Ventus by Karl Schroeder

Karl Schroeder / Ventus / Page 750
using nanotechnology. Luckily there were some involved in
the project who were repelled by this travesty; they saw that by
erasing the otherness of Nature on this planet, the Ventus
designers would leave nothing but humanity, gazing at its own
reflection. It would be a horrible global narcissism, permanent
and inescapable.
"So these dissidents slipped thalience into the Winds’
design. Before, every physical object on this world was to
define itself in terms of its meaning to humans. After
thalience, every object on this world creates its own essence,
one true to itself--even if that essence is beyond the
understanding of human beings. It has to be that way, or
Ventus remains a puppet show whose only audience is the
puppeteer.
"Please, you must not destroy thalience. If you do, you
will be literally left with nothing but yourselves."
She clasped her hands and lowered her head. She
doubted they would understand her or care; humans loved to
see themselves reflected in the things they made. How could
they know that such a reflection could only have meaning in a
world where some things were not human-made?
No one spoke for a minute. Then, to her surprise, Jordan
Mason stepped forward. Gingerly, he reached out to take her
hand.
"I have the means of speaking to the Winds," he said.
"The Winds will listen only to transmitters made of human
flesh and blood. Which I am, and Armiger no longer is. He
has the power, I have the code in my blood.
"But, I think, it is the Desert Voice who has the message.
Thalience is not the Flaw. It is only the inability of the Winds
to speak to us that is a flaw. Am I right, Armiger, in thinking
that this can be fixed?"