Ruecken an Ruecken vor dem Monitor sitzend, 
in die Tasten hackend,
Textausgabe auf Voice-Synthie und Projektionsleinwand.
 

"Maybees": young, female, Mudoholic, very multiple, very media, loves cybersex. [Voice: Junior]

"Jester": a little older, male, lurker, skeptic but curious about media, loves carnival. [Voice: Fred]

"Yohko", another avatar of Maybees. [Voice:Princess]

"Bottriar": stupid random talk bot, picking up words from the conversation and playing with them. [Voice: Ralph]

X: the system's voice, descriptions, etc.. [Voice: Trinoids]
 

X: "ac-tu-a-tor, she, (ca. 1864): one that actuates;specifically: a mechanism for moving or controlling something indirectly instead of by hand.

Welcome to Actuator, a mud for researching and designing drivers, clients, graphics, mud libs, worlds, networked objects, social interaction, etc.. In short, Actuator is about building cyberspace. Actuator is implemented as a Mud because as of yet Mud provides the most flexible environment for studying these kinds of things. Type 'news purpose' for more information.[Actuator]

X: By what name do you wish to be known?"

Jester says, "Jester."

X: Your gender can be male, female, neuter, hermaphrodite, or multiple. Please enter your gender:

Jester says, "Male."

X: You can enter a description of your avatar by typing"@desc."

Jester types, @desc = Jester wears a checkered harlequin costume, loud colors, trodden-down shoes with springs attached to the bottom, enabling him to jump 7.5 meters high. His face is heavily made up, big smiling mouth, huge eyes, a tear drop under his left eye, and a big red plastic nose (false). Jester's hairstyle reminds you of the seventies afro look, it's green. On topof his wig sits a funny hat, with birds nesting inside. Jestercarries a bag of white powder. He turns and smiles at you with atwinkle in his eyes.

Jester says, "Enter."
 

X: You get sucked into The Nexus of Worlds (#89RLJA). You materialize in the middle of a large room... well, room is a little bit of a loose term. The walls and ceiling are nothing but flickering white static, reflected in the glossy, black surfaceof the solid floor. In each cardinal direction stands a portal, the static within each is a different color. To the north is a portal carved out of stone, dragons and phoenixes battle along its granite flanks and the ruby eyes of the kirin's head above the lintel glitter down at you. To the east lies what appears tobe a fairly normal set of double glass doors, like one would find in any modern hi-rise. South is a cast-concrete archway on whichcountless names and unintelligible (yet likely obscene) slogans in objectionable colors have been spray-painted. In places, theconcrete has been chipped away, and the rerod shows through thefractures. Finally, to the west, a trapezoidal portal of shimmering silver and blued steel sparkles in the skittering light cast by the walls of static around you. [AnimeMUCK]
You see a remote control, a bowl of chips, a bottle of beer, andvarious books and journals strewn carelessly across the floor here, as if somebody left in a hurry.
Maybees and Bottriar are here.
There are exits leading West, East, South, North.

Jester says, "Hiya, Maybees."

Maybees wave and smile at Jester.

Maybees say, "I haven't seen you around here?"

Jester says, "Is my third time. Just created my character. Seems to be a nice place."

Maybees say, "Sure is. Good crowd and nice stuff to play with."

Bottriar says, "To character or not to character that isthe question."

Maybees say, "Been Mudding a lot?"

Jester says, "Since a few months, in differentplaces."

Bottriar says, "Plaplapla-places, faces, aces. True marshmallows come in cases."

Jester eyes Bottriar with a puzzled look.

Maybees say, "Never mind Bottriar. He's a bot. If he's getting on your nerves we can shut him up."

Jester says, "Aha."

Jester looks at Bottriar.

X: Bottriar was cloned exactly six hundred and thirty fivedays ago from his big brother R2-D2. Bottriar has the shape of a cylindrical barrel, the top consisting of a round glass cupola with all kinds of detection tentacles attached to it. The tentacles register avatar presence, warmth, sensations and language. Little wheels enable him to move in whatever direction. Language output is effected by a built-in loudspeaker. Besides, he is carrying some mud-cleaning devices which he is using for cleaning up distant mud-corners whenever nobody's around to talkto and he feels alone.

Jester says, "Hi, Bottriar. How's life?"

Maybees say, "He's kinda cute. Most of what he says, iscrap, but he can be deeply poetic."

Jester says, "Is he an AI?"

Bottriar says, "Hi Jester. It's a strange and beautiful life."

Maybees say, "Not really. He just parses what we say, andcreates random association strings from it. And every once in awhile he drops in a quote by some smart guy."

Maybees say, "Bottriar."

Bottriar says, "Yes, Maybees."

Maybees say, "Would you please sing your song forJester?"

Bottriar says, "Ahem, harumph."

X (singing voice) sings "Blubber, buddabudda, ssh, aah, wump, giin, blam, lub dub, arrrgh, chop chop, eeep, splash."

Jester bursts into raging applause.

Maybees say, "Thank you Bottriar."

Jester takes book from floor.

Jester reads book.

Maybees take remote control.

Jester says, "Listen to this!"

Jester reads out loud: "Isn't it exciting to live twice?(...) Of course, don't expect to keep your old identity: onename, one country, one clock. For be it through medical reconstruction or through fantasy, multiplied versions of yourself are going to blossom up everywhere. Ideal, statistical, ironical. A springtime for schizophrenia!" [Stenger]

Maybees select "DJ-Yo" on remote control.

X: There is a growing hiss. The white static on the wall-screens changes to a psychedelic vertigo of colors... A pumping bass sound sets in at 120 BPM.

Jester looks at Maybees.

X: Maybees is a swarm of particles representing body parts, personas, memes, and drives. In waking state the swarm is in perpetual motion, like hundreds of sparrows in a tree, or a pack of trumpet fish. When it moves forward, it takes on various flying formations. Different parts take the lead, vanity, the various sexual organs, the hunger for something new etc. The swarm forms out of some of its particles a mosaic that appears toyou as a nearly complete anthropomorphic figure of undecipherablegender. If you were to step behind the pseudo 3D mosaic, youwould see that the other elements of the swarm are still happily buzzing about. Swarm sees you see it and winks at you. Maybe.

Jester says, "That's a pretty impressive avatar you got there. Real philosophical."

Maybees blush.

Jester says, "You dress like that in real life, too?"

Bottriar says, "Like a chance encounter between an umbrella and a sewing machine."

Maybees say, "In real life things are what they are, and you can change them only so much. In here everything is how I have written it."

Jester says, "Literature cum life?"

Maybees say, "Mmmhh, I don't know much about literature, but Muds are sort of a hypertext. Written by a whole bunch of people."

Jester says, "Literature in books has a more sensual interface than computers, though."

Maybees say, "Books, books? Ah, aren't they them shredded trees with black ASCII code and sometimes image files in them?"

Jester says, "Yeah, like Web-pages, only with manual hyper-links."

Bottriar says, "Hyper-dyper, wiper-sniper - what's hyper today will be sniper tomorrow."

Maybees say, "We don't like the hype of Web-pages, too little IPMs."

Jester says, "IPMs?"

Maybees say, "Interactions per minute."

Jester says, "Right, mudding is more dialogic or oral than a novel, made up in real-time. But it's text, after all, since you simply aren't there if you don't write yourself into existence."

Maybees say, "It's text alright, but inside the text there are other media, too."

Maybees select "camera" on remote control.

X: An invisible camera picks up the image of Maybees and morphs it onto the spirals on the screens. Five huge copies of Maybees appear all around you. Against the backdrop of the screens, the real Maybees in the middle of the room seem to have turned into a holographic projection of themselves."

Jester wows.

Pause

Maybees do a front snap kick to the lag monster.

Jester growls at the lag monster.
 

Jester throws a hand-full of baby powder into the air. When the cloud settles Maybees and Bottriar have turned white.

Maybees say, "Cough, cough. What'd you do that for?"

Bottriar says: "Turing says: Parrot-like wolves would have an advantage in natural selection." [Turing]

Jester says, "For good luck. They do it during the Carnival on La Palma, and only there. They say, that once during the Carnival, a ship was being unloaded in the harbor of Santa Cruz, and a sack of flour burst open. They liked the comic effect of everybody turning white all of a sudden. So some more sacks broke open. Nowadays, they use baby powder."

Maybees say, "Did you actually go see it, Jester?"

Jester says, "Mmh, in February. It went on for more than a week. Live bands playing Salsa and Merengue all night on the plaza."

Jester selects "Gloria Estefan" on remote-control.

X: Accordeon, trombones and congas set in. A packed crowd of dancing people appear on the screen.

Jester tap-dances, jumps in the air performing several somersaults and shakes his hips. It all looks rather clumsy. Jester smiles at the swarm.

Maybees say, "Sounds like fun."

Jester says, "The air is full of song, the blood rushing with alcohol and hormones, everybody's hips moving to the same rhythm. Anything can happen. And tons of powder."

Bottriar says, "It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing."

Jester grins.

A shudder runs through Maybees. Like a dog coming out of the water the swarm shakes off a cloud of powder.

Jester says, "No bits and bytes anywhere. Face-to-face, with all senses open. Concrete and sensuous. Like - well, Carnival.

Bottriar says, "Carnivore machine eats matter, shits bits."

Maybees are sorry that they don't have enough money to travel.

Maybees say, "Hmm. In my town the carnival period is something of a bore. But mudding is pretty cool, too, ya know."

Jester says, "Well, the carnival is in a sense much like Muds. The masquerade, the element of play, the suspension of the rules of real life."

The buzzing of Maybees's swarm gets softer. All sensory organs are directed attentively at Jester.

Jester says, "Carnival, like Mud, makes up a counter-world to the official, every-day realm. Both are the world turned upside down. The rules and taboos, and most of all the hierarchies of the normal order are suspended. When you enter, you immediately lose weight and you become another."

Maybees giggle. "We wouldn't mind losing a few pounds."

Maybees agree. "Gender, age, income, status, etc.certainly don't matter in here."

Jester says, "During the Carnival, you see a lot of transvestites. But even in here, I bet ya I can always recognise the gender of a character after a while... the language is a dead giveaway."

Maybees say, "Isn't gender more like a performance... or a costume?" [VNS Matrix]

Jester says, "But the real always shows thru. I bet you're a guy. A highschool kid or maybe college."

Maybees turn their eyes heavenwards and sigh.

Maybees say, "I am what you imagine me to be. Everything depends on your fantasy."

Jester says, "OK, let's say, avatars possibly have an infinite number of genders."

Bottriar says, "Let's bake an ava-tart. For ingredients we take some electrons, a blue magnolia, a piece of spoil, and two small Buddhas. Finish with a handful of randomness. Stir, don't shake."

Maybees say, "And I don't think this counter-world is the paradise of equality the Californian gurus keep promising us. You have hierarchies in here too. The wizards and master-hackers are at the top of the pecking order."

Jester says, "Mmmh, I guess since Muds are not a one-week thing, but go on forever, you get a new, parallel universe. And its own order emerges, after all. During Carnival you have the election and then the overthrow of the Carnival King. A wheel comes full circle."

Maybees say, "Well, if you don't strive for wizard-fame, of course, you can create a new character every day. Still, once it's established, it will have its place on the playingboard."

Jester says, "The social gravity of the community of avatars weighs it down. Like in Carnival, there are no spectators in Muds. It's not a staged spectacle. Even "guests" are actors."

Maybees say, "Yeah, and some of them real lousy ones,too. Winking Smiley."

Maybees say, "Say, isn't carnival like a religious party?"

Jester says, "Right, a celebration of the changes in the cycle of the year, a big rave before the fasting."

Maybees say, "Fasting, yyuck!! Sounds like pure masochism."

Jester says, "It has to do with the cycle of birth and death. All religions value the soul higher than the body, some even consider flesh, senses, - matter itself - evil."

Maybees say, "There's none of this bad, bad matter and flesh and meat in Muds, anyway. So then Muds are both carnival and fasting, no?"

Jester scratches his head.

Jester says, "You mean, cyberspace would come closest to a state of spiritual purity?????"

Bottriar says, "Voila, the ava-tart is done."

Jester says, "But Carnival exists, and can only exist, in contrast to non-Carnival. Muds, are not framed in time or anyother way. They're a run-away world."

Maybees say, "You don't need to ask the calendar for permission to play!"

Jester says, "Is there any fasting after Muds?"

Maybees say, "Sure, when the school's computers are down, or when daddy shuts off the phone line again cause the bill was too high. I get so bored then, I even go back to reading books!"

Jester wheeews.

Jester says, "Muds and Carnival are a grotesque parody. The jesters are making fun of the kings."

Maybees say, "You never know who might hide behind anavatar."

Bottriar proudly offers his ava-tart to Jester and Maybees.

Jester says, "Thanks Bottriar, it smells delicious but I've just had dinner."

Maybees say, "I guess you could - by normal standards - call some of the people in Mud World rather eccentric. Check out this guy:

Maybees's swarm forms the Spitting Image mask of Al Gore, wearing a feather boa, a funny bra with little green glowing light bulbs fixed to it and binary net stockings. The Al Gore mask sticks out its tongue, and spits on the ground.

You hear the sound of distant hiccups.

Jester says, "Hahahahaha."

Jester says, "With all the parallels there remains the main difference."

Maybees say, "What's dat?"

Jester says, "Carnival is very down to earth, material and bodily. A licence to indulge in food, drink, and sex - the pleasures of the body."

Maybees like all three. Smiling smiley.

Jester says, "There is a difference between a steak and the ASCII string "STEAK."

Maybees say, "Mmmhh... Think of your mind-body! Even food, drink and sex happen mostly inside your head."

Maybees say, "You wanna know another difference?"

Jester says, "Sure."

Maybees say, "During Carnival you can be an other. Here you can be lots of others. Even at the same time, if you can open several telnet connections."
 

Jester says, "You play other characters too?"

Maybees look to the ground and shuffle their various feet on the floor.

Bottriar says, "Stone says, "As I watch them, or rather their bodies (since their selves are off in the net), I remind myself that these are the people who are writing [...] the phantasmatic structures of prosthetic sociality. Then they will inhabit the structures they write. These people, not the big system designers, are the architects of virtual community." [Stone, in Gray, p.403]

X: The swarm forms what looks like a hive. Its other particles are circling around - bzzzzzz - until all of them enter. Only two antimatter particles are still circling the hive in a Moebius strip path that gets tighter until they hit the hive. You hear a deafening explosion. A mushroom cloud rises from where the hive used to be.

X: Out of the cloud Yohko materializes.

Jester exclaims "Neat trick!"

Yohko says, "Thanks babe."

Yohko says, "The cherry trees are blossoming. It's getting spring, time for romance."

Jester looks at Yohko.

X: You see Yohko Mano, a "totemo kawaii" Oriental girl with long, looping brown ponytails and a youthful, athletic figure. She is wearing a pink silk Oxford-style blouse and a pair of burgundy shorts. Upon her feet are black flats. Noticing your glance, she smiles and waves. [AnimeMUCK]

Yohko covers her mouth with her hand and giggles.

Jester says, "A real multiple personality."

Yohko says, "Sure, you only got one? Poor you..."

Jester wonders who, behind all the masks, Maybe really is.

Yohko says, "Really?? You're still too much caught up in reality! Loosen up! Take me for what I seem to be."

Yohko says, "I can be a dolphin, too."

Bottriar says, "Mind the gap. And gap the mind."

Jester says, "It's not that easy, though I admit that the idea of an indivisible individual that is master in its mind belongs only to a certain time. People always played different roles."

Yohko says, "You're such a bookish type! Tell me something nice."

Jester says, "Your almond eyes are like oceans."

Yohko flutters her enormous eyelids, and blushes.

Jester says, "If I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me? Like, for instance, some push-ups for two?"

Yohko kicks Jester's shin.

X: Yohko picks up a glowing, green square which you hadn't noticed was on the floor before...its brilliance increases as it levitates above Yohko's head and brightens until you close your eyes involuntarily... When you open your eyes again, Yohko has vanished....

X: Yohko is now known as Maybees.

The swarm hyperactively buzzes all over the room. Particles of it flying through remote control, bowl of chips, Bottriar and Jester.

Bottriar says, "Shubiduahhh, cable navel. Havel does shavel and robs on the gavel. - Hahahaha."

Maybees say, "I like Swarm better. It can do all sorts of tricks. Yohko is too girlish for you."

Jester says, "Are you angry with me now?"

Maybees say, "Because of what you just did to Yohko? Nope. But you should ask her, not us."

Jester says, "Weird, two completely separate personalities! I guess nowadays, "multiple personality syndrome" is in fashion like hysteria used to be in the days of Freud." [Turkle]

Maybees say, "Yeah, and the other big psych-hype is "attention deficiency syndrome." Ted Nelson invented Hyper Text as a personal cure for it."

Jester says, "If it's really the cure then it aggravates the disease at the same time. There's just too much stuff out there. You would really have to live twice to work with it properly."

Bottriar says, "Haraway said: Cyberspace seems to be the consensual hallucination of too much complexity, too much articulation. It is the virtual reality of paranoia, a well-populated region in the last quarter of the Second Christian Millenium. Paranoia is the belief in the unrelieved density of connection, requiring, if one is to survive, withdrawal and defense unto death. The defended self re-emerges at the heart of relationality. Paradoxically, paranoia is the condition of the impossibility of remaining articulate."

Maybees say, "That's easy. It's called multitasking... I've been doing Unix since highschool. I do think it makes a difference over single-tasking DOS users."

Maybees say, "Sherry Turkle of MIT uses this metaphor of windows. Doing your homework in one, reading e-mail in another, IRC chatting in the third and having several telnet sessions in one and the same mud playing different avatars - all at the same time..."

Bottriar says, "Multitasking extensible personality isthe skirmish of all blue-hearted intuition."

Jester laughs frenetically, and slaps his thighs.

Maybees say, "Reality is just one more window, and it's not usually my best one." [Turkle]

Jester sprinkles Bottriar with baby powder, and yells "Viva la carnivale!"

Jester says, "But you're right, Maybe. The computer has a multiple personality, too, [Kittler] and man mimetically curls up with his machine."

Maybees say, "constant flow, yo!"

Jester says, "I wonder what Bottriar does when nobody's around."

Maybees say, "the secret life of the bots is a hitherto uncharted field..."

Jester grabs one of the randomly scattered publications from the floor.

Jester says, "Ha! That's a good one. Listen to this:"

Jester reads aloud.

X: "On the other side of our data gloves, we become creatures of colored light in motion, pulsing with golden particles. Forget about Andy Warhol's petty promise of fame for fifteen minutes. We will all become angels, and for eternity! Highly unstable, hermaphrodite angels, unforgettable in terms of computer memory. In this cubic fortress of pixels that is cyberspace, we will be, as in dreams, everything: the Dragon, the Princess, and the Sword. 'Dream is a second life', said Gerard de Nerval. 'We cannot determine the exact moment when the self, under another form, goes on with the task of existence'. Now we can. Just press the key "Enter"." [Stenger]

Maybees wow. Maybees like angels.

Jester wonders if this dream could turn into one's main life.

Jester says, "I like muds and the net and all, but I prefer flesh, juices, love, death - those things that don't translate into signs."

Maybees are proud to be digits.

Jester is proud to be flesh.

Maybees say, "The bits free me to be in a sense truer than what you would see in Real Life. At least truer to my selfimage. I don't know what it is exactly, but there is a certain attraction and simultaneously some kind of undefinable longing for distance. And relationships do get intense very quickly."

Jester says, "Sure, we're having an interesting chat, but don't you think it's been rather superficial, so far?"

Maybees say, "It's up to you. Write me something that makes my heart beat faster."

Jester whispers "Did you ever make love in a mud?"

Bottriar says, "Mud is like blood, you stir it, it gets thicker."

Maybees say, "A few times..."

All the single particles of Maybees's swarm giggle, giving the impression of a vibrating amorphous field.

Maybees say, "If somebody knows how to do it I can feel him touching my body even if it's only his fingertips whizzing over the keyboard."

Jester wonders whether what Kathy Ray Huffman calls "cyber intimacy" would be something for him.

Bottriar says, "Baudrillard says, 'Seduction represents mastery over the symbolic universe.'" [Baudrillard]

Maybees say, "Follow me."

Maybees teleport to the Erogenous Zone.

Jester teleports to the Erogenous Zone.

X: A red neon sign behind a bar reads "The Erogenous Zone". You see fluffy-looking red velvet on the walls. The room is stuffed with furry cushions. The air is thick with the scent of jasmine and the exotic sound of cymbals. There are séparées to all sides. The atmosphere is rife with paradoxes and strange attractors [VNS Matrix].

You see a jukebox, a chocolate bar, a condom-vending machine, and a slip server. Maybees and Jester are here.

Obvious exits: Sauna to the north, digital playground to the west, hot bit whirlpool to the east, cloak-room for playful outfits to the south, down to torture chamber.

Maybees sit at the chocolate bar. An erogenous angel places a sparkling fluorescent daiquiri in front of Maybees.

Jester sits at the chocolate bar.

Jester pulls a handful of roses out of the air and presents them to Maybees.

Maybees say, "Cute!"

Maybees' particles whiz about and start orbiting around Jester. Revolving faster and faster, the particles start undoing Jester's tie and take off his hat, careful not to disturb the nesting birds.

Jester says, "Whoopee!"

Jester says, "Hey, but how do you go about undressing a swarm?"

Maybees reshuffle their particles, think briefly and take on the shape of a very young velvet-skinned Thai boy in khaki pants and T-shirt.

Jester says, "Eeeemhh... To tell you the truth, I don't go for boys, really..."

Maybees say, "Whooops. OK."

Bottriar teleports into the Erogenous Zone and wiggles his tentacles at Maybees and Jester.

Bottriar proudly offers the rest of his ava-tart to Jester and Maybees.

Maybees say, "I give it another try..."

Maybees swarm now wears a checkered harlequin costume, loudcolors, trodden-down shoes with springs attached to the bottom, enabling it to jump 7.5 meters high. Its face is heavily made up, big smiling mouth, huge eyes, a tear drop under its left eye, and a big red plastic nose (false).

Maybees say, "How about that?"

Jester says, "Interesting constellation, but I'm not that narcissistic."

Bottriar says, "I hear you talking about Narcissus. I once heard Baudrillard say, 'Once, the body was the metaphor for the soul, then for sex, today it is a metaphor for nothing at all. It is the place of metastasis. The machine interconnection of all its processes. An infinite programming without any formation of symbols, without transcendental goal, in pure narcissistic promiscuity with itself. Metastasis is at the same time the networks and its integrated circuits."' [Baudrillard]

Maybees' particles hectically buzz about, forming the shape of a platinum blonde woman with curly hair, dressed in white noise, standing on one of the ventilation shafts of the Erogenous Zone, the air blowing up her skirt.

Maybees say, "This is what you've been looking for, haven't you?"

Jester says, "Mmmh, sometimes you really get the impression Bottriar understands what we're talking about. That's scary! Yes, Maybe, how did you know? Winking smiley."

Jester throws a shy glance at Maybees.

Maybees blow a fake Monroe kiss at Jester.

Maybees insert coins into jukebox, select a song.

X (singing): "I wanna be loved by you, just you, nobody else but you. I wanna be loved by you - alone - bubu-bidu."

Maybees and Jester dance together.

X (singing): "I couldn't aspire, to anything higher, than to feel the desire, to make you my own, padampadampadiblibam."

Jester gently takes off Maybees' white high-heeled shoes and lifts her up in the air.

Maybees smile.

Jester says, "Oh, my sweet little Maybe baby..."

Bottriar: He doesn't much look like a lover, but don't judge abook by its cover..."

Maybees' particles continue oscillating around Jester, moving unceasingly round and round, undoing the rest of Jester's clothes.

Maybees blush and escape to the hot bit whirlpool room to the east.

X (singing): "I wanna be loved by you, just you, nobodyelse but you, I wanna be loved by you - alone -bubu-bidu."

Jester exits to the east.

X: You entered The Hot Bit Whirlpool Room. The air is foggy with bit steam in here. There is a bubbling whirlpool in the center of the circular room, and some beach-chairs at the walls.

Maybees and Jester are here.

Maybees submerges in the hot shimmering fluid of bits.

Jester joins Maybees in the ethereal whirlpool.

Maybees say, "Aaah, it tickles every bit of me."

Jester says, "you take the words right out of my keyboard, Maybe."

Maybees and Jester dissolve into the unlimited glowing fluid ocean of shiny bits and bytes, their parts dissolving into each other, forming one infinite cluster of consciousness.

(bubble voices)

Jester kisses Maybe on the cheek.

Bottriar sneaks into the whirlpool room. Since his little wheels do not allow him to enter the pool he stops and throws an envious glance at Jester and Maybees.

Maybees' swarm forms the shape of a huge vagina, soft and glistening wet, ready to engulf Jester.

Jester rolls on the floor, laughing.

Jester says, "This is just too much!"

Bottriar says, "10001001011001... Haaaa, that was good. Was it good for you, too?"

Maybees pout their lips.

Maybees say, "I thought that's what boys are dreaming about."

Jester says, "That's a stupid Freudian cliché."

Maybees say, "Personally, what turns me on is quite different."

Bottriar gobbles up the last piece of the ava-tart and burbs. Then he takes out his broom and starts sweeping the floor.

Jester giggles.

Jester says, "Post coitum anima macchina triste est. He's so sad, he starts cleaning!"

Jester says, "What turns you on, Maybe? Tell me about your most secret fantasy."

Maybe says, "But we haven't even known each other for half an hour!"

Jester says, "Come on, we've been playing around in the whirlpool together!"

Bottriar says, "My friend Pit once said that half an hour on the Internet is like thirty days in real life."

Pause.

Jester kicks the lag monster.

Maybees say, "OK, maybe you think it's perverse, but this is it: I have this recurring fantasy of hooking my body up to remote control vibrators, stimulators, tit clips and all, and handing the joystick to all comers on the Internet."

Jester says, "Maybees, the 'universal service provider.' Stelarc did something like that by linking his muscles to the net and having people remotely pull the strings."

Maybees say, "The idea that an unlimited number of anonymous people, men and women, taking
control over me..."

Jester says, "public access to your private body?"

Maybees say, "Yeah, haven't done it yet, but the thought alone gives me a truly global orgasm."

Jester says, "A body without boundaries! Where will you stop? Where will be your edges?"

Maybees say, "There are no limits."

Jester says, "Is it literature or is it life?"

Maybees say, "Hmmmm, I am what I write."

Bottriar says, "Forster said: How can I tell what I think, until I see what I say?" [E.M.Forster]

Maybees pull out their watch and shriek that it's already 8 PM.

Maybees say, "Gotta go. Got stuff waiting."

Jester says, "8 PM? Then we're in the same time zone. Where exactly are you? Come on, tell
me!"

Maybees say, "Berlin."

Jester says, "Irre, ich auch. In Schoeneberg."

Maybees say, "In der Potsdamer Strasse. Ueberm Strada."

I & V drehen sich um, sehen sich zum ersten Mal an und rufen beide "Duuuu?!?!" Licht geht aus.
 

REFERENCES

Actuator-Mud existed in 1994 at the Advanced Communication Technologies Laboratory
(ACTLab) located in the Radio Television and Film (RTF) Department of the Communications
College at the University of Texas at Austin. During the life-time of "Actuator", the primary
users of the laboratory were students in a class titled "The Challenge of Interactive Multimedia"
which is part of the sequence "Interface, Interaction, and Agency" taught by Allucquere Rosanne
(Sandy) Stone. [used to be actlab.rtf.utexas.edu 4000]

AnimeMUCK, anime.tcp.com 2035

Bachtin, Michail, Literatur und Karneval. Zur Romantheorie und Lachkultur, (Orig. Moskau
1965), FfM, Berlin, Wien: Ullstein 1985

Baudrillard, Jean, 1990, in: Stenger, Nicole, Mind is a Leaking Rainbow, in: Cyberspace first
steps, MIT Press 1994

Baudrillard, Jean, Transparenz des Bösen. Ein Essay über extreme Phänomene, Merve: Berlin
1992

Dibbell, Julian, A Rape in Cyberspace or How an Evil Jester, a Haitian Trickster Spirit, Two
Wizards, and a Cast of Dozens Turned a Database Into a Society, in: The Village Voice,
December 21, 1993. Refers to an incident at LambdaMOO [lambda.parc.xerox.com 8888 ]

Turing, Alan, Intelligence Service, Hg. v. Bernhard Dozler und Friedrich Kittler, Brinkmann &
Bose, Berlin 1987

Haraway, Donna, The Promise of Monsters: A Regenerative Politics for Inappropriate/d
Others", in: Lawrence Grossberg, Cary Nelson, Paula Treichler (eds.), Cultural Studies,
Routledge: New York / London 1992, S. 295 - 336

Stenger, Nicole, Mind is a Leaking Rainbow, in: Cyberspace first steps, MIT Press 1994

Turkle, Sherry, Who am We?, in: Wired 4.01, January 1996, S. 148

VNS Matrix, CorpusFantasticaMOO, in: Knowbotic Research (ed.), Nonlocated Online, Köln
1994

Special thanks to Ulf Schöneberg, Joachim Blank and the gang from Internationale Stadt Berlin.