Prime – Friday Fictioneers

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It’s Friday Fictioneers time! The challenge is to write a 100-word story in response to a weekly photo prompt chosen by our host Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Follow the link to her blog for more information. Thank you to all who take the time to read, like, or comment.

2017 10 27

PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bultot

Prime

Incarceration on the prison planet Ouroboros is equivalent to a death sentence. Training on how to survive the harsh environment is offered to prisoners during transit. Those who listen are usually killed for supplies by those who don’t, who later die because of their own ignorance. Few survive long. Fewer leave.

Prisoner 6081809, known as ‘Prime’, looked up at the pink sky. Crossover was his favourite time of the cyclical year: when Ouroboros exits the orbit of one sun and continues its figure-of-eight journey into the orbit of the other. Chemical trails indicated a new consignment was landing.

Fresh meat.

18 responses to “Prime – Friday Fictioneers”

  1. Susan Avatar

    Nice one. I’m not a big Sci-Fi fan but this intrigued me

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Thank you Susan!

      Like

  2. rochellewisoff Avatar

    Dear Thom,

    Prisoner 6081809 sounds ominous and creepy. This peace made me shudder. Well done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Thank you Rochelle. The last few photo prompts have been really inspiring!

      Like

  3. James Avatar

    6081809 is almost my cell phone number (minus the area code). That’s pretty amazing. Oh, nice story, too. 😀

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Thanks James, I’ll give you a call sometime! Haha. It’s a strobogrammatic number, so it appears the same if flipped 180 degrees which is pretty cool. It’s also a prime number which is where my character gets his name. Glad you liked the story.

      Like

  4. Joy Pixley Avatar

    Some people are better adapted to harsh conditions than others. And some make the conditions harsh for others, which is what “Prime” sounds like to me!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Thanks for your comment Joy. I see him as a character that will do anything necessary to survive!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. granonine Avatar

    Oh my goodness. That’s chilling, to say the least.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Thank you!

      Like

  6. Life Lessons of a Dog Lover Avatar
    Life Lessons of a Dog Lover

    Very creative and nicely written. That last line gave me chills.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Thank you!

      Like

  7. Kelvin M. Knight's blog Avatar

    The viewpoint jumps in this flash fiction worked well. The last line is great. A creepy tone, creeping towards desperation.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thom Carswell Avatar
      Thom Carswell

      Thanks for the feedback Kelvin. Glad the viewpoint jumps worked. I challenged myself to try and build a sci-fi world and throw a bit of narrative interest in for good measure. Not an easy task in 100 words!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Kelvin M. Knight's blog Avatar

        Definitely not easy. Handled assuredly. Well done.

        Like

  8. kindredspirit23 Avatar
  9. Thom Carswell Avatar
    Thom Carswell

    I hope so! Thanks for the comment and link.

    Like

  10. Lynn Love Avatar

    Nicely set up for a sci-fi tale of killer proportions! Very atmospheric. Nicely done, Thom

    Like

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