Welcome to the Medical Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station | Hours Since Last Patient Death: 0
| Story by | Caroline M. Yoachim | |
| Interactivity by | sub-Q Magazine |
©
2016 Caroline M. Yoachim | Originally published Lightspeed Magazine,
March 2016.
Reprinted with permission. | Cover Art © 2018 sub-Q
If this is an emergency, we’re sorry—you’re probably screwed.
You are in need of medical care, but can you survive a visit to the Clinic at the Interplanetary Relay Station?
PLAY
Hugo and three-time Nebula Award finalist Caroline M. Yoachim is a prolific author of short stories, appearing in Asimov’s, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Clarkesworld, and Lightspeed, among other places. Her debut short story collection, Seven Wonders of a Once and Future World & Other Stories, came out in 2016.
Q: I keep dying, what am I doing wrong?
A: Nothing! As in real life, death is inevitable–only the time and manner of death changes.
Q: No, really, I would prefer not to die.
A: I would also prefer not to die, but that isn’t even a question. Everybody dies.
Q: Why is there no U?
A: The philosopher René Descartes made the very convincing argument “I think, therefore I am.” As a result of this argument, I am confident that I exist. Sadly, this argument is far less convincing when applied to other minds, so I could not put U into the story, because U might not exist.
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