From "Ambasadora" by Heidi Ruby Miller

The lights of her intra-tat bounced around in erratic pulses in a frightening way that wasn't alluring like when he first touched her hand. Tonight they were a physical sign of whatever horror she was experiencing.

He brushed her damp hair back with his fingers and whispered words of reassurance, knowing this could be the biggest mistake of his life. She had been sent here to flush out a fragger operative, that much he knew. Right now she and the Embassy thought David was their man—he didn't know whether to laugh at the absurdity or be insulted. If that’s what her Embassy intel was saying, then it might be easier to bring down this government than he thought.

"Sean." She reached out to the empty space beside her.

He put his hand over hers. "I'm here."

If she betrayed him later, he'd deal with that when it happened. It's not like he hadn't thought of offing himself, and not the pleasant way with passing drugs and a bedside full of family crying for him. Maybe she'd be doing him a favor.

From "The Little Universe" by Jason Matthews

Imagine creating a universe and searching within it for planets with life. What might you find?

“We have society! Pinching myself. Yesterday they were primates. Grooming parasites, eating reeds. Today they’re driving! Just fifty thousand orbits? How could they evolve so quickly? I need to know. We looked for the link but nothing yet. Possible I missed something, but what? Jim’s going over the logs, maybe he’ll find it. Mind’s a blur—thoughts won’t stop—could go on all night. Need to rest, hope I can. Wish Rose could have seen this.”
- from p. 66 of Webster’s journal.