The short story “The Ghost Girl” by Richard Larson was published for the first time in 2014.
After reading another article about the ghost girl who lived in a dump outside Bujumbura, Iguo decides to investigate to understand whether it’s only an urban legend or there’s something real behind it. What he finds is a consequence of the war fought in the previous years.
The short story “Reading the Clouds” by Tendai Huchu was published for the first time in 2016.
George programmed the simulation of a universe that includes a civilization of sentient beings. It’s a very complex project and running it is even more difficult because of his disagreements with his son Jesse, who has ideas different from his father’s about the development of the simulated civilization. Interfering with a simulated world can have consequences on the real one but what’s real?
The short story “HostBods” by Tendai Huchu was published for the first time in 2014.
Simon was forced to rent his body to pay for his brother’s medical care. His work is a real form of servitude in which his clients transfer their mind into his body for various reasons, sometimes immoral. This has a number of long-term consequences and when his contract is bought by a rich old man with health problems Simon starts remembering how his body was used.
The short story “The Promise of Space” by James Patrick Kelly was published for the first time in 2013.
Astronaut Kirk Anderson was hospitalized in very serious conditions. After being exposed to radiation during a Mars mission he suffered brain damage that made him lose part of their mental faculties. There’s no cure for him but only an attempt to compensate for what he lost using the recordings he made and an artificial intelligence but what really remains of Kirk Anderson?
The short story “Surprise Party” by James Patrick Kelly was published for the first time in 2008.
Mercedes Nunez is an actress who is preparing to celebrate her 51st birthday. She’s no longer a young girl and her fans tend to be elderly men but she’s still in great shape. Through her implants, someone is watching what she does and she wonders who’d be interested to her birthday party.
