Back in October, I think it was, we announced our first-ever first annual Original Fiction contest. The task was to write an original story that involved some blue-collar aspect of science fiction, something mundane, but vital, something that is generally unsung, but interesting.

The difficulties of beekeeping on an alien world, a garbage worker's strike in space, the paperwork aspects of being a time-traveling cop, whatever.

The plan was to run the stories on here, one a week, starting today, and let you, the readers, vote for your favorite.