We’re getting ready for a big project this time. We sit at the airstrip of a self-made billionaire here in Peru. We’re borrowing his fleet of helicopters. When he heard our plans he was so excited that he wouldn’t let us proceed without his involvement. We’ve provided three pilots to pilot three of the helicopters. … Continue reading Machu Picchu’s Nose
The grass is green and the sun is shining, but Kate wouldn’t know it. She’s inside with her curtains closed, stuck in a firefight between a Pakistani, a Filipino and a New Zealander. She ducks and dives, performs a somersault and leaps from the tallest building, but it doesn’t show in the tone of her … Continue reading Addiction
I’m standing in the national park visitor centre and I have the ranger’s full attention. She was practically raised in these mountains, but she’s never heard of the Broken Duck Spur, Left-Foot Peak, the Dodo Saddle or Belt-Buckle Ridge."Strange,” I say to her “my dad’s been hiking these mountains for years, and that’s what he’s … Continue reading The Mountains
There’s a ruckus in the Old Kitchen. There’s a kale smoothie for the health-conscious adolescent, an orange juice for the youngster that only consumes brightly-coloured things, and there’s an omelette sizzling in the fry-pan for dad. The Old Kitchen is always bustling at breakfast time. It takes a celestial skill-set to manage the wants and … Continue reading The Old Kitchen
There’s an indistinct building in an indistinct field full of indistinct people. Employees enter the lobby and shake hands with the palm scanner, then they say “good morning” to the voice transcoder, and finally they look into the eyes of the retina interpretator before the airlock admits them into the bowels of the building. Here … Continue reading The Revisionists
“Dead Motorcyclist Found 100m From Road” reads a newspaper headline. Gary is sitting at the breakfast table sipping orange juice. He’s a retired truckie, and he knows a bit about everything. He examines the accompanying photo. It says it’s a picture of the stretch of road near the place where the body was found. Gary’s … Continue reading The Towie
Rodney’s diary is full of stuff. If it weren’t written in his diary he’d forget to do it. He cleans old ladies’ gutters, fixes mates’ cars, maintains the local bowling club, mows the lawn around the visitors’ centre... he’s a typical retiree - very busy. There’s one thing Rodney never has to write in his … Continue reading The Dog-Walkers
I don't know how I got here. The temperature is fine. I am not cold, I am not hot. It is very bright. The light is clean and crisp. The air is clear for a long, long distance ahead and up to the sky. The sky is not blue, it is iridescent. There are very … Continue reading Maurice
I’m driving through town and the first thing I notice is that everyone - and I mean EVERYONE - is on their phones. It’s a cliché to say it, but it’s never been more apparent. I can’t help but wonder, what are all these people doing that’s so important? I’m stopped at an intersection and … Continue reading Smartphones
It’s self-assessment time again. They tell us it’s for self-improvement. The memo reads: “It’s a way to get your boss on your side, so you can work together to be a better team-member.” Oh yeah? I’m an engineer at the observatory. I’m the guy that helps the astronomers point the telescopes at the coordinates they … Continue reading Self Assessment
Tandi Tales 