Stories of the Stars Flash Fiction Contest

Comments

1. John says

   November 7, 2017 at 5:05 am

   Who won?

   • Sheri says

     November 7, 2017 at 8:35 pm

     C. S. Johnson took first place, and Caroline Madison took second place. We loved your story too, though! It was a tough choice. You can read their stories here and here.

2. Albert Robbins says

   September 8, 2018 at 10:11 pm

   Zero Sirius

   By Albert Robbins
   September 8th, 2018
   albertr318@gmail.com (734)263-6053

   Inside the orbit of One Sirius, an archaeological team from the Dogstar Federation was examining a truly monumental monument that had been found there by the rapidly organized survey team soon after the planet came hurtling in from nowhere, and miraculously settled in to an almost stable orbit where there had never been a planet before.
   It was a challenge in many ways. By the system constitution no one was allowed to name it, until a population had settled there and could vote it a name. No planetary names were used in Federation political or historical documents, only the orbitary numbers could be used. One Sirius was of course the closest planet, so was the base for the survey team. Representatives from all of the nine occupied planets circling Sirius were anxious to investigate this mysterious planet. It was still at absolute zero from it’s probably multi-millennial long trip through the depths of the endless and empty volume of deep space.
   Not long after an orbital satellite was installed by a survey ship to map the surface, it became clear that this had been an occupied planet at one time. There were cities all about, with small towns in between, and further out, single dwellings, all well preserved. There were frozen forests of frozen trees and even lakes and rivers. This was fascinating, but even that would not have brought out a research team as rapidly as one was gathered and sent.
   Zero Sirius had an enormous monument. It was so cold there that liquid nitrogen existed as a layer of nitrogen ice on top of the lakes of water. So no one yet knew what the huge monument was made of. It was so hard there was no way, as yet, to get a sample for analysis. That wasn’t as important as the inscription on it. It was so deeply carved as to last through almost any planetary disaster less than a plunge into a black hole or the center of a star.
   The thing was larger than most high rise buildings, yet appeared to be of one piece. It was sharply cut with right angles. It was constructed, not a natural artifact. More mysteries, but those would have to wait for later, as it was engraved with characters. Photographs and Holographs had been taken from all angles. At the bottom there were smaller characters, the structure of which clearly indicated it was an engraved document of some kind. The large letters, sort of a headline or perhaps a prologue, were the first thing they tackled The study team of the best minds on the nine planets had gathered and worked for weeks, getting nowhere until one young man from the smallest planet made a breakthrough.
   He recognize the letters were akin to the engravings and other writings that had been found on his planet when the first earth explorers had landed there. The nine beautiful planets, all empty, except for ruined cities on every planet. The last places still occupied had been on his planet and had been abandoned long after the other larger, more developed planets. The theory on Nine Sirius had long been that this was the place the last survivors had left from. Gone home, as they liked to say there. Which saying amused the scientists and scholars on the more “advanced” and larger planets inward in the Sirius system.
   He had the ears of all the researchers of all the different teams which had gathered at this symposium to hear various theories and ideas. His was by far the most interesting, but due to protocol was the last to be presented.
   “Gentlemen and Ladies. This is going to upset many of you. Please remember, all I did was figure out these letters were related to the S’ma-Ka-Nakon peoples, the last residents of my planet. Even as a child I have always felt a connection with these mysterious people, so became a student of them, learning all I could. This is why it was I that made the connection that this alphabet found on the Zero Sirius monument is related to The S’ma-Ka-Nakon alphabet.” He paused. “Are there any Christians here today?” He asked.
   A dozen or so men and women stood up. and looked about. Their gazes all settled on one elderly scientist. He nervously looked back at them, then made the statement and asked the question they all had on their minds. “We are few, as all know, but we are faithful to our beliefs.” He stated. “After all these centuries, we remain true despite the jokes and – prejudices against us. What we all want to know is what has this to do with us?”
   “Just this. After I have finished my presentation, would you all please forgive me for anything I might ever have said about your faith, and then teach me about what you believe? I think…” He hesitated. “Well. You shall see.”
   He cleared his throat: Then, “My colleagues from the Sirius Federation. I am only going to read the text of the larger letters. The smaller ones underneath will take a larger effort. But I think this will be enough so that whatever it takes, we will want to translate not just these words, but the words below and on all four sides of the monument. I think we’re going to want to see exactly what they say. Will you Christians all gather up here near the rostrum? You need to be here.”
   He began to read. His voice echoed about the huge auditorium and rang with authority – and something more. “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And you shall…” The Christians joined in… “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
   Then the uproar began. Nothing would ever be the same. It would get better.

   – – – end — – –

3. Albert Robbins says

   September 8, 2018 at 10:19 pm

   …..Just submitted “Zero Sirius”. Not sure I did this right. Couldn’t find any other way to submit. So if I did it wrong, please don’t get angry at me. I’m an old guy and this is all kinda new to me. Please let me know if I did good, and if I did it wrong, please tell me how to do it right. Thanks.
   …..I saw your posting on FB and this story popped into my head, complete with lots of back story that there isn’t room for, so I just spilled this part out on my WP and I hope you got it. I don’t much care if I win anything, just tell me if I did good.

   • Sheri says

     September 9, 2018 at 7:49 pm

     Hi Albert,
     Way to go for submitting your story! I’m so glad you did. This way would work, but we have two other judges who would love to look at it. Do you have email? If so, could you email your story and the contact information at the top, just how you have it, to storiesofthestarscontest@gmail.com It should be in the instructions somewhere, but it’s easy to miss stuff like that. 🙂
     Jebraun and Laura, the other judges, will check that email too, and we’ll check out your story! I’m looking forward to it. Thank you so much.