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    Abrupt Tales
    Abrupt Tales
    Abrupt Tales
    Ebook57 pages49 minutes

    Abrupt Tales

    By Daniel Vermillion

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Straight from the mind of DC Vermillion comes three short tales of Science Fiction.

    In 'Cumberland Foods' a practical Joker, Justin Soho, decides to destroy a can tester for fun, even if doing so endangers his friends.

    In 'And, With StraightSoul' a soul-less attorney, Donald, stands up to a trillion dollar company. But, in doing so, he must confront his past mistakes or face an electronic hell.

    In 'Denmark, Ohio' a young man, Justin, oversees a ghost-town's grave marker as his own world is ending.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDaniel Vermillion
    Release dateJan 1, 2016
    ISBN9781310525278
    Abrupt Tales
    Author

    Daniel Vermillion

    DC Vermillion lives in NW Ohio with his wife and three children. When he isn't writing SciFi & Fantasy, or working as a maintenance electrician, he enjoys his family, gardening,and reading just about anything. And feel free to contact me at dan43517@gmail.com to receive updates on when my next titles are published. Thanks for your support!

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      Book preview

      Abrupt Tales - Daniel Vermillion

      Abrupt Tales

      By DC Vermillion

      Copyright © 2016 By DC Vermillion. All Right Reserved.

      Published by DC Vermillion at Smashwords.

      No part of this material may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of very brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

      Disclaimer: Any similarities to any persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This is a work of fiction.

      Dedication: To my wife, Debra. Thank you for all your love and support in making this possible. And also to Andy, Twiggy, Terry, Brice and Mic for suffering as my beta readers on this project and others… Without them, I wouldn’t have gotten this done. Thank you. And also to the dear reader, I hope that you enjoy this work of fiction.

      Table of Contents

      Cumberland Foods

      And, With StraightSoul

      Denmark, Ohio

      Cumberland Foods

      Justin Soho sat deep in thought. He was a marked man. After his latest interview, with the owner of Cumberland Foods, he knew it. Unfit for management—that’s what his personnel file was marked as. It made him smile.

      His latest gag rolled up and nudged him. It was nicknamed Oliver by the shop. The material-handling robot, dressed as an urchin, carried a self-heating can. At only a quarter full, the can steamed. Oliver asked for more.

      The dark haired maintenance electrician wasn’t to be fired, as he’d expected. He’d just invented a disposable self-heating can, from double walled canisters, thin bits of wire, and a mating cell phone battery port. The meticulous calculations and drawing, which he’d worked out between breakdowns, were now proprietary to Cumberland Foods. He’d agreed with ease once his new position was explained. He was being shifted to R&D

      Unfit for management, which he readily agreed to the owners, he nevertheless would work out the safety of his revolutionary cans. His tour of the lab, and its indestructible TaskerTester 3000, presented an irresistible challenge. Could he blow up the TaskerTester 3000, in the name of safety?

      His smile deepened. He was certain he could. He could, with help. He rubbed his hands.

      Justin Soho, said his humorless boss, Ron Ziller. Whatever you’re dreaming up, don’t even dare! The squat man, with block glasses, pushed them up farther onto his face. I thought they’d fire you.

      Nope, Justin said. Told you they wouldn’t. In fact they talked of promotion.

      Bull— Ron said, stopping to reconsider, choosing his insult carefully. You’re unfit for management. I’ve seen the file.

      That may be, but Mr. Cumberland talked to me personally, Justin said truthfully. We even signed contracts, and I get my own staff. He left out it would be a staff of one.

      The misleading statement was enough that Mr. Ziller showed concern. He removed his glasses. There is no—

      Interrupted by the appearance of Bruce Cumberland, the two quieted. The well-dressed owner extended his hand to Justin. You made a wise decision, Just so you know.

      Justin beamed and Mr. Ziller was ghastly. But they both had the sense to wait for Mr. Cumberland, Bruce to Justin now, to be out of earshot before the tit-for-tat restarted.

      See? asked Justin. And I’ve been invited to the yacht for the weekend. The bald-faced lie bubbled out, and was much too fun to stop. Justin rubbed his fingernails on his blue smock. Not sure if I should go—

      Keep it up smarty. Mr. Ziller straightened his glasses. I just hope you wind up with an underling like you. It’ll give you ulcers.

      Perhaps if Ron Ziller knew the truth of the matter, he wouldn’t have made that wish. Or perhaps not. But, in either case, over the next few months, Justin found one Marvin Blix.

      Before the interview, the psychological profile worked up deemed Marvin Blix similarly brilliant, and similarly unfit for management. Justin Soho gave the plant tour. It ended at the lab.

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