ref: fd9be2e172be4ae02a18d721a10f6f96ca1c924f
dir: /troff/0108.ms/
.LP .ce .ps 16 .CW GRID .R .ps 10 .br .ce .ps 10 .B 1 .P .PP .ps 10 .DC A ctually, my armchair is quite sophisticated. .PP .ps 10 Read all the reviews, but I have to disagree: handling truly is superb. Armor plating commensurate with industry standard. High bandwidth, low TCO. .PP .ps 10 Anyway, it works for me. .PP .ps 10 Able to navigate the Iron Triangle. .PP .ps 10 Nana, the Company, and the War. From my armchair I observe each piece as it moves around the board. May not understand it all but at least I'm inscribing a record. Upon playback, somebody else can interpret the details. .PP .ps 10 Enter Slake Bottom. .PP .ps 10 Contractor, yes. Construction worker, no. Mistaken, before, when I thought she was needling him about paint swatches. Wasn't really here to remodel the kitchen. Likely that chatter was solely for my benefit. .PP .ps 10 Too many hours in her bedroom with the door locked. I'm not fooled. .PP .ps 10 Presently, have been able to gather more data. Increased travel, in and out of the Basement. Eastern Europe. Something to do with inertial navigation. Genetic? I don't know. Nana is here and gone seemingly on a daily basis. Sometimes she's in and out so quickly that she forgets and leaves her bedroom door unlocked. Trusts me, I guess. Nosed around a bit but I can't make sense of her papers. As usual, the particulars are above my head. .PP .ps 10 Must be why they call this the Basement. .ce .ps 10 .B 2 .P .PP .ps 10 "Crack is here, it's just not evenly distributed yet." .PP .ps 10 The Vizier ran a disciplined subgovernment. For the most part. .PP .ps 10 Legally speaking, he was regarded as the Colonel of Processing, Memory, and I/O. Multiple clone procs spawned, he was able to manage parallel, so\-called threads at an astonishing level of complexity. He suffered comparatively few crashes. On a personal note, he'd found a way to manage his personal habits. This new supplier meant less resources tasked to acquisition. These fellows might wear strange clothing, but they showed up on time and they never ran out of product. Claimed to be from New York. Unlikely that it was any New York he had ever known. .PP .ps 10 The Vizier felt reasonably certain that his thoughts were under control. .PP .ps 10 "We were .I just .R having this same discussion. Shall we continue, then, after lunch?" .PP .ps 10 The Vizier took a light touch with his staff. Let them set their own schedules. This method had served him well in the old country. .PP .ps 10 "Sounds fine. How about that new barbecue place uptown. Don't forget to clock out." .ce .ps 10 .B 3 .P .PP .ps 10 Three weeks in. .PP .ps 10 Slake Bottom ran his hand over the boy's face, mussed his hair. This triggered a minimal reflex action in the child's legs. .PP .ps 10 "Sit still," he commanded. .PP .ps 10 Lunsford, ignoring the command, continued to squirm. .PP .ps 10 Slake shook his head. Withdrew his bladed instrument and replaced the lid of Lunsford's skull. Tapped him lightly on the chest to let him know the procedure had been a success. .PP .ps 10 The boy sat up. .PP .ps 10 "I've allowed my body to fail me again, sir," said Lunsford. .PP .ps 10 "Try not to think of it as pain. You're always so focused on the negative. Need to develop a more diverse perspective grid." .PP .ps 10 "Unfortunately, I've got this unshakable grip on reality," said Lunsford. .PP .ps 10 Slake Bottom lit a cigarette. .PP .ps 10 "We're pushing your immune system past its limits. We need you in the proper frame of mind." .PP .ps 10 "I'm .I trying, .R sir. I want to do my best. For the country. It's just that I can't stop these ideas coming into my head. Can't go to sleep. Just keep thinking about what all this might mean, where we really are, who I really am. It's a lot to for someone my age to take in." .PP .ps 10 Slake pulled on his cigarette. Went back to work sterilizing his equipment. .PP .ps 10 "We know, son." .bp .ce .ps 10 .B 4 .P .PP .ps 10 Old woman has found the armchair. .PP .ps 10 Unauthorized equipment. Strictly forbidden. .PP .ps 10 Evasive maneuvers ensue. Mostly useless. Try to bargain with her, to no avail. Offer to stop taking notes while on the clock. Isn't having any of it. She could stop me taking notes any time she wanted, it was true. .PP .ps 10 Drag the chair up, through the floor. Out to the curb. Don't really want to leave it up there. Special access. Denied technology. But, she won't let me back in until I prove it's out of my reach. She's given me a lot of second chances. .PP .ps 10 Back in the closet, rubbing the floor. Carpet looks different. Pattern. Shape of a grid. .PP .ps 10 What's the meaning of this? Beats me. Look at the carpet. .PP .ps 10 Floor finally opens. Crawl back through. .PP .ps 10 Something in the Basement is different. Lighting? Scent? .PP .ps 10 Back suddenly sore. .PP .ps 10 Into my room. Lay down on my bed and try to read the ceiling. .PP .ps 10 Unsure what's happening to me.