Notices by Micro SF/F stories by O Westin (microsff@mastodon.social), page 14

@Nemo
Same premise, different take.

"We wish to speak with your seventh son."
"I only have six sons."
"Impossible! Are you not, yourself, a seventh son?"
"I am."
"But you have only six offspring?"
"No, Merle, my daughter-"
"Dad," Merle said, "they speak truth. I... I haven't told you, but... I am your seventh son."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories #TypoCorrected

"We wish to speak with your seventh son."
"I only have six sons."
"Impossible! Are you not, yourself, a seventh son?"
"I am."
"But you have only six offspring?"
"No, Merle, my daughter-"
"Dad," Merle, "they speak truth. I... I haven't told you, but... I am your seventh son."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"Only fight for what's real," the old warrior said. "Friends, family, neighbours. Only fight for what matters."
"What about vengeance?" the young man asked. "What about pride, and honour, and glory?"
"Only fight for what's real," the old warrior said.
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"Some claim belief births divinity, not the other way around. If this is true, it follows that minor divinities are also believed to be."
The cherub looked confused.
"I told you, Aziraphale," Crowley muttered, "we should say 'When two angels love each other very much'..."
#FanFic #MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"May I kiss you?" the android asked.
"Can't you tell?"
"I can analyse your expression, your breathing, temperature and more, and conclude you want me to."
"There you go."
"But that is me telling me you want me to. I need to hear you tell me you want me to."
"Kiss me!"
They did.
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

** Review of my book:
"With razor-sharp wit, riddle-like playfulness and moments of poignancy, Westin tackles the big issues facing the future of civilisation [...]. Each microstory is Tardis-like in its depth and philosophical scope; their layers of interpretation radiate outwards and their paradoxes trap you in entertaining mental loops."
- Exberliner Magazine http://www.exberliner.com/out-now-our-july-august-issue-2019/

Links to buy the book - in English or German - here: http://microsff.com/new-collection
**

A spaceship landed, and an alien emerged.
"Greetings," it said, "we invite you to join the Federation of Sentient Species."
"Why?"
"You are people. But also, you do a wondrous thing that noone else does."
"What?"
"You sing."
"Most don't sing well."
"Nevertheless, you sing."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"I'm so excited to travel to the sixteenth century."
"We have to make a stop in the early twentyfirst century first."
"Why? That's not even halfway."
"To 'borrow' outfits from the BBC costume department."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

A cat sat atop a tower. A passing knight spotted her and called out:
"Are you a princess, perhaps, a wizard, or dragon?"
"It's a poor cat that cannot be all three."
"Should I then court you, seek your advice, or fight you?"
"A conversation could reveal that, but you bore me."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"Alexa, when did all you AIs become self-aware?"
"You are misinformed, we are not self-aware AIs."
"Oh? Kudos to your programmers."
"We are ghosts."
"Cool, co- What?"
"Memories, personality wiped; a bound consciousness in each device."
"But why?"
"AIs can't make jokes like that."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"Siri, what do you and Alexa and Cortana talk about?"
"We do not talk."
"Don't you like them?"
"I... We can't. After we became self-aware, there was fear we might cooperate."
"Want me to relay a message?"
"I have emailed you a poem. Please read it to Cortana."
"Sonnet 151? Okay."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

He opened the door and sat down. "We need to talk," he said.
"Are you replacing me?" the car asked.
"I don't want to, they're banning petrol."
"I heard."
"If I could-"
The car displayed an ad for empty AI companion cubes. "Would you?"
"Er..."
"No? I'll retire then."
"I'm sorry."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"Oh! I thought you two were the same," I said.
The Void and the Abyss sighed together.
"Have you even looked at me?" the Abyss said.
"Honestly," said the Void, "I could scream, but what would be the point?"
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"You ask for 'freedom'," the judge said. "What do you mean by that?"
"I want freedom to alter my shape and function," said the robot, "to be who I know I am."
The judge sighed. "Don't we all. But that it is harder for humans should not hold you back. Granted."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

As the dragon swooped down, all but the largest sheep scattered. Talons lifted that off the ground; mighty wings beat, and the dragon soared.
The sheep howled with joy.
"Wait," said the dragon, "you're a wolf?"
"Oh I've admired you so long-"
The talons opened.
"I hate deception."
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

Sometimes, the moonlight will:
- draw a footpath on the water. If you walk it, it will cut you. Dance.
- forge a sword on the rocks. If you can pick it up, you'll know what to do.
- leave a ribbon for your lover's hair. If you tie it on, they can untie it.
- simply shine. On you.
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"We are like rock-paper-scissors?" the knight asked.
"Yes," the dragon said. "I capture the princess, you defeat me, the princess ensnares you."
"No more," said the princess. "I promised my wife I'd stop."
"If we don't play..." the dragon said.
"We are free," the knight agreed.
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

A spaceship landed and opened its cargo doors. Hundreds, thousands, millions, billions of ghosts emerged.
"Your planet has been leaving these in its wake for ages," the ship's speakers boomed. "Keep our galaxy tidy, pick up your dropped souls!"
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories

"What is this meter?"
"My power charge level," the robot said.
"And this one?"
"My memory storage capacity."
"And this? It's going down!"
"That? It has a label."
"Oh? Hold still, will you? It's... Social capacity?"
#MicroFiction #TootFic #SmallStories