The knocking continued and became more urgent. Spencer put down his notebook and pencil and opened the door.
A man and a woman in identical blue uniforms stood in the hallway. They had small cameras in the middle of their chests and a variety of non-lethal weapons on their belts. Their eyes flickered back and forth behind transparent goggles, reading information about him, watching feeds from the three drones that hovered behind them like humming birds.
"Mr Cartwright?" the woman said. She didn't make eye contact with him.
Spencer nodded.
"Your wife is Alannah Cartwright?"
He nodded again.
"We've been trying to reach you on CloudUs."
"I don't use it," he said. He'd created a profile while at college, but hadn't checked it in years.
The woman glanced at the man. It was the first genuine human contact he'd seen since opening the door. In that moment, which lasted only a fraction of a second, they were both in the same place, experiencing the same thing.
"Can I help you with something?" Spencer said.
"Yes," the woman said, regaining her distracted normality. "I'm afraid your wife has been in an accident."
Spencer was silent. His mind had wound down like faulty clockwork. He didn't feel anything.
"Did you hear what I said Mr Cartwright?"
She expected him to emote more, it was what she was used to. The camera on her chest was recording him and A.I. was analysing the footage, flagging his lack of response. A message on her goggles was telling her that he should be considered suspicious.
"What happened?" he said.
"There was a car crash."
"Alannah doesn't drive."
"Of course not sir." Nobody drove anymore.
"She cycles," he said. Alannah refused to travel in autonomous cars and busses.
The woman nodded.
"How bad is it?"
"That isn't for us to say."
"Is she... is she going to..."
"She's alive," the woman said. Unsaid, but still clear, was the proviso 'for now'.
"Can I see her?"
"I'm sure that can be arranged. She's at the Berks Free Clinic."
Spencer considered asking if they would take him there, but they were walking away before he got a chance.
He closed the door and stood silently in theflat. He expected to feel as if something had changed, but that would comelater.
ŞİMDİ OKUDUĞUN
Miracle Cure
Bilim KurguThey won't even let her die Spencer and Alanah are neo-luddites who have as little to do with technology as possible. But when Alanah is in an accident her wealthy family aren't willing to let her die the way that Spencer knows she would want. The o...
