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hezzabeth · 4 months

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The trumpets were old plastic souvenirs painted gold, so the off-key wailing was hardly surprising. A band of disheveled people marched onto the stage, still blowing on the plastic trumpets. Surprisingly, Isabeau was among them, her face displaying a bored, blank expression. They abruptly stopped once they reached the center of the scaffold, the wood creaking under their feet.

A man wearing green tights and a shirt reading "Medieval Christmas market 3345" on it walked onto the stage. His hair had been cut into a peculiar bowl shape with a blunt fringe, and someone had painted red circles on his cheeks.

"All hail Sister Morganna! Conduit of the one true god," the man bellowed in a surprisingly high-pitched voice.

“Did you bring your solar flare gun?” Dityaa asked.

“Of course I did! I never go anywhere without it,” Revati snapped back.

Revati had never seen Sister Morganna up close. During her childhood visits, Sister Morganna was a distant figure. Glimpses of her gloved hands could be seen waving from the castle windows. Every summer solstice, she would lead a parade across the park, carried by men in a gold and white carriage. Through the mesh curtain windows, her shadowy figure could be seen shifting about. Now, Sister Morganna was walking across the scaffold boldly and freely.

She was dressed in a sky-blue and emerald dress, with a thick red and golden scarf covering her scalp, the ends trailing down her shoulders. Slowly, she turned toward the waiting audience, and Revati gasped. Sister Morganna's skin was the same color as fresh lavender. A single round, circular eye glanced about—an eye that could see and understand everything, even things that had yet to be—an eye that could glance into the very nature of people.

“She’s an alien!” whispered Dityaa.

It was an eye that could read minds; no wonder she had successfully started a cult.

“Technically, she’s a human from a faraway planet,” Revati hissed back.

The "faraway planet" was the closest the solar system got to actual aliens. Over a thousand years ago, a group of scientists set off to colonize Pluto. Obviously, they vanished, the ship sinking into the darkness of space. Three hundred years ago, their descendants returned. They were, of course, different.

Sister Morganna calmly walked across the stage and raised her hand.

“Praise be to Marduk, son of the sun, radiant is he,” Sister Morganna said.

“Radiant is he,” the crowd echoed, their expressions blank.

“Who’s Marduk?” Hissed Dityaa.

Revati merely shrugged, completely confused.

“Today we bring forward two heretics, those who smother the great transition,” Sister Morganna said, gesturing towards Bridgadeiro and Aurora.

“Heretic? I don’t even understand what I did! All I said was 'Bless Goup' when my new friend sneezed,” Bridgadeiro argued, nodding at Aurora.

“And I didn’t do anything! I swear,” Aurora cried.

“Goup is a lie! A false prophet created by an ancient snake oil seller,” Sister Morganna said with a small, tight smile.

“False prophet? The rainbow mat of crystal light has been proven to work! It balances your mind, body, and spirit,” Bridgadeiro smiled, and Sister Morganna turned to him, her one eye slowly blinking.

“I can see you standing on that mat, praying to the dark,” she whispered. “Your brother, he drowned, didn’t he? On that hot summer night? You cried and prayed! You think it was her that brought him back,” she added, and the smile dropped from Bridgadeiro’s face.

“She did save him! Goup saved him,” Bridgadeiro said, and Sister Morganna shook her head.

“Oh, you’re a true believer... you poor little boy,” she sighed. “Some gods are lies, but Marduk is true and ancient. My people have lived on his surface! We have been blessed with his gifts! Praise Marduk,” Sister Morganna said.

“Praise Marduk,” the entire crowd screamed, including Revati, who found herself clapping her hand over her mouth. Sister Marduk had hijacked her vocal cords.

“Now repent and embrace Marduk or sacrifice your light to his glory,” Sister Marduk cried.

“I repent! All hail Marduk!” Aurora cried, bursting into tears.

“Well, I’m not repenting. Marduk is just another name for your home planet that blew up centuries ago,” Bridgadeiro said with a small shrug.

“Very well,” Sister Morganna said. Revati sighed, pulling out her solar gun and setting the final charge to maximum.

“Oh, you’re not going to…” whispered Dityaa, and Revati nodded, pulling the trigger.

The solar flare hit the stage in a blinding loop of ultraviolet light. Sister Morganna screamed, flying upwards and landing face-first in the crowd, her body twitching.

“Praise Marduk! This must be an omen!” Aurora smartly yelled from the stage.

The crowd, no longer under Sister Morganna’s control, began to scatter in all directions. Some stumbled towards the fallen leader, striking her with whatever they could find. Others pushed and shoved each other, stumbling over cobblestones.

Through it all, Bridgadeiro stood, completely confused, his hands still tied behind his back. People pushed and shoved, stumbling over each other and tripping on the slick cobblestones. Revati fought through the tidal wave of chaos until she reached the scaffold again. Bridgadeiro was staring down at her, completely transfixed.

“Did you just save my life again?” He asked.

“Yes!” Revati replied, climbing up to the scaffold.

“I didn’t mean for this to happen! He said it so quickly,” Aurora said as Revati began to undo her bound hands.

“It was pure instinct!” protested Bridgadeiro.

The crowd was starting to swarm towards the stage like ants around a sugar cube. From above, Revati could see the smoking, twitching form of Sister Morganna.

“What are they doing?” Bridgadeiro asked, and there was a faint creaking sound as Isabeau joined Revati.

“They’re probably going to kill her; none of them wanted to worship an ancient Babylonian god!” Isabeau said and then she smiled. An actual smile. “I can talk normally again! She’s really gone!” Isabeau cried with delight as Aurora pulled her hands free.

“She’s gone!” Aurora echoed, grabbing Isabeau. Revati watched them kiss for a fraction of a second before politely turning her head.

“Did she really control all these people with her mind? Why would she do that?” Bridgadeiro asked as Revati began to undo his constraints.

“The tornado and the second invasion messed a lot of people up,” Revati merely replied.

“You seem fine,” Bridgadeiro replied, and Revati chuckled.

“Trust me, I’m not fine,” Revati said firmly. Life on Baker Street before the tornado had been hard. But there had been drawing lessons with her father. There had been fairytales with her mother. There had been tea parties with Dityaa. Dityaa.

“Where’s Dityaa?” Revati said as Bridgadeiro tugged his hands free. There was no telltale flash of Snow White silk in the crowd. Everyone was dressed in shades of green and mud brown.

“She was out there before,” Bridgadeiro said, gesturing to the bottom left corner of the courtyard. Revati jumped swiftly off the scaffold, ignoring the pain searing up her ankles. People were pressing in from all sides, shrieking, laughing, and, in some cases, singing. A blur of purple skin and red fabric passed her head on outstretched hands.

“Did you see a girl in a white dress?” Revati screamed in general; no one answered, and the crowd pushed her forward. People were spilling out of the courtyard into the laneways. Someone had decided to start looting the shops. Revati felt herself thrown against a wall, crushed face-first into the bricks. A hand grabbed hers, calloused, well-worn fingers gripping her wrist.

“I saw her at the end of the crowd! This way!” Bridgadeiro ordered her.

“You’re helping,” Revati gasped; something hot and red was trickling down her cheek. Revati was bleeding.

“Let the crowd push you forward; don’t fight it and try not to stumble,” Bridgadeiro said firmly, still holding her hand. The crowd surged and pressed in. Revati could see nothing but gleeful faces, smell nothing but hot, foul sweat.

Then suddenly, the crowd began to break into pieces, trickling away like water. They had reached the back wall of Medieval Faire. There was a hole in the wall. A massive hole. Beyond the hole lay the freezing wilderness of Mars. People were climbing out of the hole, running into the cube-shaped snow. One of them was Dityaa, spinning around and dancing with the Duke of Io. Dityaa spotted them and waved happily.

“They’re all going to freeze to death,” Revati realized, marching to the hole.

“It looks like some of them had enough to steal jackets,” Bridgadeiro added. Revati and Dityaa rarely left the park. When they did, Amma always made them wear her old protective gear. Dityaa seemed oblivious to the cold. It was almost as if the Duke's love was covering her in a warm, sacred light.

The escaping people were beginning to join in with their dancing.

“Look! He was waiting for me outside the wall,” Dityaa yelled, resting her head on his shoulder. Revati stepped closer to the wall. Revati let go of Bridgadeiro’s hand and carefully climbed through the hole. The freezing winter of Mars blew around her, fighting against the park's atmospheric heating system. Snow began to blow around her chest, and Revati felt flushed and dizzy.

The Duke was dressed in the same outfit from the night before. The same thin jacket and trousers. Up close, his blue hair was a little too shiny. Up close, Revati could actually feel heat wafting off his body.

“The Duke was waiting for you… outside in that outfit?” Revati asked suspiciously. Dityaa’s expression froze for a moment as if considering this.

“Sissy’s right! Let’s get out of the cold, darling; I have so much to tell you,” smiled Dityaa. The Duke held up a hand. The tip of his finger turned blue.

“Ah, the sister,” he remarked, reaching towards Revati. His eyes glowed with the brilliance of true Ai, and darkness prevailed.

Here's the revised text with corrected spelling and grammar:

True, jet-black, soothing darkness.

For Revati, who spent most of her nights lost in nightmares, it was actually comforting.

In fact, Revati felt herself sink into it.

The darkness was as soft as the mattress she once slept on.

“Oh, don’t sink into it, Dimpy. It’s not time for that,” her father’s voice whispered in her ear.

Dimpy.

Revati was Dimpy, Dityaa was Rinky.

Jay would draw pictures of them flying across the stars with wings.

Dimpy and Rinky; the sisters were so close they could be twins.

“You’re not real. You died, and your consciousness is in a plastic box,” Revati muttered.

The darkness was warm and sleepy, lulling Revati into nothing at all.

“Some of me is in that box, but scientists don’t know everything. Some of me is also in you, in your sister, and in your mother,” her father’s voice said.

“And I’m guessing I’m dead?” Revati whispered.

“No, you’re just recovering from a traumatic brain injury. Someone has placed a standard issue healing pad on your forehead,” Jay’s voice replied soothingly.

“And how do you know that?” Revati groaned doubtfully.

A distant, tiny light had appeared in the dark.

A pinprick that seemed to strip away things.

“Dimpy, you know I was a nurse! Relax, your glia cells are busy repairing themselves. Look, they move like fireflies,” her father said.

He was right; more dots of light had appeared.

They buzzed around gently.

For a moment, one of them flashed, lighting up everything.

Revati, in that second, saw a much younger Dityaa handing her a doll.

“I remember that doll. I bought it the day Dityaa was born,” her father said.

“Dityaa tried to give it to me after we buried you. I told her I’d take the book of fairy tales instead,” Revati remembered.

“Once upon a time, in the ancient kingdom of Mithila, the earth yielded a miraculous gift. A baby girl was born. She was discovered in a furrow by King Janaka and named Sita. As she grew, her grace and beauty were matched only by her wisdom and strength of character.

One day, Rama, a prince known for his valor and virtue, won her hand in marriage by stringing the mighty bow of Lord Shiva.

Soon after the wedding, Rama and his best friend were exiled to the forest. Sita, full of devotion, followed.

The forest was dark and full of dangers.

The most dangerous being was the demon king Ravana,” a woman’s voice, the voice of the maternity droid, whispered.

The lights were growing stronger, and Revati remembered something.

“Dityaa’s in trouble,” Revati realized.

“Yes, she is,” her father replied.

Revati’s mind was so bright she could see her father.

He looked younger than what she remembered.

He was dressed in the blue protective outfit Amma kept packed away.

Standing next to him was a woman.

A familiar woman cloaked in a fuchsia and green saree.

“You’re the lost princess,” Revati realized, and the Princess nodded.

“Wake me up, wake me up, and I will find my daughter,” the Lost Princess insisted.

#nanowrimo #nanowrimo2023 #science fiction #life on mars #saying farewell to armageddon #speculative worldbuilding #speculative fiction #futurism #nibiru #spilled writing #writing science fiction #sci fi ya #sci fi

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bluheaven-adw · 1 month

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SHUDDUP EVERYONE I HAVE DOOMSLUGS!!!

*MANIACALLAUGHTER!!!!*

A friend made one for me and I literally screamed when I opened the box because there were TWO OF THEM!!!!! HOLY SHIT LOOK AT HOW ADORABLE THEY ARE!

..... I might have named the blueish gray one J.....

No I will not change my mind on this.

#sorry kiddo!! I gotta find some way to do embarrassing mom stuff from half a world away!!!#💙💙💙#for those not in the know #doomslug #is from a book series by #brandon sanderson #called #Skyward #if you like space/sci-fi and don't mind YA then I highly recommend the series

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humanoidhistory · 7 months

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June Brigman art from The Antimatter Universe, 1994, a Choose Your Own Adventure book by Edward Packard.

#choose your own adventure #the antimatter universe #sci-fi #illustration #YA #young adult #1990s #1994

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palaceoftheprophets · 26 days

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Doodling my boys from my upcoming graphic novel. Can’t wait for y’all to meet them!

#art #original character #my ocs #humanities 101 #sci fi #ya #sketches #queue

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qbdatabase · 1 month

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10 Trans Sci-Fi Titles

Welcome, astronauts and stowaways! Here are 10 Science Fiction books with transgender and nonbinary characters to help get you started on Trans Rights Readathon 💜📚💜

#sci fi books #science fiction #YA books #queer books #bookblr #transgender #trans rep #trans rights readathon #nonbinary #nonbinary rep #behold my autism fueled color sorting powers!

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m4nd0l0r · 2 years

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Five Hargreeves Headcanons (That Have Consumed Every Single Space in my Mind-)

Description: “Live.. Laugh… Love the insanity the apocalypse brings me.” -Five Hargreeves, tired after a caffeine rush and/or from a drunken high. 2019. (this is canon.. HE TOLD ME HIMSELF)

Author’s Note: this is just how I’m dealing with writer’s block— i swear i’m still working on my upcoming Five fics- 😭😭 so uh have this for now i guess 🥲 no warnings btw!! its just me writing in lowercase a lot- a shit ton of crack and swearing- (five’s body is aged up- and his consciousness ranges from 30 to 50 in my works— however you decided which age you want for your experience :)))

Five Taglist (i forgot to tag im so sorry 😭): @ells-graveyard @noahspector @aelinismyqueen @sunweee @reinaeru @ne0boss @twauna00 @placidpluto @eichenhouseproperty @heartsforsuyin @ghostlywavelengths @technicallydifferenttraveler @seconds-not-decades @magical-girl-on-fire @emotionally-unstabel @peachy-wolfhard @its-loki-bitch @raven-fandomtrash @theilliterateskankula @magicstrange @ne0boss @venusrambles @whereintheworldisspencerreid @honeycombdumbass @mivzai @oscarisaacsleftballsack @zenithinthebin @peachteeaaa @rchaoz @wickedmystery @wordsandnerds @umbrellatte @666abby6666 @iameddiemunsonshair @starlightinhumanform @vennythearsonist @trashmouthsahra (if you want to be removed/added, pls tell me via pm!!)

he likes bitter coffee candy (if the mf cant get coffee he’d raid a candy shop rather than logically coming after a cafe-)

likes slasher films for how creative the deaths look (esp if its practical effects, he’s a sucker for those) (he likes nightmare on elm street, he gives me that impression for WHAT)

^ cos of this- i basically headcanon that in his commission days- he’d kill creatively- as if it were his canvas, my guy is an artist with blood 💪

idk why but he’d be an avid “gelato is NOT ice cream you idiot” typa guy (fucker knows italian and my ass RAN W IT)

he watches julia roberts romance movies (cos i like her rom films so im projecting-) (he def likes the maturity of the ending of my best friend’s wedding)

for some reason he considers mocha as chocolate rather than coffee (like the old man he is)

actually likes caramel, never tells anyone for no reason (fucking punk ass smh)

he’d say he hates animals but he’d give a pat to a dog/cat if he’d see one (but he’ll glare at the poor thing if it scratches him-)

from ptsd from the apocalypse- he tries to never indulge w small things like getting large amounts of food- cos he has the mindset that he “might need extra in case something bad happens”

he’d hate physical touch at first- flinching like a surprised cat on steroids— but he gets used to it slowly- and one person at a time

also i dont give a shit on what anyone thinks- FIVE IS A LITTLE SPOON IN HUGS— why you may ask? fucker is a touch starved ptsd filled mf- he needs those hugs ASAP- he would hold your hand 25/8 to reduce his paranoia i just know it (i PROPHESIZEEEE)

the first beer he drunk was a bottle he found in a post apocalypse alcohol store and the liquid was full w small grime and dirt- but he wanted to try some to “check off a bucket list”

LOVES dark comedies, he just does, he CACKLES when he watches one (but he only shows amusement when he’s alone, never w his siblings)

^ he’d also slap his thigh if he finds something soooo funny (old man behaviour smh)

has a personal vendetta against ppl who WOULDN’T put pineapple on pizza (klaus converted the grandpa and at first he felt gross eating it but as he continues he thought: “ok. this isn’t that bad.” the next thing you know, you see him on the phone calling the pizza place for 2 more boxes of hawaiian pizza—)

listens to edith pliaf RELIGIOUSLY (you would gift him a vinyl of hers and his eyes would SHINE) (the only time you saw his eyes the brightest-)

with modern music— he’d prolly like radio music (until you berate him and convert him to alt & indie rock)

has an odd fixation with guns and knives (like the papa he is) (would explain EVERYTHING ABOUT A SPECIFIC WEAPON) (he’s a nerd) (he’ll never admit it) (ever)

has a switchblade on his dominant arm pocket (he could use anything as a weapon, but he likes to be “prepared”)

like on s1, he’d pretend to be a kid and all innocent & shit to get free shit from strangers (you’d hop on the bandwagon and **nicely** ask him to get you stuff too.. he complains and says no but you’d see him on the next day with the shit you requested on his hands)

^ continuation with this— fucker prolly got a coffee machine cos he went up to some lady- went on, put a sad act, and went “oh no.. i dont got a gift to give to my dad.. he always wanted a coffee machine after ours broke” and the lady would have pitied his ass and bought a cheap but durable one for him— this would lead to a situation where the rest of the umbrellas try to take away the coffee machine away from his addicted ass-

viktor: should we?? do something??? diego: we’ve took THREE of those damn machines- what else can we do??? klaus: it’s like… he pulls it out of his ass.. you think he shits out coffee beans?? or is it just liquidated coffee at this point? you: i should call the ambulance before he falls off the window from the coffee… can’t deal with a cranky five.. luther: (is tired of it all and just wants to enjoy his married life) .. yes. please do.

in conclusion? never take away five’s coffee- he will drive you mad—

whenever he’s drunk- he acts like a goddamn sloth (esp if he’s comfortable with you- mf will CLING ON YOU LIKE SOME PARASITE—) (i wouldn’t mind tho 😏- i mean what?)

though as much as he likes bitter coffee- i see him DESPISE BITTER BEER, he would spit that stuff out of with the most offended face ever (all scrunched up like crumpled paper)

for my fellow filipino readers- he unfortunately SUCKS ASSSS when speaking in tagalog… you either tease the living fuck out of him about him or smile through your ear pain going “wow! galing! (amazing!)” (no he was not amazing he sounded like a screeching tire or smth- /lh)

#tua five #five hargreeves x reader #five x reader #number five #number five x reader #the umbrella academy #tua x reader #five headcanons #five hargreeves headcanons #thank you for reading my madness-#i swear im writing for my five fic- it just has a sci-fi so ya girl needs to ORGANIZE—#umbrella academy #tua s1 #tua s2 #tua 3

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lauragennauthor · 1 year

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Thought I'd have some fun with the new platforms, so welcome to a trio of character intros from my #SpaceMythWIP, BETWEEN SUN & SHADOW--a sapphic Hades/Persephone reimagining in outer space. For your first intro, meet Kori!

#SpaceMythWIP #Between Sun & Shadow #Kori #YA sci-fi #YA fantasy #sapphic #bisexual #lesbian #books #writer #author #novel #character intro

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surroundedbypearls · 2 months

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Aerabay, the Evergreen city.

Denise pulled out onto the street, turning on her wipers as she navigated through the streets that made up her and Eli’s neighbourhood. Their apartment block was around the corner from the synagogue, but their school was a little more of a trip. Aerabay, the Evergreen city, comprised tall towers of glass and steel and shorter, stouter builds like their school of old brick. Few people even lived in an ordinary house with a garden. Not that they needed one when they had the shrubbery and flowers the city’s architects had all but woven into the brickwork that surrounded them, all of it breathing with life every moment, vines climbing everywhere she looked. The vines would have a great time today, with this weather. The greenery was probably the least interesting thing to advertise about Aerabay these days, between the brand new space needle and everyone’s favourite monorail, but she still loved it more than anything else.

Aerabay is the east coast city in which the homebirds characters live. It's inspired by a few different cities and also just fiction.

More on Homebirds here! Leave a comment or an ask to be added to the taglist.

#writeblr #writers of tumblr #my wips #worldbuilding #fantasy worldbuilding #ya fiction #sci fi #fantasy fiction #wip: homebirds

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thepenmuse · 2 years

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Blog Tour: LOCKSMITH'S WAR

Blog Tour: LOCKSMITH’S WAR

Locksmith’s War The Locksmith Trilogy Book Three by Paul Briggs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GENRE: YA Sci-fi (Young Adult, Science Fiction_ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLURB: For Lachlan Smith, learning the secret of the apocalypse was the easy part. Ever since Locksmith found the portal to the future, he has been wondering who or what was responsible for the empty, uninhabited world he found. Now he knows—and…

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#blog tour #book blurb #book tour #scifi #YA Sci-Fi #young adults

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kaylinalexanderbooks · 8 months

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Beta Readers Wanted!

My YA sci-fi fantasy novel The Secret Portal, Part One is READY FOR BETA READING!

At about 106k words, TSP Pt1 is about a group of young preteens and teens discovering a portal to another dimension called Alium, full of people with powers and a group without powers. With extremists on both sides, war has plagued Alium for decades, and they are in need of change. TSP is planned to be a five-book series.

The following form is the application for beta reading. You will give a gmail so I can grant you access to the document, answer questions to see if I need your specific knowledge to consult (not a requirement), and understand the content warnings of TSP to see if you're okay to read about it.

I don't have a time limit yet, so even if the next few months are hectic, I am willing to be very flexible.

If you cannot apply for any reason, please reblog anyway so this gets around! Thank you!

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hezzabeth · 5 months

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"Really, Queen Victoria? You have some sort of AI in your breasts?" Revati asked, rolling her eyes.

"This human had nano beauty bots installed fourteen years ago, similar to the ones constantly cleaning your teeth," the alien AI voice stated, using the queen's vocal cords.

"Cute party trick. Is the queen still alive in there?" Revati asked.

"This body's consciousness has been removed," the AI replied.

"Is that your plan then? Are you here to steal everyone's bodies and use them as batteries?" Revati asked.

Normally, whenever the Queen spoke, her face was constantly shifting between annoyed scowls and semi-amused smirks. This creature, however, didn't seem to know how faces worked. The lips were expanding upwards, showing far too many teeth. The eyes were too wide.

"No, the spider is here for the weapon. Let us take it, and we shall leave your colony to die off," the AI replied, cocking its head to one side.

"Fine, take it and leave," Revati replied, throwing her solar flare gun at the queen's weapon.

"That is not the weapon. Give us the weapon, or we shall hijack your teeth," the queen said.

"My teeth don't have cleaning bots! My mother makes me chew fresh basil and peppermint," Revati snapped back before picking up her gun and aiming it at the queen's chest. There was only enough charge left for one more shot. Revati realized wasting it twice before was probably a terrible idea. Sometimes the best thing to do was run, and Revati bolted around the corner as fast as her boots could carry her. Every few seconds, she could hear the queen's heavy footsteps. Revati's breath grew ragged with fear. There was no real escape.

"Just give us the weapon! All will be forgiven," screamed the queen from two rows away. Revati skidded to a stop when she realized she had reached the Maze's glowing balloon stand. The balloon stand was nothing more than an empty gold cart covered in red playing card decals. Back before the tornado, all the children in the park would play hide and go seek. Revati hid so often inside the balloon cart that Dityaa would find her within seconds.

The footsteps were coming closer, feet crunching upon gravel. Revati hauled herself up onto the cart, and it wobbled dangerously under her weight. Carefully, she slid inside, closing the cart's door behind her. Years had passed, and she barely fit inside. There was a small crack in front of her, a hole that had once been used to attach the machine that filled balloons with glowing gas. Revati peered through it, breathing quietly, and watched as the queen's feet crunched on the pebbles in pretty stained slippers. Suddenly, the queen's feet stopped, her dress skirts falling and landing on the rocks.

"Do you have the weapon?" The AI voice asked. Revati slowly opened the top of the cart and peeked out. Dityaa was standing in front of the Queen, pretty and confused, still wearing her ballgown from the night before. Her carefully styled hair had fallen down her shoulders in chaotic indigo curls. Her shoulder still had a smudge of the peculiar moss on it. If Dityaa was anyone else, she would have looked like someone who had just rolled out of bed, or possibly a ditch. Instead, Dityaa looked like a lost woodland nymph.

"It's you, the weapon," the AI said flatly, and Dityaa glanced behind her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I have no idea what you're referring to. I'm on my way to meet the Duke," Dityaa giggled before trying to brush past the Queen as politely as possible.

"Dityaa, run!" Revati screamed, and the queen's arms moved with a flash. In a moment of sudden violence, the hands closed tightly around Dityaa's throat. The fingers, firm and unyielding, pressed relentlessly against her skin, constricting the airway with a ruthless intent. Revati crawled out of the cart, grabbed one of the pebbles on the path, and threw it at the queen's head. The queen barely reacted when the rock struck her temples. Instead, the knuckles on her hand grew white as Dityaa gasped violently, her eyes rolling back into her head. Suddenly, Dityaa blinked, and her eyes glowed an eerie blue.

The queen gasped, staggering backward, her hands flying to her chest. Black gritty sand was pouring out of the front of her cleavage, spilling down her white bodice. The queen's eyes widened with shock before she fell face-first onto the pebbles. Dityaa, meanwhile, sat down on pebbles, rubbing her throat, a terrified expression on her face.

"Did you do that?" Revati asked, and Dityaa nodded.

"How the hell did you do that?" Revati shrieked, and Dityaa shrugged her shoulders before bursting into dry tears.

"It's alright, Dityaa," Revati said absently, leaning down to pat her shoulder. Like most children born after the appliance war, Dityaa and Revati had their tear ducts genetically altered. It was done to prevent emotional crying, which was seen as a dangerous hazard. Dityaa still tried to cry all the time, however, his noisy crying with a dried-up red face.

Revati went to examine the queen. The queen's chest, which now looked blotchy and wrinkled, was rising and falling.

"Well, she's not dead! What is this stuff? Black mold? Did AI figure out how to weaponize killer mushrooms?" Revati asked, trying to make sense of the entire situation.

Dityaa crawled towards the queen, wiping her dry eyes.

"It's creatrix sand. You were too little to remember, but this was how we used to make everything in the city," Dityaa said, her voice whispery soft and croaking.

"Really? I thought creatrix sand would be prettier and glowing," Revati replied, checking her pulse.

"I could see the robots in her skin, I could see them made out of creatrix sand," Dityaa whispered, stunned.

Queen Victoria's eyes fluttered open.

"I was dead!" she screeched, sitting up.

"I don't think 'dead' is the right word. Your body was hijacked by an AI device," Revati said, helping the queen stand up.

"I know what I saw! I was floating above the infinite cosmic heart of space and time," the queen snapped back, still looking startled.

"Really? When Dad died, we put his soul in a storage drive," Revati said.

"I don't have access to one of those! I was floating through all of human history! It was ghastly," the queen cried, and she wobbled a bit as if getting used to her feet before walking off.

"Where are you going?" Revati demanded to know.

"I know where the crack in the walls is! I'm going to fix it before my guards with cyber hearing implants go on a rampage," the queen said before storming off.

That left Revati alone with Dityaa, who was rubbing her bruised neck.

"So, someone's tried to kill you twice in twenty-four hours," Revati pointed out, both horrified and amused by the entire situation.

"It's not funny! Someone must object to the Duke's feelings for me," Dityaa choked, and Revati shook her head.

#comic #nanowrimo #nanowrimo2023 #science fiction #life on mars #saying farewell to armageddon #speculative worldbuilding #speculative fiction #scifi #sci fi ya #scifi story

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