Artificial(ish) Intelligence

Chapter 50

At the door was the paramedic. Or, more accurately, a human-sized capsule on wheels. Or, even more accurately, an automated ambulance and doctor rolled into one.

"Thank you," said the paramedic, wheeling straight to the study.

By the time Will got inside to look, Paige's body had been sucked up inside the capsule and connected by a drip. The capsule fogged up as oxygen pumped inside.

"She will need to be taken to the hospital," said the paramedic.

"How do we--" started Will. "Can we come with you?"

"No," said the paramedic, and shot off.

It's here that I have to make a plea. For just five dollars a week you too can save Will's legs. We are the world, we are the children, etc., etc. He has no money and can't possibly walk all the way to the hospital. Besides, he's emotional. Will's never emotional about anyone who's name doesn't end in ill. So, how about it people? Give, give, give. All proceeds go to the Let Will Ride fund.

And...yes...OK...I'm just receiving word that we've managed to scrape up enough spare change to get him one-way to the block adjacent to the hospital. That's a great first step, but keep those donations coming in. Remember, it's tax deductible.

With your help, Will grabbed onto the only part of the smooth and sleek capsule that wasn't smooth and sleek, his body horizontal in the air as the paramedic careened out the front door.

Libbi followed, flying close behind.

But this tragedy isn't over yet, folks, there'll be plenty of uses for your money, lots and lots of money, a volume large enough to swim--

Oh, before I get too carried away, I don't want to forget the presence of two strange-looking men wandering by Paige's small front gate, just as Libbi shot past.

"Was that the one we want?" said the larger man.

"See!" said the smaller one. "Now ya know why I didn't wanna go back and swap them over."

"But that's what the man said."

"It doesn't matter what he said. We're the ones out in the field. Things are different here. Ya need to think on ya feet, not just blindly follow orders. They don't know nothin'."

"I'm so hungry," said the first man.

Of course, all this happened after Libbi had gone, since she needed to remain within three point one metres of a racing Will. In fact, you should have seen his exciting journey, struggling to hold on as the capsule raced through the streets. It was an incredible sight. But I'm not one for excitement, so we'll leave that aside and just cut to Paige's hospital bed a little later, her condition already stabilised.

Her vital signs were collected via senses and, using analytics derived from passive and active data collection, a software program made a series of recommendations based on the diagnosis. Since this was a clear-cut case of anxiety, a remote human doctor wasn't required to sign off on the plan.

Still, she didn't look great. And she remained unconscious.

"So does that mean..." said Will.

"She's going to be fine," said the healthcare supporter in a calming tone. She smiled like a warm blanket on a cold night. This was her primary role. The health system could run without any human interaction whatsoever, but had found that people were happier with the outcomes -- and felt they were being heard -- when a real person showed concern for their lives in a holistic way. Let the computers perform the analysing while a human being focussed on their emotional state.