My short science fiction tale, “Worlds Less Traveled,” will appear in one week and one day (July 12) at Perihelion Science Fiction. The piece has received praise from professionals and editors. The story starts at a moment that may, or may not, be critical to the main character and the events to follow:

My anti-psychotic field shifts to low-power mode. Sparkling clarity rushes in.

On Brumal, lightyears from Earth, I activate my Pocket Paralegal, Penelope. Her soft voice resonates in my ear. “Yes Mr. Maynard?”

I respond sub-audibly. “The McLeary generator is failing. Please diagnose it.”

I wait, embracing the flood of awareness I know cannot last.

We learn immediately thereafter that he is at a deposition on a poorly-terraformed world. Yes, it’s attorneys in space, a topic I relish. But the psychosis is a different issue, as is the unexpected role it might play in events as they unfold.