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.It was Demogorgon, sitting alone withinthe light-spreading mirror at the apex of the girder tower."So you decided to visit the real world?" she said."What are you doing here?""Just bringing a little bit of fantasy out with me.I've been designing the colors of the holograph that willfill out the dome.I'm importing a bit of the Illimitor World, compressing it.Want to help?""Certainly," Ariane said, and leaped halfway up the tower, clambering lightly the rest of the way.Shehad known it was the plan for this dome: a simulated environment that would bring a little of home intothis world of ice.For some reason she hadn't realized they wouldn't just be using one of the commerciallysupplied ones from Comnet.It was easy to forget that Demogorgon was skilled at precisely this art.Beneath them, the dark irregular floor of the structure spread like the bleak surface of a carbonaceousasteroid.The slight rises and hollows had been built in to afford a more realistic appearance to the naturalsetting that was to come."You're wearing your circlet," said Demogorgon."Good.Just sit down and I'll show you the template.I'd like to get your opinion."Ariane linked into his program.There was a moment of nothingness, and then the world opened upbefore her like a great multicolored flower.It was mainly deep green and azure the image of a Scottishmoor stretched out in all directions to a horizon of smooth, bare hills under a clear morning sky.Apleasant, darkly sweet odor was carried to her nostrils by a cool breeze."This is Yvelddur, which Imodeled on Northumbria.It's one of my favorite places.""Is Vana here?""No, she's halfway across the world, in Arhos." He chuckled to himself."I mean, she would be if wewere inhabiting the same software.This is a cutout.""I had no idea it would be like this.""That's what everyone who has experienced it so far has said.Comnet uses old technology and hasstalled any attempts to use the refinements that have been developed.""Well, if you're going to use this as the model for the dome, I don't think I can suggest anythingfurther.""No? Go ahead, tap into the design function and make a few swipes.It's easy."Ariane called up the Bright Illimit design supermenu and paged through the commands.The wordswere dark letters and verbal explanations, flowing through her, superimposed over a three-coordinatesystem, itself superimposed over the world.She tried a simple command, molded a hill into a slightlymore humpbacked shape, and added a few summer cumulus clouds at random.The programbacktracked and rationalized all of her changes until they were fully integrated.Emboldened, she added a stream to the many that here and there fed a scattering of bright silver-bluepools, then admired the effect."Demo, I think that's enough.I don't want to get carried away and spoilyour landscape."Demogorgon laughed."OK it's time to cut the ribbon.Shall we precede the image into the world orjust go with it?""Let's watch it appear."Slowly, the scene faded, and they were once more perched atop the tower, looking down on the drabdomescape."Shall we let it fade in or snap it on like a light?""Snap it on."The dome went green.In an instant the scene from Demogorgon's imagination was there before them.Across the invisible plastic, heather and gorse were in flower; the babble of little brooks coursing intocrystalline lakes filled the air.The down-curving dome had broken into the bright blue sky, and at theirfeet clouds the size of throw rugs gathered.They were the clouds Ariane had designed.It was perfect in every respect and its designers were pleased.Demogorgon gazed outward, feelingAriane's arm on him, and thought, I can control what's going on.Evade it entirely if I wish."Come on," said Ariane, slipping from the edge of the tower into a slow-motion fall."Let's inspect ourhandiwork."Demogorgon pushed off and began to accelerate toward the ground.The fall took only a fewmoments, and he landed in a graceful leonine crouch beside the rim of the real pool, now encased inmarble imagery, with the look of an ancient monument.He watched as Ariane ran lightly through thedethorned gorse and plunged through a stream that could not wet her.It acted like water in 1 g,disconcertingly natural in this unnatural environment.Polarissailed on.Iris slowly shrank in a real-perspective view, and Aello disappeared behind it.Whentalking failed and speculation gave way to inane guessing games, silence opened up their minds to internalmonologues.After a time Sealock succeeded in willfully eliminating the giddy thinking that kept wellingup, but what took its place was no more comforting.He knew it was time to fall back on the device ofthe memory presentations that had diverted them on the way out, but he didn't want to go on to the nextlogical step in the progression of his story.Remembering the Game, of playing sun-bronzed in the desertheat, was wonderful.What came afterward was not.They'd tried to teach him.The communal tutor had worked with him more than with any of the others,finally trying desperate measures, but he'd resisted [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]