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“An Atomic Fairy Tale” by Chase Anderson (read by Apollo Brightflank)
A mother tells her daughter the tale of Urania, the biggest, greediest dragon that had ever lived, and the tiny thing that was her downfall.
Today’s story is “An Atomic Fairy Tale” by Chase Anderson, who is a speculative fiction writer, spreadsheet wrangler, and internet bird. This story was first printed in “The Lorelei Signal,” and you can find more of the author’s stories on his website, chasej.xyz.
Read by Apollo Brightflank, who still returns to the prairie.
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If you have a story you think would be a good fit, you can check out the requirements, fill out the submission template and get in touch with us.
https://thevoice.dog/episode/an-atomic-fairy-tale-by-chase-anderson
Transcript
You’re
listening
Speaker:to
Speaker:The
Speaker:Voice
Speaker:of
Speaker:Dog.
Speaker:This
Speaker:is
Speaker:Rob MacWolf,
Speaker:your
Speaker:fellow
Speaker:traveler,
Speaker:and
Speaker:Today’s
Speaker:story
Speaker:is “An
Speaker:Atomic
Speaker:Fairy Tale”
Speaker:by
Speaker:Chase
Speaker:Anderson,
Speaker:who
Speaker:a
Speaker:speculative
Speaker:fiction
Speaker:writer,
Speaker:spreadsheet
Speaker:wrangler,
Speaker:and
Speaker:internet
Speaker:bird.
Speaker:This
Speaker:story
Speaker:was
Speaker:first
Speaker:printed
Speaker:in “The
Speaker:Lorelei
Speaker:Signal,”
Speaker:and
Speaker:you
Speaker:can
Speaker:find
Speaker:more
Speaker:of
Speaker:the
Speaker:author’s
Speaker:stories
Speaker:on
Speaker:his
Speaker:website,
Speaker:chasej.xyz.
Read by
Apollo
Speaker:Brightflank,
Speaker:who
Speaker:still
Speaker:returns
Speaker:to
Speaker:the
Speaker:prairie.
Please
enjoy
“An
Atomic
Speaker:Fairy Tale”
Speaker:by
Speaker:Chase
Speaker:Anderson
Once
upon
Speaker:a
Speaker:time,
Speaker:the
Speaker:world
Speaker:was
Speaker:a
Speaker:vast,
Speaker:empty
Speaker:place,
Speaker:and
Speaker:that
Speaker:was
Speaker:just how
Speaker:Urania,
Speaker:the
Speaker:greatest
Speaker:of
Speaker:primordial
Speaker:dragons,
Speaker:liked
Speaker:it.
Speaker:She’d
Speaker:always
Speaker:remember
Speaker:her
Speaker:moment
Speaker:of
Speaker:hatching,
Speaker:at
Speaker:the
Speaker:beginning
Speaker:of
Speaker:time,
Speaker:where
Speaker:she
Speaker:and
Speaker:countless
Speaker:other
Speaker:dragonets
Speaker:hatched
Speaker:from
Speaker:countless
Speaker:eggs
Speaker:out
Speaker:of
Speaker:their
Speaker:singular,
Speaker:fiery
Speaker:nest.
Speaker:They
Speaker:fled
Speaker:at
Speaker:the
Speaker:sight
Speaker:of
Speaker:each
Speaker:other,
Speaker:for
Speaker:a
Speaker:dragon
Speaker:is
Speaker:something
Speaker:to
Speaker:be
Speaker:feared,
Speaker:even
Speaker:for
Speaker:another
Speaker:dragon.
So,
Urania
Speaker:liked
Speaker:being
Speaker:alone.
Speaker:The
Speaker:second
Speaker:time
Speaker:she
Speaker:had
Speaker:been
Speaker:around
Speaker:others
Speaker:was
Speaker:during
Speaker:one
Speaker:ancient
Speaker:summer
Speaker:feast.
Speaker:It
Speaker:had
Speaker:transformed
Speaker:her,
Speaker:from
Speaker:her
Speaker:childish
Speaker:single-segmented
Speaker:body
Speaker:into
Speaker:her
Speaker:new, 92-segmented
Speaker:form.
Yes, dear,
that’s
Speaker:a
Speaker:very
Speaker:big number! That’s as big as 13 mes!
Now, some dragons
met
Speaker:other
Speaker:dragons
Speaker:that
Speaker:day
Speaker:and
Speaker:bonded.
Speaker:But
Speaker:for
Speaker:greedy
Speaker:dragons
Speaker:like
Speaker:Urania,
Speaker:they
Speaker:used
Speaker:it
Speaker:as
Speaker:an
Speaker:opportunity
Speaker:to
Speaker:gobble
Speaker:them
Speaker:up!
Speaker:She
Speaker:used
Speaker:their
Speaker:bodies
Speaker:to
Speaker:make
Speaker:hers
Speaker:bigger,
Speaker:until
Speaker:she
Speaker:was
Speaker:the
Speaker:biggest
Speaker:one
Speaker:of
Speaker:all.
Speaker:She
Speaker:gave
Speaker:herself
Speaker:a
Speaker:new
Speaker:name,
Speaker:Urania,
Speaker:to
Speaker:celebrate
Speaker:the
Speaker:occasion.
And
there
Speaker:was
Speaker:much
Speaker:to
Speaker:celebrate,
Speaker:for
Speaker:the
Speaker:larger
Speaker:the
Speaker:dragon,
Speaker:the
Speaker:more
Speaker:treasure
Speaker:she
Speaker:can
Speaker:hoard.
Speaker:We
Speaker:have
Speaker:only
Speaker:so
Speaker:many
Speaker:claws,
Speaker:so
Speaker:we
Speaker:can
Speaker:only
Speaker:carry
Speaker:so
Speaker:much.
Speaker:For
Speaker:most,
Speaker:it’s
Speaker:one
Speaker:treasure
Speaker:per
Speaker:body length,
Speaker:but
Speaker:you
Speaker:can
Speaker:carry
Speaker:more,
Speaker:if
Speaker:you’re
Speaker:clever
Speaker:and
Speaker:stack
Speaker:it
Speaker:just
Speaker:right.
Speaker:That’s
Speaker:why
Speaker:your
Speaker:Mama
Speaker:has
Speaker:eight
Speaker:treasure
Speaker:for
Speaker:her
Speaker:eight
Speaker:segments,
Speaker:but
Speaker:Grandmama
Speaker:has
Speaker:eight
Speaker:as
Speaker:well,
Speaker:despite
Speaker:only
Speaker:having
Speaker:six
Speaker:segments.
Where
was
Speaker:I?
Speaker:Yes,
Speaker:Urania
Speaker:was
Speaker:very
Speaker:happy
Speaker:to
Speaker:be
Speaker:bigger,
Speaker:so
Speaker:she
Speaker:could
Speaker:have
Speaker:more
Speaker:treasure.
Speaker:And
Speaker:being
Speaker:the
Speaker:biggest
Speaker:dragon
Speaker:meant
Speaker:she
Speaker:could
Speaker:have
Speaker:more
Speaker:than
Speaker:anyone
Speaker:else.
Speaker:But,
Speaker:when
Speaker:she
Speaker:left
Speaker:the
Speaker:feast,
Speaker:she
Speaker:nearly
Speaker:stumbled
Speaker:over
Speaker:an
Speaker:old
Speaker:wyrm.
“You
best
Speaker:be
Speaker:careful,”
Speaker:the
Speaker:old-timer
Speaker:murmured.
“Why?”
Urania
Speaker:scoffed,
Speaker:for
Speaker:what
Speaker:could
Speaker:she
Speaker:possibly
Speaker:have
Speaker:to
Speaker:fear?
Speaker:No
Speaker:one
Speaker:was
Speaker:big
Speaker:enough
Speaker:to
Speaker:dare
Speaker:eat
Speaker:her
Speaker:or
Speaker:steal
Speaker:from
Speaker:her.
“Do
not
Speaker:fall for
Speaker:the
Speaker:lust of
Speaker:treasure,”
Speaker:the
Speaker:wyrm
Speaker:had
Speaker:said. “It
Speaker:is
Speaker:the
Speaker:downfall
Speaker:of
Speaker:many
Speaker:a
Speaker:dragon,
Speaker:but
Speaker:especially
Speaker:so
Speaker:for
Speaker:those
Speaker:of
Speaker:your
Speaker:size.”
Speaker:Her
Speaker:voice
Speaker:was
Speaker:tired,
Speaker:almost
Speaker:bitter,
Speaker:and
Speaker:yet
Speaker:she
Speaker:still
Speaker:clutched
Speaker:her
Speaker:own
Speaker:treasure,
Speaker:her
Speaker:coils
Speaker:tightly
Speaker:wrapped
Speaker:around
Speaker:it.
“You are
just
Speaker:afraid
Speaker:I
Speaker:will
Speaker:steal
Speaker:yours,”
Speaker:Urania
Speaker:declared. “Your
Speaker:paltry 20
Speaker:means
Speaker:nothing to me.”
“36,”
the wyrm corrected. “It’s a number you best beware.”
Her
words
Speaker:would
Speaker:come
Speaker:back
Speaker:to
Speaker:Urania,
Speaker:each
Speaker:time
Speaker:she
Speaker:found
Speaker:an
Speaker:errant
Speaker:sphere
Speaker:and
Speaker:added
Speaker:it
Speaker:to
Speaker:her
Speaker:collection.
Speaker:There
Speaker:was
Speaker:always
Speaker:one
Speaker:more
Speaker:nook
Speaker:or
Speaker:elbow
Speaker:to
Speaker:tuck
Speaker:it
Speaker:behind,
Speaker:a
Speaker:little
Speaker:rearranging
Speaker:so
Speaker:it
Speaker:stacked
Speaker:nicely
Speaker:into
Speaker:a
Speaker:prism
Speaker:that
Speaker:was
Speaker:oh-so
Speaker:comfortable
Speaker:to
Speaker:drape
Speaker:herself
Speaker:around.
“Pah,
what
Speaker:did
Speaker:she
Speaker:know?”
Speaker:Urania
Speaker:said
Speaker:to
Speaker:herself. “A
Speaker:scarred-old
Speaker:fool
Speaker:who
Speaker:lost
Speaker:lode
Speaker:and
Speaker:limb
Speaker:in
Speaker:battle
Speaker:and
Speaker:can’t
Speaker:get
Speaker:over
Speaker:the
Speaker:past.”
Speaker:Urania
Speaker:couldn’t
Speaker:imagine
Speaker:herself
Speaker:losing
Speaker:a
Speaker:fight
Speaker:with
Speaker:another
Speaker:dragon,
Speaker:as
Speaker:there
Speaker:was
Speaker:no
Speaker:one
Speaker:else like
Speaker:her
Speaker:at 92
Speaker:parts
Speaker:long, who
Speaker:had
Speaker:the
Speaker:strength
Speaker:and
Speaker:magic
Speaker:to
Speaker:keep all 143 pieces
Speaker:of
Speaker:treasure
Speaker:in
Speaker:perfect
Speaker:balance.
So,
one
Speaker:day
Speaker:when
Speaker:an
Speaker:errant
Speaker:hatchling
Speaker:only
Speaker:two
Speaker:segments
Speaker:large
Speaker:shot
Speaker:into
Speaker:her
Speaker:lair
Speaker:and
Speaker:bounced
Speaker:off
Speaker:her,
Speaker:Urania
Speaker:snarled.
Speaker:One
Speaker:of
Speaker:the
Speaker:hatchling’s
Speaker:treasure
Speaker:rattled
Speaker:loose
Speaker:and
Speaker:began
Speaker:to
Speaker:roll
Speaker:away.
“I’ll
be
Speaker:taking
Speaker:that,”
Speaker:Urania
Speaker:said,
Speaker:and
Speaker:plucked
Speaker:it
Speaker:up
Speaker:with
Speaker:one
Speaker:of
Speaker:her
Speaker:many
Speaker:claws.
The
hatchling
Speaker:was
Speaker:horrified. “But
Speaker:that’s
Speaker:mine!”
Speaker:little
Speaker:Helios
Speaker:cried. “You
Speaker:have
Speaker:eleventy-jillion
Speaker:treasure,
Speaker:and
Speaker:I
Speaker:only
Speaker:have
Speaker:two!”
Oh?
That’s
Speaker:because
Speaker:all
Speaker:hatchlings,
Speaker:once
Speaker:they
Speaker:gain
Speaker:their
Speaker:second
Speaker:segment,
Speaker:graduate
Speaker:from
Speaker:the
Speaker:name “Hydragos”
Speaker:to “Helios,”
Speaker:and
Speaker:that
Speaker:means
Speaker:you,
Speaker:too.
Speaker:I
Speaker:don’t
Speaker:know
Speaker:when
Speaker:the
Speaker:tradition
Speaker:started,
Speaker:it’s
Speaker:just
Speaker:how
Speaker:things
Speaker:have
Speaker:always
Speaker:been.
Speaker:Now,
Speaker:no
Speaker:more
Speaker:interruptions,
Speaker:we’re
Speaker:almost
Speaker:done.
Urania
said
Speaker:to
Speaker:Helios, “Let
Speaker:this
Speaker:serve
Speaker:as
Speaker:an
Speaker:important
Speaker:lesson.
Speaker:Treasure
Speaker:is
Speaker:the
Speaker:most
Speaker:important
Speaker:thing
Speaker:to
Speaker:a
Speaker:dragon,
Speaker:so
Speaker:you
Speaker:best
Speaker:hold
Speaker:onto
Speaker:it
Speaker:tightly.
Speaker:And
Speaker:don’t
Speaker:go
Speaker:bombarding
Speaker:into
Speaker:other
Speaker:dragon’s lairs,
Speaker:it’s
Speaker:very
Speaker:rude.
Speaker:Now,
Speaker:where
Speaker:to
Speaker:put
Speaker:this?”
She
crawled
Speaker:around
Speaker:her
Speaker:horde,
Speaker:looking
Speaker:for
Speaker:a
Speaker:gap,
Speaker:but
Speaker:there
Speaker:was
Speaker:none
Speaker:to
Speaker:be
Speaker:found.
Speaker:Grey
Speaker:scales
Speaker:scraped
Speaker:the
Speaker:grey
Speaker:orbs
Speaker:as
Speaker:she
Speaker:wound
Speaker:over
Speaker:and
Speaker:over,
Speaker:looking
Speaker:for
Speaker:a
Speaker:spot
Speaker:to
Speaker:place
Speaker:the
Speaker:pilfered
Speaker:treasure.
“Give
it
Speaker:back!”
Speaker:Helios
Speaker:said. “You
Speaker:don’t
Speaker:even
Speaker:have
Speaker:room!”
Urania
had
Speaker:once
Speaker:been
Speaker:a
Speaker:hatchling,
Speaker:so
Speaker:she
Speaker:should
Speaker:have
Speaker:shown
Speaker:kindness,
Speaker:but
Speaker:her
Speaker:heart
Speaker:was
Speaker:only
Speaker:filled
Speaker:with
Speaker:greed. “I’ll
Speaker:do
Speaker:no
Speaker:such
Speaker:thing!”
Speaker:Urania
Speaker:said. “This
Speaker:treasure
Speaker:is
Speaker:mine!”
Speaker:And
Speaker:with
Speaker:that,
Speaker:she
Speaker:shoved
Speaker:it
Speaker:into
Speaker:the
Speaker:mass.
Speaker:The
Speaker:feeling
Speaker:of
Speaker:triumph
Speaker:was
Speaker:radiant,
Speaker:and
Speaker:then
Speaker:it
Speaker:grew,
Speaker:hotter
Speaker:and
Speaker:hotter,
Speaker:until
Speaker:it
Speaker:was
Speaker:too
Speaker:much.
Speaker:Then
Speaker:there
Speaker:was
Speaker:a
Speaker:pop
Speaker:and
Speaker:Urania
Speaker:was
Speaker:airborne,
Speaker:released
Speaker:from
Speaker:the
Speaker:strong
Speaker:force
Speaker:of
Speaker:her
Speaker:treasure,
Speaker:perhaps
Speaker:for
Speaker:the
Speaker:first
Speaker:time
Speaker:in
Speaker:her
Speaker:life.
She
fell
Speaker:to
Speaker:the
Speaker:ground,
Speaker:and
Speaker:then,
Speaker:a
Speaker:moment
Speaker:later,
Speaker:she
Speaker:heard
Speaker:something
Speaker:else
Speaker:fall.
Speaker:Without
Speaker:a
Speaker:dragon’s
Speaker:magic
Speaker:holding
Speaker:it
Speaker:together,
Speaker:the
Speaker:pile
Speaker:of
Speaker:treasure
Speaker:collapsed
Speaker:and
Speaker:scattered
Speaker:in
Speaker:every
Speaker:direction.
“No!” Urania
cried,
Speaker:scrambling
Speaker:for
Speaker:the
Speaker:spheres.
Speaker:Her
Speaker:body
Speaker:was
Speaker:in
Speaker:pain,
Speaker:pins
Speaker:and
Speaker:needles
Speaker:and
Speaker:many
Speaker:of
Speaker:her
Speaker:limbs
Speaker:not
Speaker:responding.
Speaker:Yet
Speaker:she
Speaker:moved
Speaker:faster
Speaker:than
Speaker:she
Speaker:could
Speaker:ever
Speaker:remember,
Speaker:snatching
Speaker:up
Speaker:orbs
Speaker:left
Speaker:and
Speaker:right.
But
now
Speaker:there
Speaker:was
Speaker:a
Speaker:second
Speaker:dragon
Speaker:doing
Speaker:just
Speaker:the
Speaker:same!
Speaker:The
Speaker:stranger
Speaker:was
Speaker:larger
Speaker:than
Speaker:Helios,
Speaker:where
Speaker:had
Speaker:she
Speaker:come
Speaker:from?
Speaker:Urania
Speaker:didn’t
Speaker:take
Speaker:the
Speaker:time
Speaker:to
Speaker:threaten
Speaker:her,
Speaker:since
Speaker:getting
Speaker:her
Speaker:treasure
Speaker:back
Speaker:was
Speaker:more
Speaker:important.
When
there
Speaker:were
Speaker:no
Speaker:spheres
Speaker:left,
Speaker:Urania
Speaker:had
Speaker:only 56,
Speaker:while
Speaker:the stranger had 85.
Speaker:The
Speaker:last
Speaker:three
Speaker:had
Speaker:rocketed
Speaker:away,
Speaker:likely
Speaker:snatched
Speaker:up
Speaker:by
Speaker:some
Speaker:lucky
Speaker:dragon
Speaker:passing
Speaker:by.
Speaker:Urania’s
Speaker:mass
Speaker:felt
Speaker:pitiful
Speaker:in
Speaker:comparison
Speaker:to
Speaker:what
Speaker:she
had before:144 beautiful pieces of
had before:treasure
had before:within
had before:her 92
had before:segments,
had before:for
had before:a wonderful total of 236.
36! She remembered
that
had before:number,
had before:the
had before:old
had before:timer,
had before:and
had before:then
had before:she
had before:looked
had before:at
had before:the
had before:stranger.
had before:She
had before:had 56
had before:segments…and a
had before:familiar
had before:tail.
had before:It
had before:had
had before:been
had before:Urania’s
had before:beautiful
had before:tail,
had before:had
had before:the
had before:stranger
had before:stolen
had before:it,
had before:too?
And
then,
had before:Urania
realized:realized:
her
realized:greed
realized:had
realized:been
realized:so
realized:great,
realized:the
realized:treasure
realized:had
realized:broken
realized:her
realized:in two,
realized:and
realized:now
realized:she
realized:was
realized:the
realized:smaller
realized:dragon,
realized:of
realized:only 36
realized:segments.
realized:She
realized:was
realized:now
realized:at
realized:great
realized:risk
realized:that
realized:someone
realized:else
realized:might
realized:steal
realized:her
realized:treasure.
realized:Even
realized:her
realized:daughter-self
realized:could,
realized:but
realized:for
realized:what
realized:end?
realized:Fitting
realized:all
realized:that
realized:treasure
realized:in
realized:a
realized:much
realized:smaller
realized:body
realized:would
realized:only
realized:risk
realized:further
realized:splitting
realized:and
realized:decay.
The
two
realized:dragons
realized:floated
realized:their
realized:separate
realized:ways.
realized:Urania
realized:renamed
realized:herself
realized:Kryptos,
realized:like
realized:all wyrms
realized:of 36
realized:parts,
realized:and
realized:as
realized:a
realized:reminder
realized:of
realized:what
realized:happened.
realized:So
realized:now
realized:each
realized:time
realized:she
realized:stacked
realized:and
realized:counted
realized:her
realized:treasure,
realized:the
realized:same 56
realized:pieces,
realized:Kryptos
realized:took
realized:the
realized:time
realized:to
realized:appreciate
realized:what
realized:she
realized:already
realized:had.
realized:She
realized:marveled
realized:at
realized:how
realized:each
realized:sphere
realized:looked
realized:just
realized:like
realized:any
realized:other.
realized:To
realized:think
realized:something
realized:so
realized:small
realized:would
realized:cause
realized:the
realized:destruction
realized:of
realized:the
realized:great
realized:dragon
realized:Urania!
What
she
realized:didn’t
realized:realize
realized:was
realized:the
realized:true
realized:treasure
realized:is
realized:the
realized:bonds
realized:dragons
realized:form
realized:with
realized:each
realized:other.
realized:When
realized:we
realized:focus
realized:on
realized:things,
realized:we
realized:lose
realized:sight
realized:of
realized:what’s
realized:truly
realized:important.
Okay,
Hydragos,
realized:I
realized:know
realized:you’re
realized:excited
realized:to
realized:go
realized:see
realized:Grandmama
realized:tomorrow,
realized:but
realized:you
realized:need
realized:to
realized:settle
realized:down
realized:for
realized:bed.
realized:Or
realized:do
realized:you
realized:want
realized:to
realized:be
realized:grounded?
realized:That’s
realized:better.
Goodnight,
I
realized:love
realized:you.
This
was “An
realized:Atomic
realized:Fairy Tale”
realized:by
realized:Chase Anderson,
realized:read
realized:for you
realized:by
realized:Apollo
realized:Brightflank,
realized:who
realized:still
realized:returns
realized:to
realized:the
realized:prairie.
realized:You
realized:can
realized:find
realized:more
realized:stories
realized:on
realized:the
realized:web
realized:at thevoice.dog,
realized:or
realized:find
realized:the
realized:show
realized:wherever
realized:you
realized:get
realized:your
realized:podcasts.
realized:Thank
realized:you
realized:for
realized:listening
realized:to
realized:The
realized:Voice
realized:of
realized:Dog.
