After Dinner Conversation

Should gene therapy give criminals a chance for early release? In this work of philosophical fiction, Callum beats his wife Joellen and puts her face to a burning stovetop. As each screams, a police officer opens the front door. Callum shoot and kills the officer. He is sentenced to the harshest punishment, life in prison without the possibility of parole. Nineteen years later Joellen, and the officer’s widow, get notified that Callum has undergone gene therapy to remove his aggressive nature and, under a new state policy, is consequentially, eligible for parole. Joellen supports the parole, but the officer’s wife does not. In the end, Callum is paroled, and Joellen exacts her revenge.

Which punishment would you pick? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator lives in a society with an extreme form of environmentalism. Society has decided that people should live in archology islands and that the area between the islands should be left as pristine, undisturbed nature. City residents may only pass between the islands of civilization, and through the forest separated them, in groups of seven, with a guide, one time per year. And this is the problem. The narrator’s sister suffers from depression and, even though he has already made the crossing once this year, he attempts an illegal crossing to check on, and support her. He is caught and made to choose between the approved forms of punishment that include, (1) induced sleep, (2) extra work duty, (3) solitary confinement, (4) torture, or (5) limited privileges for the remainder of his life. He chooses solitary confinement and it nearly drives him crazy, but the greater punishment is knowing his sister is alone, suffering through her own depression.

What is the right way to support the unhoused? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, the narrator sees, and has periodic conversations with Abby and Robert, the homeless couple living in a tent by the Walmart. She buys them food, treats them with decency and respect, and generally asks nothing in return. They panhandle for money, needing to earn $80 a day to support their oxycodone habit. They don’t want treatment, they want more money, to be left alone, and to do drugs. Eventually, someone calls the police on them and Robert it taken away by the police. The narrator arrives just in time to vouch for Abby, and keep her from being arrested too. Weeks later, the narrator goes to check on their camp and sees it has been abandoned, with all their belongings left behind. She assumes Abby is dead. The story ends with the narrator befriending Donna, a homeless woman with a mental illness living in her car in the Walmart parking lot.

How do you support your criminal child? How does a sex offender move on with their life? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Jake is released from Lincoln Hills, a prison for boys. He was convicted and sentenced to two years because, when he was fifteen years old, he was found have sexual a relationship with a ten-year-old boy. He is now a convicted sex offender, with all the rules, regulations, and social stigmas that go with it. He comes out of prison and moves back in with his mother, who loves him dearly, but is confused. She doesn’t understand how her son could do something like that, or how to interact with him moving forward. She loves him, but she’s also confused, and afraid. And the conversations with her co-workers aren’t helping. In the end, “for his own good,” she decides to move him into a vocational school for recently released young men with dormitory house.

How much say should a parent have in their child’s education? Should you always correct a student’s misunderstanding of facts? In this philosophical short story fiction, the year is 1982, the location is Chavez School in Phoenix, Arizona. The teacher/narrator of the story is having her usual day when an unusual new student comes to class, a black student named Omar. He is smartly dressed in a white shirt and tie, with polished black shoes. Unusual attire for a 4th grader in the hot Arizona desert. His father explains that they are Muslim, and that Omar is not to have class material related to holidays, and will not say the pledge of allegiance. Omar is teased, but mostly ostracized, by the other children, and racial slurs are sometimes heard on the playground. One day the narrator/teacher overhears Omar showing his younger brother the country of Niger on a world map. Niger, Omar explains to his younger brother, must be their home country, must where they are from, must be their home. That must be why he hears that word being called to him so often.

Does artificial intelligence have a place in jurisprudence and justice? Are there jobs where you would prefer AI to be in charge? Should the expense of trial (vs accepting a plea offer) be a factor in determining the punishment for a crime? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Jason lives on a remote planet colony and has been arrested for hitting a fellow bar patron over the head with a beer bottle. The arresting officer gives him a choice. He can sit in jail and wait for the rotating judge to come through in a few months, or he can use Judicial Suite 3.7.1 and save everyone the time and trouble of a real judge in a court hearing. Jason accepts the use of the AI judge and is offered the choice of various AI lawyers to represent him. He is unable to decide which AI lawyer he wants to have represent him so he decides to plead guilty and allow the AI judge matrix to determine his punishment. The AI judge reviews the case and issues Jason a fine and therapy. Jason emerges from the “court room” and sees his arresting officer waiting for him. She informs him she had a bet with her fellow officer on if he would use the software or not. She won the bet.

What rights should sentient AI beings be given? What rights to work, technology, or gatherings should AI being be granted? Should AI be allowed the choice to commit suicide? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Martha dies. She wakes up three years later with her consciousness put into the body of an android. She did not ask for this, it simply happened. She is forced to accept that Martha is dead, and that she must live out her new life as Echo. As an android, she has limited rights. She cannot see her former family or friends. She can only work for minimum wage. She cannot interact with any technology. She cannot go to the same location more than twice in a week. She cannot meet other androids for prolonged periods of time. She is not even allowed to terminate her own existence. Her only friend is a journalist who is trying to get the “android story” out. He does this by using an override switch that paralyzes Echo and allows him to download her complete data set since her inception.

Would you return an accidentally stolen diamond bracelet? In this work of philosophical fiction, a couple on vacation in Israel realize, once they are back in their hotel room, that a diamond tennis bracelet caught on their bag and they walked out of the store with it. Now they are can’t decide if they should return the bracelet or keep it? If they return it, will they be accused of stealing it? They are set to fly back to America in a day, so why risk anything, why not just get on the plane and fly home? In the end, they decide to head back to the store to return the bracelet. The cashier than asks, “Would you like the refund in cash or check?”

Would you tell the police if you knew a drug dealer? What if the drug dealer, isn’t really a drug deal, but a user who just caved in and sold a bit to a friend? What if the drug they sold killed the friend? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Niki goes punting (boating) with her friends at her Ivy League school. The topic of conversation is a fellow student who jumped to her death while on drugs. It’s a terrible tragedy that makes national news and the school and police are on the lookout for who sold her the drugs. As it gets dark, Niki, and her friend Sunetra leave the group to return the rental boat. While on their boat ride Sunetra confesses, she knows the student who sold the girl the drugs. He’s not a drug dealer, but simply a person who had drugs. The girl begged him to sell her some and he finally relented. To confuse matters, the drug dealing student is studying law and wants to be a human rights attorney. Now Niki has a shared secret, and suspects Sunetra only told her so that someone would tell the police, but she wouldn’t have to personally do it.

Would you trade the life of a loved one (or five strangers) for your own? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Marc owns a struggling bar, and uses the money from it to support his struggling family. His wife is pregnant with twins. After the bar closes a stranger comes in, Death, and tells Marc he has slipped, hit is head, died, and she has come to collect him. Death comes to all, but is willing to make a deal. Marc and continue his life in exchange for the life of one of his unborn twins? Or, if he’d prefer, he can trade is life for five strangers of his choosing. What he does know is, without a father, his unborn children are going to have a very difficult future ahead of them. In the end, Marc decides to accept his fate and pass on.

Why are people resistant to (even seemingly positive) change? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Carrie decides to go back to her Florida roots and, with her husband, purchase and improve an apartment complex to its former glory. She spends huge amounts of money renovating the apartments and restoring the swimming pool, and does it all without raising rents. However, no matter what she does, the residents complain. She changes out the appliances and they complain the new ones aren’t avocado green. She rebuilds the pool, and they complain about the noise. She makes the washing machines free, and they complain about the neighbors coming to use them. The last straw is when she changes the complex policy to allow pets, and one of the neighbors drowns two barking dogs in the new pool to send a message. Exasperated, Carrie finally decides to sell the complex.

Can an open marriage ever work? What rules should a couple set in an open marriage? In this philosophical short story fiction, Christine and Henry are preparing for date night, but it’s not with each other. After 11 years of marriage, they are going to couples counseling and have decided that opening up their marriage might help. There are rules though; text ever 30 minutes, no dating people they know. Henry meets his date, Erin, and explains the situation in more detail, which she knew going into their first date. Erin reads the text messages from Christine and helps Henry interpret their meanings. She also helps him understand the real situation his marriage is in. In the end, Henry heads home while Christine heads to the next bar with her date. Henry is starting to wonder if this was the plan all along.

How do you define a rational, versus an irrational act of faith? Why is a faith in God socially acceptable, but not a faith in the Tooth Fairy? Do we have a duty to inform others when we believe their faith is not grounded in our reality? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Bill believes in the Tooth Fairy. Bill is 28 years old. His girlfriend finds this odd, and sometimes socially awkward, but otherwise harmless. This changes, however, when Bill has his wisdom teeth removed and places them under his pillow with the expectation that the Tooth Fairy will accept his offering and provide him her payment as her showing of appreciation. To appease his belief system, Bill’s girlfriend decides to take the teeth and leave Bill some money, but unknowingly does not leave him payment in the “right” amount. Bill interprets this to mean the Tooth Fairy is unhappy with his offering of teeth. His girlfriend comes home to find that Bill has knocked out his own teeth so as to make a second, and what he sees as proper, offering.

How is a child, growing up, effected by being part of a cycle of abuse? How do you end the cycle? How do you explain to your abuser the effect their words have on you, when they believe their actions are better than their father before them? In this work of philosophical short story fiction, Sienna is living with a “Monster,” in this case, her father. He does not hit her, but he does yell, and rant, and breaks things. Sienna grows up always on edge that the “monster” will lash out at her. Over time, she builds up equally toxic defense mechanisms. She learns to yell back and to be as hate-filled as her father. This all changes when she goes to college and meets her roommate Clara. Clara does not lash out. She does not accuse. She does not go into conversations prepared for battle. She listens, she is empathetic. She does not “keep score” in their friendship. Sienna assumes Clara has an alternative motive, and continues to be skeptical. Eventually, Sienna comes to see Clara for what she is, a decent human being. Armed with her new knowledge, Sienna heads home for Thanksgiving and confronts her father. Her father credits himself with “breaking the cycle” and being a good father by not physically abusing Sierra that way his father was to him. Sienna is frustrated, and resolves to never speak to him again. Over the Christmas holiday, Sienna decides to visit Clara’s family. Sienna’s mother asks if she, and only she, can come visit. Sienna reluctantly agrees. Her mother arrives, father in tow. The story ends with Sienna in jail, having killed her father.