"Music From Below" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

In the beginning, Geology Professor Michael Abrams thought the message was a joke. An old friend sent him an email about a story from Arizona.

Apparently, a worker described hearing music at the bottom of a Copper mine. The mining company did an investigation and could find no logical reason for the sounds in the mine. Abrams did a little investigating himself and found out the story was true, although the cause of the "music" could be any number of things.

After all of his classes were over, Abrams decided to contact the mining company. The mining company agreed to let him look into the mystery.The weekend was coming up and it would be a nice change from the routine.Michael  arrived in Phoenix on Saturday morning and after checking in to his hotel he rented a car and drove the 50 miles to the mine.

The mine administration gave him a tour of the grounds and Michael did not find anything geologically unusual about the site. Abrams then asked if he could go down in the mine to hear the sounds himself. The management was a little reluctant, but after he signed a safety release, they decided to let him go.

Michael, the mine foreman, and a couple of workers entered an  elevator  that slowly descended into the depths of the mine. After the mine stopped, the group traveled along a lighted corridor for about half and hour until they reached their destination.

The mine shaft where the music was first heard ended in a pile of large rocks. For several minutes, Michael heard nothing and then it started. The sounds emanating from beyond the rocks were unlike anything that he had ever heard  before and he hit the button on a tape recorder. Michael once and for all dismissed the idea  that there  might be a natural explanation for the phenomenon. The beauty and complexity of the  music  suggested a composer.

When the group returned to the surface, Michael went to talk to the site manager and tried to convince him to let Michael explore the mine shaft further. The manager was reluctant to allow any more exploring, but relented after Michael suggested that it could bring some favorable publicity to the mining company.

Professor Abrams spent the next several weeks preparing for the exploration of the mine shaft. He recruited several of his best students as helpers and compiled the latest scientific and safety equipment.

Before the group left for Phoenix, Michael received a message from the mining company that the rocks had been cleared away and there was now a visible tunnel at the end of the mine shaft where the music was first heard.

Michael was excited as a little kid when he and his students descended into the mine. Professor Abrams was the first one through the newly uncovered tunnel. The music was louder now and he eagerly followed the sound.

After about half and hour, the tunnel widened into a large cavern. The music was much louder now and Michael could feel that they were getting close to the source.

The cavern ended in another tunnel and Michael and his group cautiously followed the tunnel. Whatever was making the music was right up ahead. 

The tunnel led to another large cavern, but this one was occupied. Michael and the student's lights exposed some kind of musical instrument that occupied half the cavern. Several colorless humanoids were "playing" the huge instrument. The lights from Michael and the others startled the creatures.

They left the instrument and cowered in a corner of the cavern. Michael tried to tell them not to be afraid with gestures and a quiet voice, but it did no good.

 Suddenly, The ceiling of the cave shimmered and cracked. Tiny pieces began to fall. Michael and his group backed away while the cave disintegrated in front of them.  Even while he was watching the destruction, Michael realized that it was the explorer's presence that triggered the catastrophe. The New World was gone. 

"The Drone" a short stotry by Craig Zimmerman

Julie noticed the drone as she was leaving her Political Science class. The machine hovered slightly above an old Oak tree and seemed to be staring at her. She quickly began walking away from campus and tried to forget the  hovering device.

Julie's felt better after she left the campus. Drones were becoming somewhat commonplace, but they still gave her the creeps. One never knew who was guiding the thing and perhaps secretly spying on you.

When Julie was about halfway home, she looked back and saw the same drone from campus quietly hovering behind her. Out of frustration, Julie raised her middle finger at the machine and hurried on. It was probably just some frat jerks from college, but the machine was starting to frighten her.

Julie decided to take a slight detour from her usual route and ducked into a mini-mart. For about twenty minutes, she went up and down every aisle and finally purchased a candy bar that she really didn't want.

As Julie exited the store she immediately looked around her. The drone seemed to be gone.Julie resumed her original route and laughed about the whole thing.

Several minutes later, Julie heard a small sound and turned to see the drone right behind her. In a panic, she began to run. Eventually Julie ran into a small neighborhood park. For a moment, she thought that she had lost the thing, but the drone re-appeared directly in front of her.

Julie began yelling at the device. In answer, a small compartment in the bottom of the drone opened and a box dropped to the ground. For the first time, a human voice came from the drone: "Congratulations, you are the winner of a free pizza from Todd's Pizza Parlor."

Book Review- "Death Be Not Proud" by John Gunther

Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther is the chronicle of the fatal illness of his son Johnny Gunther. The story takes place in the late 1940s when teen-age Johnny is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

At the time little was known about the treatment of cancer and Johnny was subjected to a number of experimental treatments and surgeries.But through it all ,young Johnny showed amazing courage and humor.

At one point, it appeared that the tumor had gone into complete remission, but sadly it came back and Johnny Gunther died at the age of 17.

Death Be Not Proud is well-worth reading in that it shows how far we have come in the treatment of cancer and as a memorial for a remarkable young man who exhibited tremendous grace and bravery in the face of a terrifying disease.

"The Bookstore" a short story by Craig Zimmerman.

The Bookstore was located in a dark corner of the city. Benjamin had been going  to the shop for about half of his twenty years and it had become a part of his regular routine.

As he entered the shop, the old man behind the counter barely acknowledged him. As usual the shop was empty. Benjamin often wondered how they managed to stay in business.

Benjamin immediately went to the shelves that held stacks of dusty paperbacks. He pored through dozens of books with fading covers and forgotten characters looking for the gem that would help him escape his lonely existence for a few hours.

After about an hour, Benjamin became aware of another person nearby. The other customer in the  shop turned out to be an extraordinarily  beautiful girl. 

Benjamin went back to looking through the stacks. A girl like that would never be interested in him. "Do you like science fiction too?" Benjamin was surprised to see the girl right beside him. Benjamin looked into clear blue eyes. "I like the old hard to find stuff."  He answered the girl. 
"My name is Anita" the girl said holding out her hand. Benjamin hesitatingly took the girl's hand and gave his name. 

Over the next few months, Benjamin looked forward to seeing Anita at the bookstore. One day he mustered up enough courage to ask her on a date but was crushed after she said no.

After the rejection, Anita took his hand and looked into Ben's eyes. "I didn't say no because of you Benjamin. You are kind and smart and any girl would be lucky to have you.The problem is me. I can't leave this shop." "What do you mean you can't leave? Ben asked

"Because I am not real" Anita answered. "I am a collection of some of the characters in these old books and for reasons that even I don't understand, I occasionally come to life."

"That's crazy" Benjamin said. Anita shook her head and disappeared. A few moments later she re-appeared.  "So it's true" he said, but what do I do now?" Anita pointed to the exit door. "Go out there and find a real girl and have some fun. I will be expecting some progress the next time I see you."

Just before he went out the door, Benjamin  looked behind him, but Anita was already gone.

Book Review- "Sure Signs of Crazy" by Karen Harrington

"Sure Signs of Crazy" by Karen Harrington is an unusual novel that chronicles the introspective life of twelve-year old Sarah Nelson.

 Sarah is not your typical twelve-year old. Sarah's mother attacked her and her twin brother Simon when both were toddlers. Sarah survived but Simon did not. 

Sarah has no close friends and her father is often drunk so in order to cope she communicates with a plant, her dead brother, and a fictional character in a book. 

Needless to say, some consider Sarah to be a little odd, but she is actually just terribly lonely and there is no one to share her feelings with.

I really enjoyed reading "Sure signs of Crazy" it has depth and Sarah Nelson is a  wonderfully heroic main character.

"Mail-Order Bride" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

From a small rise, Brian Miller surveyed his farm. He had accomplished a lot in five years, but he still  felt  an emptiness that wouldn't go away.

During their last communication, his mother  suggested that he should find a wife. The problem was there weren't many women that wanted to live on one of the frontier planets  light years from home.

It was about six years ago, that Brian had spotted the government ad giving away free land to homesteaders on the newly discovered planet. At the time, Brian was working on his parents farm in Kansas and thought it might be a fun thing to do.

The new planet was named "Minerva" and the government would supply everything Brian needed on the condition that he stay on the land at least ten years.

Minerva was similar to Earth in most respects although it was slightly smaller and the atmosphere had a higher oxygen mixture. The wildlife was as varied as that of Earth. and there were even flying critters that resembled birds. The only truly dangerous creature so far  was a bear-like animal. In his first year, Brian had to shoot one of them after it charged him, but lately everything had been quiet.

Brian continued to think about his mother's not so subtle suggestion about finding a wife.The next day, he posted an ad describing his situation on an inter-planetary classified site. He eventually received about a dozen replies. Most of the respondents were clearly not serious, but there were  a couple that caught his attention.

One was from Earth and the other was from a planet called Xaga. Brian checked the web and found out that Xaga had recently been discovered by explorers and was inhabited by a human-like species. Formal diplomatic relations between Earth and Xaga had already been established.

On a whim, Brian decided to answer the reply from the new planet. A few hours later, he received an answer. "Lachla" gave a brief description of herself and her abilities. Brian was intrigued and decided to find out more about her. 

 Lachla's knowledge of English was limited, but they were able to communicate. After several months of corresponding via email (there was as yet no direct communication between Minerva and Xaga) Brian asked Lachla if she would like to visit him  for a few days. She  agreed, but arranging the trip was more complicated then Brian imagined. After several weeks of work, he was able to secure a berth for Lachla on a freighter. 

Brian  put on his best clothes the day Lachla was to arrive. He felt like a teenager going on his first date. After some cargo was unloaded from the freighter, the only passenger  descended down a ramp. Lachla resembled a human female, but there was something exotic and wild about her. Brian thought she was beautiful.

Lachla attempted a smile as Brian came up to her, but it didn't quite come off. "How was the trip?" Brian asked. Lachla searched for the right word. "Long" she finally answered. "I'm sorry. I wish something else had been available." Brian said sincerely. This time Lachla did smile.

When they got to the farm, Brian gave Lachla a short tour of his land and then he started dinner. "On my world, the men never prepare the meal." she said. "What do the men on your world do?" Brian asked. "Give orders and compete with other men for status." Lachla answered simply.

After dinner, Brian showed Lachla photos of his family. "What does "Love" mean?" Lachla asked after she noticed the word on a 
 photo from his parents.  
"Love is a strong affection that  people have for each other." Brian answered. Lachla frowned "On Xaga there is no love. For the women, there is only work and pleasing the men.

After a few days, Lachla and Brian settled into a comfortable routine of working on the farm and sharing a dinner in the evening. One night, Lachla decided make one of her native dishes. Brian thought the meal was delicious and gave Lachla a light kiss on the cheek in appreciation. Lachla touched her cheek. "Why did you touch me like that?   Brian smiled "That's called a kiss. Humans do it to show affection." Humans are strange, but I have to admit that it was pleasant." Lachla commented.

The next evening, Lachla looked up from her dessert and smiled at Brian. "I have been reading about this kissing custom of yours. There is a great deal of literature on the subject." Brian laughed. "I'll agree with that. Love and its various rituals are a big preoccupation of the human race." "What does love feel like? Lachla asked. 

Brian thought for a moment before answering. "Most of the time love feels pretty  good." Lachla looked miserable. "I have never loved anyone before. I'm not sure that I even can." she said." Brian took her hand. "There is no hurry Lachla. Let's just get to know one another and see what happens."

The next day, Brian was inspecting his crop when one of the bear-things came out of the forest and charged him. Brian shot at the beast, but missed. The bear-thing attacked and Brian fought back, but  he was quickly overwhelmed by the superior strength of the animal.

In the barn, Lachla finished feeding the stock and then looked to the fields. She could see immediately that Brian was in trouble. Lachla raced to the unequal fight and pulled the animal off Brian. The bear-thing was strong, but Lachla had encountered much  tougher beasts on Xaga and the fight was soon over.

Brian was badly hurt and Lachla carried him to the house and put him in bed. She immediately called the settlement Doctor, but he was over a hundred miles away on another call. Fortunately there  were some bandages in the house and Lachla cleaned and dressed Brian's injuries.

Lachla stayed with Brian until the Doctor arrived hours later. The Doctor administered antibiotics and treated the deep cuts left by the Bear-thing, but Brian remained unconscious.

Day after day, Lachla nursed Brian and treated his injuries .A week after the attack, Brian  finally woke up to see a  very worried Lachla sitting by his bed. Brian smiled at her. "That was some fight you had with the bear-thing." he commented. "You saved my life." Lachla took Brian's hand. "I think I understand what love is now." she said. Brian leaned toward Lachla  kissed her on the lips. "I think I do too."

"The Colony" a short story by Craig Zimmerman

Michael noticed the blue spot on his leg  when he was taking a shower. The spot  was on his thigh and  was about the size and thickness of a quarter. Michael pressed down on the spot and found that it was as hard as glass.

In a few days, Michael went to see his Doctor about the spot. His Doctor injected a local anesthetic and tried to remove it , but was unable to. X-rays showed that tendrils from the object extended deep into his leg.

The Doctor frowned. "I have a friend at the university that might have a better idea of what we are dealing with here." The Doctor wrote a name on a slip of paper and handed it to Michael. "Professor Abrams is an old friend of mine. I will call and explain the situation."

Professor Abrams turned out to be a woman which was more then a little embarrassing for Michael. Unfortunately, he had few options. Professor Abrams looked closely at the spot and then pressed it hard. "I have never seen anything like this." she said to herself.
"What do you think it is?" Michael asked. Professor Abrams shook her head and retrieved a large magnifying glass and again examined the spot. "It looks like a tiny city." "A city? that's crazy." Michael said. "Maybe, but that's what it looks like. I will have to do more tests. she answered.

Over the next few weeks, Michael spent almost every evening at the Professor's lab. "I have discovered a few things." Professor Abrams told Michael one night. First of all, the object in your leg is some kind of city composed of  very tiny  alien creatures.  Secondly, the city sustains itself by drawing energy from your body. "You mean it's a type of parasite?" Michael asked. Professor Abrams shook her head. "It only draws a small amount of energy from your body. Not enough to do you any harm."

"One more thing", the Professor added. "The object is sending out radio signals and I am trying to decipher them." It took months for Professor Abrams to interpret the radio signals.

Professor Abrams looked up from a computer printout at Michael. The radio signals from the object on your leg are mostly a message of gratitude directed at you." "Gratitude for what exactly?" Michael asked. "For the temporary use of your body." Professor Abrams answered. "Apparently, this is a common arrangement where these creatures originate from."

Michael shook his head. It was hard to believe something so fantastic. "So what do we do now?" he asked. "I am formulating a radio message in the creature's language asking them to leave your body." the Professor answered.

A week later, the Professor broadcast the message to the creature's tiny city and in about an hour the colony exited Michael's leg without even a scar left behind to remind him of his intimate encounter with alien life.