Challenge #03692-J039: The Largest To-Read List

A person had a perfect memory. Working hard, they went to the B'Nari to get an artificial body, but kept that eidetic memory talent of theirs. Then they went to an Archivaas world, and asked to please spend time in the libraries to read, and make friends. -- DaniAndShali

Records, memories, events. Experiences. Emotions pressed onto paper in nothing more than black and white. Some preserved these in ridiculous measures. Climate-controlled mega-structures containing labyrinths of stacks. Not just books. Movies. Holograms. Games. Music. Anything and everything that could be saved, the Archivaas did their best.

Not just to have it, but to save it. To share it. To say, here is proof. This was a thing that existed. Here is it's history. Remember. Remember, it was important once.

A lot of the things that the Archivaas are preserved just in case it becomes relevant again. They have created intrastellar structures out of entire planets and devoted them to preserving tax records. Not that anyone wanted them, but because it might be useful one day.

Until Human Fahd got their new B'Nari body and an enduring memory core. They came to the Archivaas to experience everything they had.

Which, as one might imagine, was a lot.

Not all Archivaas installations are the same. Some are content with keeping the digitised versions of the data they've saved. Some preserve the media as well. Which has lead to entire stellar systems being utilised to build their museums.

Fahd entered one such and waited politely at the closest information desk[1]. "Which section are you interested in?"

"All of them," said Fahd. "I would like to take residence in reading. Everything, and I do mean everything. I have an artificial body with little in the way of power needs and an extended memory bank. I want to learn everything."

It took a century for the local Archivaas to realise that they were being honest about their intent.

After a millennia, Fahd gained honorary membership into the order. In between sprints of learning and knowledge acquisition, Fahd emerges to the more public areas of the library to read fiction to children.

There's a slim chance they may yet move on to a different Archivaas facility. It's hard to tell. The Archivaas keep extending their facilities.

[1] In a large enough facility, there's no such thing as just one entrance, and every chance for someone to get lost.

[Photo by Carles Rabada on Unsplash]

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