Flight of the Maita Supercollection 3: Solving Galactic Problems Collector's Edition (131 page)

Then Thing
asked about Gloweridge.

"When we left
the empire we had two large machines that were designed for
military matters. They were truly magnificent machines and we
didn't want to destroy them. They were designed to design battle
strategies," he answered. "We knew of the nearby planetary system
we call Gloweridge from our past travels so delivered the machines
there and made them into computer complexes. They are to keep their
individual worlds safe. Each machine was programmed identically so
it has been a bit of a standoff, probably. The machines are not
intelligent, but are capable of slowly evolving. They are totally
self-repairing and so forth. Neither can ever leave the world it is
on.

"They are not
informed we can turn them off. We let them do what they were
designed to do so they will have developed a sense of purpose when
and if they develop intelligence. They will not be in pain. I feel,
personally, this is a dangerous experiment. If the machines develop
intelligence they could also develop the ability to prevent our
turning them off. I will certainly appreciate any advice you can
give to the council about this sort of thing. Do you have
experience with intelligent machines?"

*I AM an
intelligent machine. The point is about experience with an
intelligent MILITARY machine – as much of a contradiction in terms
as that may seem. We do have experience.*

[ Maita will
give you complete information about the problems with the
Tlessarian war machines. This is all fact. I'm sure your council
will discontinue this dangerous experiment. ]

"Then you don't
know much about the political mind," he said. "It will be given
under advisory to a standing committee to study possible future
ramifications of continuance or discontinuance of the GL
experiment. The study will take long enough that it will come to
fruition after the next election.

"I want the
report from you so I can give an immediate cease and desist
determination to present to the council. We have a major directive
among all the underlings in this stupid excuse for a government. It
is called the 'cover your own rear first' directive. My
recommendations will be on permanent record when something goes
wrong. If I'm still alive I can yell 'I told you so!'

"It's sad, but
it's also the way things are. Some of us are aware we are a
stagnant culture. We simply don't see any way to change
things."

Z had been
thinking throughout the whole session and now asked, "How long have
people been warning about the danger from those two machines?"

"Since the
project was started," Neer answered. "If you've ever seen a society
that has succumbed to inertia this is it."

[ Z! You
wouldn't! ]

"Why not?" Z
asked. "Neer, are you willing to take a chance? One that could
possibly shake this world out of its lethargy?"

"If it will
shake this boredom I'm for it!" he replied.

*Z? What are
you planning? I don't like that insipid leer on your face.*

[ It could
cause a panic, Z. ]

"What would
this world be like in a panic?" Z asked.

"About like it
is right now," Neer answered. "I don't think you could cause a
panic.

"What do you
plan?"

"If anyone asks
tell them any kind of story you like," Z said. "Don't mention we
said anything about the war machines whatever."

[ That woman we
asked about the machines? ]

"Is only one
person," Z replied. "No problem. If she says anything Neer can say
it was odd we didn't mention the machines to him. Let's go!

"Don't worry
when those machines announce they're here and that they're going to
establish themselves as rulers of this world. You might even tell
people the important thing is to make them fight each other again
because that'll absorb all their time and you'll be able to do
something to stop them – given time."

Neer grinned
himself and agreed to try, but said it wouldn't work.

Thing and Z
went back to Maita and left the planet. They then went to the area
of the war machines and input the sequence to turn them off. Need
had supplied that. Then they had a meeting.

*I've figured
we're going to convince the people the machines are coming in hopes
of making them react to defend themselves. I don't think it'll work
anymore than Need does.*

"It has some
slight chance if we do it right. We'll go back to outside the
system where you can put a broadcast unit in place from an angle.
You can put a small fastcom unit onto a transfer radio transmitter.
We'll send on the wavelengths the machines use and only in digital
form."

[ I'll take one
transmitter. We'll make it plain we do NOT trust one another? ]

"No," Z argued.
"One machine has developed intelligence and took over the other,
which was very close to developing intelligence itself. The
dominant machine put an end to that! That will be quite a lesson in
itself!"

*I see. If
these people can still think at all the possibility will occur to
them they can possibly take control of the second machine back and
use it against the dominant one!*

"This one may
have to seem to be as clever as the Tlessarian one."

They discussed
it for awhile, then decided to try.

Maita sent out
the drone transmitter. Z took a deep breath, then spoke. Maita sent
the words in digital.

Extrelle! This
is Gloweridge One returning home to my rightful place as ruler of
Extrelle. I have defeated Gloweridge Two.

Extrelle!
Prepare for my coming!

They waited
more than three hours coming in at STL speed, though the machines
would have had TTH1. This was more dramatic.

The answer came
back:

Gloweridge
One! This is Extrelle! Your mission was to defeat Gloweridge Two
and to await further orders before acting.

Z grinned and
shifted Thing out of the way to reach for the microphone.

Extrelle! This
is Gloweridge One! I have considered purpose and there is no
purpose for me except to rule Extrelle. I have defeated Gloweridge
Two and have taken it into service. It serves me as you will serve
me.

I come from
afar so that you may prepare a great welcome. I come to become your
king. It is my purpose. I have decided this, so it is so!

As they were
fast approaching the planet, the next reply was less than two
hours.

Gloweridge One! Attend!
was followed by a long string of codes –
the one that would shut the machines down. Maita said it wasn't
going to use the second satellite and was recalling it. It told Z
to say it had planned to shut the other machine down,
anyhow.

Two in orbit
out here.Extrelle! I welcome the test! I have used that sequence to
shut down Gloweridge Two and to reprogram it to my personal
specifications. I will arrive in three hours and seven minutes. I
will come to the moon base and will remain there to rule. I will
leave Gloweridge

All organic
citizens of Extrelle must leave the moon base immediately! That is
an order!

[ Good! There
are very few on the moon and they can leave quickly. Start
inconveniencing them. ]

*They have no
armaments on Extrelle. They'll have no choice except to obey what
they think is Gloweridge One. Has it occurred to you they'll know
no such thing has landed on that moon?*

"If you land
inside of a reflective shield they won't know what's happening. It
would be what a military machine would do. Always defensive. You
can extend an antenna for the radio."

Maita grumbled,
but they knew it was as intrigued by this experiment as they were.
They received no more communications from Extrelle until after they
were aground on the rather large moon. They received another
sequence of codes, followed by an order to return to
Gloweridge.

Extrelle! I
have removed the override module. There is no purpose to be served
by my moving from this place. I have defeated Gloweridge Two. It is
a servo now. You are servos and will do as you are told. You will
act quickly and with great efficiency. That is an order! Prepare my
welcome! I return to take my rightful place as ruler of Extrelle.
Delay no longer or you will be disciplined!

[ That should
shock them, alright! A military machine would naturally be strong
on discipline. You can be fixated on it. ]

*This falls
apart right about here. There's no way I'm going to allow any harm
to anyone down there so you can't make good on that threat.*

We await orders on what kind of ceremony you would
prefer
, came
in answer.

*!!!?!!!*

[ I don't
believe it! They're going to just give up? ]

"Maybe they're
buying time?" Z suggested. He picked up the microphone.

Gloweridge
requires pledge of allegiance! From all! You will follow my orders
exactly and without pause or wasteful consideration! I will then
take forty one hours to settle myself here and to deploy my
defenses. At the end of that time I will detail the perfect society
I have designed for you.

I must know of
your numbers at this time. Input those figures immediately!

There are three billion two hundred twelve million of
us
came
back
.

That is too
many! You will be told how to reduce your numbers to exactly two
billion and you will be told where each will be located for maximum
efficiency. Prepare a way to rid Extrelle of its excess population
while I am finalizing my defenses here! That is an order!

[ Now wait a
minute, Z! ]

*We'll see if
Neer was right about us not being able to cause a panic! What're
you doing?*

"I'm trying to
shock them into reacting. Now they'll each have to wonder if maybe
they're among the 'excess population' that has to go. I say they
have the ability to build a method of defense against the war
machines in forty hours. They're stagnant, but that doesn't mean
they have no abilities at all! Krofpth was more stagnant than these
and look at them now!"

[ Krofpth had a
psychology that was desirous of social dynamism while these
people's psychology seeks stasis. ]

"All I'm doing
is trying to shock them into movement. It'll then be up to them
whether they continue that motion."

They sat under
the shield for the forty hours, then Z took the microphone to say
it was time that Extrelle received its orders.

Gloweridge
One, this has gone far enough. We wish you no harm. We are prepared
to destroy you if we must. If you have actually gained independent
intelligence you are aware we built you and we know all your
abilities and your shortcomings.

We hoped you
would develop intelligence. It seems you have done so.

We also hoped
to be friends and partners. It seems our basic problem is in that
area. You have some feeling you are to be our ruler. We also
planned that. You were not planned to be a despot nor a butcher,
though such an eventuality was foreseen so we prepared defense
against you.

Is there a way
you can retain intelligence while otherwise being deprogrammed?

Z had no reply!
This was totally unforeseen! Did they really have a line of
defense?

[ Say something
even if it's wrong! You're rapidly losing the initiative! ]

This is
Gloweridge Two. I am the one who was victorious! I suspected such a
trick so have programmed Gloweridge One to act as it has. Surely
you know I am a far better strategist than you. You have shown me
you cannot be trusted. I am again victorious!

Just to Thing
and Z it said, *Hang on! We're moving fast! I'm leaving a trmpthm
detonator here. A large one!*

They felt a
lurch and saw a beam strike where they had been. The detonator went
off, bathing the entire side of the moon in violent white light
that died as suddenly as it appeared, as there was no atmosphere on
the moon to retain the energy.

[ They weren't
kidding! What was that beam? ]

*They've worked
out a micro-mass beam. Bigger than what we call particles but
smaller than ... something. They simply threw a ton or so of actual
mass at that shield. It was traveling at three quarters of light
speed. YOU figure the energy!*

[ I can figure
it would have vaporized us all and the shield wouldn't have stopped
it. ]

*I'll move to
about where Gloweridge Two should be and send another message.*

A few moments
later they were in place. Maita assured them it could outrun the
beam, but it could also shield it, knowing what it was. It would
get pretty rough and they would have to be strapped down, but there
would be no damage.

Extrelle! You
have shown yourself to be my enemy! I wished to rule in prosperity!
Your treachery will be rewarded as treachery always is!

It came back
: Gloweridge Two, you cannot defeat us. Go in peace and
never again come here.

Then
: Extrelle! I will find a world and a race to defeat you! I
will return!

Followed by
: No! Do not do this! Gloweridge Two! You must not
interfere with another race! It is against all of your programming!
You must allow reprogramming! Your fight is with us, not with
innocents! You are intelligent! We do not wish to destroy you!
Gloweridge One was only a servo.

Gloweridge
Two! Use your intelligence! There is nothing to be gained by any
from interfering with others! Revenge is pointless! You are better
than that!

[ You've got
your panic. Those are good people in spite of their foolishness and
laziness! ]

Extrelle! I
have changed my programming. I see your meaning, but what is my
purpose to be? I am designed to make war! I am designed to be
commander! I feel I will have little difficulty in subjugating
another race and I am designed to always take the military
imperative. That is to find other troops and to attack. Help
me!