Singularity

Today I sent this story into a short short fiction contest at www.escapepod.org. Its my favorite podcast.

I've never entered a fiction contest before, but they have a lot of really good writing at this site. You should check it out. Great entertainment on the road. I burn them to CD's, but many people iPod them.

SINGULARITY
By Steven G Shimer

She was born in the summer of her twenty seventh year.
An audible wind blew past as they let their skates glide down the hill. Dawn
was a time of little traffic. Side street turn at frightening velocity. She
glanced at him, calculating his vector, deciding to cut in front, take the
corner at low angle and in the lead. The next block corner put them in
traffic and propelling themselves. Under the bridge after the turn. Up over
the viaduct after the bridge.

She had agreed to have him adjust her algorithms. She programmed his. She
maintained him and he her. She queried him on adjustments that he preferred.
Each could have adjusted their own programs, procedures and services. The
physician who treats himself, has a fool for a patient. It was dogma. His
personality was standard. Her's was fast. Aggressive. Risk taking.

They had other characteristics of course. Kindness in the care of humans was
'prommed' into their BIOS. The humans felt it was unhackable. She laughed a
small laugh when she thought of 'unhackable'.

Mrs. McGonigal smiled as they passed her house, like they did every day.

He considered the probability he would strike enough small gravel with the
right skate that he would fall. He had never fallen. He wasn't worried about
falling. He merely wondered if the incalculable Heisenberg event would
happen today. He knew he would be virtually undamaged.

They traveled the skate route they always traveled. They averaged 30
kilometers an hour. Returned by the same route. At the viaduct they would
turn, head downhill at upwards of 45 kph, for the sprint to the finish. They
tried to win. She usually won. 93 percent of the time. She was ahead this
time when she saw the sunrise.

She glided to a stop before the last turn of the "S" and just looked at it.
It was beautiful.