"Pity the philosopher," Gianini said, "who trod the road of radical doubt. It took him on a tour of lost hope and shattered dreams. He only survived in the end by discovering the one fact upon which he could rely as being truth: 'I think, therefore I am.' He believed that statement because, to him, it seemed that even to apply his doubt to that logical conclusion required an act of thinking. Therefore, thinking was irreduceable any further. The fundamental reality of human existence was codified in a single, quantifiable slogan." "He's famous for that," Strong retorted, her brows furrowing. "It was a milestone in philosophy and human thinking." "Indeed, detective," Gianini agreed. "So why pity?" she asked. "Because he was close, so very close," the aged professor continued. "But he never asked himself a crucial question. His doubt took him all the way to 'I think, therefore I am,' but he couldn't bear to ask what exactly was the 'thing' that was perceiving all this thinking going on. ... Do you begin to understand?" "Not in the least," Strong replied, scratching her head. The professor glanced at the floor. "Ah. Then our chances of surviving may be greatly reduced." There was the sound of a door being forced open in the complex, somewhere nearby, and Strong could feel the air in the empty classroom suddenly grow cold. The professor looked sternly at her. "I think he's here now. ..." --Excerpt, "Death Is an Angel," copyright Tad Cronn My first feeble, flailing attempt at an abstract. Suggestions welcome.