David Brin - Kiln People

Clara cursed colorfully. The life of a student and part-time warrior was one more thing due to change. Welcome to the life of a full-time professional, dear. C’est la vie.

Then humming sounds drew our attention toward the bow — equipment warming up. Clara glanced at me as if to say, Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.

I hurried forward on time to hear realAlbert mutter happily to himself. Something about how “ we’re all bosons in this dust,” or something like it. Arriving at the cabin, I saw him lie down on the platten with his head — our head — between the tetragramatron tendrils, waving gently on all sides. I noticed that the transfer switch was pulled to UNLOAD.

After staring for several seconds, I asked, “Are you sure?”

The last time we tried this, there had been a busy signal. The organic brain was full, or fully occupied, with something immensely large. No more room inside. No room for me at all.

For the first time since Urraca Mesa — or since our soul-paths separated the Tuesday before — I felt complete attention from those eyes, durable organic eyes, built to last for thirty thousand days, or more.

“She’s all yours, Pinocchio,” I heard my own voice say, and it had something else — a tone that said farewell.

There would be room, now, I realized. A clean slate. A home to reimprint with all that I was and all I had become. Everything necessary for this wayward puppet to be a real boy.

And boy, won’t Clara be surprised.

Lying down on the other table, the one with a recycling bucket underneath, I took a moment to wish myself a nice trip.

Then I put my clay head down to begin life once again.

Kiln People is one of the more challenging works I’ve taken on, expressing different points of view and time through seldom-used authorial tools like second-person, future tense. But that’s just part of the tradition in a genre that thrives on the unusual and loves to take on clichés.

I’d like to thank those who provided assistance, especially with critical readings of early drafts, and with insights on the historical, literary, and philosophical implications of golems.

Special appreciation goes to Cheryl Brigham, Beth Meacham, Stefan Jones, Vernor Vinge, Tappan King, Wil McCarthy, Ralph Vicinanza, John Douglas, Lou Aronica, Mason Rourman, Steve Sloan, Mark Grygier, Steve Jackson, Joe Miller, Vince Gerardis, Beverly Price, Stephen Potts, Hodge Cabtree, Robin Hanson, Steven Koerber, Alberto Monteiro, Steinn Sigurdsonn, William Calvin, Trevor Sands, James Moore, Nick Arnett, Ruben Krasnopolsky, Robert Qualkinbush, Jim Kruggel, Tamara Boyd, Manoj Kasichainula, Pat Mannion, Amy Sterling Casil, Daniel Jensen, Rachel Heslin, Alex Spehr, Lisa Gay, Bret Marquis, Brian Sidlauskas, Stella Bloom, Rae Paarlberg, Joshua Knorr, Dr. Globiana, Daniel Rego and Matt Crawford, along with members of the CalTech and University of Chicago Science Fiction Clubs.