Stories from the void

And other science fiction and fantasy short stories

Click a title to read the full story

Silence of the drift

The hum of the engines was the only sound.

Deep space had a way of stripping things down to their barest bones, exposing the silence, the endless void.
The Ares glided through the cosmos, a speck against the black canvas, traveling to where few had dared before.
Commander Mia Harding stood at the edge of the observation deck, staring at the stars, distant and uncaring. She’d been on countless missions, but this one was different.

*Silence of the Drift is the first story to be included in 'Stories from the Void' a series of short stories that are set in the Spacejetters Universe.

Trouble on Trebo

Rynn Koro never liked tourist planets. Too many smiling faces hiding sharp knives. Trebo was no different.

The city of Faryne gleamed at night, neon strobes bouncing off the canals, holo-signs flashing in a dozen languages: EXPERIENCE THE REAL TREBO, WONDERS OF THE WATER JUNGLE, TOUR PACKAGES AVAILABLE NOW. It smelled like salt, cheap liquor, and desperation.

I’d been hired by the local authorities, which already told me how bad things had gotten. Tourists don’t just vanish on a Federation world, not unless somebody powerful is covering tracks. A family of six had taken a jungle glide tour two weeks back. Only one had come staggering out, half-dead, babbling about monsters and ghosts. Next morning, they found his body washed up against a restricted zone fence, throat slashed open like a fish.

Echoes of tomorrow

In the distant future, the crew of the starship Aegis stumbles upon a mysterious planet hidden within a swirling gas cloud. As they investigate the long-lost world, they are confronted by ancient technology and eerie phenomena. Visions of the past, distorted time, and haunting echoes suggest the planet may not be as dead as it seems. Can the crew unravel the mystery before they become trapped in the fog-shrouded planet forever? A sci-fi mystery full of suspense and intrigue.

The Divacross Run

Feloski looked up at the ceiling where the embassy crest hung, a stylized cresting wave wrapped in five interlocking sigils for Cordiscan’s five intelligent species. This world was young in the Federation. Steal their core and leak it to an enemy bloc and you didn’t just embarrass a government, you put a target on a planet’s back.

The city of frozen moments

In a distant, forgotten world, explorers stumble upon a city frozen in time. Each step brings them into different moments of the city's history—glorious and dark. As they dig deeper, they discover the inhabitants' grim fate, and the city begins to pull them into its eternal loop. With time itself as the enemy, they must escape before they're caught forever in the endless cycle of the city's past. A suspenseful, mind-bending journey into a forgotten civilization.

The dream architect

A man hires an elusive dream architect to help him escape from the nightmares that plague him. The architect’s work is known to be flawless, creating dream worlds indistinguishable from reality. But as his new dream unfolds, the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur. With each twist, the man realizes his escape may be nothing more than an illusion. Will he ever wake up—or is this nightmare permanent? A surreal journey filled with psychological tension.

The last alliance

In a distant galaxy, an ancient race of aliens faces extinction. Their only hope is a fragile alliance with a once-feared enemy. But as the two sides work together to defeat a greater darkness, trust becomes a scarce resource. Old wounds resurface, and betrayal looms as their enemy closes in. With the survival of both species at stake, they must confront the bitter truth: peace may be as dangerous as war. A sweeping space opera with deep emotional conflict.

Who killed the Ambassador?

They say space is quiet. That’s a lie.
It hums, like a crime scene after the cleanup crew's been and gone — too clean, too still. Makes your skin crawl if you know what to listen for.

I sat back in the jump-seat of the Scimitar-class shuttle, boots up on the railing like I owned the galaxy. I didn’t. Not even close.
Outside the viewport, Vega Station crawled into view — a silver crescent wrapped around the belly of a gas giant like a noose waiting to tighten. Ships buzzed around it like flies on a corpse. Appropriate, considering what was waiting inside.

The Lazarus paradox

When humanity discovers a way to bring people back from the dead, the implications are staggering. But the Lazarus Process is not perfect, and those revived carry unsettling changes. As one man seeks to reclaim his life after being resurrected, he realizes the price of his second chance is far greater than he imagined. Trapped in a body that no longer feels like his own, he faces a harrowing choice between life and death. A chilling exploration of resurrection gone wrong.

The silent singularity

At the edge of the known galaxy, a research crew discovers a black hole that defies the laws of physics. As they investigate its singularity, they realize it's more than a cosmic anomaly—it's a weapon of unimaginable power. Time itself bends around the black hole, twisting the crew’s perception and threatening their survival. With the fabric of reality crumbling, they must race against time to escape or be consumed by the silent, lurking force.

Whispers in the mist

A crew investigates a mysterious planet, but strange visions and echoes of the past reveal dark secrets hidden in the mist.

The Timekeeper's curse

A reclusive scientist has devoted his life to creating a device that can manipulate time. When he succeeds, he finds himself in control of his destiny—or so he thinks. But time is not as malleable as it seems, and the device exacts a terrible toll. As the scientist’s life unravels with every decision he makes, he discovers that some forces cannot be controlled. A haunting tale of ambition, power, and the inescapable consequences of defying the natural order.

Echoes of the infinite

A crew aboard a space station discovers a mysterious object that defies all known laws of physics. As they investigate, they find themselves caught in a loop where time and reality shift with every decision. Memories blur, and alternate versions of themselves appear, each with a warning. They must find a way to break free from the cycle or face eternal imprisonment in the fractured realities of the infinite. A high-concept, mind-bending space thriller.

The harbinger

A deep-space outpost intercepts a mysterious signal from outside the galaxy, warning of an ancient entity called the Harbinger. As the crew decodes the message, they unwittingly trigger its arrival, unleashing a cosmic force that threatens to consume all of reality. With time running out, they must find a way to stop the Harbinger or face annihilation. A gripping tale of cosmic horror and the terrifying unknown lurking in the depths of space.

The clone who cried wolf

A corporate scientist creates a series of clones for experimentation, only for one of them to rebel and claim it's being hunted. But as the clone’s erratic behavior escalates, it becomes difficult to tell whether it's lying or if a true danger exists. With tension mounting, the story takes an unexpected turn when the truth about the clone’s claims is revealed. A darkly humorous, sci-fi twist on the classic tale of deception.

The last signal

An isolated outpost on the edge of space intercepts a signal from beyond the galaxy, sparking a chain of events that leads to the awakening of an ancient cosmic entity. As the crew scrambles to decipher the message and understand its implications, they realize they’ve triggered something far worse than they could have imagined. With the fate of the universe in the balance, they must confront their darkest fears before the signal becomes their last. A chilling sci-fi tale of doom and discovery.

The Maiden Voyage of the Aurelia Skelbador

The sea was a living thing on Skelbador. An endless, blue-green expanse that held entire civilizations afloat, its tides shaped lives, and its tempests shaped legends. On that morning, a hush fell over the floating harbors of Kalven Reach as the newest jewel of human engineering prepared to depart.

The cruise liner Aurelia Skelbador—the largest vessel ever assembled on this world of water—gleamed like a shard of starlight. Its hull, a sleek lattice of silver alloys, rose above the docks with effortless grace, while its decks, wide as city boulevards, promised the comforts of palaces.