Posts Tagged ‘Mad Scientists’

fractal spirals

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Cast of Wonders 667: Amudha Surabhi


Amudha Surabhi

by Tehnuka

Mallika beat her skirt against the washing rock twice more and wrung it out a final time, brown-tinged water dripping along her fingers. Whatever she did, the fabric retained the grey hue it had acquired when the new manufactory started spitting out steam and coal-smoke last year. And she’d have to darn that hole in the hem, too. The other girls might get new clothes for Deepavali but it would be a surprise if Amma remembered the festival at all.

She washed her mother’s sari and laid it out to dry, then sat kicking her feet against the bank, watching the smooth flow of the river below. This time of year, it should have been fast, eddying, chai-coloured with monsoon runoff. Instead, she’d had to clamber down just to reach the water. Mallika knew there would soon be bigger difficulties than stained clothes. (Continue Reading…)

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Cast of Wonders 411: Studies on the Impact of Homeschooling, or When Not to Wear a Tuxedo


Studies on the Impact of Homeschooling, or When Not to Wear a Tuxedo

by R. Rozakis

“Daddy, can I use the atom scramblizer?” Hilde kicked her heels against the metal cabinet she was perched on.

“No, pumpkin.” All she could see of him were his feet sticking out from underneath the giant chassis.

“How about the temporal destabilizer?”

“No, pumpkin.”

“Can I at least graft some new wings onto Spuffy?”

Her father slid out from under the chassis, pushing his goggles up onto his forehead. Dr. Acheron von Phlogiston never went anywhere without his goggles. He’d even convinced them to let him keep them during his jail stints. Not that those ever lasted long before he’d craft an ingenious device from common cutlery and break his way free once more. “Sweet pea, we’re at a critical juncture in this plan and I need to concentrate. Can’t you find something to do in your room?” (Continue Reading…)