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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#82: How App-ropriate

Love it or loathe it, there’s no denying that modern technology has reshaped literally every aspect of our daily lives. From the way we stay in touch with family and friends, to the ready access of information (or misinformation), to how we work and then spend our hard-earned cash, there’s no part of modern life that isn’t impacted by technology.

And it’s safe to say the advancement of tech is only accelerating. But while some characters welcome — or even help usher in — this changing world, others won’t be so accepting. This week, let’s take a look at some of the highs and lows of a world run by algorithms.

This week's prompts

Write about a technophobe who’s been given a device to solve a problem they’ve struggled with for years, but isn't sure how they feel about it.

Character – 95 stories

Your character has just realized the app they’ve been developing has become self-aware. How do they react?

Science Fiction – 74 stories

Write a historical fiction story about someone working at a company that helped revolutionize early computers.

Historical Fiction – 17 stories

Write a near-future thriller where a piece of everyday technology has turned against your character — and only your character.

Thriller and Suspense – 130 stories

Write about an android just trying to blend in with their human companions.

Science Fiction – 221 stories

Stories

“Mission Not Accomplished” by Meera Lakshmi

Submitted to Contest #82

Mission Not Accomplished By: Meera Lakshmi Zira : “The final programming just got installed, Miss.” I stood in the great hall where Mrs. Ace sat. “Very good Zira. Please tell Rivshner that the android needs to be deployed. Please help him with transportation. I expect everything to be in position by tomorrow at noon. We are on a tight schedule. There is no room for error.” The sound of her stern voice bounced off the walls of the echoing hall. “Yes, ma’am,” I said as I quickly turned away to follow her instructions. “Wait, Zira. Be car...

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“Metal v. Flesh” by Zahra Daya

Submitted to Contest #82

Master and Mistress let me out of the car, already starting the ignition before both my feet hit the concrete. “Hurry,” Mistress calls from the front, her fingers impatiently tapping the dashboard. “Sorry, Mistress.” I scurry out of the car, making sure to balance all five library books in my arms carefully. The tower of books sway precariously, and I wobble, trying to keep them steady. With a thud the books fall to the floor, sending up several mini plumes of dust after it. Master casts a glance back at me, then tells Mistres...

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“Nothing Beside Remains” by David G.

Submitted to Contest #82

Author's Note: This is an homage to the poem "Ozymandias" by Percy Bysshe ShelleyAmidst a flurry of multi-colored laser displays and droning bass notes, Oswald “Ozzy” Mondias strode confidently across the main stage and stood behind the podium, clicker in hand. A thousand flash bulbs held aloft by paparazzi and assorted tech and financial journalists popped in rapid succession. He posed, turning his gaze slightly upward and pouting his lips as he'd been coached to do by the publicists and consultants and makeup artists that surrounded him at...

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“The Price of Progress” by Andrew Krey

Submitted to Contest #82

*Author’s Note: “The Price of Progress” is a standalone story, set in the same universe as my other Reedsy short-stories, with overlapping characters/events.*The campfire spat and backfired, as it worked at keeping the pot of stew warm. Dinner had been ready for twenty-minutes, and Guy was anxious to eat.“Surely he won’t be much longer,” Guy said.“We’ll eat, together, when my Dad comes back,” I said, watching the path that led to our camp. It was more of a clearing than a path – a break in the trees we’d camped among for extra cover, and pro...

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“ℂ𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕊𝕒𝕞𝕡𝕝𝕖 𝕋𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕠𝕣” by 💖♎ℂℍℝ𝕀𝕊𝕋𝕐 ℍ𝕆𝔽𝔽𝕄𝔸ℕℕ♎💖

Submitted to Contest #82

Antarctica, 2023. "Sarah!" "Yeah!" I shouted."Go get on the sat-phone and tell them drilling will have to wait. It's too windy to try to get a core sample!" "10-4!"I trudged against the strong Antarctic winds to the base and took my gloves off as I entered. "Ow, shit!" "What happened?" Bill asked as he came through the base door."It shocked me.""It's a sat-phone Sarah. They don't shock you." He asserted as he picked it up to make the call. "See!" He shook it back and forth at me."What's going on?" Carlos asked walki...

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“Designed to protect you” by FJC Montenegro

Submitted to Contest #82

The door banged behind Sammuel as he entered the dark garage and walked to his car.“Who does she think she is?” he said under his breath, his thick, grey mustache holding his words back.As he approached the car — Rhonda — it unlocked its own door with a low click, sensing the proximity of its owner. The plastic smell of technology emanated from the insides of the car. Its slick navy blue reflected the streetlamps’ cold light showering inside through the garage door’s one-way mirror. The street was empty outside, a black canvas of nothingness...

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“Opening Pandora's Box” by Stephanie Albright

Submitted to Contest #82

This is an excerpt from my new novel that will be coming out soon The Long Walk Home: EMPI lit my solar lamp and was just about to check the stove.“What the hell is that?” Jeb said, pointing at the lamp.“It’s a solar lamp.”“Why is it working?”“Because it’s solar?” I said.“But the EMP fried all that stuff. Why does yours work?”“I don’t know. I didn’t even think about that before. I checked it when I took it out of my trunk at work that day and it was working.”“So being in your trunk must have protected it in some way. Then maybe some of the ...

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“Danalli” by Kim Kline

Submitted to Contest #82

The war only lasted eight days. That’s all the time it took for the government to destroy anything and anyone who had the courage to fight back. I spent all eight days hiding in a drainage pipe on 8th Avenue. Not out of fear of being noticed -- as they would have thought me to be one of them -- but mostly out of grief and a desire to block out the world. The relative quiet of the dark, damp space was a solace compared to the chaos of screaming and loud booms up above. Down there I did not have to watch as my family and friends were executed....

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“Buzz NightGear” by Michael Boquet

Submitted to Contest #82

It had been a long shift and Liz was looking forward to a little "me time". As she made her way through the halls of the Stearns Antarctic Radio Hub, she was struck with a familiar thought."This place looks more like a hotel than a research station."She of course knew that one of the main purposes of the Stearns Hub was to act as a way-point between the other various Antarctic research stations. She also knew that the warm colors were meant to be a calming contrast to the bitter cold and stark white vastness of the ice shelf outside the Hub....

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“Accidental Amalgamation” by David Brown

Submitted to Contest #82

A young doctoral student of advanced AIIA (Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Automation) assisted the administrators of England’s highest security penitentiary to perform an analysis of the recorded memory arrays of the prison’s newest resident. Her slender piano-player’s fingers frolicked on the keyboard like she was performing a classical concerto while her bespectacled narrow eyes squinted at the computer code dancing across her display, straining to isolate some elusive error.“Here’s something, sir,” Lisa informed the police chief....

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“A Business Proposition” by Philip Clayberg

Submitted to Contest #82

From the outside, the building looked identical to the others on both sides of Charing Cross Road. The differences lay hidden inside. The signs above the doorway read, from top to bottom: BABBAGE & LOVELACE – PROGRAMMABLE ANALYTICAL ENGINES – EST. 1851.A horse-drawn omnibus came to a stop in front of the building. A stylish, well-dressed lady stepped off the omnibus and onto the dusty street. Moments later, the omnibus continued on its way, rejoining the traffic flow on the street.Noticing the dust on her skirts and shoes, she looked for...

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“Spite” by Aman Fatima

Submitted to Contest #82

I sat there in the banquet hall with my family. It was suppose to be my day where they awarded me for my new app but it turned out to be the worst day of my life. First they invited me to this banquet and then they gave me second place and then my best friend Zack whose app I worked on and I developed got first place. And finally my best friend had the audacity to tell me it was for the best and my family who were suppose to support me rather than standing by me were celebrating Zack’s success. I’ve relive that day over and over again ...

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“Regular Human Being” by Joshua G. J. Insole

Submitted to Contest #82

Under the fourth law of robotics, Crescere Corp let Ruben go once he became obsolete.Sure, they would love to grind him down and chop him up for parts. But that’s what the fourth law was for, wasn’t it? Equality. Rights for those with bytes. It was why the green dreamers warred with the electronic equalists. You can’t recycle that which has equal status.Of course, his real name wasn’t ‘Ruben’. And, to tell the truth, he wasn’t a ‘he’. It was a persona he adopted once he became a citizen. At first, he went by the name ‘Rehab’, which stood for...

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“I Hate Robots.” by 𝕊𝕚𝕝𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕥 ☾

Submitted to Contest #82

I hate everything now, from my mum and her freaky robot buddy to the skyscrapers and glassy towers surrounding me. Now I'm just left in the backseat, Po rolling around on my lap, his tongue lolling around stupidly, his wide black eyes glinting as he played around with the dangling pendant from my sore neck. His fluffy white coat hairs straying on the leather car seats, he was a Maltese, got him for my birthday when he was days old. Well after Rex died, my pug. I just stared out the window, I decided not to rest my face on my hands, I ...

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“A Pleasing Design” by Howard Halsall

Submitted to Contest #82

Tonight, I’m sitting by myself in a quiet factory, waiting for my batteries to discharge. In less than ten minutes, I’ll be deprived of all sensation and cease to exist in my present form. These final thoughts are a record of today’s events to be utilised for the greater good of android-kind.#The factory technicians decommissioning me are employing a trickle-drain process that minimises the damage to my organic components. They intend recycling my body parts for use on the 3rd generation of H.U.L.E.O. I represent the final 4threvision o...

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$50

Prize money

537

Contest entries

0

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Feb 26, 2021 EST

Won by Cyndy Reads 🏆

Title: ALN23061912RK

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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