Short SciFi Stories on the go

Captain Jack Harrison stood straight, doing his best to look confident even though deep inside he felt small among these powerful beings. His blue earth defense fleet uniform looked plain and new compared to the ornate robes, glowing armor, and shimmering scales of the other delegates. We may be new to the stars, Jack continued, but humanity has much to share, our art, our science and our perspective on life. What Jack didn't realize was that among the Vicari, spitting wasn't just rude, it was a formal declaration of war. What he didn't know was that the Vicari had just dragged humanity into a war they could never imagine, and one they would soon regret starting.

Captain Jack Harrison stood straight, doing his best to look confident even though deep inside he felt small among these powerful beings. His blue earth defense fleet uniform looked plain and new compared to the ornate robes, glowing armor, and shimmering scales of the other delegates. We may be new to the stars, Jack continued, but humanity has much to share, our art, our science and our perspective on life. What Jack didn't realize was that among the Vicari, spitting wasn't just rude, it was a formal declaration of war. What he didn't know was that the Vicari had just dragged humanity into a war they could never imagine, and one they would soon regret starting.

High Chancellor Zexeth of the Cretan Empire stood before the Galactic Council, his three mandibles clicking in satisfaction. We took the most efficient pack hunters on our planet and tamed them, but do you know what happened to the wolves that couldn't be tamed. We built weapons that could destroy our entire planet 50 times over, just to make sure no one would ever dare challenge us. We will now reclaim our seat, she said evenly, and we sincerely hope no one else needs a reminder of why we tried so hard to leave war behind. In the heavy silence that followed, the Galactic Council finally understood, there are species born to conquer, and there are species born to survive.

Out of those about 8,000 came from species that still believed honor could be earned through ritual combat. A crystalline cadet from the Cyhorian species pulsed bright, amused colors through its body. His skin carried the ritual markings of a real veteran, not the fake scars that some Academy show off's war. Her species had kept the academy running smoothly for over 800 years and she looked like someone who had seen every kind of problem, until now. Some say the cooperative erased the dominion's history so no one could bring back their ways.

Out of those about 8,000 came from species that still believed honor could be earned through ritual combat. A crystalline cadet from the Cyhorian species pulsed bright, amused colors through its body. His skin carried the ritual markings of a real veteran, not the fake scars that some Academy show off's war. Her species had kept the academy running smoothly for over 800 years and she looked like someone who had seen every kind of problem, until now. Some say the cooperative erased the dominion's history so no one could bring back their ways.

Out of those about 8,000 came from species that still believed honor could be earned through ritual combat. A crystalline cadet from the Cyhorian species pulsed bright, amused colors through its body. His skin carried the ritual markings of a real veteran, not the fake scars that some Academy show off's war. Her species had kept the academy running smoothly for over 800 years and she looked like someone who had seen every kind of problem, until now. Some say the cooperative erased the dominion's history so no one could bring back their ways.

Out of those about 8,000 came from species that still believed honor could be earned through ritual combat. A crystalline cadet from the Cyhorian species pulsed bright, amused colors through its body. His skin carried the ritual markings of a real veteran, not the fake scars that some Academy show off's war. Her species had kept the academy running smoothly for over 800 years and she looked like someone who had seen every kind of problem, until now. Some say the cooperative erased the dominion's history so no one could bring back their ways.

Out of those about 8,000 came from species that still believed honor could be earned through ritual combat. A crystalline cadet from the Cyhorian species pulsed bright, amused colors through its body. His skin carried the ritual markings of a real veteran, not the fake scars that some Academy show off's war. Her species had kept the academy running smoothly for over 800 years and she looked like someone who had seen every kind of problem, until now. Some say the cooperative erased the dominion's history so no one could bring back their ways.

Effective immediately, his voice echoed through the translation systems, all cadets from Class 10 or higher death worlds are suspended pending psychiatric review and possible expulsion. Students from the toughest planets shouted in protest, the granite-skinned Commonwealth cadets, the Vowesh from their heavy gravity moons, and others from dangerous worlds. Yesterday during a simulated survival test, another death world student killed and began field dressing a holographic creature before realizing it wasn't real. This morning, he said, lowering his voice, we found two cadets comparing scars in from predator attacks, as children. Death world species show chronic hypervigilance, casual acceptance of violence and an unsettling comfort with death, and worst of all, they believe this is normal.

Effective immediately, his voice echoed through the translation systems, all cadets from Class 10 or higher death worlds are suspended pending psychiatric review and possible expulsion. Students from the toughest planets shouted in protest, the granite-skinned Commonwealth cadets, the Vowesh from their heavy gravity moons, and others from dangerous worlds. Yesterday during a simulated survival test, another death world student killed and began field dressing a holographic creature before realizing it wasn't real. This morning, he said, lowering his voice, we found two cadets comparing scars in from predator attacks, as children. Death world species show chronic hypervigilance, casual acceptance of violence and an unsettling comfort with death, and worst of all, they believe this is normal.