Woman on the Edge of Time

Connie feels deeply depressed in the ward and sees herself as an object rather than a person with feelings. She sits passively and watches things around her but is distanced from her own emotions. When she feels a great pain originating from Luciente, she is frightened but allows herself to pass into the future. There, everyone is grieving Jackrabbit, who was killed while on defense. They have brought Connie there so that she can attend his memorial since she is like family to them.

During the memorial, people speak of their memories of Jackrabbit. Connie is shocked that some of the memories are negative, but the others explain to her that they remember a person by talking about them as they really were, both good and bad. Jackrabbit could be flighty and changeable but also loving, kind, and full of life. After his burial, the council agrees that a new baby will share his exact genetics. Luciente explains that this is a rare honor and one she finds comforting.

Connie awakens in the ward and finds that the doctors have been trying to rouse her for over a day. They are panicked and worried that something has gone wrong with the experiment.