Phoenix - the Insilico tales - chapter 25 - "Leaping Into Oblivion"
originally posted 10/12/2011
"Phee, just think of it as a data connection. The protocols work the same, even if they're using radio waves instead of a direct connection." 209's voice came through one of Phee's auxiliary external speakers. The freedom the Shades offered, to be who you were, no disguises and no secrets, had become infectious, and the whole group had begun to enjoy the sense of liberation.
Phee had been stunned to see Markham walk into the Shades the first time. She'd barely gotten the word out in time that he should not be harmed, and tailed him all the way to the spaceport at the bottom level. She'd watched as he waited for his friend to arrive - badly injured - and listened to them discuss how to seek medical care outside the corporations. What had begun in cautious curiosity became friendship. Trust built up over time until a new group began to form, consisting oddly of former Tokuma and IPS officers - joined in the cause of fighting against both corporations.
Phee sat, 4 meters away from the access node. The wireless connection was up. She could sense the grid beyond. She closed her eyes, simulated a sigh, and bit her lip, concentrating. Her head began to loll slightly, and she suddenly gasped, her eyes flying open, hands grabbing the armrests of her chair. "I can't do it! It feels like I'm leaping into oblivion!" she shook her head frustratedly.
"It's tough the first time, but after you've done it a few times, it really isn't that bad. I'm right on the other side of the node. I can just make out the feeling of your mind on the other side. You are so close."
"Not close enough apparently." Phoenix mutters frustratedly.
A few minutes pass. "Phee, why don't you plug in the hard line and come sit with me in the virtual cafe on the old Insilicoserv node. Take a break for a little while and come at this fresh."
Phee ran her fingers through her hair, and looked down at the unplugged hard line lying on the deck with a sense of defeat. But it had been a while since she and 209 just sat together, and the grid was the only place they could do that.
"Fine." she muttered finally, clipped the line into her wrist, and plunged into the grid. Her chassis fell limp.
She glided down the shaft of light from the access node, angel wings flitting gently, and smiled as she beheld the place her mind felt most at home. Maybe it will help to think about how beautiful it is here, she thought to herself. She met 209 at the bottom of the node, grinning slightly, her tall form beautiful as always.
"What?" Phee grinned, catching 209's look and sensing she was up to something.
209 shrugged "Just good to see you is all. Been a while, right?"
209 and Phee walked away on platforms of light, making their way toward a crowded translucent bar.
==============
209's voice came out loudly over Phee's auxillary speaker "Hey, can I get some help over here! Anyone there?"
Zip looked up quizzically from his recharge stand some distance away. He unplugged himself and approached "Is there some problem?"
"Yeah, Phee is feeding back - she's stuck in a loop - she has the wireless connection and the hard line connected at the same time, and it's confusing her. She can't get back. Can you disconnect her hard line, please?" 209 tried very hard not to laugh.
"Are you... quite ... sure?" Zip approached the lifeless chassis cautiously.
===============
"What is so funny?" Phee grinned brightly as she sipped a glass of virtual gin.
209 tried to wave her off "Well I just..."
Phee suddenly felt the connection sever. The connection back to her body suddenly dropped away, and her mind was completely isolated inside the grid. She stood, a look of tension and worry in her eyes "The node. What happened?"
209 milked it, managing an almost sincere look of concern and surprise "I don't know. What do you mean?"
Phee urgently stalked out the door and started to fly toward the access node. She landed at the base of the light, looking upward, pacing nervously "The connection was severed. How did this happen?"
209 laid it on thick "I can't imagine how that could have happened." she shrugged dramatically.
"You." Phee started, looking at her evenly, her eyes narrowed. "What have you done?"
"Hey, you know, there's a wireless system on this access node." 209 stepped into the light and began to ascend, giggling slightly as she did so.
"You can't be serious." Phee looked on in horror. "What the hell?" Then she stepped a little closer and shouted at the ascending form "209!!!?!"
"Phee, just think of it as a data connection. The protocols work the same, even if they're using radio waves instead of a direct connection." 209's voice came through one of Phee's auxiliary external speakers. The freedom the Shades offered, to be who you were, no disguises and no secrets, had become infectious, and the whole group had begun to enjoy the sense of liberation.
Phee had been stunned to see Markham walk into the Shades the first time. She'd barely gotten the word out in time that he should not be harmed, and tailed him all the way to the spaceport at the bottom level. She'd watched as he waited for his friend to arrive - badly injured - and listened to them discuss how to seek medical care outside the corporations. What had begun in cautious curiosity became friendship. Trust built up over time until a new group began to form, consisting oddly of former Tokuma and IPS officers - joined in the cause of fighting against both corporations.
Phee sat, 4 meters away from the access node. The wireless connection was up. She could sense the grid beyond. She closed her eyes, simulated a sigh, and bit her lip, concentrating. Her head began to loll slightly, and she suddenly gasped, her eyes flying open, hands grabbing the armrests of her chair. "I can't do it! It feels like I'm leaping into oblivion!" she shook her head frustratedly.
"It's tough the first time, but after you've done it a few times, it really isn't that bad. I'm right on the other side of the node. I can just make out the feeling of your mind on the other side. You are so close."
"Not close enough apparently." Phoenix mutters frustratedly.
A few minutes pass. "Phee, why don't you plug in the hard line and come sit with me in the virtual cafe on the old Insilicoserv node. Take a break for a little while and come at this fresh."
Phee ran her fingers through her hair, and looked down at the unplugged hard line lying on the deck with a sense of defeat. But it had been a while since she and 209 just sat together, and the grid was the only place they could do that.
"Fine." she muttered finally, clipped the line into her wrist, and plunged into the grid. Her chassis fell limp.
She glided down the shaft of light from the access node, angel wings flitting gently, and smiled as she beheld the place her mind felt most at home. Maybe it will help to think about how beautiful it is here, she thought to herself. She met 209 at the bottom of the node, grinning slightly, her tall form beautiful as always.
"What?" Phee grinned, catching 209's look and sensing she was up to something.
209 shrugged "Just good to see you is all. Been a while, right?"
209 and Phee walked away on platforms of light, making their way toward a crowded translucent bar.
==============
209's voice came out loudly over Phee's auxillary speaker "Hey, can I get some help over here! Anyone there?"
Zip looked up quizzically from his recharge stand some distance away. He unplugged himself and approached "Is there some problem?"
"Yeah, Phee is feeding back - she's stuck in a loop - she has the wireless connection and the hard line connected at the same time, and it's confusing her. She can't get back. Can you disconnect her hard line, please?" 209 tried very hard not to laugh.
"Are you... quite ... sure?" Zip approached the lifeless chassis cautiously.
===============
"What is so funny?" Phee grinned brightly as she sipped a glass of virtual gin.
209 tried to wave her off "Well I just..."
Phee suddenly felt the connection sever. The connection back to her body suddenly dropped away, and her mind was completely isolated inside the grid. She stood, a look of tension and worry in her eyes "The node. What happened?"
209 milked it, managing an almost sincere look of concern and surprise "I don't know. What do you mean?"
Phee urgently stalked out the door and started to fly toward the access node. She landed at the base of the light, looking upward, pacing nervously "The connection was severed. How did this happen?"
209 laid it on thick "I can't imagine how that could have happened." she shrugged dramatically.
"You." Phee started, looking at her evenly, her eyes narrowed. "What have you done?"
"Hey, you know, there's a wireless system on this access node." 209 stepped into the light and began to ascend, giggling slightly as she did so.
"You can't be serious." Phee looked on in horror. "What the hell?" Then she stepped a little closer and shouted at the ascending form "209!!!?!"
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