Kay had never really believed she would die at Sea. She’d known it was a possibility, a likely one at that. The Sea had so many ways to kill even the wariest dredger and Kay had plenty of experience with most of them. And yet, somehow, the idea had never taken root in her mind … Continue reading Trashland Ch.16 →

Kay had never believed in monsters. She’d never had the time nor patience for the old stink’s tales of “unknowable horrors” or “terrible beasts”, all of which were conveniently light on the details. Usually she’d just roll her eyes and walk away. She had plenty of real problems to deal with, thank you very much, … Continue reading Trashland Ch.15 →

The Pacific’s hull shook down to its rivets, the force of the blow throwing Kay from her chair. She struck the floor hard, her chin bouncing off the metal and leaving her lying in a daze, the salty tang of blood coating her tongue. Through the floor, Kay felt as much as heard the impact … Continue reading Trashland Ch.14 →

Jackpot, as it turned out, didn’t do it justice. Every time the claw was dropped into the Sea, it would emerge clutching the kind of treasures that old dredger told stories about. Metals, plastics, glass, machinery of every shape and size. Undamaged computer components with the kind of precision engineering that would cost a fortune … Continue reading Trashland Ch.13 →

The Sea sat calm in the morning gloom. Unusually calm, its surface flat and near still, the churn lapping weakly against the Pacific’s legs. Even the gloom itself seemed thinner than normal, the sunlight notably brighter as it cut through the haze of red and green hanging in the sky. About as close to perfect … Continue reading Trashland Ch.12 →

Even by dredger standards, Oscar tended to get an early start. Before even the early bird crews started to show up, the man could be found aboard the Pacific, tinkering away at some project or another. He preferred it that way, enjoying some peace and quiet before a long day of noise out at Sea. … Continue reading Trashland Ch.11 →

After several hours spent tossing and turning, Kay finally accepted that sleep would not be joining her tonight. Rising from her bed, Kay began pacing back and forth, trying to burn off the nervous every coursing through her. A somewhat doomed effort as the cramped floor space meant she could only make it two strides … Continue reading Trashland Ch.10 →

It was another three days before Kay was finally discharged from the clinic. Allegedly this was to keep her under observation, but she suspected Doc Tom simply wanted the chance to lecture her, repeatably, about workplace health and safety. It hadn’t taken her long to learn how recognize when they were coming. He always stood … Continue reading Trashland Ch.9 →

“Get up lazybones, you’re burning daylight!” Kay grunted in annoyance, wrapping herself tighter in her blankets. She didn’t much care what she was doing with the daylight, being more concerned with staying in the nice warm bed. She had just about managed to fall back to sleep when the voice called again, joined by a … Continue reading Trashland Ch.8 →

Several thoughts ran through Kay’s head as the explosion rang throughout the ship. First, and loudest, was panic as the entire pilothouse violently shuddered around her. It was a deeply instinctual reaction, the old fight-flight response that had been keeping human alive for centuries. Such a response was not helpful to her current situation however … Continue reading Trashland Ch.7 →