The door on what would, in any other car, be the driver’s side, popped out an inch, then slid back on its track.

“I still like to sit up front,” Lisa said, “even though I could get in the back if I wanted.” She settled into the front seat, half in and half out of the car, her left foot still touching the pavement. She waved her hand gracefully in front of the broad, horizontal black touch screen that was the dash.

“Everything you want to know is right here,” she said as the various gauges and navigational arrays lit up. “You do have the option of touching the screens, but Rudolph responds to voice commands. Just as well, too, because who wants a bunch of ugly fingerprints all over this, am I right?”

The reporters were clustered close to the open door.

“Rudolph,” Lisa said, “can you tell me how long it would take to go from, say, Lewiston, Maine, to Cleveland, Ohio?”

The screen lit up randomly. Red lights, green lights, white lights, dancing from one end of the dash to the other. The reporters made “oohs” and “aahs” but Lisa did not look particularly impressed.

“It should be going straight to navigation,” she said. “But maybe—”

Before she could offer a reason for the light show, the car had something to say. As with the other Arrivals, even with a male name, the voice was female.

“Lisa, please restate. Did you say Cleveland?”

Lisa Carver scowled at the dashboard, as if it were an insolent child. “Yes, Rudolph. Cleveland.”

Rudolph was momentarily quiet. Lisa grinned awkwardly at the reporters. “Calculating,” she said.

Finally, Rudolph spoke.

“I can suggest some nicer destinations.”

The reporters erupted with laughter.

Lisa, however, did not find the response amusing. “I’m not asking for travel advice,” she said to the car. “Just a mileage calculation, thank you.”

Lisa smiled nervously, then looked pleadingly at Ruskin. “Um, Albert, do you think we might have another display vehicle we could—”

“Regardless of distance,” Rudolph said, “it’s not worth the drive.”

Sandra took several steps closer. This was not normal behavior for an Arrival. The cars were programmed to offer different routes, but not alternate destinations.

“Let’s try another car,” Lisa said to Ruskin. “Do we have another demo vehicle ready?”

“Don’t go,” Rudolph said. “Stay awhile.”

And then the door suddenly began to close. It whipped along the track so quickly that reporters standing the closest jumped back.

There was a collective gasp from the crowd. And then screams. They noticed that the door had not been able to close the entire way.

Lisa’s bare leg was in the way.

Her limb was pinned, the door holding it just below the knee, creating a sizable gash in the process. Lisa screamed as rivulets of blood ran down her leg to her high-heeled shoe.

“Jesus!” Ruskin cried.

“Open the door!” Lisa screamed. “Rudolph! Open the door!”