Inside looking out looking in.

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery..."
Anyone resembling Elvis


	Alfred pulled his black Buick up to the front door of the 
Regency Hotel in Santa Clara, California.  The streets were still wet 
from the afternoon rains, but the night was clear and cloudless.  The 
twin towers of the luxurious resort were well lit, from within and 
without.  The bright lights were intense against the night sky.  As he 
pulled to a stop at the front doors, an attendant opened his door.
	"Good evening, sir.  Wonderful night for a party, if you don't 
mind my saying so."
	Alfred left the keys in the ignition and got out of the car.  
Taking a 5 dollar bill conveniently pre-placed in his tuxedo pocket, 
he tipped the young man saying "I trust it will be parked in a well lit 
spot?"  The valet smiled, got into the driver seat, closed the door, and 
drove off to some distant location.  Presumably one with a light.  
Alfred turned toward the doors leading into the luxurious hotel.
	"Well, I'm here." Alfred sighed.  "May as well go in."  Up until 
the last minute, he had not decided whether to attend the business 
party, or stay home and rent a tape.  He was very uncomfortable in 
social situations.  That was not unusual for computer geeks like him.  
Large crowds of people with nothing in particular to do always made 
him nervous.  He tried to do his Christmas shopping before 
Halloween, in fact.  But in the end, he gave up and decided to go 
ahead and at least make an appearance.  Just like he did every year.  
Every, stinking, year.
	Hands in his pockets he walked up the steps into the lobby of 
the hotel.  Ornate fixtures and brass lighting were abundant, and red 
soft carpeting threatened to swallow whole anyone who should trip 
and fall into it and plush them to death.  Plants and potted trees of 
every sort congregated next to the walls.  About four couches lined 
the room, keeping a number of people in varying stages of 
conversation close to each other.  Several signs pointed to the main 
hall, where the party had already begun.  Alfred could hear the band 
playing in the distance.
	He resigned himself to the fact that he was going in.  Shoulders 
hunched, he began the trek towards the double doors and the 
merriment.  He was halfway across the room when one of his 
coworkers spotted him. "Alfred!" he called across the room.  "Alfred, 
it's me, Michael!"  Michael half jogged, half stumbled to meet him.  
Apparently the bar was free tonight, since Michael was already 2 out 
of 3 sheets to the wind.
	"Hey Al, old buddy." Micheal gushed, putting his arm around 
him, and half using Alfred to stay standing.  "Glad you could make it!  
I thought you weren't going to come tonight."
	"Well, company politics and all, I thought it was just a good 
thing to do." Alfred lied.
	Michael leaned back and gave him a fake admonishing look.  
"Nahh, that's not how it is.  Don't gimme that aloof at'tude you carry 
around in the lab."  He put his arm around Alfred's shoulder again, 
and gave Alfred his best buddy squeeze. "Admit it pal, you came 
here to have a good time just like me.  Just like all the rest in there!  
Come on in, have a few and unwind some, eh?"
	Michael led, or rather staggered, Alfred toward the party area, 
which was a very large domed auditorium, several stories high.  The 
arena had to be at least as large as a football field, since Alfred could 
not see the other side of it.  The hotel rooms which lined the walls 
looked down onto the revelry below.  Indeed, several people were 
standing on the balconies of their private rooms, throwing confetti, 
party balloons, toilet paper, and more to add to the festive feel.  The 
air was alive with flashing lights and rotating beams, cut periodically 
with dancing laser lights.  On the floor, numerous tables were 
covered with every kind of culinary delicacy known to man.
	And on the floor, were a thousand happy people.
	"Now then.  Don't you think this is a fuggin lot better than 
watching cable reruns?"  Michael said.
	"Incredible." Alfred said.  He meant it too.  
	"Hah!  The oyster is finally coming out of his shell.  And about 
damn time too."  Michael leaned closer and spoke lower.  "If I were a 
good looking young man like you, I would go out there and see about 
getting one of those young ladies to dance with me.  Who knows..." he 
winked, "one of them might take you upstairs for a more pleasant 
kind of dancing."
	Alfred tried to remain patient with the drunken man. "So why 
don't you go out there and dance with some yourself?" he said.
	Michael laughed.  "No way! I'm not 25 like you!  I have an 
extra 2 decades of mileage on me, and the dances they do these days 
would put me into a grave!  Besides..." he smiled, "when you have 
money like me, you don't need a body to attract the young ladies!  Go 
and have a good time kid.  I am going off to get another drink!"  And 
with that, he was off in pursuit of his dream:  a scantily clad waitress 
carrying vodka.	
	Alfred went in and sat down on a couch placed a little out of 
the way.  He picked up a passing rum&coke, and settled down to 
watch the others.  They certainly seemed to be having a good time.  
There was even a rumor of a food-fight at midnight.  Alfred doubted 
that would happen, as nicely dressed as everyone was.  He 
recognized some of the people on the floor.  There was Thomas 
McCaffery over there.  He was in charge of supplies.  Any time Alfred 
ever needed something fast or weird, Thomas always came through 
for him.  Alfred didn't recognize the woman dancing with him.  She 
was a looker though, he thought to himself.
	"Excuse me, but do you mind if I share the couch with you?"
	Alfred looked up to reply.  The face he saw looked familiar, but 
the body...
	"Is anything wrong?" she asked.  He must have been staring.  
What a putz he must seem.  He got up and gestured to the couch.
	" No, No nothing is wrong at all!  It's just that... I... well..."  Huh, 
he thought.  So much for first impressions.
	"Thank you" she replied, and she sat down.  She opened her 
purse and took out a compact to check her makeup.  All at once her 
name came to him.  
	"Candice!" he said, and sat down quickly.  "I couldn't remember 
your name at first, but now I recall. It's Candice.  You worked with 
me in the MicroLab last year".
	She smiled at him.  His insides felt like they were melting.  "Oh, 
hello Alfred." she said as she checked her mascara.  "I didn't 
recognize you in that tuxedo!"  She put her compact away and turned 
smiling to face him.  "I must admit, it looks very good on you.  I 
never took you to be the formal wear type."
	"You should talk," Alfred grinned.  " Just look at you.  That low-
cut blue evening gown is a light-year removed from your lab coat!"  
He couldn't help but look her over.  " I just can't get over how 
gorgeous you look tonight!"
	"I can look gorgeous for a lot of occasions," she said.  "All 
someone has to do is ask."  She moved over closer to him on the sofa.  
"So tell me, what have you been doing with yourself since you moved 
to the other side of the complex?"
	"The usual small talk, eh?"
	Her smile went away.  He was sorry he said anything when it 
did.  "I was only trying to be friendly you know.  It's just, it, Ohh!  
You can be so difficult to talk to some days!"
	"I'm sorry Candy..."
	"And would you stop calling me that?" she fussed.  "Do you 
know how hard it is to work with 20 men calling you 'Sweet Candy' 
all the time?  And talking about how much they all wanted a 'piece 
of candy' as I am leaving the room?"  Alfred had to admit, he didn't 
know what it must feel like.  He did know that people made 
comments like that though.  He had wondered if it bothered her.
	"I never once said anything like that... Candice." Alfred said.  "It 
just seemed like a nickname, you know? Nicknames are supposed to 
be funny."
	"How would you like it if I started calling you 'Little Al'?"
	"As long as you kept calling me, it would be fine." he joked.  
Alfred looked into her eyes, and suddenly, he wanted her.  He had 
always wanted her.  He just never could find the correct time to tell 
her.
	She was looking at him as well.  Apparently she saw something 
she liked, for her countance softened.  "I never knew..." she said.  "In 
all this time, I never knew that you cared for me."
	"I have always cared.  I just, I don't know.  Maybe I should 
take some remedial romance classes or something."  He looked away 
towards the tables.
	She took her hands and turned his head gently back to hers.  
She was scant inches away from him.  She spoke warmly and softly. 
"You seem to be doing pretty well so far."  She put her hand down on 
top of his.  "Romance is very simple." she said  "You tell the other 
person the first things that pop into your head.  Don't stop to hunt for 
correct words or phrasing, just let your heart come out.  Speak with 
your soul, and not with your thoughts."  She patted his hand, and 
continued to look into his eyes.
	Alfred took it all in.  The lights, the music, the shape of her 
body, the warmth in her voice.  All at once he poured out...
	"I'm not the warmest man on earth.  I can't write poems and 
take you dancing every night!  I can't treat you like you should be 
treated!  I would love to love you, but it isn't in me! I could never 
love you like you should be loved.  I would kill to be able to make 
you happy, but, but that isn't me." He paused for a few seconds, and 
caught his breath.  "I'm sorry" he finally said, "that was hardly 
romantic sounnnnmmmfff.."
	She had put her arms around him and given him a big kiss. It 
was hard, yet somehow tender.  It was the most incredible thing 
Alfred had ever felt.  He had no idea how long they stayed like that, 
two people embracing on the couch.  He didn't even know when he 
had put his arms around her as well.  All he knew, was that it was 
the most incredible kiss he had ever had.  And that he didn't want it 
to end.
	But of course, it did end.  When she pulled back she tossed her 
hair back playfully.  "I don't think I have ever been more flattered." 
she said.  
	Alfred was still a little disoriented from the experience.  
Flattered?  "Um, uh, just... tell me..."  She seemed to be amused by his 
stuttering. "Just what did I say to deserve such affection? Not that 
I'm upset, mind you..."
	"It was the way you thought about me." she said.  "It was how 
you thought that I deserved so much better than you.  You didn't 
think about yourself and your needs, like so many men do.  You 
thought of me. Me... "  And with that she drew him closer to kiss him 
again.  This time he was ready, and he wanted it.
	They talked and kissed for quite some time that night.  It was 
all a blur to him.  Some of their deepest desires and secrets were 
spoken, things that had never before sprung to their lips.  They 
talked about their dreams and plans and how good each other 
looked.  They talked about where they wanted to be in 5 years.   
They laughed themselves sick when neither of them could remember 
in detail.  Yes, it was a wonderful night.  It was the night that Alfred, 
that anyone, always dreamed of.  They went out and danced on the 
floor with the other couples.  As a couple.  They moved in perfect 
harmony with the music and each other.  They held each other close 
in their arms, and swayed to the emotions they both felt so deeply.
	Finally, it was getting late.  Or early, depending on your point 
of view.  Only a few people were still in the hall.  All of the balcony 
revelers had long since retired to their rooms, and the kitchen staff 
had begun to remove what was left of the food.  The band had 
completed their set, and had even played some extra songs, and they 
were now tearing down their equipment.  Alfred and Candice 
returned to the couch for a quick breath.
	"You never told me you could dance so well" she panted.
	"Well, it never came up in casual conversation." he replied.
	"Casual this..." she said, and swiftly, she kissed him again.  
When she was done, he wanted her even more.
	"I don't think I will ever be able to look at you casually ever 
again." he said, speaking from his heart.
	She looked at him for a long time, deeply, smiling as she did so.  
She could be looking into the very depths of his soul, Alfred thought, 
as deep as her gaze seemed to be.  He didn't mind at all.  In fact, it 
allowed him to do a little soulgazing of his own, in her eyes.  Finally 
she stood up and straightened out her dress.  Holding out her hand to 
him she said "Are you ready to leave now?"
	He automatically began to put his hand out to meet hers, but 
then stopped.  Looking up at her he asked, "Where are we going?"
	She continued to hold out her hand, smiled and replied "My 
room.  I have a room in the hotel for the night."  Her eyes were so 
warm and inviting... " Unless of course you would prefer we go to 
your room, or house..."
	She was so beautiful.  How could he refuse.  It was what he had 
wanted all of his life.  He held out his hand to take hers...

			All went black and silent...

	He suddenly was surrounded by nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  
Where scant seconds ago he was enveloped by sound and light, now 
there was emptiness.  He tried to look around, but was unable to 
move his head.  Or if he could move, he could not tell which way he 
was facing.  He drew in a breath to yell, but could not inhale.  He 
could not make any movement or sound.  He began to be afraid.  
	Calmly, he told himself.  Calmly, or you are dead.  Panicking 
only gets you into more trouble.  Calm down, and rationalize things.  
Now, only a second ago, everything was normal.  Suddenly 
everything disappeared.  Were there any sudden lights? Flashes? 
Was there anything unusual that I noticed before everything 
vanished?  Any strange sounds?  No.  Nothing but her face.  Any 
ideas at all about what the hell is happening?  No?  
	Okay.  Now I am going to panic!
	"Shit!
A voice!  There was a sound! Someone else is here!
	"What happened?
And another voice, Deeper than the first!
	"Everything went down!  Everything! I am tracing the faults 
now!  Hmm... Seems the entire environment routine just suddenly 
went belly-up."
	"Not good.  Not good at all.  Did everything collapse, or are there 
any fragments left and running?" 
	"Checking now.  Looks like almost everything.  No wait!  I have 
one fragment running.  There is a person still functional!  Don't ask 
me why, but he is still there."
	"Well, kill the last process then and lets get cracking on finding 
the problem and restoring from backups." the second voice 
suggested.  "Damn it, I am going to miss dinner again.  Third time this 
week.  My wife is going to have my balls for ping-pong."
	"Killing the last process is a bad idea.  He may yield a clue as to 
what happened. " the first voice said.  
	"Highly unlikely." the second replied.  "Still, if you plan to check 
it out, you had better give it an environment and soon.  It won't run 
long with nothing else around it.  It will need air at the minimum..."
	"You're right." the first voice responded. "The only thing I can 
lay my hands on right this second is the Dysan Sphere model we 
have been playing with.  But it beats nothing at all.  Hey down there, 
if you can hear me, boy are you in for a surprise. Here we go..."

	And the world exploded.  Actually, a better description would 
be that the world suddenly was created instantly around him.  
Gravity returned, and so did the air.  Wonderful air!  He gasped and 
tried to catch his breath.  Quickly he looked around to figure out 
what was happening.  He was now in a meadow, full of sound. 
Crickets chirping, birds singing.  It was wonderful to hear again.  And 
to see!  It was such a lovely meadow.  And off in the distance he 
could see trees.  And further off, a forest.  And still more and more, 
as the horizon climbed up into the sky.  Up?
	It wasn't possible!  Yet there it was.  Off in the distance he 
could see distant forests, lakes, rivers, all climbing upwards in the 
distance.  The farther up he looked, the more world he saw.  After a 
few degrees of elevation, the sky appeared the same blue he had 
always known.  And the clouds were the same billowy white they 
had always been.  But his concept of a horizon just did a backflip.
	"Well, now that everything is squared away, I can have a quiet 
talk with the man," the first voice spoke.  "and find out what he 
knows."
	"You are wasting our time." the second voice replied, obviously 
annoyed.  "That algorithm was simply in the wrong place at the 
wrong time!  Just because it didn't crash doesn't mean it holds a 
clue."
	"But do you deny that he may? Even by a wild chance?  This 
project is too important not to take these things one step at a time."
	Alfred looked around, but didn't see anyone.  Not in this wide 
open meadow anyway.  Odd though, the voices sounded like they 
were coming from a PA system.  And as he recalled, P.A.s weren't 
common part and parcel in such pastoral settings.  At least not in the 
county he grew up in.  "Excuse me!" he yelled, hoping that he could 
catch whoever's attention.  "Hey out there!  Can anyone hear me?"
	"Yes, I can hear you." the first voice replied.  "By the way, there 
is no need to shout."
	Alfred lowered his voice.  "Can you please tell me what is going 
on, and where I am?  What happened?  And who are you?" Alfred 
was so puzzled and full of questions that he rambled.
	"Patience, friend.  Patience.  I will answer your questions one at 
a time." the first voice said.  "Then you will answer some of mine...  
As for who I am, well, just accept for the moment that I am god..."
	"Oh gimme a break already!" the second voice groaned.
	"Shush." the first voiced admonished the second.  "Now as for 
where you are, right now you are standing on a little project of mine 
called Dysa.  It is a complete shell surrounding a sun,  therefore, it is 
bigger than anything you have ever dreamed of.  As far as what is 
going on here, are you familiar with computers?"
	"Certainly." Alfred replied.  "We use a number of them where I 
work.  Why do you ask?"  
	"What do you use them for?" the first voice quizzed.
	"Well, they keep track of inventory, handle electronic mail, 
speed up the designing process..."
	"I'll be more specific." the first voice said.  "Tell me, do you 
ever run any sort of simulations on the computers?  To see what 
affect some change may have without doing serious damage to 
something real?"
	Alfred wondered where this line of thought could be leading.  
"Of course we do." he replied  "Sometimes actually building 
something, like a spacecraft, is just too expensive.  So we model it 
with a computer to put it through it's paces without risking a 3 
billion dollar vehicle."
	"All right.  I assume that your models are quite good then...  
Tell me.  What if you could create a model so detailed, so deep in it's 
design, that it mimicked a natural system perfectly?  And what if 
part of that design were intelligent algorithms that operated semi-
independently on their own will? And then, what if you ran it all on 
a computer powerful enough to not only simulate reality, but create 
it within its boundaries. What would you call that?"
	Alfred was really confused now.  "I don't understand what you 
are getting at."
	"Suppose that I take a program simulating a dog, and I run an 
environmental program for the dog to exist in." the first voice 
continued.  "The dog walks around, eats, looks for other dogs, and 
leaves calling cards just like a real dog.  As far as the dog-program is 
concerned, everything it senses is real.  Wouldn't this be a good 
experimental model to study everything about the society of dogs?"
	"I suppose so." Alfred agreed.
	"Well that, in a nutshell, is the type of world you have been 
living in." the first voice explained.  "It only exists within the realm 
of my computer.  Everything you know has been part of a large 
experiment.  You, and everyone else you know are computer 
routines.  Very advanced, and individual, but still only algorithms."
	"Hold on a second.  I need a moment to digest this..." Alfred 
paused.  "Do I understand you correctly when you say that 
everything I know is only a computer model?"
	"Including your own existence."
	"...If this had been an actual Reality, you would have been 
instructed where to tune, in your area, for news, and a really good 
rock station." the second voice cracked.
	"Would you knock it off!  This is hard enough on him as it is!"
	"Him!" the second voice spoke angrily.  "You speak about this 
computer function as if it were alive!"
	"What?!" Alfred yelled.  "How can you believe for one second 
that I am not alive?  I am talking to you aren't I? I am intelligent 
aren't I? 'I think, therefore I am'!  Haven't you heard of that?"
	" 'You process, therefore you simulate.'  Got any more one-
liners for me?" the second voice teased.
	Alfred was beginning to stress out.  "How about this, 'There is 
no fate, but what we make?"
	The second voice wasted no time in replying. "'I've faith in fate, 
for yours is at the touch of my finger.' Next."
	Now he was really nervous!  He could not think of any spiffy, 
clever sayings.  He was losing, to someone he couldn't see or touch.  
It was like being in a battle of wits with a radio, and the radio was 
coming out ahead.  It wasn't fair.  How was he suppose to prove to 
someone that he existed?  And to someone he couldn't see.  He began 
to say a prayer his mother had taught him, hoping for inspiration.  
"The lord is my shepherd, I shall not wander..."
	"And there shall be a lovely rain of coconuts..."

	And suddenly coconuts were falling from the sky.  They fell for 
quite a long way off from what Alfred could see, but none of them 
came within 10 feet of him.  Which was probably a good thing, 
considering that the ground shook under every impact!  It was quite 
a knee-knocker.  One of those coconuts hitting him would be certain 
death!  But Alfred couldn't get over the absurdity of it.  "This is 
impossible!" he screamed.
	"Quite.  But there is a good story behind it."  the second voice 
exclaimed.
	"A story about falling coconuts?"  Alfred yelled.
	"Don't get him started..." the first voice replied.
	"Oh please? I do so like telling it." the second voice pleaded.
	"Would one of you turn off the damn coconuts before I get 
beaten to death?!"  Alfred screamed.  And just as suddenly as they 
began, they ceased.  The ground was covered with husks, and the 
flowers and grasses were all crushed under their weight.  Nothing 
but brown as far as the edges of the meadow.  The scent of coconut 
oil was heavier than in Malibu.
 	Alfred collapsed on the ground, trying to take it all in.  "You, 
you mean that nobody, and nothing I have ever known... was really 
real?"
	"They were as real as you..."
	"Course, that's not saying much." the second voice taunted.
	It was all too much.  All his life he had been living a lie!  A lie!  
He started to cry in the grass, his hands clutching the stalks in 
despair.  Candice had been so beautiful.  Now to find out that she was 
only a number on a disk somewhere.  Everything seemed so hollow.  
Empty.
	"We don't have time for this you know." the second voice 
complained. 
	"Relax man, I am looking at his datalog from the time of the 
crash now."
	"Um, excuse me"  Alfred began.  He was beginning to get over 
his initial shock.  "Could you tell me at least, what the simulation you 
are doing is for?  What is the objective?  Just to satisfy my 
curiosity?"
	There was a pause.  Alfred could tell that the two voices were 
talking it over quickly in the distance.  Then the first voice explained 
again.  "The simulation is to follow your technological achievements, 
and see if you develop the ability to travel to the stars.  If so, then all 
we have to do is look at the plans drawn up in the simulations, and 
we will have saved ourselves a lot of time and energy.  Poof, instant 
technological breakthrough."
	"But that's immoral!" Alfred exclaimed.
	"That is your opinion." the second groused.
	"But doing something like that gives you only the facts." Alfred 
stated.  "You then don't understand the background of how it works 
and why!  Just the design, and nothing more!  What kind of scientists 
are you?"  
	"Look at it this way." the first voice said.  "If you had a tool that 
could block a hurricane, and a hurricane were coming toward you 
and your city, wouldn't you use it?  If many lives were in jeopardy, 
wouldn't you use any resource to save them?"
	"Terrific!" the second voice spoke, obviously ticked off.  "I have 
a preachy algorithm inside a broken machine, and a mad 
programmer who wants to debate it!  Sheez, why do I bother..."
	Alfred looked up to where he thought the voices were coming 
from.  "Considering that you specifically mentioned travel to the 
stars, am I right when I say that your entire planet must be in 
peril?"
	A moment of uncomfortable silence.  Then the first voice said, 
"You are correct.  Good observation.  Yes, the entire planet is in grave 
danger.  The specifics would take too long however, and I don't have 
time to explain them to you.  Just believe me when I tell you that we 
need to run, and soon."
	Alfred stood up again and dusted himself off, trying to regain 
his composure.  "All right.  I'll accept that everything I know is 
nothing but a simulation, and that I am not really alive."  He looked 
down at his tuxedo pants legs, spotted with coconut milk.  "Funny 
thing is, to me, I am alive."  He waited for a response from the two 
voices.  Only silence came.  He waited ten heartbeats, an eternity, and 
asked  "So what are your plans for me?"
	"Delete comes to mind..." the second voice opined.
 	"No, I will not have you going around deleting my programs." 
the first voice defended, apparently annoyed with the second's lack 
of tact.  "Tell you what, Alfred is it?  Good.  Listen, I have found the 
bug that caused our problem, and I can fix it.  But to do so, I have to 
send a piece of code back into the environment to hold the problem 
at bay for a little while.  I can set things up so that you simply go 
back to a minute before everything went to hell.  In short, I will send 
you home, if you take a segment of code back with you.  Are you 
interested?"
 	Alfred was amazed.  "You can send me back to the party?  Back 
to, to everything?  Unhurt?"
	"You won't even know the code is there.  It won't affect you at 
all.  And life for you will go back to normal.  You will live a regular 
and long, happy life in your own world." the first said.  "I have 
assumed you would say yes, so I have taken the liberty of going 
ahead and installing the codes."
	Alfred was elated.  Candice!  He was going to be with her again.  
Everything was going to be all right.  "Of course I agree!" he 
exclaimed.  "How could I not agree?  But just out of curiosity, what if 
I had said 'no' ?"
	The second voice laughed, evilly.  "You don't really think that 
would stop us, do you?"
	"Okay, ready for takeoff."  the first voice spoke.  "It has been a 
pleasure meeting you Alfred." the first voice spoke.  "I doubt that we 
will ever talk again.  Try to enjoy your life, and help others enjoy 
theirs.  Remember, in a roundabout sort of way, we are keeping score 
of what goes on.  And we have no qualms about giving a prize here 
and there."
	"Or a <ZOT>!" the second voice added.
	"Backups online, starting transfer to metaoptical buffer." the 
first voice called out.
	"Wait!  Before I go, I want to ask a question.  What was the 
story behind the falling coconuts?" Alfred asked.
	The second voice chuckled.  "Swallows."
	"Excuse me?" Alfred said.

			All went black and silent...

	"Casual this..." she said, and gently, lovingly, she kissed him 
again.  When she was done, he wanted her even more.
	Suddenly he was back in the hotel, sitting on the couch with 
Candice again.  He pulled back in shock from the sudden change.  In a 
couple of seconds he managed to get his bearings.  Nothing seemed 
amiss.  Everything was just like before he left.  
	"Is something wrong?" she asked him.  She had been kissing 
him a moment ago, then suddenly he jerked back.
	What could he say?  His eyes met hers and stayed there.  Hard 
to believe that someone so wonderful could be broken down to 1s 
and 0s.  Very hard.  
	"I don't think I will ever be able to look at you casually ever 
again." he said, speaking from his heart.
	She looked at him for a long time...


Meanwhile, on the other side of the compiler...

	"Well, the counter-bug is installed.  The entire simulation of 
500 years of development is going smoothly." Du-Chan said as he 
took the holographic display off his face.  "If everything goes well, 
they should develop faster-than-light technology in this pass.  The 
routines will be completed in about 1 more day."
	"I still say you wasted a lot of time playing with that one 
routine." Kas-Eric replied.  "We could have just reloaded from 
backups and let it go at that."
	"With the bug still in it?" Du-Chan asked.  "What is wrong with 
you?  This simulation run is showing more promise than the previous 
hundred did.  We are on the right course now, and if I can save the 
output by spending a little time on it, then I will do so!" he grumbled.  
"You know that the earth only has about ten years left."
	Kas-Eric tapped the case of the massive memory system 
nervously.  "Do you really think that this simulation will invent 
anything useful to us?" he muttered.  "Their world is just too 
peaceful and complacent for major technologies to evolve.  Why don't 
we just change the variables back to allow a science-based 
dictatorship to rise, like we did a few runs ago?  The world wars 
weren't so severe, and the scientific development rate was incredible 
after all."
	"Right up to the point they discovered Nuclear power." Du-Chan 
replied.  "Face it, every military-based world you have written has 
blown itself up in only 4 hours of runtime.  And that last simulation, 
oh man, was that the pits or what?"  He took out a candy bar from 
the drawer of his desk and unwrapped it.  "The worst of them all.  
Did you really think that teaching them about Super-strings before 
semiconductors was a good idea?"
	"First law of experimentation:  if you never try, you never 
know." Kas-Eric said, looking away.  "Besides, I didn't think that they 
would actually build and test a dimension-shorting bomb with the 
idea."  Kas smiled.  "It was definitely a pretty explosion though.  All 
the ultraviolet light, and the mountains twisting off into infinity..."
	"I remind you that we are here to discover faster-than-light 
technologies."  Du-Chan said tersely.  "Not to create special effects for 
the movies, nor to make porntapes with the Auxilary visual recorder.  
We damn near lost our grant because of that."
	"Aw come-on..." Kas-Eric groaned.  "They are only computer 
models anyway.  Nobody flesh-and-blood was involved, although 
there were a couple of times I wished I could jump through the visor 
and join in." Kas-Eric reminisced.  "Besides, the one I made with a 
simulation of the police chief looked so real that he was afraid of 
anyone seeing it.  The matter dropped, didn't it?"
	"That isn't the point!" Du-Chan protested.  
	"What is the point then?"  Kas-Eric replied.  "These things  are 
only ghosts in a machine, nothing more.  No souls, no feelings, 
nothing that we do not give them.  Should I be afraid of one of them 
taking me to court, huh?"  He sat back down and idly began tugging 
at a power cord.  "Why should I pretend that they are more than just 
bits and bytes in a machine?"

			All went black and silent...
	And a voice called out through the darkness... "Shit!"