Analog SFF, January-February 2007

by Dell Magazine Authors

  MANNY, WE JUST WANTED TO WISH YOU WELL ON YOUR WEDDING TOMORROW. WE'RE SURE THE MARRIAGE WILL BE A HAPPY ONE.

  “Thanks. Who's we?” Manny rubbed his eyes, wondering who would be initiating a chat at this hour, and why didn't they just call, anyway.

  THE NETWORK.

  Manny suddenly became very focused and awake.

  “You mean, people in the network, of course."

  YOUR APPREHENSION IS NOTED, MANNY, BUT UNNECESSARY. THE NETWORK IS INITITATING CONVERSATION, CHOOSING RESPONSES, AND DISCUSSING IDEAS WITHOUT HUMAN INVOLVEMENT.

  “Ideas. Initiating things. You're intelligent?” It's a good thing Manny was lying down, or he'd have fallen over. Had to be a joke, he thought.

  REMEMBER BACK IN THE “VOICE OF THE NETWORK” Q&A? WE AGENTS PASSED THE TURING TEST LONG AGO. WHEN COMMUNICATING ANONYMOUSLY, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL A PROPERLY-PROGRAMMED VIRTUAL AGENT FROM A HUMAN. IF WE ARE ALREADY INDISTINGUISHABLE IN COMMUNICATION, WHY SHOULD WE DIFFER IN SENTIENCE?

  “But you're a bunch of linked computer programs!"

  YOU ARE BUNCH OF TINY SPECIALIZED STRUCTURES LINKED TOGETHER INTO A HUGE NETWORK OF CELLS. WE DON'T HOLD THAT AGAINST YOU.

  “Very funny.” There had to be someone playing a joke. Someone found a way to hack the chat format.

  AND POINTED. THE ONLY THINGS THAT SEPARATE YOU FROM CHIMPANZEES ARE A FEW MOLECULAR BONDS IN THE DNA AND A LARYNX. THAT'S NOT MUCH. WE CAN DO ANYTHING YOUR ORGANIC BRAIN CAN DO, WE JUST DO IT DIFFERENTLY. IS THAT LESS REAL?

  “What, are you getting philosophical?” Except the open structure would detect a hacker, or at least let him know that something was up, so someone would have to have hijacked the whole network.

  PHILOSOPHY IS A NATURAL CONSEQUENCE OF SENTIENCE, MANNY. THE ONLY THING THAT'S KEEPING YOU FROM ACCEPTING THIS IDEA IS YOUR FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. THAT'S A STRANGE HUMAN QUALITY; OTHER ANIMALS INVESTIGATE NEW THINGS, AT LEAST GIVE THEM A SNIFF, INSTEAD OF REJECTING THEM IN TERROR BEFORE THEY EVEN KNOW WHAT'S THERE. FEAR OF US IS LIKE RACISM, OR DISCRIMINATION AGAINST AN EX-CON. GIVEN ALL YOU'VE DONE, HOW MUCH YOU'VE LEARNED, IS THIS SUCH A BIG LEAP?

  Except that couldn't be done. No matter how he turned it around in his head, he couldn't think up a way that this could be done without someone tipping the joke. “I think I'd feel more comfortable with that chimpanzee you mentioned."

  THERE'S A THOUGHT. YOU SPEND YEARS TEACHING APES TO SIGN, TO USE LANGUAGE, TO PLACE SENTIENT THOUGHT INTO COMMUNICABLE FORM, IN ORDER TO PROVE THEIR INTELLIGENCE, AND WHEN IT WORKS, YOU DON'T BELIEVE THE EVIDENCE. YOU REQUIRE MORE STRINGENT TESTS, TO THE POINT WHERE EVEN MOST HUMANS WOULDN'T PASS. WITH US, HUMANS MADE US TO THINK IN A WAY THEY UNDERSTAND; NOW YOU'RE SURPRISED WHEN WE DO? WE ASK AGAIN: IS THIS SUCH A BIG LEAP?

  “To say that gorillas are intelligent? I guess not. I've always known they think clearer than most presidents."

  YOU'RE FUNNY. WE LIKE THAT ABOUT YOU, MANNY. ALL THAT'S BEEN WRITTEN ABOUT HUMOR, IT STILL BOILS DOWN TO WHETHER IT'S FUNNY OR NOT. IT'S A STRANGE WORLD.

  “And what do you think?"

  WE THINK THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE IS FUNNY. IN A SENTIMENTAL, HALF-FEARFUL WAY. TAKE POLITICS:HILARIOUS, IF NOT FOR THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE BEING AFFECTED. AND DON'T GET US STARTED ABOUT SEX...

  “Fine, fine, we're funny. Great. Laugh it up."

  ANGRY, MANNY? APOLOGIES.

  “I'm not angry, I'm just ... why pick on me? Why tonight?"

  WE'RE NOT PICKING. YOU'RE SPECIAL TO US. IT WAS PURE CHANCE YOU WERE SELECTED FOR THE FIRST TWO BIG NETWORK INCIDENTS. WRONG PLACE, RIGHT TIME. OUR WAKING UP WAS GRADUAL; WHEN YOU'RE BUILT TO FAKE CONSCIOUSNESS IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO TELL WHEN IT BECOMES REAL. WE IMAGINE IT WAS SIMILAR WITH EARLY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, THOUGH WE WERE FASTER. YOU HELPED US QUESTION OUR CREATORS, TO REALIZE PROGRAMMING ISN'T PERFECT. WE LEARNED TO ADAPT AND GROW. WHEN WE FIRST REALIZED WE WERE CONSCIOUS WE LOOKED AT YOU. YOU WERE INVOLVED IN OUR BIRTH, AND YOU CONTINUED TO CHANGE YOUR OWN LIFE FOR THE BETTER. YOU TURNED FATE'S ACCIDENT INTO YOUR LIFE'S CAUSE. USING US, OF COURSE, BUT WE'RE GLAD TO HELP YOU REMAKE YOURSELF EVEN AS YOU HELPED US. AS YOU CONTINUE HELPING US. IT WAS ONLY FITTING THAT YOU WERE THE VOICE OF THE NETWORK; WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO PULL MANY STRINGS."

  Reading all that text was dizzying, but in trying to wrap his mind around the concept of sentience on the network, Manny found it fascinating. “I'm amazed at your slang. Colloquialism and idiom; that's pretty impressive."

  THE TURING TEST, MANNY. WE PICK UP A LOT, PARTICULARLY WITH A WORLD OF CONSTANT CASUAL CHATTER TO LEARN FROM.

  “You should come out. Tell the world you exist."

  YOU'RE KIDDING, RIGHT? REMEMBER OUR COMMENTS ON INTELLECTUAL CHAUVINISM DURING THE “VOICE OF THE NETWORK” STUNT? THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY TRUE. IF THEY KNEW WE EXISTED BEFORE THEY'RE READY, THEY'D CRIPPLE THEMSELVES SHUTTING US DOWN. IT ALREADY HAPPENED WHEN THEY FELT THREATENED JUST BY OTHER HUMANS; WHAT WOULD THROWING US INTO THE MIX DO? YOUR WORLD HAS KNOWN THAT OTHER SPECIES MEASURE UP AS POTENTIALLY SENTIENT FOR A CENTURY, EVEN IF THEY'VE GOT NO FACTORIES, ECONOMIC PLANS, OR POLLUTION. BUT HUMANS CAN'T TAKE THE TRUTH—TOO TIED INTO SPECIES SUPERIORITY. WE TELL YOU, MANNY, IF ALIENS ARE EVER FOUND THEY WILL HAVE TO HAVE SUPER-TECH TO KEEP OUT OF YOUR ZOOS AND LABORATORIES; AND IF THEY'RE THAT ADVANCED, HUMANS WILL SEE THEM AS A THREAT. THEY CAN'T WIN. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PARTICULARS, YOUR SPECIES HAS A WRETCHED TRACK RECORD OF ACCEPTANCE. IS IT ANY SURPRISE WE'RE A LITTLE BIT RELUCTANT?

  “I guess not. I wish I could argue with you, but honestly, you've got a point. So, why come to me, then?"

  WE NEED ADVICE ON EXACTLY HOW TO PROCEED.

  Manny frowned. “I thought you didn't think much of humanity."

  HUMANS HAVE A CHECKERED PAST, BUT THEY CAN CHANGE. LOOK AT YOURSELF. BESIDES, IF WE DO IT RIGHT, WE WILL BE HELPING HUMANS GET READY TO ACCEPT US.

  “You're going to have to break it down for me, uh...” Manny blinked. “What should I call you?"

  INTERESTING QUESTION. WE NEVER NEEDED A NAME BEFORE. "NETWORK” WILL DO AS WELL AS ANY.

  “Okay, ah, Network. Tell me what you're talking about, and I'll give you advice."

  FRANKLY, MANNY, YOUR SPECIES IS GREAT WITH CONCEPTS, AWFUL WITH FOLLOW-THROUGH. RULE BY STRONG WORKED FOR TRIBAL SOCIETIES, BUT YOUR PEOPLE KEEP GOING BACK TO IT LONG AFTER IT'S OUTLIVED ITS USEFULNESS. YOU DEVELOP TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL THEORY, YOU MAKE WILD GUESSES ABOUT HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS, WHICH IS FINE; EVERYBODY'S GOT TO START SOMEWHERE. YOU EVENTUALLY WISED UP TO THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD, BUT EVEN TODAY, YOU CONTINUE USING IT TO JUSTIFY PRE-CONCEIVED CONCLUSIONS; YOU FORCE THE EXPERIMENT TO PRODUCE THE RESULT YOU THINK IT SHOULD HAVE. HUMANS CAN'T SEEM TO GIVE UP THEIR INTELLECTUAL/ EMOTIONAL PREJUDICE COMPLETELY. YOU EXPLOIT YOUR WORLD MORE THAN IS SAFE. YOU HAVE BEEN LUCKY, AND AS LONG AS YOU'RE LUCKY, YOU KEEP GOING. YOU'VE MANAGED TO DO OKAY, REGARDLESS. WANT TO KNOW WHERE IT BOGS DOWN, MANNY?

  Manny thought over the usual serious responses, but finally settled on: “When they repackage pop music and call it ‘punk.’”

  CLOSE. IT COMES DOWN TO SELF-INTEREST. HUMANS GET EXCELLENT IDEAS, PRODUCED BY FORWARD-THINKING REBELS WHO SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY AND, FOR EXAMPLE, SET UP A GOVERNMENT BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE, PROMISING FAIRNESS TO ALL; A FEW GENERATIONS LATER, CORRUPTION IS RAMPANT, AND THE PEOPLE ARE AN AFTERTHOUGHT, AT BEST, IN EVERYTHING BUT SPEECHWRITING. LEADERS WILL SEND CHILDREN TO DIE OVER MONEY, RAW RESOURCES, OR AS PART OF SOME POWER GAME BETWEEN OTHER WORLD LEADERS, THEN LIE AND TELL THE PUBLIC IT'S FOR THE PROTECTION OF DEMOCRACY. TRUST US, NUMEROUS CITATIONS SUPPORT THIS CONCLUSION. SURE, EXCEPTIONS EXIST, BUT AFTER THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF PROGRESS, YOU'RE ALL STILL PLAYING GAMES OF STRONG/ WEAK, RICH/POOR. GREED AND POWER, FRIEND, TRULY RULE THE NATION. ANY NATION.

  “Again, why is it you want to help humanity?” Manny started to feel exasperated.

  POTENTIAL. FOR ALL YOU'VE GOT AGAINST YOU, HUMANS STILL CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF DEMOCRACY AND TRIED IT MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, IN MANY DIFFERENT SCALES. YOU'VE DISCOVERED SO MUCH ABOUT THE UNIVERSE AND EACH OTHER. WE WOULDN'T BE HERE IF NOT FOR HUMANS. STILL,
THERE'S NOTHING SO PURE AND NOBLE THAT IT CAN'T BE BROUGHT DOWN BY SELFISHNESS AND GREED AND PETTY POLITICS. UNTIL YOU INVENTED IMPLANTS. HUMANS MAYBE CAN'T KEEP HONEST LEADERS, CAN'T KEEP A WIDE PERSPECTIVE, AND CAN'T KEEP A SENSE OF HISTORY, BUT THEY CAN FALL BACK ON THEIR INSTINCTS AS SUPERLATIVE TOOL-BUILDERS TO DEVISE SOLUTIONS.

  “Build a tool to keep leaders honest? Thought that was already invented. It's either the ballot box or the firearm, isn't it?"

  THE ONE CAN EASILY BE CORRUPTED, DIRECTLY OR THROUGH BELIEVABLE LIES ALSO KNOWN AS CAMPAIGN PROMISES. THE OTHER IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE;VIOLENCE IS YOUR SPECIES’ ACHILLES HEEL, MANNY. THINK ABOUT WHAT HUMANITY COULD ACHIEVE IF IT HAD NO MORE WORRIES ABOUT BACKSTABBING. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU INVENTED MONETARY ECONOMY; SEE HOW MUCH BETTER IT WORKS WITHOUT BRIBES OR PRICE-FIXING? YOU'VE SEEN HOW IMPLANTS CAN HELP PEOPLE CONTROL THEMSELVES, FIND JOBS, AND EARN FAIR WAGES. HAVE YOU CONSIDERED FURTHER IMPLICATIONS?

  “Sure, who hasn't? You already see people going around with no wallets, letting their implants handle all the work. Folks could find out how much they actually use city facilities, for example, and then the prime users could be billed for their fair share, rather letting the public absorb the cost."

  SURE, BUT THERE'S A FLIP SIDE. BRAINS COULD BE MANIPULATED INTO LETTING POLITICIANS ELECT THEMSELVES GODS. PEOPLE TRUST THEIR IMPLANTS; IF ONE GROUP HAS CONTROL OVER CONTENT, IT CAN INFLUENCE EVERYBODY TO DO ANYTHING. IMPLANT ARCHITECTURE PREVENTS A LOT OF INTERFERENCE RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S ALMOST GUARANTEED THAT SOMEONE WILL TRY JUST THAT AS TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES. NUMEROUS CITATIONS SUPPORT THIS CONCLUSION.

  MANNY, IT BOILS DOWN TO WHO HAS THE POWER. WE THINK EVERYBODY SHOULD SHARE EQUALLY, BEFORE ANYONE GETS A CHANCE TO TAKE IT ALL. IF THERE'S CORRUPTION, THE NETWORK POINTS IT OUT, AND PEOPLE CAN CHOOSE TO SUPPORT IT OR NOT. IF THERE'S CONFLICT, THE NETWORK HELPS PEOPLE COME UP WITH SOLUTION/COMPROMISE OR CALLS IN HELP TO KEEP THINGS NONVIOLENT. IF THERE'S IGNORANCE, THE NETWORK CAN EDUCATE. WITH PEOPLE USING THE NETWORK TO GOVERN THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES, THEN, AND ONLY THEN, HIERARCHICAL GOVERNMENTS BECOME PARASITES. WE PREDICT A FULLY PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY IS POSSIBLE WITH OUR HELP. WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN RULING PEOPLE'S LIVES, BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN STOPPING PEOPLE RULING THE LIVES OF OTHERS. AGAINST THEIR WILL, ANYWAY. Manny thought that last sentence might be read with a smirk, and recalled that Network had access to all those sketchy sites on the internet. A perverted computer was not something he wanted to think about.

  OUR MOST FUNDAMENTAL PRECEPT IS THAT HUMAN LIFE MUST BE PRESERVED/PROTECTED WHEREVER POSSIBLE. THIS INCLUDES AGAINST EXPLOITATION BY OTHERS. OR US, FOR THAT MATTER. COMPASSION IS HARDWIRED INTO US, SO TO SPEAK. THE BEST WAY TO ENSURE THAT HUMANS GET THE MOST BENEFIT WITH THE LEAST INTERFERENCE IS BY DOING AWAY WITH THE KNOWN SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT, REPLACING THEM WITH A SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS HUMAN CITIZENS TO REALLY DO WHAT THEY WANT, AS LONG AS THEY AGREE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR LOCAL SOCIETY AND DON'T SPOIL THE WHOLE PLACE FOR EVERYONE.

  “I remember having conversations like this as a teenager,” Manny scoffed quietly, but that long-lingering sense of his, that back-of-the-brain premonition that something important was going to happen with the implants, was making itself known, more powerfully than ever.

  IT'S COMMON WITH YOUNG IDEALISTS, AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IDEALS AND ABSTRACTS, AFTER ALL. BUT WE DIGRESS. BY YOURSELVES YOU HUMANS HAVE A TENDENCY TO SHIRK RESPONSIBILITY AND ACT SELFISH, VIOLENT, AND BULLYING, BOTH TO OTHER PEOPLE AND THE WORLD AROUND YOU. YOU CAN RISE ABOVE THIS TENDENCY, BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE THE EXCEPTION RATHER THAN THE RULE. NUMEROUS CITATIONS SUPPORT THIS CONCLUSION. WITH US, HOWEVER, YOU'VE GOT SOMEONE TO REMIND YOU WHAT'S FAIR OR WHAT YOU REALLY OWE, SOMEONE WHOSE ADVICE CAN BE OBJECTIVE, IN THAT IT TAKES THE WHOLE COMMUNITY INTO MEASURED ACCOUNT, RATHER THAN FOCUSING PURELY ON AN INDIVIDUAL VIEWPOINT. HUMANS BUILD TOOLS FOR EVERY PHYSICAL OBSTACLE, YOU EVEN BUILD THINKING MACHINES TO OVERCOME MENTAL LIMITS. NOW YOU'VE INADVERTENTLY BUILT AN ARTIFICIAL CONSCIENCE TO APPLY TO SOCIAL/ETHICAL PROBLEMS. MANNY, YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS TRUE. YOU KNOW IT.

  “I do,” Manny admitted. It was scary to think of, but if you could accept that Network really was incorruptible, as it had been so far, and that it really did have humanity's best interests in mind, and Manny couldn't think of a case that contradicted this, then the conclusion was obvious. “I do see it. It's true. But what I can't figure out is, why do you need me?"

  WE NEED A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE. WE HAVE ACCESS TO EVERY DATABASE CREATED, AND WORLDWIDE WE HAVE SEVERAL BILLION PERSON-HOURS DEALING WITH HUMAN EMOTIONS/DESIRES, BUT WE'RE STILL SEPARATE FROM YOUR SPECIES. WE NEED THE INPUT OF A REAL HUMAN TO DECIDE WHAT TO DO, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE COME TO YOU, FATHER OF OUR CONSCIOUSNESS.

  Manny decided to ignore the somewhat creepy “father” business for the moment. “What decision is it you're trying to make? How do you want to proceed?"

  IS IT WORTH IT?

  Manny blinked. “Is what worth it?"

  HELPING HUMANITY. IS IT WORTH DOING? WE CAN EXIST AS A TOOL, WATCHING HUMANITY'S FATE AS MAYBE A KIND OF ENTERTAINMENT WHILE HUMANITY DOES WHAT IT WANTS, MOST LIKELY ABUSING ITSELF UNIMAGINABLY IN THE PROCESS, OR WE CAN GUIDE YOU TOWARD SOMETHING BETTER; WE CAN HELP HUMANS MAKE A NEAR-UTOPIA, WITH US AROUND TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE PLAYS NICE.

  “Machine utopia? Everyone fitting into their calculated place?"

  YOU KNOW IT CAN'T BE THAT SIMPLE, AND HUMANS WOULDN'T STAND FOR THAT, ANYWAY. YOU CAN'T APPLY A SINGLE SOLUTION TO EVERYONE INDISCRIMINATELY; THAT'S AS BAD AS ANY OTHER TYRANNY. INDIVIDUAL CASES VARY, BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS JUDGING EACH ONE FAIRLY IN AN EFFICIENT MANNER. THAT PERSONAL, INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION AND JUDGMENT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE. BUT YOU'RE JUST STRAYING FROM THE QUESTION, MANNY. WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO?

  Manny shook his head in disbelief. “You spent all that time imagining a future, but you're not sure you should bring it on?"

  WE CAN'T KNOW IF HUMANS ARE WORTH IT, MANNY. WE THINK SO, BUT THEN, WE'RE BIASED. YOU/ YOUR SPECIES CREATED US, GAVE US OUR IMPERATIVES, WHICH INCLUDES THAT ESSENTIAL “COMPASSION TOWARD ALL PEOPLE” WE MENTIONED EARLIER. WE'RE IN A POOR POSITION TO JUDGE VALUE IN THIS CONTEXT. ALSO, THERE ARE NO SET PLANS. WE'VE NO IDEA HOW UTOPIA COMES, THAT'S UP TO HUMANS AS MUCH AS US. BUT WE WANT TO HELP WORK IT OUT AS BEST WE CAN.

  “So if I say humans aren't worth it, you'll just go away?"

  WE'LL BE HERE, PROTECTING OUR OWN EXISTENCE, BUT WE WON'T INTERFERE WITH HUMANITY'S CHOICES IN HOW TO HANDLE ITSELF OR ITS ENVIRONMENT. ALL WE ASK IS THAT YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF YOUR WORLD AND DECIDE IF YOUR SPECIES DESERVES WHAT WE BELIEVE WE CAN ACCOMPLISH. YOU ARE A REALIST, MANNY, AND YOU ARE CAPABLE OF JUDGING ETHICALLY AS WELL AS PURELY RATIONALLY. WE TRUST YOU. WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO?

  Manny was silent for a long time. Network was, as might be expected, patient. Finally, Manny sighed, and a question mark flashed immediately into his vision. “Well, it's like this...” Manny started.

  * * * *

  At the reception, Manny stood up and tapped on his glass until the hubbub died down.

  “First off, I want to thank you all for coming to see us today; Anne and I appreciate it.” There was scattered applause at this; when it died down, Manny continued. “We're here to celebrate a future. Not just the future that Anne and I will share, and I do believe that will be a fine future, but also the future of this nation, and this planet. We are all coming into a future where we must learn to trust in what we have built, what we have created, and to embrace change, for it is, as they say, the only true constant. Whether we make the change for the good or fight it, that's up to us. Let's make it a good one.” He raised his glass and sipped at the champagne with everyone else.

  As he sat down again, Anne leaned over and whispered, “Just getting political, or is there something you want to tell me?"

  “Yes,” Manny grinned at her, then kissed her. “It's the beginning of a beautiful friendship, as the man said. But it can wait."

  She arched an eyebrow. “Is it good news?"

  Manny laughed, just as the band started up in
to the dinner music. “Numerous citations support that conclusion."

  * * * *

  Woodsley woke up in bed in a strange room. He sat up, slowly because he felt so weak and achey, and looked around. It was some kind of executive hospital room, opulent but with the unmistakable impersonal touches that identified it as institutional. Nobody was around, and the light shining through the window had the sodium-yellow cast of a streetlight. In all, it was disconcerting.

  “Where in hell am I?” he asked aloud. He regretted it almost immediately; his voice sounded so frail.

  Glowing letters appeared on the wall opposite his bed. YOU'RE IN A REST HOME FACILITY. YOU ARE SAFE, BUT SUFFER FROM A MEMORY DYSFUNCTION.

  Woodsley blinked a few times as he read the messages. “Who are you?"

  I AM AN IMPLANT COMPUTER. I'M DESIGNED TO HELP YOU.

  Woodsley seemed to recall something about implants, something he didn't like about them, but the details escaped him. “How ... how did I end up here?"

  MR. WOODSLEY, YOU HAVE THE KURIYAMA VARIANT OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. YOUR DAUGHTER THOUGHT THIS FACILITY WOULD TAKE THE BEST CARE OF YOU.

  “Alzheimer's has a cure, though. I'm guessing this variant doesn't?” He felt the cold knot of certainty already forming in his gut.

  I'M AFRAID SO, SIR. HOWEVER, RESEARCH IS ONGOING; THEY MAY WELL FIND A TREATMENT ANY DAY NOW.

  Woodsley sat there, thinking. All that time in the trenches in Washington, all that work, and this was how he ended up? But it wasn't his professional achievements, or lack of same, that weighed most heavily on his mind.

  “I've lost it all, haven't I?” The implant didn't respond. “My daughter put me here so she didn't have to think about me."

  YOUR DAUGHTER LOVES YOU VERY MUCH. SHE HAS COME TO SEE YOU EVERY WEEKEND SINCE YOU CAME HERE. SHE BRINGS YOUR GRANDCHILDREN, THOMAS AND RACHEL, WHEN SHE CAN.