"Rudy Rucker - Post-Singular" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rucker Rudy)

тАЬPlanktonic sea creatures rarely swim,тАЭ said Craigor. тАЬLike cuttlefish, they go
with the flow. Until something nearby catches their attention. And thenтАФdart!
Another masterpiece.тАЭ

Just aft of the cleared area was CraigorтАЩs holding tank, an aquarium
hand-caulked from car windshields, bubbling with air and containing a few dozen
Pharaoh cuttlefish, their body-encircling fins undulating in an endless hula dance,
their facial squid-bunches of tentacles gathered into demure sheaves, their yellow
W-shaped pupils gazing out at their captors.

тАЬThey look so smart and soтАФdoomed,тАЭ said Nektar, regarding the bubbling
tank. She had full lips and she wore her curly brown hair in a fat ponytail. тАЬLike
wizards on death row. They make me feel guilty about my webeyes.тАЭ

тАЬI had a dream about angels coming to set the cuttlefish free,тАЭ said Craigor.
тАЬBut itтАЩs hard to remember my dreams anymore. Bixie wakes us up so early.тАЭ He
gave his daughter a little pat. тАЬBrat.тАЭ

тАЬCrackle of dawn,тАЭ said Bixie.

тАЬYou finally got webeyes too?тАЭ said Jil to Nektar. тАЬI love mine. But if I forget
to turn them off before falling asleepтАФugh. Spammers in my dreams, not angels. I
wonтАЩt let my kids have webeyes yet. Of course for ChuтАФтАЭ She broke off, not
wanting to say the wrong thing.

тАЬWebeyes are perfect for Chu,тАЭ said Nektar. тАЬYou know how he loves
machines. He and Ond are alike that way. Ond says he was autistic too when he was
a boy. IтАЩm the token normal in our family. As if.тАЭ She blinked and stared off into the
distance. тАЬMainly I got my webeyes for my job.тАЭ Now that Chu was getting along
pretty well in his school, beautiful Nektar had reentered the workforce as a cook in
an upscale San Jose restaurant. тАЬThe main chef at Ririche talked me into it. Jose.
HeтАЩs been showing me the ropes. I can see all the orders, and track our supplies
while I cook.тАЭ
 тАЬAnd I showed her how to plug into what ChuтАЩs seeing,тАЭ said Ond. тАЬSo she
can keep a webeye on him. You never quite know what Chu will do. HeтАЩs not
hanging over the rail like last time, is he, Nektar?тАЭ

тАЬYou could watch him yourself,тАЭ said Nektar with a slight edge in her voice.
тАЬIf you must know, ChuтАЩs checking the positions of CraigorтАЩs things with his GPS,
MomotaroтАЩs telling him where the newer things came from, and BixieтАЩs hiding and
jumping out at them. It must be nice to have kids that donтАЩt use digital devices to
play.тАЭ She produced a slender, hand-rolled, non-filter cigarette from her purse. тАЬAs
long as the coast is clear, letтАЩs have a smoke. I got this number from Jose. He said
itтАЩs genomically tweaked for guiltless euphoriaтАФhigh nicotine and low carcinogens.тАЭ
Nektar gave a naughty smile. тАЬJose is so much fun.тАЭ She lit the illegal tobacco.

тАЬNone for me,тАЭ said Jil. тАЬI cleaned up a few years back. I thought I told you?тАЭ

тАЬYeah,тАЭ said Nektar, exhaling. тАЬDid you have, like, a big after-school-special