I would be staring past the characters at the painted background. Faraway hills and tall summer trees against a wide horizon. What was there?

You won't find me on any map either. I, too, have been buried, not by Tarmac and sand, but by time and indifference.

Through clouds of smoke, his blue eyes examined the ladies and gentlemen in front of him. They all looked hard at work, and he smiled at their naiveness, then chuckled, which turned into a coughing fit.

With her degrees in neuroscience and engineering, and her specializations in prosthetics and robotics, she was more than capable of producing a pair of mechanical ears that would replicate the abilities of true human ones.

If we had any hope of returning with even a shred of sanity, we’d need to try as best we could to keep a solid sleep schedule.

When Yoana Hernandez decided to become a psychiatrist she never imagined one day her patients would be artificial intelligence.

And the last time he’d feel his heart thumping, which it was doing in spades. From dread? Excitement? Both, he supposed. Like a bungee jumper. Yes, the ultimate jump. Down, down, down, then up forever. A phoenix from the ashes.

“I know.” He gently brushed the hair from her face. “It’s a nice dream, but it’s not me.”

They wanted to believe. And they certainly weren’t going to deny their son every advantage for his future.

Ed slammed through the front door and looked wildly around the tavern. “Quick! What year is this?”