Chapter Three – 23 years and 9 months before the collapse-1
179 Words
Chapter Three – 23 years and 9 months before the collapse
Jim dedicated himself to preparing the lectures he would have to deliver when the university resumed after the New Year.
For Christmas, Dan and Scarlett Knight had invited him and Annabel to have dinner with them. They had also invited Sam Patel.
Patel was drinking whiskey like it was going out of fashion, and Jim asked him if everything was okay.
“Writer’s block,” Patel lamented. “I used to write a good lecture. You know that feeling that you used to be able to do something?”
“Don’t worry, Sam,” Jim said. “It’ll come back. It always does. You’ll be back in the swing of things in no time.”
Patel seemed to brighten a little at this.
“How are you getting on with your lectures?” he asked Jim.
“They’re getting there.”
“Well done. I wish you the best of luck. Not that you’ll need it.”
“Thanks, Sam.”
“How did you like today’s meal?”
“It was nice.”
“Synthetic meat.”
“What?”
“Synthetic meat, grown in a factory, fed some kind of grain and electricity.”
“I’ve heard about that. I couldn’t tell the difference.”
“Well, it is real meat after all.”
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- Writer
