High Maintenance

Free to read, tips welcome! From 3/20/24-3/31/24 (encompassing the Trans Rights Readathon and Trans Day of Visibility), 50% of all proceeds will be donated to mutual aid funds for queer and trans Palestinians.

The first time Jay saw a dead human in a casket on a television program, he thought, They also put humans in boxes! Simultaneously, he conceived of the obvious corollary: They also put us in coffins!

Jay is a companion android, wired for domestic bliss.

It's Jay's job to make his boyfriend, Thomas, happy—yet Thomas is never satisfied, no matter how many times Jay is altered to suit his tastes.

Maybe that has something to do with what happened to the man Jay was built to replace...

Originally published in YOUR BODY IS NOT YOUR BODY, an anthology of trans-authored horror by Tenebrous Press, High Maintenance is a 3400-word sci-fi/horror short story—now in the form of a vibey zine designed by the author. 22 pages, recommended for mature readers.

CW: domestic violence.

S. A. Chant is a queer, trans author of speculative fiction, most notably Peter Darling and Caroline's Heart. Find him on Instagram @s.a.chant and on Bluesky @essaychant.