T. S. Memory

“The Blue Marble” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #173

It is not easy to buy a gift for the Emperor. There is very little he does not have and rarely anything he cannot get. But the Queen is determined to present the perfect gift for his upcoming birthday. Her last few attempts were adequate to say the least, a rare mineral or an exotic creature. The Emperor would attempt an exaggerated smile when he saw it, before flashing an even bigger smile towards her, his eyes communicating gratitude more than surprise. The adoring crowd assembled to commemorate the event was always filled with applause...

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“It's Not A Cat” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #169

Sheriff Thompson trained his rifle at his target, it had been a while since he shot at anything but years of experience as a former army sniper was not something you forget completely. It was noisier than he expected this late at night in the forest, but the cool forest breeze made the last hour or so more tolerable. He peered into the scope and lined the middle of the crosshairs on the target, a black, Bombay house cat. Perched on a fallen log, its sleek black coat glistened in the moonlight, it was obviously well maintained which was no...

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“Our Friends Among Enemies” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #168

The Agent wiped the sweat off his brow and adjusted his attire as he exited the vehicle. He checked his watch and saw he was an hour early as planned. Extending the handle on his suitcase, he strolled towards the train station. The Agent cleared the checkpoint on his side and headed to the second floor, where he found a nice spot with a vantage point over the entire place. Much of the train station were shut down except for the two-story central terminal, where trains bound towards the east and west converged. He could see processing checkpo...

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“Reset” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #166

Barney snapped back to the present at the sound of a booming voice that travelled across the bullpen. He raised slightly from his cubicle to see his boss barking unintelligibly in the distance. Barney groaned and slouched back into his seat, the meeting he dreaded was about to begin. He swept the mess of papers on his desk towards him and hugged them as he got up. It was a clumsy manoeuvre that toppled the already precariously positioned cup of coffee on his desk to the ground. The startled colleagues nearby responded with a scowl.“Smooth mo...

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“Why Did She Have to Die Too?” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #165

*Warning, this story contains implied assault and deaths triggered by an allergic reactionSelina sat alone in a barren room, staring at her reflection off the wide view mirror on the wall opposite for the past hour. Selina thought she had planned the perfect murder, one she could safely relish in a faraway place instead of where she was. The investigation was supposed to point towards the couple which would give Selina time to leave the country. The evidence was to be her advocate instead of the embarrassingly basic finger pointing between t...

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“Memoirs of a Lion” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #164

It was finally time for me to move out and start living independently. I was not moving physically of course, but politically I was going to be on my own. For the first time, I was free to chart my own future and embark on a journey that most humans call adulthood. I was born to a wealthy, aristocratic family, the sort who had an absolute belief that we had a duty to tame the world as we see fit. And like other similar families, I was placed in a distant land at a young age to spread their gospel. I was always painfully aware of my lack o...

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“It’s Your Choice” by T. S. Memory

It happened sometime before you were born, when it was reported all over the world that people were having difficulty breathing. It hardly registered alarm at first, it was after all a common symptom in any of the respiratory conditions. But this time it was not a symptom of something but rather the condition itself; people were finding it harder to breathe. Scientists finally identified the cause to be the earth’s atmosphere, which was dramatically changing. They discovered, for reasons still unknown, some people were respiring a composi...

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“My House Wants to Meet” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #162

Douglas, or Doug, was on the most awkward date of his life and it was not even his own. The person sitting opposite him on the dining table was not his date, but a proxy like him. It was a date for their houses. The humans received instructions through a Bluetooth earphone, passed what their houses wished to communicate and described the meal before them. The date was rather mechanical, but other than that the meal and ambiance was actually quite lovely. Doug was a smart home enthusiast; he lived alone so he had no restrictions to consider...

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“I Talked To Myself” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #161

Jane left her apartment and approached the lift, praying along the way that her guest would listen and stay in the bedroom. Jane offered to get some food for them, even though she knew it was more an excuse to get out of the house. Had she stayed, the argument would likely have escalated, and the yelling was sure to attract unwanted attention. Her younger self was in her apartment. Her pregnant, 18-year-old, flesh and blood self was in her apartment. Her hair, her clothes, and especially the look on her face, Jane was a hundred percent su...

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“The Three Days Initiative” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #160

“You got it?” “Yeah, where do I send it?” “Let’s see. Right, this batch is for agricultural use in the European region.” Kleen replied after checking the system. James nodded but grimace, he hated water used that way. The world was supposed to be on life support, residential use should be the priority. After all, a person can go without food for 3 weeks but only 3 days without water. It was a simple calculus James thought the authorities should have no problem doing. The world in 2100 was very different from the one a mere 10 years...

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“Back to School” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #159

Roger sat on his bed and admired his most prized possession, the Galaxy. It was the most intricate and dazzling glass marble he ever laid eyes on, a black sphere housing a white spiral swirl with tiny luminous dots. It was the envy of everyone in school. Roger could stare and get lost in its beauty for hours. Alas, he had mere minutes before he had to prepare for the first day back to school after the holidays. The dreaded day when his debts would come due in the form of holiday assignments. Roger’s teachers made it abundantly clear his e...

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“Life Debt” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #158

“I owe you my life, John.” Francis said.John managed a slight nod to acknowledge. He proceeded to guide him to the office of Mr. Living. A wide smile emerged from Mr. Living’s face, who sat on a grand full back chair tucked in an equally grand desk in the middle of the room. Mr. Living rose from the chair and gave Francis a hearty handshake; he was always delighted to meet a new customer. Mr. Living fetched a small black box and retrieved a piece of paper from it, there was no need to ask, he knew exactly what Francis wanted.“Wow, this paper...

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“I Can't Stop” by T. S. Memory

Submitted to Contest #154

Hedy peered into the rear-view mirror; she could have sworn that wrinkle was not there seconds ago. She spends a small fortune to always look 10 years younger. Her forehead looked like a veritable rock strata, perhaps it was time to schedule another appointment with Dr. Navejureet. Hedy’s horror magnified when she saw the hands grasping the steering wheel, barely convinced they were hers. They were far more wrinkled than they should be, as if they were soaked in water for hours. Hedy sped up as the red light turn green before she reached ...

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