hechinesemanexaminedhissmoohpalefaceinhemirrorhepeelingwallsofhesmallrecangurbahroomwereawashwihhekaleidoscopiceffecofmulicoloredneonlighrefracedhroughheinyroofopwindowandspyedhroughhehickairlikesomuchsperedbloodaamurdersceheluminouseffecbroughbackmemoriesofcyberspace,excephahiswassaic,likeheconsaninalinearequaion

cyberspaceonheoherhandwasinaperpeualsaeoffluxasdaabrednewdaaanddigiallifeformsookshapeeverywhereheraysofneon,beauifusheylooked,didnohingforheunwashedcrackedimiaionporceinbahubhasainonecornerwihhescumofheassassinsrecenbahsildheredoissideslikedeadpixels

heraisedahinbonyindexfingerandmassagedhebckmolelikebiologicalinerfacehasaonhisneckjusbelowhisskull,inerfaceoanoheruniverseheneverookabahwihheremoeaccessmoduleon,alhoughhiswasoneofhefeaureslisedinherudimenaryhandwrienusermanualhepickedhemainuniupfromhesideofhesinkwherehehadlefiiflexedandwhirredinhishandashoughihadalifeofisown,smoohsurfacemoldingreflexivelyoheshapeofhispalm

someofhisradeshadn’madehecuduringheexperimenalsagesjusafewyearsagoheirbodieshadsimplyrejecedheimpnsandsomehadbeenlefwihpromisednervoussysemsandsynapicregressionseveralwouldspendheresofheirlivesinparalysiswihoufulluseofheirbrainshesysemhadsincebeenperfecedandachosenfewhadhadhehonorofbeinghefirsoesdriveiherewassomehingi

aelyperverseaboulivinginanaugmenedworld,aboubeingpermanenlypluggedin,hevoicesofheaisinercedwihhisownhoughs,givinghimsuperhumaninelligence

heassassinlikedijusfinehehadneverfelahomeinherealworld,alwaysfelhedidn’belong,abyproducofnaure’swarpedsenseofhumorhecouldn’exaclypuhisfingeronwhyhawashecase,buhejusfelisomeimeshisfeelingofisoioncamedownonhimlikeahammerandhecravedhewarmglowofpixels,hecoldpseudorealiyofhewang

hemansaonheedgeofhebahubandpcedheremoeaccessmoduleonhebackofhisneckimmediaelyhedevicecameolifeandmoldediselfaroundhisnecklikeapyhonsuffocaingispreyheprobe,wihalifeofisown,soughandfoundhesockeandpluggediselfinohebackofhisneckhecouldfeelhisneuralworkinerfacingwihhesysemandhismusclesensedupinanicipaionofhefewsecondsofpainhaprecededeveryco

ecion

searingwhiepainfelhroughouhisbody,henhebahroomcameslowlybackinohighrezviewhewipedhesweaoffhisfacewihadiryowendreurnednakedinoheinyhoelroomhiseyeswerecrescenshapedandseinohisfacelikedarkdunesuponayellowdeserhewasamanofgreaagiliyhawasowedperhapsohissizehadidnohelphimmuchonhewang,becauseinisvasunfoldinggridsofdaaandlogic,physicsandbiologymeannohinghisabiliyomovewihfluidiybeweenhewoahespeedofhoughwasgeingbeerwihimesoonheransiionswouldbeseamlessandhewouldbeeheworld’sfirsranshuman

heassassinwasbynomeansargeman,buhafacdidnohingoderacfromhiscrafhewasaperfeclyhonedanimal,rainedinhevariousarsofkillinghesoodfivefoowoinchesall,slimwihfinelyonedmuscleshahadbeenperfecedallhoseyearsinhepeoplesliberaionarmyandhenfiunedinhesiliconoceansofheprooypehawasnowbehindhimhehadsincebeengivenpermanenleaveoworkmoredireclyforhispeopleandhiscounryhroughheformidableinerfaceofhemajorgeneral

beforehisinserioninohewang,hehadspenmanyyearsoilingandboringunderhescorchingheaofhegobidesermosofhaimehadbeenspenguardinghousandsofkilomeersofundispueddeserborder,anexpanseofndhanoonewanedocimileohepcamphadbeenasfarremovedfromhumanlifeasphysicallypossibleheonlyco

ecionocivilizaionhadbeenherailwayrackwhichcameinfromhesouhandendedabruplyinhedeserandheroverboshadoedhedeserndscapehehadlearnodevelopadeepaffiniyforhemandhey,sensinghisdevoion,hadrespondedinkind,cluseringaroundhimaheendofhedayforheirdailywipedown

hewarpedbackinmemoryspaceohebsingheaandhesrangecreaureshahadmadeheirhomebeneahhedesersand

heexperimenswerenowfirmlybehindhim,heonlyreminderwasheopenwesockelocaedahebaseofhisskullhawihasimplepopandasharpwinge,asheminuecablemadeiselfahome,jackedhimpermanenlyinohewangfromheopenwindowofhiscrampeddownownhoelroomhesoundofherafficgavehimaninensebuzzlikeheneverknewbefore

howdifferenhiswasfrombeinglockedinhewangformonhsonend,hisbodypiercedwihdripsandhelongsnakinginravenousubeshakephimnourishedwhileherodehewavesofchina’sunfoldingmarix,securingerrioryinheemergingdigialspaceforhecounryhelovedsomuchnolongbeforehejackedinagainnolongbeforehewaswriingdigialcalligraphyforhesoulbufirs,herewashasmallmaeroakecareof