jeffc

jeffc, 27 days ago

@VisualInspiration
"Godspeed, Carl Jung."

"What's the mission, Jocko?"

"Disinfo patrol. And stay out of trouble."

"It's just the collective unconscious. What kind of trouble could there be?"

"Beyoncé's album drop once put me in psych for 3 weeks. I thought I was a cowboy."

"Oh... Two o'clock!"

"Follow it!"

THUMP!

"What's happening?"

"Info dump! My controls!"

"...too strong..."

"...pulling us..."

"...LOOK OUT!"

. . .

"Jocko? You ok?"

"I'm back in the saddle again..."
#MicroFiction

jeffc, 27 days ago

@VisualInspiration

Life had gotten complicated ever since the Free Mind folks showed up.

Carmen had dropped off the pills. Blue, stay in the Matrix. Red, see Outside. The Matrix Again guy on TV was saying the Matrix is reality, and we should ban hallucinogenic red pills. Carmen said Matrix Again was a machine-funded psy-op, whatever that meant.

He hesitated, then reached for the red pill; Carmen was really cute.

#MicroFiction

jeffc, 27 days ago

@VisualInspiration
It's striking how all the stories declined to choose, each refusing to unravel the Gordian knot in its own way.

jeffc, 29 days ago (edited 28 days ago)

@VisualInspiration
"How'd it go last night?"

"Reburied six of 'em. Charlie O kept digging out."

"Watch that one. He's been trying ever since I've been here. He even made it once. He thanked us when we put him back."

"I love it. Graveyard work's even better than they say."

"Ain't nothing like it. You always have to be one step ahead of your customers. You're a natural, kid. Your Uncle Milt would've been proud."

"You think so?"

"Ask him yourself next time he digs out."
#MicroFiction

jeffc, 1 month ago

@rooster
Democracy's backstop. I have tremendous respect for librarians.

jeffc, 28 days ago

@VisualInspiration

"A formal? Everyone in identical monochrome, complaining about how you can't get good help anymore? Can't I just donate the ticket money instead?"

"Vertencé, you're a fashion leader. If you show up, they'll show up."

"Fine. But I decide what I'm wearing."

Speculation ran hot. Would Vertencé change the traditional pattern? Would they reverse it--white on black?

#MicroFiction
1/2

jeffc, 28 days ago

@VisualInspiration

With attendees in formal masks, Vertencé couldn't see the jaws hit the floor when they swept into the room. They didn't need to. Provocatively maskless, in color-coordinated, embroidered robes--the only splash of color in a monochrome sea--every eye was on them, and the fashion world reverberated for years.

2/2

jeffc, 1 month ago

@stonekettle
Wait, Stonekettle's on Threads? I knew Twitter was in a death spiral, but I hadn't realized just how far it's gone. Or that I can follow Stonekettle again.

jeffc, 1 month ago

@futurebird
She needs something suitably ominous.

O Dread Queen Pentatarsi,
She Who Rules With Chitin Claw,
Warrior-mother, regicide,
Ruler of the underdark,
Power, strength, and food to you,
Pillar of our colony.

(Ancient pheromone chant)

jeffc, 1 month ago

@VisualInspiration
We were digging the New Mars Expansion when we nicked a lava tube. Must've been ancient 'cause it still had air in it.

Not long after, crew started dying. Their skin turned all purple and black. It was a Company project, so we sealed off the tube, punched a hole in the tunnel, called it a cave-in, and dug a different route.

I'm telling you now 'cause these purple and black spots on my hand are spreading. If I die, make sure they cremate me. No recycling.
#MicroFiction

jeffc, 1 month ago

@VisualInspiration No identification with actual persons (living or deceased, real or juridicial), places, buildings, and products, including, without limitation, those that may be dystopian in nature or inclination, is intended or should be inferred.

(I hope that covers it!)

jeffc, 1 month ago

@VisualInspiration
"It's in here most nights. It's ok. I mean, it's a drunk xenomorph--get too close and it'll eat your face--but it's not looking for trouble. Near as I can tell, its queen fought the perfect battle with a human and lost. Having seen perfection, it can't go back. I don't understand it myself, but it keeps things quiet. And how often do you get to drink with a xenomorph?"

I finished my drink, bought one for the xenomorph, took a discrete selfie, and closed my tab.
#MicroFiction

jeffc, 1 month ago

@CarlG
Enough GOP candidates are self-funded that I could see it as a possibility. Culturally very strange, but possible when you have more money than people power.

I guess we'll see how this transactional model, coupled with his control of the RNC, affects down-ballot races.

jeffc, 1 month ago

@futurebird

Use this handy quiz to tell if your ants are stuck up.

• [ ] Door-woman at the nest entrance?
• [ ] Prefer organic foods?
• [ ] Prefer organic pheromones?
• [ ] NIMBY attitude with respect to other species?
• [ ] NIMBY attitude with respect to other colonies?
• [ ] Will bite the hand that feeds them?

jeffc, 1 month ago

@VisualInspiration

"But why? Why would you take the most annoying part..."
DONG! CUC-KOO!
"... of a cuckoo clock and p..."
DONG! CUC-KOO!
"... and put it in a tortoise?"

"On my island, nobody needs a clock. And no-one is ever late."

"But the interruptions would be--"
BE-BEEP! BE-BEEP! BE-BEEP!

"You needn't look at the tortoise that way. That was merely an Alarm Tree."

#MicroFiction

jeffc, 1 month ago

@VisualInspiration
"A what?? What possible need would you have for a 15 meter wide rabbit hole?"

jeffc, 1 month ago

@VisualInspiration
"Spock-off contestants, it's time for the the dance competition, where we see Spock's human side!"

Markowski was the champ. He even auditioned for the role once. But Carmen had a secret weapon.

As the audience sang, "Play that funky music, Spock-boy," he busted out the break-dancing moves. He was back-spinning when CRASH! Right into the judges' table!

Markowski helped him up. "You're a good Spock. Whatever happens, I look forward to next year's competition."
#MicroFiction

jeffc, 1 month ago

@VisualInspiration
The creature would have been perfectly at home in a Permian desert.

"It's an insect-eating generalist. It can be the basis of a new ecosystem if it has to."

Garvey looked out at the silent, blasted landscape. "It might have to. What else have you got?"

"We're working on plants: fast-growing, deep-rooted perennials with high tolerance for heavy metals and radiation."

Damn the War. "How long?"

"One, two million years, tops and the ecosystem will be humming."
#MicroFiction

jeffc, 1 month ago

@w7voa
Baiting those with large follower counts seems like a dangerous thing for a platform to do. For example, what would happen if enough such people started calling it the "blue check virus" (or something more graphic)? I can't imagine that would help sales.

jeffc, 1 month ago

@eperales @VisualInspiration I love this idea, especially because crows are getting a liberal arts education. I'd always thought of them as engineers, but maybe that's because I can't appreciate crow poetry in the original.

jeffc, 1 month ago

@VisualInspiration @knodel

I'd glide graceful as a feline.
I could skip and spin and grapevine,
Underneath the crescent moon.
With my steps in the nighttime
Every one at the right time
If I only had a tune.

jeffc, 1 month ago

@VisualInspiration
"What are you doing, Phil? We're xenomorphs. We don't need automatic weapons."

"I got it off that human we melted. The one that shot Larry. I figure if we keep using their stuff against them, we'll eventually get so much of it they'll quit coming."

"You know how to use that?"

"Yeah, from watching the human."

"Learn any of its language?"

"A little."

Soon...

"Sir! Message from Sergeant Dacote! 'Human stay out. Virus make you into xenomorph.'"
#MicroFiction

jeffc, 1 month ago

@tinyrabbit Not to take anything away from NASA/JPL--they do amazing work--but a big part is economic, not technical.

Quality code takes more time, increasing price. It's easy for a customer to see features but harder to see quality (at least till after they've made the purchase), so people tend to buy on price and features, not quality.

Repeat transactions (leases or X-as-a-service) might make quality more prominent. Or don't let the EULA disclaim consequential harm. But expect higher prices.

jeffc, 1 month ago

@ixtlidekami @VisualInspiration
The SETI Institute confirmed the rumors today that they have found intelligent life and received a message from it. Institute experts say it decodes as, "Well this is awkward. Sorry!"