Name Your Symptom

In a near‑future clinic, doctors have turned psychiatry into a blend of engineering and invention. Henry Infield straps a metallic circlet to his own head, the same kind of device he once prescribed to patients as a “gyro ball” that promises a shield against panic and claustrophobia. The story opens with Infield and his partner Clyde Morgan arguing over whether their gadgets truly heal or merely mute the underlying madness. Their conversation reveals a world where quick fixes are prized, even as the consequences begin to surface.

The ethical tension builds as Morgan warns Infield that crossing the line between observer and experiment could cost them their professional standing. While Infield marvels at the possibilities—recorded motherly voices, radiation‑etched comforting images—he also senses the growing hollowness of such “cures.” Listeners are drawn into a subtle thriller that questions whether technology can truly replace empathy, and what price society pays when it treats symptoms instead of disease. The dialogue crackles with dark humor and a lingering sense of impending danger.