#microscifi — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #microscifi, aggregated by home.social.
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#China will be the place #Putin gets arrested by the ICC one day.
#prognostications
#microscifi
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/aug/31/russia-ukraine-war-control-major-ukrainian-city-latest-updates-news-live?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other -
"Dreamtime"
The tall grey being looked down on black man before him.
"Are you Kadaitcha?" asked the black man, holding his spear and hunting boomerangs at the ready.
"No," replied the grey being, "I am not a bringer of death. My race come from the sky. We are here to uplift you and guide your race to the stars."
"Thank you spirit," said the black man, "but we do not need your help. We have tended this land since the dreaming. We have all we need and all we want. Farewell". -
"Take Me To..."
"We have assembled the world's leaders in anticipation of your spaceship's touchdown. We anticipate that you will want to meet and introduce..."
"SILENCE HUMAN!", commanded the tall and obviously angry alien, "I have no interest in your leaders! Take me to your poor, your disadvantaged and your minorities. That's where I'll get an honest assessment of your race and your planet." -
Somewhere in the infinite universe, orbiting a star, there is a construct . It is a sheet of the thinnest possible paper analog, light years across. It has been folded eight times. It is slightly bowed across the opposing axis, as though a ninth fold has been attempted, and abandoned.
Nobody fucks with the civilization that made it.
(Related: https://xkcd.com/3033/ )
#MicroFiction #MicroSciFi -
"Success"
Professor Nagel tapped the mic and cleared his throat.
"Esteemed colleagues, " he began, "we have decrypted the alien signal. The message was very short and very clear."
Tension permeated the assembled throng of scientific minds. Every scientist leaned forward in their seats, their curiosity dialed up to maximum.
Nagel paused, a small bead of sweat forming on his brow.
"It would appear, " he said nervously, "that the aliens have solved Wordle in three goes..." -
"The Signal"
It had only been five days since the Parkes radio telescope, in Australia, had detected the pulses that set the world's scientists, media and ufologists in a flap.
Mara, a twelve year old maths prodigy, stood before a wall of screens showing a mosaic of world leaders.
"What does it say?" Asked the U.N. President.
Mara chewed her lip and viewed the mass of powerful faces before her. "I... uh... I don't think you're going to like what it says..." she exclaimed. -
"A Funny Thing Happened"
The Earth ship slid silently towards the fifth planet. No human exploration ship had ever travelled this far.
"Scans indicate sentient life, approximately 4 billion souls. And get this! They're all dressed as circus clowns... make-up and all" exclaimed the Watch Officer, "What the..."
"I guess this just proves that the universe is far larger and far stranger than ever we thought" mused the Commander, "Perhaps we should give this planet a miss." -
"An Unfotunate Event"
The diplodocus lifted its head above the branches it was eating. A bright light was streaking across the evening sky.
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"Brace for impact, BRACE FOR IMPACT!" shouted the Navigator. The mile long galaxy cruiser shuddered violently.
"It's too late for that," bellowed the Commander, "Go full asteroid mode. We must leave no traces of technology! Full and total destruction!"
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The diplodocus munched on a mouthful of leaves oblivious of the changes to come. -
"The Breakdown"
The planetoid sized war cruiser hung malevolently over an unsuspecting Earth below. It's cloaking rendering it invisible to the inhabitants below going about their daily business.
"Prepare for eradication and conquest!", barked the Commander.
"Uh...Sir," replied the second in command, "Engineering reports that the annihilation boosters are malfunctioning. One hundred days to repair."
"Bugger!", snorted the Commander. "Set a course for home. Jump to it!" -
"Mirror Mirror"
Marla studied her reflection in the mirror. She was comfortable with her appearance. She scanned herself up and down.
"Lookin' good," she thought, "No scars, no bruises. Noone knows. I can live with what I did."
Marla's reflection stared back at her.
"Yes Marla... we're looking very good," thought her reflection, "but while I may be on this side of the mirror... I know what you did and I will find a way to tell someone. You are going to pay dearly for it..." -
"The Signal"
Professor Chadwick stood before the U.N. Committee for Extraterrestrial Contact, his face exhibiting a strange mix of triumph and defeat.
"Well, Professor Chadwick," began the committee chair, "it has been three and a half years since receiving the alien message. Have you decoded it?"
Chadwick leaned towards the microphone, perspiration beadng his forehead.
"Um... yes." Said Chadwick "We have."
"Well?"
"Um... the message is short and it reads as... STAY AWAY!" -
"Enough Is Enough"
The Sentali recon ship hovered over the dying planet. The once green planet was slowly choking on CO2 and drowning itself from thawing polar caps. The remnant population was a shadow of its former technological peak.
Var'tuk turned from the display and said, "Commander, should we save the humans?"
The Sentali Commander thought a moment and replied, "Leave it be. Let's see how well the Earth heals itself and what comes back in place of the humans." -
"Eat My Dust"
Carl headed straight to it, an alien spaceship, apparently abandoned, here on the smooth plains of Callisto. The first real alien artifact to be found by humans.
Strange in comparison to the stocky Earth ship, the alien ship was easily recognised as a mining ship as well. But completely devoid of occupants.
Upon approach, coloured lights began flashing a uniform pattern... Instantly the alien ship grappled the earth ship and stripped it bare in thirty seconds. -
"Timed Out"
Cliff set the destination on his TimeBit to 175 million BCE. He double checked his safety gear, rations and weapons. Then he checked them again.
As a practical palaeontologist he knew the dangers associated with time travel and the risks involved in suddenly materialising in a strange and different place.
Satisfied, he tapped his TimeBit and disappeared from now reappearing on a Savannah plain.
The Timebit chimed, "Low Battery (1%)"
"Shit..." thought Cliff. -
"The Hag"
Jeff was caught between asleep and awake. The pressure on his chest was building and tendrils of something terrifying were licking at his subconscious mind.
He had suffered sleep paralysis enough times that he was dimly aware that this is all it was. But the fear, the terror, the pressure. He silently squeaked out what to him was a blood-curdling scream.
Finally he awoke in a sweaty panic. The alien beside him said calmly, "This time Jeff... it's not a dream." -
"Gone With The Whim"
Greg and Judy held hands as they walked into the time portal. They landed in Hollywood in November, 1938.
"Oh... Mr Gable... Mr Gable! Clark Gable?" cried Judy, "May we have a word?"
...
That evening, after returning to the present, they snuggled up on the sofa.
"All right, all right... you win" said Greg, "Kirk Douglas was not a better Rhett Butler."
"Thank you" demurred Judy, "and I also thought that Clark Gable did a pretty poor job as Spartacus!" -
"Are We There Yet?"
The colony ship had just entered the Newhaven system.
"Are We There Yet? Are We There Yet? Are We There Yet?" came excitedly from behind the Captain's seat. "NOT YET!" he snapped back for the hundredth time.
"Are We There Yet?" came the query again.
"SIT DOWN NOW!" he snapped again.
The ship's AI calmly announced, "[dong] Setting down now."
The mighty colony ship carrying 2000 pilgrims slowly and precisely exhausted its landing fuel on a rocky asteroid. -
"As Time Goes By"
Earth Survey Report 1
This is a pleasant blue green planet orbitting a stable sun with abundant resources and a plethora of plant and animal life.
Recommendation: Return and monitor---
Earth Survey Report 2
In the intervening 100,000 Sol years a dominant species has arisen. This species has manipulated the environment, depleted the resources and caused the extinction of many of the planet's species.
Recommendation: Avoid until further notice! -
"A Time And Place"
The Time Traveller knew the exact date, time and place of his death. He knew this from a fellow time traveller who had witnessed the event. It would be tomorrow at his home at 14:37.
Cunningly he set the temporal adjuster to ten days in the future in a last ditch attempt to 'bypass' his death.
Stepping through the portal he was met by his wife who immediately pushed him back through.
"You're not cheating me out your life insurance payout you arsehole!" -
"In For A Penny..."
The Pfennig was a small, squat and cumbersome spacecraft. It was unreliable, costly to run and always needed repairs.
Stranded once again in N-space, Hooper smashed his first onto the console and cursed the Pfennig for all he was worth.
"Why is she called the Pfennig?" asked Markham.
"It's the ancient German word for Penny" replied Hooper, "My ex-wife was also a slow moving, cantankerous pain in the arse!"
The Pfennig's AI quietly disabled the life-pods. -
"From Little Things..."
The aliens did not arrive in a city sized spaceship hovering over the U.N. There was no ceremonious "Take me to your leader" moment.
They arrived as an undetectable cloud of highly dispersed nanites. They quickly and methodically razed all that man had built and then redesigned humans themselves.
...
Stephen looked across the plain as he grazed upon the fresh spring growth. "I kinda like this place better." he said towards his wife's hearing gills. -
"Pain For A Cause"
Once again the small child awoke to the sight of the tall, thin alien with the almond shaped eyes.
"It is time for you to come with us again" the alien spoke directly into the child's mind.
Through the same mind link, the child said, "Will it hurt again?" Her eyes were wide with fear and memories of past pain.
The tall alien bent closer and with no emotion on its face replied, "If you are to wrest this planet from the humans then sacrifice is required." -
"The Truth Is Down There"
The bridge was awash with red light. Warning lights were flashing. Holo-screens were insistently demanding attention and action.
Captain Thar'gnok whirled towards Engineer Ka'brax and bellowed, "Sitrep and prognosis? NOW!"
Ka'brax waved his upper tendrils back and forth in anguish. "The ship's engines are unresponsive Captain. We are going to enter the atmosphere and we will have to land near Montreal. The Earthlings are going to learn the truth!" -
"Consequences"
Jena and Kris sat facing each other across the table. In the middle of the table lay a palm-sized button in a pleasing shade of green.
Neither Jena or Kris knew each other. Nor did they know how, why or when they were put in this room and seated at the table.
Jena looked at Kris. "Do we push it?"
Kris looked at Jena. "How should I know?
Jena, "I think we should."
Kris, "I'm not so sure."
Jena, "C'mon... on three...1...2 ......3!"
"SHIT! Now where are we?!?" -
• Posted some new #MicroSciFi stories today after a long lay-off.
• Keen to write some more #MicroSciFi stories as I come up with some ideas.
• Preparing for beer o'clock whilst rolling some #MicroSciFi story ideas around in my head.Life's good...
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"Butt, Butt, Butt..."
As had happened many times before, Alan woke feeling groggy and nauseous. His eyes slowly focused on a tall, almond eyed figure standing over him.
"We are very disappointed with your test results Alan!" The tall alien had projected this statement directly into Alan's mind.
"Well... perhaps you should stick your fucking probe somewhere else" replied Alan as he rubbed his sore buttocks and prepared for the customary mind fogging drugs to be injected. -
"The World Turns"
"I have no idea how it can be that you are standing in front of me and speaking to me this way", stammered Wade Clements, the renowned climatologist.
"Well," replied the tastefully dressed reptile. "After the asteroid wiped out my descendants and you brought us back... Well, I was sent back from the future to make sure you continued to ruin the planet so that we could have another go and get it right."
Wade's throat suddenly parted company with his body.
