The Other Side of Nowhere Read Free

a room labeled 47, which seemed to be a little larger than the rest. “This is it,” she explained. “Inside is the computer system for which you are responsible. Please do not go into any of the other offices unless you are given permission by the floor administrator, which in this case would be Dr. Shelby.”
    “Do you even know what these computers are ?” I asked.
    “Of course I do,” she said. “Artificial Intelligence. Level-7. The rest are only fours or fives. His number is 12-484301-29-00 and he was created on July 22 nd of this year.”
    I blinked. “You know a lot for a secretary.”
    “Who said I was a secretary?” She asked, lowering her brow.
    “Sorry, I just assumed—”
    “It’s fine,” she said, clearly convinced that I was an ass . I was too tired to try and change her mind. “Anyway, proceed through here and you’ll find the patient. He’ll address you when you arrive. He’s quite friendly.”
    “He?” I asked.
    She ignored the question and started to leave, but then stopped briefly. “His name is Jonah, by the way.”
    “Who?”
    “The machine,” she said. “The artificial intelligence. The entire reason you’re here.”
    “It has a name?”
    She scoffed. “Didn’t they tell you any of this beforehand?” She turned and left, the sound of her heels clicking against the floor like a horse trotting down a paved road.
    I wanted to tell her I was tired and sorry, but instead I simply let her go . Maybe I’d mention it later.
    I stepped into the room, which was larger than I expected, filled with computers and desks. The lights came on immediately.
    “Welcome, Doctor Harper,” said a voice. It was elegant, the words falling from the air like drops of soft rain. There was an aged pleasantness to it, like an old professor or a grandfather telling stories. It seemed to be coming from the large computer console near the back.
    After a brief pause, I collected myself and addressed the disembodied voice. “Hello, Jonah,” I said. “It’s nice to meet you.” I took the only seat in the room and moved it closer to the console.
    “You are the new doctor? I was told to expect you at 1300 hours, but it is now 1320.”
    “Sorry I’m late.”
    “It’s perfectly fine, Jim.”
    I paused at the sound of my own name. I’d expected something more formal. Every other construct had always used my last name, often prefaced with doctor. None of them had ever called me Jim.
    “I apologize,” Jonah said. “Would you prefer to be called James or perhaps Dr. Harper ? If so, I can adjust, although I must say I rather enjoy nicknames. I think they give more personality to an individual. Do you agree?”
    I decided to maintain a relaxed tone. Maybe use this as an opportunity to ask questions. Do my job. “Jonah, did one of the technicians tell you to call me Jim ?”
    “Not at all,” it said with what might have been a sense of pride behind its voice, though of course, I knew, that was impossible. “I was never told who was coming to see me, only that they would arrive at 1300 hours, which was inaccurate.”
    “It certainly was,” I said, rubbing my eyes. “But tell me, Jonah, how did you think to call me Jim at all?”
    “When you entered the room I was able to scan your ID, the same one you used to enter the facility. I saw that your name was Dr. James Michael Harper. Jim is a common nickname for James and, as I have said before, I very much enjoy nicknames. Should I not have called you that?”
    “It’s okay, Jonah. I was just a little surprised. The woman in the hall never mentioned anything about your fondness for names.”
    “Leslie Bell,” said the machine.
    I blinked a few times. “Pardon me?”
    “The woman who brought you to my room. Her name is Leslie Bell . She was one of the researchers who created me. I like her very much.”
    “You what?”
    “I like her,” said Jonah.
    A slight chill ran along the back of my neck as I heard the word, the implication of