Olivia stared into her lunch sack, disappointed. Inside was a piece of bread with mustard smeared on it. Ew, she thought. There was a moldy apple next to it and a pack of off-brand fruit snacks. She was frustrated with her mom, who packed it, as she looked around the cafeteria seeing all the regular lunches the other kids had. Olivia’s mom was single, as … Continue reading Spare Tires by Luke Fann

Every month, Wired Magazine challenges readers to write a sci-fi story in only six words. Confronted with such a task, The City Voice can only say, “challenge accepted.” This month’s prompt is “In six words, write a story about surviving a high-tech disaster.” Read our attempts below, or submit your own stories at https://www.wired.com/story/six-word-sci-fi/. Continue reading Six Word Sci-Fi

12:07 p.m. “Lieutenant, did you receive a message?” The sergeant asked. It was blisteringly hot today, and not one of the sergeant’s men wanted to be out on a black asphalt path in August. They had been called in to investigate the Bridgeton Laboratory. Today was the day that the Laboratory held its annual Young Inventors Science Fair, and no one was at the Laboratory, … Continue reading Chapter 8: The Lieutenant

Walter tried telling himself everything was fine, which was probably the first time he had lied since he wished his loud and obnoxious neighbor a happy birthday. All Walter knew was that the kid had struck a nerve with Aaron because of the smelling salt incident. Personally, Walter thought that Aaron should’ve thanked the kid, but Aaron started yelling instead. The kid was surprisingly loud … Continue reading Chapter 6: The Secrets

Aaron woke up. He was still in the hidden room. A figure stood over him. A short figure. “Aaron, are you ok?” The figure asked. It was the kid. “What’s happening?” Aaron wondered aloud. “I was shoving you aside because I wanted to check this room out, but you started screaming, so I put my hand over you to silence you, and then you fainted,” … Continue reading Chapter 7: All the Flowers in the Field

Every month, Wired magazine challenges writers to tell a sci-fi story in only six words. A tall order, but not too tall for The City Voice! Read our six-word stories below, and feel free to share your own in the comments. Have a great weekend everyone! In six words, write a story about your next-generation pet. Continue reading Six Word Sci-Fi

Aaron raced through the laboratory. It was deadly silent except for his breathing. He ran up the last flight of stairs and turned the bend. The medical rooms were in sight. He reached the one he had put Scarlett in. It was empty. Aaron’s face paled. How could he have done this? He left her alone to fend for herself. He sank to his knees. … Continue reading Chapter 5: The Kitchen

Scarlett was alive. She was close to death, though. Aaron had limited medical knowledge, but he could still bandage the wounds and stop them from getting infected. He needed to get to his office to grab the rest of his toolkit, so he ran across the building to the elevator. This floor was dark, and almost none of the lights were on. Aaron made it … Continue reading Chapter 4: Unexpected Encounters Part 2

Scarlett kept running. Hallways flew past her as she navigated the laboratory’s third floor. Scarlett found it peculiar that none of the lights were on. The lights were always on. She brushed that thought aside and focused on the task at hand: getting away from the creature she helped create. And finding Aaron. He had just been in the experimenting room with her. They had … Continue reading Chapter 3: Unexpected Encounters Part 1

“Aaron, where did you go?” Scarlett asked. Silence. “Aaron?” Scarlett asked again, her voice high-pitched. The hall outside the experimenting room was deadly quiet except for Scarlett’s voice. “Aaron was just here,” Scarlett muttered to herself. “Where did he go?” A low rumble came from the other side of the hallway. The lights flickered, then went out. “Aaron?” Scarlett shouted, shivering. Another rumble, and this … Continue reading Chapter 2: The Hunt