" "What? To the Bang?" Fawn nodded." "What? To the Bang?" Fawn nodded. "It's my assigned role." "Fawn, if it isn't too much to ask, what are you?" "I'm a... a tool, if you will. My set purpose, as far as I know, is to attend the end of the universe." "A tool? Whose?" "I don't know. All is know is my job is to be here, now." Oenone looked puzzled again. "The why all this bit with Ken?" "Well," Fawn said, holding up a finger, "I wanted to have some fun, and whoever's tool I am allowed me that privilege, with Ken. Because it made my assigned task easier. All the task of building Pendor, of teaching Ken gengineering... all that was secondary to the real reasons why I came to him." "Ken claims he gave you to himself in an temporal loop." Fawn smiled. "That's his version. Which is true. He did, but only because that's what I wanted to have happen. This building, this facility, is why Ken and I were thrown together-- I see the question in your eyes, and the answer is still 'I don't know.'" "So what now? I just get to follow Ken and leave you here?" "That's your decision, O. But I would ask you for a favor, before you go." "And that is?" "Oenone... I don't exist very much. That sounds weird, I know, but take it as faith-- I don't exists very much. Most of my life I spend over and over as Ken's library, time machine and life support. And this is one of those rare occasions where I get to spend my life as an organic, as a person." She smiled slightly and reached out to touch Oenone's skin. |