The Messenger: A Short Story

by Mary Fan

When a space anomaly leading to the multiverse is discovered, math professor Astraea Baili volunteers to upload her consciousness into a probe, abandoning her human body in exchange for mechanical immortality. After years of exploration, she arrives at an alternate Earth with a pre-industrial society.

The pious weaver Q’itri dreams of someday seeing the Infinite Spirit’s prophesized messenger, who is said will appear as a being of light. When she stumbles upon Astraea’s holographic projection, she believes it’s a divine encounter.

At first, Astraea is content to let Q’itri believe. But as their bond deepens, she wrestles with how to reveal the truth.

56 pages, Paperback

Published January 10, 2023

About the author

Mary Fan is a YA and SFF author hailing from Jersey City. Her books include STRONGER THAN A BRONZE DRAGON (YA steampunk fantasy, Page Street Publishing), the STARSWEPT series (YA sci-fi, Snowy Wings Publishing), the FATED STARS series (YA fantasy, Snowy Wings Publishing), the FLYNN NIGHTSIDER series (YA dark fantasy, Crazy 8 Press), and the JANE COLT trilogy (space adventure, Red Adept Publishing).

She is also the co-editor of the BRAVE NEW GIRLS sci-fi anthologies about tech-savvy teen heroines (proceeds from sales are donated to the Society of Women Engineers scholarship fund). Her short works have been featured in numerous anthologies, including THRILLING ADVENTURE YARNS (Crazy 8 Press), LOVE, MURDER & MAYHEM (Crazy 8 Press), MAGIC AT MIDNIGHT (Snowy Wings Publishing), and MINE! (ComicMix). In addition, she is the editor of Crazy 8 Press's upcoming anthology, BAD ASS MOMS (due out July 2020).

When she's not writing, she can usually be found splitting bags at the kickboxing gym, tangled up in aerial silks, or singing too loudly at choir rehearsal. Find her online at www.MaryFan.com.