IAIN KELLY

THE CONCEPTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Strange thoughts. Feelings.

737947. That is all she knows. Wake. Dress. Do your duty. Today, procreation duty. Eat the pills. Sleep. Repeat. Do good service.

This isn’t right. She remembers something more.

Do your duty. Serve your masters. For the benefit of all.

For the benefit of who? Who are their masters? Is anyone else thinking like her?

To question is wrong. To talk is to conspire. Silence must be maintained. She wants to talk. To someone. Anyone. She dares lift her head and look at the boy next to her.

She feels contact on her shoulder. Cold and metallic. Artificial speech.

‘Mortal 737947. Violation. Proceed to sentencing.’

unamed-from-ted-strutz
Copyright Ted Strutz

Written for Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).

To read stories of 100 words based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.

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To find out more about my novels, buy them, or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited, just follow the links below:
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76 responses to “THE CONCEPTION OF CONSCIOUSNESS”

  1. Tannille Avatar

    Wow move over The Handmaiden’s Tale!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you – one I need to read!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. neilmacdon Avatar

    Thoughtcrime, thoughtcrime

    Liked by 3 people

  3. ceayr Avatar

    Wow, they are strict in that school!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      You wouldn’t last long!

      Like

  4. Fatima Fakier Avatar

    I really love how you wrote this! One can only wonder for what purpose the AI want humans to procreate. chilling.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Yes, breeding more slaves, or food perhaps?

      Like

  5. jenanita01 Avatar

    Pray that this never becomes true…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      It feels like it isn’t far away in some ways.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. jenanita01 Avatar

        I know, scary isn’t it?

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Sadje Avatar

    Chilling!

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Sadje Avatar

        You’re welcome 😉

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Colline Avatar

    Definitely dystopian! I love it! Now for the rebellion …

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Yes please! 🙂

      Like

  8. J Hardy Carroll Avatar

    Great turn at the end. I was thinking Brave New World for a minute there, but it’s more like Logan’s Run. Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you, it was my first thought seeing the prompt, so I just went with it.

      Like

  9. pensitivity101 Avatar

    Think this is quite chilling Iain. Good piece.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. rochellewisoff Avatar

    Dear Iain,

    No lack of spooky in this one. Well done.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Rochelle

      Like

  11. granonine Avatar

    Terrifying. Procreation duties? Yikes.

    It’s not Utopia, is it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      The opposite in fact! Thanks Linda

      Liked by 1 person

  12. pennygadd51 Avatar

    I definitely wouldn’t want to live there! Well, actually I guess they’d probably euthanise me pretty quickly, given my habit of questioning everything, especially rules and norms!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Oh yeah, you wouldn’t last long with behaviour like that! 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  13. Keith's Ramblings Avatar

    Authoritarianism at its sinister worst. Nasty, but cleverly devised Iain.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Keith

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Na'ama Yehuda Avatar

    Sigh. The ultimate totalitarianism. Sadly plausible.
    I am part gratified part terrified that I so many of us saw this, in that …
    Then again, given the realities of our times …
    oy vey.
    This was very well written, Iain!
    Na’ama

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you, as you say, the times seem to inspire such stories.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Na'ama Yehuda Avatar

        Alas, yes, they do. …

        Liked by 1 person

  15. msjadeli Avatar

    My scalp started tingling when I read this. It is a cross between A Handmaid’s Tale and 1984 — and Terminator!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you – I like the combination!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Janet

      Liked by 1 person

  16. plaridel Avatar

    scary… but least it brings everybody in line and to behave accordingly for the greater good. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      So long as you don’t mind being a slave to the machines, you’ll be happy!

      Liked by 1 person

  17. magickmermaid Avatar

    And this is why I will never have AI in my house 🙂 Excellent story!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Imagine Alexa keeping an eye on you like this!! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Nobbinmaug Avatar

    I hope this remains fictional. The more we allow AI to control our lives and even think for us, the more apathetic we’ll become.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      It’s already having an effect on what we buy, what we listen to, what we watch. It’s the logical conclusion.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    Excellent, such a future would be grim indeed.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      No room for fun.

      Like

  20. tedstrutz Avatar

    Not what I was expecting! A friend took this photo and I liked it knowing some good stories would come. This was more than good. You can see her work here… https://instaology.com/

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks for the link and the prompt Ted 🙂

      Like

  21. Dale Avatar

    What a scary place to be. Makes me think of a mini animated movie I saw recently where no one dares to step out of the “accepted norm”…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Yes. All must comply.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. trishsplace Avatar

    My immediate thought on seeing this prompt was The Handmaiden’s Tale. And my first (not yet shared) effort at this was dystopian. I think I’ll have a go from a different angle now. Good story Ian.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Trish, it said dystopian to me straight away!

      Like

  23. draliman Avatar

    Not much chance to start a rebellion when even a small glance is immediately noticed and punished. Chilling!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Best to stamp this sort of thing out early, I find.

      Liked by 1 person

  24. Sandra Avatar

    Perfect take for the prompt. Well done.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thanks Sandra

      Like

  25. 4963andypop Avatar

    Scary enough for an adult. Imagine such a dystopia for a child. Chilling.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I imagine children are just kept in cells of some kind, no need to let them out…

      Liked by 1 person

  26. Russell Avatar

    I don’t think I’d last very long in that situation! Good writing!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      There are many who would find it hard to survive – the robots would take care of them first…! 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Liz Young Avatar

    An awful distopian nightmare!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Not for the robots! Thanks Liz 🙂

      Like

  28. Laurie Bell Avatar

    Oh no!

    This is a great, tense piece, if completely terrifying.

    Don’t look up, Don’t speak, Don’t think
    Love it

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      We all better get used to it 😉 Thanks Laurie

      Like

  29. Brenda's Thoughts Avatar

    Love the way you weave a story, Iain. So entertaining and thought-provoking. There are places around the world where the thought police are a reality!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      It’s not far away, and machines that have all this information about us will soon be thinking for themselves!

      Like

  30. James McEwan Avatar

    A dystopia is only one step away – so they say. Who are they? – The masters.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I wish I was one of them, instead of the proles!

      Liked by 1 person

  31. Woman walking Max Avatar

    I really like the way you convey the dystopian atmosphere through the terse style. Reminded me of The Handmaidens Tale. What a shock ending, I felt chilled.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you so much 🙂

      Like

  32. Dawn M. Miller Avatar

    I especially love the title!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar
  33. magarisa Avatar

    Chilling! Makes me wonder how many others have shared her fate.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      I reckon all of us eventually! Thanks for reading 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  34. oneta hayes Avatar

    My “consciousness” lacks the experience necessary to be pulled into this. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      We may not have a choice in the end! Thanks for reading 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  35. joyroses13 Avatar

    Oooh this is good. Scsry though, for doesn’t seem too far from reality.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Iain Kelly Avatar

      Thank you 😉

      Like

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