The real world? Youyou wanker . Youve always lived in the real world, whether in the atomic world or in this processing space. Dont try to dignify or excuse or explain what you helped create by saying that it is the real world!
Thats not what I meant-
Isnt it? Do you really know that? Or has the great lie infiltrated you and you dont know it yet?
What?
Okay, Peter. Breaks over. Lets feel what it was like at the end.
Judy stood up, turned to face Helen. Youll probably want to step into the next room for this part, she said. Helen felt a wash of emotion from Judy that filled her with a mixture of horror and delight. She was going to take it all the way. Helen wasnt so sure if that was part of Judys original plan; she was taking Peters comments personally. Helen walked from the room as Judy stared down at Peter, her black eyes glittering.
Peters bedroom was dominated by a huge picture window that looked out to sea. The Shawl hung high up in the blue sky, the sun lighting up one side in a harlequin pattern. How far up into the sky did it reach?
From next door she could hear low voices, she could feel the edge of a wave of emotion. She didnt want to think about it. Instead, she thought about the Shawl. Judy had said that someday you would be able to walk along the Shawl all the way to the moon, to Mars, to Jupiter. Was that possible?
A message flashed up on her console. It was time to return to the lounge.
Peter was slumped on the sofa. Judy was examining one of the erotic
sculptures that stood on a wall shelf: a woman sitting in the lap of a man, her legs wrapped around his back.
Do you like this sort of thing, Helen? she asked. Helen barely glanced at the sculpture, too busy staring at the man on the sofa.
Will he be all right? she asked.
Oh, yes.
Pity , thought Helen. Too late she remembered the red pill of MTPH, still in her system. Judy gave her a thoughtful look before directing her attention back towards him.
So, Peter, weve almost finished. Ive just got one more question. We know how the processing space was put into operation. What I want to know now is how the interface with the clients of the Private Network was to be made.
His voice was a dull monotone. Some of the clients had themselves loaded in there before the processing space was even launched. They were planning on taking a long holiday. The other ones would interface via secure directed pipes. The long-timers would leave that way too when they were finished.
Thats what we thought, Judy said, glancing at Helen. So that will be our lead to Kevin. Social Care will be performing a forensic on the impression made of the processing space before it totally collapsed. There will be some clues left as to who has been in there; VRep patterns are pretty good at retaining their integrity. One of them should give us a lead to the people who set that place up.
Helen nodded. Good, she said.
Judy replaced the erotic sculpture on the shelf and moved calmly to the middle of the room. The violent emotion she had displayed earlier had completely evaporated.
Well, Peter, I think we have finished here.
The man looked up, a hopeful expression on his face.
Is my punishment over?
That was not about punishment, Peter, Judy said. It was about empathy. And I dont simply mean understanding Helens pain; that is something a five-year-old could have done. Im talking about really trying to put yourself in anothers place. Once Ive gone there will be no more little red pills. You will have to live the rest of your life without me to help you. What you need to learn about is the right way to think of your fellow human beings: as fellow human beings, not commodities. This was the first stage of that process.
Peter gave a tired nod. I see.
Judy gazed at him for a moment. Then she spoke.
Your punishment will begin tomorrow. Someone will call just after 9 A.M. I suggest you dont eat anything for breakfast. Just stick to a glass of orange juice.
The Atomic Judy 2: 2240
The atomic Judy laughed as she pulled on a deep blue-green robe.
All the time, Frances. She smoothed the overlap across her front, hiding the robes white lining.
All these robes-the robot waved her golden arms to indicate the delicate garments that floated like well-dressed ghosts around Judys low bed-are they really necessary?
Judy played dumb. Are clothes necessary at all, Frances? In the artificial climate of the Shawl theres no reason why we cant all go naked.
She pulled on the next robe in the sequence of waka shobu : pale blue-green with a white lining. Petroleum colors shimmered across the material as it moved against the light.
No reason at all, Frances agreed. Although there are always the erotic possibilities involved in the removal of clothing
Judy laughed again. I have a robot lecturing me about sexual desire?
Frances folded her arms. Youre a virgin who appears to consider dressing in the mode of the young sweet-flag iris a satisfactory replacement for sexual stimulation.
Judy gave a sweet smile. Why Frances, I didnt know you followed wafuku.