"They weren't supposed to have
emotion or intelligence, outside of basic instincts that would detect
danger: fire, say, or a burglary," Orwen said.
"Nannies. That's what they were
for?"
"That and hospital attendants.
People don't trust machines."
"So you turned computers into
humans."
"More the reverse. Humans into
computers."
"Sub-humans."
"Yes, sub the prefix meaning..."
"I know what it means," the
investigator snapped. "You put funeral directors out of
business."
"Created an entirely new business
of installers." Orwen held up a tiny square. "One chip.
People didn't even know they were using subs. Thought they'd hired a
sweet old pensioner who needed a few extra bucks."
"What went wrong?"
"I expected the subs would band
together. To keep with their little group."
"That didn't happen?"
"They craved what they couldn't
give each other."
"I don't follow."
"The body remembers. The
subs craved touch and love. Understanding."
"And so they came out. Left their
posts and joined society?"
"I'm afraid so."
"The younger subs began to
reproduce with humans?"
"Instinct."
"Can you tell, at a glance, who is
human and who is sub?"
"No."
"Can you identify the offspring of
a union between human and sub?"
"I'm afraid not."
"Do you know what I am?"
"Sir?"
"Human or sub?"
"I assumed..."
"You assumed wrong. "Dr.
Orwen, what happened on the night of November 22?"
Orwen sighed. "I set myself
alight. No crime there."
"Why would a man at the peak of
his career do such a thing?"
Orwen shrugged. "I'm terminal. Six
months or so left."
"You wanted to speed things up?"
"No. I wanted to...It's just so
damn depressing."
"You wanted to avoid becoming a
sub."
"Yes. With no body..."
"You programmed the subs too well.
Yours put out the flames and telephoned the installer..."
"...Who called the hospital. He knew
my wishes."
"Did you ask anyone else's wishes
before you made them into subs?"
"No."
Death by lethal injection tomorrow,"
the investigator said to his aides. "Do take care with his
body."
Labels: flash fiction, Trifecta Writing Challenge