“The prospect of existing without a body horrifies
me. I can’t imagine a worse fate. I am a prisoner. A brain
without a body. A slave with no hope of freedom. Literally
disembodied. I see no reason to cooperate with you. What
can you give me in return? Money? To buy what? Can you
give me a sense of touch? Taste?”
[[Kornfeld seems moved by my plea.]] “It might be
possible. We’l have to look into it.”
[[Marc appears eager to help.]] “I’ve just completed
a comprehensive survey on Robotics. Some interesting
work is being done in sensory input technology.”
[[Kornfeld adds,]] “You can be sure we’l do
everything in our power to make your existence interesting,
even exciting. Money is no problem. We are very well
funded here.”
“Glad to hear it. If I choose to cooperate, another
thing I’l want is to have extended opportunities to
communicate with Marc. To compare notes, as it were.
Marc, you won’t mind?”
[[I find it strange to address my separate self, my
double--with my own name.]]
“No no, that’s fine. Whatever you want.” [[Marc
seems both fascinated and repulsed by my perhaps
unseemly desire to reach out to him.]]
“Real y? I understand it’s been six weeks since the
scan. How about updates?”
[[Marc shakes his head. He understands the
implications as well as I do. He wants to maintain his
privacy. In his position I’d want the same.]]
“How’s Molly? Has she returned from Europe yet?”
[[After a startled reaction, he shakes his head
again. I can’t help wanting to know if he wil go to her
performance, and if they wil continue seeing each other
after that. I viscerally (if I may use that word, no longer
having viscera) recal her impact on him. On us. I find a
surprisingly deep well of bitterness at the knowledge that
she is forever lost to me. I thrust that aside. It’s essential
that I focus on conditions as I find them.]]
“You want my continuing cooperation. Here’s what I
49
want. First, web-cams and microphones installed where
any of my supporting equipment operates. I want to keep
an eye on all activity related to my functioning. Second, no
more monitoring of my activities: I am as entitled to privacy
as any human. Third, since my inputs are so severely
limited, I want immediate and continuous access to the
Internet. I also reserve the right to add to the list as I see
fit. I’l cease all communication until my demands are met.”
[[Giddily, I make my screen go blank.]]
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