Guilty Conscious

Guilty Conscious is set in a grounded future world where, instead of the death penalty, criminals have their consciousness removed and their bodies become hosts for terminally ill patients. Why should a law-abiding person with a terminal illness die while a criminal either wastes his/her life in prison or is executed? David Kintrik, a recovered addict, serves as the lead detective on Downloading cases, vetting the eligibility of potential criminal candidates. He begins to struggle with his addiction again when a new policy regarding the "downloading" process is implemented that goes against his moral convictions. He confides in his strongly connected friend, Robert, to try and get the policy reversed but when his friend is found dead with an antiquated poison in his system, David is assigned the case and begins a deep dive investigation into Robert’s business, political and personal relationships. Was he killed because he supported the addendum, was it the result of an old Hollywood feud, or was it something more personal and sinister?

The story's focus is the murder-mystery but set during a time of slightly heightened technology, giving it an interesting twist on the genre. Because of the downloading technology, death doesn't rule out any suspect. Guilty Conscious is a mystery with a tone similar to Gone Girl but set in the somewhat technologically advanced world of Transcendence that will keep audiences guessing as each suspect is revealed, until the last shocking revelation.