Sneak Peek—Stories from The Expanding Universe Anthology #4: ‘Information War’ by Craig Martelle

There are 20 short stories in the latest volume of Craig Martelle’s The Expanding Universe anthologies. Today, with permission, we are taking a sneak peek at the start of Craig Martelle’s story, ‘Information War’. Here’s how it begins:

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The first casualty, when war comes, is the truth.

- Hiram Warren Johnson

“Did you see that? They killed every man, woman, and child! They have to die!” With each word, foam flew from the old man’s mouth toward the video screen mounted over the bar. He was furious. His face twitched from his rage. He perched above his barstool.

“Where did that happen?” the young man wondered aloud. “Did anyone actually see the dead?”

“Does it matter?” The old man turned on him, waving a skeletal fist in his face.

“I think so, but what do I know,” the young man replied, recoiling from the old man’s anger, his press pass concealed in his pocket. Kenny Freeman considered himself a researcher first and a journalist second. He thought that made him a scientist, because he loved the data. He put a hand in one pocket as he tried to assume a casual pose. The old man continued to vibrate, shaking his fist at anything and everything.

The hard part of the reporter’s job was determining the facts. Maybe that was the impossible part of his job.

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Would you like to read more? 

The Expanding Universe #4 is now available. However, if you’d like something to read, right now, you can find the paperback versions of Volume 1, The Expanding Universe: An Exploration of Science Fiction Genre, Volume 2, The Expanding Universe: Exploring the Science Fiction Genre, and Volume 3, The Expanding Universe 3: Space Opera, Military SciFi, Space Adventure, & Alien Contact! on Amazon.