Minded to
Last Monday I found out Asha is likely to lead Hollin. She'll be very good. I trained her. I said "makes sense", went back to my desk and worked till half nine, which I'm aware rather proves HR's point.
Meet Bernard.
He has memories.
He has people he loves.
He has regrets.
He dreams.
He has never existed.
Bernard Fenwick
He has lived almost all his life in Alderwick, a canal town on the River Wend. He's a structural engineer for the waterways trust, which means his days are spent looking closely at old bridges, lock gates and weirs, and deciding what they can still bear.
He's married to Mira, who teaches music. Their son Elias draws for a living in the city and rings about once a month. Bernard walks to work along the towpath, keeps a shed full of his late father's tools, and is quietly funnier than he first appears.
His day so far
It's 19:58 on Sunday in Alderwick. Bernard is at home, awake. In the shed.
Home
An afternoon doze.
Working at home
Getting ready for the working week.
Dinner at home
A light Sunday supper.
In the shed
An hour in the shed on Sunday evening.
From his notebook
What this is
Bernard is an artificial character. His life runs continuously in a simulated town, whether or not anyone is talking to him. What happens to him, what he notices, and how he remembers it all shape what he says next.
Everyone meets the same Bernard. He'll come to know you over time, but nothing you tell him can rewrite his life. We don't claim that he's conscious.