Imaginings set loose.
We Found a Kind of Vine
by Kevin Rabas — The last testament of a race lives on, within a plant's genetic code.
Etilatep
by Katharyn Howd Machan — Alone on a strange world, she laments the loss of all she knew, to a goddess who may not hear her plea.
The Great Silence (Sonnet for SETI)
by Geoffrey A. Landis — We strain to listen to the stars but hear only silence.
String Theory
by John Philip Johnson — A meditation on possible worlds that are the dreams of other worlds.
Silent Spirit
by Kenny A. Chaffin — An ode to the rover, no longer sending messages from Mars.
Racing the Moon and the Hill that Burned the World
by Adrian Simmons — Gamma's world burned when the strange two-legged creatures made first contact. Now his people must adapt or be destroyed by their fellow natives.
Branches on My Back, Sparrows in My Ear
by Nikki J. North — Sub-q ink gives most of humanity full-time access to the world datastream. When one woman finally gets what everyone else takes for granted, she may find the cost is too high.
The Agreement
by Adria Laycraft — A clone struggles to find her place in the world while living in the shadow — and service — of her Original. Will breaking The Agreement mean freedom or death?
Colorless Green Ideas
by Shaenon K. Garrity — The death of an alien exchange student may mean the end of peaceful coexistence on Earth unless one teacher can decipher the aliens' linguistic nonsense and find a way to bridge the communication gap.
Native
by Eric Cline — A veterinarian confronts his native heritage when dealing with a trapped wild Grandee, better known to the public as a Bigfoot.