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72fce47
|
Is that possible?" the duty officer said, her voice small and tight. "Only if you define 'possible' as things that have already happened," Naomi said, not turning to look at her."
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James S.A. Corey |
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e44e237
|
when you got right down to it, humans were still just curious monkeys. They still had to poke everything they found with a stick to see what it did. The
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James S.A. Corey |
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a28a93a
|
I am declaring this vessel in violation of laws and standards," Avasarala said. "Cotyar, you're witness to that." "As you say, ma'am." "All right, then. Bobbie. Get me control of this fucking ship."
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James S.A. Corey |
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f5d5f41
|
A soft hushing sound, like fingernails scratching down an endless sheet of paper.
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James S.A. Corey |
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bc3fbaa
|
What had been inexplicable became inevitable.
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James S.A. Corey |
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5b97257
|
He understood the flaw in that logic: if comforting them comforted him, maybe comforting him comforted them, and they could all drive the ship into a rock while they smiled at each other.
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James S.A. Corey |
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f620f9b
|
He wouldn't miss the planet, but he would miss the people. Just like always.
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James S.A. Corey |
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73f66be
|
Situations change and clinging too tightly to what came before kills you.
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James S.A. Corey |
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6be4caf
|
It seems to me the better question is whether there's any virtue in committing to a permanent and unexamined certainty.
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James S.A. Corey |
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2136439
|
The circle of life on Ceres was so small you could see the curve. He liked it that way.
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James S.A. Corey |
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71978b2
|
Jesus H. Christ on a pogo stick, did that ship just fire a spread of torpedoes at us?
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James S.A. Corey |
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0b9598f
|
In Amos' experience the more dangerous any two people were, the more carefully polite their social interactions tended to be.
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James S.A. Corey |
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b054b30
|
strange how a person could be so vitally important in your life, and yet you had nothing to say to them when they weren't sharing the same air.
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James S.A. Corey |
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4fc34b4
|
If the last few weeks had taught Han anything, it was that he didn't belong in the civilised part of her world. His place was in the bowels of the , or the pilot's seat.
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James S.A. Corey |
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670b364
|
It struck him, not for the first time, that confrontations were like a dance. Certain moves required certain responses, and most of it happened in the lower parts of the brain that language might not even be aware of.
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James S.A. Corey |
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d38e577
|
What about you?" Scarlet asked. "You have to enjoy the fear, too. Just a little?" "Not the fear," Han said. "I just like being a little smarter than the next guy." "That's all it is?" "That, and I really hate paying taxes."
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paying-taxes
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James S.A. Corey |
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dc5b812
|
It had been the most complex, difficult feat of mass-scale engineering humanity had ever accomplished until the next thing they did.
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James S.A. Corey |
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b3e80ee
|
And what is civilization if it ain't people talking over a goddamned beer?
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civilization
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James S.A. Corey |
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f0f9617
|
What astounded me was that the cutting edge of human knowledge was so close. Before I educated myself, I assumed that there was a great depth of science, that every question of importance had been cataloged, studied, that all the answers were there, if only someone could query the datasets the right way. And for some things, that was true.
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James S.A. Corey |
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b68fab8
|
If you don't have the data you need, play with the data you have, see if something comes out of it.
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James S.A. Corey |
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7de3f40
|
High-functioning sociopaths," Dresden said with a nod. He seemed pleased to explain it. "And extremely curious ones. As long as we kept them supplied with interesting problems to solve and unlimited resources, they remained quite content."
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James S.A. Corey |
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a4dee11
|
The sunset was a massive canvas of gold and orange, green and rose, gray and indigo and blue. It reminded him of beaches on the North American west coast, except there were no vendors clogging the place and no advertising drones muttering about the joys of commerce.
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north-america
west-coast
commerce
sunset
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James S.A. Corey |
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c4bb15e
|
We were full of righteous anger and dreams of vengeance when we got here, and a couple of blowjobs and hangovers later it's like nothing ever happened
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James S.A. Corey |
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8ea11e0
|
What I want is Ceres Station or Earth or Mars. You know what they have in New York? All-night diners with greasy food and crap coffee. I want to live on a world with all-night diners. And racetracks. And instant-delivery Thai food made from something I haven't already eaten seven times in the last month.
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crap-coffee
greasy-food
racetracks
thai-food
coffee
new-york
|
James S.A. Corey |
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48be20d
|
There was an old joke. Miller didn't remember where he'd heard it. Girl's at her own father's funeral, meets this really cute guy. They talk, hit it off, but he leaves before she can get his number. Girl doesn't know how to track the guy down. So a week later, she kills her mom. Big laugh.
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James S.A. Corey |
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7a5fb28
|
You killed Dresden," Fred said. "That's a problem." "It needed to happen." "I'm not sure it did," Fred replied, but his voice was careful. Testing. Miller smiled, a little sadly. "That's why it needed to happen," he said. The small, coughing laugh told Miller that Fred understood him."
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James S.A. Corey |
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abb6b03
|
But always there was the voice at the back of his head telling him that by joining the Rebellion he'd become less of a rebel than he'd ever been. Flying off to assault yet another impossibly well-defended Imperial stronghold. It was getting to be a bad habit.
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James S.A. Corey |
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6c2c70c
|
The seas had been around longer than humans, had helped create them, and then when they were all dead, it'd take their water back without a thought.
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James S.A. Corey |
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e1c0fa5
|
It is true that we are not conscious of our dependence, but by admitting our free will we arrive at absurdity, while by admitting our dependence on the external world, on time, and on cause, we arrive at laws." In"
|
|
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James S.A. Corey |
|
678697e
|
Shouldn't let go of being educated," he said. "Universe spent a lot of time telling you something. Now you're second-guessing it. Maybe all those other things were getting you ready for this." Something"
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|
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James S.A. Corey |
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3639cb8
|
Strength by itself is just bullying, capitulation by itself is an invitation to get fucked; only mixed strategies survive. Everything is personal, but they know that too. They can smell pandering like a fart. If you treat them like they're a treasure box where if you just tweak them the right way, the policy you want falls out, you're already fucked. They'll misjudge you, so be ready to use that.
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James S.A. Corey |
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a192863
|
The bartender - Chip - said, "Had a few too many of my margaritas?" "The first one was too many," Holden replied, then climbed under the booth looking for the terminal. "And calling that a margarita should be illegal."
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James S.A. Corey |
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de8f3d6
|
There's a thing that happens," Avasarala said, "when unthinkable things become thinkable. We're in a moment of chaos. Everything's up for grabs. Legitimacy itself is up for grabs. That's where we are now."
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James S.A. Corey |
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17ef527
|
Situations change and clinging too tightly to what came before kills you. And
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|
James S.A. Corey |
|
fd269bb
|
Lopez reached into his pocket, took out a small packet of white lozenges, and popped one into his mouth. He didn't offer one to Holden. Lopez's pupils contracted to tiny points as he sucked the lozenge. Focus drugs. He'd be watching every tic of Holden's face during questioning. Tough to lie to.
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James S.A. Corey |
|
e46356f
|
Miller had thought hope was dead. He'd thought all his chances had been played, and then, like a bitch, it all hauled itself up out of the grave. "Get"
|
|
|
James S.A. Corey |
|
5a36aa8
|
A decent idea now is way better than a brilliant plan when it's too late." "I"
|
|
|
James S.A. Corey |
|
7b1f075
|
They weren't really stopping, of course. Nothing in space ever actually stopped; it only came into a matching orbit with some other object. They were now following CA-2216862 on its merry millennium-long trip around the sun.
|
|
|
James S.A. Corey |
|
8021007
|
Everywhere, there was imbalance, and the surest path to profit was to be between something valuable and someone who valued it.
|
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|
James S.A. Corey |
|
912fc7d
|
If the woman still had a soul, it had been pressed thin enough to see through.
|
|
|
James S.A. Corey |
|
56b05e4
|
When you got a nail to drive, use the fucking hammer.
|
|
nail
|
James S.A. Corey |
|
4d1dbce
|
Shift in language is shift in consciousness, yeah," Josep"
|
|
|
James S.A. Corey |
|
f162df8
|
The only right you have with anyone in life is the right to walk away.
|
|
|
James S.A. Corey |
|
d0fbda2
|
Yeah, okay. That's just self-serving enough I believe it," he said. "Let's get settled in."
|
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|
James S.A. Corey |