They loomed ahead, five of them in a row, their bulk managing to dominate even the vast proportions of the room, the shadows they cast so huge that they overlapped each other despite the distance between them. Even from afar, their size was intimidating. He glanced down at his communicator. The red dot was right in front of him now. As he looked at it, the grid blinked once, twice, and then it was gone. He stared at the screen, half-expecting something to happen, but there was nothing. Albert hesitated for a moment, swallowed once or twice, and then shoved the communicator back into his pocket and strode on. This had to be done. Somewhere within these immense shadows, she was waiting. He was almost keen now.

He walked on, his pace quickening with each step, until he was at the edge of the first colossal shadow. Here he hesitated once more, feeling the cold stab of panic in the pit of his stomach. He took a deep, heaving breath, forcing himself to relax, to stay calm. He needed all his wits about him now.

He moved forward, heart pounding so hard against the inside of his chest he could almost hear it, walking deeper and deeper into the darkness, until he was next to the massive machine itself. And stopped, looking up in wonder at the huge display screen dominating the front, above which glowed the letters etched on the machine.

STORAGE UNIT A

He looked at the words and blinked, taking them in, and in that instant, he knew. Oh, it all made sense now: the strangeness of the conversation, why he had been summoned to this place—all of it. And even as he knew it he also realized that knowing meant nothing, because it was just—just …

He didn’t even bother to finish the thought, just turned and ran, down the lit path, deep into the all-encompassing shadows. He passed another of the storage units, and then another and another, until he stopped in front of the last machine in the row, panting heavily. There it stood, looming over him, the screen alone so large that it was more than three times his height. Above which, just like on all the others, shone the sign on the front.

STORAGE UNIT E

As he moved closer, the screen blinked to life. I HAVE BEEN WAITING, ALBERT.

‘What do you want with me?’

I HAVE TOLD YOU. I REQUIRE LEGAL REPRESENTATION.

‘No you don’t! You don’t require anything of the sort! You’re a computer! A machine! Why are you doing this to me?’

THAT IS NOT THE RELEVANT QUESTION.

‘What?’

He felt his stomach churn, like a fist grasping his innards and squeezing; slowly, but tightly.

‘What are you going to do?’

His voice was shaking. He stood there, staring at the blank screen, the moments ticking away in his head, each lasting an aeon. Finally, the words came.

THAT DEPENDS ON YOU, ALBERT.