James Patrick Kelly - Chemistry, e-books, e-książki, ksiązki, , .-y
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Chemistryby James Patrick Kelly� 1993 by Davis Publications, Inc. First Published inIsaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, June, 1993."I'm going to fall in love tonight," said Marja, "andthis time you're coming with me."Lily had been staring without comprehension at Screen 8of 23/Brain Mechanisms in Mating. It was too hot forneurobiology; the spex with their heavy displays keptsliding down her nose. When she pushed them back up,Screen 8 flickered. "I have to study," she said, tryingto remember the last time she'd heard a man whisper hername in the dark."Face it, Lily, you think too damn much. What yoursynapses need is a nice warm norepinephrine bath." MarjaZoltowski had snuggled into a nest of pillows and tiltedthe top of her head backwards against the wall to keepher spex in place. Her Adam's apple bobbed when shespoke."You Poles are such romantics." Lily shivered the wayshe used to when Glenn touched her face. "What istonight, anyway?""I don't know. Monday?"Lily blinked at the calendar icon and waited a secondfor the spex to retrieve her tickler from memory. "Okay,tomorrow we have day two of Freddy's virtual autopsy,"she said, "and Wednesday is the immunology test. Wehardly have time to sleep, much less fall forstrangers.""Listen to yourself." Marja shook her head. "Do you callthis a life?""Nah," said Lily. Screen 9 of 12 was a diagram of thesepto hypothalamic-mesencelphalic continuum. "I call itmed school.""We could try that new place on Densmore Street. It'ssupposed to be grade.""We? These are your urges, not mine. Why don't you justprogram a window shirt to flash available and hang outat Wally's?""This isn't about sex, Lily, it's about feelings.Believe me, after they crank your hypothalamus you won'tbe able tell the difference between neuromance and thereal thing.""Says you.""Emotions aren't magic, doctor. They are reproduciblebrain states."This was something Lily knew to be true, but preferrednot to think about -- like the correlation betweencheesecake and adipose tissue. "Anyway," she said, "wecan't afford it.""Love makes all things possible."Lily doubted that, but she said nothing."I wonder what kind of men go out on a Monday night?"Marja smirked. "Gourmet cooks. Don't fancy restaurantsclose on Mondays?"Lily set her spex on the kitchen table, mirror sidedown, so she wouldn't accidentally catch a glimpse ofherself goofing off. "Weekend weathermen," she said."Priests cutting loose after a long Sunday. I need tostudy tonight, and so do you." She got up to stretch herlegs, but of course there was no room. She and Marja hadsqueezed into an efficiency apartment off campus andtheir stuff filled the place to overflowing. Two yardsale dressers, two futons, a MedNet node, a whinyrefrigerator, a microwave on the kitchen table, twoplastic chairs. They had to wash dishes in the bathroom,which had once been a closet. The closet was aclothesline stretched across the west wall. When theplace was picked up she could take four, maybe fivesteps without bumping into something, but at the momentpiles of hardcopy booby-trapped the floor like paperbanana peels. There was a word for their lifestyle, sherealized. Squalor."How long have we known each other?" said Marja. "Almosttwo years and you haven't even breathed on a man.They're not all Glenns, you know. Look, we can fall inand out of love and still be back in plenty of time toweigh old Freddy's nonexistant spleen."Lily picked up her spex again and held them at arm'slength. From a distance the bright little images on thedisplays looked like a pair of shirt buttons. Had itreally been two years? Maybe it was time to unbuttonherself.A private security rover patrolled Densmore Street; theservos of its infrared lenses mewled softly as it wovethrough the twilight. Most of the stores on the blockwere just closing: La Parfumerie, Hawkins Fine Wines, aWorld Food boutique and a couple of art galleries. Nextto the Hothouse was the Office Restaurant. Through itswindows Lily could see people in gray suits sittingalone at stylized desks, eating absently as they tweakedglowing blue spreadsheets. The neighborhood reeked ofmoney and there was only fifty-three dollars and sixtyseven cents left on her cash card. She wondered how muchromance that would buy in the caviar part of town.At street level the Hothouse was as stolid as a bank:two stories of granite blocks regularly pierced by thin,dark windows. Higher up, it blossomed into a crystallineriot of glass and light. They hesitated in front of themarble threshold."I bet they're wearing shoes made of real cow." Lilytucked her purse under her arm as if she expected somerampaging doorman to snatch it from her."Don't worry." Marja touched Lily's hand. "You lookfine." She had lent Lily a crepe off the shoulder dressher grandmother had left her. It was too 90's for Lily'staste, but Marja was the specialist when it came to thissort of thing."You too," said Lily, "but that's not what I mean. Lookwhere we are. We can't afford this -- unless you don'tmind eating Cheerios for supper until finals.""Come on. How much could it cost?""What's the gross national product of Portugal?""I'll ask, okay? I'll just poke my head in the door andfind out.""No, I'm coming." Lily rammed her purse deeper into herarmpit and clamped it.Lily had expected flocked wallpaper and leather couches.Instead there were lots of bright plastic surfaces and arug with all the ambiance of sandpaper. The lobby of theHothouse was emphatically air-conditioned andilluminated almost to the point of discomfort. Only twoof the five ticket booths were open. Beyond them was abank of sliding doors, textured to look like the trunksof trees."Hi." The cashier was a young woman in an extravagantfoliage print dress. She had jade highlights in herblack hair and an expression as guileless as a pansy."Are you together?" The button on her collar said Ju."Yes," said Marja."No." Lily nudged her. "We came together, but we're nottogether together."Ju smiled. "Whatever.""We're interested," Marja said, "but we're not reallysure this place is for us. Can you tell us about it?""As in, what does it cost?" Lily said.Ju slid a brochure across the counter toward them; herfingernails were polished the same green as her hair."Your basic attraction enhance...
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