Many years ago, I read a science fiction short story that I would like
to find again. Author unknown; title unknown. The setting was future
earth. It began with a high tech highway patrolman cruising in his
automobile. He comes upon a vagrant walking along the road. After
scanning him for weapons, illegal substances, disease, etc. he decides
to arrest him. (He even scans for body temp. and notes the vagrant's
temp. is sub-normal, which the patrolman attributes to drug use.) He
puts the vagrant in the cruiser to take him in, but is overpowered by
him. All hell breaks loose as the vagrant causes accidents, fires,
deaths of bystanders, etc. Ultimately, the vagrant kills the cop by
releasing a poison gas inside the car. The officer's last thought is
the realization that the vagrant's low body temp. was probably from
having taken the anti-toxin for the gas, prior to arrest. The point of
the story was that the "vagrant" was actually trying to stir up some
business. (In the future economy, firemen only got paid when they put
out fires; hospitals and doctors only made money when there were
injuries to treat; Same for the morgue, undertakers,etc. I forget
which profession the "vagrant" actually held, but it was one of those.
An interesting concept, one becomming closer and closer to reality as
our economy turns more and more on the service industries. Anybody
recognize this story line? I am wanting to locate a copy. |
