52 bad short stories.

It was a slow passionate kiss. That is what he noticed the most. His wife always said goodbye in the morning, but this morning was different. This morning it was like she was afraid he wouldn't come back.  "I hate it when you have to go inside the mines like you do today. Keep your helmet on and pay attention. I want you to come back to us." Mike knew she was worried. All he had in him was a joke, "Oh I should tell you I'm going into the mines everyday if I'm going to get kisses like that. I almost don't want to leave today."  She slapped him gently on the arm. "I can always call your boss and check the roster."  He smiled at her one last time and stepped out of their living pod and into the hallway. The tunnel felt a little extra damp this morning, but it was the same temperature and smell he'd grown accustomed to, the ozone and burning smell. Everything was controlled by machines, and they were below the surface, safe from the radiati...

Edgar's whole life revolved around the plants. Ever since he could remember his father trained him in plants. Most of the other children saw the flame of continuance when they were 12. Edgar knew about it well before then, he also knew what fueled it. This was a secret of the colony. It was something everyone knew but no one talked about. It was a chilling discovery for Edgar to learn part of the fuel for the colony was death itself.  "Death is a spark.  All sparks are valuable. The spark never dies."  These are the whispers on the lips of all the colonists when they visit the flame. Small prayers they utter and lift up. Hoping their lives are valuable.  Edgar understood these words more than anyone. His father was an intellect, and his parents were among the first 200 to create the colony. He saw the domes rise as a boy and learned to live underground. He was valued among the entire community because he helped develop a hybrid of the sweet potato which contained mor...

Our entire existence is about survival. Nothing else matters, at least it's not supposed to matter. When we are raised, we are trained to follow all the rules. We learn about the reckoning when we are 12. It's another trip we take, to see the flame of continuance. It's beautiful and I think it was the first time (other than the sunset) where I have seen the color blue. We don't use it in clothing, it's pretty drab, our food is mostly yellow, orange, and green based on the plant used to make it, and everything is made out of steel and metal. Blue is not commonly seen and according to my research, on Earth blue is the rarest color in nature, not a lot of flowers or plants are blue, only the vast oceans and bodies of water are blue... but we don't have those.  This flame has been burning since the beginning of our arrival on Mars and only goes out once a month when the reckoning is complete. It is relit after 3 days of mourning. It's a beautiful flame. Flames a...

Roberta and Edward could not conceal their excitement Orion had been picked. They expected Milo, or one of his classmates, never could they have guessed Rion would be so excited about bees, or that his lack of schoolwork would end in any kind of reward. They just wanted him to make it through the school year; this honor would be a giant boost for him.  "What a wonderful surprise!" she was hugging and kissing her smaller son.  "Ok Mom, don't make this a thing." Orion shrugged Roberta off and looked at his brother for guidance. Milo just smiled back at him.  "Are you sure you don't want to do it?" Orion looked at Milo, worried he was taking his brother's spot in the ceremony.  Milo's bright eyes shined back at him happily, "No, I think they picked the right guy."  Jenny Balata chimed in next, her brown ponytail, white lab coat and glasses, "Let's see if these bees picked you!" she said with a smile.  As a group they he...

Edgar watched as Roberta walked over to Carl. He was relieved. She could be a lot to handle sometimes. He'd whisper Carl a 'godspeed' if he didn't dislike him so much. He watched Edward talking to every waiter and waitress he encountered, probably looking for the tastiest treats, sugar, and caffeine. Edgar decided this would be a good time to look in on the youth program. This was always the main event for the colony. "The Children are our future", the wise words of Dr. Lira Helix carved into the cement bench by where the children were sitting.  Sorted by ages, the smallest children sat in a semi-circle around their teacher. The older ones, ages 6-11 were standing near Jenny Balata and listening intently. Milo and Orion would be found in this group.  Milo stood in the front talking to Jenny about a self-pollinating peach tree. He was an excellent student and would be going on his walk to the Remembrance Flame next year.  Edgar shuttered remembering his own exp...

The giant glass dome glowed red from the sky, reflecting the color of the Martian regolith surrounding it outside. In the distance the view of the Mountain and other domes clearly in view, no dust storms today. Inside people were gathering around and looking at the green plants scattered throughout the space. Automatic watering devices whirring while tending to the plants. The hellish land outside was unimaginable in this green, lush paradise.  "It's beautiful in here and it smells great!" Roberta commented to her husband, various plant and flower smells filled the dome. It was very different from the ozone and machine smells all the human Martians were accustomed to experiencing. Edward was ignoring her and looking in the direction of a blonde woman serving small liquid beakers for nourishment. The theme was science and technology; the decor and food, down to the smallest detailed microchip shaped crackers, were perfect. Even the test tubes of flavored protein showed the...