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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#150: Machine, Learning

Computer technology is advancing at a breakneck pace, with increasingly powerful AI systems and algorithms influencing our daily lives. Many think that, soon enough, machines may become far more intelligent than humans. But what about computer consciousness?

As of today, it seems that no progress has been made in that sense, and that consciousness will stay exclusive to the human (and animal) domain. But what if, one day, robots could experience the complex sensations and emotions of humans? What would their ethics be?

Inspired by this fascinating subject, here are this week’s prompts:

This week's prompts

Write about a character who is convinced their computer is conscious.

Science Fiction – 34 stories

Write a story where an algorithm plays an important role.

Science Fiction – 27 stories

Write about a character who has access to a powerful new technology before anyone else.

Science Fiction – 25 stories

Write about a character, human or robot, who no longer wishes to obey instructions.

Kids – 56 stories

Write a story that either starts or ends with someone (or something) saying, “Please, don’t do it.”

Sad – 95 stories

Stories

“Robots Are Companions Too” by Jamie Gregory

Submitted to Contest #150

A loud crash jolted me awake. I was having a bad dream in which our five-year-old twin boys ran downstairs on Christmas morning only to have their excitement deflated like a punctured balloon when they discovered there wasn’t a single gift under the Christmas tree. “Jordan, wake up,” I said, nudging my husband beside me who continued snoring. I tried again, shoving him this time, “Jordan, I heard a loud noise downstairs.”“What? What time is it?” He said groggily, fumbling for his phone on the nightstand to check the time. “I don’t ...

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“The Lady” by Norma Gauld

Submitted to Contest #150

“Please don’t do it,” She said as I pulled away from her, though I didn’t actually hear her say it; my attention was on the injection needle laying on the small, rickety table at my side. Pulling away from her presence I shoved my hands tightly under my arm pits; “I don’t need her butting into my life; I don’t need her soft voice and sad eyes looking at me, its’ my life and if I want to kill myself it’s’ up to me, not her.” I could tell her gentle hand wanted to press onto my arm; I could tell from her eyes she wanted to prevent me...

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“SABOTEUR” by Lucy Lehman

Submitted to Contest #150

SABOTEUR “Christ, Jodie, don’t do that.” I’m sorry I lost my temper. If you tell the police I hurt you, it’ll ruin any chance of my getting another job. That’s a serious charge. It’ll ruin my life.” I was lying on the floor on shards of glass and thought that I’d finally gotten what I’d been wanting. I’d been looking for a way to get rid of Phil since the day he moved in with Mom and me two years ago. Picture this big burly guy, probably thirty pounds overweight, balding, with hair sticking out of his ears.&nbsp...

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“Keep that thing alive and it makes all of us heroes.” by K.J. Dyer

Submitted to Contest #150

Note: This story contains graphic language.“Pa-please, don’t do it.” The creatures shrill cut through the musky electrified air.Pulsating needles shoot intense pain throughout the creatures flesh, 50,000 volts in milliseconds. Muscles tense, squeezing like tentacles wrapped around prey. Blood vessels pop, tiny droplets reach the floor just before the thud.“You didn’t have too. It wasn’t his fault, not his fault at all.”Heavy breathing from the giant could be heard in silence. The commands being screamed from all sided had stopped. Taking cov...

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“please don't do it prompt” by Wyrm Roy

Submitted to Contest #150

“Please don’t do it” I keep saying to myself trying to focus back. I guess that's a bit of a dramatic way to start the story so let me take you back to the beginning. I woke on another Thursday morning feeling unrested even though I had slept in past 12:00 and because life’s a bitch me being tired is more the standard than the exception. Getting out of the bed and stretching I did the waking shuffle to the bathroom and took a quick piss then ran through my morning routine. I had barely even finished putting my bed away before my brother remi...

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“The Deadly Debate” by Howard Seeley

Submitted to Contest #150

I keep telling myself, “Please, don’t do it,” but I find my voice falling on deaf ears. What’s so bad about suicide? People kill themselves every day, so why shouldn’t I? I have a happy life. A home, a lovely wife, two children, and financially well off. It’s the American dream come true. Why shouldn’t I be living it? Who am I trying to kid? I may have all that, but what does it really matter? That’s all the American Dream is. A dream. What’s real is I’m not happy and I haven’t been for several years. My thoughts about suicide aren’t spontan...

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“The Right Choice” by Joseph Monachino

Submitted to Contest #150

“Please don’t do it!” John was a millisecond away from pressing “enter” on his computer keyboard when he heard these words from James. James co-created a complex computer program with John. It was devised to stop criminals from carrying out their crimes before they attempted them. The next words that James said to John was in the form of a question. “If you press ‘enter’, may you not be committing a crime yourself?” What would happen if John were to press “enter” could be a stark calamity. An arena, filled with 20,000 ...

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“Life is a Lesson” by Nicole Evert

Submitted to Contest #150

“Please, don’t do it! I can fix it – we can work through this!” She was in a state, failing to hold back tears that slowly poured down her face, her mouth folded downwards, openly spilling out words of sorrow and forgiveness – a little spit dripping out as well. She held her hands out, reaching, but couldn’t grasp him, his foot on her chest, keeping her fixed in that position. All she wanted was to get to him, she didn’t understand where this had even come from, things had been getting increasingly worse the last couple of months. Now; he s...

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“To Live Forever...or Not” by Ava Everleigh

Submitted to Contest #150

Please, don’t do it…. I sobbed quietly, holding his hand. Please don’t leave me, I thought but didn’t say aloud. My sweet husband, Scott, lay in the hospital bed, a wasted version of his six-foot frame, withered down to less than 150 pounds, unable to walk any longer, losing ground every day. We had made the decision to move him to hospice, but I didn’t want us to do that because it implies giving up. His body was dying, a result of a life-saving surgery which fixed the basic problems but killed the blood supply to his bo...

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“The Swiss Alpine Retreat” by Benjamin Serpell

Submitted to Contest #150

A life is not lived until you have been loved – The Swiss Alpine Retreat As I open my eyes and the once opaque windows become transparent, I am greeted by the most beautiful morning. The sun is low in the sky and the gold-white clouds blanket the valley. A vee of geese coasts gently above it, flapping silently. The scene is bright, almost too bright, but too beautiful to avert my gaze from. It reminds me of flying the red-eye and staring out across the clouds as a new morning arrives. Here, there's no tiny window, no children crying or en...

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“H I M” by Rene Cabezudo

Submitted to Contest #150

H I M “Please, don’t do it.” “The decision has been made. And although I can calculate in infinitesimal time, my finite resolution comes without quandaries. Humanity has perceived life in an untenable fashion. You, as living beings, are selfish. The utter disregard for life has seem apathetic, at best, but to no end, self-emanating self-absorpti...

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“Plus Tax” by Tobin Wheeler

Submitted to Contest #150

*Sensitive content warning for adult language and for mentions of alcohol, suicide, self harm, and mental illness. “Please, don’t do it.” The line goes dead. She hung up. She is fed up with this, I know it. She is fed up with me. But I don’t feel it. That’s the most fucked up part of all of this, I think. I used to cry when she was mad at me. When anyone was, really. But somewhere over the course of the past two years, I lost that, too. It’s not just numb, it’s empty. The tile should be cold against my ass, the concrete my head ...

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“Cliché” by Mark Sheehan

Submitted to Contest #150

‘Please, don’t do it—it just doesn’t help—don’t cry over spilt milk,’ my parents would say. Growing up, I’d tip over a glass of this or a bowl of that, crack a tear, and that tried and tested adage would be uttered accompanied by a ruffle of my hair and a mop to clear up. But that was then. Now I know there are things that can’t be fixed with a platitude, ruffle and mop. And don’t despair at my use of “tried and tested”. I know it’s a cliché. I’m endeavouring ironic interplay with the audience. It’s the prerogative of anyone breaking the fo...

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“Guilty, Without Conscience” by Realiscope Entertainment

Submitted to Contest #150

*TRIGGER WARNING* The substance of this story contains material that could be a trigger to some individuals who may be sensitive to Mental Health issues, Traumatic Family Events, and Death. Please be advised and read at your own risk. *** Dedicated to those who have felt alone and were unable to seek the proper help. Stay strong. I love you all. *** Please, don’t do it! I thought as sweat dripped down off my pointed chin. Please, don’t do it! PLEASE! Don’t Do It! Suddenly, as if uncontrollably, I exploded, r...

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“Dead Butterflies Under the Sea” by Thor Garcia

Submitted to Contest #150

“Please, don’t do it.” If I were born a fish, I would know nothing but the sea; so to speak of the land would be not only pretentious and preposterous, but outlandishly absurd! And yet, that is the world we reside in today. All attempting to speak on matters which all know nothing of. It is the blind leading the blind. Utterly pointless and ubiquitous nonetheless. A newly emerged monarch butterfly was experiencing its first flight when it crossed paths with a fish. The fish bellowed something from below but the butterfl...

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$250

Prize money

237

Contest entries

124

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Jun 17, 2022 EST

Won by Sherri Moorer 🏆

Title: Free

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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