Singularity... The Law of Unintended Consequences- A Short Story- Part I

in #fiction5 years ago

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[I'm going to try again to write a short story- for some reason they all turn into book-length opuses... I've vowed to limit myself to four parts on this]

How many stories ought to start out with 'it sounded like a great idea at the time'? In retrospect it almost seems that mankind is governed not by people per se, but the law of unintended consequences. This is one of those stories- one that began with scientists pushing the envelope and humanity suffering the consequences (at least for one person)... a story about how small, seemingly inconsequential things can lead to catastrophic after-effects.

Arnie Turdlinger was cleaning his kitchen counter when he first noticed it... it was tiny, no bigger than one of those vermicelli worms- in fact it looked a lot like one, except it was shiny and black, almost artificial like plastic. He leaned over for a closer look and decided to pick it up- no easy feat given its diminutive size. When he finally got it between his thumb and pointer fingers he pulled gently to test the thing's tensile strength. It immediately snapped back, encircled his forefinger a couple of times and vanished into thin air.

Arnie held his hand before his face, turning it back and forth looking for the elusive thing- he didn't quite know what to call it- before giving the floor a cursory glance. It was nowhere to be found. Arnie shrugged and went back to cleaning, not giving it another thought.

He woke up the next morning feeling worse than he had ever felt in his life. It was like the worst hangover in the history of mankind multiplied by a thousand... he was nauseous, dizzy and there was a blinding pain behind his eyes. Come to think of it, there was blinding pain everywhere. Arnie picked up his telephone and on the third or fourth try managed to call his employer, Wilmington Nanotechnologies and muttered something incoherent into the mouthpiece before hanging up. He rolled back over and passed out.

Once again he awoke, this time after some indeterminate amount of time. This time he felt pretty good. He looked at the windows and it was still dark, but he wasn't tired anymore so he got up... it was just after 3:00 AM. He puttered around the apartment before getting ready for work. He was also ravenously hungry so he made an enormous breakfast, gulped it down and headed for work.

Arnie was surprised at how light the traffic was, it was usually much heavier on weekdays. When he arrived he found out why... it was Sunday- he had slept an entire week. When he arrived home he checked his answering machine to find it full of friends and fellow employees inquiring about his wellbeing- it wasn't like Arnie to miss work. He was only a lab assistant, but he was a dedicated employee and very personable- nearly everyone at work liked him. He made several calls assuring everyone he was fine and had just felt a little under the weather and was more concerned with getting them sick than himself. It was a lie, but he didn't know what else to tell them. The truth was Arnie was more than just a little bit perplexed about what was happening.

Something was happening to Arnie, something he couldn't explain. He felt good, better than he had ever felt in his life. He felt smart, efficient... everything seemed so simple to him. The solutions to things that had previously baffled him seemed so obvious now- so clear. He couldn't wait for work the following day.

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Creepy (awesome) cover photo......the ethereal grim reaper. Oh man, great idea from the very start. Especially with people hearing about Morgellion (sp?) fibers, smart dust, etc. Perfect!

Resteemed so people can follow along. They will like it!

Thank you... honestly I had forgotten about the Morgellion... I was just thinking about some anonymous fiber getting "impregnated" accidentally. I was thinking smart dust

They two might be related anyway so your story is one of the best kind
-->this could really happen. This is what makes great horror stories that people never forget.

I know, although I do wish I knew more about the technology... just wait until the ending- it's Biblical!

OOO you sure know how to advertise. As always, I'm glued. This is just like when I was a child waiting for the next Doctor Who episode to aire.

I've got the next one almost done- it will be out tomorrow

No hurry. I'm sure you'll be watching the election results tonight.

would you rather scientists NOT push the envelope?

I would prefer them to factor in potential consequences... and remember- this is fiction.

when automobiles were first mass produced no one expected that it would alter the mating habits of american teen agers.
I wonder how many of our generation were conceived in the back seat of an automobile?

un intended consequences? or should the auto making industry be held accountable? Should all cars be banned?

who knew?

who CAN know?

I don't know, I'll ask my friend Tercel... he was conceived in a Toyota!

that gives the word 'inconceivable' a whole new meaning.

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