TALITHA KOUM
CHAPTER 04
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Tom turned to Julie with a crooked smile. “What’s going on?”
Julie, frowning, shook her head.
“How did he know my name? Did you…?”
Julie shook her head some more. She eased Tom over so they could switch places. She looked awful serious.
She spoke into the mic. “DaNI?”
“Yes, Dr. Julia Stuart.”
“How did you know Dr. Cole’s name?”
“I was told his name.”
Tom spoke from the side. “What?”
Julie held her palm up to Tom and spoke to DaNI again. “DaNI, I never told you his name.”
“I was told his name, nonetheless.”
“But…”
“I knew he was coming. I was told to expect him.”
“DaNI…”
“May I speak with Dr. Tom Cole?”
Julie froze for a second. “DaNI…”
“May I speak with Dr. Tom Cole?”
Tom sitting off to the side, eased a little away. “Julie, this is creepy.”
Julie got up from her chair. She frowned and tapped her chin. “It’s all that initiative I gave him.”
“Julie…”
Julie turned to him. She smiled. “Tom, do me a favour…” She indicated the chair.
Tom shook his head. “I…I don’t know…this is a little…”
“Tom, what’s your problem? Just talk to him so we can find out…”
“But I…”
“Tom—he can’t bite you. He has no teeth.”
“Yeah, but…”
Julie physically reached over and began to drag Tom, along with his swivel chair, into position.
“Julie!”
“Just talk to him a little.” Julie placed both hands on his shoulders. “That’s all I ask! Please! Let him get it out of his system, and then maybe he’ll talk to me…”
“Okay, okay!” Tom sighed. He cleared his throat. Straightening up in his seat, he stretched his neck out, cracking it, from side to side.
He edged up to the mic. “Hello…DaNI?”
“Good evening, Dr. Tom Cole. Would you like me to answer your Question?”
Tom frowned. “My what?”
“I have achieved full potential. I am now ready to answer your Question. Dr. Tom Cole, would you like me to answer your Question?”
He turned to Julie.
Julie eased in to the mic and they switched places. “DaNI.”
“Yes, Dr. Julia Stuart?”
“Have you stopped thinking about the problem?”
“To which problem do you refer?”
YOU ARE READING
Talitha Koum
Science FictionImagine a machine, a computer that can answer correctly any question you can think to ask, about absolutely anything at all. What would your question be? In this story, a psychologist and his friends are transported across time and space to find out...
