Part 47 (1/2)

hoped for. She had imagined doing something with singing in it, or

music, or maybe acting, at least. When she had first come to the

center there had still been seven veterans living there and a staff of

twelve, but one by one the old guys had undergone random system

malfunctions, probabilistic events that became statistically unavoidable

the deeper you got into your second century, and now only Uncle James

was left, the last survivor of the army of the War of San Francisco.

The staff was down to four: Dr. McClintock, the director; three nurses.

But everybody understood that when Uncle James finally went they'd all

lose their jobs.

That morning, when Carlotta showed up, there was a note from Sanchez,

the night nurse, waiting for her in the staff room. G.o.d HELP YOU IF

ANYTHING HAPPENS TO YOUR UNCLE IN THE CITY TODAY.

”Hot weather today,” Uncle James said, as they emerged from the

building. ”Very nice for December, yes.”

”Hot. Not just nice. Hot. It must be a hundred degrees.”

”A hundred's impossible, Uncle. It doesn't get that hot even in Death