My Library

CLICK! We were just outside the thin haze of the Intermediate Area. In the distance were the rings with the indistinct form of the physical earth at the center. The M Band noises, especially the screeching, had faded completely. I opened in relief. The INSPEC was in front of me, BB off to one side, completely closed, which was strange. (It is done. The pattern is complete.) There was a point of finality in the statement that made me uneasy. It echoed back through me, triggering familiar emotional rote as it went, and I dealt with and diverted each one as it arose. This time it was different. I had far too much exquisite and precious rote to let it be otherwise. The uneasiness vanished. I opened wide and smoothed. (I understand about individuation. It is not necessary.) (You have learned your lessons well, Ashaneen.) The brightly glowing form winked out. For now, I knew there would no longer be an INSPEC ident to follow, but I felt no sense of loneliness. I moved over to BB as he hovered motionless, still closed. I focused. (Hey, old buddy. I got to go back.) He opened slowly. (Yeh, uh, RAM. I got to do something myself, anyway.) I had no doubt what it was. (Well, you’ll do fine. Just like pulling skips and playing games back on KT-95.) He lighted. (Yeh, sure! A bunch of games!) I opened wide. (You can do it, tiger! Keep my ident! And have fun!) I turned and started to reach but he stopped me. (What’s the push, BB?) He flickered. (Uh, that last thing we did, me pulling AA out, uh, you don’t have any percept on it, do you?) (No—except it was certainly AA. That same resistance stuff was there. Why? Something I didn’t get?) BB focused on me hard and I waited. Suddenly he lighted very brightly and started to roll strongly. It almost became human laughter, it was that strong.