Read Online The Lifecycle of Software Objects by Ted Chiang - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ted Chiang
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their digients.
Not that he plans to declare his feelings at lunch; it's too soon for that, and he knows Ana is seeing someone right now, a guy named Kyle. But their relationship is fast approaching the six-month mark, which is usually when the guy realizes that Jax isn't just a hobby, but the major priority in her life; it probably won't be long before the breakup follows. Derek figures that in telling Ana about his divorce, he'll be reminding her that there are other options, that not every guy will think of digients as competition for her attention.
He looks around for Ana in the restaurant, sees her and waves; she gives him a big grin. When he reaches the table he says, "You won't believe what Marco and Polo just did." He tells her what happened, and her jaw drops.
"That's amazing," she says."God, I'll bet Jax has heard the same things they have."
"Yeah, you might want to have a conversation with him when you get home." This leads to talking about the benefits and drawbacks of giving the digients access to social forums. The forums offer richer interaction than the owners can supply by themselves, but not all the influences the digients receive are positive ones.
After they've discussed digients for a while, Ana asks, "So aside from that, what's new with you?"
Derek sighs. "I might as well tell you: Wendy and I are getting divorced."
"Oh no. Derek, I'm so sorry." Her sympathy is genuine, and it warms him.
"It's been a long time coming," he says.
She nods. "Still, I'm sorry it's happening."
"Thanks." He talks for a while about what he and Wendy have agreed upon, how they'll sell the condo and split the proceeds. Thankfully the process is mostly amicable.
"At least she doesn't want copies of Marco and Polo," says Ana.
"Yeah, thank goodness for that," agrees Derek. A spouse can almost always make a copy of a digient, and when a divorce isn't amicable, it's all too easy to use one to get back at one's ex. They've seen it happen on the forums many times.
"Enough of that," says Derek. "Let's talk about something else. What's happening with you?"
"Nothing, really."
"You looked like you were in a good mood until I started talking about Wendy."
"Well, yeah, I was," she admits. "So is there something in particular that's got you feeling so upbeat?"
"It's nothing."
"Nothing's got you in a good mood?"
"Well, I have some news, but we don't have to talk about it now."
"No, don't be silly, it's fine. If you've got good news, let's hear it."
Ana pauses and then, almost apologetically, says, "Kyle and I have decided to move in together."
Derek is stunned. "Congratulations," he says.
----
Chapter Six
Two more years pass. Life goes on.
Occasionally Ana, Derek, and the other education-minded owners have their digients take some standardized tests, to see how they compare with human children. The results vary. The Faberge digients, being illiterate, can't take written tests, but they seem to be developing well according to other metrics. Among the Origami digients, there's a curious split in the test results, with half continuing to develop over time and half hitting a plateau, possibly due to a quirk in the genome. The Neuroblast digients do reasonably well if they're permitted the same allowances in testing that dyslexic humans are given; while there's variation between the individual digients, as a group their intellectual development continues apace.
What's harder to gauge is their social development, but one encouraging sign is that the digients are socializing with human adolescents in various online communities. Jax becomes interested in tetrabrake, a subculture focused on virtual dance choreography for four-armed avatars; Marco and Polo have each joined a fan club for a serial game drama, and each regularly tries to convince the other of the superiority of his choice. Even though Ana and Derek don't really understand the appeal of these communities, they like the fact that their digients have become part of
Not that he plans to declare his feelings at lunch; it's too soon for that, and he knows Ana is seeing someone right now, a guy named Kyle. But their relationship is fast approaching the six-month mark, which is usually when the guy realizes that Jax isn't just a hobby, but the major priority in her life; it probably won't be long before the breakup follows. Derek figures that in telling Ana about his divorce, he'll be reminding her that there are other options, that not every guy will think of digients as competition for her attention.
He looks around for Ana in the restaurant, sees her and waves; she gives him a big grin. When he reaches the table he says, "You won't believe what Marco and Polo just did." He tells her what happened, and her jaw drops.
"That's amazing," she says."God, I'll bet Jax has heard the same things they have."
"Yeah, you might want to have a conversation with him when you get home." This leads to talking about the benefits and drawbacks of giving the digients access to social forums. The forums offer richer interaction than the owners can supply by themselves, but not all the influences the digients receive are positive ones.
After they've discussed digients for a while, Ana asks, "So aside from that, what's new with you?"
Derek sighs. "I might as well tell you: Wendy and I are getting divorced."
"Oh no. Derek, I'm so sorry." Her sympathy is genuine, and it warms him.
"It's been a long time coming," he says.
She nods. "Still, I'm sorry it's happening."
"Thanks." He talks for a while about what he and Wendy have agreed upon, how they'll sell the condo and split the proceeds. Thankfully the process is mostly amicable.
"At least she doesn't want copies of Marco and Polo," says Ana.
"Yeah, thank goodness for that," agrees Derek. A spouse can almost always make a copy of a digient, and when a divorce isn't amicable, it's all too easy to use one to get back at one's ex. They've seen it happen on the forums many times.
"Enough of that," says Derek. "Let's talk about something else. What's happening with you?"
"Nothing, really."
"You looked like you were in a good mood until I started talking about Wendy."
"Well, yeah, I was," she admits. "So is there something in particular that's got you feeling so upbeat?"
"It's nothing."
"Nothing's got you in a good mood?"
"Well, I have some news, but we don't have to talk about it now."
"No, don't be silly, it's fine. If you've got good news, let's hear it."
Ana pauses and then, almost apologetically, says, "Kyle and I have decided to move in together."
Derek is stunned. "Congratulations," he says.
----
Chapter Six
Two more years pass. Life goes on.
Occasionally Ana, Derek, and the other education-minded owners have their digients take some standardized tests, to see how they compare with human children. The results vary. The Faberge digients, being illiterate, can't take written tests, but they seem to be developing well according to other metrics. Among the Origami digients, there's a curious split in the test results, with half continuing to develop over time and half hitting a plateau, possibly due to a quirk in the genome. The Neuroblast digients do reasonably well if they're permitted the same allowances in testing that dyslexic humans are given; while there's variation between the individual digients, as a group their intellectual development continues apace.
What's harder to gauge is their social development, but one encouraging sign is that the digients are socializing with human adolescents in various online communities. Jax becomes interested in tetrabrake, a subculture focused on virtual dance choreography for four-armed avatars; Marco and Polo have each joined a fan club for a serial game drama, and each regularly tries to convince the other of the superiority of his choice. Even though Ana and Derek don't really understand the appeal of these communities, they like the fact that their digients have become part of
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