“Shone! Shone! I know where I am! I know where this is! That is the pass, and that is where the road went, this is the valley, that is the river, and down there, is Gichichi!” She looked back up to the pass, called to the figures on the treeline. “Most High! Gichichi! This is Gichichi! We are home!”
She took off. She held her staff in her hand like a hunter’s spear, she leaped rocks and fallen trunks, she hurdled streams and run-offs; bounding down through the trees. I was after her like a shot but I couldn’t hope to keep up. I found Ten standing in an open space where a falling wheat-tree had brought others down like dominoes. Her staff was thrust deep into the earth. I didn’t interrupt. I didn’t say a word. I knew I was witnessing something holy.
She went down on her knees. She closed her eyes. She pressed her hands to the soil. And I saw dark lines, like slow, black lightning, go out from her fingertips across the Chaga-cover. The lines arced and intersected, sparked out fresh paths.
The carpet of moss began to resemble a crackle-glazed Japanese bowl. But they all focused on Ten. She was the source of the pattern. And the Chaga-cover began to flow towards the lines of force. Shapes appeared under the moving moss, like ribs under skin. They formed grids and squares, slowly pushing up the Chaga-cover. I understood what I was seeing. The lines of buried walls and buildings were being exhumed. Molecule by molecule, centimetre by centimetre, Gichichi was being drawn out of the soil.
By the time the others had made it down from the ridge, the walls stood waist-high and service units were rising out of the earth, electricity generators, water pumps, heat-exchangers, nanofacturing cells. Refugees and warriors walked in amazement among the slowly rising porcelain walls.
Then Ten chose to recognize me.
She looked up. Her teeth were clenched, her hair was matted, sweat dripped from her chin and cheekbones. Her face was gaunt, she was burning her own body-mass, ramming it through that mind/Chaga interface in her brain to programme nanoprocessors on a massive scale.
“We control it, Shone,” she whispered. “We can make the world any shape we want it to be. We can make a home for ourselves.”
Most High laid his hand on her shoulder.
“Enough, child. Enough. It can make itself now.”
Ten nodded. She broke the spell. Ten rolled onto her side, gasping, shivering.
“It’s finished,” she whispered. “Shone… “
She still could not say my name right. I went to her, I took her in my arms while around us Gichichi rose, unfolded roofs like petals, grew gardens and tiny, tangled lanes. No words. No need for words. She had done all her saying, but close at hand, I heard the delighted, apprehensive cry of a woman entering labour.
We begin with a village, and we end with a village. Different villages, a different world, but the name remains the same. Did I not tell you that names are important? Ojok, Hope’s child, is our first citizen. He is now two, but every day people come over the pass or up from the valley, to stay, to make their homes here. Gichichi is now two thousand souls strong. Five hundred houses straggle up and down the valley side, each with its own garden-shamba and nanofactory, where we can make whatever we require. Gichichi is famous for its nanoprocessor programmers. We earn much credit hiring them to the towns and villages that are growing up like mushrooms down in the valley of Nyeri and along the foothills of Mt Kenya. A great city is growing there, I have heard, and a mighty culture developing; but that is for the far future. Here in Gichichi, we are wealthy in our own way; we have a community centre, three bars, a mandazi shop, even a small theatre. There is no church, yet. If Christians come, they may build one. If they do, I hope they call it St. John’s. The vine-flowers will grow down over the roof again.
Life is not safe. The KLA have been joined by other contra groups, and we have heard through the net that the West is tightening its quarantine of the Chaga zones. There are attacks all along the northern edge. I do not imagine Gichichi is immune. We must scare their powerful ones very much, now. But the packages keep coming down, and the world keeps changing. And life is never safe. Brother Dust’s lesson is the truest I ever learned, and I have been taught it better than many. But I trust in the future. Soon there will be a new name among the citizens of Gichichi, this fine, fertile town in the valleys of the Aberdares. Of course, Sean and I cannot agree what it should be. He wants to call her after the time of day she is born, I want something Irish.
“But you won’t be able to pronounce it!” he says. We will think of something. That is the way we do things here. Whatever her name, she will have a story to tell, I am sure, but that is not for me to say. My story ends here, and our lives go on. I take up mine again, as you lift yours. We have a long road before us.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
2000
Daniel Abraham, “Chimera 8”, Vanishing Acts.
Linda Addison, “Twice, At Once, Separated”, Dark Matter.
Brian W. Aldiss, “Cognitive Ability and the Light-Bulb”, Nature,
January 20.
------, “Steppenford”, F&SF, February.
Poul Anderson, “Consequences”, Nature, May 13.
Eleanor Arnason, “The Cloud Man”, Asimov’s, October/November.
------, “Origin Story”, Tales of the Unanticipated 19.
Catherine Asaro, “A Roll of the Dice”, Analog, July/August.
Fiona Avery, “Luring the Tiger Out of the Mountain”, Bookface,
August.
Kage Baker, “Black Smoker”, Asimov’s, January.
------, “Merry Christmas from Navarro Lodge, 1928”, Asimov’s,
December.
------, “Two Old Men”, Asimov’s, March.
------, “The Young Master”, Asimov’s, July.
Dale Bailey, “Inheritance”, F&SF, July.
Tony Ballantyne, “Single-Minded”, Interzone, December.
William Barton, “Heart of Glass”, Asimov’s, January.
Barrington J. Bayley, “The Sky Tower”, Spectrum SF 2.
Stephen Baxter, “Behold Now Behemoth”, Asimov’s, January.
------, “Cadre Siblings”, Interzone, March.
------, “The Gravity Mine”, Asimov’s, April.
------, “Open Loops”, Skylife.
------, “Reality Dust”, PS Publishing.
------, “Saddle Point: The Children’s Crusade”, Science Fiction Age,
March.
------, “Sheena 5”, Analog, May.
------, “Silver Ghost”, Asimov’s, September.
Greg Bear, “Deep Ice and DNA Languages”, Nature, January 13.
Chris Beckett, “Snapshots of Apirania”, Interzone, October.
------, “The Welfare Man Retires”, Interzone, August.
Susan Beetlestone, “Fly”, Interzone, March.
M. Shayne Bell, “At Bud Light Old Faithful”, Interzone, February.
------, “Balance Due”, Asimov’s, December.
------, “Homeless, with Aliens”, Science Fiction Age, March.
Gregory Benford, “Taking Control”, Nature, August 20.
Christopher L. Bennett, “Among the Wild Cybers of Cybele”, Analog,
December.
Judith Berman, “Dream of Rain”, Interzone, May.
Michael Bishop, “Blue Kansas Sky”, Blue Kansas Sky.
------, “How Beautiful with Banners”, Century 6.
Russell Blackford, “The King with Three Daughters”, Black Heart,
Ivory Bones.
------, “Two Thousand Years”, Eidolon 29/30.
James Blaylock, “The War of the World”, Sci Fiction, May 24.
Ben Bova, “Death on Venus”, Analog, March.
------, “High Jump”, Amazing, Summer.
David Brin, “Stones of Significance”, Analog, January.
Damian Broderick, “Infinite Monkey”, Eidolon 29/30.
Keith Brooke, “Liberty Spin”, Interzone, August.
------, “.zipped”, Spectrum SF 2.
Eric
Brown, “Mind’s Eye”, Spectrum SF 1.
------, “The Crimes of Domini Duvall”, Science Fiction Age,
May.
------, “Destiny on Tartarus”, Spectrum SF 2.
------, “The Kings of Eternity”, Science Fiction Age, January.
------, “The Miracle at Kallithea”, Spectrum SF 3.
------, “The Ultimate Sacrifice”, Spectrum SF 4.
Stephen Brown & Alison Tokloy, “A Serpent in Eden”, Eidolon 29/30.
Chris Bunch, “Queen Bee”, Fantastic, Spring.
Michael A. Burstein, “Kaddish for the Last Survivor”, Analog,
November.
Eugene Byrne, “H.M.S. Habakkuk”, Interzone, May.
Pat Cadigan & Chris Fowler, “Freeing the Angels”, Sci Fiction, May
19.
James L. Cambias, “A Diagram of Rapture”, F&SF, April.
Orson Scott Card, “The Elephants of Poznan”, GalaxyOnline,
January.
Michael Carroll, “The Terrible Lizards of Luna”, Asimov’s, June.
Amy Sterling Casil, “Letters from Aries”, Talesbones, 14.
------, “Mad for the Mints”, F&SF, July.
Robert R. Chase, “Cheetahs”, Analog, July/August.
------, “From Mars and Venus”, Asimov’s, April.
Ted Chiang, “Catching Crumbs from the Table”, Nature, June 1.
------, “Seventy-two Letters”, Vanishing Acts.
David Ira Cleary, “In the Squeeze”, Science Fiction Age, May.
Hal Clement, “Under”, Analog, January.
Jim Cowan, “The True Story of Professor Trabuc”, Asimov’s, January.
Albert E. Cowdrey, “Mosh”, F&SF, December.
F. Brett Cox, “The Light of the Ideal”, Century 5.
Jack Dann, “Marilyn”, F&SF, August.
Stephen Dedman, “A Sentiment Open to Doubt”, Ticonderoga OnLine, May.
------, “Chosen”, Altair V.
------, “The Devotee”, Eidolon 29/30.
------, Shades of Green”, Science Fiction Age, May.
Jack Deighton, “The Gentlemen Go By”, Spectrum SF 2.
A.M. Dellamonica, “Nevada”, Sci Fiction, October 11.
Bradley Denton, “Bloody Bunnies”, F&SF, April.
O’Neil De Noux, “Tyrannous and Strong”, Asimov’s, February.
Paul Di Filippo, “The Reluctant Book”, Science Fiction Age, May.
------, “Singing Each to Each”, Interzone, May.
------, “Stealing Happy Hours”, Interzone, March.
------, “Stink Lines”, F&SF, February.
Cory Doctorow, “At Lightspeed, Slowing”, Asimov’s, April.
------, “A Place So Foreign”, Science Fiction Age, January.
------, “The Fundamental Unit of Memory”, On Spec, Fall.
------, “The Rebranding of Billy Bailey”, Interzone, August.
------, “Return to Pleasure Island”, Realms of Fantasy, April.
------& Michael Skeet, “I Love Paree”, Asimov’s, December.
Stefano Donati, “After the Rain”, Terra Incognita, Summer.
------, “1900 Night”, Talebones, 14.
Terry Dowling, “The Saltimbanques”, Eidolon 29/30.
L. Timmel Duchamp, “The Daddy’s Little Helper”, Terra Incognita,
Summer.
------, “How Josiah Taylor Lost His Soul”, Asimov’s, February.
Tananarive Due, “Like Daughter”, Dark Matter.
Andy Duncan, “Fenneman’s Mouth”, Beluthahatchie & Other Stories.
------, “Lincoln in Frogmore”, Beluthabatchie & Other Stories.
------, “The Pottawatomie Giant”, Sci Fiction, November 1.
J.R. Dunn, “Arcadia”, F&SF, August.
------, “For the Sake of Another Man’s Wife”, Century 5.
Greg Egan, “Only Connect”, Nature, February 10.
Harlan Ellison, “The Toad Prince or, Sex Queen of the Martian
Pleasure-Domes”, Amazing 600.
Dennis Fisher, “Waterdogs”, Aboriginal SF, Summer.
Lawrence Fitzgerald, “Snowball’s Chance”, The Age of Wonder.
Michael F. Flynn, “Built Upon the Sands of Time”, Analog,
July/August.
------, “Maiden Flight”, Analog, April.
Jeffrey Ford, “Exoskeleton Town”, Black Gate 1.
------, “The Fantasy Writer’s Assistant”, F&SF, February.
------, “Malthusian’s Zombie”, Sci Fiction, May 31.
John M. Ford, “In the Days of the Comet”, Nature, June 22.
Esther M. Friesner, “Big Hair”, Black Heart, Ivory Bones.
------, “The Shunned Trailer”, Asimov’s, February.
Neil Gaiman, “The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch”,
Tales of the Unanticipated, 20.
R. Garcia y Robertson, “Bird Herding”, F&SF, May.
------, “The Iron Wood”, F&SF, August.
------, “One-Eyed Jacks and Suicide Kings”, Asimov’s, August.
James Alan Gardner, “Ars Longa, Vita Brevis”, Nature, November 9. Carolyn Ives Gilman, “Dreamseed”, F&SF, October/November.
Greer Gilman, “Jack Daw’s Pack”, Century 5.
Alexander Glass, “The Language of the Dead”, Interzone, November.
------, “The Watcher’s Curse”, Interzone, December.
Jewelle Gomez, “Chicago 1927”, Dark Matter.
Ed Gorman, “The Broker”, Fantastic, Summer.
Peni R. Griffin, “The Troops”, Realms of Fantasy, February.
Nicola Griffith, “Lessons in What Matters”, Realms of Fantasy, June.
Jim Grimsley, “Peggy’s Plan”, Asimov’s, October/November.
James Gunn, “Pow’r”, Analog, January.
Joe Haldeman, “Brochure”, Nature, May 25.
Peter F. Hamilton, “Watching Trees Grow”, PS Publishing.
Elizabeth Hand, “Chip Crockett’s Christmas Carol”, Set Fiction,
December 6-27.
Charles Harness, “The Money Tree”, Analog, June.
------, “Red Skies”, Analog, February.
M. John Harrison, “The Neon Heart Murders”, F&SF, April.
David J. Hoffman-Dachelet, “They’re Not Coming Home”, Terra
Incognita, Summer.
Nalo Hopkinson, “Ganger (Ball Lightning)”, Dark Matter.
------, “Greedy Choke Puppy”, Dark Matter.
Charlee Jacob, “White Phantom”, Space & Time, Spring.
Matthew Jarpe, “Vasquez Orbitial Salvage and Satellite Repair”,
Asimov’s, July.
Kij Johnson, “TheHorse Raiders”, Analog, May.
Gwyneth Jones, “Total Internal Reflection”, Nature, February 17. Graham Joyce, “Partial Eclipse”, Sci Fiction, Aug. 9.
------, “Xenos Beach”, The Third Alternative, 23.
Michael Kandel, “Aliens”, Century 6.
James Patrick Kelly, “Feel the Zaz”, Asimov’s, June.
Garry Kilworth, “Bonsai Tiger”, Spectrum SF 1.
Ellen Klages, “Flying OverWater”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet
7.
Nancy Kress, “To Cuddle Amy”, Asimov’s, August.
------, “Wetlands Preserve”, Sci Fiction, September 27.
Geoffrey A. Landis, “A History of the Human and Post-Human
Species”, Science Fiction Age, January.
David Langford, “Comp.basilisk.FAQ”, Asimov’s, September.
------, “Different Kinds of Darkness”, F&SF, January.
Chris Lawson, “Matthew 24:36”, Eidolon 29/30.
Mary Soon Lee, “Pause Time”, Spectrum SF 4.
Rand B. Lee, “Tales from the Net: The Prince of Love”, F&SF, January.
Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, “Changeling”, Absolute Magnitude,
Summer.
Tanith Lee, “The Eye in the Heart”, F&SF, March.
&
nbsp; ------, “La Vampiresse”, Interzone, April.
------, “Rapunzel”, Black Heart, Ivory Bones.
------, “The Woman in Scarlet”, Realms of Fantasy, April.
Ursula K. Le Guin, “The Flyers of Gy”, Sci Fiction, 11/8.
------, “The Royals of Hegn”, Asimov’s, February.
Fred Lerner, “Rosetta Stone”, Artemis, Spring.
Kelly Link, “The Glass Slipper”, Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, 6.
------& Gavin Grant, “Sea, Ship, Mountain, Sky”, Altair 6 & 7.
Ian R. MacLeod, “Chitty Bang Bang”, Asimov’s, June.
------, “Two Sleepers”, Century 6.
Ken Macleod, “The Oort Crowd”, Nature, July 13.
Paul J. McAuley, “A Very British History”, Interzone, July.
.------, “Danger—Hard Hack Area”, Nature, March 2.
------, “Interstitial”, Asimov’s, July.
------, “Making History”, PS Publishing.
------, “The Rift”, Vanishing Acts.
------, “Straight to Hell”, The Third Alternative, 24.
Ian McDowell, “Sunflowers”, Vanishing Acts.
Terry McGarry, “The Child Ephemeral”, Terra Incognita, Winter.
Sean McMullen, “Colours of the Soul”, Interzone, February.
Elisabeth Malartre, “Words, Words, Words”, Nature, August 24. Geoffrey Maloney, “The Elephant Sways As It Walks”, Eidolon 9/30.
------, “The World According to Kipling”, Aurealis, June/July.
George R. R. Martin, “Path of the Dragon”, Asimov’s, December.
David Marusek, “VTV”, Asimov’s, March.
Kain Massin, “Wrong Dreaming”, On Spec, Fall.
A. R. Morlan, “Cine Rimettato”, Sci Fiction, August 16.
------, “Fast Glaciers”, Vanishing Acts.
Mike Moscow, “A Day’s Work on the Moon”, Analog, August.
Derryl Murphy, “Last Call”, On Spec, Fall.
Linda Nagata, “Goddesses”, Sci Fiction, July 26.
R. Neube, “Rules of the Game”, Tales of the Unanticipated, 19.
------, “The Wurst King vs Aluminum Foil Boy”, Asimov’s, August.
Kim Newman, “Tomorrow Town”, Sci Fiction, November 15.
Larry Niven, “Fly-By-Night”, Asimov’s, October/November.
------, “Loki”, Analog, January.
Mammoth Book of Best New SF 14 Page 107
