ref: b9fbb17c04e4ccfb2021dac818e514351ca8f646
dir: /troff/0612.ms/
.LP \& .ce .sp |4.25i .PP .ps 12 .CW ░ Tom hummed along with the low whine in the cabin and drummed his gloved fingers absentmindedly on his console. At some point he became aware of a counterrhythm interpolating his performance. It seemed he had a visitor. .PP .ps 12 .I Yooouuu refuse to talk, but you think like mad .R .PP .ps 12 A K.A.R.L. unit slowly whirred to life, seemingly annoyed at the effrontery of his own existence. The animatronic musician could never just be satisfied with the status of his own career. He killed the canned soundtrack and studied his new master with arch incredulity. .PP .ps 12 "What are you doing to yourself?" he finally asked, quoting his own lyrics to the ridiculous figure splayed before him on the captain's chair. .PP .ps 12 Tom hadn't known a K.A.R.L. had been installed in his shuttle. It figured, though. Simulated companionship, a perfunctory dose of what ailed him. Well, this could indeed be just what the doctor ordered. A little bump, if you will. .PP .ps 12 "The coke's all turned black," K.A.R.L. complained. "No criticism of you, mind, but obviously I can't work under these conditions. What am I supposed to do? Mark up my face?" .PP .ps 12 So, no. .PP .ps 12 "I don't really care .I what .R you do, but you're going to do it off this ship," Tom said, softly, not really feeling the weight of his words. He reached for the assisted egress but mistakenly pulled the wrong lever. The cabin's ambient tranquility was once again flattened by K.A.R.L.'s brickwalled (courtesy of Tony Visconti) soundtrack as the erstwhile synthetic performer involuntarily sprung back into action. .PP .ps 12 .I And even your eyes are new .R .PP .ps 12 Tom's visor steamed over. Fingers in his ears, he couldn't pull any more levers. .PP .ps 12 K.A.R.L.'s assembly clicked, popped, and whirred as he worked through the remainder of his pre\-recorded program. Tom regarded the choreography as dated, corny. With his routine finally completed, K.A.R.L. relaxed his stance and resumed his original complaint as if there had been no interruption. .PP .ps 12 "Just can't score any satisfaction," he said. .PP .ps 12 Tom was sympathetic, if ultimately unable to help. \fIAll\fR of the coke had turned black. This, at least, was true. .PP .ps 12 "Everybody's had a rough year." .PP .ps 12 Both entities reclined and contemplated the silence of space.