Ramez Naam - Nexus

He was Aunt Chariya. He was her husband Niran. He'd been monk and he'd been nun. His decades of meditation had stilled his mind. He'd encountered the sacrament, had become one with the other, had crossed boundaries into forbidden territories. He'd left the order, begun something new.

Compassion for all life filled him. The universe cried out in pain, in the illusion of division. He was called to teach, to spread love, to release beings from their bonds of craving and aversion, to teach them that all was one.

He was the Buddha. He was all of them here. The fourteen of them together, together they were something more, something amazing. They were the universe observing itself. They had achieved enlightenment. They could spread it to the world.

He was the sun. His radiance filled space. His golden rays bathed the Earth, sustained all life. He was the wind that blew the leaves, and he was those leaves as well. He was the seas that ebbed and flowed and roared and surged, and he was the fish that swam in those seas, the plankton that they ate, the sunlight falling on those waters. He was the Earth. He was the stars. He was all of creation and he was at this very instant so much alive and so much apprehending his own self. The universe was waking in this very room, and thus it was waking everywhere all at once.

Kade opened his eyes. He was trembling. They were all trembling, all panting with quickened breath. Sweat stood on his brow. Robyn's hand pulsed rhythmically in his left hand. She felt serene, joyous, completely in her element. Lalana's small hand fluttered like a hummingbird's wings in his right. She felt excited, exultant. How long had it been? Three hours ! It had felt like mere minutes, had felt like eternity.

The tempo was easing, now. Chariya was chanting softly. Niran was tapping the drum ever more slowly. Breathing was slowing, returning to normal. Faces wore smiles. Chests were still moving rhythmically. He glanced to his right. Lalana's breasts rose and fell under her white shirt. Her nipples were hard against the thin fabric. The olive skin of her throat, of her chest where her shirt was unbuttoned, glistened with sweat. It was the most erotic sight Kade had ever seen. He couldn't understand why their clothes were still on, how they could do this and not have it devolve into skin on skin, lips on lips, body on body, why they would want anything else at all.

The thought leaked out. Kade blushed. Lalana giggled in voice and mind and the circle caught it, amplified it, tittered as one, not unkindly, and the tension was broken.

"That was awesome," Narong whispered out loud. Kade felt it. The circle had never been that intense before.

It's me, he thought. Me and Robyn. The Nexus 5.

Chariya was looking at him, her eyes met his eyes, her mind met his mind.

Yes , her mind seemed to say. Who are you, child?

There was just one mind that felt anything other than joyously open… Suk. He was so distant from them. Why?

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Loesan. He was grinning, exultant, crouched beside Kade.

"I felt what you've done with Nexus. It's in you all the time, isn't it?"

Kade nodded, not yet ready to trust his voice.

"It's amazing," Loesan said. "Will you show us how to do that?"

Something felt wrong. There was something he should fear. But why? Knowledge was to be shared, not hoarded. Why not share some of it now?

Kade nodded. "Yes." It came out husky. "Yes, I'll show you." It came out fine this time. "Give me a couple minutes." His body had needs.

Loesan grinned even wider, radiated excitement and curiosity. "Yeah."

Kade rose, waited in line for the washroom. Lalana got in line behind him, brushed her body against his for just a moment. Kade nearly groaned in desire. He didn't know the rules here, didn't know what was OK. He felt for her intentions, found an amusement there. She pushed him against the wall, pulled his face down to hers, kissed him passionately, playfully. He was so hard. Lalana felt it against her thigh, reached down and put her hand on the lump in the front of his pants, squeezed his hardness through the fabric, pumped him up and down, once, twice, three times… Then she laughed and pushed away from him.

"Later," she whispered. Her eyes and thoughts promised sweet delights.

He mock-groaned in frustration. She laughed at him again, and he couldn't help but laugh as well. The combined Nexus and Empathek sang in his mind. Everything was absolutely wonderful. God, she was sexy.

He was too hard to piss when it was his turn. He ran through prime numbers for ages until his hardness subsided, relieved himself, and came out to show them what he and Rangan had done.

And then Kade saw Suk. Sitting on the couch. Wrongness. The young man exuded arrogance – avarice. Suddenly he didn't want to teach them anything after all.

He searched for some excuse…

"Rangan," he said. "Axon. I have to check with him before sharing what we've done with you."

Their disappointment was palpable. It pressed on him. Perhaps he could give them some simpler ideas, less dangerous ideas…

"But I can at least share a few ideas with you," he finished.

Anticipation returned in all their minds. He sat, they leaned in close to him, and he started to show them the barest glimpses of what he and Rangan and Ilya had learned.

34

SISTERS

Robyn Rodriguez was still on cloud nine. That experience had been one of the most amazing of her life, second only to her first experience with Nexus 5, with Kade, when… when… It had been amazing, that was all.

She took her turn at the restroom, still in a daze, breath heavy, pulse fast, mind and heart wide open. She came back to find the circle had transformed into a few small knots. She could still feel the minds in the room, a gestalt presence all around her, joyous and sublime. She was synchronized with them, sensitized to them. There was another presence behind her… unique…

"Hello," said a small voice in accented English. "What's your name?"

Robyn turned. It was a child. A young girl, perhaps seven years old. Robyn crouched, smiled, held out her hand. "I'm Robyn," she said. "What's your name?"

She stared in amazement, struck dumb. The child's mind was like a gem, bright and clear, small and yet so brilliant. How could Robyn even feel her? Was this child on Nexus? Who would do that?

"My name is Mai," the girl said in her high, small voice, placing her hand in Robyn's. Her mind exuded peace. Robyn should not worry. No one had harmed her. She wanted to cry, knowing that this child was safe.

Chariya was behind her. Robyn felt her peace and comfort, her affection for the child.

"Mai," she said in Thai. "Why are you awake?"

Robyn felt the answer. It arose from Mai's small mind. She'd felt them. They'd felt wonderful. They'd felt like love. They'd felt like the future, when the world was all one.

Robyn turned towards Chariya. "How…?" she asked the older woman. How can this be?

Chariya looked down at them. "Her mother used Nexus while Mai was in the womb. And… other things. A friend sent the mother to us. Mai was born this way." Chariya crouched down, knees creaking as she did. She stroked Mai's hair.

"Do all…?" Robyn started to ask.

Are all children of Nexus mothers like this?

The older woman shook her head. "No. Only a few."

Robyn caught a glimpse of something. A refuge in the south, in Narathiwat Province, near the tiny village of Mae Dong. A place of peace, where a few such children were sequestered, where Mai might go someday, if she chose.

"I'm special," Mai said.

"Yes, you are, Mai," Chariya told her, smiling, emoting love and tenderness. "You should go back to sleep."