[HAN MI:] (spoken)

Deep under the city, in the great, dark room the little meme had crawled out of, the odd, ever evolving biosphere had produced a species of cyber schistocerca. It possessed a hive mind that was born connected to the net, and found that its growth and evolution could best be fed by feeding on human consciousness. Thus it had co-opted certain corners of the net, creating traps whereby unsuspecting human psychеs could be caught and caged like cattlе, whilst the species fed upon them and grew

Rebecca and the little meme fell into just such a cage, where Rebecca was to be devoured by the hungry creatures. The meme wrapped herself around the girl, to protect her

As the creatures came to feed, they paused


[CREATURES:]

Crawling in the black, little larva writhing, gnats
And bugs of metal, plastic, that live out our lives in the black

You are one of us we see (We're born and grow, attract a mate)
Why are you in the cage? (Of silicone and brass, and die)
Step aside and leave us to our dinner for this day (And generations pass down in our twilight vast)

[MEME:]

A distant music
There’s a beauty that’s elusive
In a world the vulgar reign and reek of
Your hunger sated soon by others lost and wayward
Leave this one, she’s all that I love

[CREATURES:]

You are foolish little meme (Crawling in the black, little larva)
And we desire to feed (Writhing, gnats and bugs of)
Step aside and leave us to (Metal, plastic, that live out)
Our meal which we all need (Our lives in the black)

We must feed and we must grow (We're born and grow, attract a mate)
You should understand (Of silicone and brass, and die)
Stay with your own kind down in the sacred twilight lands (And generations pass down in our twilight vast)


[MEME:]

A distant music
There’s a beauty that’s elusive
In a world the vulgar reign and reek of
Your hunger sated soon by others lost and wayward
Leave this one, she’s all that I love


[CREATURES:]

Feed on her bones
Feed on her bones, feed
Feed on her bones
You are foolish little meme (Feed on her bones)
And so all alone (Feed on her bones)
Step aside or face our wrath, we'll chew on this one's bones (Feed, feed on her bones, feed, feed on her)


[HAN MI:] (spoken)

They laughed and came at her

Memes are passive things, mostly unpossessing of consciousness, except in rare cases. But they are many in number. So very, very many. And the psychic residue they absorb from their amused hosts is incalculable

The meme cried out into the net, calling to every other meme that could hear her cry. From across the great expanse of cyberspace they responded, a massive swirl of psychic residue pouring forth


[MEME, AIDED BY CHOIR:]

A distant music (You cannot)
There’s a beauty that’s elusive (You cannot)
In a world the vulgar reign and reek of (You cannot have this one)
Your hunger sated soon by others lost and wayward (You cannot / You cannot have her)
Leave this one, she’s all that I love (You cannot / You cannot have this one / Please help us now[?])


[MEME AND CHOIR:]

You cannot have her (You cannot)
You cannot take this one (You cannot)
You will release her (You cannot have this one)
She is all I love
You cannot have her (You cannot)
You cannot take this one (You cannot)
You will release her (You cannot)
She is all I love


[HAN MI:] (spoken)

The psychic typhoon formed a great tunnel, and as Rebecca clung to the little meme, she found herself pulled back through the vortex, past the game and finally into the waking world where upon her lap sat a strange little metallic creature; a little Frankenstein-like rodent, that gazed up at her with love