It seems ChatGPT is quite capable of generating endless stories. But original ones? Not so much; at least in this case. I outlined the parameters of a story The Machine was to write. I do not mention that the elements are taken from the Hasbro board game Clue.

Prompt
Write an original murder mystery that takes place in an old house. Select one each from the suspects, weapons, and locations listed below to include in the story.
Suspects: Mrs. White, Mrs. Peacock, Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Miss Scarlett, Mr. Green.
Weapons: Knife, Revolver, Rope, Wrench, Candlestick, Lead Pipe.
Locations: Ball Room, Billiard Room, Conservatory, Dining Room, Hall, Kitchen, Lounge, Library, Study.

The result was a story The Machine titled “The Enigmatic Echo.”

ChatGPT
It was a stormy night at the old mansion on Ravenwood Lane. A group of six guests had gathered for a mysterious dinner party hosted by the eccentric millionaire, Mr. Boddy. Little did they know that the night would turn into a chilling tale of murder…

NOTE: There it is, the Mansion on Ravenwood Lane. According to the Washington Post, three largest sites used by ChatGPT to build its dataset were patents.google.com, wikipedia.org, and scribd.com.

As lightning flashed and thunder roared outside, the guests found themselves in the grand dining room. The atmosphere was heavy with anticipation and a hint of unease. The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows on the walls, adding to the air of mystery.

The suspects were an intriguing mix of characters. There was the elegant and refined Mrs. White, always dressed in white, her pale face hiding secrets within. Mrs. Peacock, a society dame with a sharp wit and a penchant for scandal, stood out amongst the guests. Professor Plum, a brilliant but eccentric academic, wandered through the mansion's hallways, deep in thought. Colonel Mustard, a retired military officer, exuded an air of authority and mystery. Miss Scarlett, a seductive and cunning femme fatale, charmed her way into the hearts of the unsuspecting. And finally, Mr. Green, a shady businessman with a hidden past, lurked in the shadows, ever watchful.

The tension in the room rose when a bloodcurdling scream shattered the silence. The guests rushed to the Ball Room, where they discovered Mr. Boddy lying lifeless on the floor, a pool of blood surrounding him. The murder weapon, a knife, was planted next to the body, adding to the horror of the scene…

NOTE: Although I never mentioned the game itself, ChatGPT was intuitive enough to include Mr. Boddy in the tale. In the game, Boddy was the murder victim.

Detective Holmes, renowned for his sharp intellect and deductive reasoning, arrived promptly to investigate the crime. He meticulously questioned each suspect, peeling back their layers of deception and deceit…

NOTE: Sherlock Holmes? Originality is not The Machine’s strong suit.

Holmes led the guests from room to room, searching for clues that might shed light on the mysterious murder. In the Library, a torn page from a book caught his eye, hinting at a hidden motive. In the Lounge, a trail of footprints led to a forgotten secret passage, revealing the sinister nature of the mansion's past. In the Study, Holmes discovered a diary, its pages stained with cryptic entries.

The investigation revealed simmering tensions and concealed motives among the suspects. Mrs. White, burdened by her dark secrets, seemed unnervingly calm. Mrs. Peacock's sharp tongue hinted at a motive fueled by revenge. Professor Plum's scattered thoughts raised questions about his whereabouts during the crime. Colonel Mustard's war stories held a clue to a hidden past that he sought to bury. Miss Scarlett's charm seemed to conceal a vengeful nature. And Mr. Green's shifty behavior hinted at a dangerous secret he was desperate to protect...

NOTE: Is it just me or do these character traits seem reminiscent of the 1985 movie, Clue.

As Holmes pieced the puzzle together, he led the suspects back to the dining room. With a dramatic flair, he revealed the true murderer and their motive, stunning the guests with the unexpected truth.

In the end, it was Professor Plum who held the knife stained with Mr. Boddy's blood. Motivated by envy and greed, he had succumbed to the darkness within him. The storm outside mirrored the tempestuous conflict that had unfolded within the old mansion's walls.

The enigmatic echoes of that fateful night would forever haunt the memories of those who survived, reminding them that secrets and deceit can have deadly consequences, even within the confines of an old house steeped in mystery.

To anyone trying to pawn off words generated by ChatGPT as something “original,” think again. Better clue in on the reality that The Machine strings together sentences that are based neither on facts nor ingenuity. Clever as it may seem, the result is far from original.