Future Tense
an excerpt

He oozed down the blackened stairwell without taking a discernable breath, proud of his ability to move in what he thought of as “rapid stealth mode.” His right hand stayed close to his hip tazer in case a police probe should suddenly detect his trespass. His focus was so completely centered on his own homeostasis that he didn’t immediately detect the low, buzzing noise that had erupted around his head. It was too dark to interpret this nuisance but he was almost sure he was hearing the familiar hum of a honey bee. He waved his hand around his head as quietly as possible hoping to impact the pest but then stopped himself with deep, slow breathes as he realized that this much movement was bound to trigger a motion alarm. Still the incessant buzzing was near and showed no signs of diminishing. Why this tiny creature was pursuing him relentlessly and doing so in the dark of night was absolutely confounding.

Finally he saw the knife like sliver of light identifying the door he was seeking. With determination and a huge grin he threw open the door with great aplomb, announcing his entrance, just as he felt the burning stinger thrust into his right shoulder blade, within seconds he sank to his knees and watched the world sway before him. He could hear the distorted laughter of his police commander just as he was slipping into his own bright white oblivion, as his eyes blurred out of focus he saw the offender that had wounded him, a tiny robotic bee, still buzzing around his field of vision. “What the hell?…was his last thought for that day.”