"slide42" - читать интересную книгу автора (Varley John - Gaea 03 - Demon 1.1.html)SIXTEEN“It’s Gaea,” Adam said.“It sure is,” Chris confirmed, as brightly as he could. Adam put down his toys and sat in front of the television screen. Chris had been worried enough when Gaea only showed up in old Marilyn Monroe movies. He and Adam had seen them all a dozen times. Adam was quite bored with them. But about a kilorev after the air show which had so badly upset Gaea, something new had happened. Gaea had showed up in an animated cartoon. He should have expected it. It was an easy enough thing to do, and it wouldn’t stop there. But Chris had been away from television for over twenty years, and had forgotten about that capability. The first had been a Betty Boop cartoon, and had been simple image-substitution. Wherever Betty Boop had appeared in the original, Gaea had replaced her with a stylized but easily-recognizable cartoon of Marilyn Monroe. The sound track was unaltered. If Earth computers could do it, it stood to reason that Gaea could. Later, she began to appear in the movies Chris knew to be Adam’s favorites. This was much more sophisticated stuff, with full-body replacement, facial enhancement, and the Monroe/Gaea voice. It was impossible to detect the fakery. It was seamless movie magic, special effects to the nth degree. And it was distinctly odd to see Marilyn Monroe starring in Fists of Fury. She was a formidable figure, replacing Bruce Lee in every whirl, glower, and leap. All the Chinese actors spoke dubbed English, but Gaea/Lee was lip-synched. Of course, Lee had spent most of his time in those movies with his shirt off, so Gaea did, too. Then there were the love scenes . . . After that there was no telling where Gaea might pop up. Chris saw her as Snow White, Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, and Indiana Jones. She appeared in old RKO serials, which Gaea broadcast at the rate of one episode per day. Pandemonium television had grown increasingly violent. Even the comedy tended sharply toward the slapstick. There was little Chris could do about it. Having foreseen some of it didn’t make it any easier. Gaea continued to make her regular visits. She came a bit closer each time, but was as yet still distant. There was no chance she would scare the boy. Chris could only love the child. Which, he reflected, was nothing to sneer at. He knew Adam returned his love. But he knew a child’s love can be quite fickle. One day it would come to a showdown. Nothing could be clearer than that. But the outcome was far from clear. “Hi, Gaea,” Adam said, waving at the screen. “Hello, Adam, my lovely boy,” said Gaea. Adam still didn’t get it. He giggled, and said hi again. “How are you doing, Adam?” Gaea said. The action behind her was a fight scene. Gaea ducked as a chair was thrown. It sailed over her head. “Oops!! He almost got me!” Adam laughed louder. “Gotcha!” he shouted. “Gotcha!” “They can’t get me!” Gaea boasted, and turned skillfully to block a blow from a huge guy in a black hat. She hit him a quick one-two-three combination and he fell on the floor. Gaea dusted her palms together, and grinned at Adam again. “How’d you like that, Adam?” she said. “I like it, I like it!” Adam laughed. Somebody save me, Chris thought, in a daze. SIXTEEN“It’s Gaea,” Adam said.“It sure is,” Chris confirmed, as brightly as he could. Adam put down his toys and sat in front of the television screen. Chris had been worried enough when Gaea only showed up in old Marilyn Monroe movies. He and Adam had seen them all a dozen times. Adam was quite bored with them. But about a kilorev after the air show which had so badly upset Gaea, something new had happened. Gaea had showed up in an animated cartoon. He should have expected it. It was an easy enough thing to do, and it wouldn’t stop there. But Chris had been away from television for over twenty years, and had forgotten about that capability. The first had been a Betty Boop cartoon, and had been simple image-substitution. Wherever Betty Boop had appeared in the original, Gaea had replaced her with a stylized but easily-recognizable cartoon of Marilyn Monroe. The sound track was unaltered. If Earth computers could do it, it stood to reason that Gaea could. Later, she began to appear in the movies Chris knew to be Adam’s favorites. This was much more sophisticated stuff, with full-body replacement, facial enhancement, and the Monroe/Gaea voice. It was impossible to detect the fakery. It was seamless movie magic, special effects to the nth degree. And it was distinctly odd to see Marilyn Monroe starring in Fists of Fury. She was a formidable figure, replacing Bruce Lee in every whirl, glower, and leap. All the Chinese actors spoke dubbed English, but Gaea/Lee was lip-synched. Of course, Lee had spent most of his time in those movies with his shirt off, so Gaea did, too. Then there were the love scenes . . . After that there was no telling where Gaea might pop up. Chris saw her as Snow White, Charlie Chaplin, Cary Grant, and Indiana Jones. She appeared in old RKO serials, which Gaea broadcast at the rate of one episode per day. Pandemonium television had grown increasingly violent. Even the comedy tended sharply toward the slapstick. There was little Chris could do about it. Having foreseen some of it didn’t make it any easier. Gaea continued to make her regular visits. She came a bit closer each time, but was as yet still distant. There was no chance she would scare the boy. Chris could only love the child. Which, he reflected, was nothing to sneer at. He knew Adam returned his love. But he knew a child’s love can be quite fickle. One day it would come to a showdown. Nothing could be clearer than that. But the outcome was far from clear. “Hi, Gaea,” Adam said, waving at the screen. “Hello, Adam, my lovely boy,” said Gaea. Chris looked up. The image of Gaea had stopped and turned away from the action still happening behind her. She was facing Adam, and smiling. Adam still didn’t get it. He giggled, and said hi again. “How are you doing, Adam?” Gaea said. The action behind her was a fight scene. Gaea ducked as a chair was thrown. It sailed over her head. “Oops!! He almost got me!” Adam laughed louder. “Gotcha!” he shouted. “Gotcha!” “They can’t get me!” Gaea boasted, and turned skillfully to block a blow from a huge guy in a black hat. She hit him a quick one-two-three combination and he fell on the floor. Gaea dusted her palms together, and grinned at Adam again. “How’d you like that, Adam?” she said. “I like it, I like it!” Adam laughed. Somebody save me, Chris thought, in a daze. |
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