“Dry Spell” • by Eric Fomley

We hadn’t found an asteroid with Trellite deposits in months. The crew was mutinous. It didn’t take a genius to guess why Reggie, my First Officer, requested we go to the surface of the latest asteroid alone.

We stepped out of the shuttle’s airlock and our gravity boots hummed as they clung to the surface.

I expected Reggie to make a move, but he stared into orbit.

“Oh no,” he said. His voice was faint.

I followed his gaze. Our freighter pivoted, adjusting heading, and disappeared into the dark between the stars.

The crew had marooned us with a short range shuttle on a lifeless rock.

I clenched my teeth. “Hey Reg?”

“Yes Captain?” He turned.

I drew my compact blaster pistol. “Thanks for nothing.”

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Eric Fomley’s stories have been published at Clarkesworld, Daily Science Fiction, and Galaxy’s Edge Magazine. More of his stories can be found on his website ericfomley.com.

You’ll also find a bunch of Eric’s stories here on Stupefying Stories, at this link. Personally, I’d start with “End Program.”

This week’s Pete Wood Challenge was to write a 150-word or less story that includes the line, “Thanks for nothing.” To see the previous winners of previous challenges, click this link.

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Categories: The Pete Wood Challenge