Galaxy Magazine (March 1955) by Galaxy

Author:Galaxy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 1955-03-08T16:00:00+00:00

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DULCIE & DECORUM

at the ceiling, stroking his chin. "D. L. C," he said. "Doctor of Literary—Doctor of Library Nup. D. C. R. M. Hmm . . ." He shook his head.

"I didn't think so," said Jones. "It was just a—"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute."

Fowler shook a fat palm at him and went on staring at the

T home, mechanically tran-

• :• •

k

ceiling. He shifted on the edge of the desk, moved his lips once or twice, sniffed, and went on staring.

Mann wandered over to look at one of the softly clicking teletype machines and wandered back again.

At last Fowler said, "Only thing I can think of—don't know whether it'll help you-—"

"Yes?" Jones encouraged.

"Computer names. Not any that / ever heard of, but they're making new ones all the time. Digital Linear Computer. Digital Computer—ah—Recompen-saeing, Military. Something like that. Not those, of course. Computer names."

Jones was heading for the door when Fowler called after him.

"Uh?" he asked, turning.

"Any periods?" Fowler repeated.

"Any—? Oh. No periods. Just DLC, DCRM."

"Computer names," said Fowler dogmatically.

scribing from the open on his left, Jones slowly realized that it didn't have to be computer names, for Pete's sake, at all. How about government departments ? Department of Labor Controls? If you were going to imagine things, why not Department of Control and Regulation of Management?

Funny that hadn't occurred to him at the time. Or to Fowler. Jones felt a bit irritated; the man ought to know his own business better than that. And yet the idea of the computers had taken instant hold of his imagination. DLC and DCRM, two giant blocks of masonry, dull-lit, full of the smells of ozone and oiled metal, and the sound of purring .. .

He came to the end of a page and ripped it out of the machine. It was getting so that he hated to touch the typewriter; the keys were like little metal teeth that snapped back at him. Not enough sleep last night or the night be-fore. He was on edge.

He forced himself to think about the government departments again while he tabulated errors. There was something so solid and safe about a government department. Department of Control and Regulation-—

His fingers had gone numb. He stared down at his writing.

74

GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION

JONS ABC KLK ABCDEF KLK ABC KLK DLC

M

YRA watched him in silence

It was as clear to his mind as if he had heard it in the rhythmic rotary murmur of one of the teletype machines at the office . . JONES ABC (Click) ABCD EF (Click) ABC (Click) Dulcie. Idling up there in the big masonry block—idling (click) like a metal Red King (click) dreaming of a man named Jones . . .

"Dulcie!" cried Jones, strangling. "Dulce— uh\ Dulcie!"

Little steel typewriter keys were stuck in his shoulder. He writhed.

"Wake up! Fred!"

He stared at his wife's face foggily. She was all blurry in the funny light from the bedstand.

"Dulcie," he said with a thick tongue.

She let go his shoulder and brushed a cable of hair back from her forehead.

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