<p>“Yeah,” she said, leaning briefly against them as they walked. “I’m in the market for a new year. Sell me the 2368 model. I’ve got a wide variety to choose from, so tell me why you decided to live through this one.”</p>
<p>“You’re a nerd. You realize that, right?”</p>
<p>“Tell me why I should be a nerd in 2368.“</p>
<p>Reed scuffed their heel against the pavement of the street. New Year’s Eve, and everyone was still inside. Bars: full. Restaurants: packed. There were a few scattered couples or groups around, but they were all walking with purpose. Champagne called. Canapes. Crudites.</p>
<p>And here they were, Reed and Hanne, arm in arm, strolling leisurely down the street, heedless of the passersby, to celebrate the last day of 2368, systime 244+365.</p>
<p>“If you’re looking for the utmost in luxury, then it’s really hard to go wrong with 2368. The ride was just about as smooth as could be.”</p>
<p>“Oh, very comfortable. Cushy, even,” they said, poking themself in the belly.</p>
<p>Hanne laughed. “Cute. How about the exterior?”</p>
<p>“No clue. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve had any reason to pay attention to the world outside. I imagine it looks just as confusing as it anyways has.”</p>
<p>“Well, okay, fair enough. You’ve been here longer than I have.”</p>
<p>“I keep forgetting you’re younger than me.”</p>
<p>She nodded. “Robbing the cradle, you are.”</p>
<p>“You’re 83.”</p>
<p>“Barely legal.”</p>
<p>It was their turn to laugh. “Whatever.”</p>
<p>“Well, it’s got us in it, doesn’t it?”</p>
<p>She laughed and shoved them away from her. “Now who’s the nerd? Gross.”</p>
<p>Reed stumbled to the side, laughing. They’re own champagne from earlier added a pleasant freedom of movement ey only ever noticed at two drinks. Any more and they became too loose and had a hard time staying upright. Any less and they didn’t notice that any freedom was lacking.</p>
<p>“Is that so bad?” they said. “Alternatively: am I not allowed to be a bit maudlin? It’s fucking New Year’s, Hanne.”</p>
<p>“Maudlin? Is that even the right word?”</p>
<p>“What? Uh…” They hunted down a dictionary on the exchange, prowled through it. “Oh. Saccharine, maybe? I don’t know. Maudlin still kind of works, doesn’t it?”</p>
<p>She titled her head at them.</p>
<p>“”Extremely sentimental,” it says. Pretty sure that fits.”</p>
<p>Hanne rolled her eyes, grinning. “Okay, yeah, that fits you to a tee.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>All told, a fine way to spend the remainder of systime 244, almost 102 years since they — or at least their down-tree instance, Marsh — had uploaded.</p>
<p>Take a human mind, crush it, compress it down to a dream, mix it all up, pour it into a system with however many billion others — billion? Trillion? — to let everyone dream within unison. Make yourself a </p>
