“Retake”: A SciFanSat Microfiction Compilation

He glanced, doing a couple of #retake-s. Seeing the #dove tattoo at the corner of her eye, the policeman knew he’d found the wallet stealing lady of the night—or had he?
By the time he’d cuffed her, the tattoo had flown onto his car & she was gone. #vss365 #scifansat #satsplat

— Fizzy AllsortsOfAllsorts (@Fizzytwizler) January 21, 2023

During our stroll, my brother transforms into a #dove. He seems reluctant to fly so I carry him, stroking his white feathers. He trembles, eyes flicking.
"Told you not to ridicule her," I say—then I feel bad.
I retake the route home wondering what pa will say.#SciFanSat #vss365

— John Everex (@EverexJohn) January 21, 2023

“It’s not like a test you can retake,” he said in his low growl. “You only get one go.”
Leaning her weight against the wall, she watched the fat doves bobbing along in the grass. “What if you did have a redo, though?”
“Extra lives?” He eyed her, lips quirking.#vss365 #SciFanSat

— R.S.Bass is querying (@RebBassWrites) January 21, 2023

They offer the caught baseball. “I feel ready to retake the Turing test, Foster. May I?”

“Of course,” he says, taking the ball from the robot. “If you pass, what then?”

“May I stay, Foster? I’ve learned imitation, but you teach me to be human.”#SciFanSat #2WordPrompt

— Jason H. Abbott (@Jason_H_Abbott) January 21, 2023

The #dove is a warbird for the fairies. Every time they congregate, look for diaphanous, humanesque figures acting out faerie wars from the distant past. It's their favorite thing, a battle #retake, where everything is a simulation but the death.#SciFanSat #SciFiSat #vss365

— Danielle Ste. Just (@DanielleSteJust) January 21, 2023

She was like a dove in this city of pigeons. People wondered what she saw in a worm like me. But to retake the planet, she needed someone who could get down in the dirt. The early bird had caught me, and I’d burrow straight through this rock for her.#satsplat #vss365 #SciFanSat

— A. A. Rubin (@TheSurrealAri) January 21, 2023

In truth, I can not give you the peace you seek. The #dove you offered, I shall only set free.

You will see it from your prison cell every morning before your execution, which I have set on a timeloop, to retake your life a thousand times over. #vss365 #SciFanSat

— Ellen✍K – in the gutter, looking at the stars (@poeticnihilist) January 21, 2023

#SciFanSat
Rooted to the belief that to teach hatred to the young would foster fearlessness when they fight, reason #dove onto the illogical chasm.
When peace came the bitter outnumbered what's left of the reasonable who'd wish to #retake control of humanity.#vss365#2WordPrompt

— aran (@AranPotente) January 21, 2023

I #dove behind a curtain, only to realize it was a diaphanous sheet. She stalked into the room, easing weight onto her feet.

"Come," she called. "I'd hate to have to #retake your life, my pet."

The plastic sheet ripped open.

My circuits trembled.#SciFanSat #vss365 #vsspic pic.twitter.com/SXkwZNlNcw

— A.L. MacDonald (@A_L_MacDonald) January 21, 2023

With a wave, the witch turned our swords to lamps, cutting through the mist over the river. We could see the the guards beyond. They didn't see us as we stormed across the bridge on our way to retake the Capital. #SciFanSat #retake

— Voima Oy (@voimaoy) January 21, 2023

I shouldn't stop, but I do. The spaceship's gleaming in the sun. Noah's Ark. Big letters. #Doves have gathered around it, all crippled feet & festering eyes. I wonder if anyone sees the irony. A #retake on human arrogance. Or perhaps fatuity. Not that I care. #vss365 #SciFanSat

— Thelma 🖊️ 📖 🖤 (@ThelmaMantey) January 21, 2023

Zoek was promoted to chief of Xenial Intergalactic Relations, requiring extensive travel and a new passport photo.

"We need to retake that shot, Zoek. Can you…umm…tuck in your xiphoid appendages and tame those tentacles? Beautiful."#ScifiSat #SciFanSat

— I r e n e (@_Irene_Dreams_) January 21, 2023

I'll #retake my position as head of the Mars planetary police at all costs. Pinning the crime on the androids is the best idea I ever had. Everyone knows they hate humans and I don't feel guilty. It's not like they're people.
"Mr. Frank, we have questions." #satsplat#SciFanSat

— Maria A. Perez (@MariaAPerez1) January 21, 2023

With wings outspread, a graceful flight,

A #dove takes to the skies, a sight so right.#Retake the world with a gentle heart,

With kindness, love and a brand new start.#SciFanSat#SciFiSat#vss365#SciFiChat#WritingCommunity#poetrytwitter#poetrycommunity#vsspoem pic.twitter.com/hUUjPzZa3B

— Keren Kassian (@PriestessOfPen) January 21, 2023

“We have to retake this city,” Karine says.

“Ain’t any retaking it,” I say. “I just wanna keep quiet and earn credits.”

She takes a holo from her coat pocket and displays a pic of the Premier’s wife.

“Suppose there was a way to clean things up for good?”#SciFanSat #SatSplat pic.twitter.com/lhUQbqGUkf

— Armond Boudreaux (@armondboudreaux) January 21, 2023

An angel, a messenger, white as a dove, silent as a ghost, appeared next to me. “You have to retake your life,” he said to me in soundless words.
My hearth was pounding, my hands were trembling, not only by the apparition, but rather by his missive.#vss365 #scifansat #amwriting pic.twitter.com/GSeC83Wdna

— Luis (@elauraeterea) January 21, 2023

“Aftermath”

We retake the Earth
The alien race losers
Eat our Dove of Peace

Growing diseases
War comes to the Earth again
What remains is ash

Last moments — Earth’s death
The symbol of our hubris
We’re the true losers#HaikuChallenge#ScifaikuSaturday#SciFanSat#VSS365 pic.twitter.com/gyhZbtotun

— Alan Vincent Michaels (@AlanVMichaels) January 21, 2023

Boss Harlow's ship, the Dove, is coming at 60,000 km/sec. The matte-black bowling ball intersecting his path is just a little too massive for his deflector.
With him out of the way, I can retake control of the O2/nickel-iron trade.
STRIKE.#satsplat #scifansat #vss365 pic.twitter.com/to1V8YaUti

— Paul Briggs (@paulproofreader) January 21, 2023

#scifansat

It looked like your typical ladies' lunch. But a closer look might have revealed horns beneath the hats.

"Sisters," began one, "we have tarried long enough in this realm. Tonight we #retake the Palace of Bone and unseat the Usurper!"

A bit odd, thought the waitress. pic.twitter.com/HLcVI1vvvd

— John Tannhauser is working on stuff 🚧 (@JohnTannhauser) January 21, 2023

Hero Academy don't #teach you stuff twice. It doesn't #foster good relationships to find out you can't #retake Swordplay 101; a fail is fatal.

Oh, and to catch a #Pegasus, you have to feed it a #dove. That's not in the prospectus either.#vss365 #2WordPrompt #vssmagic #scifansat pic.twitter.com/EEPl4ufyyr

— That Burnt Writer 🇺🇦 (@ThatBurntWriter) January 21, 2023