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 →

Kay awoke with a start, wrenched from sleep by the sharp squawking of her morning alarm. Her immediate response to the sudden state of consciousness was to lie there unmoving, brain trying to comprehend what was going on. It succeeded after a moment of work, the reward for which was the realization that she was … Continue reading Trashland Ch.6 →

Kay barely noticed the walk back to her apartment. She knew the route so well by this point that she required only a minimum of conscious thought to navigate it. Turn left here, up three flights until you hear the noisy vent, then down the hall, third door on the right. If you hit the … Continue reading Trashland Ch.5 →

To meet with the King of Bright Hope, one first had to find their way to his throne. This was no simple task as away from the berths, everything descended into a twisting network of hallways, catwalks and maintenance shafts that were technically restricted. Signs were rare, a straight line from point A to B … Continue reading Trashland Ch.4 →