“Doctor?”
“Yes?”
The Tyranny’s agent leaned forward slightly, propping his elbows on the end of Bradburn’s desk, giving the doctor a better view of his expensive watch and of the blaster that was holstered to his hip.
The two men were almost complete opposites. Whereas Bradburn’s hair was grey and thinning, the man from the Tyranny had black hair that was slicked to the side. Bradburn looked as though the only exercise he got came from walking from one appointment to another. The agent looked as though a significant portion of each day was spent in a gym. And while Bradburn’s natural disposition was to smile and shrug his shoulders, the agent’s unflinching eye and solid jaw made him look as if he never found humor in anything.
“Something very serious and disturbing has come to the Tyranny’s attention,” the man said.
Outside, an AeroCam hovered by Bradburn’s window before moving to a different part of the facility grounds. Bradburn hoped it was just one of the usual cameras that were always recording what went on in and around the hospital. If the Tyranny had sent more of the flying robots to accompany the man in the dark suit, something very serious must have happened indeed.
The agent looked at Bradburn’s eyes, squinting slightly as he tried to get a sense of the man whose office he was in.
All around the office were diplomas and awards from various academic and professional organizations. Mixed in with these were photographs of Dr. Bradburn with his wife and two children. One, a photo of them all bundled in thick clothes, smiling at a ski resort. Another, a picture of them in swimsuits, perfectly clear blue water behind them.
“Does that concern you, doctor? That something extremely serious has happened? Maybe even a threat to our national safety.”
Bradburn nodded his head but he didn’t dare speak. After all, anything he said could be used against him, even if he wasn’t guilty of anything.
The agent continued, “As you know, there are Thinkers hiding in every corner. Men and women who second guess our laws and our leaders and who would love nothing better than to see a world without the Tyranny.” And then, giving a snide chuckle, “If you can imagine something that preposterous.”
When Bradburn took a deep breath, forcing his lips to remain shut so he couldn’t ask any of the questions that were racing through his head, the agent said, “I know. It’s very disturbing. We must do everything we can to catch these Thinkers as soon as possible.”
Bradburn let out the air in his lungs. The Tyranny wasn’t there for him. None of his staff nor any of the patients’ families had given the Tyranny an anonymous tip against him just so he’d be taken away. It happened all the time, but he was sure that as long as he kept his chin down and went about his business, things would work out for the best.
Relieved, he was finally able to say, “Of course, of course.”
“I’m glad to see you’re on our side,” the agent said, leaning back in his chair. “Then you’ll be as disturbed as I was at the report I was sent today.”
Another AeroCam flew past Bradburn’s window.
“What news? What’s happening?”
The agent stared directly at Dr. Bradburn, not blinking. “One of your new patients is a Thinker. A threat to our very way of life.”
3