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they're closing on my identity at KC it's high time I made one last use of it
and rewrote myself again. It costs, of course, but I have some won Delphi
tickets to collect on, and I'm sure I can adopt a well-paid profession for the
time being. Don't they go big for mystical things out here? I can run
computerized horoscopes, and I can offer gene counseling I think you can do
that in California without a state license and . . . Oh, anything that
involves use of a computer terminal." She gave him a level look.
"But you're in a paid-avoidance area," she said.
"Hell, so I am!" Suddenly he felt very much alone, unspeakably vulnerable.
"Does the avoidance go deep? I mean even if you can't use any public phone to
tap the net, do they forcibly exclude computers?"
"No, but you have to make special application to get time. And there's more
cash in circulation than anywhere else on the continent, and veephone service
is restricted: you can't dial out to the rest of the country, you have to
cable and ask to be called back. Things like that."
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"But if I can't rewrite myself, what am I going to do?" He was on his feet,
shaking.
"Sandy!" She rose also, confronting him with a glare. "Have you never tried to
outface the enemy?"
"What?" He blinked at her.
"I get the impression that every time one of your schemes went wrong, you
abandoned it and the identity that went with it and switched to something
else. Maybe that's why you've always failed.
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You've relied on this trick talent of yours to bail you out of trouble instead
of seeing through what you started. The overload you've suffered today ought
to be a warning to you. There's a limit to the number of times you can revise
your personality. There's a limit to the load you can pile on your powers of
reasoning. Your body just told you, loud and clear, you've gone too far at
last."
"Oh, shit . . ." His voice was full of misery. "In principle I'm certain
you're right. But is there any alternative?"
"Sure I have an alternative. One of the best things about a paid-avoidance
area is you can still get manual cooking. I don't know what it's like here,
but at Protempore it was delicious. We go find a good restaurant and a jug of
wine."
FENCED BUT NOT FOILED
Inter alia the Handbook of the National Association of Players at the Game of
Fencing states:
The game may be played manually or electronically.
The field shall consist of 101 parallel equidistant lines coded AA, AB, AC . .
. BA, BB, BC . . . to EA
(omitting the letter I), crossed at 90º by 71 parallel equidistant lines 01 to
71.
The object is to enclose with triangles a greater number of coordinate points
than the opponent.
The players shall toss or draw for red or blue; red begins.
At each turn each player shall claim two points, one by visibly marking it in
the field, the other by entering its coordinates in a list concealed from the
opponent (but subject to scrutiny by a referee in match play).
After at least 10 points (5 red, 5 blue) have been visibly claimed, having
claimed his visible point for that turn either player may forego the option of
claiming a concealed point and attempt to enclose a triangle by connecting
three of his visibly claimed points. Prior to doing so he must require the
opponent to enter his concealed points in the field. He may then enclose any
triangle that does not include a point claimed by the opponent. A point
claimed in a concealed list, which proves on inspection to have been claimed
visibly by the opponent, shall be deleted from the concealed list. A triangle
may enclose a point claimed by the same color. A point once enclosed may not
be claimed. If a player claims such a point in error he shall forfeit both the
visible and the concealed point due on that turn.
If a player finds, when the opponent's concealed points are entered in the
field, he can enclose no valid triangle, he shall at once enter all his own
concealed points, after which play shall proceed normally.
All triangles must have sides at least 2 units long, i.e. two adjacent
coordinates cannot serve as apices of the same triangle, though they may serve
as apices of two triangles of the same or different colors. No coordinate may
serve as the apex of more than one triangle. No triangle may enclose a point
enclosed by another triangle. A coordinate claimed by the opponent which lies
on a horizontal or vertical line between apices of a proposed triangle shall
be deemed included and renders the triangle invalid. A coordinate
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The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner (1975)
claimed by the opponent which lies on a true diagonal (45º) between apices of
a proposed triangle shall be deemed excluded.
Scores shall be calculated in terms of coordinate points enclosed by valid
triangles. An approved device shall be employed such that as each triangle is
validly enclosed its apices may be entered into the memory store of the device
and upon entry of the third apex the device shall unambiguously display the
number of points enclosed. It shall be the responsibility of the player to
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keep accurate record of his cumulative score, which he shall not conceal from
the opponent, except in matches played for stake money or on which there has
been wagering or by mutual agreement of the players, when the cumulative score
may be kept by a referee or electronically or mechanically, but in such cases
there shall be no grounds for appeal by either player against the score shown
at the conclusion or at any stage of the game.
It is customary but not obligatory for any game in which one player's score
exceeds that of the other by
100 points to be regarded as lost and won.
METONYMIA
According to the instrument display the metabolic level of the subject
remained satisfactory; however, his voice was weakening and his reaction times
were slowing. It was becoming necessary to update him from regressed mode at
ever-shorter intervals. Very probably this was due to the low-stimulus
environment, excessively low for someone whose ability to tolerate rapid and
extreme change had been graphically documented over the past several weeks.
Accordingly Freeman indented for some equipment to ameliorate the situation: a
large projection-type three-vee screen, an electrotoner and a personifactor
which would give the illusion of one, two or three other people watching.
Waiting for the new machinery to be delivered, though, he perforce had to
continue in the former manner, conversing with the subject in present time.
"You're a good fencing player, I believe."
"Care for a game to break the monotony?" A ghost of old defiance tinted the
words.
"I'm a poor player myself; it would be a mismatch. But why did fencing appeal
to you rather than, say, go, or even chess?"
"Chess has been automated," was the prompt reply. "How long is it since a
world champion has done without computer assistance?"
"I see. Yes, I understand nobody has yet written a competent fencing program.
Did you try it? You had adequate capacity."
"Oh, using a program to play chess is work. Games are for fun. I guess I could
have spoiled fencing, if
I'd spent a year or two on the job. I didn't want to."
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