Dark Waters Still Flow
ShortStory 4,700 words Recommended by 1 award/anthology source
"The nitrogen was rising in my aeration basins as an autumn wind scattered crimson leaves on the water. It was a chill wind for this time of year, when the late rays of the farsun normally add a final burst of summer; it was going to be a long, cold winter. As I surged my aerators, bracing myself for the heady rush of oxygen against my sensors..."
Content warnings 1
violence
Quasar links out; the story lives on Clarkesworld, where the author gets the click.