Kids Can Fly: A Real Mother

likely path. It will have already decided on a conclusion."

"You mean, we can know if they go to a restaurant, or the beach, or the shops, or..."

"Exactly. I think you should have my job, you're good at this!"

Travis looked very pleased with himself.

"So where is my Barbara going with that young man?" asked Christine.

"I'll just find out for you," said Trent, tapping the question in. The screen flicked the answer back. A screen-load of words. Computer jargon. Christine and Travis looked at the words, not understanding a tenth of it.

"You scientists talk a foreign language!" laughed Travis at last, "I can't make head or tail of all that!"

"I'll translate as best I can," said Trent, "First, the computer considered the restaurant idea, but it balanced this against her recent drink and her blood-glucose composition.

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to record all we needed of Barbara, so, given that the computer had a deficiency in that area, the second choice was her social habits. It seems that Barbara was unconstrained when it came to young men. She was single and becoming desperate wasn't she - nearly thirty and still not 'hooked?'"

"You mean they're already talking about getting married?" demanded Christine.

"That's about it," said Trent.

"But she's only just met the man!" snorted Christine, "She can't go traipsing off with the first thing in trousers that comes along! It's not right!"

"Paul Montefort is a very desirable young man, Mrs Ford. He died last year, after a heart operation. His father gave us two billion dollars to put his image in the City, and an on-going amount of one million for every year we keep it there. He insisted on giving his son everything he wanted, with a lot of extras."

"Like what?" asked Travis.

"Well, I know you'll say it wasn't very ethical, but we put a lot more appeal and charm into Paul than he had in real life. The computers have taken all that into account. They had to. Its all part of the programming."