Just a little more proof that I am, bit by bit, working on contributions to all the various shared worlds here.
"Daddy! Daddy!"I looked up from my book to see my daughter Luna dashing across the yard, the sheet of paper in her hand half crumpled by her grip and flapping in the wind of her passage. As I carefully marked my place and set the book aside, Luna dashed through and scattered the flock of chickens that had claimed the grassyedge of the yard as their private zone. I barely had time tobring my lounge chair to its full and upright position beforemy daughter jumped into my lap, laughing."Hey there, sweetheart," I said through laughter of my own asI wrestled playfully with her for a few moments. "What's thebig rush?" I added as I scruffled her long, loose hair -- darker than my strawberry blond, but much lighter than hermother's auburn.She squirmed out of my arms and stood up straight with as muchdignity as a four-year-old can muster. "Captain Aunt Kat tol'me to tell you 'Late news from the Ri... Rialto,'" she stumbledover the unfamiliar word, then held out the wrinkled paper stillclenched in one slightly grubby fist."Captain Aunt Kat did, huh?" I asked as I smoothed out the sheet."Uh-huh!" She nodded vigorously. "And Lord High Dark Admiral Overlord Uncle John..." She stopped, scrunched up her face, and counted on her fingers. "Lord High Dark *Sith* Admiral Overlord Uncle John," she then corrected herself, "said it sounded like fun.""Did he now?" I studied the paper -- a barely coherent messageabout a convention to be held in a few days. Well now. I stoodup and stepped out from under the tree to look up into the sky.Beyond the transparent 'wavium dome both sun and moon shone downon us, and between them I could see the occasional flash as lightreflected off a fenship. I nodded slowly to myself. "Might beat that," I murmured. "I suppose it's finally time to meet theneighbors." I looked down at Luna. "Let's go talk to Mommy, seewhat she thinks. And then...""Town meeting!" she screeched with a wide smile, spinning aroundwith her arms outspread. I caught her before she could spin herself dizzy and fall over."Yeah, probably, sweetheart. How'd you know?""Mister Mayor said that's the best way to decide." And she gavea little "and that's that!" nod.I snorted. Ever since the AIs had first booted, Luna had taken to them like a politician to lobbyists. I suppose it had something to do with being four and seeing what looked like TV characters who could see and talk to you. She had been entranced and delighted and loved them all, even Gaia, who was the most standoffish of the four. A week after their activation, she'd amused us no end by asking when they were going to come out of the TV sets, and we had to explain to her the difference between meat-people and electron-people. She listened carefully to Kat and Alison, and nodded solemnly when they asked her if she understood, but I'm not sure she *really* understands it yet.Either way, though, she talks to each one every day, when their schedule and task load allows for it. And since the Mayor tendsto manifest most often on the bridge -- or Town Hall, as he callsit -- it's not surprising that he'd made a comment where Luna could hear it. And the Mayor was Luna's favorite -- as far asshe was concerned, he walked on water. Or at least a reasonabledigital simulation thereof.
(ETA: The message subject, btw, is the working title for this story. I should've mentioned that.)
-- Bob
---------
Visit beautiful Boston, proud successor to Seattle as
"City Most Scared Of Its Own Shadow
"Daddy! Daddy!"I looked up from my book to see my daughter Luna dashing across the yard, the sheet of paper in her hand half crumpled by her grip and flapping in the wind of her passage. As I carefully marked my place and set the book aside, Luna dashed through and scattered the flock of chickens that had claimed the grassyedge of the yard as their private zone. I barely had time tobring my lounge chair to its full and upright position beforemy daughter jumped into my lap, laughing."Hey there, sweetheart," I said through laughter of my own asI wrestled playfully with her for a few moments. "What's thebig rush?" I added as I scruffled her long, loose hair -- darker than my strawberry blond, but much lighter than hermother's auburn.She squirmed out of my arms and stood up straight with as muchdignity as a four-year-old can muster. "Captain Aunt Kat tol'me to tell you 'Late news from the Ri... Rialto,'" she stumbledover the unfamiliar word, then held out the wrinkled paper stillclenched in one slightly grubby fist."Captain Aunt Kat did, huh?" I asked as I smoothed out the sheet."Uh-huh!" She nodded vigorously. "And Lord High Dark Admiral Overlord Uncle John..." She stopped, scrunched up her face, and counted on her fingers. "Lord High Dark *Sith* Admiral Overlord Uncle John," she then corrected herself, "said it sounded like fun.""Did he now?" I studied the paper -- a barely coherent messageabout a convention to be held in a few days. Well now. I stoodup and stepped out from under the tree to look up into the sky.Beyond the transparent 'wavium dome both sun and moon shone downon us, and between them I could see the occasional flash as lightreflected off a fenship. I nodded slowly to myself. "Might beat that," I murmured. "I suppose it's finally time to meet theneighbors." I looked down at Luna. "Let's go talk to Mommy, seewhat she thinks. And then...""Town meeting!" she screeched with a wide smile, spinning aroundwith her arms outspread. I caught her before she could spin herself dizzy and fall over."Yeah, probably, sweetheart. How'd you know?""Mister Mayor said that's the best way to decide." And she gavea little "and that's that!" nod.I snorted. Ever since the AIs had first booted, Luna had taken to them like a politician to lobbyists. I suppose it had something to do with being four and seeing what looked like TV characters who could see and talk to you. She had been entranced and delighted and loved them all, even Gaia, who was the most standoffish of the four. A week after their activation, she'd amused us no end by asking when they were going to come out of the TV sets, and we had to explain to her the difference between meat-people and electron-people. She listened carefully to Kat and Alison, and nodded solemnly when they asked her if she understood, but I'm not sure she *really* understands it yet.Either way, though, she talks to each one every day, when their schedule and task load allows for it. And since the Mayor tendsto manifest most often on the bridge -- or Town Hall, as he callsit -- it's not surprising that he'd made a comment where Luna could hear it. And the Mayor was Luna's favorite -- as far asshe was concerned, he walked on water. Or at least a reasonabledigital simulation thereof.
(ETA: The message subject, btw, is the working title for this story. I should've mentioned that.)
-- Bob
---------
Visit beautiful Boston, proud successor to Seattle as
"City Most Scared Of Its Own Shadow
