Mira and Rosa invited Rajeev to join them for lunch, but he pointed out that it would be awkward—he couldn't eat, after all, so he'd just end up watching them eat, like some bizarre culinary voyeur—so he politely declined.
He watched as they walked out of the house and into the car. As soon as they'd driven out of sight, he walked upstairs and picked up the clothes he'd left on the dresser. He put them on, walked out of the room and gently closed the door behind him. He ambled down the stairs and went to the front door.
He hesitated, wondering if he should leave Mira a letter explaining where he'd gone, and why. But he decided against it. The less she knew about this debacle, the better. He turned the handle, opened the door and walked out, closing the door behind him.
"Daniel?"
His assistant appeared, standing on the porch in front of him.
"How can I help you today?" he asked cheerily.
"Daniel, call me a car, would you?"
"I'd be happy to, but, uh, you don't have any payment information on file."
"Charge it to Gregory Maltek."
"I'm sorry, I can't—"
"Daniel, send the following message to Gregory Maltek: 'I need money for a car. Please send payment information.'"
"Here's what I have—"
"Go ahead and send it, Daniel."
"Okay. Message sent."
They waited a moment. Rajeev was beginning to get used to these awkward moments with Daniel as he waited for his messages to go through. Finally, the virtual assistant piped up.
"You have a new message from Gregory Maltek. Would you like me to read it?"
"Please."
"'Sure. Payment information is attached for a ten-thousand-dollar line of credit. Consider it an advance.'"
"There you go, Daniel. How about that car?"
***
Rajeev had the driver let him off a block away from the entrance to the NLT campus. He didn't want the driver getting entangled in things if there was some kind of confrontation. He thanked the driver and got out.
"Daniel?"
"How can I help?"
"Leave the driver a tip, please."
"Certainly. How much?"
He hesitated, but then remembered the ten thousand dollars in blood money Maltek had made available to him.
"One thousand percent."
"Sir, that's one hundred forty dollars." Rajeev could have sworn he heard a hint of surprise in Daniel's normally flat voice.
"That's fine. Tip the man."
Daniel nodded. "Very well. Tip sent."
As Rajeev approached the double doors that led into the building, a combination of dread and anticipation flowed throughout his body. He wished he could have taken a deep breath, but without a throat or lungs, he just continued on through the doors.
As soon as he entered the building, two guards stationed at the front desk simultaneously did a double take. Then they sprung into action.
Before he could say a word, they were beside him, grabbing either one of his arms and dragging him to their station.
YOU ARE READING
Duplicate Minds
Science FictionHe woke up in a body that wasn't his, in a world that had passed him by... Rajeev Sunduram awakens from a 15-year coma to find that his consciousness has been transferred to an experimental android body. He's alone in a world that has gone on withou...
