Life on Mars

Chapter Fifteen

On the first morning in his new home, it felt like nothing had changed. But things had changed, he was free now and his quarantine was over. There were many things that hadn't changed, the underlying noise of traffic from outside in the city of Lon-Don, the basic layout of the apartment and its contents. The difference was that he was now in a new physical location, the draws opened and so did the doors to the outside. The Lon-Don view was still augmented and so was the atmosphere outside. Vic was half-buried in a warm cloud as a cool draft wafted against his face, disrupting his bliss. Opening his eyes, he saw that the balcony door was open but the idea of closing it was in no way appealing to him. He had no wish to move a single muscle for fear it would destroy the heavenly position he found himself in. He resisted for a few minutes before realising it was ruined whatever he did; he was awake now. He casually rolled off the bed and padded barefoot across the warm floor to close it.

Halfway between the bed and the door, he stopped dead when a disembodied voice spoke out. The sound so clear it was almost inside his head.

"Good morning." It sounded male, quite camp and came from no discernible direction.

He stopped in his tracks. "Who said that?" said Vic looking around cautiously. There was raucous laughter. Vic walked in circles as if it might provide a better perspective as to where it was coming from.

"I am your religion God, you will obey me," the voice said, vainly attempting to sound deeper and more masculine followed by more laughter.

"Who's there?" shouted Vic looking up as if that was where the answer lay.

"I'm Leon. I am your sage," said the voice.

"Sage?" he questioned.

"They were right; you really are a caveman," the voice sniggered. He still couldn't place its location. "Where are you?"

Another snigger. Vic was slowly creeping around the room, trying to keep him talking so he would eventually give himself away. "I can't see you?"

"No, I expect not, there's not much to see, I can assure you." Vic stopped between rooms looking in every direction. "I manage the building and I am here to offer assistance."

"But where are you?"

The voice giggled once more. "Oh, you mean my physical presence, 3 kilometres away at the offices of Jareth Accommodation."

Vic relaxed, he felt stupid as he realised he'd been startled by the air conditioning unit. Naturally, it wasn't a huge leap to assume that the 'futures' had come up with some kind of voice-activated building management system a giant leap from having to turn the thermostat up and down. Even in 2015, they were doing most of that by phone. It wasn't long before he realised this was more than an air conditioning unit.

"It's time you go hygiene and get robed, we have a lot to get through and Bluu will be on her way very soon. I can't imagine what she will think if I don't have you ready."

"A lot to get through?" said Vic to the ceiling.

"I have to complete your induction into the property. I calculate that your lack of intelligence might increase the time required to complete the task," said Leon without the slightest hint of insult or irony. Whatever this device was it looked to be taking the role of a butler. Had this thing been here in the room instead of three kilometres away, he might have picked it up and thrown it out of the window. He would not rise to it, it probably meant no harm. "Ok, go for it," he said.

There was a long silence. "Go for what?"

Vic sighed. "So, I lack intelligence?" he mumbled to himself. "Proceed with your induction," he said loudly. The bloody thing even had the nerve to give a little insulted cough.