Friday Flash Fiction
  • Home
    • Opportunities at FFF
    • About Friday Flash Fiction
    • Terms & Conditions
  • 100-Word Stories
  • Longer Stories
  • Poetry
  • Authors
    • A
    • B
    • C
    • D
    • E-F
    • G-I
    • J-L
    • M-O
    • P-R
    • S-V
    • W-Z
  • Submissions
    • 100-Word Submissions
    • 500-Word Submissions
    • Short Poetry Submissions
    • Writing Good Flash Fiction >
      • How to complete the Entry Form
    • Appeals/Feedback Request
    • Contact FFF
    • Technical Stuff >
      • Terms & Conditions
      • GDPR Compliance
      • Duotrope
    • Support FFF

The Push Button Universe, by Greg Vander-Haeghen

22/10/2021

 
Sometimes things are not as they seem, including humans, non-humans and universes.

It was an unusual day, punctuated by Russian space junk, at the highly-secretive Saturn Research Facility, Think Tank and Video Game Group. Located in orbit, along the third ring of Saturn, inside a mammoth, football field length space station, which houses some of the diabolical minds of the Universe, including the frenetic souls of Alexander the Great, Blackbeard, Julius Caesar, and one-hundred of the crème de la crème video game programmers and players.

Absent from this patriarchal group, were such caring souls as Mother Teresa, Florence Nightingale and Helen Keller.

Built in a parallel universe to ours, named ironically, Mattella, Simon, an android, was given a directive by Mathena, the Goddess of the Multiverses, to enter the “Forbidden Zone,” also known as Saturn Ring Number Three.

Indeed, Simon is to be lauded for his work uncovering The Push-Button Pyramid Project by an elite group of aliens who worked with the Egyptians to build the pyramids, then use its inside chambers to house the first generation of mega video consoles that began to control our entire universe.

In essence, since circa 3,000 B.C., our universe has been one colossal video game.

Built into the video program were such recurring themes such as war, crime, pestilence, power, lust, history repeating itself, etc., and on a galactic scale, violent storms and hurling space objects.

Part and parcel to the sinister plan of the “Video Game Group,” was their plans to conqueror other universes, and convert them into video games as well. Indeed, history does attempt to repeat itself.

Fortunately for those who believe in old-fashioned ways, along came Simon, “The Luddite Crusader.”
Upon arrival at the Saturn Facility, Simon quickly “befriended” Blackbeard and boldly challenged him to a “winner-take-all” arm wrestling match, with the grand prize being complete control of all of existence. High stakes, indeed.

But first, a round of drinks was in order for every member on the space craft. And another round. And another. And another. And another. The entire crew of the ship passed out, except for Simon, and Blackbeard, who was seemingly un-phased by his drinking three quarts of tequila.

With Simon having an honorable reputation, Blackbeard allowed the un-escorted, bio-engineered android to go to the Control Room to recharge his batteries.

Surely Simon could be easily trusted. Not!

One-by-one, the crew awoke to the sound of a bellowing Blackbeard, who was ranting, ironically, about an android who plundered all of their battery packs, thus disabling the entire video game network in the universe.

Suddenly, humans and aliens alike, began to smile again, and come alive, for they were finally free from the tyranny of the Galactic Wii Machine.
Sue Clayton
23/10/2021 04:39:33 am

Hats off to a great imagination.

Greg Vander-Haeghen
23/10/2021 04:45:09 am

Thanks, Sue.


Comments are closed.

    Longer
    Stories

    Longer Friday Flash Fiction Stories

    Friday Flash Fiction is primarily a site for stories of 100 words or fewer, and our authors are expected to take on that challenge if they possibly can. Most stories of under 150 words can be trimmed and we do not accept submissions of 101-150 words.


    However, in response to demand, the FFF team constructed this forum for significantly longer stories of 151-500 words. Please send submissions for these using the Submissions Page.

    Stories to the 500 word thread will be posted as soon as we can mange.


    Picture
    Please feel free to comment (nicely!) on any stories – writers appreciate it.
    Just at the moment, though, we're moderating some of them so there might be a slight delat before they appear
    .

    One little further note. Posting and publishing 500-word stories takes a little time if they need to be formatted, too.
    ​Please note that we tend to post longer flash fiction exactly as we find it – wrong spacing, everything.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014

Picture
Website by Platform 36