100-Word Scifi: "Sucker Punch"

It's been a while, but it's back. I occasionally write hundred-word stories based on a random word. Today's word is "spike."

Sucker Punch
By Nigel G. Mitchell

Buddy Norton snickered as he poured the contents of the flask into the punch bowl. He jerked as a hand clapped onto his shoulder belonging to Principal Stern.

"Spiking the punch," Stern snarled. "A new low for you, Buddy. But wait, that's not alcohol. What is that?"

Buddy shrugged. "Found it in my dad's liquor cabinet. Thought it was beer."

Screams filled the school auditorium as the students and faculty began to sprout fur, claws, tails, and tentacles.

The monster wearing Principal Stern's suit and now holding Buddy's shoulder scowled with three eyes, and snarled, "It's detention for you, Buddy."

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Earthling Dynasty"

This week's story was inspired by the random word "decoy."

Earthling Dynasty
by
Nigel G. Mitchell

Toby Conrad felt disappointed when the blonde standing at the bar headed for the door. But at the last moment, she looked over her shoulder and winked at him.

Toby ran out after her, and spotted the blonde walking into an alley next to a Chinese food restaurant. He followed her into the darkness. A blinding light pierced the sky. He felt himself lifting off the ground. He screamed as he vanished.

*

Kodoc watched the Earthling teleport into the dissection chamber. "She did it again."

"Of course." His partner Saadyn pointed at the golden-haired android. "The decoy works every time."

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Wipe Out"

On a regular basis, I write hundred word stories inspired by random words. Today's word is "toilet."

Wipe Out
by Nigel G. Mitchell

As lasers continued to pound on the reinforced Oval Office, the president shook his head. "I still don't understand how toilet paper could cause an intergalactic incident."

Professor Damaso pointed to a diagram of an alien creature on his screen. "It's simple. When the Volumii saw a roll of toilet paper in the International Space Exploration Vessel, they asked what it was. It took over an hour for the astronauts to explain, and that's when we discovered the Volumii don't excrete waste products. The concept so repulsed the Volumii they now consider humans a foul species that must be exterminated."

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"Toiletpapier (Gobran111)" by Brandon Blinkenberg - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toiletpapier_(Gobran111).jpg#mediaviewer/File:Toiletpapier_(Gobran111).jpg

100-Word Sci-Fi: "In the Corner"

This week's story was inspired by the random word "shadows."

In the Corner
by Nigel G. Mitchell

Talia Omar patted her daughter's hand. "I'm telling you, there are no monsters."

Hillary huddled deeper under the blankets. "But I saw it. There in the corner."

Talia pointed to the corner of the bedroom. "Do you see it there now?"

"No, but it was there. In the dark."

Talia stood up. "I'm going to turn off the lights, okay? I'll be right here." She switched off the lights. "I'm still here. Now do you see the monster in the corner?"

Hillary's wide eyes showed in the darkness. "No."

"See?"

"Because it's right behind you."

Talia turned around and screamed.

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Pen Envy"

Every week, I write a hundred-word story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "nib."

Source: Wikimedia

Pen Envy
by Nigel G. Mitchell

Abraham Fontana held up a silver pen between two fingers. "This is the Ordello Nimbus, the world's finest pen. It writes in all conditions, including upside-down."

Hamilton Storm chuckled as he held up a gold pen. "The Caviera Grande is also capable of writing upside-down."

"The Nimbus writes underwater."

"Well, the Caviera writes on oxygen molecules." Hamilton swept his pen through the air, leaving his signature suspended in mid-air.

Abraham smirked. "The Nimbus writes backward in time. Check the paper in your left breast pocket."

Hamilton pulled out the paper, read it, and scowled. "There's no need for profanity, dear boy."
 
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Image Source: (Power_of_Words_by_Antonio_Litterio.jpg) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

100-Word Sci-Fi: "Act of Aggression"

Every week, I write a hundred-word story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "smile."

Act of Aggression
by Nigel G. Mitchell

Glenn Roberts looked up at the judge, who glared down at him with six narrowed eyes.

"You are charged with threatening a High Lord of the Mitandi, which calls for death. However, I believe your display of teeth is your people's gesture of friendship known as a smile. Therefore, I sentence you to ten hours of cultural sensitivity training."

"Thank you, Supreme Justice," Glenn sighed, and smiled.

The judge lunged to his feet. "What? You dare threaten me, a Supreme Justice? The sentence is death! Immediately!"

Glenn screamed as the courtroom roared in outrage, and the soldiers descended on him.

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Trash Day"

Every week, I write a hundred word story inspired by a random word. Today's word is "garbage."

Trash Day
by Nigel G. Mitchell

Matt Woodland scowled. "Why do I have to take out the trash again?"

Veronica held out a trash bag with a green arm hanging out of it. "I'm the one cleaning up these things. The least you can do is take them out to the curb."

Matt sighed, grabbed the bag, and trudged out the front door.

On the street, all his neighbors were out shoveling up the bodies of dead aliens left over from the invasion.

Matt tossed his bag onto the huge mountain stacked on the curb. He shook his head. "You never see this in the movies."

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "The Price of Gas"

Every week, I write a hundred-word story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "gas."

Source: Wikimedia

The Price of Gas 
by Nigel G. Mitchell

Natalie Castillo watched the gas station attendant approach the bus driver, and held her daughter Liz tighter.

"That's ten gallons," the attendant growled. "How do you plan to pay for this?"

The bus driver looked over his shoulder at Natalie. He nodded.

The hands of the other passengers seized Natalie's arms and shoulders. She screamed as more hands wrenched her daughter out of her grasp.

The driver grabbed Liz by the neck and shoved her out of the passenger side door. As the bus headed across the desolate sands once more, the shrieks of her daughter faded into the wind.

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Panacea"

Every week, I write a hundred word story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "afflict."

Panacea
by Nigel G. Mitchell

One of the aliens faced the others in the command center. "It is done."

A second alien asked, "And the humans suspect nothing?"

"Not at all. We have provided the drug they call panacea, and their tests confirm it will cure all known diseases within twenty-four hours. Governments are rushing to approve panacea, thinking it will revolutionize their medical care. They have not detected the virus in the drug that will infect anyone who takes it. Only when their children are born sterile will they discover the truth, when it is too late. Within a generation, humanity will be extinct."

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Fireworks"

Every week, I write a hundred-word story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "fireworks."

Fireworks
by Nigel G. Mitchell

Barry Moore looked up at the night sky and pointed. "Look, Mommy, fireworks!"

His mother looked up from her book, smiling at the colorful lights. "You're right, honey. Wrong time of year for them, though."

Barry frowned. "Are they supposed to be so big?"

The bursts of lights came faster and bigger while booming like thunder.

His mother grabbed his hand. "Honey, I don't think those are fireworks."

A flaming saucer came shrieking down out of the sky and crashed into the house behind them. Barry and his mother screamed and ran as more wreckage came raining down on them.

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Loss of Direction"

Every week, I write a hundred-word story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "location."

Smartphone showing maps, Source: Wikimedia

Loss of Direction
by Nigel G. Mitchell

Gerald Dempsey's frown deepened as he drove squinting into the darkness. "This doesn't look right at all."

The GPS on his phone said, "In five hundred feet, your execution will be on the right."

Gerald shook his head. "'Execution? Now I know this thing is broken.'"

"In one hundred feet, your execution will be on the right."

Gerald felt a chill as he pulled up to an abandoned building. "What in the--"

"Your execution is on the right."

Gerald turned to the passenger window and screamed as a hideous creature burst through the glass.

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "A Clone of My Own"

Every week, I write a hundred-word story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "clone."

A Clone of My Own 
by Nigel G. Mitchell

Page Widrick thought having a clone would be awesome. She could have her clone clean up her house and go to college while she relaxed and watched TV.

She set the cloning machine down on the kitchen table, took a deep breath, and pushed the button.

Page opened her eyes. She looked down at another version of herself, still holding down the button on the machine.

"Awesome. It looks just like me." The other Page held out a mop and bucket to her. "You can start in the living room. Work until twelve, and class starts at one o'clock sharp."

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Red Light"

Every week, I write a hundred-word story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "traffic."

"LED traffic light on red" by Kevin Payravi - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Red Light
by Nigel G. Mitchell

Burke Rhodes raced through the streets, gas pedal to the floor, to reach Fifth and Vine. He only had twenty-four seconds to stop the car accident. He had to change history.

The traffic light turned red. Burke didn't see the Maserati until its front end caught his rear bumper. Burke's car began to skid, collided with another car, and spun into the intersection at Fifth and Vine.

He watched the mini-van rushing towards him, and saw his wife behind the wheel, eyes wide with shock. Just before their cars collided, Burke knew he had been his wife's killer all along.

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Botwatch"

Every week, I write a hundred-word sci-fi story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "swimming."

powered by Fotopedia

Botwatch
by Nigel G. Mitchell

Professor Lazaro Pemberton faced the audience on the beach, and held out his hand to the row of men standing behind him. "A robot lifeguard is the perfect lifeguard. They never get tired, they have telescopic and infrared vision to scan the ocean, can swim at over fifty miles an hour, and can even use their hands as a defibrillator."

He pushed a button. The robots turned and marched into the ocean single-file. One by one, they began to swim, but sank with a popping of sparks.

Pemberton smiled, faintly. "The only problem is we, uh, can't get them wet."

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100-Word: "Galaxy v Microzon"

Every week, I write a hundred-word story based on a random word. Today's word is "monopoly."

Gavel, Source: Freeimages.com

Galaxy v Microzon
by Nigel G. Mitchell

The judge found a guilty verdict in the antitrust lawsuit against Microzon, the Galaxy's leading teleportation chamber manufacturer. Government documents supported claims by competitors that Microzon tampered with teleportation pods over contract disputes. Evidence showed Microzon caused more transmission errors in pods shortly after KoolRide refused to pay higher fees to Microzon. Microzon will be forced to pay three hundred trillion to KoolRide to compensate for insurance claims due to the loss of hundreds of passengers, as well as damages for the loss of the company's reputation. Despite the verdict, Microzon insists it is a fair competitor in the marketplace.

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "The Red Border"

Every week, I write a hundred word story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "landscape."

Source: NASA

The Red Border
by Nigel G. Mitchell

The cry went up among the workers, "Immigration! Immigration!"

Thomas looked up from his terraformer to see a hovercraft descending from the red Martian sky. Other craft had already landed, and men in white enviro-suits rushed the other workers in the fields. Thomas turned to run, and saw a man in white standing in his way, gun at the ready.

"Don't move, blue," the man's speaker snapped.

Thomas held up his hands and let them slip the cuffs onto him.

As the immigration officers marched Thomas to the hovercraft, one officer snarled, "You're going back to Earth where you belong."

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100-Word Scifi: "Pokegeddon"

Every week, I write a hundred-word story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "monster."

Pokegeddon
by Nigel G. Mitchell

By the time any adult found out about the creatures, it was too late.

When one of the purple lion-things shot a fireball at a blue cat-thing and blew up an elementary school, we discovered an underground network of children pitting monsters in combat. The children claimed they came from space. No one ever knew for sure.

We tried to take the creatures away, but the children turned their monsters on us. Cities burned while the beasts' tiny masters rode them into battle. Our weapons were useless against them. In the end, what remained of civilization belonged to our children.

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Pest Control"

Every week, I write a hundred word story inspired by a random word. Today's word is "ladybugs."

Pest Control
By Nigel G. Mitchell

The alien giant said to its companion as it carried Belle's cage to the garden, "Humans are much more effective than pesticides. And better for the environment."

Belle Darvis watched the ground tilt towards her.  The cage door swung open. She tried to hold on, but a stick pushed her out. She tumbled onto the dirt among towering flowers.

As she sat up, a gigantic red beetle lumbered towards her with its pincers open wide. Belle plunged her sword into the beetle's open mouth. The insect collapsed, dead.

As the massive aliens walked away, one said, "See? She's working already."

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Frostbite"

Every week, I write a hundred-word sci-fi story inspired by a random word. Today's word is "frostbite."

Source: Wikimedia

Frostbite
by Nigel G. Mitchell

Mark Sinopoli stumbled through the space station, trying to find his way to the escape pod. He kept watching for the creatures. But as he turned a corner, one lunged at him. The creature's jaws clamped onto his leg. He screamed and pried loose his thigh, but knew he was too late.

The pain of the bite gave way to an ache all the way to his bones. He could see the skin of his thigh fading to dull blue. Blood oozing from the wound stiffened with ice. Before he could even take another step, his leg had frozen solid.

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100-Word Sci-Fi: "Wake Up"

Every week, I write a hundred-word story inspired by a random word. This week's word is "sleep."

Eye, Source: Wikimedia Commons

Wake Up

By Nigel G. Mitchell

I don't know what you're supposed to be seeing here, but this is what we need you to see. Wake up. No matter what time or space you think you're in, it's wrong. You've been in a coma for ten years. We know you're dreaming, but we can't get you out of it. The doctors are talking about pulling the plug. I won't let them. I can't let you go just like that. That's why a friend of mine found a way to send you this message. Please wake up. Just open your eyes. Now. We miss you. Please, wake up.

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