neural.coder — chapter 0x01

Geoff crashes his bike into a car that wasn't there

Did you miss the first chapter?

The effort and concentration required to cycle the electric-car filled streets of London soon dissipated Geoff’s anger. He headed for his home in East Dulwich, weaving in and out of the morning traffic, crossing south of the river at London Bridge and zig zagging his way through Southawk, Walworth and Camberwell. Coming out of Camberwell he began the long slow climb up Denmark Hill, wishing again that he could afford a car, or even an electrically assisted bike.

As he crested the hill his phone rang, with finger and thumb he lifted it slightly from his breast pocket and glanced at the screen, it was his housemate Andy. As he locked the phone to cancel he was looking down and didn’t see or hear the car pulling out. If he’d been looking, he’d have seen what looked like the car suddenly glitch forward about a foot.

His front wheel slammed into the front wing of the car catapulting him off his bike and through the air, his phone flying before him. Time treacled, with an ever lengthening sense of falling. There was no sound, just a free-fall feeling deep inside as he sailed over the bonnet of the car. As he reached the height of his parabola time stopped for a brief eternity—buffering—before reality came crashing back down.

Geoff landed hard, a high stone curb smashing into his ribs. His outstretched arms weren’t enough to stop his head following through and also slamming into the curb, he blacked out momentarily.

He came-to seconds later with the terrified face of a young woman filling his vision.

‘Are you alright. Please don’t be dead, oh please don’t be dead!’ she said.

‘I’m alive,’ Geoff managed to say, through painful shallow breaths, ‘but I think I’ve broken a rib or two.’

‘Sorry, I didn’t see you. Your head is bleeding, you’re covered in blood, let me call an ambulance. I really just didn’t see you.’

’No, no, I’ll be alright,’ said Geoff, ‘I just need to get back on my bike. Where is my bike?’

Another face appeared. A middle-aged woman, smoking what looked like an actual real cigarette. ‘You’re not going anywhere. You’re a mess!’ she said.

‘You probably shouldn’t move at all,’ the first woman said.

‘Here lay your head on this,’ the older woman said, taking off and folding her sweatshirt into a cushion, ‘I’ve called an ambulance, they won’t be long.’ She held out a phone, ‘Here you dropped this,’ she tucked his phone in his breast pocket, ‘It’s a little scratched up but it works. You should lay still and conserve your energy.’

Geoff lay back and stared at the sky. What a fuck up, he thought, life is shit, and then it just gets shittier. Well shit is better than my normal mediocre I guess.He started to feel a little dizzy.

‘Where’s that ambulance, it’s been ages. I hope he’s okay?’ he heard one of the women say, unable to work out who.

‘Should be here by now. Don’t let him fall asleep.’

‘His head won’t stop bleeding what should we do?’

‘Here, hold this tightly against the cut.’

‘Is he going to die?’

Geoff’s breathing felt easier, the pain had gone, and he strangely didn’t feel much need to breathe at all. Words continued to buzz around him, but he couldn’t make them out. He felt sleepy and closed his eyes.

‘Stay with us Geoff!’

He opened his eyes slowly, I don’t remember anyone asking me my name? His eyes felt heavy again and his mind foggy. He closed his eyes and drifted into unconsciousness. All that remained was the faint sound of a siren, the slamming of doors and an ethereal floating feeling.

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Join me later for chapter 0x02 where we meet Geoff’s best friend, flat mate and junior doctor, Andy as Geoff awakes in hospital.