He shrugged. “She’s entitled to her grievances. Grafting the impersona into her neocortex was a controversial act from the beginning, though of course no one expected a prolonged Network failure to compound the effect. But she can’t solve the problem by hiding from it. ‘Allison Pearl’ simply isn’t a stable configuration. What Treya needs more than anything is to have her limbic node restored.”

I nodded as if I conceded the point. In the crater, machines shaped like segmented snakes dismantled the spars of a damaged enclosure. I asked Oscar whether it made sense to reconstruct the city when the Hypothetical machines were headed for us, presumably for the purpose of rapturing us all into heavenly communion.

“No one knows what union with the Hypotheticals might mean in practical terms. Undoubtedly we’ll all be changed—spiritually, intellectually, physically. But we might still need a city to live in.”

“You don’t find that frightening?”

“As an individual I might be frightened. Collectively, we’re braver than that.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s hard for me to imagine what that’s like—the node, the Network, the Coryphaeus.”

“I’ve described how they function.”

“Subjectively, I mean. What it feels like.”

“If you’re talking about the implant, the surgery is entirely painless…”

“Oscar, not the surgery! What does it feel like, living with wires inside your head?”

“Ah. Well, they’re not wires. They’re spindles of artificial nervous tissue and opsin proteins—no,” holding up his hand to cut off my objection, “I do understand what you’re asking. All I can tell you is that it feels like nothing at all. Of course, my own node was installed at birth. But I can describe what it was like when the Network failed, if you think that would be helpful.”

I nodded. The terrace trembled with the distant construction work. The air smelled faintly of granite dust.

“Losing the Network was like losing a sense. Like a subtle blindness. One of the node’s functions is to facilitate communication. Even in a simple conversation, the limbic interface helps us perceive and interpret nuances we might otherwise miss. At least when both parties are so equipped. Excuse me if this sounds insulting, but to us a nodeless person can appear insensitive almost to the point of imbecility.”

“Uh-huh … is that how I seem to you?”

He smiled. “I’ve learned to make allowances.” That was Oscar’s sense of humor—about as deep as it went.

“At some point, though, a kind of emotional consensus emerges, right? And that’s what I can’t quite picture.”