territory, their area of space. They’re a savage species that only bring death. I shudder at the thought of them finding us.

Continue reading “Admiral Nil (of Sons of Taldra, by Duane Simolke)” →
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Tam Haworth (of Dancing in the Purple Rain, by Judy L Mohr)

Dear readers, tonight we print a confession note from an antagonist. They’ll present quite a different view on the telepath they tried to guard, in world ravaged by pandemics and poisoned by acid rain, where experimental pharmaceuticals are used to genetically engineer the population to adapt to the toxic atmosphere.

If you are reading this, then things have gone horribly wrong. I tried my best to keep Michaella safe, watching over her ever since she was a child. But destiny has a lot to answer for, and my cover will soon be blown. When that happens… Well… The ones in control will try to wipe the memory that I ever existed from her mind. And if they are unable to wipe those memories, no doubt they will turn me into the antagonist of Michaella’s story.

Before it is too late, I need to set the record straight.

My name is Tam Haworth, and for the past twenty years, I have been Michaella’s psychiatrist. For the past ten years, I have been her handler, for the lack of a better term. It was my responsibility to ensure that Michaella was never able to fully control her abilities. I knew, just like the Pregutor knew, that if she gained full control over all of her faculties, there would be no stopping her. However, we needed her to help us keep what little control we have over the others like her.

Some of them are… shall we say violent? It is in their personality to dominate others. Michaella, on the other hand… Her heart is pure. She is caring, though lost. All we need to do is ensure that she is given a reason to fight. At that time, she will volunteer to be our champion—but a champion against what?

I have tried to explain to them that we have nothing to fear. She is the next generation—our last hope at reclaiming the Earth’s surface. We can no longer live under the false environments of the domes. The technology to keep the systems running is failing. If we are unable to find a way to live outside, the human race will die.

However, they have taken the experiments too far. And they have kept their secrets for too long.

The Pregutor has recommended that Michaella’s involvement become more active. They have recommended that she be moved into STAR.

I do not know how much longer I can prolong the inevitable. If she is given the medications that is given to all STAR… No, it is not even worth thinking about. Instead, I pray that she continues to favor the calmness of purple. I know she still has that purple stuffed cat that her mother gave her when she was born. And every time I see her purple hair, it brings a smile to my face—though I can never let the smile show.

The others can never know that I can still see what they cannot. Instead, I wear my white, embracing everything about it. I must remain in control for as long as I can—even if the control is just a façade.

Only moments before I sat down to write this message, I followed the Pregutor’s orders to send Michaella to one of the outer sectors of the city. No doubt, she will perform her duty admirably, and another threat to the Pregutor will be gone.

However, the Pregutor does not know that I have also sent another courier to the other side of the city to set into motion a chain of events that will eventually bring the Pregutor’s unfeeling control to an end.

I have chosen to sacrifice one that is very close to the child that I watch grow. I regret that such an action was necessary, but I have very few options left.

In a few hours, there will be no turning back. Events will need to unfold the way Michaella sees fit. I know that my actions will mean that my life is forfeit. No doubt, the Pregutor will choose Michaella to be the one to remove me from the equation, because I have become the threat from within.

There will be many who will see me as the evil mastermind behind everything that is about to happen. But I am doing this for the sake of the future.

They need to be set free.


Kiwi Judy L Mohr is a writer, developmental editor, writing coach, amateur photographer, and a science nerd with a keen interest in internet technologies and social media security. Her knowledge ranges from highly efficient ways to hide the bodies through to how to improve your SEO rankings for your websites. When she isn’t writing, editing, or doing something within the local writing community, she can often be found with a camera in her hand enjoying the world around her—no doubt scouting for locations to hide the bodies. (Shh… Don’t tell anyone.) Follow her crazy adventures on her blog (judylmohr.com) or on Instagram (@JudyLMohr).

You can find Tam Haworth on the pages of Dancing in the Purple Rain.

Browse our archives for past interviews, or follow the site by email (bottom-right) to know immediately when your new best-book-friend makes an appearance.

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Vivian Carter (of Hot Moon, by Alan Smale)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a naval aviator and astronaut, chosen to command the Apollo 32 mission, and then later carrying out a lunar geological survey and visiting both lunar poles for the first time.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

Hi! Thanks for having me on. I’m Vivian Carter, US Navy and NASA, and I was a military brat. I grew up on bases and stations across America, and some overseas, and we were never in one place for more than a year or two at a time. I’d like to say that was refreshing and awesome, but actually … it sucked. Kept having to prove myself every other year to a whole new bunch of kids in a whole new place. I mean, it was okay, I made it through. My parents pretty much left me to myself, like all parents did in the 1950s and 60s. Sink or swim, right? And once I became a naval aviator, the same thing: always moving around. So I never really put down roots anywhere until I joined the astronaut corps and moved to Houston

If I’m honest, I wouldn’t say we were a close family. Aside from my gran. She’s terrific. Don’t ever mess with my gran.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

Toys?

Sure. You know, toys.

Well, okay, then: Airplanes. My dad made those plasticky Revell model kits, which totally makes sense, right? Fly military planes all day, and make them out of teeny tiny components and glue in the evenings. Revell, and some Airfix kits from England, I think. A lot of them were really quite nice. You’d glue them all together and then maybe paint them or just stick the decals on. Or my dad did. And then he’d hang them from the ceiling in my bedroom with string. I’d unhitch them and play with them, and then hang them back up again. I did love those planes. Never made them myself, I was out with my friends, raising Cain. I mean …  fishing. I get to edit this afterwards, right? I’m a bit punchy right now, just came off a training exercise in Panama and I’m working on very little sleep.

We can do that. Let’s jump ahead. What’s it like being a woman in the astronaut corps?

Tell you what, if we’re jumping ahead and all, why don’t I just skip the woman part and talk about being an astronaut? Which is hard work for everyone. And how goddamned proud I was to command Apollo 32, on its mission to the Marius Hills a couple of years ago. It was exploratory, walking on regolith no one had ever visited before. We did ten excursions in ten days, on foot and in the Lunar Rover. Those days were was long and hard, but exhilarating. It was the best experience of my life.

I’m sure. And what can you tell us about your next mission, your coming adventure?

As you obviously know, I’m commanding Lunar Geological Survey One when it launches next month. Which is a complete circumnavigation of the Moon, visiting both poles for the first time. We have a MOLAB – mobile laboratory, big silver pressurized truck – plus a lunar rover and a dirt bike. We’ll head north out of Zvezda-US Copernicus base to the North Pole, then down the far side of the Moon to Daedalus Base. We’ll take a two-week break there during lunar night, then off we go again: down to the South Pole, and up the nearside back to Zvezda. We’ll be taking rock samples every step of the way, visiting a whole bunch of really cool lunar sites, and doing a lot of other science as well. I was one of the designers of the original mission concept. We’re calling it “Around the Moon in Eighty Days.”

Catchy. And it sounds a lot calmer than … well. It’s safe to say that you’ve seen the Cold War up close and personal, by now.

It did get a bit hotter a couple years back, yeah. As we all know. Hopefully that’s behind us now.

Of course, but … let’s cut to the chase here. What went through your mind when you first found yourself under attack by the Soviets, in space?

I’m not really supposed to talk about that.

Whatever you feel like sharing. But … well, a lot of that was in the news, anyway. Eventually.

I guess.

Well.

When I became an astronaut – I mean, ‘became’ sounds like some fairy shook her magic wand over me – when I earned my slot on Apollo, and even more so when I flew: I honestly thought I’d left the Cold War behind, back on Earth. We all did. I mean, the Space Race was – is – still very much a thing, right? And I’m all for constructive competition, especially if it gets Congress to keep funding the Apollo Program. Wait. You’ll edit that out, right? Maybe give me a copy of the article prior to publication, so’s I can check for anything that might get me in trouble?

Of course we will.

Okay, that’s a relief. I don’t have to second-guess what I’m saying in real time, then.

Continue reading “Vivian Carter (of Hot Moon, by Alan Smale)” →
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Byron (of the Vampires and Spies series, by Taggart Rehnn)

Dear readers, tonight with us is an undead space-time traveller, who likes to hunt monsters, explore worlds, and do some light archeology in his spare time.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I was conceived in the altar of a blood god in Mexico, born in a castle in Northern Provence, and spent my life in ICUs, protected and controlled by my paternal grandmother, Countess Chloé, the matriarch of our family.

My parents, both archaeologists, were rarely home. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t conceive. So they traveled a lot, and became workaholics. But then, alien ‘visitors’ only Chloé ever saw, told her how my parents could have a child. My parents did it, and it worked. From then on, Chloé made everyone follow their instructions. Since ‘the visitors’ said I shouldn’t be ‘eugenized’ in utero, I was born with severe congenital disorders.

Beside our castle in Provence, we had many vacation homes, but I spent more time intubated in clinics and ICUs than enjoying any of that. So, after reaching adulthood, pumped full of any drug known to man or monkey required to do it, I traveled far and wide, and became a ‘French Indiana Jones’.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

Not favorite toys per se, but a sort of playhouse the size of a hangar, representing the 42 tasks ancient Egyptians believed a soul must perform to get into their ‘Paradise’. There I felt both scared of, and protected by, Egyptian gods—scared I might offend them if I did something wrong, and sheltered from a world where I was a bullied weakling with mild Asperger’s.

Fond memories from trips all over the world with Chloé, I have too many to count. My parents died when I was in my teens, and Mamie Chloé when I was in my early twenties, leaving behind a bevy of lawyers and wills—and Severian, the ‘real Dracula’s grandfather, who kept our family’s fortune in tiptop shape, even after everyone on Earth thought I was dead and gone, buried alive during an expedition.

What do you do now?

I hunt down monsters, explore worlds, and work as an archaeologist in my spare time. Since I shall live forever and often travel through space-time, I guess I’ll keep doing it.

My gradual transformation, molting like an insect, from one kind of undead to another, seems now complete. At least, I hope it is. Each time I feed, the resulting massacre makes the news; and, with each molt, those massacres get bigger and gorier. But there’s someone who should know how to control this: Ukko, an Ancient who left Kemet (the world where I became an undead) for Earth about a thousand years ago. Since we must find him to defeat our nemesis, I hope he will help me with this as well.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

‘The Visitors’ tells the story of my life, my mysterious disappearance and my first years in Kemet, when I became this ‘creature’. But my life’s story starts with ‘Freer of Souls’, which describes how my family and Severian prevented the Apocalypse when my parents were still working hard to conceive me—alas, in vain. ‘The Visitors’ comes after ‘Freer of Souls’, ‘Catatumbo’ and ‘Vyrus’, followed by ‘The Revenants’—the story of our arrival from Kemet and our fight against ‘varjugga’, a ‘dark energy demon’ that fled our world. We were never able to destroy it, and I’m not sure we can trap it either. That’s why, although we’re still fighting it, we need Ukko. Alas, he’s now in stasis, slowly dying. If ‘varjugga’ finds him first, it will create an army of enslaved humans and undeads, conquer Kemet, and end all life everywhere—your ‘Apocalypse’.

Continue reading “Byron (of the Vampires and Spies series, by Taggart Rehnn)” →
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Rav’Orn aka Raven (of The Death Bringer, by J. Scott Coatsworth)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a man defending his planet from an alien invasion. He’s here to tell about his friends in this, and about being a half dragon.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

That’s a loaded question. I lost my mother when I was six in a fire. Talk about things that will fark you up. When Mim’Aza took me in, I did okay for a while. We lived in a run-down neighborhood just outside of the five Spines of Gullton. I had a huge crush on Jimey, her son, but it never went anywhere—we were basically brothers, so that would have been weird. *shudders* But soon enough I left and moved out on my own, finding a hidey-hole cavern under the city to make my own.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

I try not to think about that time too much. It reminds me of the fire. My mother… well, she was a drunk and her carelessness started the fire, but still… she was my mom. All right? And living with Mikm’Aza, we were always dirt poor. But there was this one thing. Lean in. Closer. It’s a secret. See, one time, out in Lander’s Field, I found this… well, not thing. More of a him. This little talking sphere who told me his name was Spin. I know. Weird, right? But on a thief’s honor, I swear it’s true. And now he’s one of my best friends. Does that count?

What do you do now?

Well… that’s also a bit sketchy to answer. Why are you asking so many questions? Are you with the city guard? You know you have to tell me if I ask, right? No? All right. So… yeah, I was a thief. For a long time. And I was really good at it. But then the whole steal-a-package and swallow-a-dragon thing happened, and everything changed. I guess I’m a dragon rider now? Or a world saver? That will really piss Silya off, even more than when Aik chose me over her. But I’m keeping my options open. Once a thief, always a thief. Right?

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Let’s catch you up. I swallowed a dragon. Silya became the Hencha Queen, and talks with the plants, or something like that. Aik… well, Aik found a gauntlet, and he’s been weird ever since. Oh and he kissed me (and more) but then I took off with a couple of dragons to Mountainhome – think of it as Dragnlandia. Only we call ‘em Verents around here. Then the world went sideways, these weird alien fireflies showed up, and Silya and I got caught up in the whole saving the world business. Only, neither of us knows what happened to Aik. I’m pretty sure he’s my soulmate, and I’ll do whatever I have to, to get him back. Even if it does mean saving the world from fungus-like alien invaders. So I have a lot on my plate.

Continue reading “Rav’Orn aka Raven (of The Death Bringer, by J. Scott Coatsworth)” →
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Glitch Govil (of Glitch: Redemption, by Roy Jones)

Dear readers, tonight with us is someone who’s been called by many epithets — Mercenary, Vigilante, Killer, Saviour, Destroyer, Hero, Villain, Enhanced, Broken, Assassin, Protector, and, also definitely, possibly, certainly, probably insane.

Please introduce yourself and the book you are from.

Hi, I’m Glitch Govil, yes a bit of a stupid name, but there you go. As you may guess it’s not my birth name, but you know how in films and TV documentaries, they say that names changed to protect the innocent, well that’s why my name was changed. To protect my family. I started to keep a journal about my missions,  which I titled Glitch: Redemption, and me being scattered brained, didn’t start at the beginning of my journey, ,but I hope you will read about me and my journey. What? How did I get the name Glitch Govil, well that’s a story for another time.

What do you do now/What is it you do

Well, it depends on who you ask, those people I help, those desperate people let down by the government, or the justice system, will say I rescue them or save them. Well, most of them will, a few really disagree with my methods. Let’s just say that when people are in a desperate situation with no real way out, I rectify the situation, I decide what’s right or wrong, I protect the innocent and punish the wrongdoers, I am the judge and jury, and at times, the executioner.

Whom or what do you really hate?

Oh, that’s easy, The Collective, I can’t tell you too much about them, as that would place you in danger. Hmm let’s see, OK, so, you know the spy films, big secret organisation planning to take over the world or take down a democratic country, is taken down by a lone agent? No not like that, yes  The Collective is a big secret organisation, yes I fight against them, but no I can’t take them down, after all, I am just one person (sort of), all I can do is damage them and run, for they are after me.

Why Do I hate them, one, them made me what I am, two, I was an enforcer for them for a time, completely under their control, until I got away, now I am a loose end they are eager to take care of.

Continue reading “Glitch Govil (of Glitch: Redemption, by Roy Jones)” →
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Celeste Bradford (out of The Bureau of Society Betterment, a short story in It Takes A Village Anthology, by Anaïs Chartschenko)

Dear readers, tonight with us is the protagonist from a Utopian world, where everyone lives on massively tall monolithic buildings, and social status is determined by literally how high up you live. She is here to tell us about her world, about moving between levels, and encountering an agent that governs the building.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I was born and raised in a monolith. It has a tall center with multiple branches of pods extending from that. Escalators at either end run the entire length of the core. They have stops at each level, with latrines placed conveniently close to the exits so that you don’t have an accident when traveling long distances.

I was not quite lowlith, but not far off, which meant the first pod I remember was slightly below the mid levels. There aren’t as many windows there, but there are a few. I spent quite a few nights sneaking out for a moment at a window. The sky at dawn is particularly beautiful, as it splashes colour against the pale grey walls of the halls.

The left side of the mid pods were mainly used for agriculture. The right is for processing them. I can still remember the smell of compost, which reminds me of why I work as hard as I do. The children’s ward was directly below one of the lower levels of the mids, and while I’ve been told smells rise, this one definitely rose and fell like some sort of decaying cloud.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

I have an abacus from the children’s ward. I wasn’t supposed to take it, probably, but I don’t think it was missed. The other children were more interested in baby dolls or ball and sticks.

I wanted a grown up doll that looked like one of my first carer’s Ms. Renton. She was so incredibly beautiful I used to imagine she was an Elite.  I was informed by the Matrons dolls with breasts were out of the question. Apparently they needed to protect my morals. Strange, since half the monolith has them.

I’m getting off track. The abacus. It was brought by my second carer, Mr. Dirby. He taught me to count, which was a joy to me. Everything could be ordered, and that calmed me down like nothing else could. I looked forward to Mr. Dirby’s hours.

Of course, he had one look at Ms. Renton and ruined everything. They both transferred out of the children’s ward. Heard they are together to this day, with their brood of non-orphans to watch over. The bright side is he forgot his abacus. When I aged out, I smuggled it under my coat. I keep it on my desk.

On to your next question… Well,  I’m an orphan raised in a sea of wanted children. Few cherished memories. Let me think. I liked the pudding I had once at one of the other kid’s birthday party! I don’t know what the flavor was exactly, but it was the first time I’d had anything that sweet.

What do you do now?

In my current job, I run numbers. Funny how that worked out! I try to keep things running smoothly. Always learning more about people around me. Information is power, another motto. But I’ve done it all! Laundry, peeling vegetation, turning compost, assembling gadgets and do dads, minder of children, secretary, dispatcher, seamstress… There’s more, but I can see your eyes glaze over at the monotony of the list. Believe me, mine did too.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Know what I just said about eyes glazing over? It was noticed.

I was about to move to a higher lith level. I was literally in the middle of a tour with a real estate agent when I found out my account had been tampered with. The apartment was denied even though I had the CAVES! You can imagine how that felt… no. Perhaps you can’t. There is no graceful way to say I lost it.

I only go to the Bureau of Society Betterment under duress. Endless forms and the fear of reassignment if they decide it suits. Did I mention the whole place drives you mad because there is absolutely nothing besides bureaucracy to look at?

Continue reading “Celeste Bradford (out of The Bureau of Society Betterment, a short story in It Takes A Village Anthology, by Anaïs Chartschenko)” →
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Gabriel Martiniere (of The Martiniere Legacy, by Joyce Reynolds-Ward)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a man from the near future, talking about biotechnology and the multiverse.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

Before my family died in a plane crash when I was twelve, I lived in Malibu, on the beach. We also spent a lot of time in Paris, France, at one of the major Family holdings, the Hôtel Martiniere, in the 1st arrondissement. When I was ten, I was sent to Northview Military Academy in Utah, and spent school years there. After my family died, I still spent part of my time away from school in Los Angeles, only in the house of the man I thought was my uncle but was really my biofather, Philip Martiniere. Philip’s house was in Beverly Hills and a very different setting from my family’s house. Otherwise, I was in Paris with my uncle Gerard, learning more about the Martiniere Group’s financial operations.

As a child I spent a lot of time outdoors. My parents would take my sister, my cousins, and I out to Anacapa Island where we would spend the day swimming and snorkeling. I played on the beach. When I was very young, I wanted to become a cliff diver.

In Paris, I prowled the city with my cousins. Doing what kids do, but we also spent a lot of time visiting museums and attending cultural activities.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

Growing up Martiniere had a lot of expectations, especially since I was born into the ranks of the high-level heirs and was being nurtured and cultivated for a leadership role in the family-held conglomerate, the Martiniere Group. I didn’t have any one favorite toy because I spent a lot of time playing with my cousins, whether in Paris or Los Angeles. And memories…ah, best not to go there. My teen years were nightmarish. One of my biggest regrets was that I was horrible to my little sister Louisa and my mother Angelica the last time I saw them alive.

I did have a collection of Marvel action figures and assorted drone and robot models. Who was my favorite Marvel character? Tony Stark, of course. In many ways, I’ve been emulating him, only through development of agricultural technology.

What do you do now?

I am currently the leader of the Martiniere Family and the Martiniere Group, known as The Martiniere. Essentially, that makes me the CEO of the Martiniere Group and, well…there are private Family structures where I serve in much the same role as I do within the Group. When I can, I work on agricultural nanobiobots with my beloved Ruby. My focus is more on microbial payloads, but Ruby and I do a lot of research together on Ruby’s Double R Ranch in Northeastern Oregon.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

I’ve discovered that my choices as an adult have gone very differently in other universes—in one universe, my family did not die in a plane crash when I was twelve and I learned that Philip was my father when I was sixteen. In every other universe I know about, that didn’t happen. However, I am engaged in a war against digital thought clones in nearly every universe, along with my brilliant, bold, beautiful wife Ruby. Most points of divergence happen as a result of when I tell Ruby who I really am, except for that one universe I mentioned.

Continue reading “Gabriel Martiniere (of The Martiniere Legacy, by Joyce Reynolds-Ward)” →
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