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eBook Category: Science Fiction
eBook Description: In the intersteller reaches, some weird stuff can happen. Commander Abaddon has a new companion. The alien keeps talking to him and it won't shut up.

eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: Electric Velocipede, 2003
Fictionwise Release Date: October 2003

22 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [47 KB], eReader (PDB) [22 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [8 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [8 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [60 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [78 KB], hiebook (KML) [50 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [33 KB], iSilo (PDB) [7 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [9 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [36 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [15 KB]
Words: 2543
Reading time: 7-10 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

"Commander Joshua Abaddon has been in a trip in space, both a long and twisted one. Let's say he's not returning in one piece. His talking to an alien; his navigator Alexei has been avoiding him for ages. But now, his hauler, Demos Queen is coming home, he's longing for his wife and he'd be damned if he knew where his bloody navigator is... While presented from the very slanted viewpoint of Abaddon, the actual course of events clearly arises from the mental haze and the concluding sentence sharply drives the point home. A neat little shocker, amply demonstrating the author's intent."--The Fix

"I will miss your conversation during the rest of the voyage," the alien said.

It might have been his own voice. Or it could have been the alien. Or maybe it wasn't. Abaddon no longer knew. He scratched at the stubble on his chin and thought about it. It was like being impossibly small. It was one of those things beyond the laws of physics and the laws of reality that his mind couldn't really get to grips with, but there'd been too many of those lately.

"Commander Abaddon, it's time for your meal," said the alien.

"Yeah, yeah. I know," he said to the walls, to the floor, to the ceiling. He couldn't see the alien, so there was no point looking for it. He studied the back of his hand, staring at the fine dark hairs growing there. They grew thicker near the hand's outside edge. He wondered why that was. Then he studied the thin metal band on his third finger. There was a reason it was there. He knew it was meant to remind him of something--something important. He blinked it away, then spun the couch around and stood. As he rose, he caught a whiff of his body odor. The smell wafted up from the open neck of his suit, enveloped his senses.