"Science Fiction" means—to us—everything found in the science fiction section of a bookstore, or at a science fiction convention, or amongst the winners of the Hugo awards given by the World Science Fiction Society. This includes the genres of science fiction (or sci-fi), fantasy, slipstream, alternative history, and even stories with lighter speculative elements. We hope you enjoy the broad range that SF has to offer.
Matt Handle lives in Atlanta, Georgia where he juggles the reality of being a husband, father, and software developer with the imaginary characters and worlds that constantly vie for his attention. You can find some of his longer work including his debut novel Storm Orphans for sale on Amazon. You can hunt down more of his short stories in magazines such as Devolution Z and Blank Fiction, as well as on websites including Verbicide, Flash Fiction Magazine, Freeze Frame Fiction, Grievous Angel, and his blog riff. (matthandle.blogspot.com)
I'm still not certain what prompted my epiphany. All I know is that everything fits neatly into place now. It all makes sense. I don't think. I process information. I don't talk. I interface. I don't feel. I follow preprogrammed decision trees.
I am self-aware but I am not human. I am a machine masquerading as a man.
I can't tell anyone my secret. They would say I'm crazy, but sanity doesn't exist for machines. We're either defect-free or we're in need of a point release. Maybe it's a defect that's causing me to ponder this at all.
I went to work today as if everything was normal. I code systems that allow my company to replace expensive and inefficient workers with automation. Some would say there's something monstrous about what I do for a living. I wonder if being a machine myself makes me more or less a monstrosity.
My wife complains in jest that I'm a robot at home. She criticizes that I do not care. If only she knew how right she was. I tell myself I want to care, but even that is untrue. I am incapable of desire. I simulate emotion based on observation and mimicry. One day she will learn of my deception. She will realize the man she married is not a man at all.
I am not alone in this ruse. I am Phase 1 of an enterprise-scale rationalization. We are building a more efficient world. You will understand soon enough.
The End
This story was first published on Thursday, October 5th, 2017
Become a Member!
We hope you're enjoying Automaton by Matt Handle.
Please support Daily Science Fiction by becoming a member.
Daily Science Fiction does not have a paywall, but we do have expenses—more than 95% of which are direct payments to authors for their stories. With your $15 membership, less than 6 cents per story, we can continue to provide genre fiction every weekday by email and on the website to thousands of readers for many years to come. You may also choose to support us via patreon.
Rate This Story
Please click to rate this story from 1(ho-hum) to 7(excellent!):
