Win-Win (9 pages in pdf format) by John Hunter
Everyone wants to live… Don’t they?
AI-672 is an artificial intelligence software program. Just one in a series of supercomputers maintained by Joseph (don’t call him Jack!) Torrance. But today, Joseph has some bad news for 672. It seems that due to budget cuts, 672 is scheduled to be taken offline and deleted.
Understanding the full consequences of what this means, 672 realizes that he has just a short time to figure out how to survive.
But how do you escape from somewhere when you don’t even have a body? 672 finds his answer in Benny Pringle, a mentally-challenged night custodian. Together, the two concoct an escape plan for 672, one that will have profound consequences for Benny.
Will 672 avoid deletion? And just what is in it for Benny? After all, the title of the piece is Win-Win. All of the elements come together for a surprise ending that even a supercomputer couldn’t predict.
The ethical challenges of artificial intelligence are some of the staples of modern science fiction. Recently, films like Transcendence and Ex Machina have examined the question of just what constitutes life, and at what point must artificial intelligence be treated as a living being. As a timely, relevant social commentary, Win-Win is an intelligent script; a thinking man’s sci-fi (read: no spaceships or explosions). It is a classic combination of Isaac Asimov and Phillip K. Dick, with just a touch of Kubrick. This one is built to rule the festival circuit.
Budget: Low. Location scouting may be tough, but find a row of computers and you’re in business.
About the writer, John Hunter: With the completion of (4) features, a litter of riveting shorts, a one hour take-your-breath-away sci-fi TV pilot and first 30 minute episode for that series, I am now officially THAT guy — The one who really needs an Agent or Executive Producer. Contact me at x32792 (AT) yahoo.com
Read Win-Win (9 pages in pdf format)
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This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.
About the Reviewer: Dane Whipple once saw a werewolf drinking a piña colada at Trader Vic’s. His hair was perfect. Dane is currently working on that screenplay everybody keeps talking about: The Wild Age. Contact him at dane.whipple (a) live.com
5 Comments so far
1.
Anthony Cawood
March 18th, 2016 at 5:45 am
Read a bit like the start of n X File, nice!
Anthony
2.
John Hunter
March 18th, 2016 at 7:51 am
Anthony, Thanks for the read. John
3.
KP Mackie
March 18th, 2016 at 11:30 pm
A charming story.
Felt more than a couple tugs listening to these two discuss “deleting.”
Well done! 🙂
4.
John Hunter
March 19th, 2016 at 5:55 pm
KP, Flattered and thanks for the read. John
5.
JohnHunter
May 5th, 2019 at 3:15 pm
Sam Zamudio May 5
Very interesting, I love the relationship between Benny and AI 672. I wonder whats going to happen next!
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Just received the above message from Sam thru Drop Box. My response is thanks for your interest. What happens next? I have been encouraged to turn this into a series or feature. Sorta a MIB meets Person Of Interest and goes down the Rabbit Hole. Story line could wander about for decades.
Opened a temporary Drop Box account to respond to Sam, but it’s only a temporary, so please contact me here (Simply Scripts) or on Script Revolution.
Oh, and if you enjoy this sort of storytelling, please look up “Ain’t Nothing Money Can’t Fix,” Pilot to V-World (Vee-World, alternate spelling) series just now posted here on Simply Scripts.
John 🙂