Cranefly Fiction -- 2016 onward

[cranefly]

Subterfuge

She looked more closely at the Deceptoid: Blockish body, eyes on stalks rising from the shoulders, large lenticular head, the face disturbingly dished-out and devoid of eyes or nose, just a tentacular tangle of barbels and hair of a sickly yellow and green. . .  Deceptoid or Stygian mimebot, he sat perfectly still, if awkwardly, in the human chair, stalks vertical, eyes fixed on the ceiling as was their manner of repose.  His environsuit was skintight, and elastic enough to accommodate his eyestalks and eyes through a wide range of motion, including extension/contraction.  It also revealed a body mostly covered in moire-patterned tattoos that played havoc with her tired eyes.  There were no glitches; all of his features meshed.  All seemed perfectly in order.  Of course, that meant nothing.  A mimebot could mimic it all.

Dedication: To moire patterns everywhere.

"Subterfuge" (12,000 words) started 2/17/2004, finished 6/17/2021