Conscious Soup!

By R G Tippet

Science Fiction & Fantasy
Description:

Conscious Soup! A short science fiction story. John Spiner is a law enforcer in 2079. An unexpected turn of events leads to a revelation for Spiner as he tries to track down an escaped murderer.

The first book in a trilogy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781300696995

Book preview

Conscious Soup!

Conscious Soup!

A science fiction short story

R. G. Tippet

All characters in this book are fictitious,

and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,

is purely coincidental.

Author R.G. Tippet © 2013

Cover Illustration by Vermin Art © 2013

(www.verminart.weebly.com)

LULU ISBN: 978-1-300-69699-5

Revision 2

This work was inspired by the works of Philip K Dick.

I would like to dedicate this short story to his memory

as well as a dedication to my friends and family.

Thank You.

Conscious Soup!

A droplet of water traced its path down John Spiner's fingertip. The sensation made him realise that he had gazed at his wife and daughter’s headstone for over an hour. He hadn't even noticed the rain that had rolled in upon him, although the dark clouds and pounding raindrops were fitting to his current mood. He was lost in his own mind, once again questioning the events that led him to this point in his life. Gina had occasionally warned him that being an undercover law enforcer could cost him dearly. Although she was fully supportive of his job and grateful of how much risk pay, he earned, she often would cry herself to sleep fearing that she would lose her man in the line of duty. It affected her so much that she had begun to talk her husband around into taking early retirement for her and the sake of his daughter, who was growing up with very little contact with her father, but the undercover assignments could last weeks or sometimes months without breaks. Phoebe was always excited when she would get to spend time with him, but each time he returned home, she would look bigger, and it would take longer for her to re-adjust to having her father back. It was like getting to know each other all over again.

He loved his job and never imagined, or thought through the consequences. He was providing for his family and knew if the very worst should happen to him in the line of duty that the widows' pension would make sure they were financially secure. He hadn't contemplated how much loss they would feel if he were to die, whereas Gina had. If only he had listened to Gina and quit, he wouldn't be standing here now. He longed to change the things that had occurred, or selfishly eradicate the memories from his past at least. He felt like they haunted his thoughts, and it had become a heavy mental burden to carry. The only real comfort he had been from knowing that those who were responsible for murdering his wife and daughter, were now imprisoned on a colony on Mars pending their death laws.

Death law was a brand-new system, which would see the victims of crime get justice faster than the old death row style of multiple appeals and loopholes allowing prisoners to overturn their sentences or just live in a cell for thirty or forty years without facing execution. The new way was now a four-year term locked up with no appeal for anyone convicted of murder. Once convicted the Judge had the final choice of imposing two execution types based upon the magnitude of the crime, the swift starvation of air in a vacuum room or the harsh and slow death by severance of the spinal cord via laser. In the case of the Spiner family murder three years ago, the Judge had ruled for the latter option when he sentenced the ring leader, Kallen M'kal.

Spiner knew the execution wouldn't