Chapter 3

           Home.

           HomewasBAMA,theSprawl,theBoston-AtlantaMetropolitanAxis.

           Programamaptodisplayfrequencyofdataexchange,everythousandmegabytesasinglepixelonaverylargescreen.ManhattanandAtlantaburnsolidwhite.Thentheystarttopulse,therateoftrafficthreateningtooverloadyoursimulation.Yourmapisabouttogonova.Coolitdown.Upyourscale.Eachpixelamillionmegabytes.Atahundredmillionmegabytespersecond,youbegintomakeoutcertainblocksinmidtownManhattan,outlinesofhundred-year-oldindustrialparksringingtheoldcoreofAtlanta...

           Casewokefromadreamofairports,ofMolly’sdarkleathersmovingaheadofhimthroughtheconcoursesofNarita,Schipol,Orly...HewatchedhimselfbuyaflatplasticflaskofDanishvodkaatsomekiosk,anhourbeforedawn.

           SomewheredownintheSprawl’sferro-concreteroots,atraindroveacolumnofstaleairthroughatunnel.Thetrainitselfwassilent,glidingoveritsinductioncushion,butdisplacedairmadethetunnelsing,bassdownintosubsonics.Vibrationreachedtheroomwherehelayandcauseddusttorisefromthecracksinthedessicatedparquetfloor.

           Openinghiseyes,hesawMolly,nakedandjustoutofreachacrossanexpanseofverynewpinktemperfoam.Overhead,sunlightfilteredthroughthesoot-stainedgridofaskylight.Onehalf-metersquareofglasshadbeenreplacedwithchipboard,afatgraycableemergingtheretodanglewithinafewcentimetersofthefloor.