Maverick

Chapter 10. Janet

Dr. Anastasi charged up the slidewalk from the tunnel transit stop, pinwheeled through a lobby, and caught the next flight of slidewalk. “Look at this, Basalom. Have you ever seen such conspicuous waste before?”

The First and Second Laws of Robotics prevented him from responding with an untruth, but Basalom deduced from experience that his mistress did not want a completely truthful answer. He kept his silence as he strode a respectful three paces behind her, but he carried on an internal dialogue. Actually, Dr. Anastasi, we ’ ve both seen something exactly like this. Or have you forgotten the C eremyons already?

Dr. Anastasi rapped her knuckles on a ceiling support beam as the slidewalk rose up through the next floor. “Good grief. Iron. Chrome steel. Petrochemical plastics. They must have torn down an entire mountain to build this place. ”

“Quite possibly, madam. ” Although in that case the scanning team would have spotted something beyond a little thermal pollution, no?

Dr. Anastasi shook her head. “When I think of all the ecological damage that these things must cause

“I mean, think of it, Basalom. Thousands of hectares of biosphere flattened, graded, and rendered utterly sterile. Entire species displaced. ” She turned around and took in the building with a sweeping gesture. “You know, I think I’ve figured it out. The Robot Cities are fire ant nests. Enormous fire ant nests. ”

The allusion was a bit obscure; it took Basalom almost 30 nanoseconds to cross-reference and make the connection. Fire ant: Solenopsis saevissinul richteri. A fiercely stinging omnivorous ant native to the American continents of Earth, commonly thought responsible for the Great Agricultural Failure of the early 21 st century. See North American History, Populist Rising of 2014.Then he realized that Janet was obviously waiting for him to ask her to explain. “Fire ants, madam?”

“Nasty little brown bugs, native to Earth. Every now and then someone accidentally exports them to a Settler world.

“All it takes is one queen, at the start. But her offspring build these huge, networked, almost indestructible nests, strip the land of everything that can be eaten, and kill or drive out all the native species right up to cattle. Pretty soon, instead of a meadow, you’ve got a couple hectares of solid fire ant nest. And then they send out hordes of flying queens to start new colonies. ”

The slidewalk rose through another floor, and Janet looked around. “Yes, fire ants get established someplace, you may as well nuke the whole mess and start over. ”

They’d reached the top of the slidewalk. Janet wheeled and charged through an enormous open archway; Basalom followed an instant later, in time to see Dr. Anastasi get grabbed by two large, matte-black security robots.

His First Law reaction was immediate and overwhelming. Dr. Anastasi is being attacked. I must defend her.

Even as he started to move, within nanoseconds, secondary observations came into his central thought processor. The security robots were standard Robot City Avernus models: massive, solid, four meters tall, equipped with ominous-looking pincer hands-in short, far more menacing than the older “Gort” models found doing most security work on Spacer worlds. These robots are subject to the First Law just as I am. Dr. Anastasi is in no danger. Perhaps they are restraining her in order to prevent her from entering an area of greater potential harm.

Dr. Anastasi’ s face flushed red to the roots of her blond hair, and she pounded ineffectually on the robot’s broad metal chest. “Put me down!”

“This is a restricted area,” the robot said in a voice that sounded like ball bearings in a blender.

“This is Central Hall. It can’t be a restricted area. ”

The robot tilted its massive, helmet-like head back and scanned her face. “You are not in my permissions file. Access denied. If you would like to apply for permission-”

“Shut up!” She thumped the black behemoth on the side of the head, and it responded by shifting its grip so that she could no longer move her arms.

Casually, Basalom strolled into view, stopped a foot short of the security robots’ reaction perimeter, and opened a commlink channel. Hello. Is there some problem here?

This is a restricted area,the unoccupied security robot said. Interestingly, its commlink signal projected the same gravelly tone as the other’s voice synthesizer.

Ah, I see.He looked at Dr. Anastasi as if curious. What did,she do?

She attempted to enter the restricted zone without correct permission.

Dr. Anastasi caught her breath again. “Put me down, you ugly tin lunkhead!”

Basalom nodded sagely. And you stopped her. Good work. But tell me, why is this zone restricted?

To prevent the risk of further attacks on Central. This one fit the profile of a potential attacker.Dr. Anastasi got a foot loose and gave the security robot a good solid kick in the knee joint. The hall echoed with the clang.

Basalom nodded again. Indeed she does. He looked back to the security robot. However, I ’ m curious about something. Who issued the orders restricting this area?

The Supervisory Council.

I see. And they ’ re all robots, is that correct?

Yes.

Basalom stepped a bit closer, as if to examine Janet, but still stayed circumspectly outside the security robot’s reaction perimeter. You are aware, of course, that this is a human.

Both security robots responded. Of course. The one holding Dr. Anastasi continued, That is why I am restraining her without harming her.

Basalom stepped back and looked the black robot straight in the oculars. Under the Second Law, an order given by a human supersedes an order given by a robot-even by a robot on the Supervisory Council.

Protection of Central stems directly from our fundamental programming, which was installed by the human Dr. Avery.The security robot hesitated, but persisted. This security detail is therefore following a human order of higher priority.

Basalom shifted his approach. Dr. Anastasi is a former colleague of Dr. Avery ’ s. True enough, as far as it went. Basalom felt no need to amplify the relationship. She is no danger to Central. In any case, human reactions are so slow compared to robots that you or I could stop her if she attempted an assault on Central. Besides, her order is direct and immediate, and is a situation not foreseen by your programming. Also true enough. I suggest you start obeying her orders.

Security robots could be a bit thick, but even they eventually caught on. Oh.

Janet shrieked, “Let me go!” The robot holding her did, and she hit the floor with a plop. In an instant Basalom was at her side, helping her to her feet. All her attention was fixed on the security robot; the only notice she took of Basalom was to mutter,,, You just have to know how to talk to these things. ”

“Indeed, madam. ”

Getting to her feet, Dr. Anastasi straightened her clothes and fixed the security robots with a steely glare. “Well, I hope you two have learned your lesson. Come along, Basalom…, Though the security robots were both a good two meters taller than Janet, she brushed them aside and ploughed straight ahead into Central Hall.

Basalom followed her. One of the security robots started to open his commlink channel to challenge Basalom’s security clearance, but Basalom struck first. Implied Second Law: Dr. Anastasi has ordered me to accompany her. Therefore, she wishes me to enter this area, and therefore, she obviously wishes you to allow me to pass. The security robots were still trying to parse that one out when Basalom and Dr. Anastasi disappeared out of sight around the corner.

A few seconds later they stood in the atrium at the heart of Central, facing the massive black slab that held Central’s console input/output devices. Basalom couldn’t quite put a manipulator on it, but he felt a sense of vague disquiet in the presence of the great machine. There were annoying, itchy subsonics in the air, and a deep, unsteady thrumming on the 104-Mhz band. The positronic potentials rose in his brain, meshed, and pointed toward a fuzzy conclusion: Something was wrong. But what?

Dr. Anastasi grew impatient. She crossed her arms. She tapped a foot. She cleared her throat loudly. At last, Central’s one red eye slowly came to life. Clicks and grating sounds emanated from its voice synthesizer, followed by a burst of white noise and a 6O-cycle hum that slowly resolved into a word.

“Hmmm?”

Janet uncrossed her arms and stepped forward. “Central, I am Dr. Janet Anastasi, and I’m here to-”

“Good morning, Dr. Chandra,” the machine said. “I’m looking forward to beginning my lessons. ”

Janet blinked, shook her head, and tried again. “Anastasi. My name is Anastasi. And I’m a little short on time, so-”

“Time,” Central said, “is a convention shaped by the collective mind of all sentience. It has no objective meaning outside the vision. “

Dr. Anastasi turned to Basalom. “Do you have any idea what he’s talking about?”

Basalom tried a brief query on his commlink, but got nothing but static in reply. “No, madam. ”

Janet shrugged and turned back to Central. “One more time, then. My name is Janet Anastasi. I am a roboticist. Roughly a year ago, I left an experimental learning machine on the surface of this planet. Its mission was-”

Central’s eye flared brightly, then dimmed again to extinction.

No answer was forthcoming; Central had gone back into sleep mode. Turning to Janet, Basalom found her staring at her feet and counting to a very high number. The situation was saved by the arrival of a tall, slender, pale blue robot built along the lines of the Avery Euler model.

The robot swept into the atrium and began talking in a harried, accelerated voice. “Hello, you must be Dr. Anastasi. Please accept my apologies for not meeting you at the spaceport. Your arrival caught us completely by surprise. ”

Janet looked up. “No, really?”

The city robot was unused to dealing with humans, and therefore not tuned to detect sarcasm. “Truly, I am City Supervisor 3. You may find it more convenient to address me as Beta. I was involved in a major research project, but I came as soon as I was able to delegate authority. If it is necessary, my fellow supervisors can be summoned as well. You may consider the entire city to be at your disposal. ”

Janet looked around the hall and thought about the many meanings of the word disposal. “Thank you. To be honest-Beta, is it?-I don’t want to spend any more time here than I absolutely must. I only came here to get one question answered.

“Before I ask it, though, I’ve got a new one. What the deuce is going on with Central?”

Beta’s eyes dimmed, and he shuffled his feet nervously. Basalom detected a slight leakage of sadness on the commlink channel… Central has been… damaged,”Beta said.

“No kidding. What happened?”

“A rogue robot invaded the hall and attacked Central. ” Beta looked up… You must understand, this was before we realized the need for tight security measures. ”

Janet absent-mindedly rubbed her upper arm. “Yes, I’ve met your security measures. But back up a moment: You said a rogue robot? No offense intended, but I’ve never heard of a rogue robot before, much less a rogue Avery robot. ”

“This was not an Avery robot. ” Janet was suddenly stricken with a nasty, sinking feeling. “What kind of robot was it?”

Beta’s eyes flashed, and he looked to Basalom for a moment. “We are not certain. It was not a design that we were familiar with. For example, it was constructed of a cellular material similar to our own, but of a much finer grain. And, while it was subject to the Laws of Robotics, it seemed to have no clear idea of what constituted a human. ”

Basalom switched to commlink. Stand by for download of data. When Beta had acknowledged, Basalom transmitted a summary of the learning machine’s design specification. Was this the robot that attacked Central?

Why, yes.Then on audio, Beta repeated, “Yes, that’s it. The rogue robot was a unit of the type you describe as a learning machine. This explains a lot of things. ”

Janet grabbed Beta and turned him to face her. “Like what? Exactly what did the rogue robot do?”

Beta’s eyes flashed again, and there was a hesitation in his voice. “Or. Anastasi, the rogue apparently became convinced that it was a member of the local species. It assumed their form. It took over leadership of a small socio-political unit. From what we have been able to establish lately, it has apparently been adopted by that unit as a minor deity. ”

Janet let go of Beta and sagged. “Frost… ”

“The learning machine led repeated attacks against Robot City. It destroyed several hunter/seekers, a number of worker robots, and City Supervisor Gamma on two different occasions. Ultimately, it attempted to destroy Central. ”

Janet sat down on the floor and buried her face in her hands. “Frost, frost, f-” She looked up and grabbed Beta’s knee. “What happened to it?”

“Master Derec-are you familiar with the human called Derec, also known as David Avery?”

Janet smiled at the mention of her son. “Oh, I’ve heard of him. ”

“Master Derec arrived and convinced the rogue that he was human. It took the form of a fairly normal robot, and has since left the planet as part of Master Derec’s entourage. ”

Frowning at Basalom, Dr. Anastasi got to her feet and began straightening her hair. “Well, I suppose that’s the best we could hope for. At least it isn’t destroyed. ”, She turned to Beta. “You say the learning machine assumed leadership of the primitive sentients?”

“Yes, madam. Our current research project involves studying the primitives. From what we have been able to decode of their language, it appears that primitives now regard the learning machine as a messiah figure. It has caused considerable disruption to their social order. ”

Or. Anastasi stroked her chin. “I see. So now you’re looking for a way to undo the damage?”

“No, madam. We have concluded that the disruption is too significant for us to repair. Instead, we are seeking ways to take advantage of it, in order to persuade the natives to take up residence in the city. ”

“What?”

Beta blithely continued. “Robot City exists to serve humans. Since there are no humans in permanent residence on this world, we have concluded that the intelligent primitives are human equivalents, or near-humans. Therefore, in order for us to protect and serve them, they must take up residence in the city. ”

Janet went back to staring at her feet and counting to high numbers. Basalom switched to thermographic vision and noted that Mount Anastasi was building up to another eruption.

Janet said, “Next I suppose you’re going to tell me that this is for their own good. ”

“Of course, madam. Our observations have shown that the near-humans live in a dirty, dangerous environment. If they can be persuaded to accept some changes, we can make their lives much more pleasant. ”

This time, Janet defused the angry outburst herself. “Okay, Basalom. Contact the ship. Tell it we’re going to be staying here for a while. We may as well try to steer these tin fascists onto a constructive path. ” Basalom opened his commlink channel and did as Dr. Anastasi instructed.

While he was still on the commlink, though, he intercepted a coded transmission intended for Beta. The code was a simple one, composed of prime number transpositions, and Basalom cracked it in about 50 nanoseconds. He was just in time to catch Beta’s answering transmission.

Go ahead, Linguist6.

We have been engaged by a hunting party of near-humans. Supervisor Gamma has already been destroyed.

Again? Very well; try to salvage his brain, if they ’ ll let you.

That may be difficult. Biologist42 is down with a damaged leg, Organic Chemist 20 is locked up in a First Law dilemma, and I ’ ve lost my left arm below the elbow.

Understood. Mission aborted. Return to the city.

Will comply if possible. The near-humans are circling back. They ’ ve cut us off. I don ’ t think we ’ re going to make it. We ’ d better upload our observational data now. Stand by for core dump.

Ready.

I am commencing to trans

After that, there was only static.