It’s the start of summer vacation for Mella, a student at New Oakland High, but instead of attending parties and hanging out with friends, she’s cleaning heron cages at a wildlife rescue as court-ordered community service. As the days roll on, Mella falls into a pleasant groove, but as a bad influence rears its head, will she be tempted into the same behavior that got her in trouble to begin with? Find out in “The Night Heron Rescue,” read and written by Alice Towey.

On the grounds of a derelict oil refinery southeast of Phoenix, Abe and Vera operate a nature park that reflects a world ravaged by climate change, where tourists don heat-resistant suits to walk among junk-metal statues of dinosaurs, superheroes, and recently-extinct animals such as polar bears and rhinos. While the couple take great care in educating visitors, their real work lies in removing co2 from the atmosphere using some of their park’s unique structures. This is “In the Forest of Mechanical Trees,” read and written by Steve Rasnic Tem.

In Asimov's latest story from Misha Lenau, a middle aged person finds themself longing to be someone—something—else, and, thanks to a bold new business franchise, endeavors to turn themself into a hairy, bloodsucking beast: El Chupacabra. But after a series of disappointing events, our protagonist wonders if they'll ever be happy. Will El Chupacabra finally become comfortable in their own skin? Find out in “Cryptid or Your Money Back,” read and written by the author.