Showing results by author "Bob Bello" in All Categories

EPISODE 3: In 1977, a concerned mother takes her teenage son to a psychiatrist. The boy is an artist, who constantly talks about hardcore sci-fi and contingency survival plans. Unexpectedly, his futuristic philosophy changes the old shrink’s worldview. (Standalone version.) Available also in print as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.1, illustrated by the author.

EPISODE 20: In 1985, a Russian immigrant visits a US professor of psychotherapy on a sabbatical, begging him to save his wife from a Siberian Gulag. The problem is that the American is now nothing more than a pulp fiction writer with a flair for sci-fi thrillers and he can’t help even morally, let alone physically. (Standalone version.) Available also in print as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.2, illustrated by the author. The eBook version is not illustrated to save on file size (1mb vs. 300mb).

EPISODE 3: In 1886, a steamship is mysteriously stranded without fuel in the dense fog of the Mediterranean Sea. A private detective on vacation is called to investigate, but unless he shakes off his cynical skepticism and starts fighting fire with fire, he won’t save anyone from the inevitable. (Standalone version.) Available also in print as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.1, illustrated by the author.

EPISODE 19: In 2357, a Native American journalist investigates the Venusian Genesis Mystery. Both Human Authority and the Native Council of Venus support her work, yet conservative elements try to silence her. Apparently, her discovery threatens more than just the diplomatic relations between the two planets. It seems the entire universe is at stake. (Standalone version.) Available also in print as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.2, illustrated by the author. The eBook version is not illustrated to save on file size (1mb vs. 300mb).

EPISODE 24: In 2025, the test flight of a space ambulance runs amok and takes the pilot to Mars, which is still under terraforming quarantine. Ejecting in his seat before crashing, his only hope is to locate the old exploration rovers and call for rescue. But when he finally manages to contact NASA, he becomes a huge sensation for a totally different reason. (Standalone version.) Available also in print as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.3, illustrated by the author. The eBook version is not illustrated to save on file size (1mb vs. 300mb).

SYNOPSIS: In 2100, after Earth is ravaged by a Space War, a habitable planet is discovered in Canis Major, bringing new hope for a new home. They have the technology, the volunteers, and the guts to check its livability conditions. Yet 3 years later, a mysterious virus threatens to kill the members of the expedition. And with it, all hope for Earth 2. (Standalone version.) Available also in print as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.1, illustrated by the author.

SYNOPSIS: In 2019, the United Nations Government calls a history professor to investigate the abduction of her father. It appears that a UFO had collided with his military aircraft. Treated as an intruder, the alien decides to teach the leaders of Earth a lesson of trust and interstellar diplomacy. (Standalone version.)

EPISODE 12: In 2037, a test pilot returns home to Luna after an experimental space flight, but something is wrong. Trying to contact Earth Headquarters, he crash-lands in an unknown location, where he has an unscheduled appointment with his own destiny. (Standalone version.)

EPISODES 157 & 158: In 2019, a widowed foundryman visits a Grief Support Group, but all he finds there is despair and bitterness, which don’t help him cope with the loss of his wife. Leaving the place, he aimlessly walks the streets to clear his head, when suddenly he discovers that life has better plans for him than grieving to the end of time. (PG-13)

EPISODE 26: In 2000, the editor of the Military Sci-Fi Journal experiences a bizarre event during a convention trip. Whether it’s an elaborate prank by his fans or something else, it will alter his worldview and change his life forever. All he must do is remain faithful to the reason for creating his magazine. (Standalone version.) Available also in print as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.3, illustrated by the author. The eBook version is not illustrated to save on file size (1mb vs. 300mb).

Episode 27: In 2020, a priest of the Universal Order investigates the abduction of his wife, reporting straight to the New Vatican in Jerusalem. Despite the stark mystery, the determination of Padre Lucas to find his beloved will take him on an incredible journey to where no priest has ever gone before. (Standalone version.) Available also in print as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.3, illustrated by the author. The eBook version is not illustrated to save on file size (1mb vs. 300mb).

EPISODE 25: In 2040, a terminally ill poetess is planning her suicide when a new law comes to power: it is illegal to die. The global government needs people to populate terraformed planets. Winning a prestigious award, she becomes a spokesperson for the United Nations, helping to abolish death in the world forever. (Standalone version) Available also in print as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.3, illustrated by the author. The eBook version is not illustrated to save on file size (1mb vs. 300mb).

EPISODE 40: In 2283, a single mother raises her teenage daughter as a private space guard for hire. Living aboard their starship, they sail the galaxy in search of clientele, completing one mission after another. Yet the life of a ‘spacer’ is never easy, especially if one wants to be completely free of their troubled past, which follows every human being like a shadow. (Standalone version.) Available also in print, as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.4, illustrated by the author. The eBook is not illustrated to save on file size (1mb vs. 300mb).

EPISODE 23: In 1974, returning home from a Christmas celebration at the local church, a family realizes that three hours had passed in the span of one. Ten days later, they discover the hard way that this is only the beginning of a greater mystery. Unraveling it would demand more than just trusting science and medicine to save them from the horror of the past. (Standalone version.) Available also in print as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.3, illustrated by the author. The eBook version is not illustrated to save on file size (1mb vs. 300mb).

EPISODES 373 & 374: In 1920, a Cambridge student of English literature wakes up in the hospital, surviving a deadly street accident. Slowly recalling what happened, he reevaluates the meaning of life from every angle. Arguing with himself, he begins to realize that his thoughts aren’t his own. Had he lost his mind? Or is this something beyond comprehension? (PG-13)

SYNOPSIS: In 1973, a young shrink treats a 30-year-old man who can’t remember who he is, presumed mentally ill. She soon discovers that he is an intelligent poet, yet some of the details he recalls make no sense to her. However, when his version of history comes to pass, she begs him to help her rescue her husband, arrested by the Military Junta of Chile. (This standalone story is available in print as part of the Starcall Anthology, Vol.5, illustrated by the author.)

EPISODE 15: In 1460 NE, an alien world awakens to the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy, warning of an apocalyptic disaster. Can it be stopped or prevented? Can it be survived? Why else would a prediction be given to a people, if not to help them in any way? (Standalone version.) Available also in print as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.2, illustrated by the author. The eBook is not illustrated to save on file size (1mb vs. 300mb).

EPISODE 33: In 2014, a man escapes from the hospital morgue presumed dead. Starved, he lines up at a nearby Salvation Army street kitchen, having no idea who he is, or that he wears a military field uniform. They offer him a bed and a painter’s job at the new shelter, until people find out that someone is hunting the shy, homeless veteran. (Standalone version.) Available also in print, as part of the STARCALL Anthology, Vol.4, illustrated by the author. The eBook is not illustrated to save on file size (1mb vs. 300mb).

SYNOPSIS: In 2318, the Space Admiralty tells a pregnant woman that her husband is MIA in alien territory, drafted into a war he never wanted to fight. She travels 5.3 light-years to search for him and finds out that he is a POW in the alien world he had rescued her from seven years ago. If she wants to see him alive, she must play a dirty game to win him in a slave market she had sworn never to set foot again.

Synopsis: In 2034, an old man wakes up in a room he doesn’t remember, unable to recall his name. A video on his laptop, recorded to himself, reveals that he is a professor of cybernetics, suffering from dementia. For more details, it invites him to look into a portable digital microscope in his pocket. What awaits him in the macrocosm demands more than the visionary mind of a revolutionary scientist. (This standalone version is also available in print as part of the Starcall Anthology, Vol.6, illustrated by the author.)