i-con

An i-con short story which can be read whether or not you are familiar with the story so far. As with all i-con stories, this is meant for adult readers and please be advised that some people may find the contents disturbing...

Quote: "She was the first astronaut from this country to set foot on the moon. Like that’s anything special."

Blurb: Boys and girls come out to play… Well. Just boys, actually. Some play with computers, some play with aerosols. Either way, you know they’re all up to no good. Oh, and this is the end of I-con part one. Tune in next time folks. Part two is where it all actually makes sense. I promise!

Quote: "It's a great big anaesthetic patch to keep you from waking up to the true futility of your life."

Blurb: Fancy a night out? I thought it might be fun to see what's happening at Unity. There’s a couple of bands on. And a guest speaker. And later on, when you're just in the right mood, there’s one hell of a sexy dancer.

Quote: "I’m not talking about a job on a market stall, Trevor. This is your one shot. You won’t get another go."

Blurb: Funny things cars. You can lose your life in them. You can lose your virginity in them. Or you can just watch them pass by. Men love them. Dogs chase them. Little boys throw stones at them. Sometimes the stones are bigger than the boys, and that’s when the fun really starts.

Quote: "My arms are on fire and my mouth tastes like a dance floor."

Blurb: It might not be much, but it’s home. Or at least it’s what they call it. Clara takes a shower while Billy takes a nap. Meanwhile everyone’s favourite blue boy takes the biscuit.

Quote: "What part of either of our lives could ever not be described as pointless?"

Blurb: All back to Reuben’s place, then? Unless you’re a down-and-out dancer, of course. Want to see how the other half live? Exactly which half would that be? Maybe it’s all about marketing; just how innovative are your shoes?

Quote: "She'd brought flowers, which she held awkwardly as if she hadn't really wanted to get caught with them."

Blurb: It must be spring. Cupid has his bow drawn and ready and there are two lovely couples who have no idea what’s about to hit them. Quite literally in one case (Ha ha!)

Quote: "Maggie held my good hand until the first of the sirens fingered their way around the concrete barricades."

Blurb: Billy's fighting for her life, while Troy's just fighting. Cheryl's keeping the half time whistles going, while Maggie's calling for injury time. Everything to play for in a tense ninety minutes. It's a funny old game.

Quote: "Have you ever wanted anything so badly that you were afraid even to ask for it?"

Blurb: Clara is turns down an opportunity to confront her mysterious past, while Troy is making plans to grab the future by the balls. A tenuous link, but at least there is symmetry in the world.

Quote: "I love you. I’m not just talking about a crush. I mean I’d walk into traffic for you."

Blurb: Take one broken hearted dancer, a missing DJ, and a particularly unsavoury neural programmer. Mix liberally. Leave to stew for a few days, and see which one comes out worse. Serve chilled.

Quote: "When an Intelligent Construct becomes so real that it can mimic our emotions in every way, at what point does it become immoral to kill it?"

Blurb: Clara learns some of the basics, while Billy learns more than she bargained for. Hankies at the ready, boys and girls. This one’s a weepie.

Quote: "I’ve just worked out that he can do anything he wants and there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it."

Blurb: It's the morning after the night before and Billy has more than a hangover to deal with. You gotta love that bedside manner! Meanwhile, Clara's enjoying the corporate expense account and is getting to grips with life in the fast lane.

Quote: "The blade fills his world as it finds his chest and starts to poke through his clothes."

Blurb: Meet Craig. He’s with God. He’s trying to do his bit to save the world. And then there are these two other guys. One of them has a knife, the other has an erection. Who do you think will win?

Quote: "It’s missing the big green dinosaur, but otherwise it would make a pretty good disaster movie"

Blurb: Say hello to Clara Jane. Say goodbye to Caddy. People come and go so fast around here. At least Billy’s staying put for a while. Clara’s wondering why she’s so special. Shall we tell her?

Quote: "Wave goodbye to your earthly bonds boys. This is going to be unreal."

Blurb: It’s Saturday morning and look who’s on TV! These celebs are so squeaky clean; you’d never dream they have a murky past. At least, nothing criminal...