★★★★1/2

Meta: ISFDB. This Hard SF short story appeared 2010 in Engineering Infinity. Additionally, it will appear in his anthology Hannu Rajaniemi: Collected Fiction.

Synopsis: Far in the future, an interstellar sentient router is so lonely out there in the dark that it creates its own baby universe. Then, it relates to a virtual dragon.

Review: A mixture of familiarity and strangeness – a dragon relationship which isn’t really one. A creator caring for its baby which is a whole universe struggling with imbalanced dark matter. Once again, if you’re unfamiliar with cosmology, quantum physics or computer science, then it might be a hard ride. Otherwise, you will enjoy this mythological perspective on hard SF.

“I am not afraid anymore”, the server said.“Then it is time to show you my cave”, the dragon said.

Awesome, epic!