Plants

“You’re in number 12. All the way at the end.” The uniformed man on the flight line waved Jim toward a waiting aircraft at the far end of the row. Jim made his way toward number 12, winding through knots of people and individuals, all as lost as he was. Half remembered faces smiled or frowned at him, maybe struggling to remember his name. A line of VTOL aircraft, stinking pavement, barked orders, and vaguely familiar people were not part of his ideal tenth high school reunion. Of course, nothing was normal where Colliersburg was concerned. ...

The seeds arrived in an ordinary padded envelope. Debbie poured them out onto the kitchen table. She counted them: a dozen, no, only eight, dark green beans. “I’ve been stiffed. There were supposed to be twelve,” she said. Elizabeth sighed. “How much did you pay for this junk, anyway?” Debbie furrowed her brow and squeezed her lips tight together, peering angrily at the beans as if she could will another four into existence. She snatched up the envelope and peered inside it. “Lizzie, Lizzie? What do you mean pay? I got them from Kevin. I didn’t pay him anything.” ...

“Tim to Collins.” “Collins.” “Captain, we’re just about done here, about to head to sector D14.” “Copy. Anything interesting?” “No ma’am, just more of the same, predominantly poppies.” “Copy.” “Hey! It’s 2400, happy birthday! The big 3 0, woohoo! I know we’re not on schedule, but maybe we could grab a little quality time when you get back”. In another time and place that would be insubordination, but in the space program sexual interaction among the crew was not only encouraged, it was required. In fact, sexual competency was considered a core function and ship crews were selected based on sexual compatibility. They changed partners regularly, according to the schedule, but often couples developed a special bond even if they were required to sleep with others. ...

(story continues from Gai-Shift - Oasis Chapter 1: Kate out of the Frying Pan…)_ Chapter 2: Carin the Flower Vitch Somehow Kate sensed that this teleport had dropped her down inside the base of the tall-tower. Before she recovered a voice shrilled out, “Oh look, a newbie!” Instantly soft hands, feminine hands, countless in number yet firm in grip, pinned her down against a pillowy surfaces. There was a confused blur of flesh, all colors of skintones in various states of undress. A hand clamped over her mouth, more hands cupped her eyes, her limbs were pulled wide apart and someone giggled throatily in her ear. ...

(story continues from The Pit of Pleasure 2) Part Three Jarell stood at the midpoint between the two women, the human witch still wracked by the jolts of her own magic and the dark elf matriarch. He’d tied her flat against a whipping post, setting a flogger into the most ingenious mechanism the dwarves had devised for him. “It’s a very simple game,” he said, touching the swinging arm lightly. “Every time Lady N’ventual there moves, that changes the pressure in the… well, to be honest, I wasn’t paying attention to the technical details. Neither were most of the dwarven women by the end, so there’s a chance that the engineering might not be perfect, but I’m willing to bet that it will work for now.” ...

(story continues from Trouble in Fairyland 8: Revelation) Chapter 9: Escape I hauled my head up off the floor and the world swam about me. I gave my head a shake and fought down a wave of nausea. Every limb ached and my brain felt like it was trying to escape through my ears. I forced my eyes open and the bright sunlight was almost painful. I lifted myself from where I lay on the floor and looked about. I could see the Evil Queen lying prone on the mattress that made up the centrepiece of her evil machine of sexual torment. ...