text: “India? Why are you moving to India?” “This job they offered me, I can’t turn it down.” “Why not? You are so talented! You could get a job here. You could get one anywhere!” “I’ve been looking for a job here, for 6 months! I can’t wait any longer” “But what about your family, they need you?” “My family is exactly why I’m going. My mother can’t get the treatment she needs here. The only way we can afford to fly her to the US to get her treatment is to use the money I’d make in this job. It’ll only be for 3 or 4 years.” “What if you go there and get sick? You’d have to wear a face mask at all times.” “I’ll be working in the lab most of the time anyway, where I wear a mask regardless. And I’ll be living on a company compound. It’s safe, I won’t get infected, and with this work, I might be able to actually end the infections.” “And, what about me? They don’t let anybody into India without a work permit, and I can’t get a job there. You expect us to have a relationship in VR over the internet? You know that’s not the same, it’s not real. I can’t wait for you here, rotting away.” “You don’t have to! There is a way you can come, I can bring someone, a plus one... if they’re my spouse.” “Are you fucking kidding me, Daniel? This is how you ask me to fucking marry you? After we’ve been together for three years you move to across the world and tell me if I want to see you for the next four years I have to marry you?” “Jess, no. That’s not how I meant it.” “Well, that’s how it sounds.” “Jess, I love you, and I was going to propose anyway before the job offer came along.” “Well, you didn’t.” “It’s all happening so fast, and my mom is getting worse every day. I don’t want to have to choose between her and you. She needs treatment, and the jobs in this doomed country, if I even had one, are never going to pay enough to help her, not quickly enough anyway.” “So what, you’re going to *guilt* me into marrying you by using your dying mother?” “She’s not dying, but she will die without treatment.” “So then yes, you are trying to guilt me into marrying you.” “No, Jess, I’m trying to make you understand *why* I need to take this job.” “Why can’t you take a job in the US, where here treatment actually needs to happen. Where there isn’t a deadly nanovirus that could wipe you out with one whiff?” “That’s exactly why. I can design nanobots that boost the immune system, which could kill the virus. The US doesn’t need that technology, they aren’t funding it. All they care about is AI, that’s where all the money is. *India* does need it, they need me, and they’re willing to pay for me and my wife to come to live there. “Well, Daniel, you don’t have a wife.” “Are you saying no? Jess, I love you, I want to marry you. You are amazing... you are the only thing that brings me joy in this world.” “Then don’t go.” “Jess, why won’t you come with me? Why won’t you marry me?” “Because you haven’t even really bloody asked me to! All you said was that if I wanted to see you then-” “Well, I’m asking you now. Will you marry me?” “Daniel...” “Jessica, I’m serious. Will you marry me?” “Yes Daniel, I will.” \ “Daniel?” “Yes, is this Aarav? You never usually call me outside of work hours, what’s up?” “Jessica, and Saanvi. They were driving to the museum, in the next compound over.” “Yes, they’d planned that last week, why are you calling?” “There was an accident. Their car was hit... it cracked the windshield, they weren’t wearing their masks.” “They always wear their masks when going between compounds, they know it’s not safe to-” “Daniel, Jessica wasn’t wearing her mask. She... breathed the air, breathed it for over 15 minutes before help arrived... They’re in quarantine now.” “Aarav, what are you saying, they’re infected? Why wouldn’t they be wearing their masks outside of the compounds?” “Daniel, I don’t know. Saanvi called me, her mask was on. She didn’t have a spare one. Jess forgot hers, they thought they would be fine. It’s such a short drive between compounds, the bubbles are so close together. “Aarav, is Jessica infected?” “Daniel, I don’t know. I’m with Priya, she was babysitting, Kiara and Diya. I haven’t told Kiara yet. I thought it would be better to hear it from her dad” \ “Jessica, Jess, it’s Daniel.” “Oh, Daniel, I’m so sorry. It was such a short drive. And the roads are so safe. I never imagined we’d have a crash.” “No Jess, it’s ok. I’m sorry. I should never have made you move here. If I’d just waited for another job, I-” “Daniel, no. You didn’t make me move here. We had to move here, for your Mother’s treatment. And I’ve been happier here than I ever was back in Ireland. And we had Kiara. Moving was the right decision, it’s been a wonderful four years.” “But Jess, I haven’t finished the cure yet. The nanobot immune boosters haven’t been able to destroy the nanovirus particles in patients. You’re going to, you’re going to d-” “Daniel, stop. You told me, you’re close. And the doctor said the medication they have will keep me alive for at least 2 years. You have plenty of time to finish your work. Now, put Kiara on, tell her mommy wants to talk to her.” ... “Hi Mommy, when are you coming home?” “Hi Kiki, my dear. Mommy loves you, but she can’t come home until the doctor says so. So you be brave and take care of daddy until I get back. Ok?” “Ok Mommy, I love you too Mommy. \ “Hi, Daniel, how are you?” “Hi Mom, I’m doing fine. Been working a lot. Think, I’m close to a breakthrough.” “That’s great! And, how is Jess?” “She’s... not taking well to the meds the doctors are giving her. She’s, not doing well.” “Oh no Daniel... but I have faith it’ll all work out.” “Yeah...” “Daniel, I’m calling because of my operation.” “Oh right! How did it go?” “Well, it wasn’t much of an operation at all. The whole thing took about twenty minutes. They pushed me into this huge surgery machine, and well, I guess it cut me open, removed all the tumors, killed all the cancer cells, and put me back together.” “So, you’re... you’re ok?” “Yes! The doctor said the operation was a complete success. I’ll be back to my old self in a few months. He even said it would be safe to fly back home to Ireland.” “Oh my God mom, that’s such wonderful news!” “Yes, and we couldn’t have done it without you. Without your amazing job, I’d be dead as a doornail.” “I wish I’d never moved here. I should have waited for a job somewhere else. It took you 4 years to get treated if I’d known...” “Now Daniel, don’t go saying things like that. At the time the doctors thought I’d only last a year at most. How were you supposed to know? You know how doctors are, they always give people the worst-case scenario. I’m sure that’s what they’re doing with Jess, I bet she’ll hang in there more than long enough for you to finish your work and cure her. “Maybe you’re right Mom... thanks.” “Of course dear, love you.” “Love you too, Mom, bye!” “Bye Daniel, talk to you soon, and tell Kiara that Granny says hi!” “I will.” \ “Dad, it’s Daniel. I know it’s late, call me back when you can. I saw your messages on my home system. I’ve been working late hours at the lab. Call me back on the lab system if you can. The number is, 125-423-405-982-234” \ “Hi, Jess.” “Hi Danny, I love you.” “I love you too Jess, so much. And I’m so close with my work, just hang in there. It’ll only be a few more weeks, I can feel it.” “I know you can do it, Danny. And it’s Kiara’s 5th birthday next month, there’s no way I’m going to miss that.” “Ok. Just hang in there for me, please. I love you. Just.. don’t... don’t give up on me. I’ll get this done, I’ll save you.” “I know you will Danny, I love you.” \ “Hi Grandma, hi Grandpa!” “Hi Kiki!” “Hi Kiara! Look how big you’ve grown! How old are you now?” “5! Dad got me a drone for my birthday!” “A drone! Wow!” “I’m going to give you to daddy now.” “Ok, we love you!” “Kiara, thank them for the present they gave you.” “Thank you! Can I go play now?” “Yes, you can.” ... “Hi, Mom. Hi Dad. Sorry about Kiara not being very chatty. She just got off the phone with her mom, they talked for a long time, I barely got to talk to her at all really, I think Kiara’s a little tired of chatting now though.” “That’s ok son, how is Jess.” “She’s... she’s hanging in there, Dad...” “And the... your work?” “I feel like I’m so close. Could be a breakthrough any moment now.” “That’s, that’s great to hear” “Oh, wait a minute, that’s Jess’s doctor on the other line. Can I put you on hold for a minute? “Yes, of course.” ... “Hello, this is Daniel” “Hi Daniel, this is Dr. Anand. It’s about Jess. Do you have a moment?” “Yes, of course. We were just talking with her, what’s going on?” “I’m so sorry, she... she just passed.” “What, how? We were just talking to her?” “Her heart, it... it gave out. The muscles had deteriorated too far. She... passed not soon after she got off the call with you.” “Why can’t you give her a machine to pump the blood for her?” “Daniel, I’m sorry. The hospitals are so full. We didn’t get to her in time, she went brain dead.” “You are the best goddamn hospital in the country, she’s supposed to have 24-hour care. Where was the nurse?” “Jess, she... she told the nurse to leave the room while she was on the call. Told her to come back in an hour. By the time she came back...” “I have to go.” “Yes, Daniel. I understand.” ... “Mom... Dad... are you still there?” “Yes. What’s wrong? Daniel, it sounds like you’re crying?” “It’s... Jess... she, she just died.” “Daniel?” \ “Hi Aarav, listen, it’s not a good time.” “I get it, Daniel, you’re probably really tired from entertaining Kiara on her birthday all day.” “No, Aarav, it’s-” “We did it, Daniel! We did it!” “Did what?” “It worked! Last month’s patients. The last trial we ran. They have gone into complete remission. There’s no sign of the nanovirus in them at all. We cured them. Daniel, you saved Jess! Daniel? ...