SFFS: Snippet #3 from Inoculation (a DIRTY DOZEN story)

Welcome back, everyone, to another week of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. As mentioned in prior weeks, my new Aston short story collection Dirty Dozen is now available over at Amazon, I figured I'd continue on with the snippets from the last several weeks.


First, the blurb:

Join space pirate Aston West in the second collection of short stories from his universe, featuring classic space opera tales by T. M. Hunter. Building on Aston's first collection (Dead or Alive), these stories feature even more wild adventures, unforgettable characters, and exciting plot twists to satisfy your space opera appetite.


(Again note: Most of the stories in this collection were previously available in my various Triple-Shot collections. Dirty Dozen puts them all in one collection, and also provides an opportunity for those folks who would like to pick them up in paperback form...coming soon)

So, here's the next snippet, from my short story "Inoculation":

A set of emergency lights popped on, providing a minimum amount of illumination around the area. I pulled the bottle away from my lips, and called out, “Jeanie?”

“Yes, Aston,” she responded as if nothing had just happened.

“Why did the lights all just go out?”

“I’m not detecting any issues with the lighting system,” she told me in an extra matter-of-factly tone.

Of course not. Why would I have expected anything else? “I’m standing right here, and all of the lights just went out. All I have to see by are these puny emergency lights.”

“You seem to be angry with me,” she commented.

“I’m not angry, just concerned. Things seem to be falling apart on this ship, and you’re not detecting anything wrong. Doesn’t that seem a bit concerning?”

“Are you sure that you aren’t simply hallucinating? You’ve been drinking, after all.”

Hope you enjoyed it! If so, pick up a copy from the link above. And not to worry, edits are still going on with my next Aston novel, All Good Things.

SFFS: Snippet #2 From Inoculation (a DIRTY DOZEN story)

Second week in a row...this may be a record in recent times for me posting a snippet for Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. I had my preliminary cover art last week, and this week, my Aston short story collection Dirty Dozen is now available over at Amazon, I figured I'd continue on with the snippet from last week.


First, the blurb:

Join space pirate Aston West in the second collection of short stories from his universe, featuring classic space opera tales by T. M. Hunter. Building on Aston's first collection (Dead or Alive), these stories feature even more wild adventures, unforgettable characters, and exciting plot twists to satisfy your space opera appetite.


(Again note: Most of the stories in this collection were previously available in my various Triple-Shot collections. Dirty Dozen puts them all in one collection, and also provides an opportunity for those folks who would like to pick them up in paperback form...coming soon)

So, here's the snippet, from my short story "Inoculation":

Granted, anything on a ship was bound to wear out, and the viewscreen was original factory equipment. The more troubling part was that Jeanie wasn’t detecting the issue.

I didn’t voice my opinion, but I planned to have everything completely checked out at our next stop. Still, she was no doubt waiting for me to say something, to either confirm or deny her assumption that I didn’t trust her.

“Well, just keep an eye on it.”

“Acknowledged,” she responded, even though I had a suspicion any additional blinking would remain undetected.

I shrugged it off. Other than a fine view of a dark starfield as seen at hyperspeed velocities, I really wasn’t missing much, even if the screen actually did falter.

Perhaps if I kept the issue out of sight, it wouldn’t bother me so much. I grabbed a half-empty bottle of Vladirian liquor from my chair’s side pocket and started for the doorway at the back of my bridge, leading into my living area. Nothing made the time pass quicker than drinking and sleeping, and with my cot in sight along my side wall, I planned to do both. I plopped down on the stiff mattress and began the process of draining the bottle.

Then all of the lights went out, and not by request.

Hope you enjoyed it! If so, pick up a copy from the link above. And not to worry, edits are still going on with my next Aston novel, All Good Things.

SFFS - A Snippet from DIRTY DOZEN

Life does tend to get in the way...and even more so when you've been editing. It's been over a month since I posted a snippet for Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday. Now that I have my preliminary cover art for the upcoming Aston short story collection Dirty Dozen, I figured I'd pull a snippet from one of the stories within. Be on the lookout for this one to come out on Amazon shortly.

Most of the stories in this collection were previously available in my various Triple-Shot collections. Dirty Dozen puts them all in one collection, and also provides an opportunity for those folks who would like to pick them up in paperback form.

So, I've come up with the following for your enjoyment, from my short story "Inoculation":

“It sure does seem like something,” I told Jeanie.

My ship’s computer responded, “I’m sure it’s nothing, Aston.”

Wrinkling my forehead, I insisted, “This is the second time that viewscreen has blinked since we left our last stop. It has to be something.”

“I’m not detecting any issues with the viewscreen system.”

I hated to dispute the issue. If she’d been a person, it would have been the equivalent of calling her a liar. As it was, it still felt that way, even though she wasn’t programmed with things such as emotions or feelings. Of course, she also wasn’t programmed to falsify information.

But facts were facts, and these glitches in the viewscreen were hard evidence. As long as I’d owned this ship, my screen had never blinked once, let along twice.

Hope you enjoyed it! If so, pick up a copy when it comes out. And not to worry, edits are still going on with my next Aston novel, All Good Things.