Written in 365 Parts: 69: How Much of Me is Me?

“The Expansion Wars? That has been mentioned a lot, seems like I need to catch up on a lot of stuff. Both you and the Legal, Krennar, talked about it. Where is he? I mean, what, they? where are they?”

“They are in another room, making a full recovery. They just don’t have your stamina, you’re pretty healthy for someone who has probably been on ice for over a thousand years, give or take a few centuries. As forhe Expansion Wars were probably the most terrible time in humanity’s history, and let’s face it they have some stiff competition for that. Everyone uses them as a benchmark as they were the point where everything, I mean literally everything, changed. Nothing was the same after they were over. But I am getting severely distracted. It has been a while since I just, well, talked to someone, without it being meaningless or work related.”

“Well you can talk a little more if you like?” Marsh smiled that easy smile he had eyes staring languidly.

“I am not sure. There probably isn’t that much that I would talk about.”

“I find that hard to believe, you’re so loquacious, surely a talented conversationalist. You’re clearly out of practice.” The smiles was broader and slowly faded,  So what do you present as?”

“Pardon?” Drick was taken aback by the sudden switch to a serious question.

“I know that your icons on your wrist display say something, though they are weird as they move and you call them tattoos but that’s a different kettle of squid.”

“I present as asexual, ungendered for most people. I don’t have that much time for, or usually any interest in, sex or relationships.”

“So you’re married.”

“What, married, as in civil union? No. Why would you say that?”

“It was a joke. Based on how you present. It reminded me of both of my parents.”

“Did they not like each other?”

“Sure they did. They were just together for so long that they had moved beyond the whole messy part of a relationship into some kind of a lifelong friendship.”

“But no intimate pairing?”

“Not in my mind,” a dry laugh, “well, I guess the occasional thing, I don’t really know, they were old fashioned, as in really traditional. And, also, old so there is that. It is pretty icky to think of them doing anything in bed aside from watch holovids. I swear they were born in the wrong century is what… Shit.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I just realised, I am never going to see her again.”

“Her> Who is she? A partner?”

“My sister. I have, well I guess it is now had, a sister, a younger sister.”

“So your parents had sex at least once more after you were born then.”

“Really? Too soon Drick.” Marsh shook his head the tousled hair waving gently as they did, “I am a bit cut up about this.”

“I can see. But I don’t mix much with organics and emotions. I forget what is good to say so I just go with the flippancy.”

“I will never see her, or know what happened to her. I won’t know what happened to my parents, to friends. To anyone. They are all gone, as if they never really existed, they could be a figment of my imagination, they are the shadow of my memories.”

“There might be some trace. A lot of information has been lost over time, but some still exists. If I can get the right connection I can try and request data packets for you from the Terran system. They might have some records. But there isn’t much chance, I am sorry.”

“Hell, it hurts a little. The thought of not seeing her again, any of them hurts a lot, but the physical pain is real as well. I know it is now history but it is fresh for me. This is all new and everything I knew is gone. Even my memory.”

“How is your memory?” 

“Bits more of that at least seem to be coming back I guess.”

“It will come. We have a specialist coming to help you out. Also a neurosurgeon for the web in your skull.”

“Thanks, I was wondering if I could get it removed.”

“What? Why the hell would we do that. The surgeon is here to take the restrictions out so you can use it properly. Removing it would be difficult and potentially dangerous. Your fairly unique even for a born organic. There is no way that there is any DNA matches for you, there is going to be nothing with strong trace of your biology. Cloning your brain or worse your spinal column would be very difficult. You are going to have to contribute a lot of material to the banks so they can start the process of building a gene history to make parts from that will be compatible.”

“Why would I need that?”

“Organ failure, accidental damage, substance abuse, age. All of those take a toll on the body so you might want to think about investing in enough material in storage to act as replacement parts.”

“Wow. I don’t know what to say to that.”

“Did we hit upon another thing that makes you want to tear parts of your body off?”

“I have no idea. How much of me is me?”

“Well we only have the low level medical reports but it looks like you are all you, Marsh. Aside from the small amount of fused circuitry in your brain.”

“Is it broke?”

“Your brain?”

“No, the circuitry, you said it was fused.”

“Yes, fused as in welded, to your synapses.”

“Wonderful.”

“It is, it is very advanced and once we pull the restrictions I can teach you how to use it.”

“What can it do?”

“You think the tattoos are pretty amazing, right?”

“They are something to behold, yes.”

“Wait till you find out what the device in your head can do.”