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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

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

Posted in Thriller and Suspense on Jul 27, 2021

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✍️ 130 stories

“Technology takeover ” by Abby Mills

Submitted to Contest #82

It was summer of 2028, Charlie had just finished his computer science lesson and was heading to lunch. He was being accompanied by his best friend. They had been best friends ever since Charlie created him the previous year as his end of year project piece. He won first prize at a science fair with it, and he managed to adapt his creation every now and then meaning that now it can speak and act like an actual human being. A robot. Everybody in Charlie’s school thought he was mad, that’s why nobody was friends with him. That’s why he crea...

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“"Alexa, Why Do You Hate Me?" ” by Ava Lees

Submitted to Contest #82

Harvey Jates had no idea what he had done to deserve the wrath of his Alexa. When he had first bought her, she was helpful and polite. She’d even told him good morning every day that he would ask for the weather.  Somewhere along the way, he must have done something to upset her.  At first, he simply noticed the lack of enthusiasm from his AI assistant. She answered his questions with short simple answers and never wished him good morning or good night. Talking to her had become like talking to an ex after a bad breakup.  H...

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“Zy” by Tatiana Vaillant

Submitted to Contest #82

I ran until my legs ached beneath me, I ran until my lungs were about to burst, I ran until my knees had unbuckled, the asphalt ground hitting my face. I crawled at the nearby narrow alley in between two condominium buildings and hid behind a tower of boxes. I cradled my right elbow as pain shot throughout my arm.  The smell of gravel, rain, and rubbish-filled my nose as I inhaled deeply trying to calm myself. At a distance, I heard the shooting of guns, the faint screaming of the people. I looked up at the moonlit sky and watched as ...

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“Avatar” by Gerald Daniels

Submitted to Contest #82

                Avatar               There was no escaping the heat during that summer. Only one front lawn in the cul-de-sac showed any sign of life and that was because a secret sprinkler showered the baked ground every night. In the morning the grass would glisten in the fresh light before evaporating into the morning air, little streams of water ran down the path and made shallow puddl...

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“Blanking on her name” by Harm Jager

Submitted to Contest #82

“it just keeps happening doctor, I know I’m going crazy. There is no other explanation. I cant stop seeing her. I keep blanking. Help me” Alex had barely sat down on the chair before he had started his tirade. He wasn’t even sure doctor Marfin had had time to ask a single question. Alex hadn’t visited doctor Marfin in over 3 years. Not since the death of Alex’s mother. Doctor Marfin had helped Alex quite adequately. He hadn’t needed twomore than the governmentally required 2 sessions to find a way to blank his grief. This time howe...

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“May I Have Your Consent?” by Sankara Luna

Submitted to Contest #82

“May I have your consent, Connor?”The man in question blinked once, twice. He was still not familiar with the total whiteness of the room. The doctor sitting before him mentioned the idea of purity, like a newborn. Connor thought it fit the description of this Reborn programme.“Sorry, could you walk me through the last minute? I—”“Probably the medicine is still kicking. You might find it difficult to maintain concentration, but rest assured, its effect will disappear after two days. You know, recalibrating your body after we flushed out the ...

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“Apocalypse Man” by David Moyer

Submitted to Contest #82

Author's Note: Fair warning, this story contains some strong language and dark themes. Nothing graphical or explicit of course, but be advised it is not intended for young children. Well, here we go...    The sky is a constant shade of grey from one horizon to the other, but at least today it is a relatively light shade of grey. It is almost like a quilt covering the earth to keep it warm… but in this case it is actually doing the opposite. It must be around 20 degrees out here in the open. Fluffy particles ...

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“Manners maketh the android” by Sando .

Submitted to Contest #82

Ralph gave a satisfied groan as he flopped onto the bed next to Tracey. ‘Babe, that was amazing,’ he said. His lover grabbed hold of his shoulder and sighed, but their moment of bliss was interrupted when Sigmund Freud entered the room. ‘Miss Branson!’ he said, eyes flashing behind perfectly circular eyeglasses. ‘There is a parking inspector on the street - you may be in danger of receiving a ticket.’‘Oh,’ Tracey got up and started to dress. ‘Sounds like I better go move it.’ ‘Nice work keeping tabs on it, Siggie,’ Ralph said,...

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“The Bad Hair Day” by Shelly Desjarlais

Submitted to Contest #82

The hat smelled like her Great Uncle Edgar. It was a difficult odor to describe, a sort of cross between burnt bread and wet dog, and it left a lingering stench in its wake. Riley tried to hide her red cheeks beneath this filthy fedora, but her wounds stung whenever she tugged at the brim. She still couldn’t believe it had really happened. When she opened her eyes that morning, there was a stone in her gut. It was slowly sinking towards her feet, a sign that something wasn’t quite right. She sat on the edge of her mattress with her hands on...

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“The warm-up” by Mariana Del Rosal

Submitted to Contest #82

–So, how was your date?–Have I told you I was going to have a date?–You did. Last week. The girl you met on Shippin’.–Oh, that’s right. Now that you brought it up, I’d rather not talk about it –just for a second, I cling to the hope she would just let it pass.–I’m guessing the date didn’t go exactly as expected? Perhaps you are being too selective?I’m not. I’d give anything to find a good girl and keep her safe by my side.–It’s that damn app. I swear: it’s picking on me! Last time it set me up with that crazy lady from Atlanta who straight p...

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“Artificial Intelligence - The Path Forward” by Carol Keefer

Submitted to Contest #82

Today marks Samantha’s first anniversary working for a technology company, which challenges her belief that all life is sacred. As she makes an underhanded remark about the slogan on the wall above her desk, and said, “Artificial life, what about the human touch.?” “What?” Amy asks. “Never mind.” Samantha partially said out loud and to herself. “Yeah, whatever.” “I guess that you—” Samantha said, biting her lower lip, glancing up at the security camera rotating from the opposite wall. “Huh? “This is how you make the world better,” say...

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“MIND GAME” by Debbie Curtin

Submitted to Contest #82

MIND GAME The full moon was a saving grace as Jake made his way to the waterfront cabin as the darkness settled in. It was his two week start to man the Granite North lighthouse station. There would be no going back to the calamity he had just left. The town where Jake has lived for many years, was becoming a community of, and he came up with the only word combo he could think of at the time, a cluster of wing nuts. They were turning ideas and twisting opinions in an attempt to create a new model, one that would be a new version of living un...

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“Free Parking” by Matthew Hummel

Submitted to Contest #82

The young man running down the front steps of the apartment building towards Doug had trouble keeping his bathrobe closed. He was visibly angry and with every exaggerated step of his loafers the garment would fall out of his hands.  “Wait! Wait! I’m gonna move it”  The chunky black printer on Doug’s belt purred. He ripped the ticket from the teeth of the machine and slid it into a bright envelope that was then stuck underneath the windshield wiper of the Jetta.  “It’s too late.” Doug sai...

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“The Chef's Kitchen. ” by K.E. Thomas

Submitted to Contest #82

He placed a slice of avocado on the plate next to the poached eggs and toast. He set the plate on the serving table and rang the bell. The waiter came over and picked up the plate. He closed his eyes for just a minute. Being the chef of one of the best five-star restaurants in the country was exhausting. He was working on one of his new recipes when he heard something vibrating against the counter. He thought it was his phone but didn’t see it anywhere. He focused back on the dish adding lemon zest to the mixture. It was several minutes befo...

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“iOceana” by Sibusiswa Radebe

Submitted to Contest #82

Technology as we know it has changed the world, it has taken it into greater dimensions. Into a new vantage point.Creators have now made phones smarter than humans, at a magnitude that even humans will never understand. It’s like a bad science creation which on the outside seems to have turned outright, but on the inside, there seems to be malfunctions.What if technology was in some way connected? I mean like us. We have family, we have connections— people we love. What if it was like that too, technology given family, created to feel, love,...

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