Diaspora

by Greg Egan

Death’s not so bad, if you do it incrementally. Ditto for immortality.”

The Hermits could be living polises, with the whole ecosystem as their power supply. But they need not have been built by native Poincaréans. If the Transmuters arrived here and found no intelligent life, they might have tweaked the ecosystem to make a safe niche for themselves, then created the Hermits and migrated into them to while away the time in 3-scapes.” Elena laughed uncertainly, as if she suspected she was being mocked. “While away the time until what?”

Paolo said, “The other versions of me would have done everything I’m capable of doing. And lived better

lives than any I could make for myself, here.”