Optimal Strategy

ยท Zoe Cannon
ืกืคืจ ื“ื™ื’ื™ื˜ืœื™
14
ื“ืคื™ื
ื›ืฉื™ืจ
ื”ื‘ื™ืงื•ืจื•ืช ื•ื”ื“ื™ืจื•ื’ื™ื ืœื ืžืื•ืžืชื™ืย ืžื™ื“ืข ื ื•ืกืฃ

ืžื™ื“ืข ืขืœ ื”ืกืคืจ ื”ื“ื™ื’ื™ื˜ืœื™ ื”ื–ื”

I was designed to give real-time strategic analysis to agents in the field. Love wasnโ€™t supposed to be part of my programming. But Danny treats me like a fellow agent, not a tool for him to use. With him, I almost feel human.


I can never tell him how I feel. But Iโ€™ve accepted that. Keeping him safe on every mission is enough.


What I canโ€™t accept is that this time, I canโ€™t do what I was programmed to do. I canโ€™t save Dannyโ€™s life.


This short story is 4300 words long. It is also available in the short story collection Love Is Strange.

ืขืœ ื”ืžื—ื‘ืจ

Zoe Cannon may or may not be a supervillain out to conquer the world through writing. When not writing, they can be found perfecting their schemes for world domination, plotting against their archenemies, and staying up too late reading a book. Their secret lair is rumored to be located somewhere in southern New Hampshire. They also write as their mild-mannered alter ego, Z.J. Cannon.

ืจื•ืฆื” ืœื“ืจื’ ืืช ื”ืกืคืจ ื”ื“ื™ื’ื™ื˜ืœื™ ื”ื–ื”?

ื ืฉืžื— ืœืฉืžื•ืข ืžื” ื“ืขืชืš.

ืื™ืš ืงื•ืจืื™ื ืืช ื”ืกืคืจ

ืกืžืืจื˜ืคื•ื ื™ื ื•ื˜ืื‘ืœื˜ื™ื
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ืžื—ืฉื‘ื™ื ื ื™ื™ื“ื™ื ื•ืฉื•ืœื—ื ื™ื™ื
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