Captain Andrews flung his holodisk across the room. The translucent green visage of the Raxian commander, with her piercing magenta eyes, would hang in his memories for ages.

“Andrews,” she told him, “I have some business to discuss with you. Do you remember our last outing together? The one right before you joined the United Planetary Alliance?”

“Vividly.”

“Wonderful!” Her tone sounded like she was overjoyed to see her old partner, but her scowl said otherwise. “Then I’ll only have to catch you up from there. After you turned tail and ran to the UPA, I served the sentence you…

Remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books? If you do, it’s almost certainly a childhood memory, and I’d wager it’s a good one. The series started in the 80s as a way to get children reading. By allowing them to change the story, it provided a more personal experience, which many children preferred to reading an average book. The main character was always referred to as “you,” increasing the reader’s autonomy in the narrative. Of course, the version of ‘you’ present varies from book to book, but the continued personal nature of the story is what cements the books as…

Stunned silence filled the room. The small team of researchers knew their findings might change the world. But until moments ago, they still hoped they wouldn’t prove its end.

“Are you sure we’re reading it right?” asked Flemming. “It is an initial test after all. Maybe we should run a few extra.”

Parson from the analysis division bolted upright, making as much of a spectacle of it as she could. A few papers flew from her desk. Flemming got the impression she was disappointed her chair didn’t fall.

“I’ve triple-checked the numbers. Do you think I’d share results like this…

Healthcare professionals and teachers are commended daily on the sacrifice of their time and well being, but a group less recognized is hotel desk workers. Though still on the front line, you won’t see any TV spots celebrating the hero concierge who diligently looks after the handful of businessmen forced to stay in his hotel during the pandemic.

Perhaps these observations are what lead San Antonio, Texas Industry Inn employee Frederik “Slim” Bockner to show his fellow desk employee some amateur pornography. The picture above, captured by an unnamed guest of the establishment, depicts the aftermath of the incident. The…

Humor

It’s just past dinner, and I’m settling in for my night of pantsless TV, when I hear two sounds from the kitchen. First is the hissing. Then the sound of kibble bouncing across the floor. This happens every night. Despite that, I go to investigate, knowing full well what I’ll find when I get there. Mae looms over her food bowl, now holding a fraction of what it did only moments ago. She growls at Biscuit as he knocks a single piece of kibble across the room, chasing it until he’s tired enough to lay down and eat it. …

A few years back I bought the game Hotel Dusk: Room 215, made by the now defunct company, Cing, on a whim. I’d heard it was supposed to be one of the better visual novel games of its time. As a veteran of the genre, I had expectations of a good story with lackluster gameplay, but still wanted to see how the game held up. Having now finished it, I have some strong feelings about the game, bot in its narrative and its gameplay. …