At two am the sidewalks main inhabitants are bar hopping patrons. Uber drivers pull up to pick-up the city’s night life. Dance club patrons and those who have failed alcoholic’s anonymous more than a dozen times wait for their invisible driver. In some cases, their non-existent drivers.

AI and fungi have something in common…. you think. The machine-like tendrils of AI reach deep into our everyday. Peering into some of the Uber cars, you see that there is indeed no one behind the wheel.

Easily you parallel park your car across the street from the publishing house.

I wish parking was always that easy in the city.

Of course, the Comets & Constellations publishing office windows are completely dark. There aren’t any die hard editors willing to stay at the office on a Friday night until two am.

What am I doing here?

Briefly you consider your literary agent is playing a trick. Maybe you’re on camera? If this is a trick, there is going to be one less literary agent in the publishing world.

Before you make up your mind to go back home you hear your phone ring. Instead of a random number on the screen, you see the name “Ouroboros.”

“Yes. Hello?”

“Hello_______. Please enter the building it’s unlocked. After entering one of the elevators at the end of the hallway make sure you press all the buttons.”

“Hold on a min—” you reply, though, before your able to continue speaking the line goes dead.