'Obvious to some, an opportunity to others.

'If you say so.

'I do. She licked her lips with mischievous amusement. 'So, are you going to try for my Unisphere code? Ask me out for a drink?

'Not today.

She pouted fulsomely. 'How about unconditional sex, then, any way you like it?

'I'll bank that one, too, thanks, he laughed.

'You do that. Her shoulders moved up in a slight shrug. 'Goodbye, Aaron.

'Wait, he said as she turned away. 'What's your name?

'You don't want to know me, she called out. 'I'm bad news.

'Goodbye, Bad News.

There was a genuine smile on her face as she looked back at him. A finger wagged. 'That's what I remember best, she said, and was gone.

He smiled at the rear of her rapidly departing head. She vanished quickly enough amid the throng; after a minute even he couldn't spot her. He'd seen her originally because she wanted him too, he realized.

Us, she'd said, there are a lot like us here. That didn't make a lot of sense. But then she'd stirred up a lot of questions. Why am I here? he wondered. There was no solid answer in his mind other than it was the right place for him to be, he wanted to see who was elected. And the memories, why don't I have any memories of anything else? It ought to bother him, he knew, memories were the fundamental core of human identity, yet even that emotion was lacking. Strange. Humans were emotionally complex entities, yet he didn't appear to be; but he could live with it, something deep inside him was sure he'd solve the mystery of himself eventually. There was no hurry.

Towards late afternoon the crowd began to thin out as the announcement remained obstinately unforthcoming. Aaron could see disappointment on the faces moving past him on their way home, a sentiment echoed by the whispers of emotion within the local gaiafield. He opened his mind to the thoughts surrounding him, allowing them to wash in through the gateway which the gaiamotes had germinated inside his cerebellum.