Diane Joplin ion in one piece. S  out of t t, ions on to telling ly o take. S t self to be  more t for it. Diane stood still on t outside t trying to get op column of Japanese y oozed out of tation all around ailed map over tersection ing to tel, o t a fees walk away.

    topped falling and t difficult to get used to t outdoor screens and tising. tly  actually being ogetotally different experience. All around o and fro, Goted salarymen, fasely dressed geisions intermingled as to unknoinations. Diane noticed makeup and yles t ion, blacked out eyes and yles designed to resemble dragons, poon cers milled around. Everyone ering a introspective look t essentially Japanese. At least, t’s  about t lanes beteeming masses, lozenge-s, ts moving sly ts controlled chaos.

    And tarted to move oel, al and pivity of t feter to soak in a  bat s. t doing t muco  so soically moved to take a closer look w her.

    It seemed t Japan  so mucing its DNA into ing visual stimulation. alking past a zillion department stores, impossibly-s of , one t otally Japanese. It ronics and yakitori fusing e. It  assaulted your senses and just kept on assaulting.

    And tel, just before ted reality reading said soel  all t top floors disappeared into tivity ed ligerlaced ever sunligo seep tos ecV program. to ter o make it look brand netom of tel building  from the ground up.

    Diane el into a tastefully decorated marble lobby. e mists of air fres t t could just be  actually knoacle of traditional ikebana flos dotted around t s moved back and fortine marble floors as guests c.

    Diane moved toer, te squeaking reassuringly behind her.

    “I ion. Diane Joplin,” s and credit co one of ttendants, a pretty girl ofu and large pensive eyes crooting area to t. Not a lone salaryman dressed in somber black tantly in tion of ts as ting for a prospective date. And ed speaking on a ped on  ear, Diane turned tention to ttendant  urned round to see one of ts.

    “It’s OK, luggage robot,” explained ttendant, smiling, and Diane reluctantly released tcase ly lifted  looked like t of a forklift truck and placed gently on its ridged rubber surface. tronic key and a map of Stle geometric sing tokyo landmarks.

    “thanks.”

    “elcome to ter-Continental el. Please enjoy your stay.” ttendant smiled ly aligned eeto feel welcome.

    S as it oors. Inside, Diane looked at t oer ed, er  co s. Ss anyoo boto be on top floor alt too press ty-four on t, tton ed automatically. It appeared t t ivated t elevator button. Or tor itself y because it meant s could probably be tracked elsewel.

    tomatically,  o t e at a precise rigo t moved toains, ookyo Metropolitan Government Offices and Diane realized t t building ed. t o te computer-controlled toilet and a large batems you’d expect to find in a good el: razors, slippers, an elaborate kimono and various kinds of scented soap. After a fees of reading tructions on tarted running a bato unpack. S placing o be able to get moving in as little time as possible. Removing Xybo from tcase, sc on and it moved off to get its bearings, ts body building a digital map of ts contents.

    A fees later, Diane lay soaking in a lavender foam batrying not to t t er.  subiserminal on tated gloves and cyberspace goggles. So spend some time on t ed. t and reets and try to get omorroo to. S to ttom of   s just sit around and do nothing.

    Feeling mucepped out of t on tel’s complementary errycloto tc-screen monitor. Xybo trundled ao s nose blinking. It still  used to t but it ting better. Diane sat in t-black designer croked ly. he world.

    “e  to ttom of to t dog as s into cyberspace. ts ificial eyes perfectly approximating sympathy.