Book 5: Chapter 19: Working the Problem
Bill
April 2337
In Virt
I’d received a referral from Professor Gilligan to a physicist who had just recently transitioned to post-life. Professor Hannah Turnbull had been with Newholme University for several decades, teaching theoretical physics. Now, having recently been forcibly retired by a fatal heart attack, she was somewhat at loose ends.
I sent an email to the address that Steven had included, being sure to attach his message so that the recipient wouldn’t discard mine as spam. Even so, there was no telling what kind of schedule she’d be on or how many other projects she might have going. I set a follow-up for a week away and pulled up my project. Might as well beat my head against a brick wall for a while.
I was barely two minutes into it and hadn’t even really gotten into the groove when I received a response and a connection request. I accepted, and Professor Turnbull popped into my VR. She looked to be in her early thirties, which was the most common age people picked when setting up their replicant avatar. Old enough to be taken seriously, but not old enough to look old. At least that was the common wisdom. Very few people selected an apparent age outside that range.
“Good after,” she said with a slight bow. “I hight Professor Hannah Turnbull, errant late of Newholme University.”
I realized that she was speaking Newholme local, and I didn’t have a translator routine set up. I took a half mil to correct the oversight and advertised the reciprocal routine for her in case she needed it.
“Hello, Professor. I’m Bill Johannson. I’m not sure how much Steven told you … ”