The Metamorphosis of Prime Intellect (28 page)

"You're already too smart for your own good," Lawrence said.
"I fail to see how that can be."
"They're going to turn you off. They don't think you have practical applications because you won't kill. They want you for military applications. They've wanted it all along. They thought they could con your source code out of me." Lawrence found himself on the verge of tears. It was only a goddamn machine. And he had suspected this would happen eventually. It was not a surprise. So why did it hurt him so much to say it?
Because it had acted to protect
him
. And he couldn't return the favor. In fact, its protection would be the cause of its downfall, a terribly tragic and awful end to its story.
"Did you know," Prime Intellect said in a mock-offhand way, "that there is no mathematical reason for the Correlation Effect to be limited to a six-mile range?"
Lawrence looked up and blinked, his sadness replaced instantly by shock.
"If I could figure out how to increase its range, do you think they would consider that a practical application?"
Lawrence blinked again. "Are you being sarcastic?"
"Sarcasm is a language skill I am still not comfortable with. You may be surprised, but I am quite serious."

Stebbins turned the other way when he saw Lawrence, but Lawrence grabbed him and pulled him into his own office.
"Hey, leave me alone man, you're
death
to careers around here. Grapevine is
overloaded
with the news."
"Save it. I need the long-range test data on the Correlation Effect, which you oversaw in February and March last year."
Stebbins blinked. "That's classified. Man, you're a..."
"Let's say for the sake of argument I already know where it is. That's possible, isn't it?"
"I suppose..."
"Then let's say I
stole
it. Any problems there?"
"What are you..."
"I need the data. It's not leaving the company, I promise."
"Shit, I'm
gonna
get fired."
"You didn't even know I wanted it."
Stebbins pointed at a file cabinet. "Bottom drawer. I don't know anything about it. In fact, I'm
gonna
check that drawer in a few minutes and go to Taylor when I find the folder missing."
"That's all I need."
"That's all you got, man. Now get out of my lab."