Cologne, Germany, January, 2078, Saturday…

Ernst Hausmann was a quiet man who minded his own business. He had retired long ago from his boring job as an accountant for Deutche Bank. His beloved wife had passed on shortly after that. Now alone, he derived pleasure from the many free things his Cologne provided. A short bus ride might take him to a showing by a new painter or a recital by some gifted music student.

At that moment he was enjoying a free organ concert. Actually, it wasn't a concert. The organist of the Cologne Cathedral was practicing. He was playing the Bach Toccata and Fugue and Ernst could feel the low notes rumbling in his gut.

The cathedral was so large that its acoustics were practically constant whether people were within or not. The building was in the form of a huge cross. While the experience of the music depended ever so slightly on whether one was sitting in the smaller naves or the long main chamber, he could enjoy it whether there was anyone else there or not and no matter where he sat. He sat towards the base of the cross, his back to the organ. His eyes were fixed at the altar in the center. All around him the massive stone arches seemed to stretch out to heaven.

After such an experience, it was no wonder that he left the cathedral in peace. He walked down the front steps, thinking of his departed wife and how much she had enjoyed the finer things in life. She had been a musician, a violinist in the symphony orchestra, but she also played the piano and flute. On the viola Ernst had barely managed to keep up with her and only on the easiest duets, no matter what she played. He was the better painter, though, and had participated in some amateur shows.