The Book of Apex: Volume 2

346 Pages·2011·1.29 MB·English

by  Sizemore Jason

THE BOOK OF APEX:
VOLUME 2 OF APEX MAGAZINE

EDITED BY
JASON SIZEMORE
Also from Apex Publications:
The Book of Apex: Volume 1 of Apex Magazine
The Book of Apex: Volume 3 of Apex Magazine
Visit us at:

http://www.apexbookcompany.com/apex-online

This collection is a work of fiction. All the characters and
events portrayed in these stories are either fictitious or are
used fictitiously.

The Book of Apex: Volume 2 of Apex Magazine

Cover design by Justin Stewart “She Called Me Sweetie,” ©
2009, Glenn Lewis Gillette; “...That Has Such People in It,” ©
2009, Jennifer Pelland; “Pimp My Airship,” © 2009, Maurice
Broaddus; “Kenny 149,” © 2009, Brad Becraft; “Advertising at
the End of the World,” © 2009, Keffy R.M. Kehli; “Fungal
Gardens,” © 2009, Ekaterina Sedia; “Ghost Technology from
the Sun,” © 2009, Paul Jessup; “A Poor Man’s Roses,” © 2009,
Alethea Kontis; “To Dream of Stars: An Astronomer’s Lament,”
© 2009, Peter M. Ball; “Benjamin Schneider’s Little Greys,” ©
2009, Nir Yaniv; “After the Fire,” © 2009, Aliette de Bodard;
“Overclocking,” © 2009, James L. Sutter; “59 Beads,” © 2009,
Rochita Loenen-Ruiz; “Wondrous Days,” © 2010, Genevieve
Valentine; “White Christmas,” © 2010, James F. Reilly; “The
Lady or the Tider,” © 2010, J.M. McDermott; “p.a. chic,” ©
2010, Tobias Amadon Bengelsdorf; “Beyond the Garden Close,”
© 2010, Mary Robinette Kowal; “The Bride Replete,” © 2010,
Mary Robinette Kowal; “Dying with Her Cheer Pants on,” ©
2010, Seanan McGuire; “Seafoam,” © 2010, Mark Henry; “The
Last Stand of the Ant Maker,” © 2010, Paul Jessup; “City of
Refuge,” © 2010, Jerry Gordon; “Sol Asleep,” © 2010, Naomi
Libicki; “Laika’s Dream,” © 2010, Holly Hight; “Artifact,” ©
2010, Peter Atwood; “Shrödinger’s Pussy,” © 2010, Terra
LeMay;
All rights reserved
Copyright 2011 Apex Publications and respective authors
Apex Publications, LLC
www.apexbookcompany.com
For Glenn Lewis Gillette
TABLE OF CONTENTS

She Called Me Sweetie
Glenn Lewis Gillette

...That Has Such People in It
Jennifer Pelland

Pimp My Airship
Maurice Broaddus

Kenny 149
Brad Becraft

Advertising at the End of the World
Keffy R.M. Kehrli

Fungal Gardens
Ekaterina Sedia

Ghost Technology from the Sun
Paul Jessup

A Poor Man’s Roses
Alethea Kontis

To Dream of Stars: An Astronomer’s Lament
Peter M. Ball

Benjamin Schneider’s Little Greys
Nir Yaniv

After the Fire
Aliette de Bodard
Overclocking
James L. Sutter

59 Beads
Rochita Loenen-Ruiz

Wondrous Days
Genevieve Valentine

White Christmas
James F. Reilly

The Lady or the Tiger
J.M. McDermott

p.a. chic
Tobias Amadon Bengelsdorf

Beyond the Garden Close
Mary Robinette Kowal

The Bride Replete
Mary Robinette Kowal

Dying with Her Cheer Pants On
Seanan McGuire

Seafoam
Mark Henry

The Last Stand of the Ant Maker
Paul Jessup

City of Refuge
Jerry L. Gordon
Sol Asleep
Naomi Libicki

Laika’s Dream
Holly Hight

Artifact
Peter Atwood

Shrödinger’s Pussy
Terra LeMay

Bios

Acknowledgments
SHE CALLED ME SWEETIE
Glenn Lewis Gillette

My throat clogging. My nose running. My eyes stinging with
tears. I track down R in our game room. He’s playing
backgammon with O. He rolls his eyes, gaze panning up from
the board to me. “What now?”
I want to cry, It’s not fair! But I stick to the facts, the ones
affecting the other boys in the room—The Rest, I call them. A
few peek over at my sniveling. I wipe my nose with the back of
my hand and stand straight to report: “Mrs. Ma’am says no
more evenings with Mommy.”
That gets them. Heads snap up or around from all the game
boards. The clock over the mantel chimes twice for 7:30 p.m.—I
should be sitting with Mommy! Laughing with Mommy!
Reading to her!
R stands and towers over me. A couple sudden inches in the
past months. Will that happen to me? Am I different enough to
resist that?
“Tell us,” he says.
The clock spits out more clicks, as I grab a breath.
“On, on—” Even more air. “On my way to Mommy’s sitting
room.” Out of our wing of Gilchrist Manor into the Central Hall.
Along the walkway at the top of the Grand Staircase. “Right by
the Crimson Knight.” Dumpy old suit of armor with a red crest
on its helmet. “She stopped me. Mrs. Ma’am.” Our teacher, 8
a.m. to 2 p.m. every day, when Mr. Sir took over in the gym.
“She said…” I struggled to get the words right, though I can’t
do her voice like Y can. “Evening visits with Mommy have been
cancelled for the time being. You will keep the afternoon
schedule. Tell the others. Run along now.” Run along now, like
I was still five, like O2! I hated her for that, in that moment but,
of course, that hadn’t lasted as I returned to our part of the
Manor. Mrs. Ma’am treats each of us too nicely to stay mad at