Characters and events depicted herein are fictional any slrmlarity to actual persons, demons, anti-clu-ists, aliens, vampires, face-suckers or political figures IS COincidental and unintentional. "I'LL DIAL FOR 80TH of US," RICK DIAUD 594, PLEASED ACKIIOWLEDGMEIIT OF HUSBAIID'S SUPERIOR WISDOM III ALL lolA m
Characters and events depicted herein are fictional any slrmlarity to actual persons, demons, anti-clu-ists, aliens, vampires, face-suckers or political figures IS COincidental and unintentional. "I'LL DIAL FOR 80TH of US," RICK DIAUD 594, PLEASED ACKIIOWLEDGMEIIT OF HUSBAIID'S SUPERIOR WISDOM III ALL lolA m
Characters and events depicted herein are fictional any slrmlarity to actual persons, demons, anti-clu-ists, aliens, vampires, face-suckers or political figures IS COincidental and unintentional. "I'LL DIAL FOR 80TH of US," RICK DIAUD 594, PLEASED ACKIIOWLEDGMEIIT OF HUSBAIID'S SUPERIOR WISDOM III ALL lolA m
Characters and events depicted herein are fictional any slrmlarity to actual persons, demons, anti-clu-ists, aliens, vampires, face-suckers or political figures IS COincidental and unintentional. "I'LL DIAL FOR 80TH of US," RICK DIAUD 594, PLEASED ACKIIOWLEDGMEIIT OF HUSBAIID'S SUPERIOR WISDOM III ALL lolA m
"I'LL DIAL FOR 80TH OF US," RICK SAID, AIID UD HER BACK IIiTO THE BEDROOM. THERE, AT HER COIISOLE, HE DIAUD 594, PLEASED ACKIIOWLEDGMEIIT
OF HUSBAIID'S SUPERIOR WISDOM III ALL lolA mRS.
Oil HIS OWII CDIISOU HE DIAUD FOR A CREATIVE AIID FRESH ATTITUDE TOWARD HIS JOB, AL THOUGH THIS HE
HARDLY llEEDED; SUCH WAS HIS HABITUAL, IIIIIA TE APPROACH WITHOUT RECOURSE TO PEIIFIELD ARTIFICIAL BRAIII STIMULA TIOII.
THE OWNER OF THE AOJOINING PASTURE, HIS CONAPT NEIGHBOR BIU BARBOUR, HAILEP HIM; HE, LIKE RICK, HAP PRESSEP FOR WORK BUT HAP STOPPEP OFF ON THE WAY TO CHECK HIS ANIMAL, TOO.
RICK ASKEP. HE WISHEP TO GOP HE HAP A HORSE, IN FACT ANY ANIMAL. OWNING ANP MAINTAINING A FRAUP
HAP A WAY OF GRAPUAU Y PEMORALIllNG ONE. ANP YET FROM A SOCIAL STANPPOINT IT HAP TO BE PONE, GIVEN THE ABSENCE OF THE REAL ARTICU.
"THEN, ABOUT A YEAR AGO, REMEMBER THAT TIME I TOOK IT TO THE VET - YOU WERE UP HERE THAT MORNING WHEN I CAME OUT ANO FOUNO IT LYING ON ITS SIDE AND IT COUWN'T GET UP. "
"THE HAY, " RICK EXPLAINED. "THAT ONE TIME I PlON'T GET AU THE WIRE OFF THE BALE; I LEFT A PIECE AND GROUCHO - THAT'S WHAT I CALLED HIM, THEN - GOT A SCRA TCH AND IN THAT WAY CONTRACTED TETANUS.
"YOU GOT IT TO ITS FEET, " BARBOUR SAID, REMEMBERING AND NOPPING. "YEAH, YOU MANAGED TO UFT IT UP BUT THEN AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO OF WALKING AROUND IT FELL OVER AGAIN. "
I'VE HAD IT AT THE REPAIR SHOP SIX TIMES, MOm Y LITTLE MALFUNCTIONS, BUT
IF ANYONE SAW THEM - FOR INSTANCE ONE TIME THE VOICE TAPE BROKE OR ANYHOW GOT FOULED AND IT WOUWN'T STOP BAAING - THEY'D RECOGNIZE IT AS A "MECHANICAL BREAKDOWN. " HE ADDEO, "THE
REPAIR OUTFIT'S TRUCK IS OF COURSE MARKED 'ANIMAL HOSPITAL SOMETHING. ' AND THE DRIVER DRESSES LIKE A VET, COMPUTEL Y IN WHITE. "
8ACK THEN THE fALLOUT HAO 8EEN SPORAOIC ANO HIGHLY VARIA8LE; SOME STATES HAO 8EEN NEARLY fREE Of IT, OTHERS 8ECAME SATURA TEO.
THE OISPLACEO POPULA TIONS MOVEO AS THE OUST MOVEO.
ANYHOW THE TV CLAIMEO THIS TO 8E THE FIfTH (OR SIXTH?) ANNIVERSARY Of THE fOUNOING Of NEW AMERICA, THE CHIEf U.S. SETTLEMENT ON MARS.
ANO HIS TV SET, 8E1NG PARTLY 8ROKEN, PICKEO UP ONLY THE CHANNEL WHICH HAO 8EEN NATIONALlIEO OURING THE WAR ANO STILL REMAINEO SO; THE GOVERNMENT IN WASHINGTON WITH ITS COLONIlATION PROGRAM, CONSTITUTEO THE SOU
SPONSOR WHICH ISIOORE fOUNO HIMSELf fORCEO TO LISTEN TO.
"MRS. KLUGMAN, HOW WOIILO YOII CONTRAST YOIIR LIfE BACK ON CONTAMINATEO EARTH WITH YOUR NEW LIFE HERE IN A WORLD RICH WITH EVERY IMAGINABLE POSSIBILITY?"
FROM THE USElESS POLE LAMP IN THE
LIVING ROOM IT 001EO OUT, MESHING WITH THE EMPTY ANO WOROLESS OESCENT Of ITSELF fROM THE fLY-SPECKEO CEILING. IT MANAGEO IN fACT TO EMERGE fROM EVERY OBJECT WITHIN HIS RANGE OF
VISION, AS IF IT - THE SILENCE - MEANT TO SUPPLANT ALL THINGS TANGIBLE.
HE COULD NOT GET OUT UNTIL THE BONES STREWN AROUND HIM GREW BACK INTO LIVING CREATURES; HE HAD BECOME JOINED TO THE METABOLISM OF OTHER LIVES, AND UNTIL THEY ROSE HE COULD NOT RISE £fTHER.
POSSIBLY HE HAD DONE IT; PERHAPS THE EXTRASENSORY NODE OF HIS BRAIN HAD FINALLY GROWN BACK. OR MAYBE HE HADN'T ACCOMPLISHED IT; VERY LIKELY IT COULD HAVE BtEN A NATURAL PROCESS.
~S NO LONGER SINKING;
TO ASCEND, ALONG WITH lONG AGO HE HAD LOST SIGHT OF THEM. HE FOUND HIMSELF EVIDENT! Y CLIMBING ALONE. BUT THEY WERE THERE.
THEY STILL ACCOMPANIED HIM; HE FE! T THEM, STRANG£! y, INSIDE HIM.
IT'S SOMEONE ELSE IN THIS BUILDING, HE THOUGHT WILDLY, UNABLE TO BELIEVE IT. NOT MY TV; THAT'S Off, AND J CAN m: THE fLOOR RESONANCE.
IT'S BELOW, ON ANOTHER LEVEL ENTIREL Y!
"HARRY STILL WANTS THE NEXUS-6 BRAIN UNIT WITHDRAWN fROM THE MARKET'''