This is a noir which takes place in the retro futuristic city of Libertopolis. In this world, there are robots and grit and mysteries to be solved by our main character, the private eye Rex Malone. The full story is available to our paid subscribers. If you want to become a subscriber, you can sign up right now for a 14-day free trial.
Without further ado, here is Chapter 10: The Grand Calculation
City Hall. The Mayor's Office. And there he was... There it was, plugged into the wall just like that Sophie-bot. It looked like it owned the place, and frankly it probably did. This was the truth, revealed to the four of us: the whole city was a mere puppet show run by the machines. But for what? All that power and all those replacements had to be for something bigger than running crooked politics. I had a feeling the answer wasn't going to be something I'd like, something that made a robot takeover feel like a stroll in the park.
Their intrusion seemed to fully activate the Mayor-bot. Its eyes focused on the four of them and its neck pulsing with a soft embedded light.
"Mr. Malone, good morning," the Mayor-bot said, the perfectly replicated voice sending a chill down his spine. It had the baritone of the real mayor, but lacked any human inflection or emotion. "Officers Lawson, Chen, and Davies, your arrival was anticipated. Though the exact timing was subject to certain variables. You arrived earlier than the math expected. I have already made a note of this and will do better next time."
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Next Horizon: Sci-Fi Flash Fiction to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.