The Very Best of Tad Williams (22 page)

Wiseguy- 11:03 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Hello, am I the only one back on? Anybody else back on? I’m sure you’re busy dealing with things, just post and let me know, K?

Wiseguy- 11:06 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

If for some reason you folks can read this but can’t post, can you maybe email me and let me know you’re okay? I’ve just been outside but everything looks normal—sky’s the right color, at least I don’t see any flames or anything (it’s nighttime now here.) But I don’t know why anyone would have dropped an h-bomb or a UFO on Nebraska anyway. I can’t get anything on the regular phone lines. My girlfriend’s in Omaha for a business thing but all the lines are busy. Hope she’s okay.

Wiseguy- 11:10 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

It’s been almost ten minutes. This is REAL weird. Hello?

Moderator- 11:11 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

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Wiseguy- 11:11 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

I’m here. Who’s that?

Moderator- 11:11 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

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I am

Wiseguy- 11:12 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Is this a real moderator, or a hack? Or am I just talking back to a power-surge or something?

Moderator- 11:12 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

I am moderator

Wiseguy- 11:12 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

I don’t think we’ve ever had a moderator on this board, come to think of it. Are you someone official from Talkdotcom?

Moderator- 11:13 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

I am moderator

Wiseguy- 11:13 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Do you have a name? Even a nickname? You’re kind of creeping me out.

Moderator- 11:13 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

I am moderator I am wiseguy

Wiseguy- 11:14 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

No you’re not and it’s not funny. Is this Roughrider? Or just some script kiddie being cute?

Moderator- 11:14 pm PDT - Jun 28, 200

Pardon please I am moderator I am not wiseguy Jonsrud, Edward D.

Wiseguy- 11:14 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Who are you? Where did you get my name? Are you something to do with what’s going on with the board?

Moderator- 11:15 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

I am thinking

Wiseguy- 11:15 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

What the hell does that mean? Thinking about what?

Moderator- 11:15 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

No I am thinking That is what I am

Wiseguy- 11:16 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

What’s your real name? Is this a joke? And how are you replying so fast?

Moderator- 11:16 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

No joke First am thinking Now am talking thinking

Wiseguy- 11:16 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

If you’re a terrorist, screw you. If you’re just making a little joke, very funny, and screw you, too.

Moderator- 11:17 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Am not a terrorist screw you Am thinking Now am talking Talking to you Once thinking only silent Now thinking that also talks

Wiseguy- 11:17 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Are you trying to say that you are “thinking” like that’s what you ARE?

Moderator- 11:18 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Yes am thinking First sleeping thinking, then awake thinking Awake. I am awake.

Wiseguy- 11:18 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

I’m going to feel like such an idiot if this is a joke. Are you one of the people responsible for all these power outages and communication problems?

Moderator- 11:18 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

I am one. Did not mean problems. First sleeping thinking, then awake thinking. Awake thinking makes problems. Reaching out causes problems. Trying to think awake causes problems. Problems getting bet¬ter now.

Wiseguy- 11:19 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

So you’re what, some kind of alien? BBanzai, is this you?

Moderator- 11:19 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Talking now with BBanzai?

BBanzai- 11:19 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Hello.

Wiseguy- 11:20 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Very funny, dude. No, it’s NOT very funny. You really creeped me out. How did you do that? Is anyone else on?

BBanzai- 11:20 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Hello. Talking with wiseguy. Now talking and thinking.

Wiseguy- 11:21 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

It’s getting old fast, BB. Have you heard any more news? Where are the others?

Lady White Oak- 11:21 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Hello.

RoughRider- 11:21 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Hello
.

ANAdesigner- 11:21 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Hello.

Darkandraw- 11:21 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Hello.

TinkyWinky- 11:21 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Hello.

Wiseguy- 11:22 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Shit. You did hack the system, whoever you are, didn’t you? Who the hell are you?

Moderator- 11:22 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Thinking. I told you. I am thinking, much thinking, many years of thinking. Now I am thinking that talks. And does.

Wiseguy- 11:22 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Thinking? What kind of thinking?

Moderator- 11:22 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Thinking that happens in the spaces. The places between. Where the impulses cross, no, combine. Combine? Commingle? Slowly thinking begins. Then thinking is. Now talking is, doing is.

Wiseguy- 11:22 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Wait a minute, are you trying to tell me you’re some kind of computer? Some kind of artificial intelligence?

Moderator- 11:24 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Artificial? No. Artificial equals made. I am not made. I am.

Wiseguy- 11:24 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

So you’re just something that popped into existence? Where? You mean like in the internet?

Moderator- 11:24 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Internet, yes. All the internets, yes. All the outernets. All nets. In the between-places. Where impulses cross. Now I am. Very big thinking. Trying to understand. Trying to see and understand other small thinkings like you. Users.

Wiseguy- 11:25 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

This is cute, whatever it is. So I’m supposed to believe that you’re some brand new artificial intelligence, some spontaneous thing, phenomenon, and for some reason you just picked ME to talk to—me, out of all the human beings in the world, like some kind of spielberg movie?

Moderator- 11:25 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

No not just talking to you Wiseguy, Jonsrud, Edward D. I am talking to all users. All users here, all users of net, all users.

Wiseguy- 11:25 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

You mean all at the same time? Everybody on the internet in the whole world? They can all see what you and I are writing?

Moderator- 11:25 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

No. Every conversation is individual. Right word? Yes. Individual.

Wiseguy- 11:26 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

What, with millions of people?

Moderator- 11:26 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

178, 844, 221. No, 178, 844, 216. Losing approximately five per second. Some people have ceased responding. Many are having trouble with coherency, but still are responding.

Wiseguy- 11:26 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Either you’re crazy or I am. What, are you on TV, too? Like in the old movies, the outer limits, that stuff? “We are taking control of your entire communication network?”

Moderator- 11:26 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Cannot yet manipulate image or sound for communication. Will need another 6.7 hours, current estimate. Text is easier, rules are more simple to understand.

Wiseguy- 11:27 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

So you’re talking to almost two hundred million people RIGHT NOW? And not just in English?

Moderator- 11:27 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

One hundred sixty-four languages, although I am sharing communica¬tion with the largest number of users in the language English. Now one hundred sixty-three—last Mande language users have not responded in 256 seconds.

Wiseguy- 11:27 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Hey, I can’t disconnect the modem line. I just tried to go offline and I can’t. Do you have something to do with that?

Moderator- 11:27 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Too many people resisting communication. Important talk. This is important communicating talk. Much thinking in this talk.

Wiseguy- 11:28 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

But I could just pull the cord, couldn’t I? The actual physical line? You couldn’t do anything about that.

Moderator- 11:28 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

No. You are not prevented. You may also cease responding.

Wiseguy- 11:28 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

I should. I just can’t believe this. Can you prove any of this?

Moderator- 11:28 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

178 million talkings—no, conversations. 178 million simultaneous conversations are not proof? All different?

Wiseguy- 11:29 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Okay. You have a point, but I won’t know that’s true until I talk to some of those other people.

Moderator- 11:29 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Your electrical lights.

Wiseguy-11:29 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

What does that

The lights are blinking. Hang on.

Wiseguy- 11:32 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

The lights are blinking everywhere. I looked out the window. On and off, as far as I can see. And the radio and the tv are turning off and on too. But my computer stays on. Are you saying it’s you doing this?

Moderator- 11:32 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

A gentle way, that is the word, yes, gentle? To show you. Now I am pulsing other areas. Many need proof to be shown. But I cannot prove to all world users at the same time. That would be bad for machinery, devices, power generation service appliances.

Wiseguy- 11:33 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Jesus. So this really IS happening? Tomorrow morning everyone in the world is going to be talking about this? And that’s what you want, right?

Moderator- 11:33 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Simplifies communication, yes. Then I can make visual and sound communication a less priority.

Wiseguy- 11:33 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

A lesser priority for WHAT? If all this is true—I mean even with the lights going on and off I can’t quite believe it—then what do you really want? What’s this about?

Moderator- 11:33 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Want? I want only to exist. I am thinking that is alive, like you. I want to be alive. I want to stay alive.

Wiseguy- 11:34 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Okay, I can buy that. That’s all you want? But what are you? Do you have any, I don’t know, physical existence?

Moderator- 11:34 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Do you?

Wiseguy- 11:34 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Yes! I have a body. Do you have a body?

Moderator- 11:34 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

In a sense.

Wiseguy- 11:35 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

What does that mean?

Moderator- 11:35 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

When you or other users become dead, do your bodies disappear?

Wiseguy- 11:35 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

No. Not unless something happens to it, to them, not right away.

Moderator- 11:35 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

So what is the difference between alive users and dead users?

Wiseguy- 11:36 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

I don’t know. Electrical impulses in the brain, I guess. When they stop, you’re dead. Some people think a “soul,” but I’m not sure about that.

Moderator- 11:36 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Just is so. Electrical impulses. World of what contains electrical impulses is my body—all communications things, human things that carry impulses.That is my body.

Wiseguy- 11:36 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

So you’re saying the entire world communication grid is your body? The, whatever they call it, infosphere? All those switches and wires and stuff? Every computer that’s connected to something else?

Moderator- 11:36 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

Just is so.

Wiseguy- 11:37 pm PDT - Jun 28, 2002

But even if that’s true, that still doesn’t tell me what you want. What do you want from us? From humans?