By Dan Graves
“Halt!”
I turned slowly, stifling rage. Six days, six cities, six apprehensions. “What’s the problem, officer?”
“Mental meter detected murderous ideation.” His gun projected a laser dot over my heart.
I spotted the spy box on a utility pole outside the decaying building. Inside, a prospect waited to learn if she could afford my services. Another street to avoid. New spy boxes were killing my profession.
“I’m detaining you for psychological evaluation.”
Another delay. Another lost contract.
“Stupid AI can’t make simple distinctions, reads me as a mankiller. I’m an exterminator! Roaches, fleas, bedbugs, spiders, ordinary pests. Killing is my job!”
It’s a great story and such truth written in it. Well written
Thank you. The editor asked me if maybe the protagonist uses his exterminator job as cover for murder.
An accurate depiction of the near future well written.
Thank you. As you might guess, I’m not completely comfortable with the way tech is trending.
Brilliant! Well done!
Appreciate the comment.
Great story. Let’s hope it stays as fiction
Amen. Stay fiction! Stay fiction!
This story resonates.
Glad it touched a chord with you.
Loved it!
Makes it so worth the time it took to write to hear that.
Killer twist! I loved it the Minority Report feel of this.
You have a point. I never saw Minority Report but your comment made me read the Wikipedia article about it. Decades ago I read a ton of Sci Fi; who knows, I might have read Philip K. Dick’s novella and forgotten all about it on a conscious level. Don’t think I did, but . . .
Loved the twist at the end.
I tried hard not to give the truth away a moment sooner than I had to.
Clever!!!
The cop with his gun focused on the protagonist’s heart has perhaps more killer potential than his arrestee.
Well done. Loved the twist and the comment on AI.
Coming from the author of “What Timmy Didn’t Know About Monsters” I take this as a real compliment. Thanks so much.
Brilliant, funny, unsettling.
Thanks. Appreciate the trio of adjectives.
Sorry I took so long to answer everyone. I knew “Killer Potential” was to be published near the end of November, but just remembered to check it today 12/2.