Posts Tagged ‘far future’

futuristic train

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Cast of Wonders 640: KAOSU, The Last Moving Country in the World

First published in Dark Matter magazine, July 2023
Image by Thomas Wolter from Pixabay

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KAOSU, The Last Moving Country in the World

by Angela Liu

I arrive at KAOSU’s nest-shaped Visitor’s Center two hours early for boarding procedures. The reviews on VoyageAdvisor warned of the rabid fans and shameless paparazzi, but I’m still not prepared for all the selfie drones skittering around the check-in screens like frenzied moths.

Today the crowds swell with people in pest masks, skull makeup, and screaming fans with heart signs that read ‘Marry me in the radioactive fields.’ PityPatty, a Top-50 influencer, the queen of dark tourism and rumored stem cell junkie, will be joining the train this week. Just my luck.

I write for Faye’s Compendium of Good Travels. Founded during the post-plague travel boom, we’ve got a readership of over three million, the most trusted guide in solo travel. KAOSU’s the holy grail of travel writing these days, the last Perpetually Moving Country on the planet, and I’m only here because of a strategically taken office video my boss never wants to see the light of day. (Continue Reading…)

weird sunset

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Cast of Wonders 563: Stolen Sky

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:40 — 45.9MB)

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Stolen Sky

by Storm Humbert

My first night on Earth-Vega was also my first sunset show. The viewing was held on the Sunset Mezzanine, which jutted out from the third floor of the hotel. My human guide, Ruya, gently escorted me through the press of humans to the front railing so that I could see, since we Yelvani are no larger than human adolescents.

From the balcony, the hills seemed to tumble over each other down the gentle grade from the hotel to the edge of the forest, which then climbed gradually up toward the horizon until it terminated at the feet of the distant mountains. The breeze was bracing but not so cool that I had to turn up the temperature of my garment. The view was perfect. Everything the humans made was perfect. (Continue Reading…)