War looms on the horizon... After the colonization of Mars and Europa, it took us fewer than five generations to reach beyond our solar system and discover new planets capable of supporting human life. Too far away to be governed under Earth law, the Collective was formed. Several hundred years later, the Collective has expanded to a system of six worlds. Power struggles and unequal rights have made interplanetary war all but inevitable. With rebellions arising across the Collective, three captains launch near-suicidal missions to free the oppressed fringe and reset equality across the stars. A galactic war is coming, and only an arthritic mail runner and a space pirate can stop it.

This is a collection of short stories written by Wattpadders who love their Science Fiction as much as we do. It aims to celebrate the diversity of the genre both in sub-genre, length and style, so whether you like Steampunk or Hard SciFi, Space Opera or Dystopian, fanfiction or a drabble, we know you'll find something in here you like. Explore, read, enjoy. Come one, come all. Welcome to Nano-Bytes!

In one day, the world succumbed to a pestilence that decimated the living. In its place rose a new species: vicious, gruesome, wandering zombies with an insatiable hunger for the living. Still in her twenties, Cash has watched her friends die, only to walk again. An office worker with few survival skills, she joins up with Clutch, a grizzled Army veteran with PTSD. Together, they flee the city and struggle through the nine circles of hell, with nothing but Clutch's military experience and Cash's determination to live. As they fight to survive in the zombie inferno, they quickly discover that nowhere is safe from the undead...or the living. (100 Days in Deadland is a journey through the first poem in Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy, the classic tale on the horrors of hell... zombie apocalypse style!) (Note: This is a draft so please excuse any errors. The finished novel is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook).

The future isn't friendly. People in Meta are dying from a mysterious disease and Sean wants to know why. But in the Core, asking the wrong question can be dangerous. Pursuing the answers, Sean and his friends embark on a perilous journey that will put them on a collision course with the malevolent Niles Galvin, the most powerful and treacherous oligarch on the planet. Could Susan's Plague be something more sinister than they thought? Will they discover a much darker side to the oppressive oligarchy that rules them? Sean finds himself caught up in the complex machinations of an evil man bent on seizing and controlling the power of the past for his use to rule the present. With their lives hanging in the balance, Sean struggles to save himself and his friends when he realizes the truth has dire consequences. By Rick Chisholm Copyright © 2014 Rick Chisholm All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or in any means – by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission.

We as a race have spent millennia warring and killing each other over everthing from God to Country, Money and Power, Love and Jealousy, or even simple Psychotic Rage. But now that Humanity has a new enemy to face, one from the stars with far superior technology. And it is now up to every Man, Woman, and Child to come together and make a choice: fight for their Freedom, no matter the cost and to the bitter end, or Surrender and face the implications of what that means...

Olivia's best friend is not imaginary. He’s not a ghost, either. And she's pretty sure he's not a hallucination. He’s just Mason. He is, however, invisible. When Olivia spotted the crying little boy on her front porch at five years old, she had no idea she was the only one who could see him. Twelve years later when new-girl Robin bumps into the both of them and introduces herself to Mason, they are both stunned. Mason couldn't be more pleased that someone else can see him. Olivia, on the other hand, isn't jumping at the chance to welcome Robin into their circle. Jealousy may have something to do with that, but honest fear that Robin's presence will put Mason in danger is soon validated when a strange black car begins showing up everywhere. The race to find out what Robin knows in time to protect Mason from whatever threats are coming becomes Olivia's only focus.

Can a natural killer learn to be human again? Regan's unique talent for murder makes her a perfect assassin. After a lethal encounter leaves her broken body washed up on a beach, she finds herself adopted by a group of teenage bodyguards. She doesn't intend to stay for long, but soon Regan finds herself faced with a choice: become a hero or stay a villain? *** The boy played with the flat brim of the cap in his hands and looked around the room. He sat back in his chair, trying to look casual, but the heel of his hi-top sneaker drummed rapidly on the concrete floor. Regan sat opposite him with her legs crossed and her hands folded on her tartan skirt. She watched him without a word and brushed a strand of blue-dyed hair behind her ear. Somehow this seemed to unsettle him more. 'Calm down,' she said. 'It's just murder.' *** Author's Note: Darkness Girl: Trickster God is represented by Louise Fury from The Bent Agency. P.S. The epic cover was made by Paul Kopetko (you can stalk him at paulkopetko.com). Enjoy!

The greatest tragedy the world has ever known turned out to be the ultimate catalyst for change. In the wake of World War III, which decimated most of the world's population, the remaining survivors vowed to not continue to repeat the same mistakes of the past. Fortunately, they had something previous generations did not have - advanced technology. The year is 2117 and this once shattered civilization has become prosperous again. Innovative forms of technology have enabled them to abandon the old model and re-engineer a better way of living for all. Brain implants and genetic modifications have made an entire population educated, healthy, and kind. Despite the benefits of this technology, it has created some unforeseen side effects that threaten humankind's existence. When technology proves to be inept at solving the world's problem, a new hope emerges in the unlikeliest form - a young orphan girl. *** Cyberpunk, dystopian, technology, future, futurism, scifi, heroine, prodigy...