Phantasmagoria Archive

Vagrants of Time, Chapter 1: Knowing the Future

Posted March 23, 2022 By John C Wright

Vagrants of Time, Chapter 1: Knowing the Future is now posted.

I know the future!
Gratuities accepted.

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This tale is set in the curious and often overlooked subculture that arises periodically in oxbows remote from mainstream timelines, where policing is lax.

Unaccompanied time travelers, lacking any visible means of support or escort from the Final City, are known to drift from age to age, living by smuggling, gambling, fortune-telling, or other petty crime, seeking revision opportunities.

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 16 Past and Future, is now posted.

This is the end! All secrets are made known, and the last blow is struck! Or is it…?

Episode 16: Past and Future

The beautiful raven-haired half-clad Aspasia, still smoking hot, curvaceous and callipygous not to mention livid with passion, bloody dagger high, menaces her rival, the fair-faced, pure and virginal half-naked Lethonee, whose slender yet voluptuous form shines in the darkness of the jovian eclipse, unfraid! What vision of the future do her lovely eyes behold?

The sun is about to break free of the shadow! What scene of bloodshed or redemption, death or life, will the flood of light reveal?

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 15 Deadly Duel to The Death, is now posted.

Plot and counter-plot clash in dreadful climax!

Episode 15: Deadly Duel to The Death

Jett Hazard crosses blades with Crull the Cruel! Rains blind and stormwinds deafen the deadly fighters, and flames from below crack the sloping, slick dome beneath their feet!

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 14 Fall of the Warlords, is now posted.

Crull’s deadliest minions attack!

Episode 14: Fall of the Warlords

The bold Earthman, Jett Hazard, is outnumbered, outmatched, and faces foes taller, stronger, and fiercer than he!

Can even his dauntless heart discover a way to save himself from the savage might of invincible cyborg and centaur? No hope is visible!

How can he save the virtuous and beautiful Lethonee from the cruel lusts of the space tyrant Crull? Can he even save himself?

On the other hand, the title of his chapter does seem to indicate the warlords will fall. Or that they will enjoy the season of Autumn!

Hold your hearts and hold your breath that this is not some sort of sneaky false advertising on the part of the unscrupulous author! I suspect him of undue partiality toward the lovely yet evil space princess Aspasia!

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 13 Fury of the Storm, is now posted.

Crull escapes! The beautiful Lethonee is abducted and carried away!

Episode 13: Fury of the Storm

All hope is lost as calamity overwhelms the carnage and chaos in the arena of death! Jett Hazard loses his cloak of invisibility! The titanic idol of the dark god topples! A mastodon seizes Melchizedek the Time Traveler!

Poor, helpless, callipygous Lethonee has been spirited away beyond the Dome of Death ! Her pure and pale flawless skin, shining hair, and warm and loving eyes are gone from view — are they gone forever ?

Will Jett reconcile himself to the loss of his virginal sylph of perfect beauty, and seek comfort in the warm yet passionate arms of the haughty Princess Aspasia, and kiss those cruel, red lips?

Firm your heart against the voluptuous temptation, Earthman! For one thing, Aspasia is not even mentioned in this episode! Get your mind off her!

 

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 12 Attack of the Machine Men, is now posted.

Inhuman foes enter the bloody battle!

Episode 12: Attack of the Machine Men

The dark gods glare down at carnage! The area is filled with fire and gore! Rocketeers and raging dinosaurs rend and slay!

Blazing space-weapons roar with the shock of thunderbolts, unleashing unearthly energies of superscience, while, at the same time, for some reason, flashing swords and flint-tipped spears whirl and stab in a distinctly Bronze Age or Stone Age themed dance of death!

Robots and cyborgs join the fray! Their emotionless eyelenses glitter with deadly determination!

All hope is lost!

Alas for the fair and lovely Lethonee! What strong hero’s hand can wipe the dewy tears from her tender cheek?

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 11 The Hour of Darkness, is now posted.

Battle and bloodshed! Chaos and cacophony!

Episode 11: The Hour of Darkness

The idols of dark gods stare down at the Earthman, Jett Hazard, and his bold allies trapped in the Arena of Death during the hour of darkness as Jupiter smothers the sun!

Drug-crazed dinosaurs, mad mastodons, cruel cyborgs, remorseless robots, evil illusionists, pikemen and winged troopers, dragoons armed with flame-rifles and lancers wielding disintegration rays all press inward to attack the doomed prisoners!

What will become of the doe-eyed, dewy-lipped and fair-skinned Lethonee, pure as virgin snow, cruelly chained in her wedding dress, condemned to serve the nuptial lusts of the remorseless space-tyrant Crull? He is too old for her!

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 10 The Time Traveler, is now posted.

Gray-haired and venerable, what inner light gives the Time Traveler the strength of will to challenge the Crull the Cruel, despot of dozens of little worlds?

Episode 10: The Time Traveler

The aged mentor and friend of Jett Hazard, Melchizedek of Nebo, is exposed to tooth and claw of starved and drug-maddened monsters. Jett is caged, and looks on helplessly! From what quarter might salvation come?

Why has Phanes, the Prince of Illusions, assumed the splendid appearance he once bore of old? Why does he smile to himself?

And what of Princess Aspasia? Why is her mesmeric yet dangerous beauty not even mentioned once in this chapter? Has the author forgotten the exotic appeal of her crimson lip, her haughty eye?

 

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 09 The Tyrant of Jupiter, is now posted.

The devilish sire of the alluring space princess comes forth!

Episode 09: The Tyrant of Jupiter

Earthman Jett Hazard hears the merciless words of the cruel and eternal dictator of space, pronouncing his dreadful doom! He must kill or be killed by his erstwhile friends of the far moons of Jupiter. But would marriage to a vicious and venomous but voluptuous raven-haired beauty be all that bad?

 

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 08 The Warlord of Wealth, is now posted.

The Champion of Combat Comes Forth!

Episode 08: The Warlord of Wealth

Earthman Jett Hazard is fated to die! For the final gladiatorial combatant, stern in battle and armed with the weapons of super science, now comes into view, his wrath checked only by his cage bars!

Who is this hero of forbidden love, whose mad romantic passion for Aspasia, the fairest but deadliest daughter of the space tyrant, has possessed his high heart for lo, these many years?

Jett Hazard makes a desperate plea for peace with his erstwhile friend, and alliance against their only true and mutual foe — are his words in vain?

Who can stir a heart made mad by love?

 

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 07 Mind Wizard and Pirate Prince , is now posted.

Friends become foes!

Episode 07: Mind Wizard and Pirate Prince

Earthman Jett Hazard is doomed!

To his horror, the caged Earthman learns that his erstwhile allies — two men who once aided him in the hopeless struggle against the tyranny of Crull the Cruel — are now appointed his executioners!

Whoever prevails in bloody mortal combat on the sands of the gladiatorial arena will win the hand of the alluring yet deadly Princess Aspasia!

Will the raging passion of these bold men for the voluptuous yet mesmeric red-lipped temptress lure them into murderous combat for the amusement of a roaring mob! Does honor mean nothing once desire is inflamed?

Each champion has an inhuman power Jett Hazard cannot hope to combat! What is the source of his strange nonchalance? What did the mysterious Time Traveler, Melchizedek of Nebo, reveal to him?

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 06 Beneath the Dome of Death, is now posted.

Dark Gods glare down at the red sands of the gladiatorial arena!

Episode 06: Beneath the Dome of Death

Earthman Jett Hazard is doomed! The cruel tyrant of Jupiter, Crull the All-Seeing, has condemned him, and all hope of liberty, to a painful and humiliating death! The royalty of the circumjovian moons are gathered to witness the gory spectacle!

But wait! Who is the pure and virginal beauty in white, gazing with tearful eyes of love at our stalwart hero? Could this be the Time Traveler’s daughter, Lethonee?

She is chained in her wedding dress at the right hand of Crull, condemned by imperial decree to be his bride and queen!

She is from the future! Does she know the outcome of all these events? If so, why does her lovely face show such signs of woebegone sorrow? Is all hope dead?

None of these questions are answered in this week’s episode!

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 05 The Terror Troops, is now posted.

The Sinister Super-Soldiers of the Space Tyrant Strike!

Episode 05: The Terror Troops

The voluptuous but wicked Aspasia is now the lovely captive of the well-muscled, broad-shouldered, shirtless yet ruggedly handsome Earthman!

Could his chaste but fearless heart belong to another?

Surely the Earthman knows the haughty perfidy and cruelty of the exquisite Aspasia, and is not lured toward her dangerous yet sensual glamour? Be not ensnared by the mesmeric yet exotic warmth of her luxurious charms, O Earthman!

But what sudden twist of fate dashes all expectations?!

A phalanx of gold appears in a sea of blood-red thorns!

Who can overcome the vat-grown terror troopers of Crull the All-Seeing, Tyrant of Jupiter, created by cruel super-science to be remorseless ultra-warriors immune to pain, fear or pity?

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 04 The Sea Monster Strikes, is now posted.

Death from the Dark Waters!

Episode 04: The Sea Monster Strikes

One twitch of the slender yet alluring trigger finger of the wicked yet desirable Princess Aspasia of Io, and Jett Hazard is most certainly dead! 

Why does she hesitate to shoot the well-muscled, broad-shouldered, shirtless yet ruggedly handsome Earthman? Could his chaste but fearless heart belong to another?

Look out, Jett! Other deadly dangers loom! What is that ominous trail of bubbles approaching through the deadly waters of the dark river? 

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The Space Despot’s Beautiful Daughter, Episode 03 The Evil Princess of Io, is now posted.

Harrowing dangers lurk countless eons after Earth is lost!

Episode 03: The Evil Princess of Io

Jett Hazard faces certain death, pursued by sky-pirates as he falls toward the deadly ink-black oceans of Io. Can he rescue the evil princess in time? Does she want to be rescued? 

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