[previously in series: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]
Paul Graham once said that every city sends a message.
asserted
city → say → message
New York says you should make more money.
asserted
you → say → money
Berkeley says you should live better.
asserted
you → say → ?
Boston says you should be smarter.
asserted
you → say → ?
People shouldn’t decide on a permanent residence until they’ve lived in several cities and understand their differing psychological effects.
asserted
they → decide → effects
San Francisco sends a message too.
asserted
Francisco → send → message
It speaks it in a cacophony of dissonant voices, some sounding like the hissing of snakes, others like the chittering of insects.
asserted
others → speak → insects
“You should pierce the veil,” it says, with a faint accent which you are not scholarly enough to recognize as ancient Sumerian.
asserted
you → pierce → Sumerian
“You should rip through the flimsy screen that separates your world from the infinite, and witness what lies behind.
asserted
what → rip → infinite
Because you’d like what you saw there?
asserted
you → like → what
The thirst for knowledge that moved Eve, Faust, Pandora - don’t you have it too?
asserted
you → move → it
There’s also a second message from a second voice, one which sounds like a deranged carnival barker, constantly shouting “STONKS! STONKS! STONKS! STONKS!”
asserted
which → ’ → STONKS
Which of the two voices you hear depends on your personality, and maybe how many psychedelics you took in college.
asserted
you → hear → college
According to legend, Sam Altman hears both voices simultaneously all the time, like those Tibetan throat singers who can harmonize with themselves.
uncertain
who → accord → themselves
But when the demonic babble becomes too much to tolerate, the San Franciscans drown it out with alcohol, loud music, and various forms of tedious socialization.
asserted
Franciscans → become → socialization
Thus the famous Bay Area house parties, one of which you will be attending this very night.
asserted
you → attend → which
You were in the Bay for the big 2020 crime wave, when people would hang “NO VALUABLES IN THIS VEHICLE” sign on their car’s front window, mezuzah-like, hoping against hope to ward off break-ins.
asserted
people → hang → ins
Still, you’re surprised to see the new sign on the front door of your friend Rob’s house: “NO BENCHMARK ANSWER KEYS IN THIS BUILDING”.
asserted
you → ’re → BUILDING
On the ground is a sad-looking green box lined with aluminum foil.
asserted
box → line → foil
You wonder how serious the sign is, but your curiosity is sated immediately upon entering.
asserted
curiosity → wonder → ?
Rob is confronting a heavily-made-up Zoomer woman standing near the table, talking on her phone.
asserted
Rob → confront → phone
“Didn’t you read the sign?” he asks.
asserted
he → read → sign
“I lost the ability to read,” says the woman.
asserted
woman → lose → ability
“I’m part of the new post-literate society everyone’s talking about.
asserted
everyone → ’m → society
You know, Walter Ong.”
asserted
You → know → Ong
“Huh?” says Rob.
asserted
Rob → say → ?
“That’s not a real thing!
asserted
That → ’ → ?
That’s just something all the journalists and intellectuals say!”
asserted
journalists → ’ → ?
“How could something all the journalists and intellectuals say not be a real thing?” asks the Zoomette.
uncertain
Zoomette → say → ?
Rob pauses.
asserted
Rob → pause → ?
“Wow, maybe you can’t read,” he says, in a tone of hushed awe.
asserted
he → read → awe
“It’s fine, I’m not judgmental.
asserted
I → ’ → ?
But cell phone in the Faraday cage, that’s the rule.”
asserted
that → ’ → cage
“Why?” asks the woman.
asserted
woman → ask → ?
“Oh man,” said Rob.
asserted
Rob → say → ?
You might want to sit down for this one.
uncertain
You → want → one
And you might want to be much, much drunker.”
uncertain
you → want → ?
The two of them head off together.
asserted
two → head → them
You search for more stimulating conversation, but find only the usual startup dick-measuring.
asserted
You → search → measuring
“I’m the CFO of Epstart,” says a man whose nametag identifies him as Behram.
asserted
nametag → ’m → Behram
…and 202 more, not listed.
The Aporia
