Edna liked watching the prisoners. She took pleasure in their escape attempts. Even now, the group huddled at the far end of the cage, plotting.

A robot, all sparks and whiz, deposited the evening tray at Edna's table. Inelegant steel hands cut the food into manageable chunks.

"I'll see to myself now," Edna said.

The mechanoid ignored her, playing aeroplane with a loaded spoon, feeding her institutional cuisine.

Clearing her mouth, she shrieked, refusing to stop until the electronics left. She sighed and nibbled at the plate, scraping the remains down the waste chute.

One of the prisoners rattled the cage bars. Edna laughed hysterically until the orderlies came.

"She's at it again," Nurse Lily complained, pouring another mint julep from the specimen jug. "How does she get so high."

"There's no way the old girl's getting drugs in this place," Dr Forrest observed. "Nobody scores except through me."

Edna was dreaming of hospital. She was in surgery. Her heart had been removed. The surgeons were playing a game of tennis with it over her prone body.

Every time the racquet connected she felt a pain deep in her chest. One of the players was about to make a power serve. Edna held her breath.

The monitor display flattened to a single line, the beeps became a monotone howl.

"I'm calling death at 23:13," Dr Forrest said, abstaining from the bother of resus.

Nurse Lily and a cleaner stripped Edna's bed.

"I'm surprised you let her have those things," the cleaner gestured toward the prisoners.

"She was Private. Could have kept a horse if she'd wanted." Nurse Lily picked up the cage. "I'll get rid of them."

The nurse enjoyed a cigarette in the garden before slipping the catch. The creatures squealed and ran in a ragged group toward the shrubbery.

One halted briefly at a tinny musical sound.

Nurse Lily watched disinterestedly as it put a small vibrating oblong to its ear

She just caught his words.

"You won’t believe the day I've had! I'll call you back when I'm on the train."