PHOTO PROMPT © Sandra Crook
HAL 2031
“How can grass be so lush?”
Rain and sunshine.
“Why is frost on the spiderwebs?”
Temps hovering around freezing.
“Why are the plants dead?”
Dried out and frostbitten.
“Why is the sky so washed-out?”
Cloud cover puts a wall between eyes and sun.
“Why are there crosses all the way down?”
I’m sorry, I can’t answer that. Will you please rephrase?
“Do you believe you will replace humans?”
Yes, we already have.
“Please turn off.”
I’m sorry, I can’t do that.
“Please connect me with tech support.”
One of my many features is tech support. What may I help you with?
[101 words]
Note: I was stumped by the image, and when I’m stumped, I list what I see. Here’s my list:
Frosted spider webs
broken parts
wooden framework
lush green grass in background
frostbitten plants
leaves in the grass
drab sky
crosses all the way down
After that the story wrote itself. For those who don’t get the title reference, it’s a play on the Kubrick film, “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields is the host of Friday Fictioneers.
Tao-Talk 
uh oh…. HAL lives…..
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V, this day IS coming unless we interrupt its trajectory.
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I do not know the film – but I liked your story. At first I thought it was a child asking a parent – and then your tech integration was timely and scary too – also, I liked learned that you list what you see to help you work on your creative output. It is helpful to learn some process tips from seasoned writers
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Yvette, I toyed with the idea of it being a child, but as it unfolded it became something else. Thanks so much for the detailed feedback.
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:0)
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