116 comments

Science Fiction Creative Nonfiction

The alien vessel’s bridge fell silent as Kz’Rrr’s mighty scaled tail thumped the floor repeatedly, its owner lost in thought. 


He tapped the panel twice then addressed his second-in-command: “AND YOU SAY THERE ARE EVEN MORE EXAMPLES THAN ALL OF THOSE?”


Pryr. Jtt was nervous about relaying the scope of his findings at this late stage, but he was otherwise prepared with his remaining data. The fates of them all – as well as the financial legacy of their distant civilization – relied upon him illustrating the issue in such a way that the superior lizard would understand (and agree with) his proposed course of action. 


“Sir, yes, sir!” He replied, and continued the litany from his screen:


***


June, 1942 Submarine attack on Ft. Stevens, Oregon


"Japanese high command ordered submarine I-25 to attack the Pacific Northwest. Sneaking in underneath a fishing fleet, the sub fired between 15 and 20 rounds of its 5.5” gun towards Fort Stevens.


"Casualties: A cratered beach; a compromised baseball field; a minor power failure; and a cut on one soldier’s head, caused in the confusion generated by the attack. There were no casualties."


***


September, 1942 Firebombing of Mt. Emily, Oregon


"A Japanese pilot aboard submarine I-25 launched his seaplane towards Mt. Emily. His directive: cause massive fires via incendiary bombs dropped in the extensive Oregon Coastal forest range. The fires in turn would cause supply, personnel and equipment disruptions to wartime resources across the Western Seaboard.


"Casualties: A crater and a small fire of approximately 75’ in diameter. There were no casualties."


***


November, 1970 Exploding whale in Florence, Oregon


"A sperm whale 45' long and weighing approximately 8 tons washed ashore; the carcass was subsequently blasted with significant amounts of TNT in the hopes of rendering it into small pieces to be carried away by birds and other wildlife. The explosion instead caused the corpse to erupt in a fury of sand and viscera 100' high, arcing down on the horrified onlookers. 


"Casualties: A vehicle near the onlookers was completely crushed by a large chunk of blubber, and spectators were pelted by pieces raining down. There were no casualties."


***


“WAIT!” Tz’Rrr pounded the desk with his meaty scaled hand for effect. “YOU ARE MAKING THAT LAST ONE UP FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT!”


“Sir, no, sir!” Snapped Pryr. Jtt. 


“PROCEED.”


Pryr. Jtt continued his recital:


***


June, 2012 Tsunami hurls Japanese dock directly at Newport, Oregon


"A 66'-long, 180-ton sea dock pummeled Agate Beach just outside of Newport, Oregon. Due to the massive scope of the engineering project required for removal of the dock, it has been left where it stands as a monument to the fury of the sea.


"Reverse-Casualties: While over 100 invasive species clung to the dock and were thus introduced to the state of Oregon, marine biologists were able to quickly neutralize the threat posed by the invaders by killing all adjunct living creatures."


***


A collective gasp went up among those gathered on the bridge at the possibility of their own reverse-casualties.


“So in summary, sir, you can see that this “Oregon” presents possibly the most formidable foe the galaxy has ever seen,” Pryr. Jtt concluded. His efforts not to glance at the slow-blinking button failed. “Repeated aggressions against them have been futile – they've proven indestructible against all terrestrial attacks. Sir, we must act at once if we are to pave the way: we cannot succeed with Oregon in play.”


“WE HAVE AMPLE RESOURCES TO DESTROY THE ENTIRE PLANET,” growled Tz'Rrr, thrashing his tail. He had not anticipated the disruption of his mission to establish a new Black Hole Disco franchise for his home world, and it angered him – particularly since Pryr. Jtt's arguments seemed to have merit.


Tz’Rrr’s orbiting advisor discreetly jetted out of range to remove itself from harm’s way as the giant lizard’s pout increased. As Tz’Rrr idly caressed the blinking button, silence reigned. 


Pryr. Jtt continued after the appropriately deferential pause: “Sir, if you’ll permit me, we simply cannot risk the possibility that Oregon will once again raise its mighty defenses and survive a global attack. If we could but exhaust our single-shot primary weapon directly against this target, instead, we would not destroy the entire world, but we would be able to render its primary defender inert.”


Sensing its opportunity for low-risk toadying at that moment, Tz’Rrr’s advisor quickly spoke up: “M’lord, what the underling claims is true: we cannot fight them if we allow the chance of our firepower being rebuffed. We must strike this Oregon,” its beak curled in a sneer at the mention, “in a direct and concentrated manner. I can see no other way to ensure victory for the construction forces that follow.”


All eyes glanced towards the button at that moment. The flashing light which highlighted the button from inside began to blink rapidly, signaling that there was no more time to waste in a decision – the primary weapon would soon begin to lose its charge and their window of opportunity would close.


All that was needed now was a simple decision: would it be the world, or just Oregon?


“DEATH TO THE DEFENDERS AND MAY OUR HATCHLINGS AVENGE US… FIRE!”


February 04, 2023 06:17

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116 comments

Edward Latham
08:32 Feb 09, 2023

A very amusing story Wendy! The image of lizard creatures with a superiority complex getting progressively angrier at the state of Oregon is great.

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Wendy Kaminski
13:33 Feb 09, 2023

Thank you, Edward! It was a lotta fun to write. :)

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Michał Przywara
21:46 Feb 08, 2023

Lol, just lol :) Even the mix of tags was great. It reminds me of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, with the disco. And I suppose there's a lesson there, about jumping to conclusions while under stress and ignoring context. "Sensing its opportunity for low-risk toadying at that moment" :) All hail Oregon, our noble defender!

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Wendy Kaminski
22:59 Feb 08, 2023

lol! Thanks, Michał, I am so tickled that you enjoyed it! :) It was a lotta fun to write! And I am certain Douglas Adams' inspiration had a lot to do with it, though that was almost impossible NOT to reproduce hah. :)

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Kasey Fisher
19:07 Feb 08, 2023

I loved the sperm whale explosion! haha! Nice story as always!

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Wendy Kaminski
19:08 Feb 08, 2023

Thanks, Kasey! :D

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Alexey Williams
01:41 Feb 08, 2023

Any story with a potential black hole disco franchise and hatchlings gets my vote. Thoroughly enjoyed.

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Wendy Kaminski
01:42 Feb 08, 2023

haha Thanks, Alexey! :)

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Alexey Williams
03:50 Feb 08, 2023

No problem!

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Graham Kinross
10:06 Feb 07, 2023

So Oregon is like Wakanda? Protected from attack by an invisible shield wall?

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Wendy Kaminski
14:04 Feb 07, 2023

Gotta be, right? I even left out the part about the balloon bomb that more or less failed. Do you think we could have done something to Japan to make them angry??

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Graham Kinross
21:25 Feb 07, 2023

They just wanted the vibranium.

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L M
05:23 Feb 18, 2023

Its all in wakanda! Which i know because i watched Black Panther.

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Susan Catucci
20:35 Feb 11, 2023

This is a work of art of the finest kind, Wendy. It's like Dr. Strangelove meets Hitchhikers of the Galaxy meets Moby Dick, but soooooo much better! Once I saw where this was going, I mean I still have a gigantic grin on my face that won't quit. I can't tell you how much I needed this. The visuals alone were worth me reading this three times in a row. Fabulous writing. Imagination . . . I don't think the right word's been created yet to cover it. :)

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Wendy Kaminski
20:40 Feb 11, 2023

lol :) Thank you so much! Hope the grin isn't bothering your post-dental-torture-sites too much!! <3

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Susan Catucci
20:56 Feb 11, 2023

My gosh, that's hysterical. No, actually it's just what the doctor ordered - me. I'll take laughter/humor over Advil any day. :D

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Julia Dragu
20:59 Feb 15, 2023

I thought the same thing, only I was also reminded of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It was a very entertaining read, Wendy!

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Wendy Kaminski
01:26 Feb 17, 2023

Many thanks, Julia! :)

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Viga Boland
16:57 Feb 11, 2023

Except for the movies “Forbidden Planet” and “The Day the Earth stood still”…and darn, I just dated myself 🙄 science fiction leaves me cold. But you might have just re-ignited a long dormant flame with this story. 👏👏😉

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Wendy Kaminski
17:00 Feb 11, 2023

Thank you, Viga! And I never mind dating myself... I always get the check! ;)

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Suma Jayachandar
08:13 Feb 11, 2023

Oh! Hope Oregon survived that last attack, my sibling lives there! Seriously, Wendy this was so much fun to read. I applaud your creativity and energy on this platform.

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Wendy Kaminski
13:59 Feb 11, 2023

Thank you so much, Suma, for the kind words and for taking the time to read it. :)

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Kendall Defoe
04:30 Feb 11, 2023

Okay, you win! ;)

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Wendy Kaminski
04:32 Feb 11, 2023

In this crowd, it's anyone's show even until the end! Thank you, though, that is really flattering and I'm glad you like it! :D

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Wow, Wendy! This was really unique and engaging, beginning with the tags. Creative Nonfiction AND Science Fiction blended together. But the best stories have a grain of truth to them. “Fact must be stranger than fiction, for we have made fiction to suit ourselves.” – G. K. Chesterton [The alien vessel’s bridge fell silent as Kz’Rrr’s mighty scaled tail thumped the floor repeatedly, its owner lost in thought.] With this line, before I even hit Read Story, I was thinking, “Oh yeah, you bet I’m gonna read this!” Science fiction that involv...

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Wendy Kaminski
23:47 Feb 10, 2023

Wow, Guadalupe, in return! :) Thank you so much for this absolutely lovely review of my story! "Science fiction that involves sapient/sentient Star Wars-like aliens is a favorite sub-genre of mine." - you are my kinda people! I never turn down alien creature features! "I like the line you drew between anger and tail-thrashing. Animal behavior very much interests me, and so does alien behavior." - Funny enough, I envisioned my cat when writing this lizard. Cat gets mad, but it's free-floating mad, not mad AT me. Just tail-thrashing. But boy...

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I’m happy to make you happy! Another thing I liked about Tz’Rrr’s behavior was the thoughtful tail thumping. It’s funny that some of your inspiration for him came from your cat. [I envisioned him, funny enough, as sort of a beaked little dinosaur in a floating craft that orbited "the big guy".] Ooh, Wendy, what have you done? :) I’m a huge fan of dinosaurs. [Little beaked dinosaur] had my mental index book flipping. Match found: Leaellynasaura. It was about two feet tall at the hips, and lived near the south pole, probably experiencing mo...

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Wendy Kaminski
04:09 Feb 12, 2023

Leaellynasaura - Oh my gosh, that's HIM! Put a little helmet on it and you have it, precisely! :D

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Laurel Hanson
21:44 Feb 10, 2023

We cannot succeed with this Oregon in play....that is just flat out hilarious. You are both prolific and very creative.

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Wendy Kaminski
23:19 Feb 10, 2023

Appreciate the encouragement, Laurel - thank you for the kind words! :)

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Tommy Goround
20:18 Feb 10, 2023

Groovy. It very much worked.

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Wendy Kaminski
20:33 Feb 10, 2023

omg Seriously <3! Made my day!

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Douglas W. Carr
19:18 Feb 10, 2023

I can only imagine the most horrible beak ever evolved.

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Wendy Kaminski
19:37 Feb 10, 2023

hah I think you're the only one who caught that... :)

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17:59 Feb 10, 2023

Holy falling whale blubber, bat man! Interesting and enjoyable!

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Wendy Kaminski
18:02 Feb 10, 2023

hah! Thanks, Patricia. :)

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Ksenija Rubež
15:29 Feb 10, 2023

“WAIT!” Tz’Rrr pounded the desk with his meaty scaled hand for effect. “YOU ARE MAKING THAT LAST ONE UP FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT!” lolz I love these types of stories where our world is presented through the eyes of another species. I feel bad for the state of Oregon, but the buildup to the attack was hilarious!

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Wendy Kaminski
15:46 Feb 10, 2023

lol Thank you, Ksenija! :)

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KT George
15:24 Feb 10, 2023

First, I loved that you embraced the Sci-fi prompt this week! Second, I believe Oregon IS indestructible. It is self-sustainable except for citrus, right? That's what I've been told anyway. Lol. I enjoyed the black hole disco franchise comment, too. Fantastic job. Oregon forever! 💪🏼

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Wendy Kaminski
15:45 Feb 10, 2023

hehe :) Thanks, Kt! And yes, you are right about Oregon's self-sustainability. :D

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Hannah K
14:29 Feb 10, 2023

😀 That's hillarious that we both wrote stories about Oregon being indestructible this time - and I promise I didn't read yours before writing mine. That's so random and funny. I think we could make a new genre: apocalypse stories where Oregon's the only place to survive.

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Tommy Goround
20:19 Feb 10, 2023

Yes. Please.

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Wendy Kaminski
14:30 Feb 10, 2023

I believe you! It was just so hilariously coincidental! I am pretty sure I saw two other Oregon stories this week, too. Something's afoot! LOL I like your apoc idea *grin*.

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Hannah K
14:31 Feb 10, 2023

Too funny! LOL.

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Wendy Kaminski
14:34 Feb 10, 2023

Hey, maybe we all got mandala'd like in yours, and Oregon DID survive something...! hahah

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Hannah K
14:52 Feb 10, 2023

😀 That might explain it.

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V. S. Rose
02:06 Feb 10, 2023

Insert three crying laughing face emojis here. Hahaha I'm sure you had a lot of fun writing this one. Loved your chracters, especially the arch villain Tz'Rrr. I was eating salad, and spat out some lettuce when I read 'black hole disco'. I liked the overall takeaway too, or what I gathered from it anyway. Make sure you've got quality information before making a rash decision. Or fire your incompetent crappy advisors😁

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Wendy Kaminski
02:17 Feb 10, 2023

LOL! Thank you so much, V.S.! I loved your take on this, so I'm going to pretend that was my message all along, instead of me just goofing off (yeah, I had a ball! ;). Thanks for reading and for the hilarious comment! :)

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Nona Yobis
22:10 Feb 09, 2023

Love the unique take on the prompt! Very sci-fi, with a wonderful dash of humor woven in! A very fun read!

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Wendy Kaminski
23:21 Feb 09, 2023

Thank you, Nona! :)

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Jack Kimball
04:13 Feb 09, 2023

Yes Wendy. Cars crushed by a large chunk of blubber, and spectators pelted by pieces raining down gets my vote also. Come to think of it, I was there in 1970, the hippie in the back, smoking the viscera.

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Wendy Kaminski
04:13 Feb 09, 2023

lol Jack! :)

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