My Library

(You got the pre-brief rote.) AA flickered. (Of course I got it.) (Then you know what’s happening.) AA blanked. (No, what?) BB smoothed. (AA, you’re getting hooked, you’re …) The huge portal loomed ahead, a myriad of vibrations. AA was fading into the massive portal along with the others. BB vibrated as strongly as he could. (AA, no … wait!) With a strange wave, AA disappeared. BB dulled and closed, and moved away from the stream. (Sorry, kid.) Ed came in gently. (I didn’t think you had a chance of a snowball in hell, but I had to let you try.) BB dulled. (What happens now?) (If he/she follows the pattern, he/she will get more and more and more involved in the human experience, dropping down a ring each time until he/she is at the bottom.) BB flickered, still dulled. (Then what?) Ed opened wide, carefully. (They stay at the bottom and don’t come back, or they begin to work their way back up. Most of ’em stay at the bottom.) BB dulled. (Go on home, kid. Back to KT-95.) BB dulled and closed completely. He slowly drifted out of the Station, flickering dimly. The haze was less, filled with occasional clean signals which did not have his ident; thus they did not attract or penetrate and so were ignored. Then a faint percept did penetrate. BB popped open. A form was moving past him. He vibrated, stretched. (AA! You did it! You broke out. How …) The form stopped, motionless. BB pulled back quickly. It was not AA. CLICK! BB opened wide. (I got my idents crossed. That’s why I hooked you.)