Each conference the SCWC has a writing contest in which all conferees are invited to participate. The rules are simple: Write a piece in any form you wish of no more than 250 words based on the topic announced Friday night. The topic for the SCWC*PS 3 event was "Ice." Mark Versaggi of Duarte, CA is this year's runner up author.
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"WELL DETECTIVE SLAYER, how did it go on the planet?"
"A heathen race, sir."
"Why do you say that?"
"I identified myself to someone who others referred to as an agent, told him I was from ICE and we had a problem with the
pollution leaving his planet."
"And?"
"He told me to go do something to myself -- it's physically impossible though. I explained what ICE was -- Inter-planetary
Code Enforement. He said that's been done already and told me I was wasting his time. He also said it was a soft pitch and
to try again in a year."
"How about the inhabitants, anything redeeming in them?"
"A strange lot -- they wear tags to tell where they are -- I was at PS3 according to the tags. They are obsessed with
procreation -- that's all one woman talked about. And they consume food in liquid form. It's called drinking your dinner --
very efficient if I may say. One was going to end his life for insulting an agent by eating as much as possible. I guess
overeating causes death to these people."
"Interesting."
"Yes, I thought so too." One last thing." Opening a bag, he took out three bottles. "They give their food pet names, so I
brought you some. Meet Jim, Jack, and Johnny."
"Good job. Schedule the planet for destruction. We can't have them polluting the galaxy."
"Thank you, sir. Good day."
| Copyright 2006, Mark Versaggi. Used with permission. |
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