Pg. 35
Flash Fiction by Diana Cardoso
Looking for a Place
Ampktok- year 721 of the android-human era.
It was a normal day, the three moons shone in the sky, the drones sang their trills. I arrived at my office at the usual time. I was barely sitting down when I realized that my patient was already waiting for me. He was very small, I could barely see him, but he had a strong voice and seemed very sure of himself.
“Come in please. Name, age, reason for consultation.”
“My name is RN7, I was just born. I came here because I’m afraid . . . afraid of being like everyone else.”
“And . . . do you think you’re like everyone else?”
“In appearance I am identical! But in content, maybe not.”
“We are making progress. Tell me about your content.”
“They have wanted to program me and they have told me to come here because my system does not support that nonsense software. Nobody cares, I just came, and I’m not going back.”
“What are you thinking to do?”
“Investigate why I came and where I belong. We all come here for a reason. Maybe my appearance is deceiving, but I exist for something bigger and I’m going to find out.”
“I leave you a task. You will walk through several stations and you will tell me about the next appointment if one has caught your attention. I remain pending.”
Diana Cardoso
Diana Cardoso is a neuropsychologist living in Cuenca, Ecuador. She is best known for her sculptures and papier-mâché creations, which have received national attention.