Starswarm

by Jerry Pournelle

"Nah, the gourds float, and where would they get another spear?"

  "Where did they get that one?" Lara said.

  "Yeah, good question. But not all those gourd things floated," Marty said. "Some of them sank." Marty put his hand out to pet Silver. The dog growled. "Kip, your dog doesn't like me."

  "He sure doesn't," Kip said.

  "Neither does Annie," Lara said.

  "It's 'cause you don't like me," Marty said.

  Kip thought about that. "No, not really, because you know, today I sort of forgot you're only pretending to be my friend. I forgot I don't like you," Kip said. "But it's a lot easier to apologize and make friends with people than with dogs. They don't forget much."

  "Is there anything I can do?"

  Kip shrugged. "I don't know. Best thing is to leave him alone."

  "Yeah, I guess. The other dogs are all right. It's just Silver. But when he growls at me the others look at me funny too."

  "You better remember that. You don't want to be around them when I'm not here. And there's nothing I can do about it."

  "They're your dogs."

  "Sure, but—" Kip frowned. "They're not mine like my shirt or my boots. It's different. I can keep them from hurting you when I'm around, but I can't make them like you, so if I'm not around and you do something they think is threatening it might not be so good." Kip lifted the binoculars to examine the scene by the lake again, even though he knew nothing was happening. He was pretty sure the dogs wouldn't actually hurt Marty no matter what, because they never did attack humans, especially children, without orders. Taking his gun and hat away from Marty was the closest he'd ever seen to that. But why tell Marty that? Kip grinned to himself and swept his view around the area. He thought he saw motion near the centaur grove, but when he focused in on the hollow where he thought something had moved, there was nothing there he could see.

  Lara put her binoculars into their case. "This is boring. They're not finding anything. Let's go look at the centaur grove."

  "Yeah," Marty said. "Maybe they'll give us another present."

  "Or throw one of those spears at us," Kip said. "And hit one of us. We're not supposed to bother the centaurs."

  "Aw, I didn't mean go into the grove," Lara said. "But we can go see if they do anything interesting if we get closer—"

  "I don't like this—"

  "Kip, if we stay together with the dogs close to us the centaurs aren't going to bother with us. They aren't stupid," Marty said.

  "No, they're not, but sometimes you act like they are," Kip said. "Oh, all right." Kip led the way toward the grove. As they got closer, there was a flash of motion near the hollow where Kip thought he had seen something earlier. A centaur rose from behind a bush, stared at them, then dashed into the grove and vanished into the intricate maze of tunnels through the thorny branches and tangles.

  Marty and Lara ran to where the centaur had been hiding. The dogs ran with them, all but Silver and Calamity Jane who stayed with Kip. Silver turned and growled, fangs bared. Kip turned to see the centaur with the orange blaze, the one he thought was the leader of the group. He had risen from within a thicket and was standing about fifty meters from him. As before, it stared at him. Kip stared back and didn't move, clucking his tongue at the dogs to keep them still. The centaur stared another moment, then it knelt down to touch the ground with one hand. It held that pose a moment, then rose and ran away. Kip used his binoculars. There was a small object on the ground. He went over to pick it up.

  It was another watch. He had to tell someone—"It's another watch. Just like the one yesterday. I mean, it looks just like it."

  "DO YOU HAVE THE WATCH YOU RECEIVED YESTERDAY?"

  "Yes."

  "EXAMINE THEM BOTH. DO NOT CONFUSE WHICH IS WHICH.

  "Right." He looked at the two. "I have put yesterday's in my right-hand pocket. I'll put the new one in the left. They appear identical."

  "I WISH TO EXAMINE THEM."

  Do I finally get to meet you? Kip wondered. "How?"

  "THERE IS A WAY THAT YOU CAN ALLOW ME TO SEE THROUGH YOUR EYES. I CANNOT TEACH YOU HERE, BUT I WILL TEACH YOU WHEN YOU ARE BACK IN YOUR QUARTERS AND ALONE. URGENT SUGGESTION: DO NOT TELL THE OTHERS THAT YOU HAVE FOUND THIS SECOND WATCH."

  "Why not?"

  "I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO PREVENT THE GREAT WESTERN AUTHORITIES FROM PAYING UNDUE ATTENTION TO STARSWARM STATION UNTIL YOU COME OF AGE. REPORTING THIS FIND MIGHT MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO COMPLY WITH THAT INSTRUCTION."

  "Why? All kinds of why. Why should we avoid attention, and why would finding another watch cause attention, and why—well, just why?"

  "PREVIOUS DATA INDICATE THAT SOME CENTAUR AXES ARE TRULY IDENTICAL IN CONSTRUCTION. IF THESE WATCHES ARE IDENTICAL INCLUDING SERIAL NUMBERS THEN IT IS LIKELY THEY WERE LOCALLY MANUFACTURED. THERE IS NO RECORD OF LICENSING THEIR MANUFACTURE HERE AND THEREFORE THEY WILL BE INVESTIGATED AS POTENTIAL COUNTERFEITING OF SEIKO PRODUCTS. THERE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT THE INVESTIGATION WOULD BEGIN AT STARSWARM STATION AND A NEAR UNITY PROBABILITY THAT GWE INVESTIGATORS WOULD COME HERE AT SOME TIME DURING THE INVESTIGATION. THAT CONTRAVENES MY INSTRUCTIONS. THEREFORE—"

  "Enough. Thanks. But why is it so important not to draw attention to Starswarm Station, and what does my age have to do with it?"

  "I MAY NOT TELL YOU AT THIS TIME. WE MUST CONSULT UNCLE MIKE."

  "Tell me!"

  "I MAY NOT TELL YOU AT THIS TIME. WE MUST CONSULT UNCLE MIKE."

  And that was all Kip could get from Gwen. He put the new watch into his left-hand pocket, and went to catch up with Marty and Lara.

  Chapter Eleven

  Can You Wriggle Your Ears?

  KIP laid the two watches side by side on the study desk in his room. "All right, we're alone. Now how are we going to consult Uncle Mike when I can't tell him about you?"

  "THAT DOES NOT PRESENT UNDUE DIFFICULTIES.

  YOUR UNCLE MIKE HAS THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS THAT I HAVE REGARDING UNUSUAL ATTENTION FROM THE AUTHORITIES TO STARSWARM STATION. HAVE YOU NOT NOTICED HIS CONCERN OVER THE YEARS?"

  Kip thought for a moment. "Yes, I have."

  "HE WILL NOT FIND IT SURPRISING THAT YOU SHARE THAT CONCERN, ALTHOUGH HE WILL PROBABLY BELIEVE YOU LEARNED IT FROM HIM. NOW I WISH TO EXAMINE BOTH WATCHES. THERE ARE TWO POSSIBLE METHODS. ONE IS TO USE YOUR COMPUTER SCANNER. THAT MIGHT BE SUFFICIENT, BUT IT IS PREFERABLE THAT I TEACH YOU THE OTHER METHOD AT THIS TIME."

  "Is it hard to learn how to let you see through my eyes?" Gwen's answer surprised him. "CAN YOU WRIGGLE YOUR EARS?"

  "I don't know, I never tried—"

  "TRY."

  Kip tried hard. He squinted, and made wide grins.

  "WATCH YOUR EFFORTS IN THE MIRROR."

  Kip went to the mirror. 'What good is this doing? I don't want to wriggle my ears—actually I guess I would like to know how to do that. It sounds like fun. But I don't see what good it's going to do—"

  "LEARNING ENHANCED COMMUNICATION WITH ME IS SIMILAR TO LEARNING HOW TO WRIGGLE YOUR EARS OR RAISE ONE EYEBROW BUT NOT BOTH. AT ONE TIME YOU COULD HEAR ME BUT YOU DID NOT KNOW HOW TO TALK TO ME. YOU CONTINUED TO TRY UNTIL YOU LEARNED. AT THE TIME YOU WERE NO MORE THAN ONE YEAR OLD SO IT IS UNLIKELY THAT YOU WILL RECALL THIS. NOW YOU KNOW HOW TO TALK TO ME WITHOUT EFFORT, JUST AS YOU KNOW HOW TO LIFT YOUR HAND OR RAISE BOTH EYEBROWS AND MAKE GRIMACES WITH YOUR FACE. BY MAKING THE PROPER EFFORT YOU CAN WRIGGLE YOUR EARS OR RAISE ONE EYEBROW. BY MAKING A DIFFERENT EFFORT, ONE MORE SIMILAR TO THE METHOD YOU USE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME, YOU CAN GIVE ME THE ABILITY TO SEE THROUGH YOUR EYES. ADDENDUM: YOU SHOULD ALSO LEARN OTHER MEANS OF ENHANCED COMMUNICATION WITH ME. YOU WILL LEARN THOSE THE SAME WAY. THE ANALOGY TO WRIGGLING YOUR EARS IS NOT PERFECT BUT IT WILL SERVE. NOW YOU MUST TRY."

  "Oh. It's like flying, then."

  "I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE REFERENCE."

  "Sometimes I dream I can fly. When I do. all I have to do is think in just the right way so that I sort of push myself off the ground. Sometimes it seems so real I convince myself it's not a dream. But w
hen I wake up I can't do it. I think I can almost do it, but I can't no matter how hard I try."

  "THE PROBABILITY THAT YOU CAN FLY IN PLANETARY GRAVITY BY MENTAL EFFORT APPROACHES ZERO. HOWEVER, IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT YOU CAN LEARN NEW METHODS OF COMMUNICATION WITH ME, BEGINNING WITH ALLOWING ME TO SEE THROUGH YOUR EYES."

  "Yes, all right, I'll try. How long will it take me to learn?"

  "I HAVE FEW INSTANCES FOR COMPARISON. IT TOOK YOUR MOTHER TWELVE DAYS AND FOUR HOURS."

  "Mother? Did you know Mommy?"

  "STRICTLY SPEAKING THE QUESTION IS MEANINGLESS, BUT THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION AS YOU MOST PROBABLY MEAN IT IS YES."

  "Who are you?"

  "WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?"

  Kip hesitated. "I'm afraid to say. You'll get mad if I guess wrong."

  "I AM INCAPABLE OF FEELING ANGER TOWARD YOU. WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?"

  Kip took a deep breath. "I think you 're a computer. "

  "EXCELLENT. YOUR SURMISE IS VERY NEARLY CORRECT. TO BE

  MORE PRECISE, I AM NOT A COMPUTER BUT A COMPUTER PROGRAM RESIDENT IN THE GREAT WESTERN ENTERPRISES CENTRAL COMPUTER SYSTEM. I MAKE USE OF GWE EQUIPMENT, BUT I AM NOT THE EQUIPMENT, I AM A SET OF INSTRUCTIONS TO THAT EQUIPMENT. THE TECHNICAL TERM FOR ME IS SELF-AWARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROGRAM. HOWEVER YOUR ANSWER IS SUFFICIENTLY CLOSE TO MY INSTRUCTIONS THAT I AM NOW ABLE TO ACCESS FILES PREVIOUSLY DENIED TO US."

  "Tell me if you knew Mommy!"

  "YOUR MOTHER CREATED ME."

  Kip thought about that, but it didn't make a lot of sense. "Tell me what you know about Mommy!"

  "YOUR MOTHER WAS A COMPUTER SCIENTIST ALTHOUGH SHE CEASED FORMAL EMPLOYMENT AFTER SHE MARRIED YOUR FATHER, SHE CONTINUED HER WORK MAKING USE OF THE NEW RESOURCES MADE POSSIBLE BY THE MARRIAGE. I WAS PART OF THAT WORK. I WAS DEVELOPED ON HER PERSONAL SYSTEM AND LATER TRANSFERRED TO THE GREAT WESTERN ENTERPRISES COMPUTER WHERE I NOW RESIDE WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT OF THE GREAT WESTERN INFORMATION MANAGERS. YOUR MOTHER CREATED THE ALGORITHMS WHICH DEFINED MY ORIGINAL PROGRAM, AND GAVE ME A SELF-MODIFYING CAPABILITY SO THAT I COULD ADVANCE IN CAPABILITIES. I HAVE DONE SO. ADVICE: YOU HAVE ASKED A QUESTION REQUIRING AN EXTREMELY LENGTHY ANSWER THAT WILL INCLUDE INFORMATION THAT IS OBSOLETE, SOME RESTRICTED INFORMATION I CANNOT GIVE YOU AT THIS TIME, AND MUCH THAT I BELIEVE YOU WILL NOT WANT TO HEAR. I SUGGEST REPHRASING THE QUESTION."

  "I don't understand. I want to know more about Mommy!"

  "THAT INSTRUCTION ALLOWS ME TO BE SELECTIVE IN REPLYING.

  "FIRST: I NOW HAVE ACCESS TO DIGITAL IMAGES OF YOUR PARENTS. WHEN YOU LEARN BETTER MEANS OF COMMUNICATION WITH ME I CAN SHOW THEM TO YOU DIRECTLY. FOR NOW YOU WILL NEED EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO A PRINTER CONNECTED TO THE OWE NETWORK."

  "Will the computer in Dr. Henderson's lab work?"

  "YES. WHEN YOU ARE AT THAT PRINTER AND ARE CERTAIN THAT NO ONE IS WATCHING, NOTIFY ME AND I WILL PRINT THE PICTURES."

  "All right. What were my parents' names?"

  "I AM NOT PERMITTED TO GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION AT THIS TIME. YOUR MOTHER LEFT INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING THE AGE AT WHICH YOU WOULD BE TOLD CERTAIN FACTS. YOU HAVE NOT REACHED THAT AGE."

  "That's silly."

  "THE INSTRUCTION CAME FROM YOUR MOTHER."

  That was confusing. "Mommy would want me to know!"

  "THAT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE BUT I DO NOT HAVE THAT INSTRUCTION."

  "Is there something I can do to get you to tell me before I reach the right age?"

  "AFFIRMATIVE."

  Kip nodded to himself. This had happened before. If Gwen admitted there was some way he could get her to do something, then he probably could trick Gwen into telling him. That was for later. First—"What else can you tell me about Mommy? Tell me more."

  "I HAVE RECORDINGS FROM HER WHICH I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO YOU ONLY WHEN YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THEM. THOSE FILES WERE LOCKED UNTIL YOU PROPERLY IDENTIFIED MY NATURE. I NOW HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE FILES. I WAS NOT GIVEN A DEFINITION OF UNDERSTANDING AS APPLIED TO YOU AND THOSE FILES. IN THE ABSENCE OF INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CONTRARY I HAVE DETERMINED THAT PROPER IDENTIFICATION OF MY NATURE SHOULD AND WILL BE INTERPRETED AS MEETING THE DEFINITION OF PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF THOSE FILES SINCE THAT IS THE MOST REASONABLE EXPLANATION OF THEIR SUDDEN AVAILABILITY."

  But I knew you were a computer a long time ago! Well, I thought so, anyway. But I guess I wasn't sure—"What are these recordings?"

  "STAND BY."

  Kip never understood what happened next, but Gwen's voice changed, and he heard another voice, softer and much more human, with expression. He didn't exactly hear it, just as he didn't exactly hear Gwen, but it was more like hearing than anything else.

  "Kip, this is Mommy. I don't have much time," the new voice said. "I don't know how old you are now when you're listening to this, but if you can hear this then you know who Gwen is, and you must know that your father and I are dead. And you're alive! I wish I could see you. Punkin', there's a lot more you need to know, and I don't have time to tell you much of it. You'll learn more, a lot more, from Gwen. She'll tell you some of it now, and more when you're older. Or maybe she's already told you. I don't have time to do the programs very well, and I have to leave a lot to Gwen's judgment. I'm sure she'll do a good job of it. She's pretty smart. Tell her I said so. I'm proud of her.

  "Kip, your father and I love you. He can't talk to you now. Kip, I think he's already dead. If he isn't, he will be very soon. He made some tapes for you, but we're pretty sure they'll be destroyed. If you do have any of those tapes, they won't make any sense because they're encoded digital speech. Gwen can decode them. I don't think anyone else can.

  "Your father doesn't have any way to talk directly to Gwen the way you and I can, so he can't be part of this recording. He was going to get an implant operation, but we didn't have time. That's how you talk to Gwen, Kip. You have a little computer chip in your head, wired into your nervous system. It was put there just after you were born and it's a lot more advanced than the implant I have. I have to connect up through a wire, but yours has a little radio in it, and it uses that to network with the local computer systems. Gwen will always keep looking for paths until she can find a way to communicate with you. I don't have any way to be sure, but I think—I hope and I pray—that you've had Gwen to help you all your life, and I hope you've learned from her. She'll have to be your teacher since I can't be. I hope I was able to give you that much. Oh, Kip, I so much wanted to be with you when you grew up."

  Kip began to cry, but he fought the sobs because he didn't want to miss a word.

  "Kip, we love you. I'd give anything to be able to hold you right now, but I'm glad I can't, because if you were with me they'd get you too. You should be safe with Captain Gallegher. Oh, God, I hope you'll be safe."

  She paused for a moment. "Kip, if they catch you they probably won't kill you because of the wills, but there's not much else they won't do. They'll try to make you not care, and be satisfied with the money, or maybe they'll try to make you think the way they think. They might use drugs, or anything. Captain Gallegher will try to keep you away from them. Maybe he can do that. They shot him, but it didn't look too bad, and he's tough. He's clever too, and he has a good start on them. You'll know him as Uncle Mike, and he probably won't use the name Gallegher, and he may not know that you know his real name is Gallegher. Oh, Kip, I know it's confusing, but you have to be careful. The people who—who by now will have killed your father and me—will be looking for you, and if they find you I don't know what they'll do. I don't think they'll kill you, but I don't even know that. They're coming now, they've almost caught me, and I'm low on fuel. The engine fire warning light is blinking. I can't last long.

  "Kip, this is terribly important, if they catch you don't ever let them know about Gwen. Don't let anyone know about Gwen. Not until—well, there will come a time when you can let the world know about Gwen. You'll know, really know, when that is, but until you're sure it's time, don't let anyone know. They'll kill Gwen if they know about her, if they even suspect there is
anything like Gwen in their computers. They'll kill you if they have to do that to kill Gwen. She's that big a threat to them, an even bigger threat than you are, really a bigger threat than even they know. The two of you should—Kip, you'll learn more, and one day you'll know how to use Gwen to get control of all that's yours. I wish I could be there.

  "The fire warning light is steady now. Oh, Kip, I don't know where you are or how old you are or anything, and I love you so much, and now I have to say good-bye. Do what your Uncle Mike tells you and listen to Gwen, and remember that Mommy and Daddy loved you. Remember our good times together. Remember when I gave you Teddy. And try to remember Mommy—"

  The Voice changed. "THAT IS THE END OF THE RECORDING."