SF in The City Anthology by Joshua Wilkinson Read Free Book Online Page A

churros bar, Patty unfolded and read the message as inconspicuously as possible. It said: “Meet us at the balcony now, and your loved ones will live.”
                  Within a minute, Patty had reached the meeting place and found herself face to face with the studio head, Saul Mara, and the director of A Day in Life Revisited , Franziska Laurent. Standing next to them was a man Patty had never seen before, with a few goons at his side.
                  “My name is Og Husher,” the man said as if reading the charactor’s mind. Perhaps he had.   
                  “Thanks for the clarification,” Patty responded.
                  “I think we all know why you’re here,” Saul said with forced regret.
                  “Well, you threatened my loved ones,” Patty said as she crossed her arms.
                  “You came into contact with the recently deceased Aoto Frolov today, and he convinced you of a conspiracy involving Omniambience Entertainment,” Og’s thin, silver eyebrows knitted in disdain.
    “What makes you think that I believe him?” the charactor asked.
                  “The nanotubes in your limbic system have recorded as much,” Og pulled a cigar from his jet black, synthetic leather jacket. “You might as well have posted your doubts on the mind net for everyone to see.”
                  “If Central Authority finds out that you’ve…tapped my mind, you are going to get nailed for so many civil rights violations!”
                     “Good thing I’m the head of Central Authority’s intelligence division then,” Og held a lighter that looked traditional but had the thickness of paper. It used a special radiation emitter to start fires. He positioned the end of his cigar between the lighter’s raised covering and the heating element. With a quick flick from his thumb, the razor edged bottom of the lid cut off the cigar’s end.
                  “Just because I have, I mean had doubts, doesn’t mean that my mind can’t be changed,” Patty felt a lump rise in her throat.
                  “You’re a good charactor,” Og slammed the cover of the lighter shut, “but we both know that you can’t talk your way out of this one.”
                  By this point, Patty had to force back tears. “So you’re going to kill me then? Is that it?”
                  “We don’t have to, nor would it be easy,” Og placed the cigar in his mouth and lit it as if he was the coolest man in the world. “Fortunately we had Omniambience take proper precautions in case a situation like this one would arise. You remember getting vaccinated before shooting your latest documentary?”
                  “Yes…what does that have to do with…?”
    “You were told that those shots would protect you from diseases the animals carried?”
                  “Yes.” Patty felt more and more anxious.
                  “Nanoids are beautiful little buggers Miss Plattson,” Og said with an ugly smile. “I love the little critters. You see, once upon a time, our ancestors saw splitting atoms as revolutionary technology. Now, we have nanomachines that can rearrange atoms in living and inorganic systems. Soon they will be even able to do more than one task at a time, allowing them the chance to reproduce themselves.”
                  “Can you just cut to the chase,” Patty sighed.
                  “Right now, there are millions of nanoids living in your brain,” Franziska chimed in.
                  “And…” Og looked at the director, seemingly annoyed that she was hogging his moment. “These machines will forever remove you as a threat.”
                  Patty scratched her head, the memory of the nanoids on her scalp only half as terrifying as the thought