## Trenchsong The salt spray stung Ardea’s face, a familiar slap across her skin. Below, the submersible *Charybdis* descended into Monterey Canyon, its powerful lights cutting through the perpetual twilight. Her fingers danced across the console, calibrating the hydrophones, each…
## Bloom The nutrient tank pulsed violet. Gleamnships danced across the slick surface, reflecting in Elara’s goggles. Below, a labyrinth of fungal narratives spread like spilled ink across the hydroponic trays. They shifted—a response, she thought, to the encrypted signals…
## Echo Bloom The wind bit at Elias’s cheeks, tasting of rust and damp coal dust. He pulled his parka tighter, the threadbare fabric offering meager defense against the November chill blanketing West Virginia. Above him, the dome of the…
## The Bloom Echo The chipped ceramic mug warmed Leo’s hands, the synth-coffee doing little for the chill that clung to him. Outside the observation dome, the *Artemis VI* shuddered. Not violently, but a low thrum that vibrated through bone.…
## The Stone Speaker The chipped Formica of the kitchen counter felt cold under Leo Maxwell’s elbow. Another Tuesday, another grocery list scrawled in shaky handwriting: milk, eggs, bread, almond flour. His aunt Millie, bless her practical soul, left meticulous…