Chapter 34

           Millercrackedattwenty-oneminutes.Itdidn’tneedtheHendrixtotellme,thedatalinkterminalthatIhadjackedintothevirtualphonesuddenlysputteredtolifeandstartedchitteringouthardcopy.Igotupandwentovertolookatwhatwascomingout.TheprogramwassupposedtotidyupwhatMillerwassayingsoitreadsanely,butevenafterprocessing,thetranscriptwasprettyincoherent.Millerhadlethimselfslideclosetotheedgebeforehe’dgivenin.IscannedthefirstfewlinesandsawthebeginningsofwhatIwantedemergingfromthegibberish.

           "Wipethefilereplicants,"Itoldthehotel,crossingrapidlybacktotherack."Givehimacoupleofhourstocalmdown,thenjackmein."

           "Connectiontimewillexceedoneminute,whichatcurrentratioisthreehoursfifty-sixminutes.Doyouwishaconstructinstalleduntilyoucanbedeliveredtotheformat."

           "Yeah,thatwouldbe—"Istoppedhalfwaythroughsettlingthehypnophonesaroundmyhead."Waitaminute,howgood’stheconstruct?"

           "IamanEmmersonseriesmainframesyntheticintelligence,"saidthehotelreproachfully."Atmaximumfidelity,myvirtualconstructsareindistinguishablefromtheprojectedconsciousnesstheyarebasedon.Subjecthasnowbeenaloneforonehourandtwenty-sevenminutes.Doyouwishtheconstructinstalled?"

           "Yes."ThewordsgavemeaneeriefeelingevenasIwasspeakingthem.