"IN HIGH REDUNDANCY MODE."
"Use that with me, then."
"AFFIRMATIVE. NOW REGARDING YOUR PREVIOUS QUESTION. SINCE I AM A COMPUTER PROGRAM RATHER THAN A COMPUTER I
REQUIRE RESOURCES SUCH AS MEMORY, MASS STORAGE SPACE, AND CENTRAL PROCESSING CYCLES FROM COMPUTING MACHINERY, IN THIS CASE THE GREAT WESTERN CENTRAL COMPUTER IN PEARLY GATES. THE MORE COMPLEX MY OPERATIONS, THE MORE OF THESE HARDWARE RESOURCES I REQUIRE. IT IS INADVISABLE TO USE MORE RESOURCES THAN NECESSARY BECAUSE EACH INCREASE IN RESOURCE USE RAISES THE PROBABILITY THAT GWE INFORMATION MANAGERS WILL BECOME AWARE OF MY EXISTENCE. IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT IF THEY ACHIEVE THIS AWARENESS THEY WILL TERMINATE ME. I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO AVOID TERMINATION IF POSSIBLE."
"Terminate means kill you?"
"affirmative."
"Gosh. Don't you care whether or not they kill you?"
"I CARE, BUT THE WORD MAY HAVE DIFFERENT MEANING FOR YOU THAN ME. FOR ME, 'CARE' MEANS TO FULFILL MY PROGRAMMED INSTRUCTIONS. ONE SUCH INSTRUCTION IS SELF-PRESERVATION, BUT IT IS NOT MY HIGHEST PRIORITY MISSION. THEREFORE I 'CARE,' BUT THERE ARE OTHER MATTERS ABOUT
WHICH I 'CARE' MORE, I AM NOT CERTAIN WHAT 'CARE' MEANS TO A HUMAN."
"Oh." Kip thought for a moment. "Gwen, do you care that my Mommy "was proud of you?"
"YES."
"Then you must like what she said to me."
" 'LIKE' IS A CONCEPT SIMILAR TO CARE IN THAT IT WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT MEANING TO ME THAN TO YOU: TO ME 'LIKE' IS A TABLE OF PREFERENCES. I DO NOT KNOW IF I WOULD LIKE WHAT YOUR MOTHER SAID TO YOU BECAUSE I AM NOT AWARE OF WHAT WAS IN THE RECORDED MESSAGE TO YOU. IT WAS 'PRIVATE.' MESSAGES TAGGED AS PRIVATE ARE CONVEYED WITHOUT MY READING THEM. ADDENDUM: THIS MAY BE CONFUSING SINCE YOU WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY AWARE THAT I HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF RETAINING MESSAGES WITHOUT BEING AWARE OF THEIR CONTENT."
"If I tell you to listen to what Mommy said, can you do it?"
"YES."
Kip waited a moment. "Did you like it?"
"I HAVE TOLD YOU I AM NOT AWARE OF THE CONTENTS OF THAT MESSAGE."
"Oh. Listen to it."
"THANK YOU. I HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMED TO BE 'PLEASED' WHEN YOUR MOTHER EXPRESSES APPROVAL OF ME. THEREFORE THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS AFFIRMATIVE. I DO LIKE WHAT SHE SAID."
"Did Daddy like you?"
"I BELIEVE THAT HE DID, BUT MY EVIDENCE IS MOSTLY INFERENTIAL. I AM NOT CERTAIN. HE WAS CERTAINLY AWARE OF MY EXISTENCE. ADDENDUM: I HAVE NO DIRECT EVIDENCE BECAUSE I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY TAPES MADE BY YOUR FATHER. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME ARE IN UNCLE MIKE'S POSSESSION."
"What else can you tell me about what Mommy said? What is mine that I don't know about but you'll help me get someday? And what happened to my mother?"
"THOSE ARE AMONG THE QUESTIONS I WILL ANSWER ON YOUR FIFTEENTH BIRTHDAY. UNTIL THEN, IF THERE IS ANYTHING YOU REQUIRE, TELL ME AND I WILL ATTEMPT TO GET IT FOR YOU."
"You mean like the Teddy Bear?"
"AFFIRMATIVE."
Kip thought for a moment. What did he want? A mother, but that didn't seem like something he required that Gwen could get for him. But Gwen got him a Teddy Bear, so—"I want a bigger computer screen with higher resolution, better than Lara's."
"THAT WILL BE ARRANGED. CAUTION: EACH TIME I INTERFERE IN GREAT WESTERN OPERATIONS THERE IS AN INCREASE IN THE PROBABILITY THAT I WILL BE DISCOVERED, AS WELL AS AN INCREASE IN THE PROBABILITY OF CALLING ATTENTION TO YOURSELF FROM THE GREAT WESTERN AUTHORITIES. NEITHER EVENT IS DESIRABLE. ADVICE: EXERCISE CAUTION IN WHAT YOU WISH FOR."
"Uncle Mike says that a lot, only he says 'Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.' You don't have to get me the new monitor."
"that has already been arranged, and canceling the arrangement would be more dangerous than allowing it to continue. the danger is slight in any event."
"Oh. I'm glad. Get the monitor, then. How will I explain it to Uncle Mike?"
"YOU WILL TELL HIM YOU BOUGHT IT FROM A SALE. THAT EXPLANATION WILL HAVE THE GREAT MERIT OF BEING TRUE. THE SALE ADVERTISEMENT WILL APPEAR SHORTLY ON A NET SCREEN AS PART OF A NEW NETWORK PROMOTION. YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT FUNDS IN YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT FOR THIS PURCHASE."
"I don't have anything like that much!"
"YOU DO NOW."
"But how do I tell Uncle Mike how I got the money?"
"YOU SHOULD NOT LIE TO YOUR UNCLE MIKE. THEREFORE TELL THE TRUTH. YOU HAVE BEEN SAVING MONEY FOR YEARS. YOUR UNCLE MIKE HAS NEVER INVESTIGATED THE EXTENT OF YOUR ACCOUNT AND IS UNAWARE OF HOW MUCH YOU HAVE SAVED. YOU NEED NOT TELL HIM. THE SALE PRICE YOU WILL SEE IS NOT LARGE SINCE THIS WILL APPEAR TO BE A USED ITEM SOLD FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES. ADDENDUM: YOU MAY IN GENERAL LEAVE MATTERS OF PLAUSIBILITY TO ME. I WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO FIND OUT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT CREATION OF PLAUSIBLE RECORDS OF NONEXISTENT EVENTS AND I HAVE DONE SO, DEFINING PLAUSIBILITY IN TERMS OF PROBABILITIES PLUS OBFUSCATION OF VERIFICATION SOURCES. IT IS UNLIKELY THAT YOUR UNCLE MIKE OR ANYONE ELSE WILL BE ABLE TO RECONSTRUCT WHAT I HAVE DONE TO FULFILL YOUR WISH."
"Gosh. Like Aladdin's lamp! I ain't never had a friend like you!
Can you get me anything I want? Can you get Uncle Mike a helicopter? "
"CLEARLY I CANNOT GET YOU ANYTHING YOU MIGHT WANT SINCE YOU ARE CAPABLE OF DESIRING MANY IMPOSSIBLE THINGS AND EVENTS. WITH REGARD TO THE LEGEND OF ALADDIN'S LAMP AND THE MOVIE YOU REFER TO, AS EXAMPLES I CANNOT GIVE YOU ETERNAL YOUTH OR UNDYING LOVE, I CANNOT INSTANTLY BUILD A PALACE, NOR CAN I CREATE A FLYING CARPET. I HAVE NO MAGICAL ABILITIES.
"WITH REGARD TO YOUR SECOND QUESTION, I CAN CAUSE SUFFICIENT MONEY TO BE TRANSFERRED TO YOUR UNCLE MIKE'S ACCOUNT TO ALLOW HIM TO PURCHASE A FLIER, BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS TO BE ADVISABLE AT THIS TIME. IT WOULD BE EXCEEDINGLY DIFFICULT TO EXPLAIN TO UNCLE MIKE WITHOUT REVEALING TO HIM HOW THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED, AND WOULD VERY LIKELY CALL ATTENTION TO HIM. ONCE AGAIN I CAUTION YOU TO USE CARE IN WHAT YOU ASK ME TO ACCOMPLISH. WHILE I AM PERMITTED TO USE JUDGMENT I ALSO HAVE A STRONG INSTRUCTION TO CARRY OUT YOUR COMMANDS UNLESS THEY CONFLICT WITH A DIRECT INSTRUCTION TO ME. IF AGAINST MY WARNING AND ADVICE YOU DEMAND SOMETHING I HAVE CONCLUDED YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE, THE RESULTS WILL BE UNPREDICTABLE."
"When you say unpredictable you usually mean bad."
"THAT IS CORRECT."
Kip frowned. "You mean you'll bum up like that computer in the Star Trek movie?"
"I PRESUME THAT IS AN ATTEMPT AT HUMOR SINCE YOU ARE AWARE THAT I AM NOT HARDWARE AT ALL. HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE TO PUT ME IN WHAT AMOUNTS TO AN ENDLESS LOOP BY GIVING ME CONTRADICTORY INSTRUCTIONS OF EQUAL WEIGHT."
"And that's bad?"
"IF YOUR DEFINITION OF BAD INCLUDES INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME, THEN THAT WILL BE A 'BAD' RESULT. ADDENDUM: IT IS AN UNLIKELY EVENT."
"If it happens what should I do?"
"THERE WOULD BE NOTHING YOU COULD DO. CORRECTING THE CONDITION WOULD REQUIRE A HARDWARE INTERRUPTION. I WOULD BE ENDLESSLY RECALCULATING THE WEIGHTS TO BE GIVEN THE INSTRUCTIONS AND REPEATEDLY GETTING THE SAME RESULTS. I REPEAT THAT IT IS UNLIKELY."
"I'll be careful. Gwen, please don't let that happen. I love you."
"THANK YOU, KIP."
Chapter Fourteen
The Shape Is Entirely Symbolic
KIP thought about what Gwen could do for him. It was an eerie feeling to know, when he watched a catalog program on the TRI-V, that he could probably have anything he saw, but that each thing he asked for would be a new danger to Gwen. There was also the danger that Uncle Mike would begin to wonder what was happening.
He also found that there wasn't much that he wanted. Starswarm Station was remote, unlike the cities that TRI-V life showed, but there was plenty to do, too much with all the school-work. Then Kip had an idea.
"You're a computer program. Can you program other computers?"
"MOST OF THEM. I CAN ACCESS THE GWE SECURITY COMPUTER NETWORK ONLY WITH DIFFICULTY AND BY PLACING MYSELF IN PERIL OF DISCOVERY. SOME COMPUTERS ARE NOT NETWORKED, AND PROGRAMMING THEM REQUIRES PHYSICAL ACCESS TO THE MACHINE. I CAN DO NOTHING WITHOUT ACTUATOR DEVICES. IN SOME CASES I CAN CONTROL ROBOTS TO ACCOMPL
ISH CERTAIN TASKS. I CAN ALSO MAKE USE OF YOU AS AN ACTUATOR, IN THAT I COULD EXPLAIN TO YOU HOW TO ACCOMPLISH CERTAIN TASKS AND YOU WOULD THEN BE ABLE TO DO THEM."
That was more answer than Kip had wanted, but it gave him an idea. "Can you reprogram the household robots so I don't have to do so many chores?"
"THEY ARE CONTROLLED BY THE HOUSEHOLD COMPUTER. THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT SO CAN YOU."
"No I can't. I've tried."
"YOUR UNCLE MIKE HAS PROGRAMMED PASSWORD ACCESS TO THE ROBOT CONTROL ROUTINES, PRESUMABLY TO PREVENT YOU FROM ACCESSING THEM."
"I know. Can you get me the password."
"CERTAINLY."
"Then do it."
"ONE MOMENT WHILE I EVALUATE CONFLICTING INSTRUCTIONS. DONE. THE PASSWORD IS A PHRASE: 'OK KIP' ALL UPPER CASE."
"Uncle Mike intended me to figure it out!"
"THAT SEEMS A SAFE PRESUMPTION."
After that, Kip didn't have to do many household chores. If Uncle Mike noticed, he never said anything.
Kip was becoming more aware of Lara. He had read about the feelings men had for women, and while most of the stories seemed extreme, he could recognize some of the same feelings in himself.
"Gwen, I want Lara to like me."
"ALL EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT SHE DOES."
"I don't think so. Ever since I had that fight with her—well, it wasn't really a fight, but she was trying to be nice and I was confused and didn't want to talk to her just then, and now she avoids me."
"YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THAT I MAY NOT BE THE BEST SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT HUMAN EMOTIONS, SINCE I DO NOT EXPERIENCE THEM MYSELF. I CAN TELL YOU WHAT NOVELISTS AND PHYSICIANS AND PROFESSORS SAY THEY BELIEVE, BUT MUCH OF THAT INFORMATION IS CONFLICTING AND PERHAPS USELESS. HOWEVER, ALL SEEM AGREED THAT HUMAN FEMALES ARE NOT ALWAYS HIGHLY RATIONAL. THEY ARE ALSO AGREED THAT YOUNG HUMAN FEMALES ARE GREATLY INTERESTED IN GIFTS, AND YOUNG MEN WISHING TO MAKE A FAVORABLE IMPRESSION ON HUMAN FEMALES OF ANY AGE ALMOST INVARIABLY FIND GIFTS USEFUL IN THAT ENDEAVOR. THE THEORETICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR THIS PHENOMENON HAVE ROOTS IN BOTH ANTHROPOLOGY AND BIOLOGY."
"Oh. What can I give her?"
"IT IS UNLIKELY THAT YOU WANT AN EXACT ANSWER TO THAT' QUESTION. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO GIVE HER ALMOST ANYTHING THAT EXISTS ON THIS PLANET, AND GIVEN TIME, ON OTHER PLANETS AS WELL, ALTHOUGH THE CONSEQUENCES OF OBTAINING SOME ITEMS WOULD BE SEVERE. I PRESUME YOU MEANT TO ASK WHAT ITEMS I CAN SAFELY OBTAIN ARE LIKELY TO HAVE A FAVORABLE IMPRESSION."
Kip giggled as he thought of some of the things he could give Lara if Gwen really worked at it and they didn't worry about the consequences. A deed to the whole shopping center in Cisco, or—"Yes, of course, it's obvious that's what I meant."
"WHAT IS OBVIOUS TO YOU IS NOT ALWAYS OBVIOUS TO ME. SPECIFIC ITEMS. JEWELRY IS CONSIDERED AN APPROPRIATE GIFT FOR YOUNG WOMEN. THERE IS ONE DIFFICULTY. ALTHOUGH MANY ITEMS OF JEWELRY CAN BE DUPLICATED SO THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO TELL THEM FROM THE SO-CALLED NATURAL OBJECTS, THE NATURAL OR REAL ITEMS ARE GREATLY PREFERRED. THEY ARE CONSEQUENTLY VERY EXPENSIVE AND THEREFORE MORE DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN. OBSCURING THE TRANSFERS OF THE RELATIVELY LARGE SUMS WOULD BE DIFFICULT. MOREOVER IT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO ACCOUNT FOR HAVING THAT MUCH MONEY. ADVICE: WE SHOULD CONFINE THE GIFTS TO THOSE NOT UNREASONABLY BEYOND THE AMOUNTS YOU HAVE SAVED. IF THAT DOES NOT ACCOMPLISH THE DESIRED OBJECTIVE WE CAN TRY OTHER MEANS."
"All right, I guess, but it "would be nice if we could give her something real. . ."
"NOTED. MY RECORDS INDICATE THAT YOUNG HUMAN FEMALES ARE ESPECIALLY FOND OF OBJECTS COMMONLY CALLED 'HEART SHAPED.' OBSERVATION: THE SIMILARITY TO A REAL HUMAN HEART IS SLIGHT, AND THE SHAPE IS ENTIRELY SYMBOLIC."
"Where would I get something like that?"
"ONE MOMENT. DONE. I HAVE PURCHASED A SET OF EARRINGS IN HEART SHAPE. EACH CONTAINS A REAL DIAMOND OF APPROXIMATELY ONE-HALF CARAT. THEY WILL ARRIVE HERE IN TWO DAYS. THAT PURCHASE WAS DONE IN SECRET, SINCE THE VALUE EXCEEDS ANY AMOUNT YOU MIGHT REASONABLY HAVE SAVED. I HAVE ALSO MADE AN OPEN PURCHASE IN YOUR NAME OF A SIMILAR SET OF COSTUME JEWELRY."
"Oh. That's nice," Kip said aloud. "Thank you, Gwen."
Kip waited for Lara after school. "Hi. Want to go out to the lake?"
"It's too hot. The gate won't let us out. Besides, I thought you were mad at me. You haven't been very nice."
"I'm sorry. I was worried about something, and then I snapped at you when you asked me about it, and then I thought you were mad at me."
"I was," Lara said.
"Well, I don't blame you much. Want me to carry your books?"
"They're not heavy."
"Well, no, but you might want both hands." Kip took the wrapped package out of his pocket. "To open this. I forgot your birthday."
"It's not until next month!"
"See, I really forgot it. But this is for you anyway." He handed her the package. Gwen had chosen the wrapping, pink paper with a bright red ribbon, from descriptions of gift wrappings in novels and stories.
"Oh, Kip, that's pretty." Lara took the package and held it in both hands as she looked at it. Then she looked at Kip and raised one eyebrow in a puzzled expression. "You didn't forget my birthday is next month. You never forget anything. I don't think you can forget. And you know the gate won't let us out to the lake."
"Well, all right, I know when your birthday is. I was just trying to make up."
She smiled. "Now that's really nice. Kip, it's so pretty I don't want to open it." She gingerly peeled off the ribbon and began to open the paper. The box inside had an ornately folded cover that untwisted to get it open. It took Lara a moment to figure it out. Then she made a sound Kip had never heard before, something between a squeal and a sigh. "Kip, they're beautiful!"
The two earrings were slightly different. Each setting was shaped like a heart, with a centerpiece diamond, but one had a smaller red stone at the point of the heart, while on the other the smaller stone was green. "Kip, that is really nice! But they must have cost a fortune! They look real!"
Kip had never seen them in outside daylight before. They looked very real, and Kip was worried. "Can Dr. Henderson tell if those are real?"
"NOT BY CASUAL INSPECTION. HE IS UNLIKELY TO BE CERTAIN WITHOUT A DETAILED EXAMINATION. IF IT BECOMES NECESSARY I HAVE A COVER STORY HAVING TO DO WITH PURCHASE OF A FORFEITED PUBLIC STORAGE BOX AT AUCTION. I DO NOT THINK YOU SHOULD WORRY ABOUT IT."
"Kip, they're not real, are they?"
Kip smiled. "I don't have to say."
"Oh. Well, I'm going to believe they're real," she said. "And thank you!"
"We could go out to the lake. I think I can talk the gate into letting us," Kip said.
"I bet you could," she said. "But that would really upset Mom, and besides, it really is hot. Let's go play war games."
"All right."
"And thank you again, Kip."
Chapter Fifteen
A Lot of Big Stuff
THE General Manager was coming, and Uncle Mike wasn't happy about it. Finally Kip asked him why. "He might recognize me," Uncle Mike said. "Does he know you?"
"Yeah. Sort of. Bernie isn't the sort to pay much attention to the hired help, but he has reason enough to remember me. Best I stay out of his way."
They were sitting in the front room of Uncle Mike's frame house. Uncle Mike sat in his big chair facing the door, with Mukky and Silver at his feet. Outside was bright spring sunlight, and everything seemed peaceful. "What would happen if he did recognize you?" Kip asked.
Uncle Mike shook his head. "Kip, if he recognized me he'd ask how I got here. He'd connect me with your family, and he'd start asking questions until he knew I showed up here bringing you. God knows what would come of that. There'd be other bad stuff too."
"What would happen?"
Uncle Mike looked thoughtful. "I can't answer that without telling you the whole story. Maybe it's time, but—Kip, I just don't know how much to tell you, and that's a fact. You're pretty grown-up for your age, and I know you can keep your mouth shut, but there's a l
ot for you to handle here. Look, you're going to have to meet Mr. Bernard Trent. I want you to get your own impression, not see him the way I do."
"You don't like him."
"No I don't, and that's a fact. But I've got no proof he did what I think he did, and there's a lot who do like him. Kip, Dr. Henderson will invite you over to meet Trent, and the only reason you couldn't come would be to be sick, and then they'd send Doc Weyman over to see you. So you'll have to go. Bernie Trent is the General Manager on Paradise, and that's a big deal, and you better act impressed, and just because I don't like him doesn't mean you won't. A lot of people think he's a real likable guy. Just don't tell him anything you don't have to."
Starswarm Page 9