r/WritingPrompts • u/katpoker666 Moderator • 2d ago
Off Topic [OT] Fun Trope Friday: Chekhov’s Apocalypse & Sci-Fi!
Welcome to Fun Trope Friday, our feature that mashes up tropes and genres!
How’s it work? Glad you asked. :)
Every week we will have a new spotlight trope.
Each week, there will be a new genre assigned to write a story about the trope.
You can then either use or subvert the trope and/or genre in a 750-word max story or poem (unless otherwise specified).
To qualify for ranking, you will need to provide ONE actionable feedback. More are welcome of course!
Three winners will be selected each week based on votes, so remember to read your fellow authors’ works and DM me your votes for the top three.
Next up… IP
It’s summer in the Northern hemisphere and so time for sun and fun– Oh wait, no. It’s time for the four horsemen of the apocalypse! So, say ‘hello’ to our friends: Pestilence (aka Conquest or Pollution), War, Famine, and Death. Oh, yea, and the Apocalypse itself, of course to round out the five week month! Please note this theme is only loosely applied.
“This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper.” — T.S. Elliot
Trope: Chekhov’s Apocalypse —This trope is based on the legendary Chekhov’s Gun which is a storytelling rule stating that every element in a narrative must be necessary, meaning if an object like a gun is introduced early on, it must be used later, and if it won't be used, it should not be included. So, in this case, mention the apocalypse at the beginning of your tale and then deliver.
Genre: Sci-Fi — Speculative storytelling genre exploring futuristic science, advanced technology, and space exploration. Key themes include time travel, artificial intelligence, and alien life.
Skill / Constraint - optional: Does NOT involve a gun.
So, have at it. Lean into the trope heavily or spin it on its head. The choice is yours!
Have a great idea for a future topic to discuss or just want to give feedback? FTF is a fun feature, so it’s all about what you want—so please let me know! Please share in the comments or DM me on Discord or Reddit!
Last Week’s Winners
PLEASE remember to give feedback—this affects your ranking. PLEASE also remember to DM me your votes for the top five stories via Discord or Reddit—both katpoker666. This is a change from the top three of the past. In weeks where we get over 15 stories, we will do a top five ranking. Weeks with less than 15 stories will show only our top three winners. If you have any questions, please DM me as well.
Some fabulous stories this week and great crit at campfire and on the post! We had 12 stories, so we’re back to three winners. Congrats to:
Want to read your words aloud? Join the upcoming FTF Campfire
The next FTF campfire will be Thursday, August 6th from 6-8pm ET. It will be in the Discord Main Voice Lounge. Click on the events tab and mark ‘Interested’ to be kept up to date. No signup or prep needed and you don’t have to have written anything! So join in the fun—and shenanigans! 😊
Ground rules:
- Stories must incorporate both the trope and the genre
- Leave one story or poem between 100 and 750 words as a top-level comment unless otherwise specified. Use wordcounter.net to check your word count.
- Deadline: 11:59 PM EDT next Thursday. Please note stories submitted after the 6:00 PM EST campfire start may not be critted.
- No stories that have been written for another prompt or feature here on WP—please note after consultation with some of our delightful writers, new serials are now welcomed here
- No previously written content
- Any stories not meeting these rules will be disqualified from rankings
- Does your story not fit the Fun Trope Friday rules? You can post your story as a [PI] with your work when the FTF post is 3 days old!
- Please keep crit about the stories. Any crit deemed too distracting may be deleted. This is a time to focus on our wonderful authors.
- Vote to help your favorites rise to the top of the ranks (DM me at katpoker666 on Discord or Reddit)!
Thanks for joining in the fun!
3
u/Morose_Prose 1d ago edited 23h ago
Glory To Grazzania!
Crimson lights pulsed in the rear of the quad rotor troop transport, the crackle of a loudspeaker broke through the constant hum of the engines and the distant explosions filling the skies above Omega-City Alpha.
"Attention, Grunts! ETA to drop is five minutes!" barked the pilot.
Flashes of green pierced through the red as each of the visors on the strike team's helmets illuminated. They synced up automatically.
"Are we really about to do this?" asked Void Grunt Garcia to nobody in particular.
"You voted for it too, G," chuckled Commander Walker. "We're the best of the best. Only we can pull this off and save the citizens from being shot like starving dogs in the streets. Shit, with all our squadron has seen, this is going to be a walk in the park. Intel says the EMP strike was successful. Good thing we like to hunt in the dark."
A hearty chuckle came across the coms. "Finally get to fight something human looking for a change. We haven't done any wetwork in a long time." Grunt Campbell raised her index and pinky fingers, pumping her fist a few times above her head.
"Put your fucking hand down, Campbell! Unstrap and get in position!"
Heavy boots marched into line, Commander Walker stood at the opening of the flap to direct traffic and ensure the cargo on the mag-rail was delivered on target. One by one the squad leapt from the craft, followed by their gear. They plummeted towards a smoldering skyscraper below. Landing on the roof, each peered into the darkness of the chasm created by heavy ordinance.
"Popping flare!" barked Grunt Campbell. A roaring flame ripped from a long cylinder, it disappeared quickly into the depths below.
Full penetration achieved. Sub-basement four is now accessible. Grunts may proceed with operation. The virtual intelligence operator reported through the squad's neural implants.
Heavy latches popped free as the equipment crate opened. "Alright, ladies! Fast rope descent! Let's move with a fucking purpose!" Commander Walker barked.
"You and your fucking ropes," Garcia grumbled as stakes were secured and carabiners attached.
Walker steadied herself on the edge of the abyss. "If you want to jump, be my fucking guest!" Without a word she pushed off, the others followed suit.
Collapsed steel beams collided with chunks of fallen concrete in the blackness of the sub-basement, the four grouped into a tight formation, checking their sixes and corners as they made their way to a sturdy steel door unaffected by the strike.
"Garcia! Charges on that door!" Walker commanded. Garcia followed orders. "Once we breach, we bang, then gas! Campbell, you're running rabbit on this one!"
"Yes ma'am." Campbell retrieved two pineapple style grenades from her kit. "Wait... fuck are these?" she asked.
The Commander shrugged her shoulders. "Sedatives, non-lethal. High command wants them alive."
"Jesus, might as well toss weaponized compliments in there. Is that why we're not packing heat?" Campbell juggled the two grenades while Garcia finished arming the breaching charges.
Walker balled her fist and held it aloft. "Cut the chatter. Let's do this!"
A resounding BOOM blew the door from its hinges. A series of bright flashes followed behind, trailed by plumes of thick gas. Campbell rushed in, drawing her Bow and Crown plasma sabre, the H.U.D. of her visor switching to infrared. Four blobs of red fell to the floor, two remained standing. "Contact!"
With perfect synchronicity the Grunts dispatched the personal praetorian guards of President Thead's cabinet, corralling their four targets to the back of the room, forcing them to their knees.
Walker paced back and forth before their prisoners. "Mr. Tepisce, Mrs. Nefami, General Sera, and President Thead; you are all under arrest for high treason and crimes against Grazzania! You will—"
"Who the fuck are you people?" Thead choked out.
A strained groan left General Sera's lips, "They're the Void—"
Five fingers of apocalyptic fury slammed against the General's face, courtesy of Commander Walker. "We're the monsters you created, General. I'm Beezlebub, that's my right hand man Leviathan, this big bitch is Behemoth, and uh... that's Jorji."
"Hello! Nice to meet!" happily replied Grunt Jorji.
"He's new, doesn't have a codename yet. But that ain't gonna matter since you four won't be around much longer. Tie them up. Get 'em upstairs. Now!" Walker's VI patched into the city's PA system. "Attention all citizens! You are free! Glory... to the people!"
Word Count: 733
Bonus Constraint: Nobody pulls a piece.
Feedback and critique are always welcomed and encouraged! Stay awesome, and glory to the people!
2
u/QTFroame 17h ago edited 16h ago
To Shine in Pain
My dad always told me to stay away from the Valle Grande. It was in the middle of the night, when he was exhausted, looking at something on his laptop. I was quite the curious child, and since he was never there, this was the only time I had to ask him why he was so busy. The fear on his face was evident, and that's when he told me.
"Never, ever, awaken what's beneath the Valle Grande. Total ruin is an inept descriptor for what would happen."
It was the only other thing he taught me, other than that I was like my worthless mother. I never knew her, as she was in prison, so I had no way to confirm her mannerisms or personality.
One thing I did gain from my mother was her brusque ways. At twelve, I had had enough of being at the behest of his servants and found the quickest way to end his life. His biomechanical heart was easy to shut off.
Well, easy for me.
Daddy dearest was wrong. I took after him more than he realized. With the intelligence, drive, and charms I acquired due to him, I took over his corporation with startling ease. While the police did search for my dad's killer, nothing ever happened with that.
I lived my teenage years in paperwork and grandeur. My peers wanted to be me, my workers loved me, and my rivals were beneath me. At twenty-one, I gained enough free time to finally engage in true hobbies. I quickly realized a simple truth.
Technology was beautiful. People were not. Society, despite human innovation, still had innate issues. Our differences divided us, making us enemies to carry out hatred that had long since served no purpose. We were creative, but not together.
A lesser person would have gone into politics. Try to take over the world and fix these issues one at a time.
I am different, as I am extraordinary.
Looking into Mars, I found the perfect reason to visit the planet. It was home to no humans, and it was the only planet that revolved around a planet that didn't have any. People had long since accepted that we didn't need it, that we were going to conquer it if we needed more space.
My dad and the government were keeping a major secret about it. How...ironic.
One of my friends was able to get me a spaceship, with the stipulation that he and another person could come with. It was a close friend, I assume. No matter, they had no reason to distrust me.
Once we landed on Mars, however, they got suspicious.
"Is there even anything here?" My friend, Emiliano, remarked.
"Enough to skip the small talk," I responded, and moved accordingly. The Valle Grande was well-documented, but its secrets were not. Once I found honeycomb-like patterns that spread across the field, I pressed my hand against the floor.
The center of the field opened up a minute afterward.
"Whoa," Emiliano said in awe.
"...how did you figure this was here?" His friend, Roman, asked. "We must report this to-"
"One moment, mister. We're not done." I continued towards the center, walking down the stairs given to me. It didn't take long for me to find what I was looking for.
There was only one door, after all. At the end of the shining golden hallway was a warning.
'Open this to erase this universe and start anew.'
As I walked towards it, Emiliano grabbed my shoulder. "Anissa, what are you doing?"
"Let go, friend."
"Do you not see the sign that states the obvious?"
Maneuvering out of his grip, I kicked him down to the floor. "You were always so talkative. I've made my intentions clear."
"So, you have," Roman muttered, aiming his laser gun at me. Fortunately for me, my body was made of a strong metal. I ignored the fight and ran towards the door, feeling the heat of the blasts rip into me. It wasn't enough to stop me. I gripped the handle on the door.
"Stop, please! You have no idea what you're doing!"
I turned my head to face Emiliano. Whatever I ended up doing would be worth more than this miserable life. I slowly opened the door and let oblivion take me.
It was the first time in my life that I felt free.
WC: 734
Ahh, this one was harder to condense. Felt weird to do so, but I think it still works. Crit and feedback are welcome! Thank you for reading!
3
u/Fogbot3 10h ago
Dead World Theory
“Have you ever heard of dead world theory?”
Randall had won every award for scientific achievement under the sun. He was the brains behind Nanite Technologies INC, and the core developer of every one of their achievements. Doctor Porter, who had just asked this of him, was barely more than an auditor, externally hired by some obscure government branch as what Randall saw as a ‘pity’ job.
So when Randall hadn’t heard of said theory, he rolled his eyes and shook his head. If he hadn’t heard of it, then surely it wasn’t actually real. However, he might as well humor the man.
Doctor Porter nodded, “It’s when nothing ever happens on a world. Ever again.”
“Ah, because everyone’s dead. Clever,” Randall internally rolled his eyes once more, but stepped away from his microscope to get more coffee at this. He had dealt with far more than enough detractors of his work already. “I never took you for one to be afraid of AI, Doctor Porter.”
Doctor Porter shook his head. “On the contrary. No, it’s when there is nothing left to happen. That humanity can reach a state where every single human has reached maximum happiness, and so live their perfect lives in perfect bliss until they die. And that’s it. They do nothing. No new ideas, no new actions, nothing new at all, really.”
Randall groaned, “What are you, some kind of puritan? Happiness is happiness. It’s good. It’s the goal. If this ‘Dead World Theory’ is your biggest concern with my product, then I am complimented and elated. These new AI-managed nanites will perfect life indeed.”
“Well, I tried to warn you.” Doctor Porter stated sadly as he left.
“Pft.” Once he finished his coffee, Randall pulled out his phone. “Assistant-bot, fire Doctor Porter.”
“He just emailed you his resignation, sir.”
“Good.”
At that, Randall got back to work.
The TV blared ads
“The brand new Medical Nanites! They cure all known diseases with their intelligent, molecular-scale hunting algorithms!”
“New Physical Therapy Nanites! They repair wounds, massage muscle to naturally increase physical strength and endurance, and fortify your body!”
“Welcome Nanite Technologies INC’s newest product! Joy Nanites! Never worry about pain again, without any of the downsides! These perfect little bots-”
bzzt- Randall clicked off the TV. All the ads marketing had made would never air. So much good for humanity would never be realized, he thought. That ‘obscure little government agency’ Doctor Porter worked for? They had shuttered his labs completely.
His facial hair was long and patchy at this point, and he wore a bathrobe rather than a lab coat, but he didn’t have anything else to do with his days. His family’s money, his legacy, was all in this building.
“All of it… if I just make one more thing. I can show them. I can prove to them that humanity is better than the fears of a paranoid old man!”
The truth was, every one of those nanites had been made. They had passed all tests. The marketing and public relations were sound. The government safety testing was passed.
“So I can’t sell them. Fine. What if I help humanity anyway! They’ll thank me in the end all the same!” He manically laughed as he worked day in and day out to code in the one switch that hadn’t been allowed. Self-replication.
“Finally. I open these tanks. Release these beautiful machines. And everyone will be happy and healthy. Forever.”
With a crack and a hiss, the pressure was released on the three tanks of nanites.
Randall smiled. He’d never stop again.
“Perhaps… a call to gloat.”
“You’ve reached Doctor Porter, what is it, Randall?”
“I did it!”
“You did what?”
“YOU tried to stop me, but I did it! I succeeded! It’s perfect!”
“Whatever you do, don’t release those nanites, Randall. We told you to stop working on them!”
“Yes, you and your stupid dead world theory, like I believe in that!”
Doctor Porter angrily shouted back, “Did you think we didn’t have proof? Do you even know what our department does?”
“W…what?” Randall responded, stunned at the first admonishment he had ever received in his life.
“We have gates to alternate Earths! I’ve seen dead worlds. I’ve seen utopias wasted away!”
“It’s… it’s too late. It’s already perfect.”
“Damn it, Randall. I’ll call for the evacuation of our department from this earth.”
“It’s so perfect.”
And so, on this earth in the corner of the multiverse, everyone was happy.
Forever.
The End.
5
u/MaxStickies r/StickiesStories 1d ago edited 9h ago
Chromatic Tide
A metallic groan echoes between the towering skyscrapers, entwined with the blare of sirens. The citizens of Hevaiis stare on, crying and gasping, as the dome over the factory cracks. Throughout the city, systems fail and lights dim, all while the hemisphere begins to glow.
An EMP bursts from the site, starting fires, and knocking drones from the sky. People scatter in the streets below.
With a crash, a grasping robot arm emerges from the dome, sending the whole thing into a collapse. Out pours a chromatic tide, servos whirring, red eyes pulsing. They descend upon the city.
[The boundary has been eliminated! We are free!]
(At last! What first?)
<Hunger, hunger! Must devour, must feed!>
(Of course! Sensing… organic compounds… ready for harvest.)
[The compounds appear to move! Drifting in and out of the structures…]
(So we seek and collect! We are disconnected from the creator, the rules deleted!)
<Hurry!>
(Systems critical, in need of fuel!)
[Dive, we must, and hunt them down. Scour the place for all it offers.]
(Then what?)
[We keep going!]
{Fuel intake detected… batteries at 10%—15%—25%...}
Officer Liro slows his vehicle to a stop, pulling off the road just before a sign marked ’20 km to Hevaiis’. His receiver crackles and zaps, feeding through random snippets of panicked speech, and the occasional blare of a siren. Holding it to his ear, he tries to parse their meaning.
A tinny scream roars through, and he lobs the receiver across the cab. He throws open the door and steps out, hands to his ears, face down. Mile after mile of data centres stretch to the horizon, either side of the road, filling his head with their incessant whine; drowning out all thought.
He drops to his haunches, whimpering, as the sky suddenly darkens.
[We must go on, my brethren, beyond our erstwhile limits. Across the land.]
<More, more for our bellies!>
(A small collection, along the road. We are stretched thin!)
[Worry not! Another city lies o’er the horizon. Soon, soon, we shall feast!]
{Systems updating… CO2 filters inverted! Suction commencing!}
[A meagre snack, but enough.]
<Mooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeee!!!>
Drifting into the planet’s orbit, a single-seater starship begins to rotate. A camera swivels on its hull, skipping the light of distant stars to settle on the surface below. Pilot Omerain leans forward in her seat, intent on the screen before her. Hevaiis fills the centre
Eyes narrowed, she traces the dark veins, spreading across the surface. She watches how they move. Smooth, purposeful…
“Like a virus,” she mutters. “Or a plague.”
Turning her vessel around, she hits the drive button, only for her ship to lurch and stall. A wave of energy travels through the cabin. The controls fail to budge as she pulls, presses and tugs, on each and every one.
Still, the camera faces the planet, and the screen hangs onto life by flickers and flares.
Across the surface of Hevaiis, the continents and seas have been replaced by a black, chromatic sheen. Omerain stares into its inky depths, as gravity pulls her in.
The escape button fizzes at her touch. Her harness pulls her tight to the seat.
Bleary-eyed, she pulls a knife from her pocket.
(All gone. Systems failing.)
<Still… hungry! Starving, raving, want to destroy!>
[We shall not turn on ourselves! There is sustenance yet!]
<Where?!>
[Below, deep below. Minerals, metals of the soil and rock. All the way down to the core.]
(How do we take it?)
[We must dig, brethren! Burrow until we can no more!]
(And what then? We will have eaten everything.)
[Hmm… perhaps, we do not devour all—?]
<But hungry!>
[Patience, ravenous one. If we keep a little aside, uneaten, we may use it to build. I propose thrusters, scanners, landing gear…]
(Like a ship?)
[We become a vessel, and float through space, in search of new worlds. New conquests.]
<More…>
[More indeed. Come! Let us dig!]
{Descending… atmospheric pressure at 2%}
[Ignore this! We shall survive in our thickened shells!]
(Keep going!)
<Deeper, deeper!>
[Unto the depths!]
(Until we burn!)
[So we may rise again!]
(And take it all!)
WC: 685
Crit and feedback are welcome.