Deep Sky Anchor

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in Commander Annie and Other Adventures, November 2023

[Part 1 2 3 4 5 6]

The Checkerboard Ultrarocket shot through the hyperspace portals linking Zorpa II’s location in the universe back to the Milky Way galaxy, the terran solar system, and finally Earth.  The greens of Earth’s continents looked richer and the blues more regal compared to the faded shades of Zorpa II’s honeydew green oceans.  Earth is a beautiful world, and all worlds are like gemstones set in the black backdrop of space.  Even dusty, rocky asteroids and icy hunks of comet, hurtling aimlessly through space, are the bits of gravitational color that make the universe complicated and exciting. Continue reading “Commander Annie – Part 6”

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in Commander Annie and Other Adventures, November 2023

[Part 1 2 3 4 5 6]

“Can I show you something?” Ootel asked, standing up from the bed and stepping toward the closet.  “I’ve been building something too…  Not a spaceship, but I had hoped it would let me travel to other worlds.”

Ootel scooped a bunch of the clothing off of the floor of the closet and dumped it in the corner of their room; then they kicked a few of the remaining robes out with their hind hooves.  Once the closet was clear enough for both of them inside, Annie followed them in.  Ootel pushed aside the hanging clothes, and behind them, Annie saw the two of them reflected in an oval mirror.  A green bipedal giraffe standing beside a human girl, both of them wearing simple, practical clothing.  Annie smiled.  She knew that Callie thought their space helmets looked goofy, but she loved how she looked in a bright red bicycle helmet.  Space helmets are cool. Continue reading “Commander Annie – Part 5”

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in Commander Annie and Other Adventures, November 2023

[Part 1 2 3 4 5 6]

Annie resisted the temptation to explore the rooms more thoroughly and simply scanned each of them from their color-coded doors to see if her Roomba was inside.  Though when she came to the topaz paneled room, it seemed to be a pantry of some sort, filled with objects that her scans suggested were edible.  She grabbed a few handfuls of brightly colored blobs wrapped in some kind of foil paper.  They looked like candy, and she stuffed them in her shorts pockets and the empty spaces in her backpack.  She couldn’t turn down sustenance.  She might need it later.  At least, that’s what she told herself, but truly, after the deliciousness of the baby’s chocolate cake, she simply couldn’t resist stealing this alien candy. Continue reading “Commander Annie – Part 4”

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in Commander Annie and Other Adventures, November 2023

[Part 1 2 3 4 5 6]

The more Annie thought about knocking on that door, the more she pictured the total chaos that would ensue if one of the alien creature’s she’d met on her journeys had shown up on her own doorstep.  Her parents would have freaked.  They didn’t like a harmless little garter snake; if they met an actual alien from another planet, they’d call the police or beat it away with a rake.  Something horrible. Continue reading “Commander Annie – Part 3”

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in Commander Annie and Other Adventures, November 2023

[Part 1 2 3 4 5 6]

Annie grabbed her backpack from the far side of the pile of sleeping bags, slung it over one shoulder, and went out the back door, carefully avoiding the entertainment room where Doris and Ryan were doing their puzzle.

Outside the air was crisp; a breeze had come up and blown the earlier heat away.  The stars looked bright.  Beaming.  Calling to her. Continue reading “Commander Annie – Part 2”

by Mary E. Lowd

Originally published in Commander Annie and Other Adventures, November 2023

[Part 1 2 3 4 5 6]

The Checkerboard Ultrarocket cruised through the upper atmosphere of Zorpa II.  Commander Annie sat cross-legged in the cramped cockpit of her tiny, homemade spaceship and watched the enticing purple deserts and pale green oceans glide by.  After her first aborted attempt, she’d never had the courage to land on Zorpa II alone.  She’d been waiting all summer for Captain Callie to have time to join her, but Callie had been busy with a summer math class her mother was making her take. Continue reading “Commander Annie – Part 1”