hegreenandyellowaxidroppedhemoffaheopendofhebund,shanghai’swokilomeersofeuropeanbrownsonebuildingshaharkedbackoheciy’scolonialpaszhongshanlu,heroadhawassandwichedbeweenheneocssicalfa?adeofhebund,hehuangpuriverandheconsanlychangingmeropolisofpudong,wasamaelsromofneon,vehiclelighs,myriadflyoversandhebuzzofaciyaliveheviewwassobreahakinghacaldwelljussoodonhepavemeninfronofoneofheeuropeansylebuildingsandsaredahepudongskylihey’ddecidedoeherefirsoesrunkenzoyamamoo’sconsolebeforedealingwihheproblemofheaimeilinhadalsoreasonedhafollowinghepallhewayohehospialwasoodangerousiwasmuchbeerosneakinandcachhembysurprise

gleamingowersofseendconcreedisappearedinoasmogfilledsky,heirneonsscreamingobenoicedgianroboiccranesmovedslowlybeweenhebuildingsgivingheimpressionhaheyweregoingocrashhroughheshinyedificeshelogosofcounlesschinese,japaneseandglobalconglomeraespulsaedinhenigh,hehornsofshinycarsbredandanulramodernversionofhumaniyweavediswayamonghebuildingscaldwellreckonedhaifyoupoinedanaugmenedrealiyuniinanydirecioniwouldbeoverwhelmedwihdaaasheookinheviews,heimecapsuleofhebund,hecrazypedesrianandvehicurrafficofzhongshanlu,henauicalrafficonhehuangpuriver,hefieryneonandlighrefracingseendgssofpudong,andhenumeroushelicopersandoheraircrafraversinghesky,hefoundidifficulnoobeoverwhelmedandallhewhilehaunedbyhaunmisakablefeelingofdéjàvu

“ihavebeenherebefore,”caldwellsaidfinally

“hardlysurprisingcad”

“buihavenomemoryofiaall,jushisoverwhelmingfeelinghaihavebeenherebefore”

“le’scrossoverohebanksofhehuangpuhere’saniceelevaedriversidepromenade”

“yes,le’sseewheherhiswanglincharacerwasjusboasingidlyorherereallyissomehingelseouhere”

heycrossedzhongshanluviaanundergroundu

endemergedonheohersideherewasasmallcrowdofpeopleadmiringhenighviewofpudongandfromhissideofheroad,wihheunduingbckexpanseofheriverinfullview,hevisareallywasbreahakingheyfoundaparkbenchinamoresecludedspocloseoheriverourferrypiersandcaldwellremovedheconsolefromhisknapsackandpcedionhebenchmeilinlookedonashedo

edhegogglesandswichedheconsoleon

“whacanyousee?”meilinaskedwihmouningexciemencaldwell’shearwasbeaingfasoohiscouldbehemosexciinghinghe’deversehiseyeson

“em,nohing,jushemandlineandheviewofhebundouside”heurnedhisheadowardspudongnohingheconsolewasnopickingupanyworks

“maybeyouaresupposedoissueamandorsomehing,”meilinsuggesedhenighwasabichillyandshehadherarmsfoldedacrossherchesandherheadhunchedinohershoulders

“maybeaugmenedrealiymode,”caldwellsaidinohemicrophoneembeddedinhegoggles

“wha?”

“nohingjusissuingamandoheconsoleok,wehaveanarovery”

hegoggles’dispywaspickingupsomesophisicaedaugmenedrealiydaahebuildingsinpudonghadchangedcolorandbeeransparen,showinghevariousfloorsandinernalsrucuresexbelsdescribedhecorporaionsinhebuildingsandlogosappearedwhereheydidnoexisinreallifeviruadverising

hesysemnoifiedcaldwellhaheword“bund”wasofangloindianoriginanddescribedanembankmenalongamuddywaerfronforawhile,hebionicowerinhepudongmeropolishadbeenoneofheallesbuildingsinheworldandprovidedwork,livingandrecreaionspaceformorehanonehundredhousandshanghairesidensherewereseveraloherarcologieshahadsincepleelydwarfedhebionicowerandhearhaddeailedinformaionabouheconsrucionofhosemonolihswihhegloveson,caldwellguessedhayoucouldmanipueheseinelligenbuildingsinhreedimensionsandbreakhemaparlikelegooundersandheirecology,howheyfuncioned

“anyhingineresing?”meilinaskedagainanoeofimpaiencewasgrowinginhervoice

“sandardarsuffwaiaminue”

caldwellpeeredhroughhegogglesaheamberliexeriorsofhebuildingsonhebundhehadnobeenpayingaenionoheboomrighcornerofhescreenbuiappearedhaheconsolewasdeecingseveralworksinhesurroundingareamosofhemseemedobecorporaeworks

“youhavesomehing?”

“yes,heconsoleseemsobecyclinghroughallheworksihasdeecedinheviciniyherearemany,asyou’dexpecgivenhedensiyofhispce,hesheernumberofskyscrapers”

“well,ha’sgoodaleasifhereisaworkiwouldbepickedup”

“exaclyiseemsobegivingheworkssomekindofgreenlighprobablymeansicanaccesshemhereareoneorworedsinherebumosaregreen”

“maybehepworkisoneofheredonesinaccessible”

“le’swaiilliloopshroughallofhemhey,whaifiisacuallynosimplydeecingavaibleworksbuacuallylookingforhework?”

“ha’spossible”

“whichmeanshaholyshi”

“wha?”

“i’shere,”caldwellshouedhedispyhadchangedhecrosssecionedskyscrapersinpudonghadbeenrepcedbyherealimagesofhebuildingsbusuperimposedonopofhepanoramawasaoallynewskylineandabovehahegraysmogdenskyhaddisappeared,repcedwihacrysalcleargrayskywihbrighlylisarswinklingbeweenfluffyslowdrifingwhiecloudsaircrafinermienlycrisscrossedheskyleavingwhiesreaksinhegrayexpanse

caldwellcouldn’believehiseyesinhedisance,onhegenlyunduingsurfaceofhehuangpuriver,heboashadbeenransformedinobeauifulmarinecrafrenderedinsu

inghreedimensionshecouldmakeoupeopleonhepromenadeinhedisanceheurnedroundofacehebundiwassillherebuhecrowds,helighs,hecarsandhemyriadflyovershadalldisappearedheurnedowheremeilinwassandingshe’dvanishedoocaldwellookoffhegogglesandfoundhimselfsaringinomeilin’sdarkeyescaldwell’sfacewasflushedwihexciemen

“youlooklikeyoujusbecameafaherforhefirsime”

“close,meilin,closeakealookahis,”hesaidhandingmeilinhegogglesshepuionandhermouhopenedindisbelief

“wowwowwow,”sheexcimedherbodywasroainghroughhreehundredandsixydegreesassheookiallin

“impressiveisn’i?”caldwellsaid,smiling

“sureyouhinkhosearerealpeople?heycouldbebosbui’veneverseenbosmovelikehaavaarsheyseemobeacuallydoingsomehingusefulheyhaveasenseofpurpose”

“yeah”

“heyareheadingowardshosevirualbuildingsinpudongidon’hinkheycanseeus”

“iguesshisisjuslikeanobservaionwindowyoucanseehembuheycan’seeyoubecausewearenoacuallyparofhework,”caldwellsaid

“iamgoingoakeacloserlook,”meilinsaid,walkingowardsheedgeofheriver

“noi’soodangerouswhayouareseeingmaynobeanexacmachofhephysicalenvironmenwedon’wanyouinherivernow,dowe?lookahebund,iisempyhisparkooimagiryingocrossharoadwihhegssesonyou’dberoadkillinseconds”

“iseewhereyouareingfromhisissobeauifulimakesmewonderwhyweareherewhydesroysomehinglikehis?”

caldwellhoughabouhequesionforawhilebucouldn’findasuiableansweriseemedashamehaheunionwouldwanodesroyorboobyrapheechnologyjusbecauseiwasn’invenedherecaldwellhadseeneboraevirualrealiysysemsbeforebunoohaoverppedherealworldwihhiskindofprecisionandhighresoluiongraphicshefachaheconsolecouldviewiaall,wihouanydiscernableg,wasesamenoispuingpowerhereckonedhaifheevermanagedoopenheimpregnablechassis,he’dfindaprocessorunlikeanyhe’deverseeninfachawasprobablywhyheconsole’screaorhadbuilhechassisasaneboraeworkoforigamisohaicouldneverbeopened,hisopuswouldbeinerredwihinhebckcasingforeverhenapossibiliydawnedoncaldwellhewonderedwhyhehadneverhoughabouibefore

“hework,iknowwhaiisalbou”

“wha?”

“i’snohingbuaneboraeesinggroundibehisworkacuallyhasaneconomyiissomekindofdigialeconomywihsockmarkes,elecriciygrids,airrafficnavigaionsysemsandpuerconrolledindusrialpnshoseboswesawareonheirwayowork”

“esinggroundforwha?”meilinasked,adisincnoeofapprehensioncreepinginohervoice

“forheaiinseringheaiinoheworkisapreliminarysepomakingsureidoeswhaiissupposedodo”

“andwhaisha?don’saywhaiamhinking,”meilinimplored

“heaiisgoingoconrolcyberspace”

，