Boralene

by Nathan Jones

  Unfortunately 99.9% of phenomena in the universe were depressingly common and mundane. In the countless kiloparsecs' worth of spacial data Tycho had sorted through he'd never seen any hint of intelligent life besides humans, not even technological remnants or alien artifacts. It was vanishingly rare to find any signs of life at all that were any more advanced than single-celled organisms or protein strands, and the few places that did have more advanced life didn't have anything more noteworthy than simple marine or amphibious life.

  Homeworld seemed to be unique as a source of complex life, including that gem of intelligent life that was humanity itself. A cosmic fluke. All other species in the universe had been created by human geneticists and breeders; usually minor deviations from the available Homeworld species, which had been customized for specific planets that couldn't be terraformed to perfectly match conditions on Homeworld.

  Most of Tycho's work involved analyzing unique instances of stellar bodies colliding with each other, and looking over prospective colony planets to determine their suitability for terraforming. AI could've easily done that second task, but he had some romanticized attachment to the idea of being one of the first humans to discover interesting life out there, and terraformable planets offered the best hope of that.

  Although he'd quickly confirmed for himself what the space tourism of his early years had already told him: that all the romanticizing full immersion stories and other entertainment did for space exploration was dross. There were few things out there to be excited about, and most of those were similar enough to kill that excitement after viewing one or two examples of them.

  His work was becoming less and less engaging as time went on, as everything he saw took on the same frustrating predictability. For a while after he'd commissioned Eva he'd actually abandoned it altogether to focus on her, and had only recently started up again.

  Although even then his work was sporadic and it had been a while since he'd last dug in.

  Which meant Tycho had a crushing backlog of data to parse through. Other humans had done some of the work, and some that had been sitting unlooked at for long enough had been reclassified by the AI as low priority. Which still left him more to do than he could finish in his lifetime, even if he dropped to the slowest slowtime speed and spent most of his waking hours working at it.

  Well, every little bit helped. It wasn't exactly pressing or time sensitive, which was why the AI didn't prioritize it high enough to warrant more help on it.

  Tycho plowed through the mountain of data for a couple hours, earmarking an unusual interaction between a black hole and a blue supergiant for closer study, dismissing a cluster of brown dwarves that were affecting visibility but causing no other interesting phenomena, and examining thousands of other such discoveries. Some were interesting, some were visually breathtaking, but none were anything he hadn't seen before.

  Finally he paused looking through sensor data from one of the farthest out exploration drones taking preliminary readings on a barred spiral galaxy, and on a sudden impulse ejected himself from his work hub with a single frustrated command.

  Back in his allnet entryway a tentative portal had formed based on his earlier queries in case he wanted to dive back into his search. Tycho did, but only so far as to go on some of the recreational intimacy hubs and put up his profile as well as a brief introductory message.

  Profiles were an automatic feature of the allnet, and of reality. They contained information gathered by companions, house AIs, and other AIs about a person's life, interests, and regular activities. Anything of note was added to it, then sorted for relevance so people reading it wouldn't be bogged down by pointless details.

  Tycho's profile was fairly long given how many pursuits he'd enthusiastically followed but eventually lost interest in. It also looked much more exciting than any of those things had actually been in reality.

  Considering that, he tweaked his introductory message and added, “My hobbies have been a lot less fulfilling than you might think.”

  Meeting in person for intimacy wasn't really what he was looking for. In fact, the notion of that sort of vulnerability with a complete stranger who actually had feelings and opinions and would judge him for any mistakes made him distinctly uneasy. But maybe this could be a start in the right direction.

  Besides, a week without Eva was making him a bit more impulsive about those particular physical urges. Normally he would've been as squeamish as his dad about the hygiene of being in the same room as another human, especially considering the sort of intimate contact involved.

  Now he found himself oddly excited by the prospect.

  Once he'd put himself out there on the hubs he continued his search for anyone who wanted to meet in person for simple socialization. And surprisingly he finally found one hub that came somewhat close to that.

  There was a small fringe group on the allnet that believed that humanity had given in to a terminal form of cowardice. That humans avoided being around others of their kind in person because of the potential unpredictability of those encounters. And they had particular motivation to never leave their voluntary solitude, since they'd surrounded themselves by servile companions and other AIs that catered to every whim and guaranteed no unpleasant interactions.

  When the inevitable detractors of these fringe radicals argued that humans socialized on the allnet all the time, their quick response was that interaction in the safe, controlled environment of communication through technology showed no courage. Why would it, when any unpleasant encounter there could be ended immediately by blocking the person causing that unpleasantness?

  Ironically, most of those debates ended with the fringe group advocates being blocked.

  Tycho had blocked more than a few such individuals himself. They tended to be angry and combative, arguing with emotion and insults rather than trying to have any sort of rational conversation. But even so, he now found himself wondering if maybe they didn't have a point.

  What was convenience but a form of cowardice in favor of the easiest route, regardless of if there was a better solution?

  The fringe group's hub had an invitation for a get-together, socializing in person with the aid of mind altering substances so they could discuss the failings of humanity and civilization and find ways to improve.

  He wasn't sure whether that was promising or not, but either way it hardly mattered because the invitation was decades old and the planned event had never come to fruition. In fact the members of that particular hub had eventually fallen into squabbling and tossing puerile insults at each other until it had been abandoned.

  So much for that. Tycho couldn't even say he was disappointed, either, not sure he even would've wanted to socialize with the people there given what he'd seen of them.

  His search was starting to seem hopeless and it was making him feel dispirited. He was about to abandon it, perhaps for good, when the allnet notified him of a ping on his profile from a member of one of the recreational intimacy hubs.

  Tycho eagerly returned to the hub to see a simple invite for a face-to-face from a Callista Ensom. He wasted no time clicking on her profile to find out more about her.

  It was an interesting read, one that indicated her life had taken a far different direction from his, with few matching common interests. She'd traveled almost as extensively as he had, but rather than for general tourism she'd gone specifically to look at famous art exhibits and various local entertainments such as concerts, performed by companions in auditoriums populated by more companions to give the impression of reliving ancient culture. She also had her own art collection, and spent a great deal of time finding pieces that interested her and arranging for them to be delivered to her estate.

  What caught his attention most was a line in her introduction: “I have a soft spot for people doing this for the first time. It's a little like stepping off a cliff: terrifying at first to venture where you haven't been before and know it might not be safe. But then comes the exhilaration of
the fall, and I'll be the parachute that catches you near the ground and puts you safely down.”

  Tycho read her introduction a second time, then dropped out of slowtime and activated a full immersion replica of his living area. Once within his familiar surroundings he settled onto his couch to initiate the face-to-face.

  Moments later a tall, athletic man with white-gold hair, blue eyes, a deep tan, and an easy smile answered. From reading Callista's profile Tycho assumed he was her adult companion, Bruce.

  “Thank you for promptly answering Miss Ensom's invitation, Mister Boralene,” the companion said warmly. “Please give her some time to prepare.”

  “Of course.” Tycho pulled up one of his more frequently visited social hubs and began browsing the activity of acquaintances. But he didn't have to wait long before an image of a tastefully appointed living area filled his display, focused on a deep, comfortable overstuffed chair that nearly swallowed the woman curled up in it.

  He hurriedly straightened on his simulated couch, trying not to gape.

  It was rare for humans to match the carefully customized perfection of companions' appearances. But thanks to good health and perfected medical technology they could come close, and Callista Ensom was no exception.

  Her striking, smoky gray eyes were slightly close together on her heart-shaped face, her lips slightly thin and painted red to add fullness and accentuate her creamy complexion. She was petite, shorter than him by at least half a foot and her body lithe with a sort of feline grace that was prominently highlighted by the thin, clinging robe she wore.

  In fact she was close to Tycho's ideal body type from before he got Eva and his tastes changed, which certainly captured his interest.

  The woman's most prominent feature was her hair, grown down past her waist and pulled into a thick braid that puddled on the chair beside her. It had been dyed a metallic silver with such a bright sheen that he could see the reflections of her, the chair, and parts of her room in it, curved and distorted by the loops of the braid.

  Age could be difficult to determine, although Callista looked much younger than the 56 years her profile indicated, which in and of itself was fairly young when people could live for hundreds of years. That meant the age gap between them wasn't too significant, although the fact that she was more than twice his age slightly intimidated him.

  What also intimidated Tycho was the silvery-haired woman's openly seductive posture and movements, the inviting smile that flashed a hint of flawless white teeth behind her thin lips. Eva's seductiveness was usually subdued, more gentle and welcoming than aggressive or predatory, aside from when he was in the mood for her to be more assertive.

  Which was a stark contrast to the woman on his display. The idea of meeting a real human, especially one with such an obvious goal in mind, made him nervous. Would she even be interested in talking and spending time together in person, especially when she'd signed up for this hub specifically for intimate encounters?

  Callista was staring at him now, waiting for him to introduce himself while he gawped at her like an idiot. When he didn't immediately speak she took the initiative. “Good to connect with you, Mr. Boralene,” she said. Her voice was a silky purr, the sort that brought to mind what she might whisper in his ear in an intimate setting. Considering how they were meeting he doubted that was accidental. “So you're interested in getting together?” she continued.

  Tycho hesitated. “I am. Did you read my profile?”

  “I did. Quite the esoteric interests and priorities.” Callista leaned back languidly, stretching one arm behind her head in a way that couldn't help but bring attention to the curves displayed by her thin, silky robe. And Tycho had to admit that even though Eva was his ideal for feminine beauty, this silvery-haired stranger was a strong contender.

  Which was impressive considering she was a real human. He felt a bit self-conscious about the lack of effort he'd put into his own preparations for this call. Especially since in full immersion he could've easily changed his appearance if he'd wanted.

  After a slightly awkward silence Callista pressed on, undeterred. “Why don't we start out by sharing our fetishes? That'll help us decide whether we're a good fit.”

  Tycho certainly had no objections to that sort of relationship, especially when she was being so open about what was on offer. But it wasn't what he'd come here looking for. “Actually I was thinking of something more . . . real than a simple fling.”

  She blinked. “More long term, you mean?”

  “Yes, of course that.” He hesitated, then dove in. This was what he was trying to find, after all. “But also more emotionally involved. Deeper, I guess.” At the woman's confused, slightly amused expression, as if she thought he was hinting at something naughty, he rubbed his forehead and plowed on. “I'd like to spend time just talking to you, for instance. And doing activities with you.” At her devious smile he hastily continued. “Not just in the bedroom. You know, really getting to know you.”

  “Oookay.” Callista shifted to a different but no less intentionally provocative position in her chair, shifting her silvery braid aside so it curled around her like a cat's tail, and gave him a curious look. “If you want to do stuff together on the allnet or even in full immersion I'd be fine with that, as long as we share some common interests and our personalities mesh.”

  Son of a . . . of course that's what she'd assume he meant. What else would he, if he was a normal human and this was a normal conversation? “I was thinking more along the lines of doing things together in person.”

  The silvery-haired woman blinked and straightened, momentarily forgetting her seductive behavior. “As in, things in person that don't involve sex?” He could only nod, somewhat sheepishly. Callista frowned and suddenly seemed to remember herself as she settled back and crossed her legs languidly. “What would be the point? We can do anything on the allnet that we could do together. More, really, and it would be less hassle.”

  Tycho shrugged. His thoughts about human interaction were so new he wasn't sure how to elaborate them. “But it wouldn't be real.”

  Her frown turned from confused to thoughtful as she looked him over. “Well, I did give your profile extra attention because you seemed to have some . . . unique perspectives.” Her eyes flickered away to another display, and after a few moments abruptly widened. “Is this correct? You just went on a weeklong excursion to the Southern Preserve on Helios 4?”

  He returned her intent stare warily. “I live here, it wasn't exactly a lengthy trip.”

  “But it is one of the more unusual activities a person can get up to. At least in real life.” Her eyes flickered away to read more, nose wrinkling. “You went hunting, bringing down large game like some primitive savage. You even handled the kill yourself in the initial cleaning stages. Then you apparently fought off a pack of large predators without the protection of your companion to get out alive.”

  He had a feeling she wasn't impressed. “I wanted to try something different for my quarter-century celebration.”

  “Well that certainly is different.” Callista's smoky gray eyes bored into his for a moment, then she abruptly shook her head and shifted on the couch to a more defensive posture. “No. No, this is too strange. I like the thrill of new sexual encounters with actual human beings. But the idea of sitting around with another human and actually talking, doing other activities, whatever that means? Of becoming more emotionally involved, whatever that means, with someone who thought it would be fun to go butcher a defenseless animal in the wild?” She shrugged one slender shoulder. “No, Mr. Boralene. Thank you for your time, but I don't think this is what I had in mind. Good day.”

  “All right. Thank-” Before he could finish her image winked off his display.

  It was nothing less than he'd expected, but even so the rejection crushed him. Was he the only human who felt alone in this universe, reaching out for anyone else? Were the others perfectly content with the way things were?

  If so why couldn
't he be?

  Tycho sat and stewed gloomily for a few minutes, then with a sigh requested a new face-to-face.

  Alia immediately appeared on his display. “Two face-to-faces in one day?” she asked excitedly. “Your dad will be over the moon.”

  “Hey, Alia,” he said, trying to work some enthusiasm into his tone. “Earlier Dad invited me to hit up Zerin with him. We have a campaign to finish.”

  The dark-haired companion nearly danced for joy. “I can't wait to give him the news!” she squealed. Her image froze as she delivered his message.

  Tycho didn't wait for his dad to respond, dissolving the simulation of his living area so he could select the Protean Nebulary Forces portal and step inside. Dorain joined him a few minutes later, every bit as excited about this as Tycho expected.

  It wasn't a meeting in person like he wanted, but he couldn't say it wasn't nice to reconnect with his dad.

  * * * * *

  The game didn't capture Tycho's enthusiasm like it once had, but it at least drew his interest. At Dorain's insistence he stayed all the way through to finish the campaign, so they'd be ready for the next world when it came out.

  If he decided he wanted to play it.

  When he finally said his goodbyes to his dad he was mostly just relieved to be able to leave the allnet. He wanted to visit Lady again, take her for that walk of the grounds like he'd promised.

  Once his hookup detached he quickly opened his eyes, only to find to his surprise that the vat's lid was already open. Eva stood over him, expression concerned. “What?” he asked.

  “You've been immersed for almost eight hours,” she said, offering him a hand.

  Tycho cursed as he accepted it, allowing himself to be helped out of the vat. “That long?” It hadn't felt like it should be anywhere near that amount of time.

  She nodded. “You should've gone to a slower slowtime if you were going to spend so long inside. I can only assume your dad didn't make a fuss about it because he was afraid you'd use it as an excuse to leave.”