A collection of eighteen short, speculative fictions by William Mangieri: Passed LifeEd thought he had a good handle on who he was, but a family death, phone calls from the past, and time travel can really mess with your sense of self. It's best to leave the past alone.B.I.T.A man with a gene-hacking virus must decide whether to accept his new existence, or try to regain his old identity. What are we willing to give up to be cured?Through Her EyesJennie had a surprise planned for Pete, but Pete had one for her, too. Things aren't always what they seem. Business is BusinessIn this fairytale taken from a different perspective, an honest craftsman enters into a business relationship, but soon finds himself ensnared in the machinations of a voluptuous gold-digger.A Dish Best ServedA self-aggrandizing intergalactic food critic runs afoul of a prideful chef, and gets an unexpected lesson in alien cuisine, living, and manners. If you can't say something nice...Quiet It's been 40 years since men last visited the moon. Since then it feels like we've abandoned manned space exploration. What if that's not all we abandoned?Sasqwhat?It's bad enough people treat Ben like a freak - now he's seen something even bigger and hairier than he is hiding in the Arkansas woods, and he needs to find it to prove that he's no crazier than anyone else.Sometimes, you don't know what you're made of until it's staring you in the face... The View from Up HereFaced by life-altering news, looks out over his life, and ponders his future. Talking to yourself can be something quite different when you're possessed of two minds. InheritanceWhen Amun discovers that his family is connected to power, wealth and infamy; but does he really want the inheritance that's coming to him?The Human InterfaceCustomer support can be Heaven, but most of us remember when it's like - the other place. We've all had to deal with difficult, unreasonable people in our lives. Often the system turns them into demons, sometimes they start out that way; either way, they need to be dealt with. Keep your cool; stick to the script and remember, people don't always have control of themselves.Riding the DevilWith his town running from one strange frontier to another as they elude their alien abductors, Aaron Walker is forced to risk all to fulfill his destiny. Last CallMike could have been a priest, but instead of serving sinners from behind a screen, he's hearing them from behind a bar. Some devil has unleashed Hell on Earth, but devils can be a matter of perspective, and this is one confession that has Mike wondering about his career choice. In Robert's MemoryAn interplanetary tourist ship runs into its own version of an iceberg; it's up to R0B3rt to ensure its passengers' survival. Careful - you spend enough time around people and they're bound to rub off on you.My Reality ShowThe voices may be in your head, but that doesn't mean they're not real. A man decides to lay down the rules of engagement for his own First Contact. The BodyA social-climbing son deals with more than the usual embarrassment of misbehaving parents, hoping to find acceptability in the certainty of their demise. If some things would just stay buried...Choosing the Right TimeWho hasn't thought about how different their life would be, if only they had made this choice instead of that one? If only...? A young man finds out that no matter how amazing a technology can be, there are no simple fixes.The Sheila Wulf Chitinoid SessionsSheila Wulf thinks she's made her mark when she discovers an alien species, but her fifteen minutes fame seems to be wasted on a tribe of uncooperative crabs. Could anything be worse? Try working for her.Thank You for Your Interest in XenCorpWhy restrict your job search pool to local employers only? Broaden your possibilities. Some companies only off-shore - consider off-worlding