The Main Attraction, by Reed Beebe

Ten years after her ascension, the Queen decreed that a celebration occur at the Palace to mark the anniversary. After all, under the Queen’s rule, the world had been conquered. Science flourished. Her subjects lived in a wondrous age, and the Queen had organized a grand event to showcase those wonders.

Antennae quivered and mandibles trembled as the attendees’ compound eyes took in the sights of airships and automatons. Hind-wings fluttered when attendees stood before the main attraction, a giant clockwork replica of that extinct creature known as Man, its moving brass feet evoking everyone’s sympathy for their ancient ancestors.

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Reed Beebe writes fiction and poetry in Kansas City, Missouri. His stories have been published by The Were-Traveler, Flashes in the Dark, and Fever Dreams.