possible.
But you're talking to me now, Tasneem. So it must be.
You backed -- you backed yourself up? They've been trying to do that for -- for decades!
Why risk nearly thirty-five years of careful study and work?
But David, it's not possible, it's just not. It can't be --
-- done? Oh, sure it can. In fact, it's been possible for nearly fifteen years. But very few people know that, and almost nobody talks about it. It can be done, Tasneem, and I know that because I helped design the system that does it.
She doesn't know what to say.
Do you remember all those years on Ganymede? All those station line journeys to the college?
Well, yes. Of course I do.
Did you ever wonder what I was doing?
Tasneem smiles. Actually, I always had this sort of Biblical image of you. You were like the child Jesus, schooling the church elders. Except in this case, they were professors.
You're almost right , he says.
So you made a copy of yourself.
Yes .
How does that work?
It's complicated. But I designed a compression algorithm, and then I discovered that there were a few more tweaks that I could make, and so I made them, and then my little algorithm could suddenly take very, very, very big things and make them incredibly small. The human brain holds a massive amount of data, Tasneem. But all of those volumes of information -- well, they can fit onto a single chip, one so small you can't even see it.
Are you the first person to do this?
The first non-trial? Yes, I am. As far as I know, nobody else has died and lived on in an antique wristband.
This is amazing, David. She rearranges herself, then comes to a sudden realization. We have to tell Audra!
No, David says . Nobody else can know, Tasneem. Nobody.
But David, she's so --
Nobody. I love Audra to death, you know I do. But she cannot know about this.
Tasneem looks away.
Tasneem , David warns. Promise me.
I don't think I can, she says.
Promise me.
David --
Tasneem, promise me. I have my reasons. My reasons are never frivolous. Trust me.
She hesitates, then agrees. Alright. But David, what will she do? She's alone, she's pregnant, and -- David, they've committed her.
I know.
How do you know?
You didn't think that the only system hack I ever did was the one that invented my parents, did you?
I guess I never thought about it.
I'm connected to everything, Tasneem. I'm untraceable, I'm embedded in the station architecture, and I have the means to help us find something very special.
What do you mean, find something?
I think I can find a new home for us , David says.
I like my apartment just fine, Tasneem says.
That's not what I mean, David says. I think that I can find us a new Earth.
A new -- David.
I've been working on it for three years, he says. Do you understand why it was important for me to create a backup of myself? Think of the lost data if I hadn't.
I was too busy thinking about my lost friend, Tasneem says. It didn't even occur to me to think about this.
That's okay. That's why nobody will find me now. Nobody had any inkling that I could do this.
David, Tasneem says. What happens now?
What happens now is -- well, I don't know. We should talk about that.
How do I turn you off?
What do you mean?
I mean -- well, David, I have to pee. How do I turn you off?
Oh. Of course. Just remove the wristband.
Okay. I'll be right --
Tasneem. Listen, though. Once you remove it, you won't be able to hear me. And here's the thing -- right now, there's just one existing copy of my self, and it's on that band. If you lost it -- I'd be gone forever.
Tasneem looks down at the wristband. Then I guess I won't lose it.
Me. You won't lose me.
Right. You.
Tasneem?
Yes.
We should do something for Audra. But I don't know what. You're better at this sort of thing than I am.
Tasneem nods to herself. Let me think about it. We'll come up with something.
Tasneem sleeps poorly. At three, she gives
But you're talking to me now, Tasneem. So it must be.
You backed -- you backed yourself up? They've been trying to do that for -- for decades!
Why risk nearly thirty-five years of careful study and work?
But David, it's not possible, it's just not. It can't be --
-- done? Oh, sure it can. In fact, it's been possible for nearly fifteen years. But very few people know that, and almost nobody talks about it. It can be done, Tasneem, and I know that because I helped design the system that does it.
She doesn't know what to say.
Do you remember all those years on Ganymede? All those station line journeys to the college?
Well, yes. Of course I do.
Did you ever wonder what I was doing?
Tasneem smiles. Actually, I always had this sort of Biblical image of you. You were like the child Jesus, schooling the church elders. Except in this case, they were professors.
You're almost right , he says.
So you made a copy of yourself.
Yes .
How does that work?
It's complicated. But I designed a compression algorithm, and then I discovered that there were a few more tweaks that I could make, and so I made them, and then my little algorithm could suddenly take very, very, very big things and make them incredibly small. The human brain holds a massive amount of data, Tasneem. But all of those volumes of information -- well, they can fit onto a single chip, one so small you can't even see it.
Are you the first person to do this?
The first non-trial? Yes, I am. As far as I know, nobody else has died and lived on in an antique wristband.
This is amazing, David. She rearranges herself, then comes to a sudden realization. We have to tell Audra!
No, David says . Nobody else can know, Tasneem. Nobody.
But David, she's so --
Nobody. I love Audra to death, you know I do. But she cannot know about this.
Tasneem looks away.
Tasneem , David warns. Promise me.
I don't think I can, she says.
Promise me.
David --
Tasneem, promise me. I have my reasons. My reasons are never frivolous. Trust me.
She hesitates, then agrees. Alright. But David, what will she do? She's alone, she's pregnant, and -- David, they've committed her.
I know.
How do you know?
You didn't think that the only system hack I ever did was the one that invented my parents, did you?
I guess I never thought about it.
I'm connected to everything, Tasneem. I'm untraceable, I'm embedded in the station architecture, and I have the means to help us find something very special.
What do you mean, find something?
I think I can find a new home for us , David says.
I like my apartment just fine, Tasneem says.
That's not what I mean, David says. I think that I can find us a new Earth.
A new -- David.
I've been working on it for three years, he says. Do you understand why it was important for me to create a backup of myself? Think of the lost data if I hadn't.
I was too busy thinking about my lost friend, Tasneem says. It didn't even occur to me to think about this.
That's okay. That's why nobody will find me now. Nobody had any inkling that I could do this.
David, Tasneem says. What happens now?
What happens now is -- well, I don't know. We should talk about that.
How do I turn you off?
What do you mean?
I mean -- well, David, I have to pee. How do I turn you off?
Oh. Of course. Just remove the wristband.
Okay. I'll be right --
Tasneem. Listen, though. Once you remove it, you won't be able to hear me. And here's the thing -- right now, there's just one existing copy of my self, and it's on that band. If you lost it -- I'd be gone forever.
Tasneem looks down at the wristband. Then I guess I won't lose it.
Me. You won't lose me.
Right. You.
Tasneem?
Yes.
We should do something for Audra. But I don't know what. You're better at this sort of thing than I am.
Tasneem nods to herself. Let me think about it. We'll come up with something.
Tasneem sleeps poorly. At three, she gives
Similar Books
