By Georges-Olivier Châteureynaud
When Orne heard that several automated firing squads had been set up around town, he was unimpressed. Of all the innovations unceasingly introduced to the surroundings, how many turned out to last? Of course certain amenities, like phone or photo booths, had established themselves by proving their usefulness. But how would the use of an automatic firing squad – a squad, moreover, that fired at you – ever catch on? Once the novelty had worn off, an invention like that was doomed never to be more than a gimmick. And besides, from just what point onward were returns on such contraptions assured? How many shootings would it take per month to pay the upkeep alone? Even though it was all in theory automatic and self-cleaning, someone had to pay the workers to remove the bodies and the armorers to regulate and reload the weaponry. Orne had trouble seeing how an entrepreneur might make back his investment, cover his costs, and show any profit.
