The experimenter sits me down on a desk chair with a forced smile. It spins and creaks slightly under my weight. She begins to explain the procedure and I’m distracted by her accent, unable to place it, East European, perhaps? What I’m here for is simple enough; a consumer insight programme designed by a group of probably conglomerate-funded Masters students […]
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I trace a line through the condensation on my cocktail glass, watching the droplets trickle and scurry and feeling their coolness beneath the pad of my finger. The surface of the glass squeaks slightly, satisfyingly, from the pressure of my touch. God it’s good. Lying here, no pressure, no responsibilities. Just the regular crash, swoosh, crash of the Pacific waves […]
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I’m sat in my car, in Royal Wootton Bassett, watching people walk by – doing the people-watching thing. The town gained its Royal prefix as the notorious site of an organic ceremony; the repatriation of dead Iraq veterans on their way from Lyneham airfield. Pub owners and their patrons would gather outside to raise a pint to the hearses; bikers […]
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The mother, father and two daughters moved along the pavement as corners of a perfect square. A wholly unremarkable shape, exactly as to be expected, ninety degrees wherever you looked. The father held his youngest daughter’s hand. About 9, she had the gangly look of a plant that’s too quickly bolted, now looking down uncertainly at the ground below, the […]
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He was there again, that old man. Sat on a bench wearied and blackened by rain. He was as much a fixture as the bench itself, always present. Hands nestled atop his walking stick, bright eyes peering out from beneath his yellow bobble hat. His fingers twitched every now and then as though remembering things they used to make and […]
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“Thank you for coming to speak to us today.” “Of course; we came right away, you said it was urgent.” “Quite right. I’ll get straight to it. Jemima has been coming here for close to a year now, and we have captured some very concerning data.” “What do you mean?” “Well, our AI emotion detection software has noted some serious […]
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Warning: this system is now being updated for optimal performance. DO NOT attempt to use this system. Memory usage has exceeded safe limits and storage systems will be taken offline for updates. Normal function will be restored in safe units, beginning at 20% and continuing until all units are restored to full operational capacity. Systems offline during this period will […]
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Confused, she stood before me in the road with one glove on. “Please,” she asked, “have you seen a glove? A green leather one. I’ve dropped it somewhere on that road.” She gestured with her naked hand up the long rainy hill behind us. I gave the most British of apologies and continued past her, quickening my step. “Let me […]
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Glancing at the clock on the dashboard, Bob gave himself a satisfied grin. He was actually going to be on time for his daughter’s birthday party. She wouldn’t believe it. He glanced in the rear view mirror at the bunch of roses on the back seat, 14 of them, one for each year, and the gift he’d specially asked to […]
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They sit in the supermarket café, the old ones. In the window seat with its vista over tangled dripping trolley wire and a queue of mechanically escaping traffic. The rain does not reach the window, protected by a refuge of 70s orange brick; a dry haven. They sit in matching raincoats faded grey, each slowly consuming the now-cold budget fare, […]
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