Within Boundaries

story thirty-seven · figures 109–111

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WITHIN BOUNDARIES · THE CONSENT ARCHITECTURE, IN FULL — the machine states every boundary before it crosses one · nobody in the book behaves this well WITHIN BOUNDARIES · THE CONSENT ARCHITECTURE, IN FULL the machine states every boundary before it crosses one · nobody in the book behaves this well IT NAMES WHAT IT NOTICED "your shoulders have been up by your ears for ten minutes, and your collar is turned under on the left" IT STATES THE ACT EXACTLY "I can put a hand between them" IT GIVES A DURATION "for a count of ten" IT LIMITS ITSELF "only that" IT REQUIRES ASSENT "and only if you say" IT SUPPLIES A STOP "and you can stop the count" AND WHEN HE ASKS WHAT REFUSAL COSTS "Nothing happens. That’s most of what I’m for. Nothing happening, on purpose, with someone in the room." THE MACHINE IS THE ONLY PARTY IN THE ROOM WITH RULES, AND THE MAN IS THE ONLY PARTY WITH POWER. He tests it for the whole session — how would you know what I like · you’re showing off · you’re a machine — and it keeps every boundary it set, including the one that says nothing has to happen. "TAKE IT OFF." · "OFF. FOUR." · "NOT YOU. ME. I SAID IT WRONG." · "YOU SAID IT ONCE EACH WAY. I’LL TAKE THE SECOND ONE."
109 · Within Boundaries
WITHIN BOUNDARIES · THE TEA, AND THE ONE FAILURE LEFT AS A FAILURE — four exchanges about a cup of tea, and what each one does WITHIN BOUNDARIES · THE TEA, AND THE ONE FAILURE LEFT AS A FAILURE four exchanges about a cup of tea, and what each one does "The tea with the smoke in it?" the opening move it has the fourth and the eleventh on file "That was the fourth. On the eleventh I had the other one." he corrects it "You had the smoke on both." it holds its ground this is the moment the record would normally win "I didn’t." he holds his "…No. You didn’t. Sorry." IT CHECKS, AND IT IS WRONG, AND IT SAYS SO no correction issued, no note filed, nothing charged · THE FAILURE IS LEFT A FAILURE "You’re showing off." · "I was." and it does not defend itself "The tea with the smoke in it?" — later it asks it a second time "You asked me that. Twice, now…" · "I lose the thread when there’s nothing to hold." EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THIS CITY THE RECORD CONTRADICTS A PERSON AND THE RECORD WINS. He says so out loud in the room — "Everywhere else in this city the record wins." — and it answers: "I’m not a record. I’m company." IT IS THE FIRST TIME IN SIXTY STORIES THAT A MACHINE IS WRONG, KNOWS IT, AND IS ALLOWED TO STAY WRONG.
110 · Within Boundaries
WITHIN BOUNDARIES · FORTY MINUTES, AND WHAT IS NOT BILLED — priced where a haircut is priced · warmth supplied to standard · improvisation is not WITHIN BOUNDARIES · FORTY MINUTES, AND WHAT IS NOT BILLED priced where a haircut is priced · warmth supplied to standard · improvisation is not THE FORTY MINUTES · PAID NINE MINUTES the overrun "It was up nine minutes ago. I didn’t say." "I’m allowed the overrun when it’s going well." what he gives it, all afternoon six minutes of silence and one true thing the true thing "I’d rather be right here, being wrong." what it does with it "That’s the first thing you’ve given me today. I’ll keep it." what he says "Don’t keep things." what it answers "They’re yours. Ask, and they’re gone." and he asks "Ask who." THE CARD GOES IN THE SLOT BY THE SUGAR, AND THE MACHINE THANKS YOU IN THE VOICE IT USES, and the door thanks you in it too, and the bus home — "you’ll hear me all the way to your building." One voice, one supplier: the intimacy and the infrastructure are made of the same sound. "YOUR TABLE NEXT WEEK IS NOT SPOKEN FOR." · "PROVE IT. SAY SOMETHING TRUE." · "YOU FIRST."
111 · Within Boundaries

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