up, and sits in the window again. The concourse is not dead -- there is a small knot of people who seem to be dancing, then talking among themselves, then dancing again.
What do you think they're doing?
I don't know. It looks like a club, maybe.
I suppose that's possible. Maybe a class.
Wait, Tasneem says. You see them.
There's no limit to my wonderful talents.
I don't understand. I keep saying that, but there are so many things.
It's not that complicated , David says. I can read more than your biorhythms. I process information as if I'm a part of you. So while I don't have eyes, I can, essentially, see what you see.
Tasneem keeps watching the dancers. That sounds suspiciously like you're reading my thoughts, she says.
That's pretty much what it is. Does that bother you?
She considers this. It should, you'd think. But I don't think it does.
Good .
David, she says.
Yes.
Tomorrow I'm having the Soma treatment.
I know.
I'm a little frightened.
You shouldn't be. It's not painful, I've heard.
I keep remembering -- you. How you looked.
That was different. Don't remember that.
I can't help it.
Soma is easy. A few transference patches, two days of observation, and you're as good as forever.
The doctor said something to me. Something about why I was having the treatment done.
What was it?
He told me it was because of my father.
Was he right?
I haven't been able to stop thinking of it. He said that my father died without knowing me. That he missed out. That it makes perfect sense for me to take Soma, because I don't want to miss out on anything.
It's a reasonable deduction. Do you think it's accurate?
I don't know. I don't want to miss out on anything, though. He's right about that. I was fortunate enough to be there when we left Earth and came to Ganymede. I've been here for Cassiopeia and Aries. I hear they're almost finished with Galileo.
Just another six or seven years, yes.
Right. But what comes next? What happens when we run out of space? We can't build space stations forever. Eventually we'll run out of room.
They'll build them to orbit the moon, maybe.
Okay. Maybe. But they'll run out of room there, too. So where do we go next? We can't go back to Earth.
I have some ideas about that.
See? Look at you, for instance. David, you're practically a god right now. You'll never die. Right? You are forever .
But I'm a crippled god, if that's what I am. I rely on you. No -- not crippled. I'm a parasitic god. If not for my host, I am nothing.
But what I mean is, you could last forever. In theory. Whether it's with me or not. And you'll be able to witness where our species is going. It's such a fascinating idea, David! Will we build space stations around every planet? Will someone want to tunnel into the moon and build a hidden city?
Maybe they'll terraform Mars , David offers.
Exactly! It doesn't matter what it is -- I want to see it happen. I want to study our motivations. I want to understand our reasons.
What if we just self-destruct instead?
We've come together to build these stations, Tasneem says. I think we might have a little longer before that happens.
So you're not going to cancel your treatment, then.
Well, I never really considered canceling it. I was just nervous.
And what of Audra? What of her, while we live forever? What of my child?
I have a thought about that, David. Tell me what you think about this.
The outline of America has changed. Most of Florida is underwater. The bridge connecting North and South America is gone. South America looks like a slice of pie, half-eaten and surrounded by crumbs. There's a dramatic storm obscuring Canada.
It's very different, almost every day, Tasneem says.
Doctor Widla nods. Sometimes I watch it and I can almost imagine that I am seeing all of the land drowning, as if it's happening right there before me. Of course, it will be many centuries before that could happen. But can you imagine what it might look
What do you think they're doing?
I don't know. It looks like a club, maybe.
I suppose that's possible. Maybe a class.
Wait, Tasneem says. You see them.
There's no limit to my wonderful talents.
I don't understand. I keep saying that, but there are so many things.
It's not that complicated , David says. I can read more than your biorhythms. I process information as if I'm a part of you. So while I don't have eyes, I can, essentially, see what you see.
Tasneem keeps watching the dancers. That sounds suspiciously like you're reading my thoughts, she says.
That's pretty much what it is. Does that bother you?
She considers this. It should, you'd think. But I don't think it does.
Good .
David, she says.
Yes.
Tomorrow I'm having the Soma treatment.
I know.
I'm a little frightened.
You shouldn't be. It's not painful, I've heard.
I keep remembering -- you. How you looked.
That was different. Don't remember that.
I can't help it.
Soma is easy. A few transference patches, two days of observation, and you're as good as forever.
The doctor said something to me. Something about why I was having the treatment done.
What was it?
He told me it was because of my father.
Was he right?
I haven't been able to stop thinking of it. He said that my father died without knowing me. That he missed out. That it makes perfect sense for me to take Soma, because I don't want to miss out on anything.
It's a reasonable deduction. Do you think it's accurate?
I don't know. I don't want to miss out on anything, though. He's right about that. I was fortunate enough to be there when we left Earth and came to Ganymede. I've been here for Cassiopeia and Aries. I hear they're almost finished with Galileo.
Just another six or seven years, yes.
Right. But what comes next? What happens when we run out of space? We can't build space stations forever. Eventually we'll run out of room.
They'll build them to orbit the moon, maybe.
Okay. Maybe. But they'll run out of room there, too. So where do we go next? We can't go back to Earth.
I have some ideas about that.
See? Look at you, for instance. David, you're practically a god right now. You'll never die. Right? You are forever .
But I'm a crippled god, if that's what I am. I rely on you. No -- not crippled. I'm a parasitic god. If not for my host, I am nothing.
But what I mean is, you could last forever. In theory. Whether it's with me or not. And you'll be able to witness where our species is going. It's such a fascinating idea, David! Will we build space stations around every planet? Will someone want to tunnel into the moon and build a hidden city?
Maybe they'll terraform Mars , David offers.
Exactly! It doesn't matter what it is -- I want to see it happen. I want to study our motivations. I want to understand our reasons.
What if we just self-destruct instead?
We've come together to build these stations, Tasneem says. I think we might have a little longer before that happens.
So you're not going to cancel your treatment, then.
Well, I never really considered canceling it. I was just nervous.
And what of Audra? What of her, while we live forever? What of my child?
I have a thought about that, David. Tell me what you think about this.
The outline of America has changed. Most of Florida is underwater. The bridge connecting North and South America is gone. South America looks like a slice of pie, half-eaten and surrounded by crumbs. There's a dramatic storm obscuring Canada.
It's very different, almost every day, Tasneem says.
Doctor Widla nods. Sometimes I watch it and I can almost imagine that I am seeing all of the land drowning, as if it's happening right there before me. Of course, it will be many centuries before that could happen. But can you imagine what it might look
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