“Worlds Apart”
By Stephen Signor
Hot asphalt and lava rain down like confetti. Once again the crust of Planet He-157 has given in to the forces that lie
beneath. In the distance the two ancient suns are rising. So too has the last and only remaining resident of this god-
forsaken world; a n android.
Blagors (Biochemical-Logical-and-Geographical-Operating-Reconnaissance-System) eyes snap open and widen
like zoom lenses. The tremors had initiated a sequence of responses raising him from his rested state. An outer
electromagnetic membrane also responds and flexes with his every move. From his 40-story window only a plume of
smoke can be seen in the distance.
According to history this occurrence will repeat itself until the fissure reaches the city. There is no time for logic. A
small cube measuring 3 foot square must be spared. Before the android can safely place the cube in an escape
pod a second eruption releases the cube from his grip, propelling it through the window to the jagged surface below.
Amazingly it rolls, bounces, comes to rest without damage.
With a consecutive third and forth eruption the planets crust begins to open wider. This world has an insatiable
hunger, swallowing everything as far as the eye can see. Today it will feed for the last time. The building begins to
shake and Blagors knows that it won’t be long before the gyros that maintain his balance fail. All other critical
systems will soon follow.
Without hesitation he heads for the only other means of escape. A second pod had been installed by Blagors
himself. A precautionary measure instilled by his human counter-parts. But it is too late. The floor beneath his feet
begins to crumble and the building collapses around him. Within seconds there is no evidence it ever existed.
Beneath the haze and smoke only the cube remains. Opened by the vibration of the last eruption, its contents begin
to spread like a virus. Soon there will be lush forests. Life will once again thrive. Earth will reclaim its rightful name.
By Stephen Signor
Hot asphalt and lava rain down like confetti. Once again the crust of Planet He-157 has given in to the forces that lie
beneath. In the distance the two ancient suns are rising. So too has the last and only remaining resident of this god-
forsaken world; a n android.
Blagors (Biochemical-Logical-and-Geographical-Operating-Reconnaissance-System) eyes snap open and widen
like zoom lenses. The tremors had initiated a sequence of responses raising him from his rested state. An outer
electromagnetic membrane also responds and flexes with his every move. From his 40-story window only a plume of
smoke can be seen in the distance.
According to history this occurrence will repeat itself until the fissure reaches the city. There is no time for logic. A
small cube measuring 3 foot square must be spared. Before the android can safely place the cube in an escape
pod a second eruption releases the cube from his grip, propelling it through the window to the jagged surface below.
Amazingly it rolls, bounces, comes to rest without damage.
With a consecutive third and forth eruption the planets crust begins to open wider. This world has an insatiable
hunger, swallowing everything as far as the eye can see. Today it will feed for the last time. The building begins to
shake and Blagors knows that it won’t be long before the gyros that maintain his balance fail. All other critical
systems will soon follow.
Without hesitation he heads for the only other means of escape. A second pod had been installed by Blagors
himself. A precautionary measure instilled by his human counter-parts. But it is too late. The floor beneath his feet
begins to crumble and the building collapses around him. Within seconds there is no evidence it ever existed.
Beneath the haze and smoke only the cube remains. Opened by the vibration of the last eruption, its contents begin
to spread like a virus. Soon there will be lush forests. Life will once again thrive. Earth will reclaim its rightful name.
New Hampshire Writers Flash Fiction
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