Life has an odd sense of humor. Last night I needed something to read and I was looking for Heinlein’s Numbers of the Beast but couldn’t find it. Instead, what stood out was William Gibson’s Pattern Recognition. I’ve read it before, thought it was ok and set it aside. As is his style, its very graphical and descriptive, deep in its imagery. So deep you can almost taste it.
Until, ten minutes ago, I got to the part where Cayce (the main character) remembers September 11. The chapter where, faced with jet lag, she lets go and brings it all back. The disappearance and possible death of a father, a changing of paths, a changing of a nation, and most of all a changing of fate.
I will always remember that day, as I think most people in this country will; but maybe not for the same reasons. I remember being in chem class and the announcement coming over the loud speaker that “america had been bombed.” I remember skipping my next class and going to the computer labs franticly loading websites but none of the mainstream media pages loading. I remember going to arstechnica and hardocp and checking their forums, then anandtech. The rumors flew and swirled. It felt like I was in a maelstrom.
I remember every class being focused solely on the televisions in each classroom. Everyone discussing, amongst themselves what had happened. Possible causes; possible enemies; possible responses.
I remember how we were supposed to have a soccer game that night, against who I can’t remember. It was canceled. I remember walking out to my friends car for a ride home and thinking: “My god, what a beautiful day.” My head couldn’t get around the displacement. It was like two different worlds; mirror worlds.
In one, there were no planes, no distractions; even the sound of traffic was muted. Birds chirped and flew like normal, the clouds passed effortlessly across the sky but in the other world? Death. Screams of pain, of agony. Tongues of flame and fire and suffering.
Its funny how a book grabbed at random can make memories come back; make you rethink things. I had other things planned for tonight, other things to think of but for some reason these thoughts feel right.
Its late, but I remember.
