I was born in a house with a million rooms, built on a small, airless world on the edge of an empire of light and commerce that the adults called the… - Alastair Reynolds

We don't have enough evidence to decide either way," Ricasso said, "so for now we may as well keep open minds.

I take it you're not a believer, Meroka?" "Are you?" "I don't believe." He paused theatrically. "In anything. I question. I doubt. I doubt and I doubt consistently and systematically. It's called thinking scientifically." "I hope you understand what the fuck that means," Meroka said, because I sure don't." "I wouldn't expect you to, my dear. The world isn't exactly conducive to scientific thinking. Not in its present condition. But it's changing, and so must we. Those of us who can, anyway.

Am I that fascinating to you, or are you just more bored than I imagined?