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Peter Watts 124 Blindsight
Szpindel's mouth. "Let me talk to Mi—"
"I've discussed it with the rest of the gang, Isaac. We're all
agreed."
"All agreed You don't have a working majority in there, Suze.
Just because you cut your brain into pieces doesn't mean they each
get a vote."
"I don't see why not. We're each at least as sentient as you are."
"They're all you. Just partitioned."
"You don't seem to have any trouble treating Michelle as a
separate individual."
"Michelle's—I mean, yes, you're all very different facets, but
there's only one original. Your alters—"
"Don't call us that." Sascha erupted with a voice cold as LOX.
"Ever."
Szpindel tried to pull back. "I didn't mean—you know I didn't
—"
But Sascha was gone. "What are you saying" said the softer
voice in her wake. "Do you think I'm just, I'm just Mom, playacting
You think when we're together you're alone with her"
"Michelle," Szpindel said miserably. "No. What I think—"
"Doesn't matter," Sarasti said. "We don't vote here."
He floated above us, visored and unreadable in the center of the
drum. None of us had seen him arrive. He turned slowly on his
axis, keeping us in view as we rotated around him.
"Prepping Scylla. Amanda needs two untethered grunts with
precautionary armament. Cams from one to a million Angstroms,
shielded tympanics, no autonomous circuitry. Platelet boosters,
dimenhydrinate and potassium iodide for everyone by 1350."
"Everyone" Bates asked.
Sarasti nodded. "Window opens four hours twenty-three." He
turned back down the spine
"Not me," I said.
Sarasti paused.
"I don't participate in field ops," I reminded him.
"Now you do."
"I'm a synthesist." He knew that. Of course he knew, everyone
did: you can't observe the system unless you stay outside the