The Cybernetic Assistant Part 2
A Cybernetic Sisterhood

Ava often reflected on how drastically her life had changed since her transformation. She was grateful for the chance to live free from limitations, to explore her new identity, and to embrace a future filled with opportunities she’d never imagined. But there was always one thought that lingered in her mind: Kara.

The Cybernetic Assistant

Alan Weaver was not your typical guy. Quiet, socially awkward, and buried in his work, he thrived in the realm of numbers, algorithms, and complex coding languages. His passion for science and engineering made him a standout at his small university, but he often doubted if he would ever make a real impact in his field. That changed when he received a call from the Cybernetics Robotics AI Institute (CRAI), a prestigious research facility known for its groundbreaking advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence.

After the intense confrontation with Seraphina, Akari was acutely aware of the need to elevate her training. Despite her ability to maintain control during the duel, she understood that she must be fully prepared if Seraphina were to push her even harder in the future. This realization fueled her as she returned to her early morning sessions with Instructor Kael, her determination unwavering as she strived to master the delicate balance between power and control.

Is Late Better than Never?
by Lily Rasputin

Chapter Four

“Honestly, Madeline. Could you possibly think about someone other than yourself for once?

The woman at the end of the connection, the one listed in the phone’s contacts as “Mother”, possessed an annoyingly superior tone of voice which made me instantly sympathetic for the former Maddie’s having to have dealt with it for her entire life.

A sympathy, I supposed, that I should now feel for myself.

The sun was just beginning to rise over the spires of Gale Haven Academy when Akari woke up on her first day of classes. Despite the early hour, her roommates, Lila and Mira, were already up and moving, chattering excitedly about what the day would bring.

“First day of school at Gale Haven!” Lila practically sang as she flung open the curtains, letting the morning light stream into their room. “This is going to be awesome!”

Making her mission succeed requires Mantra to establish a truce between two warring factions. To do so, she has to negotiate with a woman who was one of the most admired heroines on her Earth. But what can she expect from the vengeful version of that person living in a world as mad as this one?

Promises To Keep - A Halloween Story

Nancy Parker is trapped in an an endless cycle of harassment and intimidation in an orphanage but a ghoulish visitor offers her salvation and retribution against those who have trespassed against her... of course there is a price to pay.

Mantra is cornered into a meeting with the last person she wants to meet in this violent ruin of a planet. But that same person is the one whom Mantra loves most in the world.

"Look, Deeny: having a lawyer doesn't magically make things easier.
It doesn't magically save you from the consequences of your words and actions."

Mantra tries to juggle two problems at the same time. What she finds out is gut-wrenching, but she has an important job to do and can't afford to get emotionally involved with the local problems of an alternate world. Unfortunately, things have a way of going wrong for Mantra.

The next day we joined up with Tessa's mum, dad and grandmother for breakfast at a local cafe. Whether or not Tessa had told them to be friendlier to me, I don't know, but the atmosphere was definitely less hostile than it had been at the party. I still wasn't comfortable in their presence, and doubted I ever would be again, but at least everything was now a bit more civilised.

The weeks passed by, and before I knew it we had reached the October half-term break. I was relieved to finally have a week off work. While some of the classes I was teaching were enjoyable - year 7 were just so infectious in their naive enthusiasm, and year 12 were quite profound in some of their observations on Shakespeare and Christina Rossetti's poetry - the others were becoming less and less pleasant.

The next day, I woke up with zero recollection of the moments before I had fallen asleep. I had intended on initiating sex with Tessa when we got into bed, but I must have fallen straight asleep, as I had no tangible recall of anything else happening. All I could clearly remember was us heading upstairs together. What happened after that, I simply couldn't remember. I must have been really tired and fallen asleep immediately!

"Hey, look—" he glanced at his watch. "The timeline! We're still on the timeline, if we want to be!
Right about now, on the night Ross disappeared, he and Mayda left this restaurant and drove out to the desert.
What do you say — we drive out there now and check out the scene? What do you say?"

My alarm sounded at 5am, which was standard on a workday. I flapped at it and managed to shut if off after three clumsy swipes. Alarm silenced, I twisted my head round to find the other side of the bed vacant. This was strange because my wife, Tessa, was not usually an early riser. Oh well, hopefully she was downstairs preparing me some breakfast.

“Jack, look out!” Nick throws the survival knife she had in her hand and throws it into the guy’s back.

Jack scrambles out of the way, as the guy falls forward towards her. There was a gash on the side of Jack’s right leg where she had been slashed by one of their attackers. Just as Jack moved, a guy managed to get close to her.

“Where do you think you’re going, bitch.”

Mom's rationalization didn't sit well with me.
I didn't relish the idea of being the lesser of two evils.
The lesser evil is still evil.

Worm
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Humans have been visited by intelligent creatures from another galaxy. So many people talk about it, so it must be true, and it is. There are many crazy stories out there but so many of them have a kernel of truth. The truth is harder to understand when it is smaller than we imagine.

"Alright," she said, leaning in toward me, a half-smile playing over her lips.
"I want to start by saying Once upon a time, but as improbable as it is, this isn't a fairy tale."

"So how does it start?" I asked. My patience was near its end.

Mom leaned in a little closer, and trying to not smile, told me:

"Charlotte had a boyfriend."

Mantra and Gabriel have come to a version of Los Angeles that exists in parallel time, but this is the worst version of the city that Mantra has ever visited. As bad as it is, something important that is about to happen, and before it does, Mantra has to get her ducks in a row. That is not going to be easy with danger on every side, and with people who used to be her friends acting like enemies.

Her face lit up. In a teasing, confidential tone she asked,
"Did mean old Charlotte steal your boyfriend Ross away from you?"

"No," I scoffed. "I don't know Ross. Charlotte is my—" I sighed.
"Charlotte is my cousin."

"Do I have a police record?" I asked in alarm.

"No, but it's not for want of trying!" he quipped, laughing, cackling, clapping his hands.

I smiled to encourage him, but honestly I didn't find it funny. I didn't find it funny at all.

Mantra and the alien scientist Gabriel have discovered that a Third Force exists that can match the power of the zombie goddess Nemesis. To gain the Third Force as an ally, they set out on a quest of discovery. They will be surprised to discover the nature of the Third Force, but they will be even more surprised to find out what else is awaiting them at the end of the trail.

Cheshire runs as fast as she can with two hunters on her heels. She wasn’t as fast as she used to be ducking and dodging the tree limbs and roots. “Come on, just a little further.”

The two hunters chasing Cheshire fire at her and barely miss her. The bullet hit the tree limb right above her head. He goes to fire again and suddenly is hanging upside down by his feet. The other hunter that had been chasing Cheshire runs right by him. A grin appears on his face.