Greetings, flash fictioneering friends, and welcome to Microcosms 185!
Before we get into the prompt, we have some changes for you this year! Here’s a brief rundown (details can be found on our FAQs page):
- Weekly contest runs Sunday – Saturday.
- Community pick winner(s).
- We also have a default spinner you can use now if you don’t like the prompt(s) offered. Enter as many times as you like!
- We’re now using the Pacific Time
Remember:
- You have ONE WEEK (Sunday – Saturday, midnight – midnight) Los Angeles Time (PST/PDT) to submit your masterpiece.
- All submissions must be no more than 300 words in length (excluding the title and other header info)
- NO FAN-FICTION, please, and NO USE of COPYRIGHT CHARACTERS for this contest.
- Include: word count, the THREE elements you’re using AND a title for your entry
- If you are new to Microcosms, please check out the full submissions guidelines on our FAQs page.
Please use the following format when submitting your entries (feel free to copy/paste and edit or save a copy of the Google Doc linked below):
My Amazing Story Title
XXX words
Element / Element / Element
My Preferred Name
Optional: website or social media link 1 (please include full URL)
Optional: website or social media link 2 (please include full URL)
Optional: Yes, I am open to derivative works, including audio productions. Please contact me via one of the above channels for more information. /// OR /// No, I am not open to derivative works at this time, thank you.
***
My amazing story content goes here.
You can use HTML to add a link. Example:
<a href="https://twitter.com/MicrocosmsFic">https://twitter.com/MicrocosmsFic</a>
Please kindly use this format, then copy/paste your response as a comment on this post. (It’s totally fine to be creative with the “words” part, like “253 ripe bananas”, as we’ve seen some people do in the past.) Not using this format with NOT disqualify you. But it will help us out if you do use it.
We have prepared a free and easy-to-use, pre-formatted document in Google Docs to help simplify things. Just save your own copy and then replace the content with your own. (Sometimes, adding links will get your comment flagged by the spam filter. If you think that happened, please contact us for assistance.)
Decided to go random again. Enjoy!
I’d like to see more votes on Microcosms 183 before announcing a winner. Okay, go read and like your favorites!
Don’t forget to vote for your favorites from last week and this week, too. All being well, MC 184 Community Pick(s) will be announced at the end of the week.
Happy writing!
KM
(If YOU have an idea for a future contest and would like to be a guest host, please contact us.)
Our contest this week begins with THREE things: character, location/setting, and genre/style.
We spun, and our three elements are:
Zookeeper / Alien Planet / Fantasy
Should be interesting!
Write a story using those OR feel free to click on the “Spin!” button below, and the slot machine will come up with a new set – character, location and genre. You can keep clicking until you have a set of elements that inspires you. (Don’t like any of these? Try our default spinner.)
- Mermaid
- Roller Skater
- Geisha
- Horticulturist
- Dog Groomer
- Funeral Director
- Zookeeper
- Alien
- Grotto
- Roller Disco
- Teahouse
- Greenhouse
- Dog Salon
- Funeral Home
- Zoo
- Alien Planet
- Drama
- Romance
- Sci-Fi
- Action
- Fantasy
- Horror
- Poem
- Comedy
We are always and forever in need of assistance. If you have any spare time to help, we will happily accept. Even something as little as 5-10 minutes a week would be amazing. (You have no idea.) To find out how you can help, please visit our volunteers page.
Exhibit E.H.
300 words
Zoo / Alien Planet / Fantasy
A.J. Walker
Twitter/Spoutible: @zevonesque
Website: https://awalker.org
***
Aldiss always struggled with zoos. They pulled him in to quench his constant curiosity, whilst pushing him away with the multitudes held outside of their habitats. He’d seen so many now that he was almost numb to their many shades of negativity. But here he was on Bastion Alpha 5 visiting another one. Hopefully his last. The data leak passed on to him via his contact on the Millennium Earth Station 2.0 looked promising. If it was credible then the lead was his best for decades. He’d been drenched in hope in the early years of his quest, but he tried not to have it these days. He always wanted to just be as methodical and unfeeling as he could.
The two suns over the planet were warming but never too hot at this time of year. The red one was low in the sky barely casting a shadow as its light was drowned out by the yellow star. He flicked side of his glasses to increase the polarisation before getting off the train beside the zoo. It was quiet at opening time, but it would be busy in the coming hours when the holiday makers had risen. He’d skipped breakfast: today it was all about the zoo. Getting it done quickly and methodically.
He followed the path to the enclosures. His heart began to race. The telltale sign of hope afflicting him. It angered him. But as he approached the enclosure he could not control it. Minutes later he’d fainted and was taken in hand by a robot medic. The excitement had run roughshod over his own medical controls. His blood pressure spiking both up and down sending him crashing against the window to the enclosure. His mother, who was among the exhibits of “Earth Humans”, didn’t even notice.
Please ignore this story as I’ve misread the prompt as ‘zoo’ instead of ‘zookeeper.’ I’ll submit an amended or totally new story using the actual required elements; probably tomorrow. My bad.
The prompts are mostly there to inspire, and I think there’s quite a bit of leeway. If you want to submit something else, by all means. More writing is never a bad thing. Lol But I loved your take, and I think you should get a pass on this (if you want).
Love your lobes, man, don’t change it, it still works.
DIAL M FOR MORDA
298 Words
Zookeeper/Alien Planet/Fantasy
Steve Lodge
Twitter: @steveweave71
Instagram: steveweave_cheese
“Greetings, earthling. Welcome to our planet, Morda, a long-time member of the Intergalactic Federation. You should be happy we have abducted you.”
The voice seemed to come from around the echo chamber, but with no obvious point of verbosity.
Raymond Harkin tried to speak. To his ears, it sounded like his mouth had been stuffed with candy floss.
“What’s going on? There has to be some mistake. I am a humble zookeeper and as I look around, I am convinced something is wrong and you must have abducted the wrong person.” Raymond felt consoled in the fact that his body was still where it should be and he could feel every bit of it.
“You couldn’t be wronger.” Replied the voice. “Now time is short. We will have you back in your zoo as soon as you answer one question.”
“One question? You couldn’t have WhatsApped me?” Raymond was growing a pair. He began to think these aliens were moronic and a bit slow witted.
The voice continued. “We have abducted one of each animal from your zoo habitat. They are all here in a holding zone. They seem rather smelly. Now our question is…which one of them can provide us with cheese?”
“What? Cheese? None of them. There’s no cow in the zoo. You get cheese from the milk of a cow. What planet did you say you are from?”
There is silence. Then many voices arguing. More silence.
“Well, it seems we have made a mistake, earthling. We needed some fresh cheese for our musical submission to the Intergalactic Federation Annual Fantasy Singing and Dancing Competition. “FAFFING” it’s called. Morda has never won. We thought this would be our year. Our team would sing and dance while covered in soft cheese. It’s never been done before.”
Willing Spirit and Weak Flesh
297 Words
Zookeeper/Alien Planet/Fantasy
Cay Macres
Instagram: @alienoftheweek
In the peripheral of camera 1 in the oloids’ enclosure, Keeper3ii spotted a human boy. He leaned precariously over the railing. Rolling over the igneous rock below the boy were creatures resembling twisted rubber bands. Barbed skin grabbed the ground as they moved around each other.
“Keep all appendages behind the bar,” Keeper3ii chimed.
Straightening up, the child looked towards the keeper’s speakers, sitting at the top of a surveillance pole. Keeper3ii chuckled to herself. The laugh came out as static.
“Would you like to know more about the oloids?”
“Yes please.”
“Oloids are herd creatures that once grazed the crystal plains of Caza, the planet we’re on. Now they are an animal endangered by human recklessness. You’re just an animal, did you know that?”
The boy shook his head, wide eyes staring down into the enclosure.
“How stupid.”
The boy started to cry. “Mom…”
“How nice it would be to be made of flesh. You humans are quite a waste of yours.”
“Mom!” He ran.
When he returned, his mother held his hand and the park director trailed behind. “I’m so sorry. The keeper won’t bother you anymore.” The director pressed a button on his watch. Keeper3ii’s speakers turned off with a pop.
Annoyed that she couldn’t yell, Keeper3ii receded into her cameras. Her attention turned to the cage holding her favorite animal. Simple light fixtures hung from the ceiling and three of the transparent walls. Keeper3ii dimmed the lights. Something turned them back on. It wasn’t made of flesh either, just energy. Colors danced over the metal floor and beams of light warped into spirals. It was a question. Keeper3ii responded by flickering the fluorescents angrily.
Suddenly, her vision became narrow. All of her informational screens flashed red letters spelling out “AI OUT OF ORDER.”
Dr. Hoopajupian’s Fancy
300 Words
Zookeeper / Alien Planet / Fantasy
Galen Gower
Yes, I am open to derivative works, including audio productions. Please contact me via email if somehow the world has run dry of talent and for some reason requires my contribution, too.
Dr. Hoopajupian emerged into the exhibit from the keeper’s entrance. He was always careful never to reveal too much to the dwellers within, so it was just an unmarked doorway on one of the squat, primitive dwellings they used. As he hurried along, he murmured minor shield incantations. They had already come close to destroying the entire ‘planet’ several times with their ludicrous, backward technologies, so he was always cautious. His crews still needed to perform repairs.
He only manifested in the spectrum they perceived and kept the rest of himself tucked neatly into folds of dreams and imaginings. He couldn’t imagine life unable to manipulate dreamscapes, but he was sure would never develop the necessary power. Their physiology was just too simple.
He’d tried to teach them the Song of Revealing once, but they only kept right on the same temporal path. They couldn’t even feel the universal vibrations! He shivered, but not from the cold. The idea of living your whole life in one linear timestream stirred ancient, nameless fears in his dreammind. He drew his robes closer around him and held the door to the shop for one of the dwellers exiting.
“Thank you,” she said. She walked through with her box balanced in one hand. She had a paper cup of the steaming brown goop they all loved in her other hand. Dr. Hoopajupian nodded amiably and entered. He’d learned some of their silly, rudimentary languages, but it made his dugongs sore for several dreams afterward when he spoke them. He stood with the dwellers and waited, enjoying the scent-dreams floating through the ether around them. After waiting, it was his turn to order.
“I’d like an assorted dozen, please,” he said carefully. Despite all their savage ignorance, humans made delicious donuts. “Wait… two dozen, please.”
The Last Zoo
300 words
Zoo Keeper / Alien Planet / Fantasy
A.J. Walker
Twitter/Spoutible: @zevonesque
Website: https://awalker.org
***
Aldiss always struggled with zoos. They pulled him in to quench his constant need, his hope, whilst pushing him away with the sadness of the multitudes held in their basic or sometimes pretty prison cells. He’d seen so many now that he was almost numb to it. Now he was on Bastion Alpha 5 visiting another one. Hopefully his last. The data leak passed on to him via his contact on the Millennium Earth Station 2.0 looked promising. If it was credible then the lead was his best for decades. He’d been drenched in hope in the early years of his quest. He tried not to have it these days, attempting to be as methodical and unfeeling as possible.
On his first night on the planet he met Xeya, the former Bastion zoo keeper, at the hotel bar. She slowly overcame Aldiss’s scepticism with wads of detailed records – even images – she’d kept over her years looking after the animals. He felt she was sincere – and sorry.
After a sleepless night he’d skipped breakfast: today it was all about the zoo. Getting it done quickly and methodically. It was quiet at opening time, but it would soon be busy once the holiday makers had risen.
He followed the path to the enclosures Xeya had told him about, his heart racing. The telltale sign of hope afflicting him. It angered him, he tried to suppress it. As he approached the enclosure he could not control it though. Minutes later he fainted. He was soon under the care of robot medics. The excitement had run roughshod over his own medical controls. His blood pressure spiking up and down. It sent him crashing against the thick window to the enclosure. His mother, who was below him among the “Earth Humans” exhibit, didn’t even notice.
The Best Part of Waking Up, Is Aura in Your Cup
300 words
Zookeeper / Alien Planet / Fantasy
Deanna Salser
https://www.facebook.com/Beadanna777/
https://beadanna777.wixsite.com/procreation
Optional: I am open to derivative works, including audio productions. Please contact me via one of the above channels for more information.
***
Zhao flicked the wheel of his flint spinner, producing sparks. He held it over the nozzle of his incinerate and adjusted the resultant flame. He rather enjoyed this primitive waking ritual. It was more satisfying than the one he had grown up with. On his planet, it involved brewing and consuming a dark liquid called coffee. Here, the natives vaporized and inhaled drops of sap from a plant they called, Aura. Which in their linguistic meant, ‘Light of life’. It had taken him years of observing to learn ways he knew he would never truly comprehend from his alien perspective.
The other life forms here were perplexing, as well. But he was accustomed to their varying ebb and flow just as he was accustomed to two suns and only three hours of darkness every night. He had been Custodian here longer than he’d been anywhere else and was beginning to think in their language. He stretched his hands over his keyboard, noticing how it grew more difficult every day to type out his reports. His attention slipped back to his monitors as he aimed his fire at a shimmering globule. If he weren’t so different, he would have joined them already. But even after all these years, he still felt foreign in their presence. They were like fireflies, fragile and ethereal, flickering from boson to boson like magic as they shared their light with their other halves. All the beings here were plural while he was the only one solitary. Made him stand out. So he stayed mostly up here in his decaying orbit, watching, making sure there was balance, and managing the occasional incursion of tourists as they captured their holographs from the safety of the floating bubbles of oxygen that hovered above the fractured landscape like bloated clouds.