Interrogation

Morning came and Kevin opened his eyes. The sun was glowing brightly through the window, casting a warm golden light into the room.

He sat up and yawned, and got ready quickly, putting on a simple brown shirt and tan pants. He headed downstairs and found the dorm maid sleeping in a chair. Her head leaned back and her mouth was open as she snored quietly.

He didn't disturb her and left for the cafeteria.

Reaching the cafeteria he sat down at an empty table where he was served a plate of pancakes lined with butter and maple syrup with a cup of Brazilian coffee which had notes of chocolate, nuts, herbs, and cinnamon.

He took his food and ate quickly, feeling hungry from a long sleep.

After breakfast, he headed to the library, where he spent several hours studying Yankish before lunch, which today consisted of a bowl of vegetables, rice, and a small amount of fish.

Once he finished lunch, Dyson found him. He was wearing an unbuttoned gray suit and vest that had a pin with a drawing of a green and orange U, the emblem of the university, on it.

"How are you today?"

Kevin answered "I'm doing well"

Dyson motioned for him to follow as he walked towards a different section of the library, which contained a table and chairs. He motioned for Kevin to sit as he sat down to the right.

Already seated was a short, distinguished middle-aged man with dark skin who seemed to be in his mid-thirties and dressed in a simple grey suit with an olive tie. His eyes were dark brown, and he looked quite handsome.

Dyson introduced him saying "This is Mr. Zuriyah Enkosi, he is a historian and scholar who is interested in your experiences."

Mr. Enkosi made a slight nod and extended his hand in greeting.

Kevin shook Mr. Enkosi's hand and said in Yankish, "Good to meet you Mr. Enkosi."

Mr. Enkosi gave him a smile and said in Silicon English, "How are you finding your stay at this university."

Excitedly switching to Silicon English, Kevin said, "It's been good. I have been learning Yankish very well and the people here have been very kind to me!"

"I am glad to hear that."

Dyson, as always, wrote down the contents of the conversation in his notes.

Mr. Enkosi began his interrogation. "So what were some of the major events and occurrences that happened in your time?"

Kevin said "Ummmm, a lot happened when I was alive, it is difficult to pick out anything in particular"

Mr. Enkosi looked skeptical as he spoke, "Fine then tell me, what was your job, your role in society, your interests, and anything else of value about yourself."

"I was in medical school, and was studying to become a doctor. However, my studies were interrupted when I volunteered to be a test subject of Alcor Life Extensions experiment."

"What do you know about this experiment?"

"It was to determine whether current models of cryogenic freezing were viable. They offered me a lot of money for my participation and I was hoping it could put me through medical school since tuition was very expensive."

"I see. How did the experiment go?"

Kevin chuckled, "I assume it was a massive success. I was woken up a few weeks ago, so I can't really tell you anything else."

Mr. Enkosi responded in a monotone manner, "Interesting. What were your interests?"

Kevin shrugged, "I was a pretty good student and athlete, I enjoyed reading and writing, I also liked to play basketball and soccer as a youth..."

Mr. Enkosi continued this line of questioning for several minutes, trying to probe deeper into Kevin's past and experiences.

After an hour, Mr. Enkosi was apparently satisfied. He stood up and said "Thank you for your time, I hope to have a chance to speak with you again soon." He then turned to Dyson and said in Yankish "I have to hand it to you, if he isn't a man from the Silicon Age then you've concocted a fake of devilish caliber"

"Thank you for your opinion, I'm sure Kevin can give more information if you'd like."

Mr. Enkosi said "No need. I plan on staying in Myami for the next few weeks. If I need anything else I'll come again."

Kevin and Dyson watched Mr. Enkosi leave the room. Once he was gone, Dyson turned to Kevin and spoke, "Did you enjoy your time with Mr. Enkosi?"

"It was interesting, but also kind of repetitive"

"I'm glad to hear that. I trust Mr. Enkosi was satisfied"

"I hope so. He was very thorough in his questioning"

As Dyson prepared to leave, Kevin asked, "Can I leave the university for a few hours today?"

Dyson looked at him thoughtfully and responded, "I'd need to check with the dean first, but if all goes well, I should be able to get you permission."

Kevin said "Thank you, I look forward to hearing back."

As Dyson left, Kevin sat back and continued his Yankish studies with increased vigour.

When the clock struck five, Kevin was approached by Clay. He was wearing a dark green shirt, brown vest and black trousers. He said in Silicon English "Hello Kevin, how is your studying going?"

Kevin put his books down and smiled, "It's going well, I've been making a lot of progress on Yankish"

"Great! Hopefully, you'll be speaking like a native in no time!"

"That's my hope"

After an awkward silence, Clay coughed and said, "You've been given permission to leave campus. I have been told to go with you when you leave the campus, so that you don't get lost."

Kevin's face beamed with joy. He quickly stood up

"Lets go!"

He walked quickly down the stairs and out into the courtyard. The two walked for several minutes to the gate that led to the outside world.

Kevin felt his nerves tingling. After all this time being cooped up in university, he was finally going to be free to explore the world around him.

As they reached the gate, Kevin stopped to take in the surrounding scenery.

The area was bathed in golden sunlight and surrounded by greenery, palm trees, and flowers. The sound of birds chirping could be heard, as well as the buzzing of insects and the rustling of leaves.

The gate was made of steel, and had a large arch that led out of the university grounds and into the city beyond.

Next to the gate was a soldier with a buttoned blue uniform, and a sword which hung at his waist. The soldier had a stern expression on his face as he stood guard.

"You're not going to give me any trouble, are you?" Clay asked.

Kevin shook his head, "No."

The soldier saw the pair approach and opened the gate for Kevin and Clay to walk through. As they did, a spot breasted oriole watched all of this from its nest on a nearby tree holding one of its young on its beak.

Before leaving university grounds, Clay looked back at the soldier and gave him a nod of appreciation. The soldier returned the gesture and began closing the gate behind them.

As the gate closed shut, the bird let go.