They had been in love, desperately in love, but the universe cared nothing for the vicissitudes of the human heart. - Alastair Reynolds

People lived and died and did strange, pointless things to themselves. So did societies, be they city-sized states or galactic empires encompassing thousands of solar systems. Everything came and went, everything was new and bright with promise once and old and worn out later, and everything left a small, diminishing stain on eternity, a mark that time would eventually erase.

I worry that it's me they're really after." "You don't exist. At the risk of wounding your ego, not everyone in the known universe is obsessed with you and your secret history.

Could be worse, as they say." "That's the sum story of human history, isn't it? Could be worse. As if that's the very best that we can manage.