12. Salt Blood – T.C. Parker

A prison on a Scottish island for people who did something that caused outrage, regardless of context, and all of that is directed by an algorithm, not any of the past methods of finding and conviction, and one thing AI does not understand ever is context. When Robin first gets there, context is the important word that gets repeated about everybody’s crimes, including Robin’s. She meets one of the most notorious prisoners and they have a good connection, much to the chagrin of Carol, prison welcome wagon/total busy body. And the island is closed off by a giant dome that’s also a Faraday cage, the whole thing, including where the persons native to that island are located. They do not seem like happy campers and do seem very good with horses.

There’s also something else on the island, something ancient and trapped. So even when it seems like you only have to do six months, you might not live through those because of an agreement with an ancient beast who is really just being greedy. The algorithm benefits the ancient beast, but no one else, really. And the corporate entity that owns the island, the algorithm that puts people in prison, and lots and lots of other things, well, they’re only in it for the avoidance of bad press and doing whatever they need to so they still make money. Feeding the beast as metaphor has never been so accurate or literal.

Merricat is waiting for her tribute as guinea pigs are ancient beasts which require them in the form of lettuces and other veggies.