Illustration: “Genghis in Space” © 2007 by Romeo Esparrago time dilation we sail headlong towards distant stars blinking at us– like sirens their cosmic call everywhere at once apparently but the light left so long ago we would be late even if we could eventually arrive there in vestigial time exhausted by the trip & ...

[Illustration: “Natsuko” © 2006 by Romeo Esparrago.] Spatters of pure oxygen Poisoning us, bubble-hard Then comes the sweep cycle –methane never smelled so good * About the Author: Arun Ahuja is a science fiction writer with an MS in biomedical engineering. His piece “Pomposity Penalized” won Editor’s Pick in the University of New Mexico’s magazine. ...

[Illustration: “Lava Raft” © 2006 by Romeo Esparrago.] It’s two for a dollar the Whirlie-Warp ride just past the Fun House through the white gate climb the wood tower slide into the tunnel and disintegrate to cosmic scintillas a boreal glow in Devonian skies a sparklet of moonrise in dinosaur eyes a night planet’s wink ...

[Illustration: “Cycle Duels” © 2006 by Romeo Esparrago.] A famous stunt man tried to leap a lunar chasm on an old-fashioned dirt bike.

Illustration: “Space Artsyfact” © 2005 by Romeo Esparrago I clunked down steps in an eerie alien-twilight world. Deadly mist licked tenuously at my suit, Long fingers, searching fingers, An old world beckons. I stepped down into its arms.

Illustration: “The Meeting” © 2005 by Romeo Esparrago The accursed time traveler,Swept up and set down in a vortex,Finds himself in the future whereMen look like womenAnd women look like men,Or perhaps they lookLike neither. Seeing they have no eyes to seeAnd no mouth with which to speak,He panics at the sight of theirFeatureless faces ...

Illustration: “Huh” © 2005 by Romeo Esparrago. Professor Anderson relentlessly scanned the skies Searching tirelessly for that elusive prize Of a signal with subtle hints of intelligence Plucked from the universe’s chaotic cadence

under three moons a rush of nanofireflies – October wind

our honeymoon – Phobos and Deimos rising