The Minority Report (Novelette)

"The Minority Report" is a 1956 science fiction novella by American writer Philip K. Dick, first published in Fantastic Universe. It is the original story that kicked off the Minority Report franchise.

Plot
Minority Report takes place in a futuristic New York City, where the PreCrime Division, a specialized agency using the Precognitives (Donna, Jerry and Mike), stops crimes before they happen.

While showing his new, young second-in-command Ed Witwer around the premises, John A. Anderton is shocked to receive a report that he, Anderton, is predicted to murder someone within the coming week. Anderton believes Witwer has framed him in order to steal his job, and he even starts to expect his wife, an executive officer of Precrime, of being involved in a conspiracy against him. He confronts his wife about his suspicions about Witwer, believing that he's been framed for Witwer's future murder, but another look at the card holding the prediction shows that he's expected to kill someone named Leopold Kaplan whom Anderton has never met before.

Knowing that a copy of the report is automatically sent to the Army as a safeguard, Anderton rushes home and begins to prepare to leave town. He is suddenly abducted by armed men and brought before Leopold Kaplan, who is a retired general, whom due to his military connections, his suspected murder was detected quicker than usual by the Army.

Leopold Kaplan hands him over to police custody. Along the way to the station, a traffic accident occurs and a man named Fleming rescues Anderton, the accident being caused by Fleming. Fleming reassures Anderton that his suspicion of a setup is true and gives Anderton a packet containing money and fake identification.

After checking into a Hotel with said supplies, Anderton finds a note in the packet that hints at the existence of a "minority report". A radio in his hotel room talking about Anderton's future murder conviction and explains the minority report and that it could be caused by multiple futures, meaning in one timeline, the suspect may not have committed the crime after all. Anderton, with the help of his subordinate, Wally Page, breaks back into the Police building to see his minority report and if he doesn't kill Kaplan. The minority report reveals that when Anderton was informed of his prediction to kill Kaplan he would decide not to, thus creating a new timeline independent of the original majority report.

Anderton meets back up with his wife and the two of them flee the police building on a flying ship with the minority report tape giving Anderton a chance at innocence but also weakening the credibility of majority reports. Anderton is planning to give the minority report to Kaplan but Lisa, concerned over the integrity of the system orders Anderton at gunpoint to turn back to the police station. Anderton agrees but Fleming, having hid in the ship's storage compartment, disarms and begins to strangle Lisa, telling Anderton that she was working with Witwer. Anderton knocks Fleming unconscious, saving Lisa. Anderton uses Fleming's ID and orders on his person to learn that Fleming was part of the army and caused the accident under Kaplan's orders, Kaplan having never wanted Anderton in police custody after all. Fleming contacts Witwer from the ship to help him go back to the police station to carefully listen to the other reports untampered. He also learns that Kaplan had obtained a copy of the minority report that could discredit Precrime.

After Anderton views the Donna and Mike reports, an Army Rally forms close to the station. Anderton drives to meet Kaplan who welcomes Anderton to the stage as an example of Precrime's error so he can read the majority and then the minority report to the public. But before Kaplan can read the majority report, Anderton shoots him dead. Anderton escape the Army but gets arrested by the police. While Anderton and Lisa are ready to be transported to an off-world detention camp, Anderton explains to Witwer that all predictions were unique and the minority report (Jerrry's) just superceded the first prediction by Donna but Jerry's report was subsequently superseded by Mike's prediction of Anderton realizing the full situation and deciding to conform to the majority report to prevent Precrime's discreditment. In conclusion there were really three minority reports and Anderton warns Witwer that he may face similar situations in the future.

Characters
John A. Anderton: A precrime captain who discovers he's suspected of the future murder of a man named Leopold Kaplan whom he never met before.

Ed Witwer: John Anderton's second-in-command whom John Anderton suspects of trying to frame him to steal his job.

Lisa Anderton: John Anderton's wife whom John suspects of colluding with Ed Witwer against him.

General Leopold Kaplan: A general that John Anderton is predicted to kill, who also wants to disband the Precrime Agency.

Tod Fleming: A man who rescues John Anderton from being taken to the police building by General Kaplan. Fleming gives Anderton money, fake identification and a clue to the minority report. But in reality, Tod Flemming worked for Kaplan who wanted Anderton be out of police custody,

Wally Page: John Anderton's subordinate who helps him break back into the Police station but later turns out to be a mole for the Army who allows Kaplan to have the majority and minority reports.

Locations

 * Federal Westbloc Alliance
 * New York City
 * Police building
 * Anderton's house
 * Kaplan's Villa
 * Hotel
 * Chicago (mentioned)


 * Centaurus X (mentioned)
 * Detention camp (mentioned)

Organizations

 * Federal Westbloc Alliance
 * The Precrime Agency of the Federal Westbloc Government
 * Army of the Federated Westbloc Alliance
 * Senate

Vehicles

 * Ship (flying)
 * Truck
 * Bread truck
 * Army truck

Technology

 * Punch card computer