"Hell of a world we live in…" "That's right," I said, "or even worse, it could be perfect." — William Gibson

Vasopressin makes you remember, I mean really remember. Clinically they use the stuff to counter senile amnesia, but the street finds its own uses for things.

"But why?" Korolev shook his head, deeply confused. "Why have you come?"

"We told you. To live here…Who'd want to live out here for the sake of some government, some army brass, a bunch of pen pushers? You have to want a frontier—want it in your bones, right?"

Korolev smiled. Andy grinned back.

When the knocking came, he knew that it must be a dream as well.

The hatch wheeled open.

He saw that the woman was black. Long corkscrews of matted hair rose like cobras around her head.

"Andy," she said in English, "you better come see this!"

"Is he alive?"

"Of course I am alive." said Korolev in slightly accented English.

The man called Andy sailed in over her head. "You okay, Jack?" His right bicep was tattooed with a geodesic balloon above crossed lightning bolts and bore the legend SUNSPARK 15, UTAH. "We weren't expecting anybody."

"Neither was I," said Korolev, blinking.