wife to a class like that. Bring her to the pub. You guys can get loaded and go have sex on the beach after the game. I’ll call Danny and see if he wants to come. If he’s not out on another blind date.”
Out in the hall, Tim and Rory watched Canary flirting with a temp with long blond hair.
“Lucky old bastard.”
“I hate my life.” Tim buried his face in hands.
“If you hate your life,” said Rory, “it’s up to you to change it.” He picked up his phone and dialed Danny’s number.
Chapter 8
Not Just Robots
Candy entered her office.
Susannah sat at the front desk. From the appearance of it, Susannah was on the phone scheduling an appointment. She concluded the call as Candy approached her desk.
“So, the big second date, huh?” said Susannah. “See, I told you it was a good idea to put Double-D in your profile. You’re back awful early, though.”
“We didn’t make it to New Mexico. We had a little shuttle trouble.”
“What kind of shuttle trouble?”
“A blown engine and a crash landing in the Salton Sea.”
Susannah’s eyes widened. “What?”
“Some water skiers rescued us. They dove into the water and tied their waterski rope around that piece of crap shuttle and kept us from drowning. Then they towed us to shore and Danny and I rode the subway back to L.A. He just dropped me off.”
“You didn’t want to continue the date?”
“We discussed it and decided we both wanted to go home and take a shower and maybe watch some TV. Try to forget about it.”
“Can’t say I blame you. What was the cause of the explosion?”
“Danny said he thought it was either a fuel leak or some wiring that was rubbing on the metal which caused a spark and ignited the fuel vapor. But Howard is escorting the shuttle to the repair shop. He’s going to let us know what the mechanic finds out.”
“Oh, well that’s good.”
“How was your day?”
“Compared to your day my day was a snap. A bunch of phone calls. The usual. Two new clients for next week.” Susannah consulted her computer screen. “Let’s see . . . one is a sanitation ’bot that’s now afraid of the dark and won’t climb into the sewers. And the other one is a linesman for the electric company who has become afraid of heights. It is now refusing to go up in the air in that hydraulic bucket thing attached to the truck.”
“I see. And what about our little friend?” Candy peered over her shoulder into the sitting area. Seated among the coffee table and magazines and half-dozen chairs was an enormous silver and blue robot.
“He hasn’t moved today. Other than to turn his head to watch me each time I got up to get coffee or to go to the bathroom. He did ask what time you were coming back.”
“He actually spoke? Well, I guess that’s some progress.” Candy walked over and sat on the chair next to the robot. The afternoon sunlight shining through the windows gleamed on its hulking body painted with unmistakable blue letters: LAPD.
“Hello, Barney.”
Barney did not respond.
Candy placed her hand gently on the robot’s arm. “Barney?”
With amazing speed, Barney’s head went from eyes front down to Candy’s hand. Then slowly up, to Candy’s face.
“Oh. Hello, Doctor Calvin.” Barney’s voice was very deep and menacing, perfectly suited to commanding respect while out walking its assigned beat. But his face resembled that of a human man, with handsome features and blue eyes. Though Barney’s eyes never blinked, they were very kind.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” said Candy.
“Do not be troubled, Doctor Calvin. It was my mistake. I was daydreaming.”
“Daydreaming?”
“Yes, doctor.”
“What were you daydreaming about, Barney?”
Barney’s head swiveled front again. He gazed out the windows at the cars driving by. Then he looked up at the sky. “The ocean.”
“The ocean?”
“Yes, doctor. The Pacific ocean.” Barney’s voice was softer now. “Before I arrived in
Out in the hall, Tim and Rory watched Canary flirting with a temp with long blond hair.
“Lucky old bastard.”
“I hate my life.” Tim buried his face in hands.
“If you hate your life,” said Rory, “it’s up to you to change it.” He picked up his phone and dialed Danny’s number.
Chapter 8
Not Just Robots
Candy entered her office.
Susannah sat at the front desk. From the appearance of it, Susannah was on the phone scheduling an appointment. She concluded the call as Candy approached her desk.
“So, the big second date, huh?” said Susannah. “See, I told you it was a good idea to put Double-D in your profile. You’re back awful early, though.”
“We didn’t make it to New Mexico. We had a little shuttle trouble.”
“What kind of shuttle trouble?”
“A blown engine and a crash landing in the Salton Sea.”
Susannah’s eyes widened. “What?”
“Some water skiers rescued us. They dove into the water and tied their waterski rope around that piece of crap shuttle and kept us from drowning. Then they towed us to shore and Danny and I rode the subway back to L.A. He just dropped me off.”
“You didn’t want to continue the date?”
“We discussed it and decided we both wanted to go home and take a shower and maybe watch some TV. Try to forget about it.”
“Can’t say I blame you. What was the cause of the explosion?”
“Danny said he thought it was either a fuel leak or some wiring that was rubbing on the metal which caused a spark and ignited the fuel vapor. But Howard is escorting the shuttle to the repair shop. He’s going to let us know what the mechanic finds out.”
“Oh, well that’s good.”
“How was your day?”
“Compared to your day my day was a snap. A bunch of phone calls. The usual. Two new clients for next week.” Susannah consulted her computer screen. “Let’s see . . . one is a sanitation ’bot that’s now afraid of the dark and won’t climb into the sewers. And the other one is a linesman for the electric company who has become afraid of heights. It is now refusing to go up in the air in that hydraulic bucket thing attached to the truck.”
“I see. And what about our little friend?” Candy peered over her shoulder into the sitting area. Seated among the coffee table and magazines and half-dozen chairs was an enormous silver and blue robot.
“He hasn’t moved today. Other than to turn his head to watch me each time I got up to get coffee or to go to the bathroom. He did ask what time you were coming back.”
“He actually spoke? Well, I guess that’s some progress.” Candy walked over and sat on the chair next to the robot. The afternoon sunlight shining through the windows gleamed on its hulking body painted with unmistakable blue letters: LAPD.
“Hello, Barney.”
Barney did not respond.
Candy placed her hand gently on the robot’s arm. “Barney?”
With amazing speed, Barney’s head went from eyes front down to Candy’s hand. Then slowly up, to Candy’s face.
“Oh. Hello, Doctor Calvin.” Barney’s voice was very deep and menacing, perfectly suited to commanding respect while out walking its assigned beat. But his face resembled that of a human man, with handsome features and blue eyes. Though Barney’s eyes never blinked, they were very kind.
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” said Candy.
“Do not be troubled, Doctor Calvin. It was my mistake. I was daydreaming.”
“Daydreaming?”
“Yes, doctor.”
“What were you daydreaming about, Barney?”
Barney’s head swiveled front again. He gazed out the windows at the cars driving by. Then he looked up at the sky. “The ocean.”
“The ocean?”
“Yes, doctor. The Pacific ocean.” Barney’s voice was softer now. “Before I arrived in
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