Friday, April 3, 2015

C: Captains Copper Pot- Flash Fiction

turkish coffee pot
photo credit: turkish coffee pot via photopin (license)
The hatch hissed as the seal between the station and the Nebre opened allowing our two new passengers to cross the threshhold.

“Welcome onto the Nebre,” I said. “My name is Perry, I’m the co-pilot. This here is our ship’s doctor, Thorton.”

“Nice to meet you sir, I’m Colin Whithers, this is my wife Lauren.”

By the way she clung to her husbands arm, the man’s wife looked very intimidated by the Nebre. I shook 
Colin’s hand and nodded politely to his wife.

“The Nebre is the safest ship around. She’ll get you to Andromeda in one piece Ma’am.”

A familiar whistling to my left alerted me that my captain was headed this way. Mrs. Whithers gasped as she saw the captain for the first time.

“Is there something wrong with your captain?” She whispered to Dr. Thorton.

“Now why would you think that?” My captain said, gallantly tipping his hat and bowing to his newest guests.

“Well, why are you wearing that on your head sir?” Mrs. Whithers asked pointing to my captain’s hat.

“Ma’am this has been passed down in my family for years.” My captain replied flashing Mrs. Whithers a smooth smile. ““Make yourselves at home, we should be nearing Andromeda in the morning.”

The captain tipped his hat once again and headed back to the front of the ship.


“Did you really have to ask the captain about his ‘choice of headwear’?” Collen asked his wife once they were behind the closed door of their quarters.

Lauren cocked her head at her husband.

“Didn’t you think it was odd!” Lauren asked before placing her suitcase in the corner locker.
Collen shrugged.

“What the man chooses to wear doesn’t bother me.” Collen answered. “What difference does it make?”

“Um, because he might just be nuts and he’s the one flying this ship!” Lauren answered.

Collen shoved his bag in beside his wife’s in the locker before turning to look at her.

“I’m hungry, do you want to go get something to eat?”

Lauren shrugged with a long sigh and a roll of her eyes and followed her husband down to the Galley.

Inside they found an old style kitchen stove and a long wooden table.

“Huh.” Lauren said.

Collen looked through the cabinet above the stove and found a dehydrated bag of beans and franks.
Lauren grabbed a pot from the table, filled it with water and dumped in the beans and franks.
Within minutes the aroma had filled the Galley.

“Wow that smells good! Is there enough for one more?” The captain asked as he entered the room.

“Sure!” Lauren replied, setting the pot onto the table for everyone to enjoy.

“Why are there beans in my hat?” The captain asked eyeing his steaming hat on the table.

“Sir, It’s not a hat its a copper pot!” Lauren objected.


“Oh, I know that!” The captain said with a wink. “The beans should be in our bowls not in my hat!”






Today's post was inspired by the letter C. C is for: Copper Pot  as part of the Blogging from A to Z April 2015 challenge! Click on the letter to join on in the fun!

Every day (excluding sundays) I will be writing a post about something that begins with the letter for that day. Most of the time you will find a sci-fi flash fiction piece here.



This post is ALSO part of the 52 week flash fiction challenge on facebook
Week 2 word prompt: Pot
Word Limit: 20- 500
This one tops out right at 494 words.

For Readers: What other things would you be willing to use a pot for besides cooking? Could you wear one like our eccentric captain here?

Thursday, April 2, 2015

B: Bedtime In Space- Flash Fiction

sleeping bag
photo credit: P1070326 via photopin (license)
The end of a long day, it's finally bedtime, Andrea floated over to her sleeping bag on the side of the space station.

"I'm ready for a good nights sleep!" Jack said, zipping himself into the sleeping bag on the opposite wall.

He was asleep within minutes.
Andrea hung inside her sleeping bag trying to calm her restless mind, trying to get comfortable.

I liked sleeping on my stomach on earth, maybe it would help if I turned towards the wall.

Andrea turned over inside her sleeping bag just to realize that the problem wasn't the way she was turned but more because she didn't have the bed to snuggle onto or the blankets weight around her. They had warned her that the first night could be like this. They had even sent her and Jack with medicine to help them get to sleep.

Mom always told me, if you start down that path you run the risk of always needing pills to get to sleep. But what do I do!

Andrea thought for a few minutes, examining her surroundings. Lights from various control panels blinked softly back at her and a few objects still floated around the room. A pen still tied to it's string had come unvelcroed from its place on the wall, and apparently one of her socks had managed to get left behind when she packed away the day's laundry.

UGH, maybe that's why I can't sleep. Aundrea thought.

She unzipped her sleeping bag and floated over to the pen and sock putting both of them back where they belonged. As she shut the sock back inside the clothes cabinet she suddenly came up with an idea.

Maybe it is the weight of the blankets I am missing which is why I can't get comfortable enough to fall asleep!

Andrea floated up to her clean laundry cabinet and dragged out a few shirts and pairs of cloth pants. She pushed them over to her sleeping bag and zipped herself halfway in. She stuffed her pants and shirts down inside the bag and around the inside of the sleeping bag's hood before zipping the bag back up around her.

AH! Andrea rubbed her face against the shirt balled up beside her head. This is more like it!

Within moments she was fast asleep.

Andrea woke to Jack's laughter the next morning.

"What's all this?"

Andrea looked him over through bleary eyes.

"How did you sleep?" She asked.

"The meds got me to sleep but I kept waking up all night." Jack admitted. "This sleeping in space business is going to take some getting used to."

"Well I may look like the stay puffed marshmellow man, but I slept great last night!" Andrea said with a cheeky smile.

Andrea unzipped her sleeping bag and unleashed all her shirts and pants to float through the cabin as she pushed away from the wall.

"It may look silly but I might just have to try that tonight." Jack laughed.




Today's post was inspired by the letter B. B is for: Bedtime  as part of the Blogging from A to Z April 2015 challenge! Click on the letter to join on in the fun!

Every day (excluding sundays) I will be writing a post about something that begins with the letter for that day. Most of the time you will find a sci-fi flash fiction piece here.





For Readers: What do you do to help you get to sleep in a new environment? 


Here's some fellow bloggers I have visited today:

B is for Book Characters or Blackmyst 

B: Beethoven’s fifth- the meaning behind the music

All Things Geeky

B is for Boxers (no not those kind of boxers)

A is for Aussies


Stop by and leave some encouragement! This blogging challenge can be very daunting!