Futureland: Nine Stories of an Imminent World

At home Neil didn’t drink or watch the vid; he didn’t dream about the coast of California or anticipate Nina’s late night visit. All he did was sit in his chair and think about Un Fitt and how he had been robbed of his chance to succeed. He knew that these thoughts were ridiculous, that someone who had expertise in biology and neurology would have to take over. But Un Fitt had implied that the work Neil had done would have to be done over. Why wasn’t he allowed to get first crack at rewrites?

The vid phone came on just past twenty-three hours.

“Neil?” Nina said. Her face took up the whole screen so he couldn’t tell where she was.

“Hey, honey.”

“What’s wrong?”

“They took me off the Third Eye project.”

“Moving it down the lane?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s okay, baby. You’ll get another project.”

“I wasn’t finished with this one yet.”

“I know, babe. We all felt like that on our first project. My first time out I was working on a facet of an automated construction machine. I didn’t get nearly as far as you did but I still cried when they moved it on.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“I got somethin’ll make you feel better.”

“What?”

“I’m up in a room with two sex-worker girls. I met ’em at the library. I told ’em about you and they said they wanted you to come with us. They got all kindsa toys. Come on. It’ll be fun.”

“Not tonight, babe. I mean, I’m too sad.”

Neil expected her to throw a fit. She did that whenever he refused her “feel better cures.”

“That’s okay, honey. I know it must be hard. You get some sleep and I’ll come by about five or so.”

“Okay,” Neil said. “See ya.”

Just then Nina was pulled away from the screen by an Asian woman. The woman was tall and there was a serious look on her face. She pulled Nina to her and kissed her hard. She snaked her hand under Nina’s plaid skirt and lifted her off her feet. When Neil heard his lover’s loud moan of pleasure he switched off the vid.