Nice catch! You're the only one who spotted the similarity with Player Piano.

The first draft actually ended with this line: "Operating rooms without surgeons, computers without programmers, pianos without musicians." I took it out to make the reference less obvious, but after your message I added it back.

Each story I write includes a small tribute to a writer who's shaped the way I think, like Isaac Asimov or Kurt Vonnegut.

Thanks for reading!