Whoo-hoo, linkies! Many thanks for the info, Artemis, Chrystal. I'll be certain to peruse them in-depth (as much as I can manage while sitting in a greasy spoon, anyway, lol).  I was sort of picturing things like the original ENIAC system, perhaps scaled down and possibly operated by miniature steam engines or power-efficient hand cranks. I don't think we've actually had examples of A.I. in the story yet, but I'm pretty sure it was mentioned as a research avenue and it just got my curiosity up. I'll keep meself more in check for future reference.<br/><br/>Also: fresh cream cheese-frosted brownies for Chrystal, for pointing me in the direction of a new book to hunt down. I recently found (and devoured, naturally) Gibson's<span class="bbc_u">Neuromancer</span>, and have been itching for a new literary quest to embark on. Yahoo!