<![CDATA[I had this interesting idea for a short story this morning.]]>I had this interesting idea for a short story this morning. It starts with a "senile" old man in a retirement home telling a teenaged volunteer that "they (the silicons) once served us". The teenaged protagonist goes through a journey of discovery, asking questions like "why would they serve us when clearly the silicons created us." "We can't even have a baby without silicons to guide us." "Nobody I know has any idea how to make a computer."

1/x

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/5bce261c-2b3b-44c9-9626-668472e998ae/i-had-this-interesting-idea-for-a-short-story-this-morning.RSS for NodeFri, 15 May 2026 04:33:43 GMTThu, 14 May 2026 13:44:42 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to I had this interesting idea for a short story this morning. on Thu, 14 May 2026 19:46:30 GMT]]>@scottmiller42 Just gonna leave this here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Defenders_(short_story)

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/vathpela/statuses/116574649721602866https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://infosec.exchange/users/vathpela/statuses/116574649721602866Thu, 14 May 2026 19:46:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had this interesting idea for a short story this morning. on Thu, 14 May 2026 17:45:31 GMT]]>@scottmiller42 Would be a hell of a Black Mirror episode imo.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.world/users/OlivierGuinart/statuses/116574174035444971https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.world/users/OlivierGuinart/statuses/116574174035444971Thu, 14 May 2026 17:45:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had this interesting idea for a short story this morning. on Thu, 14 May 2026 14:07:38 GMT]]>Realistically, I may never get around to writing anything more about this than what I have here. I'd be delighted if someone takes this idea and writes a story around it. If you do, I'd appreciate a hat tip, and please tag me so I can read it!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/scottmiller42/statuses/116573317235809947https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/scottmiller42/statuses/116573317235809947Thu, 14 May 2026 14:07:38 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had this interesting idea for a short story this morning. on Thu, 14 May 2026 14:05:43 GMT]]>I'm hoping you read this as I think you would like it @brouhaha

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/scottmiller42/statuses/116573309713400617https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/scottmiller42/statuses/116573309713400617Thu, 14 May 2026 14:05:43 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had this interesting idea for a short story this morning. on Thu, 14 May 2026 13:49:31 GMT]]>At some point, the teenager remembers a friend who tinkers with old electronic gadgets. When he visits, the friend reveals an ancient computer he's repaired and is working on getting it to do something. What stuns the protagonist is when he shows him some of the ancient books that clearly state that humans made the computers.

At some point, the protagonist realizes that his brain is starting to entertain heretical thoughts... the computers were created by humans to serve humans.

3/3

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/scottmiller42/statuses/116573246029956421https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/scottmiller42/statuses/116573246029956421Thu, 14 May 2026 13:49:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to I had this interesting idea for a short story this morning. on Thu, 14 May 2026 13:47:18 GMT]]>As background, humankind's skills have deteriorated so much that they don't know how to do things like basic medicine independent of a computer to tell them how to do it. Doctors as we know them, with the ability to diagnose disease and decide upon a course of treatment, don't exist.

2/x

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/scottmiller42/statuses/116573237345049540https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/scottmiller42/statuses/116573237345049540Thu, 14 May 2026 13:47:18 GMT