identity-and-continuity
The idea that a being duplicated via impulse patterns retains its original consciousness and identity despite physical death.
1 chapter across 1 book
Way Station (1963)Clifford D. Simak
In this chapter, Enoch reflects on the advanced galactic transportation system that instantaneously transmits living beings across vast distances, challenging human assumptions about the speed of light and intelligence development on liquid worlds. He contemplates the loneliness and responsibility of his role as a station keeper, the friendships formed through exotic gifts from alien travelers, and the grim political situation on Earth, where statistical analysis predicts an inevitable nuclear war despite ongoing peace talks. The chapter juxtaposes the vast, hopeful galactic culture with the persistent, self-destructive tendencies of humanity.