William Kienzle: Shadow of Death

“Just about everyone. It was common knowledge around my office.” Hoffman paused. “And I guess I complained about it enough so that most of my friends and co-workers knew about it. Why?”

“Because we can’t be sure yet what we’ve got here. It’s either a very dangerous industrial accident, or attempted murder.”

“Murder!” Hoffman reacted as if he’d never before heard the word.

“It’s a possibility, especially since we know that this—uh—axis runaway could have been programmed.”

“Murder!” He shook his head. “That’s impossible.”

“Not impossible, Mr. Hoffman. If Mr. Culpepper had not reacted as quickly as he did, that machine either would have sliced you in half or battered you into that pillar. Either way, you would have been dead. And if someone actually programmed the robot to act as it did, then that’s attempted murder.”

“My God!” Concern began to replace anger.

Both officers sat down across the conference table from Hoffman. “I think it would be to your advantage,” said one officer, “to take a little time and try to come up with a list of people who might want to do you harm. If it was an attempt at murder, there’s a big problem.”

“What?”

“If it was merely an accident, it’s The Company’s problem. If it was attempted murder, you and we have a bigger problem.”

“Yes?”

“Whoever did it may try again.”

In a brief time, Frank Hoffman would repress this incident from his consciousness.

But there would come a time when he, and others around him, would be forced to recall it vividly.