Rundown

"Rundown" by Robert Lory is a science fiction story that follows a man’s perplexing journey through a harsh city as he fights to understand his lost identity and the unusual circumstances that have befallen him. The story begins with the protagonist waking up in a subway station, completely stripped of his memories, before navigating the city in a state of disrepair that causes others to judge him harshly. His desperate need for a dime becomes a recurring motif, especially during a failed attempt to steal from a bar patron, which ends violently. Struck down, he continues to plead for the same dime he was trying to steal, which uncovers a deeper mystery connected to a slot in his chest made to deposit coins. The story concludes with an air of uncertainty.