Eye of the Beholder

Chapter 2.4 Coon Island

Sedna and Newt had withdrawn from their Mars dream, but they stayed in their QAR recliners, letting it all sink in.

Sedna stayed outside her head, basking in the familiar surroundings of Coon Island, and the presence of all its current residents. These people were the cream of the cream of those who were helping to realize the dreams that had begun at WBI.

Her attention was drawn to the lounge, as always the favored gathering place for exchanging news and ideas. She began picking up an ongoing conversation. 

She did not know all the participants. Many like them were invited to stay briefly on the island, in recognition of their achievements and their potential. It didn't seem to matter. The effect was familiar from her long history with her own family, the participants carrying on each other's thoughts with little or no transition.

The thoughts formed into words.

"Already they've tried merging what's left of broken human bodies onto drone bodies to replace the missing pieces."

"Still, most people in that condition prefer to leave their broken bodies on life support somewhere, and conduct their active lives entirely by drone."

"The Moon tubes are good for that."

 "Because the people are nearly weightless there. It's better for them than being on Earth, or in one of the orbiting bolas."

"How long before some body on life support dies, and the person carries on in drone form without it?"

"What's the chance that hasn't already happened?"

There was a brief pause, then someone else spoke up.

"Does this mean the whole human race will be replaced by drones?"

"Could be."

"But live bodies have advantages drones can't replicate."

"Yet."

"Maybe never. Think about it."

"A billion years of evolution ought to be good for something."

"Like sex you mean."

"And having babies?"

"Ugh."

"But there are more subtle experiences we miss out on when we're droning."

"Like?"

"Steak."

"Lobster."

"Wine."

"Whiskey."

"Lemonade."

"A good workout."

"A good sweat."

"The wind in your face."

"The wind in your hair."

"Listening to a symphony orchestra."

"The smell of rain."

"The smell of the sea."

"The taste of the sea."

"The smell of a rose."

"The list goes on."

"When I've been droning, I can't wait for a walk in the woods."

"Or while I'm droning."

"That's the flip side, isn't it."

"Droning is a lot like spending a day at the office."

"Or on the shop floor."

"Sedna can do both."

Here Sedna started paying closer attention.

"You mean operate a drone and her body at the same time?"

"She's good at that, sure. But she can be wherever she wants to be without being in either one, and still get the full experience."

"Everything?"

"That's what I've heard. But not quite everything. Not the internal bodily functions. But all the external inputs."

"So what do we give up if we do a Sedna and go completely out of body?"

"Basically, sex and eating."

"The animal survival functions."

"Which we all agreed are pleasures."

"Because they're programmed to be."

"You mean evolved to be."

"Maybe both."

"Is that the crux of the matter?"

"Does a cat sleep in the sun?"

"Does a girl sleep in the sun."

"Actually, Sedna tells me the experience is more like remembering being there than like being there in person."

"Meaning in body."

"Yes. It's remote viewing. Shaman stuff."

"Like we can all do in QAR."

"Well, not all all. But most of us here anyway."

"QAR rooms are everywhere."

"That's mostly immersive programming. But you're right."

"Doing QAR sensitizes us, so we can learn to explore the Q."

"And if we have a link to Mars, we can explore Mars."

"Which is what Sedna is doing now."

"Exactly."

Sedna was tempted to walk her body into the room and clear up a few points. But that would be too intrusive. Instead she nudged Newt and told him it was time for dinner.