A sequel to “Lizzy” from After Amargosa and following on a revelation in “Cusp of Eternity,” both JT Austin and Tishla search for a way to remove the late Lizzy Austin‘s consciousness from themselves before Tishla can carry an embryo fertilized by JT with an egg left by Suicide. They debate whether to have a golem created for her, cloning an embryo from her cousin, Shelly Parker, or letting her become an AI entity. Tishla balks when specialists cannot guarantee she will suffer in the removal process. As Lizzy communicates via hallucination, she tells JT resurrection is a complicated idea because she was originally his wife. She suggests using the nanites that allow her to live to infuse the zygote that will become his daughter. She informs JT she’s watched him raise Athena. She says he’s been a good husband twice over and already shown he’d be a good dad. Since her parents are dead, she would love to have a second life as his daughter. While Tishla’s pregnancy is cut short due to a human fetus being too large for a Gelt womb, the baby Yun Ellen comes to term in an artificial uterus. She’s aware of what’s happening to her, but she’s also aware her memories will diminish when the baby’s brain has to deal with growing up all over again. Nonetheless, when she is born, Lizzy-turned-Yun Ellen looks up at JT and Tishla, recognizing them as her parents.
Preceded by: “Fly from Here”
Followed by: “Time to Move On“