an excerpt from the final letter to adder rows five years before the creation of weight.

When you say that what I've built so far is an achievement, I'll shut up and take the compliment. But it isn't enough that the program is just

up and running. People need to understand what we've found here, what the Stradai really are.

I hate that they call it fogging. It's a misnomer. Yes, the machines that they touch grow confused. But for the strati, things become much more clear. When they connect consciousness to mesh, they reach beyond the Gosh Vassad of that realm.

The neon links of Chain Gate Ice, the glowing lev lines of information, the aviary of chirping data, all of these give away to a vision

of the mesh that is more personal, more fundamental to the general human experience.

It is a mistake to think that the graduate of the new stratus program is merely

a weapons platform or some sort of fantasy pulled from the Nurovitz.

They are the embodiment of a new mode of being.

In time, they'll reveal not only the secrets of corporate labs,

not only the workings of your holy divines,

but the interiority of interiority itself.

I can dress it up as much as I want, though.

I know it falls on deaf ears.

And I'm sure that you know me well enough to know that what I really want to say isn't

just my research is very exciting. You know that what I want to say is don't go

When we left we were young and stupid but we came here and we learned so much and we made a life of our own on this rock. You don't have to give

yourself to that thing just to help people. We can do so much good from right here,

from home. Please, don't go. But I know you as well as you know me and you always were

a little self-righteous, so I love you, adder.

That will always be who you are to me.

No candidacy can change that.

...