Seeping

Seeping

By Matthew "Snooglebum" Wasik

I sail away from my home, screaming in impotent rage at those who had the hubris to create me.

I am lying on the deck now. The twinkling skies above me smile down indifferently, and sea spray licks my face, the boat rolling like an eager dog.

I think of her, as the boat creaks. Blood seeping into the deck, a smile cut short. Moments that repeat themselves over and over in my head.

I sail to a land where the trees grow like spiraling mountains, pollen gently drifting down in a haze of canary-yellow.  I burn it to the ground just for the sake of it.

I sail to the land of bubbling red lakes and speak to the natives, who’s faces are riddles and who’s words sparkle like dewdrop. I destroy as much as I can before fleeing for my life.

I sail, thinking of her, thinking of the scent of black powder, the blade slick with blood, the crack of flintlock all around me, and weep.

I sail to the end of this flat earth, and throw myself off the edge.

And I think of her as I fall.

The Pelican

The Pelican

     By Matthew Wasik

Authors note: This is actually a reworked version of a encounter from a cancelled video game! I was doing the writing, but then everything exploded. This is actually and odd introduction to the universe it's set in, since there's more to Voidscape than just spooky scariness. Oh well, regardless, please enjoy!

Most people aren’t a big fan of faster-than-light travel.

First, the familiar sight of the starfield melts away, replaced by a distant white fuzzy orb. That’s how you know you’re in whitespace. You can tell yourself that it’s just background radiation all you want, but the milky-white vision just looks wrong.

Next comes the cold. It doesn’t matter how high the ship’s heater is set, a thin layer of frost covers everything within a matter of minutes. The entire ship fills with a deathly chill that cuts right to the bone.

Then there’s the sense of presence. No matter how irrational it may be, passengers on a ship in whitespace feel like there’s somebody in the room with them. Sometimes you’ll see movement out of the corner of your eye, only to turn your head and see nothing there. “Spooky” doesn’t half cover it.