subsystem | video/voice.

[ This is a video that features no people: instead, what's filling the screen is artfully-arranged sweets. Lots and lots of sweets. The dragon boat races were a grand success for the restaurant Kitty works for, and so they were contracted to cater a party in exchange for work from a construction firm for an expansion of their floor space. What you're seeing is the catering before it goes out. And Kitty, whose voice is cheerful and bright and rather thickly London-accented, narrates: ]

Some of you stopped by our booth at the race the other day, so you already know, but this is what we've got to offer at Restaurant Modak. And believe me - all of this looks pretty, but that doesn't even compare to how it tastes. Forget going into a simulation or a Matrix to get the absolute height of a dining experience. This food surpasses anything you'll find out there - and it's got the added advantage of being really, absolutely real.

[ Another pass over the food. She continues. ]

Some of you might be thinking that you haven't got what you need to trade for food of this quality. How could you possibly? Well - you'll be really glad of this next bit. Our going rates are beyond reasonable. We'll even give a good meal for nothing more than a vase of flowers, a bit of sugar - or even just you helping with the washing up. Right here, on the network, you can tell me what you've got for barter and I'll tell you just what sort of meal that'll get you.

[ And then the video switches off, like a cruel tease. ]

Remember: Restaurant Modak. Reasonable prices, food so good you won't even believe it's real. All on layer forty-four.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm absolutely going to believe what I want to believe, yeah. No question of that. But you might give me something I want to believe in more. So...

So it doesn't matter, what I do or don't believe. I'm not going to change your mind. I don't know that I would want to change your mind even if I could.

[So.]

Ugh - you completely overlooked what I just said! Wrote. Whatever it was. Of COURSE you can change my mind. I'll believe what I've got a will to believe, but maybe I've got a will to believe YOUR version. You oughtn't count out the openness of a mind you don't even know, ought you?

I don't think it matters that much.

Would you unplug someone who didn't want to be unplugged?

[ Yes. ]

No. How brutal! Why?

If I give you a reason why, will it change your mind?

That depends on the reason, doesn't it? Something like 'Because I say so' is a reason, strictly speaking, but that's not enough. But if it's something a bit better than that...

Even though you said it was brutal.

You shouldn't let your mind be changed that easily. And you shouldn't think too hard about the kind of people that would unplug someone that didn't want to be unplugged.

[ ...damn it. ]

So...You're not the sort of person who believes in unplugging everyone, then?

I haven't really thought about it.

You brought it up. But you haven't thought about it?

No. I haven't.

OK. So if you were to think about it now, what would you believe? Unplug them, or leave them be?

I'm not on a crew.

I'm not on a crew and you asked me, didn't you.

And you didn't have to answer. But you did, because you've thought about it.

No I haven't. I answered spontaneously.

Sorry. But two seconds of forethought is still forethought.

OK, but I bet you're thinking about it now, aren't you.

Don't you have sweets to sell.

You've been thinking about it longer than I was thinking about it before I answered. So you can probably come up with a response, can't you? Just logically.

Probably. Yeah.

So?

So I don't want to.

OK, but I answered you.

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unwrit - 2015-06-12 21:17 (UTC) - Expand