Urban Fantasist
Menu
Picture
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Poetry & Fiction

SCI-FI-LONDON 48 Hour Flash Fiction Challenge: The Runners-Up #3

29/5/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Here's the third of the shortlisted runners-up for our 2016 SCI-FI-LONDON 48 Hour Flash Fiction Challenge – The Forest Society by Gavin Jefferson, which is set in a world where robots are governed by Asimov's Three Laws. 

Gavin Jefferson says "I'm from Watford (UK) where I live with my wife Mella, and my children Isabella and Atticus; who are forever inspiring. I've written two unpublished novels and am currently working on my third and fourth manuscripts; steadily building a universe out of paper and words; hoping that somebody will take notice. You can follow my ramblings on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DoctorUlysses 

"I would like to dedicate this story to my son Finley; your memory lives on in my heart; I love you and I miss you. I would like to congratulate all of the entrants to the competition and wish them all well for the future, maybe when we're published; we can go on a book tour together? And to the judges, thank you for reading my story and giving my work an opportunity. And to Urban Fantasist for giving my story a home."


The Forest Society
by Gavin Jefferson



“What did you mean by that?”

He looked at the metallic body parts strewn across the floor, “It's hard to hate someone once you understand their point of view, that is all.”

“It wasn't a person.”

“I know,” he sighed, reaching down he scooped up a disembodied hand and perused the quality of the workmanship, “artificial intelligence or no; he was still my friend.”

There was a scream from the other side of the room, a woman in a fur coat was hunched over and shuddering, her hand pressed against the wall to keep her from collapsing to the ground.

“Was it hers?”

“It belonged to her, yes. It was painted by her great-great-grandfather.”

“My word,” he looked at the woman and then scrunched his face in sympathy for the briefest of moments, “what was the painting valued at?”

“At this point; it isn't even worth discussing, it was beyond value. I'm entirely ruined.” He placed the robotic hand onto the nearest plinth and looked up towards the glass ceiling, he had reminiscence in his eyes; of a time when life was far simpler. He smiled, “it's one less burden to bear.”

“It baffles me how you can be so calm about all of this,” the man pointed his pencil towards the carnage.

“It is what it is, what can I do about it? It wasn't his fault; at the base of it all; the fault lies with me.”

“Surely it's down to The Forest Society; they sent you a defective unit.”

“It's a robot. What can you truly expect from a device which sees primarily in ones and zeros? It doesn't understand how an inferior brush stroke can reflect an artists emotional state, I...” he sighed once more. “I should've known better than to leave him in the gallery overnight, I knew something was wrong deep down; but I never assumed that he would take to altering the artwork so that they appealed to his own vision. I watched him late in the evenings after all of the customers had left the gallery; I simply thought he was admiring them, taking them in, appreciating them for what they were. How was I to know he was sizing them up?”

“You weren't to know, that's the point. They aren't programmed to deface peoples property; the three laws of robotics state...”

“The three laws, yes; I know the three laws. No hurting or allowing a human to come to harm by action or inaction, all that stuff… yes.” he looked at the robotic hand resting on the plinth once more; “it doesn't account for the emotional distress that may come to a human if you ruin his art. Put yourself in the robots shoes.”

“Right” the man nodded and closed his notebook.

“He believed that he was helping. He believed that by taking a brush to the work on the walls; he was helping to create perfection. Robots do not understand that there is beauty to be found amongst disarray, they see and articulate with pure logic; they simply cannot account for inaccuracy. To his mathematics mind; he did nothing wrong.”

A man wearing leather gloves entered the room, a police officer pointed towards the men and then spoke into his radio. He nodded at the response and then towards the man; indicating that his approach had been approved. He made his way over.

“If I'm not being arrested officer; my ride is here.”

“There's no legal precedent in the present circumstances. You're free to go.”

The man nodded toward the officer in appreciationg and then turned to meet the approaching chauffeur. His foot caught on something solid. He looked down to find one of the robots hands gripping tightly onto the hem of his trousers.

“Sir?” a muffled, far-off voice asked.

The man looked for the source of the voice. The robot's head was resting on it's right side; eyes open; a shattered bowl of steel; circuitry pouring out onto the floor. It's jaw moved as if it were trying to mouth something.

“Yes, Forsyth?” the man asked, crouching.

“I'm… I'm sorry, Sir.” the robot said in a low volume, conscious of the surroundings.

“It's okay, you did me a favour actually. Now I'm free from the stress of looking after these priceless artefacts. I will return them to their rightful owners and put the rest of my stock to auction. I will be able to sleep at night knowing that the gallery is closed; that none of this will be my responsibility any longer.”

“You're f-f-f-free now, sir.” Forsyth whispered, the damage causing him to stutter.

“That's right,” the man said.

“Then my idea worked.” The robot smiled, “I-I-I-I could see your pain, it was written on y-y-y-your face.”

“Jehoshaphat Forsyth! You knew this would happen?” he whispered.

“I do not work on a whim s-s-s-sir.”

“Why would you do this?”

“I-I-I-I heard you talking to the officer. Y-Y-Y-You referred to me as your friend.”

“That is true, I did.”

The robot smiled once more, “This is what friends do, sir.”

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Welcome to the Grievous Angel – fresh free-to-read science fiction and fantasy flash fiction and poetry, including scifaiku and haiga.

    ISSN 2059-6057

    Quote, Unquote

    "We need more excellent markets like Grievous Angel" ...award winning Canadian author

    "Thank goodness for guys like you, who devote so much time to these things" ...Elizabeth Crocket

    "Thank you for giving us such a cool and unique e-mag" ...Mandy Nicol

    "Thank you for your kind words and making my weekend uplifting and bright. I'm excited to be published alongside other wonderful visual and textual works in Grievous Angel" ...D.A. Xiaolin Spires

    "Love your magazine. Keep up the good work! I've read bits and pieces of so many magazines that are so boring, I'm donating to yours because everything you publish is fascinating" ...Laura Beasley

    "I want to be a part of any project named after Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris" ...poet, writer & journalist Andrew Darlington

    "I really love your site and the wonderful eerie fiction you publish. Unlike a lot of work, most of what I read on your site stays with me - like a flavor or a scent, slightly tinting the world" ...performer, writer, biologist and painter E.E. King

    Categories

    All
    Flash Fiction
    Haiga
    Haiku
    Poetry
    Scifaiku
    Tanka

    Archives

    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    RSS Feed

Picture
Copyright © Charles Christian 
& Urbanfantasist Limited 2022


urbanfantasist@icloud.com

Fuelled by Green Tea & Rosé Wine

  • Home
  • * Latest book *
  • Weird Tales Videos
  • Charles Christian Bio
  • Manifestations
  • Books & Reviews
  • Weird Tales Radio
  • Donations
  • Writing: Nonfiction
  • Writing: Fiction
  • Writing: Poetry
  • Old Americana
  • Old Grievous Angel
  • WoldsCover
  • Home
  • * Latest book *
  • Weird Tales Videos
  • Charles Christian Bio
  • Manifestations
  • Books & Reviews
  • Weird Tales Radio
  • Donations
  • Writing: Nonfiction
  • Writing: Fiction
  • Writing: Poetry
  • Old Americana
  • Old Grievous Angel
  • WoldsCover