Free WE by John Dickinson Page A

how the brain cell behaves. Through the World Ear you had – what – a thousand regular connections? More than that?’
    â€˜What is “regular”?’
    â€˜That you contacted every few days.’
    â€˜Yes. Maybe as many as a thousand.’
    â€˜Which is approximately the same number of connections performed by a single brain cell – not a human brain cell, to be sure, but one of a highly developed animal.’
    Paul stared at him.
    â€˜Don’t make the mistake of thinking a brain has to be a mass of nerve tissue, Paul. It’s a complex, restless structure of pathways, connections, feedback, some reinforced by constant use, others that are almost valueless … It’s not a computer, no. Of course not. Its operations are quite different. But, Paul – did you ever make a decision byyourself back on Earth? Without consulting? I doubt it. All your knowledge, most of your experience, was provided to you through the We. You had no meaning without it. What were you, if not part of it? What use was all your training? Who would ever consult you? Consent? How could you?’
    His eyes held Paul’s, trapped in those concentric rings of flesh.
    â€˜I’ll tell you what happened, Paul. I remember my case and I saw some of yours. Sure, the astronomical observers on Earth were getting gaps in our data. They did not like that. It made their job harder. It also hurt the theoretical labs who use our readings. They reported it. They did not say, “Send Paul Munro.” They said, “Gap in data.” They kept reporting it. It came up at the teleconferences. Archives were consulted. They said, “Station has no telemetrist” – Thorsten had killed himself. Other archives said, “When we lost specialists on other stations, we sent replacements” …’
    His hand moved through the air. Behind him, the pictures shifted on to the next with the same easy rhythm.
    â€˜I’m simplifying, of course. But do you see how like a brain it functions? By this time planning departments were considering the distance to our station – again consulting archives about the expedition that got us here. They could calculate what would be needed. Still the messages came outof the conferences saying, “Station is undermanned. This is important.” This is the key, Paul. Lots of things get put to conferences, but this one came up often enough and affected enough things for the networks to say, “This is important.” More networks paid attention. Other distractions were filtered out. Resources were matched to the task. And archives were consulted again – for a person, this time. One with specific qualifications, who could also pass specific personality tests. You.
    â€˜At no point, Paul –
at no point
– did anyone say, “Is it worth sending Paul Munro off to a barren, frozen rock for the rest of his life?” There was no one with that function! Archives gave the information they were asked for. It was not their place to judge. Planners said what would be necessary. It was not their place to judge. And when the message came to you,
you did not ask it either
.’
    â€˜My partner did,’ said Paul.
    â€˜She was losing. But in the terms of the We, you were being justified.’
    â€˜No!’ Paul jumped up. ‘You do not say that!’ he shouted. ‘You do not say that!’
    â€˜Don’t I?’ said Lewis, without blinking. ‘I think I do.’
    â€˜You are wrong!’
    â€˜You are offended.’
    â€˜Yes!’
    â€˜Good. The deeper the offence, Paul, the closer we get. Sit down. I am not doing this because I like to hurt you.’
    Grimly, Paul sat.
    â€˜Remember,’ said Lewis. ‘Everything that’s happened to you has also happened to each of us. We had lives back there, networks we lived in. We were pulled out, like you. Me to manage this station, May to be its doctor and