Chapter Six
January 11, 2229, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Apartment of Detective Erik Blackwell
Erik clipped a thin branch off a tiny tree in the center of the miniature cliffside penjing forest on his dining room table. He might have involved himself in the hobby on a whim, but he couldn’t deny how relaxing it could be.
It was nice to create something rather than blow it up.
“Excuse me, Detective Blackwell,” Emma asked, still formless, her voice coming from Erik’s PNIU. “There is information of a potentially non-criminal nature you might find useful. It is not time-sensitive, but I see no reason not to discuss it.”
He stood and moved away from his curated micro-tree, eyeing it from a couple of angles while chewing his cheek.
Did it look better with the second topmost limb in
