Hofstadter, Dennett - The Mind's I

Software 256The breeze had picked up a little. Warmed by the sand, it lapped Cobb's face,buried under white whiskers. The dolphins were gone.He sipped sparingly at his sherry and let the memories play. There were only twothoughts to be avoided: death and his abandoned wife, Verena. The sherry kept themaway.The sun was going down behind him when he saw the strang Barrel chest, erectposture, strong arms and legs covered with curly ha a round white beard. Like SantaClaus, or like Ernest Hemingway the ye he shot himself."Hello, Cobb," the man said. He wore sungoggles and looked amused. His shortsand sport shirt glittered."Care for a drink?" Cobb gestured at the half-empty bottle. He wondered who, ifanyone, he was talking to."No thanks," the stranger said, sitting down. "It doesn't do anything for me."Cobb stared at the man. Something about him ..."You're wondering who I am," the stranger said, smiling. "I'm you. "You who?""You me." The stranger used Cobb's own tight little smile on hi "I'm a mechanicalcopy of your body."The face seemed right and there was even the scar from the hear* transplant. Theonly difference between them was how alert and health the copy looked. Call him CobbAnderson2. Cobb2 didn't drink. Cob envied him. He hadn't had a completely sober daysince he had operation and left his wife."How did you get here?"The robot waved a hand palm up. Cobb liked the way the gesture looked onsomeone else. "I can't tell you," the machine said. "You know how most people feelabout, us."Cobb chuckled his agreement. He should know. At first the public had beendelighted that Cobb's moon-robots had evolved into intelligent hoppers. That had beenbefore Ralph Numbers had led the 2001 revolt After the revolt, Cobb had been tried fortreason. He focused back on the present."If you're a hopper, then how can you be ... here?" Cobb wav his hand in a vaguecircle taking in the hot sand and the setting sun. "It too hot. All the hoppers I know of arebased on super-cooled circuits. D you have a refrigeration unit hidden in your stomach?"Anderson2 made another familiar hand gesture. "I'm not going to' tell you yet,Cobb. Later you'll find out. Just take this. The robot fumbled in its pocket and broughtout a wad of bills. "Twenty-five grand We want you to get the flight to Disky tomorrow.Ralph Numbers will