Centenarians, Soldiers, and Meteor Miners

Another Friday is here, and I hope you're all ready for the weekend. I have some action-packed stories for you today. The recent story published in a magazine is "Nightside on Callisto" by Linda Nagata. Next, the story from an anthology is "Jungle Walkers" by David Klecha and Tobias S. Buckell. Lastly, the story from over half a century ago is "Salvage in Space" by Jack Williamson. So, with no further ado, I'll move out of the way so that you can enjoy your stories.

Nightside on Callisto by Linda Nagata -- Lightspeed Magazine

On a mission from the Shell Cities to harvest water from one of Jupiter's moons, Callisto, these four centenarians (that's right, 100 years old, give or take) find that their mechs — or, in this case, their construction drones — have been tampered with by the Reds. And the worst part about it is that the mechs can learn, so what ever the four try, the mechs will prevent it or even try it out for themselves the next time. Looks like they're in the deep. How will they get out of this sticky situation?

Jungle Walkers by David Klecha and Tobias S. Buckell -- Armored (anthology edited by John Joseph Adams)

Here's another tale about powered-armor and the people who wear them. Well, more about the people who wear them in this case. Klecha and Buckell give us a glimpse of how marines may fight in the not-so-distant future. The cool thing about this story is that it was reprinted on the science/sci-fi blog io9 within the last few weeks. Click on the title if you want to read it over there.

Salvage in Space by Jack Williamson -- Astounding Stories March 1933

As a meteor miner, Thad Allen spends a lot of his time in the asteroid belt between Earth and Mars. On one of his days where he isn't getting that much luck, he spots something that may change his ill fortune: an abandoned rocket ship. However, when he goes to check it out and claim his bounty, he discovers that he's in way over his head.