War is not the only hell in the cold, empty void of space. (Originally published in the March 2016 issue of Perihelion SF) Between the orbits of Zarmina and Librus lies a tiny, sun-blasted planetoid called Petra. The name means 'rock,' and that's just what it is—a worthless chunk of space rock. It has no atmosphere, no resources, and too little gravity to sustain a long-term population. About the only thing it's good for is a gravity assist for travel to the outer planets. But because it lies midway between our two worlds, laying claim to it has been something of a dick measuring contest between our governments. At least things were going to be peaceful out there, I tried to console myself. I couldn't have been more wrong. This story is rated T according to the AO3 content rating system.
Author
Joe Vasicek fell in love with science fiction and fantasy when he read A Wrinkle in Time and The Neverending Story as a child. He wrote several unfinished novels in high school and took Brandon Sanderson's writing class at Brigham Young University. He first came onto the indie writing scene in 2011 with his debut novel Genesis Earth. Since then, he has written more than twenty novels and novellas, including Genesis Earth, Gunslinger to the Stars, The Sword Keeper, and the Sons of the Starfarers series. His stories have been published in Perehilion, Mirror Dance, Sci Phi Journal, Uprising Review, Kasma SF, and Leading Edge. As a young man, he studied Arabic and traveled across the Middle East and the Caucasus Mountains. He has also traveled across the United States, and has lived in Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Utah, Washington DC, and Iowa. Wherever he goes, though, he's always writing.
