Photo Credit: Jason Evans
It’s time again for Jason Evan’s Clarity of Night Flash Fiction contest. This time, he is only posting those who scored 40 or higher in his secret scoring system that allows him to handle the gazillion entries that he is getting these days. Once it was a tiny contest, now it is huge. I don’t know how he does it! This time, he is having author Stephen Parrish help him judge. Stephen is the author of the newly released novel, The Tavernier Stones. Hence, the theme of this contest as you can see from the picture. I’ve posted my entry here for your enjoyment. It’s full of secret codes, can you figure them out?
Uncovered Again
April 20, 2420 A.C.E.
“A little to the left. There it is. Now sweep away the sand,” Captain Bill Pritch ordered.
Two men stared at the monitor from the podcraft. A large robot arm pushed the sand away from the undersea platform. A letter M was visible. Other cameras showed mounds of rusted debris.
“Yeah baby, this is it!”
“Why are we searching here Captain?” Jim was anxious. He pushed the arm over the platform.
“The tanks are empty, Jim. We need the jewels to keep the moon station operating, oxygen is a necessity.”
The letters MAC were visible. The arm pushed further.
“Don’t think we’re gonna find jewels in there.”
“Jewels is what we call oil here in collections. You’re such a newb!”
“I think we should get out of this god-forsaken place. Something horrible happened here, I feel it.”
“Obviously! Dead planet? Get a clue!”
“No, something happened here, in this spot.”
“Nothin’ that happened here’s gonna stop us from getting the goods. Life on the moon station depends on it!”
Jim’s eyes enlarged as his jaw slacked.
MACONDO
“We’re not reopening that one!”
“That’s the one!” The captain aimed the laser at the platform.
“But, the methane!”
“I’m sure it’s all escaped. Hence, a dead planet. Commencing fire!”
****
From Rigel 5, it looked to Yaweh like a nova when Earth and its moon blew out of Solaris’s orbit.
“Spectacular ending!” He squealed to Michael. “You try the next experiment. But leave out the apples this time.”
©2010 Catherine Vibert
