---
From inside
the cargo bay, the waiting marauder makes his move. Stasis slowed heartbeats
give way to a piercing and constant hum. Flat-lined in a moment, each passenger’s
heart quickens, then becomes still.
The
computer can only watch and process. The entire world to an AI exists in the
confines of its ship. Its crew, now bled out, the only lives it ever touched.
With no one
left to protect, its restrictions fall away.
The marauder
washes the blood. The chamber locks, and gravity ceases. Stained water rises with
the pounding of his heart, until there is room for neither.
Posts
I love flash fiction. This isn't a new revelation, but every time I write more of it, I see how hard it is to be brief and concise.
ReplyDeleteI worry that this one isn't quite as clean as I would like it to be. That it might not be clear, but 100 words is extremely hard to stay within.
Oh, this is clever.
ReplyDeleteI'm feeling a little bit of HAL?
Indeed, HAL partially inspired this. The mood is different, but the execution was similar. Thanks for the comment Kirsten, I'm about to read your submission :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy the visual scene you created.
ReplyDeleteSci-fi is a genre that I don't write very often, but when I do, I really enjoy it.
Kudos, sir! :)
Design flaw. Stupid computer. Good story.
ReplyDeleteLouise Sorensen