Flash sci-fi, 200 words
Letchkon urged the elevator to go faster, deeper into the Zalukian's subterranean lunar base. The Lunar-to-Gaia comms chief had urgent news for the mission leader.
"The trap is set, Commander Vlaadark", reported Letchkon, offering the seven-fingered salute as an afterthought.
"Sure it'll work this time, Letchkon?" Vlaadark asked. "We don't want to get Aschlav's hopes up again."
"I'm sure we won't let our exalted leader down again," Letchkon replied. "This time, the Gaians really are coming to the Moon."
"How can you be so sure?" Vlaadark asked, desperate for affirmation after that debacle in Gaia Rotation AD1969.
"Their exploratory craft detected our jettisoned detritus metals in outlying lunar craters, as we hoped. One of their state heads is greedy—and compromised—enough to attempt to mine here," Letchkon explained.
"And they have the capacity to get here?" Vlaadark pressed, now excited.
"Yes. Our spy, codenamed BoJo, has a seat of power on a small, marginally influential outcrop. He's confirmed they have capacity. This time."
"When can we expect their arrival?" Letchkon ventured, hopeful.
"Your guess…" Letchkon started, shrugging all four shoulders, "…is as good as mine."
They laughed at that; aliens like puns as much as the next madman.
Flash fiction, prompted in the SciFi Roundtable (Facebook).
Brief:
Write a flash fiction about this piece* and let us see how you use it as story fuel!- Write a flash fiction inspired by the article [below*];
- 200 words is the limit.
- (If you find yourself wanting to write more, post the first 200 words in the comments and direct people to the rest that you upload in the files.)
*Article: (from) Lunar gold rush: can Moon mining ever take off?
While no spacefaring nation recognises the Moon Treaty, the 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty states that no nation can claim ownership of the Moon. However, it has been questioned as to whether that treaty could be used to prevent private ownership. That question has never been resolved, but it would have to be resolved one way or the other before miners could start drilling into the Moon. It's a potentially colossal legal battle, if the prospect of Moon mining continues to edge closer.
While mining the Moon wouldn't have any significant effects on our quality of life – the Moon has a mass of 73 quadrillion tons, even if we removed one metric ton from the Moon every day, it would take 220 million years to deplete 1% of the Moon's mass. Even that wouldn't be enough to cause a change of orbit or affect the gravitation that causes tides.
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