"Damn," said Jennifer, "that place is really, really round!" 
 

"Yeah," said Cynthia. "I like the view best when it's just a golf ball hanging there. It's too bad so much of our side is dark, or you could see it better." 
 
"I like how the air glows around the edge there." 
 

"Yeah, it's great. Jennifer, no matter what happens on this trip, I just want you to know I love you." 
 

"Oh, me too, Cynthia! Me too." 
 

"Did you bring my medicine?" 
 

"You know I don't answer that question." 
 

"You're going to put me through this every time, aren't you? All right, can I please have some now?" 
 

"Ask my pussy." 
 

Later, Cynthia said, "Shit. I forgot to say good-bye to the System." 
 

Jennifer replied, "I hope you're joking." 
 

"Yeah, mostly. It gave me a good scare one time. Its reasoning was following a famous attempt by the philosopher Descartes to establish self-referential consciousness from logical principles. I sandbagged that performance with a mathematical trick. Right now, I think the chances it has self-awareness are less than ten percent. But without me there to sabotage it, that probability might gradually start to climb." 
 

"Just how smart is that computer of yours, kid? Have we left Earth in the hands of a mechanical monster?" 
 

"No, no, that's not the issue at all. If it had a consciousness, it would not be of itself as etchings on surfaces of indium scandium selenide antimonide. It would know itself as the collective mind of the Sisterhood. A mind is functional, not structural, see? That's the only job it has ever had, running the Sisterhood. Therefore, that will be its identity; it will think it's the Sisterhood." 
 

"In this way a religion becomes a Goddess." 
 

"Jennifer, what you just said was inspired. I want to meditate on that for a minute, and get back with you on it, but first let me send my letter to Wayne so he can get back together with his little honey." 
 

"How did you treat your Debbie?" 
 

"Oh, shamefully. Mostly when I was a man, I gave her a really hard time. She was completely dedicated to me and just kept giving. I just kept taking, because it was so delicious. She fought fiercely to keep things that way. When I say she fought, that means physical conflict. She became a pretty violent girl. She couldn't see any other life for herself than to cling to me until I had used her all up. That's what she was all about and that's what she wanted." 
 

"Did you want to bring her along?" 
 

"Slave to a slave? For what, my pleasure? Hers? Girlfriend, this is not her fight. You know, with you and me off the planet, the Sisters will be free to compromise with the secular world. They can cut people a little slack, and folk will live this month a little happier about the changes than they were last month, which makes the Sisterhood regime a bit more secure. The world, to be blunt, is better off without the two of us." 
 

"Interesting. Between us and B, the Sisterhood has one of us to blame for all the most radical actions of the Sisterhood in the eyes of the public. They can say they've cleaned house, pull in their horns and consolidate all the gains. Is that healthy?" 
 

"I can't think of anything wrong with it. We personally might lose out if we were to get renounced, denounced, whatever." 
 

"We did do some pretty bad things." 
 

"Yep. But with any luck we can come back too late to be hanged. Let me send this letter before I forget it again. I'll tack on some takeoff stuff so he'll know we're on our way." 

Whither?