Science Fiction Short Stories (Once Apart of Wattpad's SmackDown Competition)

1.0 ~ Nothing Is Ever As It Seems

Prompts From"ScFi Competitions and Challenges" book on Wattpad's ScienceFiction Profile

Qualifying Prompt:

"We're remaking the world, Frank. I don't know why you can't get your head around the fact this is a good thing. We're doing this for everyone. For us, for our ancestors and for our kids.     

"We're remaking the world the way it should've always been and don't worry, Frank, I feel kinda' bad for the people who've gotta' die to make it all possible, too. It's not just you carrying that weight, it's every single one of us. But we all knew what we were signing up for, we all knew there was gonna' be blood on our hands. All of us, each and every single one of us, knew we were gonna' carry the trauma of committing genocide to our graves.     

"And you know what, Frank? I'm all right with that. There's plenty enough inhibitors for me to be able to say I honestly don't give a damn about anyone I've killed an' those who're still to meet their end at my hand.     

"Do I know what I'm doing is murder? Sure, 'course I do. I'm not an idiot, Frank. There's no denying that we're bad, bad boys an' girls. There ain't even a circle of Hell for what we're guilty of.     

"Thing is, Frank, it's the way it's gotta' be. Come the twenty-first century, FUBAR ain't even gonna' come close to cutting it with regard to the state of the world an' you know that just as well as I do. That's why you're here, same as me an' same as every bloody grunt who signed on for this gig.     

We all know, Frank, that the only way to save the world is to make sure that by the time the twenty-first century rolls around, though a lot earlier would be a lot bloody better, Earth ain't the only planet we've got an' we do that by going back a hundred thousand years an' carrying on developing our technology.     

"Masters reckons that within a few generations we'll have colonised the Inner Solar System. Mercury, Venus, Mars, the Asteroid Belt... They'll all be ours and there'll be no need pillage the resources of any of 'em. That's his best guess, anyways.     

"Ain't gonna' make any difference to you an' I of course, Frank. I mean it ain't like we're gonna' be around to see that. You an' me an' every other screw-up here, we ain't gonna' live that long. We'll be long gone, dead an' buried with trees planted an' park benches erected in our honour.     

"See, Frank... Future generations are gonna' see us as heroes. Us; lads an' lassies like you an' me. It'll take time but soon enough our grandkids' grandkids' grandkids'll forget all about the atrocities we gon' done to give 'em a fightin' chance an' they'll immortalise us, Frank, I guarantee it.     

"Don't you wanna' be immortalised, Frank? Don't you wanna' die knowin' your name's right up there with the names we remember? Don't you wanna' live forever, Frank?"     

"Nope," the man replied, his expression exactly the same stoic, disinterested expression it had been since his incarceration thirty-six hours prior.      "Nope? That's all you gotta' say for yourself?"     

"Depends," said Frank, flatly. "What time is it?"     

"Almost three. Why? What's that got to do with anything? You got somewhere to be, Frank?"     

Nah." Frank smiled. Doing so felt unnatural after hardly changing the alignment of his facial muscles for several hours. "Just that you're right about one thing, Davey boy."     

"And what's that, Frank? What's the one thing I'm right about?"     

"You and me, we ain't gonna' be 'round for none of it." He stared deep into the other man's eyes, perhaps searching for a flicker that would allude to there being remnants of some level of humanity, but Frank saw nothing except the darkened, empty soul of the man for whose children he was Godfather.     

"Oh and one more thing, Dave."     

"What's that, Frank?"     

"Frank grinned, inhaling slowly and deeply before he replied and when he did so, he ensured eye contact with Dave was maintained...

End of Qualifying Prompt

"Remember that time when you an' the group found me on the streets back at Tandra?" Frank remarked.

"Like it were yesterday." Dave nodded.

"An' you told me that nothing is ever as it seems?"

"You're not making any sense Frank," Dave stammered.

In that same instant, however, Dave's thoughts had been interrupted by a sudden slur on Frank's Walkie-talky.

The two men sat for a moment in silence as the audible sound from the speaker filled the room.

Dave listened in horror as frank's grin widened.

"We're clear to engage, I repeat we are clear to engage," came a voice over the intercom. Soon after the speaker filled with yelling and gunfire.

There from just outside the room, those same gunshots could be heard.

In his realizations wake, Dave immediately went for the door yet he was all too late as the door had already been sealed shut from the outside.

The shouting and gunfire persisted.

"What've you done?" Dave uttered as a panicked expression quickly swept over his face entirely. "Those are your brothers and sisters out there an' you'd just sit there an' listen as they die in vein? It's not just em' your killing, its every last one of us, our entire existence!"

"But you see Dave, that's exactly where your wrong, because you of anyone should know that nothing is ever as it seems."

In a storm of anger, Dave abruptly charged at Frank with all his might but soon came to a forced stop when he was met with the end of a barrel stemming from Franks quick hand.

"You betray your own people!?"

Frank laughed, "You know its quite clever how you make yourselves out to look like us, act like us, and talk like us, yet we both know very well that you're most definitely not us."

Dave's eyes widened, "Dirty human! I knew I shouldn't have trusted the looks of you!" Dave spat.

"I just don't understand why you'd sign the peace treaty with us, allowing us to colonize the planets of our solar system an' allow you to pillage their resources, just to turn around and try to eliminate our entire race by going back before the treaty."

"After the treaty, our planet started dying and no amount of resources could stop that. Our ancestors were weak an' stupid for signing that treaty an' you know very well the only way our race can survive is by colonizing your solar system."

Frank grinned, "Well, its too bad that by the time the twenty-first century comes round', we'll have already found the rest of ya. But I do have to say Dave, it almost worked. My grandkid's grandkid's grandkid's will forget all about the atrocities I gon' done just to give em' a fighting chance."

Dave glared intensely at Frank until furiously charging at him one last time, but the bullet had already been released, penetrating his skull.

"Too bad you ain't gonna be around for none of it."