Earlier this year, Catalyst started publishing a free short story every month, free in that for the entire month, then would vanish, to be replaced by a new free story the next month. Well, my story is the free one for the Month of June. A tale about how the past sometimes doesn't stay there.....
The back cover blurb:
A GHOST IN THE SNOW…
Lost in a blinding snowstorm on an isolated mining planet with raiding pirates nearby…if there was ever a worse situation to be in, Leftenent John Meza is hard-pressed to think of one.
The fierce snow squalls on the planet Raman are nicknamed “Ghostmakers” due to their tendency to disappear people and even entire ’Mechs. Despite being caught in one, Meza’s plan is simple: find some cover, hunker down, and ride the storm out.
But when the pirates he was hunting find him, Meza’s suddenly outnumbered, outgunned, and in a world of trouble. His only hope is a faint voice on his comm that was guiding him through the storm…but can it guide him to victory as well?
Note: This free short story download is available between June 1–30, 2025, and contains an ebook file compatible with most ereaders, including Kindle.
It can be found here: The Specter of Winter
Now a few thoughts about this story. This story has been simmering in the background of my mind for years, a story of a Mechwarrior being saved by the past in a way he didn't expect. When John sent out word he wanted stories for the Free Monthly Fiction, and it had to be no more than 5,000 words, I took it as a challenge. Most of my published short stories are twice that long, and I took up the challenge.
The result is The Specter of Winter is first of several Free Fiction Monthly stories I wrote, small character pieces with plenty of action in them. The others will be doled out over a couple of years, and I really tried to cover different times and places I don't know when or in what order they'll be published in. All I can ask is that you enjoy this one and/or any of the other Free monthly BT fiction.
I'm keeping it short today. You have the rest of June to get my story, because when July rolls around, a new story will be unveiled...
Craig