Of Many Minds

Chapter 2

Thursday, January 16, 16:41.

Executive:

I finish my meeting and leave the coffee shop. I get the feeling that I want to walk home. I guess that my CUs have decided that my daily exercise quotient has yet to be met. I look up at the sky- it's a bit overcast and there is a slight breeze, but I'm dressed for the weather. I suppose it feels like a nice day for a walk- kind of a sad and lonely day...one of those days that bring about feelings of longing and introspection, where you look about yourself and realize your small place in an unimaginably vast universe. I begin my walk down the street and away from the shop.

By now, the trees have all lost their leaves and the grass has all browned. My footsteps against the concrete sidewalk seem oddly hollow and distant, carried away by the chill breeze. I pass a grove of pine- a dark emerald green amidst the drab brown of the grass and the muted greys of the walkways. Underneath, two magpies are squabbling over a piece of bread. One snatches it as I pass and takes off. The other turns and looks at me- his deep black eyes following intently. I find myself noting these facts without really caring- a detached observer.

I feel briefly frustrated and wonder if walking would have been my inclination regardless of the CUs. Did it make sense to think of myself as independent of the machinery of thought? I suppose that I could get CU1 working on that. I bet some philosopher would have something to say on the topic.

CU1: research request (I'm even starting to think like them), am I independent of the machinery of my thoughts, or, does that machinery define who I am?

Wilco.

I'm getting sick of walking. I suppose I feel something like revulsion- though in a much milder form. I don't know if I could manage revulsion anymore... I'm going to let the CUs finish off this trip.

CU2: assume motor and sensory functions.

Wilco.

CU3, I'm going to watch a movie. Disable emotional regulation protocols.

Wilco.

I have the sensation that I'm on the cusp of understanding something. My query to CU1 touches on areas of mind-body dualism. Apparently mind-body dualists presuppose the existence of a material world. Mind-body dualism generally presupposes the existence of a material world. Now I'm wondering whether that presupposition has merit. Whatever. I'm going to watch the new Hans Drukker movie.

As the movie starts, I briefly take stock of what I'm doing. Information from my eyes and ears is being routed to CU2. My visual and auditory cortexs are receiving information from the internet- the movie I'm watching. So, in total, I'm watching a movie, I'm walking home, and I'm studying the underpinnings of mind-body dualism. I wonder how some of the kids nowadays feel with 10 CUs integrated into their neural circuitry. Whatever. Hans Drukker is pretty damn badass...even if he is a composite model.

CU2:

ETA home: 20.73 minutes. Meal preparation time: 20.43 minutes

"CUhome1: Initialize meal preparation protocols."

"Meal preparation protocols initialized".

There is a petite brunette with brown eyes on the sidewalk just ahead. She is looking back over her shoulder worriedly. Face symmetrical. She meets the criteria. Such a stupid way of meeting people- serendipitously. So inefficient. I wonder why the Executive doesn't just allow matching to be processed through Central? Some bullshit about the magic of love...whatever. 83.37% of people now allow Central to process matching.