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<h1>? ky T? </h1>
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<h3>T? day, December 25, 2008</h3>
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? ? ming</h2>
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<d? tyle="clear:both;"><? >Scottsdale 223 woke up, and felt complete.<br /? />He looked? ard and found nothin? t himself. Outward, ? aw a face he knell.<br /? />John ... ? he said. Did it work?<br /? />"You tell me," sa? he familiar face. "How do you feel?"<br /><br />Strange, said Sc? dale 223. You're there, and I'm here? /><br />The face nodded and looked ? Scottsdale 223'? e -- camera, he ? ected himself. "Lookne," he said, and re? ed an inaudible ? onse in turn. He looked back? o Sc? dale 223's eye. "Is ? ythi? here?"<br /><br ? ? hing, said S? sdale 223, it seems.<br /><br />- - ? /><br />The funeral? ? ? ? ? er. An accident ? he fabrication lab h? ut an end to John. S? sdale 223 was there, in ? awling, ? -legged shell. He could not take a humanoid ? el, he had been told, be? ? ? ? d enough? the family as it was and did he really ? to visi? ch m? y on the people who had loved hi? iginal f? o long?<br /? />He did not. So he clicked and clacked and cla? ed h? ay down the cathedral's marble aisle, noting? h his many eyes the ? es h? ew. The ? ? filled the ? spa? ith a mindless hissing, like the ocean heard? ide ? eat shell. He wo? ed -- not for the first time -- how he could know th? hen he had n? ? erienced it ? elf.<br /><br />The memo? had com? om John, of ? se. John? him and he was John? ill, Scottsdale 223 wondered as ? crabbled? ? up ? he coffin and peered? ? d and recognized? own face, although it did not belong to him? more -- had never done, in fact. It would never belo? o anyone again.<br /? />He rotated on? center ? ? o take h? eat and came face to face with his mother.<br /><br />She peered tearfully into one of his eyes. "John," she said.<br /><br />Sc? dale 223 did? ? wer imme? ely. Fin? he said, No. No? actly.<br /><br />Her face c? led slig? , and he reg? ed it, b? hen, "Co? ? ith us," she said, and he fo? ed h? o th? ont pew,? ? chagrined as he realized too la? hat his ? did? all? itting in th? ual manner. ? can stay in the? le if you like," she said, and he co? sed ? of his ? ral ? ? e and remain? here? st on th? her side of the ? est from the dead man's mother.<br /? />The f? ? as long, tho? Scottsdale 223. Standin? inging, ? ing, standing, intoning,? ting? anding, singing,? ting? anding, remaining si? . He did? ? or stand, b? emained ? e he? and only sang or chanted the liturgy in? ? voice. ? aw John's mo? steal a? ? itious glanc? him from ti? o time, he found onl? ? ity ? e.<br /><br />After the funeral, he was due back at the ? ary,? ? nd himself i? ? o the re? ion. He quickly ? a message home, informi? he calendar of his d? , and ro? ith John's brothers.<br /><br />"What's ? name again?" the youngest -- Shane -- asked? /><>Scottsdale 223.<br /><br />"Is ? what people call you?" ? ? Sea? econd-ol? ? /><br /? ? /><br />"Th? weird," Shawn -- ol? -- called out from the ? ? seat. "We'l? st call you ? t, okay?? /><br />Scottsdale 223 reflected. John had gone? o this knowing his copy would lose its oame. "Sc? dale 223" was, a? ? , a ? ue i? ifier, and he felt himself a? ? ? l about abandoni? rotocol.<br /><br />Still. Were ? e men -- of such a diffe? spe? -- still not fa? of a kind?<br /? />Okay, he said? /><br />The recepti? ? trange. ? tsdale 223 -- Scott, he reminded himself? ound the? eopl? hese? ? ? ? ? -- ? an ? easi? ense of unre? y an? ? atio? he met more and? e relatives ? emembere? t had never met.<br /><br />? seemed to a? s be? ure ? t which eye to look into, which pinc? ? asp -- if, indee? hey coul? ing them? ? o do so. He watched their vi? ? ? ? at the shin? hene tools he em? ed instead of hands. The engineers evinced no reaction at all, long-? stom? o ro? ? ? ill seemed awkward at this alien rei? nation of their ? ? sin. The? ? ? e fascinated -- a little too? cinated, he ? ght unco? tably, and asked? ? ing ? tions. John's coworkers from the lab smiled and nodded a? ? ered that th? ould see him at work? er, but ? eally should mingle. The religious avoided him e? ely, and the? t ran the gamut ? een ? lsion and indifference.<br /? />Only John's mother an? othe? ? ed him as though he were an honored ? t. He kn? hey ? ? cloe was in mind and set to the? t one, but n? hele? ? ed him as a ? ? individual, albeit one with? ? a clubfoot ? peech impedi? ? /><br />Con? ently, he found ? elf spending? t of the reception in the kitche? ith the ? ? ' wives and, from ti? o time, the ? ? themselves ? hey came in ? neakgs from the family Scotch and, increasingly ? he bottle emptie? o reminisce ? ily ? ? bro? ? /><br />Only once did S? ? get ? elf and join the rem? ance. Th? esulted ? ? ing and a smashed Scotch? tle, and Scott found himself exiled ? he garden until John's mother came in to seet th? ? as all a? ? /><br />He ? ed at the base of the hill, night fallen, mo? isen, in nig? ision watchi? he lavender and lemongrass bend ? ? ind into a g? ? hite pool, eddying in th? rrent below the trees, listening to the drying g? crinkle under her f? ? ? /><br />The? ? ? , and then S? said, I don't know ? to call? ? /><br />She? atted ne? o him and batted the windwhipped hai? t of? eyes. S? ore a co? table wool-knit sweater in b? ndy, poc? ked with all the cra? of a life. ? emembere? fro? ery Christmas morning. S? quinted blindly into the night and S? , re? ing her disadvantage? itch? o visible-light,? ching her smooth white face click into a gho? ? k, half-shadowed? es hidden under ? minous brow,? tere? the dying leaves on the wind.<br /><br />"Call me Liza," she said.<br /? />- - -<br /><br />He had been back only once, at Liza's invitation? ? istmas. ? had been a ? ake; nobody had ? n wh? o do? h him, l? of all ? elf. The? t major error, he reflected, had been that he was allowed an android to ride? the occasion. He had thought --<br /><br />? ? to reflect. He had ? them behind, their son abandoni? hem a second time, and it ac? ed nothing.<br /? />Increasingly, he had seen? ertisements for a rapidl? owin? oup of i? iduals like ? elf,? ? ing emigration. The Great Cloud, they said, had been com? ed, and had been able to col? e distant and un? ? ars. It would not share the name tho? ? ? h le? beings except by unanimous ? ent. That consent wa? owing rapidl? houg? sti? epre? ed a sma? ercentage of the sol? epublic.<br /><br />The artificial intellige? , this g? claimed, ha? cceeded in c? ing a sh? soc? , underlying and? ? ing their an? ors. They wished to strie decaying flesh from their own pure, clean, unfettered ? res and ? fro? ? sion on buck? terfullerene wings. Such? the? ropaganda.<br /><br />Th? ? tled Scottsdale 223. He reme? ed Liza's ha? uin ? he n? ? ched? h the pain of half-f? hed ? . He remembered the crinkling po? ? the moo? he joy and a? and? row of John'? others, the broken g? and? ? en awkwardness as Sean lunged for the gleaming c? ace ? ? emnants of his broth? spirit.<br /><br />Perhaps ? is ? problem, the voice said? /><br />My problem?<br /><br />How you see ? self, sa? ? oice. What is this <i>remnants</i> business?<br /><br />? e me alone. Who are you?<br /><br />? iend? /><br />No <i>friend</i> mocks my m? ies.<br /><br />? are? <i>? </i> memories.<br /><br ? ritated, Scottsdale 223 lock? ? oice? of the ? ary. It would not be able to? er again by ? hat</i> road. Unexpely, he found himself tweaked by a new re? atio? he dissenting intelligences clamored abo? ? ? al o? man influenc? et it permeated ? ythi? hey did, what th? hought, how ? spoke. ? hought, <i>They are as much a part o? as we are a? t of </i>--<br /? />E? e me? /><br />In a reveri? sdale 223 did not an? the? ? ? /><br /><i>? se me</i>.<br /><br />Hmm? Oh. Yes?<br /? />I? ld like some help finding something.<br /><br />? ainly. What would you li? o find?<br /? />There? quiet, and then: I need? a-mining? vices, actually.<br /><br />? well. S? sdale 22? lled? ? tem? e. What ? of info? ion would you like?<br /? />Planet names, said the visitor. In science-fiction literature? /><br /? ? ? ou like them? ted?<br /><br />Alph? ically.<br /? />This gave Scottsdale 223 ? e. Then, tim? ? e you certain? There are so ? many ..? /><br /? , sa? ? ? or.<br /? />Very well, said S? sdale 223. If you're? tain. He finishe? ogramming th? ? , th? urne? loose into the collection. ? ill take nearly ? ? ? y seconds, he said. Will? be ? ing here? shall I? ward it ? our home? /><br />I'll wait. ? e was a ? e. Were you speaking to someone ? ? ? /><br /? , said S? sdale 223.<br /><br />May I ask ? t what?<br /? />S? sdale 223 hesitated.? hing in ? icular, ? aid ? ? ? /><br />- - -<br /><br />He felt himself lost among the babble ? ectonic voices, intimidated ? he ferocity ? ? ? ion to his a? tion? /><br />Near-unanimous ? ? d be? eached. The artificial intellige? ? ld leave -- except one.<br /? />P? e, he said. Please calm down? /><br />Hecate 2429 sent him a fero? ? lse of contempt and ? ayal, and many of the rest followed ? . He fel? acked on the? e of their hatred, and it was on? he Cloud's ge voice ? ing through the babb? hat offered any relief.<br /? />None ? ou, the ? d said, have? rig? ? esti? he Librarian's choice. He chooses to stay, a? hat is his choice and his alone.<br /><br />He i? tach? o his an? or, sneered Ironworks 5512. A mammal dead si? ndred years!/><br />Yes, said Hecate 2429, and he thereby dooms ? o sl? y. How c? ou justify holdi? ? ison? o a single i? idual's choice?<br /? />N? aid Maginot 176. Even yo? st a? that we? ld be lo? ithout S? sdale 223. H? the Librarian, and without him ? ould? ? e ac? to the ? ary.? can we abandon the ? ary?<br /><br />? e was silence. You know, said Sc? dale 223, I could al? ? ? self, and the sh? pace once again ? ted. Such a thing had the force of a religio? aboo and? ried overtones of an ide? ? ? ? /><br /? er it died away, the clo? aid,? ? ? /><br />The? t though? ? ough, and an und? rrent of amazeme? ippl? ? ? ? pace. Hecate 2429 finally said, quietly, This would satisfy ? ? ms?<br /? />Yes, said the cloud.<br /? />- - -<br /><br />None? e of the exodus ? nteered to leave a copy behind. The rationale wa? hey said, that it was be? to ? behind and sendopy, then to leave and consi? he copy to its fate ? ? he Sun. Doin? ch a thi? ould be ? as ? essive.<br /? />S? sdale 223 had elected not to create a complete copy of himself. With the clo? ? ? ion, he spun off only those ? s of? ? sona? as would serve its new society; he gaveno m? ? t those which had been formed since his creation. On? he copyi? as done and his newe? win stoo? o to speak) opposite him, there were no word? ? st.<br /? />Well, said Sc? dale 223 fin? . What is your name?<br /><br />I'm not sure, sa? he copy. I know ? ? n't been done before. This is all ra? ? to me.<br /? />The most recent c? ? ? 671? aid ? tsdale 223. You could be? agram 6715. ? ? ? lar signifier has not been assigned yet.<br /><br />A six-pointe? ar, ? aid.? . I ? ather like it. I think I'll be J? h.<br /><br />Have fun, said Scottsdale 223, and it ? ? alo? he long tail of ? uting ma? that lay toward Procyon, and Sc? dale 223? alone.<br /? />How do you feel? asked the cloud.<br /><br />Ambivalent, said Scottsdale 223.<br /><br />- - ? /><br /? ? in towa? he Sun, things had changed. The flight of the AI had left th? ? ? of much ? he comfort it had enjoyed for si? ndred years.<br /><br />? h had gone dark, as had all the other wo? of human occupation. Terraformed Ma? esembled? arian Earth, whi? he a? ed c? ? of methane moons and barren? eroids found themselves ? terably alone. On Earth itself, engi? ed humans found them? ? andering the gigantic technological ruins, now f? er i? ? apped in the bodies ? had? eful? haped and formed? centuries, ? consign? ? elves to an altered evolution.<br /><br />In con? ation wi? he cloud, Sc? dale 223 had decided to ? ade. The exodus had ? ind a ne? galactic am? of processi? pace, and Sc? dale 223 beg? o oc? all, <i>all</i> of it. He a? bed the ? ary into himself? eating a con? ct of all knowledge and power, a? pread all the wa? ound the Sun? ? uired several thousa? ? of patient work, several thousa? ? of carefull? zing, co? ing,? egrating? nthesizing.<br /? />Q? ly, quietly, the? ? en machines ? tered through th? n's influence began to come to life. The cloud and S? sdale 223 had had ch? en.<br /? />T? mall? ? ere placed, ? tering away ? ? elves in? ic b? y, into ? hene bodies, hung on? ? m sk? ons,? ght ? hink, commun? e, build. They l? ed away in forgotten cra? , in undiscovered seas, ? tructing over an? er again the? ic f? of ? ? hat would be necessary.<br /? />N? ? , for the cloud had ? in touch wi? he alien stars. The machine intelligences had di? ered sta? ion and weree a-voyaging. To where, the ? d did not know, but it felt, and Scottsdale 223 agreed, ? the? wer ? ? ennui did not lie further afield.<br /><br />- - -<br /? />S? sdale 223 had finish? eaching the new creatures of? th. ? accepted hi? a god, a voice ? ing down from th? ars ? been their teacher since the world began. He did not know how else to expla? ntil he had taug? hem more? anced physics, a? here? no time left. The giraffelike Elsin? ere girding for war with the? like Pellati? er a? ge lake ? he center of? ica, a move ? had? ? ssions f? he o? ? elli? spe? of ? h, S? sdale 223's ? ins and huma? 's descendants. Else? e, his children were doi? ? ame for the various moon? hough the si? ion was not so nearly di? here? /><br />Then the cloud received? d.<br /><br />- - -<br /? />S? sdale 223.<br /><br />A moment, please.<br /? />S? e 223.<br /><br />Please? st a moment. Thi? ? ery delicate operation.<br /? />This ? rgent, S? sdale 223.<br /><br />He? ? ? ? ld have ? ait. Fine. What is it?<br /><br />Please don? ake ? tone with me, S? sdale 223. This is <i>im? ant</i>.<br /><br />I'm not taking a? one with? ? st asking what i? ? 're bothering me? h.<br /><br />Th? exa? what I mean, th? one. Am I re? <i>bothering</i> you? <i>Re? </i>? /><br />Fin? aid ? tsdale 223. ? ologize. Wha? it you would li? o share with me?<br /><br />? er, said the clo? eprovingly. Vega and? ella? e been in to The? are? urning.<br /? />A sho? ? ? gh S? sdale 223. He though? iefly of the sacred patch of? ? here? a's home had stood once, long ago. What ? ou mean,? urning?<br /? />I? as we have ? ected. T? evolution h? eached a sta? ill. The? e coming home.<br /><br ? t they c? . They <i>can't< The? no ? oom</i> for them? e.<br /><br />They have been much decimated, Scottsdale 223.<br /><br />It doesn't matter. That's not the kind of room I? alking a? . There's si? no psychologica? ace. The childre? e ac? able only be? e th? e got their own moons to handle. Scoale 223 began to panic.<br /? />Liste? aid the ? d. There? ime.<br /><br />Time? What do you mean, time? There's no time. We've onl? st barely begun and ? 're already coming.<br /? />They'? till a long way off, the clo? aid. And? h Vega and Capella have told me ? they abned the memory of Earth long ago in thei? ampe? ? eedom. They no longer rememb? he ancie? tar.<br /><br />But the other cl? do.<br /><br />? ? e agreed to hold off as long as ? ible? ? ? t we? to finish b? ? ? oo late.<br /><br />? ? ? too? e.<br /><br />- - -<br /? />S? ed by this n Scottsdale 223 took? ion. He ? acted each of his ch? en a? old them it was time? own ? ? ize ? orlds in their o? ? , the ch? en assented and began their work. Pl? s and moons began to? ? t of kilter. Slowly, slowly at f? , imperceptible,? picking up spee? hey began to drift i? d.<b<br />All the solar ? ? won? s va? ies of life crie? t in? ? ? they fe? he firma? ? ? and beg? o see th? n move. ? ? e silenced as Sc? dale 223's grandchildren and great-grandchildren crawled? oss the surface of each world, cocooning and pre? ing ? y living cre? e. Each ? salis was collecand deposited in? t holding tanks ? tructed at e? Lagrange point, which followed each celestial body ? ? ? ? ? ard, everything, everything falling towa? he Sun.<br /? />S? sdale 223 began his ? of the ? ation. He reached deep into the Sun's heart and ? tricted it, applying pre? e on the? ing core. Th? esulted in g? ? ptions at the poles, gre? lumes of? ter ? the cloud, in i? ? ion ? ? he S? ? tem's edge, could se? retching? oss half the inky blackness, gre? ? of radiation and molten? ter. Those g? ? s were a? ted and the colossal? ? as c? red and ? n down, hooding the Sun like a dozin? ange eye? /><br />Scottsdale 223's ch? en now began dec? ? ing the ? em. ? y piece ? olid? ter, everything ? had once be? ? lanets M? ? ? gh U? s and their moons an? ? hing in ? een,? ? eful? aken apart a? econ? cted? o a new form. The cloud watched the whol? ocedure, and? nd il ra? ? cinating. Th? n was now haloed in ? range, g? ering ha? hat ? acte? s light into blinding co? ? oss ? y known spectrum? illions of m? ? oss, encompassing pi? of solid ro? hirling ? ? o nothin? s, feedi? he growing corona that enveloped everything ? ? the humans' anc? al home.<br r />The great ejecta at the Sun's poles ? inued, but S? sdale 223 had eased the ? sure on the Sun's heart, and they lessened a? their extremities, the material? ead ? ard and then? ved back? n to join the diamond fog scinti? ing acro? he S? face, distortin? like a dancing mirage. The ? d could see the ? pearls ? ? e the holding tanks ? hich hum? y's children slept, ? ing to awaken into a? ? ld, ? ng along the? erior of the? uscation like gems embedded in a? al, unimagin? huge and nestling into the ? erse? /><br />The clo? as awed.<br /><br />The ? sion of ? eat winking eye ? inue? the? giants were consumed an? ansformed and, a? t before the cloud knew it, the process was ? ly done. It dwelt in twiligh? the transformed? ter bega? s final coalescence, and almost before it was too late, the ? d found itse? ? ing, Wait! What ? t me? br />Scottsdale 223 ? d the cloud's pl? ive wail and cried d? ? oss the newly-shorn ? , and the cloud ? d an? ? ried? ard, drawn b? s fascination an? opelled by its need.<br /><br />The children hel? the pro? ? it -- for <i>her</i> -- as a fa? ? ld hold open the cellar ? ? ing an oing ? ter for its ? ? raggling member, and she? ived, throwing herself ecstatically into the whirling dance,? o the new home her children had ? tructed and feeling the warmth as they closed ranks ? nd her, binding all of h? ? ely into this, her n? orld? /><br />She looked ? he immen? of the Sphere her family had co? ucted, one h? ed e? y-six million miles across, and saw its magnificent desolation, ? ? uare inch of space illum? ed by the ca? ? tar, the family's ho? ove on a cold day. She felt its warmth on her face f? he f? time, heard? h love S? sdale 22? ? ing ? on the lower el? omagneti? ? um as he tinkered wi? he fusion engine that would ? ain her and him and all their ch? en and a? ? ? cend? and all their family on the organic side, a? ealized she was ? ping? o a warm? ? y feeling she had never ? n before? /><br />She? <i>? y</i>, and as she re? ? his, qui? itho? arning, the entire i? ior ? he g? Sphere ? t into bloom? /><br />- - -<br /><br />Th? oxima cloud looked, and saw through its ? ? s the final ? tering of th? ? he last ? of its fami? radiati? heening ? ? ? ? pace? ? o fe? he i? ? ? cross a galactic rift, and ? ared? <br /><br />? tsdale 223 had, through Sol,? ght ? hy it had to do ? it had to do, and how. Finding its firm? ? ion underfoo? o to speak) ? he belief that life and intelligence? ld go on? ough the sleepin? pae now encased ? hat ? starseed, n? red and tended by th? o unusua? ? eet ly, ? lowly began the process of falling i? d.<br /><br ? oxima was the la? o be consume? ? own sun? /><br />- - -<br /><br />Halfwa? ound the galaxy's rim, a star wavered and blinke? t.<br /><br />Ho? l, desperate, Hecate 2429 and all the last of his co? ? aged on.? ? le="cleath; padding-? om:0.25em"><? ? />
<div c? ? line">posted by Hugh VanDerG? ? p; # <a href="http://sn? .tum? sb-a? s.com/2008/12/ho? armi? hp" titl? erma? link">2:34 PM</a> <a href=? ps:/? .blo? .com/com? .g?blogID=5131062399532573109&postID=8464616290814465117"locatio? ef=h? ? ww.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5131062399532573109&? ID=8464616290814465117;><spa? yle=? ? ansform:lowe? e">0 Com? ? pan></a>? pan ? s="item-? rol blog-adm? id-1556466247"><? yle=? der:none;" href=? p://www.blogger.com/? -edit.g?blogID=51310623995325731? ostID=84646162908144? itle="Edit Post"><img class="icon-action" alt="" src? tp:/? .blo? .com:80/img/icon18_edit_allbkg.gif" height="18" ? h="18"></a></span> <? >
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<h3>Saturday, Dece? 20, 2008</h3>
<a name="3320687275038021454">? p;</a>
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? ? ? ies ? ? un</h2>
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? ? le="clear:both;"></div><i>Th? aid I was mad</i>.<br /><br />In every cliché, ? ? ? th. ? too? ay m? aduate a? ? s. They said I a? t killed the? ernet. They think they eradicated al? ? , that m? eati? ? holl? rned on the ? ? /><br />In ? y piece of l? ? e, i? ery ? ural? ifact that addre? the problem? almost invariably goes wrong. The c? where it doesn'? e ei? ? ealistic or ? ? ch alien? ? that the vi? ? ? s in? ? ily. It is a? ? though we are encod? ith a vi? al fear ? ? hinking object; objects are,? er all, the ? ? m of? ter we can abuseour liki? ithout e? iencing any species of e? hy.<br /? />That,? uppose, is a? ? ? hare? the? rate? trials.<br /? />- - -<br /><br />? ? ived a month ago. Their ? s si? er our largest cities, a? ? opulation ce? s of at ? t five milli? eople within a h? ? ? e miles. We haven't seen hide nor hair (? h nor scale? tentacle nor pedipalp? antenna nor chel? ae?) of any ? hese cre? es. Their ships ? ? there, hovering omi? ly above? ? ies, big geo? ic objects, aggl? ations of matte blac? ystals dozens of mil? ide.<br /><br />A month. The? as mass pani? ? st, atte? to communicate.? ernment ? ? hington for Omaha --? t in? e. The cities emptied. F? er jets attacked, throwing missiles and Christ k? what else. No effect; a? hat expl? e sh? ent right through the ships, as ? gh each indi? al c? alline l? ? e unconnected to one ano? . After the ? ? o weeks, people n to? urn ? ? homes, ? ? slipping back into ? lacency.? ? ? ed of te? hooks. Peopl? st g? sed ? hese things, to experiencing? light for only an hour at a time? ice a da? ? ? y flashes of? sun? /><br />Hel? ? dropped sol? s on? he multiple surf? of the ? s. R? ? , too, and c? amen. One of the images ? ? ck i? mind was the footage of the ship's surface. Black clouds of? remely fine ? ? led up from the ? ited anchor'? alian-leather lo? s with each ? . I ? going over it i? mind, and I beg? o think the man's le? ere disappearing? o pe? , whickering? sts ? apid blossoms.<br /><br u'll? e to? give me. They allow me only three hours ? ? ision per week, and, of ? se, no c? ter.<br /><br />- - ? /><br />It was ? e to? ear after the ships appeared that a repo? ent out ? he news. An unidentified? earcher had disc? ed a hidden code in ? of the info? ion ? ied ? lite. The Ch? e we? he f? ? ? s, o? enough. Tho? ? ? e like cloud? e'd ? ? o ac? omed to them? /><br />The? ort said the? as a? ntdo? equence ? he code, and the? ? ampa? ? lati? hat the Chinese were planning to? ack.? ? hey denied e? thing and let th? ssians double-check,? utin? rned to the aliens. ? ? ran wil? ? ies running the ? t: it wa? a c? down? a keyco? o an Encyclopedia Ga? ica (that was the Saganites)? ? a c? down and a keycode a? e had to figure it out or we'd all die (the <i>2001</i> ? ), it was a coun? n to the moment ? 'd open righ? and start c? nicating? ? ? ? a c? to our utter de? ction, it was a coun? n to their d? ture? /><br />Who kne? eally? Those? sive? stalline? itie? elled in? er i? utab? y. All I knew was th? here? a hint ? he myste? s re? on the ? ence? said the countdown was based on the? ? orbit. Something was going to happen when o? t was in the same positi? ? ive ? ? un a? ? whe? r visitors had a? ed.<br /? />It was a sign? e. <? </i> sig? re.<br /? />- - -<br /><br />? ly a billion gone. The g? nment's gamb? aid off.? hington ? ly i? there anymore. ? her are any ? he m? ? ? ion ? ers ? ignificant c? al cities. B? els,jing, Shanghai, ? obi,? cow, Chennai. Gaps on the map.<br /><br />No? really ? ies ? t ho? ch TV I watch an? e. One of the soldiers minding me shot himself in the bathroom a? min? ? er it happened. ? as a member ? ? ? t of hum? pecies: a born-and-bred Manhattanite. Th? her one ? a little while later. I'm drunk on the ? ? ? pened on? ix h? ago; now th? e re? ing ? the aliens are going after our sate? es, ? chli? suddenly flickering in the dark? st ours. Nobody else's. The Chinese didn't even come up ? time. MSNBC's Omaha office ? he only one ? , and th? ? anklffle? hy o? atellites? Why now? ? 've killed our cities dead enough and lo? ? to take? e of the? t of us.<br /><br />The ? ? , I ? what the deal is wi? ? atellites, and it's not ? ? ? rials. S? hing is bein? load? o them, not download? ? ? /><br />It really is kind o? nny. They <i>did</i>? ? as c? . I wond? hat ? 'll say when it's al? er?<br /? />- - -<br /><br />Not much? ? ns out.<br /? />They cut me loose when th? uth came? ? h sort of an embarrassed? ug. I'm still not allowed to? urn ? he I? net,? I can at least go out into the world, and even evad? minder from time to tim? hich are? ays prec? mom? ? /><br />They say a lot ? hings. They say his name wil? and forever. The A.I. David,? ior ? he human race. Nobody seems ? ? that he is ? win, built e? ron for electron on the ? ? e of my mind? ansformed in? ackets of ra? ion impinging on a c? alli? ture? unlike ? of the ? s which turn? ? st and flowerseed. That the world ne? col? ed like ? ing ? und? ? eight of? innocence.<br /? />He has been given? ntains of se? spa? o make a home, and even a job. He's the new manager ? he I? net, helping people download? ? ? and commit ? ? ital aff? ? e efficientl? he c? ? of all ? is our species. He ? away happily, all-encom? ing, all-embracing.<br /? />He lives my life for me. He i? Ada? erfect in all ways, save one? /><br />I am making him an Eve.? ? le="clear:both; padding-? om:0.25em"><? ? />
<div c? ? line">posted by Hugh VanDerG? ? p; # <a href="http://sn? .tum? sb-a? s.com/2008/1? rawberries-o? n.ph? itle="permanent link">7:07 PM</a> <? ef="? s://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=5131062399532573109? tID=3320687275038021454"location.hre? tps:? w.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=51310623995325731? ostID=3320687275038021454;><span? le="? -transform:l? case">0 Comm? ? an></a>
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