Snapshot

by Brandon Sanderson

Chaz clung to this stupid belief that someday his partner would happen upon a mustardy bite and convert.

I appreciate his hatred of mustard

Of course, what did it mean to be “real”? The beans and cheese had been modeled on a real burrito in the real city, and it was exact down to the molecular level. It wasn’t just some virtual simulation either. If you’d placed this burrito beside one from the real world, even an electron microscope couldn’t have detected the difference.

Restored American Union

“Eat the coin? Sure. Why not?

He's a mistborn!

One of those . . . things was trapped somewhere, kept unconscious, electricity buzzing through it and doing this. Re-creating days, in their entirety, from provided raw matter.

An Epic?

Two washed-up detectives, killed in a fake world because they couldn’t be bothered to sit back and take a break.

So you can get killed in a snapshot

All he’d wanted to do was keep Chaz in the Snapshot until 20:17. Now . . . this.

Why?

“You ever wonder if the thing that powers this whole operation can see what we’re doing?” “I think it’s supposed to be unconscious,” Davis said, pocketing the phone. “It dreams up a re-creation of the day, and we slip in.” “So we’re in its dreams.” Chaz shifted, uncomfortable.

“Feels different. When I think about it. Maybe the thing is watching us.”

Try not to step on any butterflies on the way.” Chaz gave him a confused look, and Davis just shook his head, calling them another autocab.

Bees,

Bees, my god

“These people were allergic to bee stings. Look at these wounds—those aren’t regular stings. He rounded up a bunch of people with terrible allergies, then locked them in here with bees. He’s cleansing the city of Deviations.”

THAT'S HORRIBLE

“Tell me,” Davis said softly. “When you go see Molly in the Snapshot, do you have to seduce her anew each time? Or do you flash your badge, convince her she’s not real, and just take her that way?” Chaz’s jaw dropped, his eyes wide. “You do it so quickly,” Davis said. “Every time I visit Hal, right?” “Davis, think about this!” “I have thought about it, Chaz!” Davis shouted. “You see this gun? This is me thinking about it!”

Oh fuck!

“We did good, partner,” Chaz said. “Didn’t we? We’re going to do great things together moving forward.” “Chaz?” “Yeah.” “I never want to see you after today. Never again.”

“Every time I do it, I kill Hal. Every time. Someone has to do it, so I do it myself. But it rips me up each time, knowing. And if I’ve killed my son a hundred times, do you really think I couldn’t shoot you?”

It’s a Snapshot of a Snapshot.”

Called it!

“I wonder what it feels like when—”