“You are so hot,” I said.“How hot?” she asked, toying with the hem of the shirt.“Ionising radiation hot,” I said. “Neutral pion decay hot.”Elena snorted. “You’re such a romantic,” she said.”

“A person is not the same as a toaster.”

“You are so hot,” I said.“How hot?” she asked, toying with the hem of the shirt.“Ionising radiation hot,” I said. “Neutral pion decay hot.”Elena snorted. “You’re such a romantic,” she said.”

“I wasn’t sure how I felt about there being another me sharing space in the universe. Would I even like myself?”

“People tend to romanticise consciousness, as if it’s something spiritual. It’s just a word we use to describe complexity.”

“You’re here. You’re real. Embrace that person you were, and make sure you have reason to like the person you’re becoming. The past you can’t change. The future is what matters.”