Read Dr. Futurity (1960) for Free Online Page B

That means nothing to you, but you were at the most highly guarded spot we possess. We've been all this time getting through the check-stations." They had been in the car now for almost half an hour. "Every day I have to go through this," Stenog said. "And I'm the Director of the Fountain. But they check me, too."
    A final uniformed guard halted the car, took the flat black card that Stenog showed him, and then the car started up onto a through ramp. The city fell below them.
    "The Soul Cube is at the Fountain," Stenog said, by way of explanation. "But that makes no sense to you either, does it?"
    "No," Parsons said. His mind was still on the girl, and on her death.
    "Concentric rings," Stenog continued. "Zones of importance. Now, of course, we're out in the tribal areas again." The brightly colored dots that Parsons had first seen now passed by them at high velocity; Stenog did not appear to be a fast driver. In the daylight, Parsons noticed that each passing car had one of the tribal totem animals painted on its door, and, on the hoods, metal and plastic ornaments that might have been totem--the cars moved by too fast for him to be certain.
    "You'll stay with me," Stenog said, "until time for your emigration to Mars. That should be in a day or so; it takes a little time to arrange transportation, what with all the red tape and government forms."
    The house, small, part of a group of many houses built along the same lines, reminded Parsons of his own house. On the front steps he halted for a moment.
    "Go ahead in," Stenog said. "The car parks itself." His hand on Parsons' shoulder, he steered him up the steps and onto the porch. The front door, open, let out the sound of music. "You lived before the age of radio, didn't you?" Stenog said as they entered.
    "No," Parsons said. "We had it."
    "I see," Stenog said. He seemed tired, now, at the end of the day. "Dinner should be ready," he murmured; sitting down on a long low couch he removed his sandals.
    As Parsons moved about the living room he realized that Stenog was gazing at him oddly.
    "Your shoes," Stenog said. "Didn't you people take off your shoes when you entered a house?"
    After Parsons had removed his shoes Stenog clapped his hands. A moment later a woman appeared from the back of the house, wearing a flowing, brightly colored robe, her feet bare. She paid no attention to Parsons. From a low cabinet set against the wall she brought forth a tray on which stood a ceramic pot and a tiny glazed cup; Parsons smelled tea as the woman set the tray down on a table near the couch on which Stenog sat. Without a word, Stenog poured himself tea and began to drink.
    None for me, Parsons thought. Because he was a criminal? Or were all guests treated this way? The differing customs. Stenog had not introduced the woman to him. Was she his wife? His maid?
    Gingerly, Parsons seated himself on the far end of the couch. Neither Stenog nor the woman gave any sign that he had done rightly or wrongly; the woman kept her black eyes fixed on Stenog while he drank. She, too, like all the others Parsons had seen in this world, had the long shiny hair, the dark coloring; but in her he thought he saw one difference. This woman seemed less dainty, more heavily built.
    "This is my puella ," Stenog said, having finished his cup of tea. "Let's see." He relaxed, yawned, obviously glad to be out of his office and in his own home. "Well, there's probably no way I can express it to you. We have a legal relationship, recorded by the government. It's voluntary. I can break it; she can't." He added, "Her name is Amy."
    The woman held out her hand to Parsons; he took it, and found himself shaking hands. This hadn't changed, this custom. The sense of continuity raised his morale slightly, and he found himself, too, relaxing.
    "Tea for Dr. Parsons," Stenog said.
    While the two men sipped tea, Amy fixed dinner somewhere out of sight, behind a fragile-looking screen that Parsons recognized as distinctly Oriental.