Human Company
"Bios", women bioengineered from human stock, have settled the marginally inhabitable planet Snowshoe -- but the collapse of a space elevator has plunged their Femdom into a dark age. Gypsy realizes that a long abandoned second elevator, itself near collapse, threatens to destroy the re-emergening civilization. When the bios women oppose his attempt to save the elevator, he recruits a company of outcast human girls into the quest.
One mechanical swam in the water. Its legs spread straight out and rose and fell like oars as it propelled itself forward.
Tiny tugged at my sleeve and I let her guide me down the ramp towards the lake. At the bottom, she released me and disappeared into an opening in the crater wall. I peered after her, and when my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I saw racks of legs, sensor balls, and other parts for the mechanicals.
"I got batteries," she said when she came out. She had untucked her blouse and pulled the tails into a sack to carry something heavy.
We walked out onto the crater floor past several mechanicals sunning themselves beside the water. They remained motionless as we passed, but I saw their sensor balls turning as they tracked us.
"This is Flasher," Tiny said as we approached a brown mechanical.
Clearly, the name came from the glow of light that slowly rippled under the brown surface of the mechanical. But despite the snappy name, the stir of internal lights, the ge
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A fine SF adventure and well written too. The description of the post-industrial society dominated by genetically enhanced females is detailed and frequently funny. The story is addictive yarn, the protagonist a boy with the desire to repair the failed sky elevator. Just what hard SF fans need. Thanks to the author for releasing with a CC license!
