Artificial brains were now a reality. How long before they became ubiquitous in the population? And if, as Nichols asserted, a person could be endlessly downloaded into successive silicon brains, how would that affect people’s view of life—to know that they need never die? Take away life’s end point, and suddenly how we plan and conduct our existence are irrevocably changed.

But beyond that, for one’s brain to both possess and process almost limitless volumes of information…What could a person—to say nothing of all humanity—accomplish with such abilities? Perhaps more to the point, what could I accomplish?

My students quickly got the word. Half a dozen tapped me before ten o’clock. I tried to underplay my reaction as much as possible. Yes, the achievement is amazing. Let’s wait and see how it plays out in society at large. But I already knew. Overnight the world had been transformed.

I resisted the impulse to spend the morning monitoring Grid chatter on Nichols’s breakthrough. I had other tasks. Perhaps if I had an artificial brain, I could do both, but. …

“Alistair, tap the supply supervisor at the university.”

A moment later I was in virtual reality at the desk of a gregarious man I’d met once before.

“Professor, good to see you again.” He smiled broadly and we shook hands. “What can I do for you?”

I pulled from my pocket the electronic storage device I’d retrieved from my father’s place. “I want to see if any files are stored on this thing. Do we have a machine that can read it?”

He reached over, lifted it out of my hand, and stared at it. “Hmm. I haven’t seen one of these in twenty years.” He looked up at me. “No need for them since everything’s stored on the Grid now.”

“Yes, I know. It was my father’s. I just wanted to see if I could access it.”

He looked at it again. “Well, someone should have one, for sure. Maybe we do. Let me check and tap you back.”

Two hours later I received the tap.

“Found one. We have a bunch of old electronic gear in the warehouse. No one uses the stuff; it just sits collecting dust. I think the last time—”

“So can I come by and pick it up?”

“Sure. I can set you up right here in my office, if you wish.”

“I’d rather take it to mine.”

“Whatever suits you. I can show you how to use it when you get here.”

I exited VR.

“Alistair, I need a car to go to campus.”

Within an hour I was inserting the storage device into a small piece of electronic gear that I’d placed on my office desk. I connected the machine to the Grid.

“Alistair, please show me the saved files on this device.”

“There is only one file.”

“One file? Are you sure?”

“Quite sure.”