When the light broke in from a crack in the bunker ceiling, I was not alarmed. I knew it would inevitably come to this, that I could not stay holed up forever. Eventually they would find me. I thought about what this day would be like, off and on, for many years, wondering how it would play out. Would...

Disclaimer: The following material is not advised for those who clicked on this link thinking it was something else. Do not operate heavy machinery or drink hot coffee while reading. Remain seated please; Permanecer sentados por favor. I wasn’t always a proponent of Agile development practices. To...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV , V , VI , VII , VIII , IX , X , XI , XII , XIII , XIV , XV The metal door was now open and large beastly shapes began to emerge from behind it, shadows stacked upon shadows, claws and glimmering teeth. “Too powerful for Myztics.” Quickly, Oetho reached...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV , V , VI , VII , VIII , IX , X , XI , XII , XIII , XIV Before their very eyes the homestead took shape; the forest, the hills and the small babbling brook. The stone took on detail, the field grew a fence. Colors blended into everything; the rich brown soil, the dark...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV , V , VI , VII , VIII , IX , X , XI , XII , XIII Oetho stood dumbfounded. Around him everything seemed fluid and improbable. The zone of grass flowed outward as new blades lifted up. In the distance, he saw shapes, tall columns like crudely drawn trees. Even the ground...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV , V , VI , VII , VIII , IX , X , XI , XII For a long while no one talked. Amana heaved with sobs. Oetho held his eyes closed and tried to concentrate, seeking a solution. He was certain there was something he was missing, some knowledge from his past that could help...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV , V , VI , VII , VIII , IX , X , XI Oetho tried to smile but it was too much effort. Instead, he closed his eyes and fell unconscious, deep into a sound sleep, dreaming of better things. He awoke much later to another scream. His whole body ached, yet he managed to...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV , V , VI , VII , VIII , IX , X “I’m trying,” he said, lifting himself weakly from the ground. “I think there is something I can do.” His voice trembled under the strain. Of course, he had no idea what he could possibly do. Mystical forces...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV , V , VI , VII , VIII , IX The rest was mostly a blur, the memory of the events preceding the nothingness. For a moment, it was soothing; to be at rest, careless, bodiless in a void, no sensations, only his own thoughts, fluid and meaningless. And then it all came back...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV , V , VI , VII , VIII Oetho trembled. The pain in his heart was his only sensation. He allowed the stone to slip from his grip and dangle from the chain. “Alright,” he shouted. “Just let her breathe.” The Ban-Tho smiled. It lessened the grip...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV , V , VI , VII “It’s here,” he shouted. “Forget about the goat. We have to find the stone or we’ll all be dead.” Oetho sprang into action. He pushed crates aside and waded deep into the clutter. At a table near the wall, he toppled...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV , V , VI The Ban-Tho howled in a deep, low rumble. “Si-lenze,” it said with a snarl. “I killed not these ones.” Oetho could easily understand the creature’s speech. He had dealt with many captive Ban-Tho before and so was able to parse...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV , V It stood in the center where most of the clutter had been cleared away. It was tall, eight foot or more. Its black hair, bristled and frayed, ran from its scalp down its back and grew thickly around its thighs. Its bare skin was a deep burgundy and muscled. Its...

Read Parts I , II , III , IV The passage beyond led a short distance to a narrow set of steps rising upward. Light streaked in sparingly from some point higher up where the stairs took a sharp twist to the right. The air stank of molded cheese. “It’s the attic,” Oetho said...

Read Parts I , II , III Amana’s face sagged as she looked up at him. “Where are we?” Oetho had not given it a thought until then. “In my old chambers, I’m sure.” He looked around. Light streaked in through two tall window slits and bled through the fabric...

Read Part I - Read Part II “I had not given up everything,” Oetho said, “and my mind does not easily forget all that I have learned.” He placed the disk into Amana’s palm. “You married a Mystic, my love. My powers have not done much good in my life. Yet, today...

Click here to read Part I Part II Amana pursed her lips. “If not you, then Juxin,” she spat. “Damn, him! What has he done? What have you helped him to do?” Her fingers clawed at his forearms, and her legs buckled in weakness. Oetho leaned into the fence and held...

Oetho rushed out the doorway at the base of the stone tower. His gray hair whipped in the wind and his black cassock snapped. He held his arm up to shield his face, but the wind still bit at his eyes and ears. Wincing, he forced his way across the small courtyard and out the house gate. Amana stood...

Here's another story for you to read instead of getting your work done. The Trap It felt as though my stomach had been pulled up into my throat as the floor dropped away from my feet. The prickling sensation in my skin was a wonder in the brief moment before I realized I was falling. Then my toes...

What happens when a defender of the faith teams up with three notorious thieves? Can anyone be truly honest? Read the Story! Nobody Trusts a Paladin A man stood in the doorway, tall with dark hair and neatly trimmed beard. Nora recognized his shiny plate armor and the emblem of a sword and chalice...

This story comes in answer to a challenge today to explain why trades via mail should be sent quickly. If you are not a collector of miniature wargame figures or an avid player of roleplaying games then you might miss some of the humor. Well, most of it. Okay, it won't make any sense to you at all. Please...

There is actually more to life than writing code. Some of us even have hobbies. It is certainly strange to take on a sport like scuba diving in Seattle, where the water is always dark and cold. It's even stranger to discover an abundance of like-minded computer-geeks doing the same thing. If you've never...

It’s been a long time since I’ve slept in an actual bed and eaten a home cooked meal. I’ve been a derelict, a wanderer, living off the land, so to speak, traveling from town to town; a modern age nomad. I try to be all noble about it, but the truth is that I’ve been cast out of...

What happens when a software moguls wakes up thousands of years into the future? Read the story! Hard Reboot The bitter chill of cryogenic sleep faded as I began to wake. It felt like bits of ice were still clinging to my skin. The surgical table was hard, though comforting. I suspect anything...

This started out as a post, but it soon became evident that it deserved a much more honored placement. I'll be truthful with you all; it's a bit fabricated, but when has that stopped any of you from reading this blog. So, go ahead, read the story! Infinite Monkeys He gestured with his hands...