Eddie?”
“Claiming temporary insanity. It’s not fair. If anyone deserves to be stink bombed, it’s that kiddy fiddler.”
They went out into the morning. The sultry weather of the last few days had given way to indecisive showers. They splashed along shining pavements, past smoking bins and rain beaded tents. Still more protesters had taken off in the night.
“I like this time of day,” Josh said. “Seeing the city before everyone’s awake.”
“Depends. Sometimes I like going for a run, others I like staying in bed with the papers. Mostly it’s up to Puss. You try ignoring a lion head butting you.”
Josh couldn’t get over how many people were about. Harassed office workers. Shop owners lifting the lattices. Unaccountable people jogging in as few clothes as possible. A ragged boy with an accordion took one look at Josh and bolted.
“Here we are!”
The grubby doorway looked exactly like the rest. Josh hung back, shy.
“Come on, they don’t bite.”
Inside the walls were studded with screens, flickering and changing. They showed the odds for every event across the country. Harcourt was the main attraction, but there were still dog races, robot fights, football and cricket games.
“You go into a booth and they give you a card. You mark the card according to how you want to bet ... Where have all the humans gone?”
Each booth was manned by an S10: a pretty wide eyed woman, skin and hair varying palettes, or her male counterpart.
“Hey, you.” Alfred tapped the nearest booth. Its occupant snapped to attention. “Where are the human workers?”
She fluttered her eyelashes. “I don’t understand.”
“Oh, great. Our bet’s being handled by the robotic equivalent of a toaster.”
“Don’t be mean,” Josh protested.
“I don’t tolerate stupid humans. Why should robots be different?”
“Sorry about my friend,” Josh said, taking a slip. “He’s got a social conscience.”
Alfred snorted. “I’ll be outside.”
“It’s alright,” the S10 said.
She entered the details on the tec but there was no sparkle, no effort to make the transaction meaningful. Josh knew he was closer to this robot than the humans she served but couldn’t have felt more distant.
“Thank you for your custom,” she piped. “My name’s Stephanie.”
A cloud of identical voices chirped: “My name’s Elle,” “My name’s Jermaine,” “My name’s Kiko,” “My name’s Mohinder”- light, bright and inane. Did he sound like that?
“Josh! Long time no see!”
At first he didn’t know where the voice was coming from, then he realised Sienna was prodding his arm. “Where’ve you been? Shuggy couldn’t reach your beebo.”
“Protesting the Mayor’s cuts.”
“What?”
Everyone stared. Sienna hopping like a flamingo on hot plates was worth seeing.
“You stupid ___! Have you any idea what ___ you’ve dumped us in? I ask you to promote the company and you pull a stunt like this, you ____!”
One of the S10s pointed at a notice on the wall: ‘No Swearing’. It was a good thing she was protected by the glass. Sienna made a murderous lunge with her umbrella.
“Calm down -”
“I’ll show you ____ calm! Whose ____ genius idea was this?”
“Alfred’s.”
“Oh, what a ____ shock! That man wants stringing up and ____ castrating! How he and Lady A came from the same ___ pod –”
The door gusted open. “I saw that woman from CER - the one who looks like a bloke in a dress -”
“_____!”
Alfred cringed. “Sorry, madam. I didn’t see you.”
“Don’t ‘Madam’ me. I blame you for this. Josh doesn’t know the first thing about politics. Why the ___ would he?”
Alfred stared at her in distaste. “What do you want me to do?”
“ I’m taking Josh home. You haven’t spoken to any reporters?”
“I don’t deal with the press.”
“Thank ___ for small mercies.”
“Can’t I collect my things?” Josh asked.
“Okay. But then we go.”
They didn’t speak
“Claiming temporary insanity. It’s not fair. If anyone deserves to be stink bombed, it’s that kiddy fiddler.”
They went out into the morning. The sultry weather of the last few days had given way to indecisive showers. They splashed along shining pavements, past smoking bins and rain beaded tents. Still more protesters had taken off in the night.
“I like this time of day,” Josh said. “Seeing the city before everyone’s awake.”
“Depends. Sometimes I like going for a run, others I like staying in bed with the papers. Mostly it’s up to Puss. You try ignoring a lion head butting you.”
Josh couldn’t get over how many people were about. Harassed office workers. Shop owners lifting the lattices. Unaccountable people jogging in as few clothes as possible. A ragged boy with an accordion took one look at Josh and bolted.
“Here we are!”
The grubby doorway looked exactly like the rest. Josh hung back, shy.
“Come on, they don’t bite.”
Inside the walls were studded with screens, flickering and changing. They showed the odds for every event across the country. Harcourt was the main attraction, but there were still dog races, robot fights, football and cricket games.
“You go into a booth and they give you a card. You mark the card according to how you want to bet ... Where have all the humans gone?”
Each booth was manned by an S10: a pretty wide eyed woman, skin and hair varying palettes, or her male counterpart.
“Hey, you.” Alfred tapped the nearest booth. Its occupant snapped to attention. “Where are the human workers?”
She fluttered her eyelashes. “I don’t understand.”
“Oh, great. Our bet’s being handled by the robotic equivalent of a toaster.”
“Don’t be mean,” Josh protested.
“I don’t tolerate stupid humans. Why should robots be different?”
“Sorry about my friend,” Josh said, taking a slip. “He’s got a social conscience.”
Alfred snorted. “I’ll be outside.”
“It’s alright,” the S10 said.
She entered the details on the tec but there was no sparkle, no effort to make the transaction meaningful. Josh knew he was closer to this robot than the humans she served but couldn’t have felt more distant.
“Thank you for your custom,” she piped. “My name’s Stephanie.”
A cloud of identical voices chirped: “My name’s Elle,” “My name’s Jermaine,” “My name’s Kiko,” “My name’s Mohinder”- light, bright and inane. Did he sound like that?
“Josh! Long time no see!”
At first he didn’t know where the voice was coming from, then he realised Sienna was prodding his arm. “Where’ve you been? Shuggy couldn’t reach your beebo.”
“Protesting the Mayor’s cuts.”
“What?”
Everyone stared. Sienna hopping like a flamingo on hot plates was worth seeing.
“You stupid ___! Have you any idea what ___ you’ve dumped us in? I ask you to promote the company and you pull a stunt like this, you ____!”
One of the S10s pointed at a notice on the wall: ‘No Swearing’. It was a good thing she was protected by the glass. Sienna made a murderous lunge with her umbrella.
“Calm down -”
“I’ll show you ____ calm! Whose ____ genius idea was this?”
“Alfred’s.”
“Oh, what a ____ shock! That man wants stringing up and ____ castrating! How he and Lady A came from the same ___ pod –”
The door gusted open. “I saw that woman from CER - the one who looks like a bloke in a dress -”
“_____!”
Alfred cringed. “Sorry, madam. I didn’t see you.”
“Don’t ‘Madam’ me. I blame you for this. Josh doesn’t know the first thing about politics. Why the ___ would he?”
Alfred stared at her in distaste. “What do you want me to do?”
“ I’m taking Josh home. You haven’t spoken to any reporters?”
“I don’t deal with the press.”
“Thank ___ for small mercies.”
“Can’t I collect my things?” Josh asked.
“Okay. But then we go.”
They didn’t speak
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