Aphelion

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My favorite story this month, I think. What "A.I." tried to be, this story is.

For a bit there I was waiting for Timothy to do something right in front of his parents, like maybe rip his plastic face off or something. His private suicide had the same final effect, though. I'm surprised that his programming allowed him to self-destruct, actually. Maybe part of the damage.

The parents' reactions seemed a bit over the top to me. Also, a minor plot hole: the company was (presumably) able to program the replicant perfectly the first time, so why couldn't they do it again after the damage? You'd think they'd have a backup file for such contingencies.

Not a bad story, though, and I can't help wondering if the author took some influence from Ray Bradbury. This could also have been a Twilight Zone episode.