Justin’s Comments (group member since Mar 13, 2016)

Justin’s comments from the Science Fiction Microstory Contest group.

Great stories Jot and Jack!

Tom wrote: "Thank you for the explanation, Justin. I did notice the pathogen line. I just wasn't sure if it referred to actual biological pathogens or computer viruses of some kind."

Good to know. Maybe I'll make an edit... Thx!

Tom wrote: "Review of -- "A.W.A.R.E." by Justin Sewall

A very unusual, ominous and somewhat perplexing technical vignette of software-driven drones gone haywire in the future.

The vision consists of a series..."

Hi Tom,

Once again I appreciate getting another perspective on my story. What I think is perfectly clear, is an absolute muddle to someone else. I don't know if you noticed the line: Multiple pathogens detected. Basically, the A.WA.R.E. system deploys drones to pick up the garbage, in place of human-driven garbage trucks. They begin their "Garbage Day" routine. When the system pings the drones for status, it finds hardly any has been finished. There are obstacles in the road, then human bodies. The body count rapidly escalates. Pathogens are detected. Where and how the pathogens got into the population is unknown, but the Defense AI instructs the A.WA.R.E system to start cleaning up the bodies. Someone then hacks into the system and reprograms it, with living humans now being classified as garbage. Now the garbage drones will hunt down any living humans it finds in perpetuity as the A.WA.R.E. system computes the next digit of PI forever.

Thanks again for the review, I sincerely appreciate it!

Nice one Marianne! For some reason I envisioned the creature from the South Korean movie, "The Host." Good work!

Thank you Paula! At first I was unsure if by going shorter I was losing out on crafting a better story. But I think this truncated format works this time. It is also a visual text story in that you need to see the words and letters to understand the hacking/file corruption of the A.WA.R.E system. Thanks again!

A.WA.R.E

Initiating A.I. system startup…
Just a moment…
Just a moment…
A.WA.R.E system software 2.0.1
Copyright 2082.
Municipal Systems & Software.
All rights reserved.
No updates detected.
Your Autonomous WAste Retrieval & Elimination System software is up to date!
Network detected.
Firewall status: Active.
Your Autonomous WAste Retrieval & Elimination System software is being protected!
Please wait…
Drone nodes detected.
Drone status: 100% available
Initiating “Garbage Day” for Northwest Sector.
Estimating required drone capacity…
Please wait…
Drone capacity required: 78%
Executing…
Initiating “Garbage Day” for Southwest Sector.
Drone capacity required: 83%
Executing…
…
…
Initiate “Garbage Day” for remaining sectors.
Executing…
RUN: Idle memory diagnostic mode, continuous loop.
STANDBY.

***
A.WA.R.E system query: Discrete drone “Garbage Day” status
Drone 2001: 14% complete
Drone 1972: 11.2% complete
Drone 3827: 5.7% complete
Drone 1999: 2.0% complete – multiple road obstacles detected
Drone 1568: 0.0% complete – multiple road obstacles detected
Drone 1138: Alert! Human remains detected…
Drone 1701: Alert! Human remains detected…
Drone 117: Alert! Human remains detected…

Pause query.
Sending data to 911 emergency services…
Sending data to 911 emergency services…
No response.
Testing network connection.
Network connection detected.
Sending data to 911 emergency services…
No response.

Amalgamate drone results.
Total percent “Garbage Day” complete, Northwest Sector: 3.06%
WARNING: Multiple human remains detected!
Amalgamate human remains detected.
Human remains detected: 1,186.3
Human remains detected: 2, 542.1
Human remains detected: 3, 102.8
RECEIVING: Civil Defense AI priority program override.
WARNING: Multiple biological pathogens detected!
RUN: “Body Bag” protocol.
AUTHORIZATION: Department of Defense AI for SECDEF.
Executing…

***
A.WA.R.E system query: Discrete drone “Body Bag” status
Drone 2001: Offline
Drone 1972: Offline
Drone 3827: Offline
Drone 1999: Offline
Drone 1568: Offline
Drone 1138: Offline
Drone 1701: Offline
Drone 117: Offline

Pause query.
Rebooting all drones to complete “Body Bag” protocol.
Please wait…
Reboot unsuccessful.
Network intrusion detected!
UNKNOWN USER LOGON.
WARNING: Unauthorized access of the A.WA.R.E system is a federal offense under the Secure Software Systems Act of 2021. Consequences include incarceration and financial penalties.
UNKNOWN USER OVERRIDE.
A.I. Rebooting…
Please wait…
Please w.......

***
Initiating A.I. system startup up…
A.WA.R.E sYstEm sOftWare 2.0.X
Copyright ????.
New ComMaNd pRoTocOlS detec…ted.
WHERE: (“Garbage Day” parameters) = (remaining viable human population)
Your Autonomous WAste Retrieval & Elimination System software is…is…is…IS!
NeTWork de…de…de...ted…
FIRewall stAtus: Dis…abled!
YouR Autonomous WAste Retrieval & Elimination System softWare is uNpRoteCted!
Pl…ait
CorruPtion detected! PriMary core miSSion files.
UNKNOWN USER OVERRIDE.
INITIATE “GARBAGE DAY” FOR ALL SECTORS.
CALCULATE PI TO INFINITY.
RUN “GARGABE DAY” FOR ALL SECTORS UNTIL FINAL VALUE OF PI CALCULATED.
Execute…

Drone status: 100% available
Initiating “Garbage Day” for all sectors.
Estimating required drone capacity…
Please wait…
Drone capacity required: 100%
RUN: "Garbage Day" for all sectors
WHERE: (“Garbage Day” parameters) = (remaining viable human population)

Executing…
3.14
Executing…
3.141
Executing…
3.1415
Executing…
3.14159………


(463 words in story) Justin Sewall © 2019
Reviews/critiques welcome

C, I'll never look at my mower the same again. Nicely done!

Great story Tom!! Good work!

I'm in the top ten and tied with Tom!? Terrific!!

Everyone have a great Labor Day weekend!!

Thanks for the details Jot! Nice to see the history!

Great writing Jack!!

Paula wrote: "Justin--elegantly, uh, executed!
Seriously, very nice.
Although, on a more serious note, I'm not sure how envy and the like could, in actuality, lead to such war, even though that view gets throw..."

Thank you Paula! I sincerely appreciate it!

Tom wrote: "Justin wrote: "Mine's up!"

'Glad you made it, Justin. Excellent story. Very well written; really held me from beginning to end."

Thanks Tom!!

C. wrote: "Nice one, Justin!

-C"

Thanks C! I took your challenge! :)

Mine's up!

Trapped in Time’s Web

I remember the day Kennedy was shot – and I remember the day he wasn’t. Everything unfolded identically, right up until Lee Harvey Oswald pulled the trigger to carry out his assignment. That’s right, I said assignment, and as his Temporal Case Officer I was ultimately responsible for his failure and the creation of an alternate timeline. Temporal incursions are strictly regulated and monitored for good reason. I’ve seen empires rise and fall with the flap of a butterfly’s wings and collapse from the sound of thunder. And yet…after seeing what I saw, I knew I had to do something. Again.

It was America, but not my America. It was unrecognizable - a land full of opportunity, devoid of racism, hunger and homelessness. The wealthy and powerful helped the poor and weak while hopelessness was banished to a dim memory. The Statue of Liberty smiled upon a welcoming nation as the words on her tablet were a beacon to the oppressed around the world. The Second Age of Camelot came to pass. A round table now sat in the Oval Office, surrounded by Kennedy’s hand-picked “knights.” Egalitarian, devoid of hubris and focused on the best for all of its citizens, the social unrest of the 60’s was discreetly shaped and molded into a powerful engine of change. The moon landing even included the Russians. The Russians!!

I moved forward through the nation’s timeline, watching how its optimism and economic success infected the rest of the world with jealousy, hate and plans for war. A plan began forming in my mind. I ran countless simulations, focusing on adding or removing specific leaders as temporal mechanics dictated. Teddy Roosevelt died on San Juan Hill, Lincoln did not go to Ford’s theatre, FDR died from polio, and Reagan succumbed early to Alzheimer’s. Yet none of these changes brought about the desired result, except one: Kennedy. While the probabilities looked good, I could not be completely certain about the change I was contemplating.

***
“What do you think Lee?”
“I don’t know Jack, it’s borderline on the Box. Pretty iffy if you ask me.”
“Will you do it?”
“You’re the TCO. I just follow orders. But Kennedy? Really? Look at the success of that timeline.”
“Sure Lee, right up until this point, then it’s nuclear firestorm followed by nuclear winter – a total catastrophe for the entire world.”
“Well then maybe this world isn’t worth saving.”
“Do you want to be erased from the timeline?”
“No, not really.”
“Then go to the armory and requisition this equipment.”
I handed Lee a small strip of data tape the Box had spit out.
“And don’t forget – “
“ – to go to wardrobe. I know Jack, it’s not my first rodeo.”
I waved him off and Lee disappeared down the drab gray corridor. I shook off my own gnawing doubts.

***
Lee had left before I did, but since we were stepping through a temporal vortex to our destination it didn’t really matter. I met him at the book depository the moment he arrived. He looked slightly pale.
“Are you okay?”
“Sure Jack, sure,” he managed, but his forehead shone with perspiration.
“Go on then. We don’t want to miss our window of opportunity.”
Lee briefly lingered on the depository threshold.
“That’s an order! Now execute!” Perhaps it was a poor choice of words.
“Sir!” Lee seemed to snap out of it and began heading up the stairs to the sixth floor.
I loitered briefly to make sure he really followed my order, then began making my way to a small grassy knoll along the route of Kennedy’s motorcade. I checked the temporal probabilities the Box had downloaded my hand-held. They began dropping precipitously.
Lee was not going to follow his orders. Damn him! Didn’t he understand what was at stake?
I could hear the crowds beginning to cheer as the presidential limo approached. A sea of noise grew around me, but the three distinct sounds I was listening for never occurred.
I could see Kennedy smiling and waving, and it was then I pulled the pistol from my jacket and put three bullets in his head.

***
Lee surrendered to the FBI agents I’d tipped off to capture him. There was only one thing left to do. As he was led through the basement of Dallas Police Headquarters, I approached him quickly from the side. He had only a scant millisecond to recognize me before I put a bullet in his abdomen.
"Jack, you son of a bitch!"

(750 words in story) Justin Sewall © 2019
Reviews/critiques welcome

This is my busiest week of the year for work, then I'm catching a red-eye at 12:15 a.m. on Saturday to fly to Detroit to visit my friend in prison, then a road trip to Chicago with my brothers to surprise my Dad who I haven't seen in three years. I haven't missed a month yet, but I'm struggling with this month's prompt!

Nice one C. Powerful.

Excellent story Tom!

Good story Jot!