https://zooscape-zine.com/aged-plant-fibers/
"Ker’r rose from all fours and walked on his hind legs as he rounded the
corner. A bipedal stature was never required, but it made navigating this part
of the city much easier.
The black-furred canine had white stripes around his midsection. He couldn’t
afford clothing, though it wasn’t required here among the structures arranged
in a grid along avenues.
The Planet of Paper District, complete with authentic asphalt, authentic stone,
authentic brick, all transplanted from a real city block and reconstructed
here. Numerous canines in sight also walked upright to help complete the
sensation of living in another culture.
Loose-skinned and tight-skinned reptiles rubbed elbows with the upright canines
and felines, fur and scale colors ranging from muted browns to garish greens
and pinks. Some of the less experienced people stumbled trying to stay upright
while peering through the windows at the various items of clothing some of them
would buy and wear.
The district extended a few city blocks. Just a brisk stroll away from these
streets lay normal civilization underneath the weather-dome that kept the snow
and the rain off and allowed everyone to live in comfortable, dry burrows. The
spaceport lay a mere day’s walk from the dome, making it far enough out of
sight to believe this was an extraterrestrial place.
The Planet of Paper recreated. This was the closest most of them would ever
come to visiting the world for themselves. It helped Ker’r comprehend a
civilization that left so little behind and yet so much."
Runner up, Best Short Fiction Ursa Major Awards 2023:
https://ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2023.htm
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
