Part XX – Break Point

This is Part XX of the serial space western The Ghosts of Blackmoon Rift. It is also available for download in RTF format here. Or click here for a complete listing of episodes.

Sunlight streamed horizontally across the horizon, racing the lone figure riding a plume of dust across the obsidian desert. Already, much of the wilderness of Blackmoon was buried in shadow. Crash was pushing the hoversled hard, maybe harder than any rider had ever pushed it before. Certainly none of its previous riders had been overconfident scout pilots.

Crouched low over the green terrain-map on the console, Crash devoured every unfolding contour of the land. Strapped prone to the rear of the hoversled was a redheaded figure, inert except for the occasional moan that escaped from its lips. One did so now.

“Aw, put a sock in it, Flanagan,” Crash called back over his shoulder. “It’s just a couple of broken ribs. You’re probably too crazy to feel that, anyway. Bet it feels like eating ice-cream to you. Must be nice, being crazy. Of course, I guess if you weren’t I wouldn’t have had to run you over.”

Part XIX – Fire

This is Part XVIII of the serial space western The Ghosts of Blackmoon Rift. It is also available for download in RTF format here. Or click here for a complete episode listing.

Torr and Miss Kitty scurried down the alley into a narrow court fenced on all sides by sagging shacks with gaping eyeholes. .

“The people who lived here weren’t doing too good,” Miss Kitty muttered.

Torr snapped his fingers. “Right you are, Miss Kitty. We should narrow our search to structures that are a little more… permanent.”

“Like the town lockup?”

“Yes! The jail would be excellent. We should look for it at once.”

“It’s right there.”

“Oh.”

Part XVIII – Smoke

This is Part XVIII of the serial space western The Ghosts of Blackmoon Rift. It is also available for download in RTF format here. Or click here for a complete episode listing.

As Crash rocketed down Main Street on the hoversled, another massive cloud of black smoke erupted on his right. He glanced over his shoulder. The fire was spreading quickly through the dry, vat-grown timber of the ramshackle town. The Judge had not been idle.

Crash looked forward again just in time to avoid hitting the Void Where Prohibited.