The Seventh Fanfic (short story)

 was the third story in the anthology In Time.

Plot
At St Oscar's University, Benny is trying and failing to repair her bicycle when she is approached by Addam, an auto-dimensional data abstraction model which has taken control of a porter. ADDAM recruits her for the Department of Narrative Affairs, who have paid off her overdraft and are aware of her recent experience with pantomime, to attend a symposium at the university to report on any unusual activity caused by the Prime Metatext.

Benny finds the first day of the symposium uninteresting and wonders whether she is too old for it to have made any sense to her, but quickly decides that it is the young people who are wrong and not her. She tells Addam that nothing during the day provoked a strong reaction from her and is told to remain vigilant. On the second day, Sidaka Kajo's story leaves Benny in a disturbed state despite her brief notes on the story not being especially frightening and Beetlechaff Fogwax speaks deliberately and seductively during her presentation despite having being nervous before.

Leaving the symposium early, Benny goes to the admin building and tells Addam that she has a hunch about tomorrow. At the end of the final day, Wardrue Thorn recounts his troubled history and how he went out to get revenge against Earth Central for the deaths of his surrogate parents. The story catches up to the present Benny punches him when he starts talking about the future and riling everybody against Earth Central, putting an end to it.

Thorn is arrested and Benny reveals to Fogwax that she had found that Thorn, who has been arrested, had never worked at St Oscar's and had used his narrative abilities to ingratiate himself there. Addam thanks Benny and informs her that DNA have leaked the Prime Metatext online to keep people from falling prey to it again and that her tab at the union bar has been covered as a bonus for her services. Addam leaves, telling her that DNA have followed her story and hope to continue doing so. Benny heads to the bar.

Characters

 * Bernice Summerfield
 * Addam
 * Wardrue Thorn
 * Beetlechaff Fogwax
 * Sidaka Kajo

Worldbuilding

 * Benny is rector of Garland College Hall of Residence and holds the Watkinson Chair of Archaeology.
 * The maintenance staff at St Oscar's are heavily unionised.
 * Benny is due to attend a conference on Mars.
 * Joseph believes that his battery is depleted and confines himself to his charging station.
 * Addam belongs to the Department of Narrative Affairs on Earth.
 * Benny has a data slate.
 * The symposium is held at Pierce College.
 * Beetlechaff Fogwax belongs to the University of Fallowthatch on Yantov.
 * Yantov is in the same system as Pakha.
 * Fogwax specialises in human literature from the Regency and Gothic romance forms.
 * The Earl's Egg Clatch is a book. On the cover is a Chelonian in tight breeches sweeping a Chelonian in a pinafore and bonnet off of her feet.
 * Fogwax knits scarves.
 * Benny drinks cider at lunch.

Continuity

 * Benny rides a bicycle. (PROSE: Oh No It Isn't!)
 * Benny has recently had an experience with pantomime. (PROSE: Oh No It Isn't!; AUDIO: Oh No It Isn't!)