Read Online Hylozoic by Rudy Rucker - Free Book Online Page B

Sonic paused, scanning through his eighth-dimensional memory bank. “That was about it,” he said. “After that I was just asleep. I don’t know what Jayjay got into.” He sighed and rubbed his face. “Okay, yeah, I’ll teek some coffee.”
    With a light rustle, three cups appeared on the kitchen counter: a double latte and two large black coffees, plus a container of cream. A moment later, three foil-wrapped breakfast burritos plopped down beside the drinks.
    â€œStraight from Taquería Aztlán,” said Sonic. “Enough for Jayjay, too. Dig in, Thuy.”
    â€œNot hungry,” she said, taking a sip of her latte. She was wondering about something she’d overheard yesterday, remotely teeping into the conversation in the back yard at Ond’sbefore they moved the house. “When you watch us have sex,” she asked Sonic, “are you hot for me—or for Jayjay?”
    â€œI like you two together,” said Sonic with a shrug. “It’s like you’re my parents, only not disgusting. But if you really mind, I’ll—”
    â€œOh, no
problem
,” said Thuy, gazing up at the BigBox ad near the ceiling. “There’s so many watchers anyway.”
    â€œThat crotch stain is pretty rude,” said Sonic, studying his friend.
    Thuy shook her head sadly. Everything seemed dull and gray. “You mentioned a pitchfork,” she said. “Last night when I woke up, I saw a forked branch leaning against my bedroom window. And now it’s gone.”
    â€œYeah, it was a two-tined pitchfork like the peasants wave at Dracula’s castle,” said Sonic, remembering. “I glimpsed the pitchfork behind your house this morning too, as a matter of fact. He balances and hops on his handle like it’s a leg. He’s flexible. He was talking out loud to Jayjay by the stream right before our trip; he vibrates his prongs. He’s got this hillbilly accent. He came along on our big trip.”
    â€œA stick?” said Thuy, nonplussed.
    â€œMore than a stick,” said Sonic. “I bet he’s an alien from another world. Wow. Why don’t I feel more excited? Need more coffee. The pitchfork’s name is Groovy.”
    â€œThis is big news,” said Thuy in an equally flat tone. “What’s wrong with us today? Empty and numb.”
    â€œOh, and did Jayjay tell you about the flying manta rays he thought he saw yesterday afternoon? Or, wait, I wasn’t supposed to tell you about that.”
    â€œDon’t tease me, Sonic.”
    â€œAll kinds of aliens are after your husband,” said Sonic, managing a grin.
    â€œI wonder if I made a mistake marrying him.”
    â€œLook, I can’t do the whole kitchen-counter relationship discussion this morning. I’m leading a tour for Animal Animats in like three minutes.” Sonic paused, studying Thuy. “Don’t get so bummed out. You have a hangover, is all. Eat something. Jayjay loves you more than anything, okay? It was a vibby housewarming, Thuy. Everyone had a good time. I gotta go. Squid versus whale.”
    Thuy ended up eating her breakfast burrito after all. Alone in the cabin, she began wondering if she could hear the thuds of an alien pitchfork hopping around outside. Was Sonic putting her on?
    She thought of checking with Vrilla. The cabin’s silp confirmed that, yes, she’d seen the hopping pitchfork, too. “And Jayjay shrank way down inside one of my floorboards for a while,” added Vrilla. “Into the subdimensions. And now something else is down there.”
    Meanwhile Jayjay slumbered on. Drinking her coffee, Thuy let her mind wander away from last night’s disturbing events. When reality got too harsh, it was always comforting to think about her current metanovel. The new one would be about life in this new hylozoic world, and she was going to call it
Hive Mind
. Even in her presently discouraged state,