t touc ernational Airport just after noon. Caldared out one of to a .  in one place before. taking off simultaneously. t landed and stopped abruptly, planes t took off from a stationary position. t s up vertically into t took off like a er, t ors  off like a jet fig of to  flier.

    “teereo over tercom. Cald and considered te possibility t tually flo it ed by humans.

    Cald put  but sometically.  of ting room a bit groggy and badly in need of some s-eye, t ot ill t for tant barrage of images flasaken a nap and found agonist in a string of vivid nigo an empty lounge and o t mucter after  ted ely recognize.

    ill in tion room, for t’s

    o reboots or system failures.  aspect of to extricate  predicament.  to . s,  felt t  act   onese. otered across t refurbiso a recognizable pattern of sorts.

    to open t doors.

    “Nei dei sik gong conese, surprising even myself. Did tonese?

    “Gan ic question. t  some Cantonese. Calded depto  sed tiny c plotted s on a digital map accessible some. ther was a hong Kong ID chip.

    saken ty of running t against tification database. Sold  of minor offences as long as  ties rying to track  success. Cald long and t ter analogy. Sraptions. Fouler ructed o e clean on   on t t. Cald like raying i-system ideals but Seven Levin  if  back alive,  of , Cald rate his chances.

    ed tion counters by Agent Jones and Agent Jackman. Ms. Levin and tayed on board   t.

    “o ion officer observed, as er automatically picked up Caldails. Caldaken aback and started feeling around in s. ere t c Ms. Levin ?

    “No need for a passport cly reading ion.

    At t   once. Even t . Cald s respond differently to ially to be saying: “You are no longer a punk. You are no least for time being.”

    tcase e gray Brix ec Jones ordered Caldo stand still. tle touc of tcase. A small camera popped out from top, s and proceeded to rapidly scan Cald ed more tcase beeped and a green lig Jones gestured for to keep  into turned round to see tcase’s oion sensors perpetually trained on he cross hairs of a sniper.

    t t majority ely apparent t Ne least in terms of massive adoption. Nearly all teenagers packed jukebox implants, ed displays and  c struck tronaut silver or a translucent material t cton. Aerodynamic computer-controlled trainers t morpime depending on t of friction on tion  in many  made up for it ypical Union reet jeore.

    tire Union  lie. A lie designed to prevent an exodus of people to Neeced fas sourists alent pools from t.

    In te ads ous. At ernational Airport, t. tock prices and ota. ors embedded in tors projected life-size movie stars flogging test Sim Flicks among tire ceiling of tisement for some ne ime vietractions. Some foreign tourists uring ement at t t, Cald.

    t coming out into t, an odd feeling of displacement, ing arriving passengers, t you mentally figuring out  you ribute to t. ttern in t Caldurbing. In ake t arrivals iply it by ten and you’d still  it was like.

    Caldiced t a significant number of rousers, skirts and tops. t daring of tanding to look, a glimpse of t G-strings and t like t tton on trousers er does titude and pure drive and t s showroom.

    Amid tement, Caldo focus on ts on different sides of tting urned a o ourage o spot. t caugigorcycle rider’s body suit. Sood out because  a scrolling past on the dark visor.

    turned and looked in Caldion. One of tted  fact, traig  be t, Cald. tarted moving foruring to e, ered on tood t menacing look. Like I am going to go over and give you t because you are ugly, Cald.  to tap Agent Jackman on to point out topped suddenly. tfit anding in front of them.

    “Agent Jackman, Agent Jones, I am Agent rip,” said a  Englision of an Asian accent.

    “Code ps asked simultaneously, escalk as .

    “PERFECt VISION 2020”

    “OK.   Jackman. to be in a o rid himself of Caldwell.

    “t Jackman, I’ll take it from rip back.” t  to place. It ely Oriental. Caldrained on the Japanese.

    “I tter distract t sound gun t,” Caldion of two Yakuza.

    “Leave it to us. Later,” Agent Jones said as treated toheir move.

    “tell Fouler I’ll be seeing o no one in particular. tcase s move decidedly to distance a to freak  altarted to move as.

    “Come ill dos  identified  ification  VISION 2020.  t mean any oo tigo make small talk. Somet seem rig turning around to cs of t a croourists ly colored flags and obstructing ailing tly. A group of c on electric-poe t the crowds.

    Cald a bank of elevators. A sign indicated t tors led to t seem like talkative type eitor doors opened and t seemed to  flotering aonese and Cald and o be back in er a long trip visiting relatives in ted States.

    tton. to close s but trolley at tton to let tense up sligered in. tton again. So get out of t. Cald blame  made sense.

    As t look to see ed t Jones  t Jackman’s back and o be talking animatedly  looked like a motorcycle . Siculating urned round and looked toor. tor doors closed. Caldurned to  to look at ticking against  need a degree in rocket science to kno it was a gun.