Between Worlds
Part One: Unicorn "Justin would rather be in a pool full of men in speedos with stupid beanies than be at home with the kids and me! I never would have let him join his cousin's dumb water polo team if I knew how much he'd like it," exclaimed Cindy, half kidding, half serious. She stirred her latte with more force than necessary. "Maybe if he spent more time at home, he'd be a little more present—a little more loving." She looked across the café table at Janet. "Jan, you're s
9 minutes ago8 min read
True Belief
Part One: The Promise The ad played on every screen in the city, a soft-voiced narrator over images of smiling families: "True love never wavers. True faith never doubts. With MindLock™, you can finally live what you believe." Sarah Lawrence remembered the day her mother first used it. They'd gathered in the living room—Sarah, her father, her younger brother Marcus—while Mom sat in the neural interface chair, the sleek band around her temples glowing soft blue. "I'm cementing
16 minutes ago8 min read
Remote Labor
PART ONE: THE WAREHOUSE The cooling system hummed like a mechanical hymn, steady and omnipresent. Miguel Reyes sat in row 47, position 8—coordinates he knew better than his own address anymore. Around him, in a grid that stretched to the warehouse's corrugated walls, hundreds of men sat in identical postures: backs straight, hands raised, fingers dancing through invisible interfaces. The VR headset pressed against Miguel's face, creating a seal that blocked out everything exc
49 minutes ago14 min read
The Hidden Half
Part One: The Perfect World The morning sun filtered through Hazel's apartment window, casting soft light across the communal breakfast table where her sisters gathered. In the world of 2187, this was family: six women bound not by blood but by choice, their sorority house a microcosm of the peaceful society that had flourished for five generations. "Another year without a single violent crime in our district," announced Sera, scrolling through the morning reports on her tabl
49 minutes ago13 min read
