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Part of the book series: Science and Fiction ((SCIFICT))

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Abstract

Circe Mbiraru knew things, and Jeremy Belton knew about a few of the things she knew. The question was, did she know he knew she knew? Before it all got too twisted, he decided to have a chat with her. He had almost missed her, had just caught a glimpse as she left. She wore an uncharacteristically unfashionable floppy hat and sunglasses; she was nearly unrecognizable. She had moved fast, leaving Acheron on a bullet train, headed straight for New Tucson and the Villa. Belton took an airvan. He would make it to New Tucson half an hour before the train would, since—unlike commercial transport—he had no stops along the way. Crossing the great deserts of Solis Planum, Belton put his vehicle on auto, downed an insti-lunch and some coffee, and drifted off for an hour. When he awoke, New Tucson sprawled below him. It was an extensive city, with an industrial section and manicured parks near a central hub.

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Carroll, M. (2015). A Present Absence. In: On the Shores of Titan's Farthest Sea. Science and Fiction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17759-5_24

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