Olivia appeared at the end of the world. This was the edge—where the reality of Equus’s afterlife melded with whatever machines made it possible. Dr. Faraday had tried to explain what was going on in a way Olivia would understand—about simulated consciousness, about the meaningless nature of the substrate. But then she’d gotten herself wound up about whether or not she was the “real” Martin or not, and Olivia had lost interest.