Believing in Ghosts: After Dinner Conversation, #13

By André Lopes

Synopsis: A security expert hired to finds flaws in a Presidential candidate's campaign system finds more than she bargained for.

After Dinner Conversation is a growing series of short stories across genres to draw out deeper discussions with friends and family. Each story is an accessible example of an abstract ethical or philosophical idea and is accompanied by suggested discussion questions.

Podcast discussions of this short story, and others, is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and Youtube.

• Language: English
• Publisher: After Dinner Conversation
• Release date: Nov 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393574996

Book preview

Believing in Ghosts

After Dinner Conversation Series

CHAPTER ONE

THE POLITICIAN STOOD on the podium and addressed the nation. Dressed in a dark suit and red tie, he answered all the questions the reporter asked him.

The people are tired of the same old faces in charge of policy. Policy that has been a disaster, particularly among the young, said the politician.

And how are you planning to overturn the course of this nation, Mr. Booker? asked the reporter.

We need to take a look at our healthcare options. Currently the system is a disaster. Our young workers are underpaid and overworked, and our elderly, after a whole life of working for this nation, are left abandoned in poverty, said Booker.

Booker was an experienced politician who came from a long line of famous lawyers and economists. His immaculate presentation, charisma and natural knack for leadership were certainly three of the main reasons why he was the frontrunner on the polls nationwide.

A campaign employee approached him as he left the conference room:

"We just got confirmation of another ghost," informed Booker’s prime assistant.

Who? replied Booker.

Jared Benjamin.

Booker paused for a second: The one that spread those fake sextapes a few months ago?

Yes, the one. Our intel team just confirmed that he’s a composite.

Any word on who’s the puppet master?

No clue yet, the platform he was using for his webseries is very proud of their privacy policy.

Booker checked if he was already away from the cameras.

No one is liable for defamation in this country anymore, fucking bullshit, Booker said.

We’ll continue to pressure for them to identify the ghost.

CHAPTER TWO

Rain rolled on her bed and stared at her mobile phone’s screen. Most of her social media feed was auto-generated clickbait articles written by AI. She received job offers received on a professional social network sent by non-existent human resources employees. The effortless creation of content made its supply near endless. This was fine, no moral panic concerning technology has ever produced