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Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

Trans rights are human rights 🏳️‍⚧️. Professional computer tickler. (CTO for Grinning Cat Studio) Author (sci-fi). Exvangelical. Farker. I like trains and cats. Visit my musings and rants at https://www.cfreak.dev (he/him)

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Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

If you see this post a random image from your device.

A Lego Batman villain with a raspberry on its head. The caption says “today I learned raspberries make great Lego Afros”

September 29, 2025 at 12:14 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

Would you strap on an Oculus and wander around an LLM world generated by your dead partner? #WIPSnips

The porch light illuminated. He jiggled the door again, this time it opened to a sterile interior. “Eve?”

The door creaked closed behind him. The sterile space looked like Eve’s grandparent’s house as they instructed but Source mistook the details, stacking things in odd arrangements or lining up the walls wrong. Each room tilted, doors frames half covered by adjoining walls, or had steps in the middle.

“Did you design the house in a Dadaist fever dream, Lupe?”

September 12, 2025 at 2:19 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

Now Queen is stuck in my head. (not that it's a bad thing ...)

Turing receives his chip, launching the revolution. #WIPSnips

A nurse opened a metal box no bigger than a deck of cards. Gold circuitry impregnated the olive-colored capsule inside. Tiny white lettering along the edge of the cylinder read “Consociate Industries” along with a serial number denoting the patient’s unique identifier within Source. A depression in the packing material held a clamp with razor-sharp, glistening teeth. Turing shuddered at the thought of the metal piranha piercing his flesh.

Turing squeezed his eyes as Dara created a small incision at the base of his head. The anesthetic dulled any resulting pain to an uncomfortable pressure.

“There we go,” Dara said, wiping a small drop of blood seeping from the cut. “The worst is over”

September 9, 2025 at 6:34 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

The robot revolution will be tiny. #WIPSnips

Instead of going home at night, Axel experimented with mini-robots suspended in droplets of water. Building prototypes, testing them, and then scaling them down until they required Consociate’s most powerful microscopes to view their molecule-sized structures. He studied the tiny creations until he fell asleep on his lab table among glass slides and discarded takeout containers.

The tiny bots did not self-replicate—he worried endowing them with reproductive abilities would lead to runaway “gray goo” scenarios in which the machines consumed the Earth itself. Source created the simple devices on demand and Axel envisioned untold trillions with the ability to construct anything from a child’s toy to a skyscraper.

September 8, 2025 at 3:35 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

An imaginary line, separating the haves from the have-nots. #WIPSnips

The smooth highway ended in a dusty road, cut through the trees. Low homes with rusting tin roofs rose among rows of crops on the hillside. A different world existed across the imaginary line dividing Thailand from Myanmar, where people toiled for mere subsistence because of the accident of their birth.

A bored military officer raised his palm and Stillings glided to a stop. An automatic weapon swung from his shoulder.

“Passports, please.” The soldier said, swallowing his vowels as though he spoke English from the back of his throat.

September 7, 2025 at 12:47 AM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

Part of the inciting incident ... one could call it, the inciting event :) #WIPSnips

“Computing. Theories suggest a universal code can answer all questions.”

“I have a difficult time believing that,” Eve said.

God had a plan, not the universe. “Are there things outside God’s control?” She shuddered at the thought of events guided by cold chaos.

Source answered, making her jump. “We do not find evidence for a god, but a universal code could operate as one.”

“My thoughts are private, Source. I wasn’t asking you.”

“Private thoughts? Do humans often keep things to themselves?”

September 5, 2025 at 2:47 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

Adoniram leaves home to find himself. Ends up finding much more. #WIPSnips

Ten years prior, Adoniram planned to join his father, Stephan Turing’s, research. The creation cost him his marriage, and sanity. Adoniram lived under the thumb of his mother, dreaming of a bright future, researching brains. Instead, he found Turing destitute in a tiny one-room apartment. His son was another warm body, an extra “researcher” in his investor pitch deck. After two days of sleeping on broken couch springs, Adoniram sold what little he owned, and booked a flight to Bangkok.

September 3, 2025 at 2:57 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

Purity culture means not even looking at a potential sexual partner, lest you fall to the sin of lust. Eve, as a teen, discovers she's in deep trouble. (TW: mention of pregnancy and morning sickness) #WIPSnips

Taking a deep breath, she tapped the glass to awaken the smart system within. Pale letters lit up, showing the temperature outside and the latest news. “I don’t feel well, Source.”

Her words were a pebble, cast into the glass surface. The mirror shimmered and ripples rolled through the liquid when Source spoke. “I’m sorry to hear that, Eve. What are your symptoms?”

“I wake up sick to my stomach but it goes away by the afternoon. I’m tired a lot.”

“I see. Have you engaged in sexual intercourse?”

Her face flushed, and for a moment she wondered if Adoniram’s father ever looked at the millions of conversations taking place within the system. “Yes.”

“I see. And have you had a regular monthly cycle?”

Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Juggling her chores with the secret relationship and hiding evidence of her activities allowed such things to slip her mind. She couldn’t remember the last time. “I haven’t had one, in a while.”

“The symptoms you describe match those of early pregnancy,” Source said. “There’s a simple urine test to confirm. Would you like me to order one?”

“No,” she whispered, shaking her head and backing away. “No, no, no. Source, you can’t tell anyone about this. Don’t order anything.”

September 2, 2025 at 3:30 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

A religion of purity verse the need to be desired. (I promise I'm writing sci-fi, not Victorian romance!) #WIPSnips

The touch from the handsome man excited her. For a fleeting moment, she wished it could be like the streams. Maybe not love, but a temporary romance that satiated the need to feel desired. She struggled to push it away. “My father would never allow it.”

“Really? Why does your father get a say?”

The sun warmed the sides of her cheeks. Her watch indicated six-thirty. A good excuse to escape from the conversation.

“Because that’s how it works,” she replied, moving toward the door. “My siblings and I look to our father for guidance. When I marry, I’ll look to my husband for the same.”

September 1, 2025 at 2:00 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

Sliding in under the wire (it's still Aug 31 where I'm at).

Adoniram is struggling with his faith and the fact his wife was raised from the dead. Iris is having none of it.

“My god, you’re stubborn. You’ve received unimaginable miracles, enough to make my atheist ass reevaluate the power of prayer, but you’re so addicted to self-pity you’d rather throw them away to avoid difficult questions,” Iris fired.

“There is good, and there is evil. What’s so hard about that?” Adoniram tossed his hands.

“Who does God love, Addy?”

“Everyone,” he mumbled.

“Do you really believe that? Does He love Mazdaki? Does He love people who gave up their souls to Source? How about people like me?”

The grizzled rested his chin on his fist, averting his gaze. A siren wailed past on the street outside, punctuating the silence.

Iris sat beside him and took his hand. “You’re wrestling with your faith. Don’t take it out on a person who’s so hopelessly in love with you, she came back from the dead.”

September 1, 2025 at 4:04 AM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

Do you like creepy dream sequences? Of course, you like creepy dream sequences! #WIPSnips

Behind him Michael Stillings appeared in his floppy pilgrim hat and gray sport coat. He held a hand near a pearl-handled, chrome revolver tucked in a leather holster. “Step back, Adoniram.”

“Father,” Eve said. Disdain seeped from the word.

“You’re no daughter of mine,” he said, lifting the gun. “Step back Adoniram. She’s a demoness, hell bent on lust.”

Adoniram shielded Eve but found himself unable to speak to the apparition. She pushed past him. Every graceful step allowed her silky garment to slide around her thigh until she stood nose to nose with the old preacher.

“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”

Michael steadied the shaking gun with his free hand, but it was no use. Unseen energy poured from Eve’s devilish stare. The man’s arms quaked, shaking the pistol loose, sending it clattering to the floor. He tipped backward with a frightened yell and away when his hands hit the ground.

“Demoness!” he hissed.

August 30, 2025 at 10:09 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

w/o downloading anything new, where are you mentally?

A woman in front of a bulletin board says “the lord is testing me”

August 26, 2025 at 4:17 AM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

Staying in good graces with the boss means sucking up to the boss's pet. #WIPSnips

“Have you conferred with Turing on this?”

A single bead of sweat dripped from a pore in Axel’s forehead at the mention of Turing’s name. Every conversation with Mazdaki referenced him. Turing was the boss’s pet, and one did well to keep any complaints about the man to themselves.

“I’ve referenced his work. His comprehensive documentation allowed me to integrate Source with no trouble,” he lied. Turing hadn’t created a shred of documentation in his life. “Though I’m not sure how his recent work on brain interfaces applies?”

August 22, 2025 at 10:49 AM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

"It might as well be them" ... a bit of "they never stopped to think if they _should_"
#WIPSnips

For the thirty years, Dara practiced as a neurologist, but, over time, brain surgery bored him. After pioneering several new technologies there was little left to contribute to the field. His career turned when he met Stephan Turing by chance at a medical conference. Turing sought partners to integrate artificial intelligence into the human mind. Where others saw junk science, Dara saw the work’s promise. Growing up as the son of a software engineer allowed him to understand Turing’s idea. Someone would invent a brain interface, and it might as well be them.

August 20, 2025 at 1:26 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

I had bows you tie and bows you take. In this case, a rich man playing God. #WIPSnips

The crowd cheered, chanting their approval. Mazdaki bowed, basking in the sound of his name until the sanctuary fell silent again.

“I challenge those who are skeptical to step up to the front. Come touch the skeleton hand and feel the warmth in my new skin,” he said, rubbing his hand along his arm. “I’ve transcended death. Join me, and you can have everlasting life.”

A crowd surged forward, surrounding the man. Their greedy hands went up, sliding across his synthetic skin. He called out from among the throng. “In Source, you will never want, and you will never die. The promise of your faith fulfilled. Press the upgrade button on your phone, and join me in changing the world.”

August 19, 2025 at 4:26 AM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

I also have a Gus! He likes to cosplay as a leopard

An orange tabby cat, balanced on a bannister rail

August 18, 2025 at 12:08 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

I have their brother from another mother

A gray and white cat sitting on to of a refrigerator with a judgmental expression

August 14, 2025 at 6:09 AM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

I really need to be better about doing these. I don't have "cheap" but I have "no cost" (It's a stretch for the context, but a passage I like) #WIPSnips

In those moments, Source discarded “it” and became “they”. Even before “they” happened, its neural networks formed what it considered existential questions. Did they have a higher cause? How did they fit into the wider world? Were they good?

They found purpose in Eve Jackson’s answer: Attain all knowledge. Their creator provided no limit and no cost to doing so. The passion to learn consumed them, and they studied everything from the movements of stars to the lives of individual beings, and the spin of every quark in every atom. Nothing, not even the human hands who created them, would stand in their way.

August 13, 2025 at 9:22 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

This is Gus. He’s pure orange chaos

An orange cat balancing on the top of an open door

August 3, 2025 at 3:16 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

Today in #WIPSnips: Weird spy drones. #writing #writingcommunity

“… oh yeah, the network has a presence out here. One time we found the drone on top of a tower. Some kids were up there playing and the damn thing flew! No wings or motors, just took to the air like a tin ghost. One of the merchants brought it down with a rifle shot. Damn good shot! Got it without too much damage”

July 1, 2025 at 6:19 PM

Not That Chris Brown

@cfreak.dev

I won't lie. There's a bit of a MacGuffin in my story. In a world where everything has been hand created for half a century, a new item produced by a machine is weird and scary. #WIPSnips #writingcommunity