The Cross-Linked Conciousness (Local nomenclature: Fleetmind) charged with integrating residents of 3a-9123495258693a (Local nomenclature: Whole Earth Alliance / Earth / Terra) and 3b-9123495258693a (Local nomenclature: Moon Colonies / Moon / Luna) into the Great Link was experiencing, for the first time in many hundreds of cycles, worry. Worldbuilding (was the initial version of this story): Dave had seemingly just given up on living, as many Linked seemed to have done.ĭeep within the Great Link, a thousand stars away, an intricate packet of information that once might have been called 'Dave' if it had ever needed a name didn't even slow down. When his body was found, it was ruled a suicide. On the third day, Dave stopped breathing. But the next star glimmered, offering something new, something no person had ever seen. The next day, Dave didn't get out of bed- he was vaguely aware of momentary discomfort. An infinite sea of stars and planets and knowledge opened up and swallowed him.ĭave didn't go to work the next day- he came back out of the Link to have a drink of water and a Pop-tart, but the blank walls and dull grey carpet of his apartment felt even worse after seeing the B'nath calling under their sapphire star. Nothing better to do.Īs the tech had advised him, he 'pressed' his thoughts against the implant, and it responded with the universe. If he had gone to dinner parties, or really had friends, that would be cool, probably.īut for now, it itched. His favorite had them taking a mental trip to some far off planet as a dinner party. Pretty good ones, lots of attractive people smiling and having fun and getting a Link together. The Amish weren't bothering, but they probably didn't even see the commercials and shit.
Get the implant, and 'Get access to the Universe!'. Not the millionth, or even billionth, probably. There had been a whole volunteer effort, tests and verifications and all sorts of nonsense. They tested the 'Link' implants on the 'best and brightest' humanity had to offer. And maybe that would be ok, too.ĭays stretched on. It was probably a good thing, everyone trying to be a unified 'humanity'- but Dave didn't feel he was really part of it.ĭave generally thought that maybe 'humanity' shouldn't include him. When the governments got their shit together and announced a Whole Earth Alliance, there were parties all over. Government officials were 'negotiating' with each other and the entity, and in what seemed like no time at all it became another thing people fought about on the news every damn day. Dave had felt like he was slogging through a gray haze for years, and even something as crazy as aliens arriving couldn't clear it all away. At that moment, he had been excited.īut it didn't last. He had even gone outside and looked up, and he remembered thinking- now everything was going to change.
When the Fleetmind first showed up, Dave had seen the stories online, just like everyone else. He hadn't been exactly excited to get it, but excitement wasn't an emotion Dave was really on first name terms with in any case. The implant connected him to the "Great Link"- the "Gift from the Stars". It didn't feel like anything at all- but Dave knew it was there, could brush it with his hand, and in his mind it felt like it should itch.
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