Ferryman by Caldon Mull

Author:Caldon Mull
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fiction, postcyberpunk, tech noir, cyberpunk noir, transhumanist
Publisher: Caldon Mull

Two tortoises, a genet and a porcupine later, Tick-tock slipped off his ‘net. “Essi, is that it for today?”

“It is.” The communicator at his wrist buzzed.

Tick-tock wavered briefly, then decided, “Listen Essi, just talk to me for a while...”

“I understand.” Sedna-Starmind responded. “We are completely private.”

“Essi, what’s in your public folder?”

“Nothing. It is empty. Do you want to store anything?”

“No... Essi, do you know of a Winston_Starlight?”

“Yes, I do. He is the media personality that interviewed the Martian Senator.”

“Oh.” Tick-tock didn’t expect that answer. “Is he any good?”

“Apparently so.” Sedna-Starmind reported. “He has one of the highest ethical ratings of any journalist in the last two centuries. Why do you ask?”

“Two hundred earth-years? Is he an age-augmented-human?”

“No, he is an artificial intelligence originally servicing the OutSystems fleet. He went inert and only re-instantiated in the last twenty-five earth-years. Where would you hear of something like that?”

“Maybe... Garuda... mentioned him once.” Tick-tock felt his meat begin to perspire as he conjured the answer. He couldn’t recall a time before now when he had lied to someone.

“Tick-tock, are you feeling optimal?”

“I’m only tired, Essi. I’m not on a Powerchain anymore and this meat’s battery runs flat for very little reason. Do you think we could get a Winston_Starlight?”

“No, he is info-tainment.” the Starmind sounded dismissive. “We do not have an info-tainment budget for this outpost. Why would I, or any doll, ever want info-tainment?”

“Oh, okay. Do you think Sandra would ever want a Winston_Starlight?”

“No, I do not. She is a doll.”

“Okay. Exit private mode, Essi...” He sighed, “Let me know when the next dispatch is due.”

“Ceres posted its notification waybill. It is due in 14 hours. I have your performance statistics for today’s delivery, it is a personal best. You have an 18% benefit in your response times.”

“Are you sure?” Tick-tock blinked in surprise, “It feels like I’m regressing, not improving. This meat-stick is nowhere as convenient as my doll.”

“I am sure. You have quicker recognition responses and smoother routing, for some or other reason, on all of your chores since you ported to this meat. It has been so with each and every chore since that moment. I was not going to say anything until I had those figures validated.”

“Thanks, Essi. I’m going to rest for a while. I’ll see you for the Ceres dispatch.”

“Good night, Tick-tock.”

“Good night, Essi.”

He walked through the Dome to his cot and dimmed the lights. The drone still cringed in the corner, its optics tracking him as he stretched out in the dark. Tick-tock sighed and rolled on his side, facing the wall, and closed his eyes. “I’m sure I do.” He whispered before the sleep took him away, “Think about Ken, that is. I can almost feel him, like in a dream, but I never remember the dreams afterwards.”

He started awake, panicked. A giant hand was pressing him down and he gasped for breath. His fingers and toes were tingling, and his calf-muscle twitched uncomfortably. “Vok! Vok! MoerVok!” he yelped.

“Shh, it is okay.” a voice whispered from the drone in the corner, “It is just the centrifuge starting up.

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