CM Simpson: Writer & Gamer

LAST WEEK, Tiger revealed that the Pain-Eaters had invaded the Orbital he and Simone's parents were on , but that they'd managed to escape. This week, Simone tells Tiger what it's like being on a ship full of infected people. Chapter 5 (Extract) – Girl-in-Charge Dear Tiger Great! You sent me more hugs I can’t collect on. Also: Ha. Ha. Ha. Now you know how I feel. It’s funny, even if it makes me worry about why Odyssey think you need a team to babysit you. Watch out, Tiger, or they might just infect you with the same goop I’ve had… and then you’d see just how bossy I could really be. And, finally, thank you. It’s good to know my parents are safe—even if they are being their usual pain-in-the -behind selves. Thank you for getting them out. You’ll be pleased to know I worked out how to lock down the team—and wasn’t that just a good thing. Sad to say, I wasn’t so lucky with the crew, but that ended up being a bit of a good thing, too. -------------...

This week’s verse moves from a speculative verse about a survivor to a science fiction verse about a fortune hunter getting their comeuppance. It is taken from Another 365 Days of Poetry , a collection of mixed-genre poetry released in 2019. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prospector Denied When I called, you did not answer and I walked the world alone When I cried, you were not there for me and I turned my heart to stone When I feared, you weren’t standing at my back and I learned to face my fear despite the lack so don’t return and ask me to fall down at your feet. Don’t be hurt when I regard you and wonder what you could offer that I’d need I’ve journeyed far since you left me in a fit of pique upon a world we didn’t know. I’ve found my feet, my place, my home so go back to your shuttle and return to your far-flung stars This wor...

This week’s short story takes us f rom a fantasy setting where dragons rule the air and ancient artefacts are tightly controlled to a science-fiction world where one colonist's plans are derailed by family politics and big corporation enslavement. Welcome to The Sevarine Sidestep. What do you do when your brother betrays you, and you end up on another world, in the employ of a company whose recruiting methods leave a lot to be desired? Well, I guess you keep your head down, while you try to figure out a way to get back home. And I sure miss home, right now. The Sevarine Sidestep (Extract) The dogs were magnificent, with chestnut coats and fine, brushy tails that waved like pennants behind them. They raced ahead of the skimmers, matching the machines for speed, and outdoing them in nimbleness. They were everything a scharfhond should be. I’d have felt better taking the fliss, rather than the skimmers, but Joel said the raptors were out...

LAST WEEK, Simone was worried that she and her team had infected the ship they were on with something they picked up in the FedExplore complex on Sharvin . This week, Tiger tells her of a second attack, this one targeting the orbital... and that he's inherited a security team of his own. Chapter 4 (Extract) – A Close Call Hey Simone I can’t say just how glad I am to hear that you are all right, but you should know that there are a whole lot of folk who aren’t. We made it to the orbital, okay, but then we had to wait. Did you know you had taken the only ship available? And without so much as a by your leave? So, even though we were all worried that the Pain-Eaters—and that name has stuck, by the way—so, while we were worried that the Pain-Eaters were going to open up a portal right on board, and come after us, there was nowhere for us to go. We had to sit tight and wait. It was a good thing there was a ship already on its way to the stat...