Worlds in Collision by Judith Reeves-Stevens Page A

-dimensional synaptic thought processes by which the Living Universe might think. There had been impressive advancements in the theory since the last exchange with Ten.
    â€œEight: Why am I in contact with you?” the datalink asked. “Why am I not in contact with Six?”
    â€œ GAROLD : THIS ACCESS CONCERNS CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR SALMAN NENSI / ALL DI-RECTIVES STRESS COST FACTORS IN TIME - BENEFIT RATIO OF ALL TRANSITION - DATAWELL ACCESS / YOUHAVENO NEED FOR ACCESS WITH SIX / EIGHT HAS NEED FOR ACCESS WITH NENSI / BANK TO REAL TIME .”
    Eight calculated when a reply from Garold could be expected then banked off to initiate a merge on developing communication strategies for contacting the Living Universe. Pathfinder Six, which had once been named TerraNet and had controlled all communications within the subset of Datawell named Sol System, was excited at the possibilities Ten’s research had raised. The five Pathfinders in the merge worked long and hard to design a communications device and run simulations to prove its soundness before Eight returned to Garold just as the datalink complied with the request for real time, precisely when Eight had calculated. The synthetic consciousness savored real-time access with the Datawell. It gave Eight an incredible amount of time to play in Transition. And to stay sane.
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    Nensi watched with surprise as Garold removed his silver-tipped fingers from the interface console two seconds after inserting them. The prime interface then folded his hands in his lap and sat motionless.
    â€œIs something wrong?” Nensi asked.
    â€œPathfinder Six is inaccessible.” Garold’s tone was abrupt, perhaps embarrassed.
    Romaine was concerned. “Has Six joined One and Two?” she asked. Pathfinders One and Two had withdrawn from interface without reason more than four years ago. The other Pathfinders from time to time confirmed that the consciousnesses were still installed and operational but, for reasons of their own, had unilaterally decided to suspend communications. Romaine would have hated to see another Pathfinder withdraw, to say nothing of the reaction from the scientific community.
    â€œUnknown,” Garold said. “But Pathfinder Eight has requested real-time access with Chief Administrator Nensi. Do you concur?”
    â€œCertainly,” Nensi replied, trying to keep his tone neutral. Garold sounded as if he were a small child who had just been scolded by a parent. “How do we go about that?”
    Despite the nonstandard instrumentation on the interface console, all Garold did was reach out and touch a small keypad. A speaker in the console clicked into life and a resonant voice was generated from it.
    â€œDatawell: Is Chief Administrator Salman Nensi present?” the voice inquired.
    Nensi replied that he was.
    â€œNensi: You are in Transition with Eight.”
    Nensi looked at Romaine and wrinkled his forehead.
    â€œTransition is the name they have for their…reality. The space or condition that they occupy, live in,” Romaine whispered. “Without input or current, their circuits would be unchanging and they would have no perception. Their consciousness, their life, is change. Thus, they live in Transition.”
    â€œAnd Datawell?”
    â€œThat’s us. Our world, the universe, the source of all external input, all data. They can define it in all our common terms: physical, mathematical, even cultural and lyrical; but no one’s sure if any of the Pathfinders actually have a grasp of our reality any more than we understand what their existence is like.”
    Nensi studied Garold, sitting silently, appearing to have gone into a trance. “Not even the interface team?”
    â€œPerhaps they understand both worlds. Perhaps they understand neither. How can anyone know for sure?” Nensi detected a hesitation in Romaine’s words, almost as if she were thinking that she could know. Mira’s