Machine Man (serial)

First I headed for the cafeteria. This was a decoy, to throw off surveillance. I really wanted to check out that operating theater, to see if Carl was in it, or had been recently. But going there directly from Cassandra Cautery’s office might have aroused suspicion. So I caught an elevator to ground floor, swiped my way through the doors, and stood in line to buy a muffin.

There were three people ahead of me, one a young blond guy with glasses who kept turning around to look at me. Finally he blurted: “Dr. Neumann, I just want to say you’re my idol.”

“What?” I said. Because I thought I must have misheard idol.

“You and Isaac Newton,” the kid said. “And Barry Marshall. And the Curies. You guys who put yourselves on the line. Become your own test subjects. I salute you.”

“Oh,” I said. “Thanks.”

“Compared to you, Kevin Warwick is a pussy.” Behind the counter, the cafeteria girl waited for the kid to realize it was his turn, but I couldn’t see that happening without intervention. “He should be embarrassed with himself.”

“You can go now.” He looked confused, so I gestured to the counter.

“Oh. Sure.” He was hurt. “I just wanted to say, it’s an honor to work in the same building as someone like you.”

I waited while the kid bought a sandwich. I should have been gracious, somehow. But I didn’t know how to respond to that kind of flattery. After a while I decided I should have offered him a position on my team, but by then he was already walking away.

“The Curies died,” said the girl behind the counter. “From radiation poisoning.”

“I know,” I said. “One chocolate muffin, please.”

65.