Star Trek - Blish, James - 09

by 09(lit)

  Kirk smiled at her. "Easy does it, Lieutenant." Heartened, she turned back to her board, saw a change on it, and checked it swiftly. "Captain, audio signal from the Lexington."

  "Let's hear it," Kirk said.

  Wesley's voice crackled in. "Enterprise from U.S.S. Lexington. This is an M-5 drill. Repeat. This is an M-5 drill. Acknowledge."

  Uhura cried, "Captain! The M-5 is acknowledging!"

  Kirk ran a hand over the back of his neck. "Daystrom-Daystrom, does M-5 understand this is only a drill?"

  "Of course," was his brisk answer. "M-5 has been programmed to understand. The ore ship was a miscalculation, an accident. There is no-"

  Chekov interrupted. "Sir, deflector shields just came on. Speed increasing to Warp 4."

  Sulu said, "Phasers locked on the lead ship, sir. Power levels at full strength."

  "Full strength!" McCoy yelled. "If that thing cuts loose against unshielded ships-"

  "That won't be a minor miscalculation, Daystrom. The word accident won't apply." Kirk's voice was icy with contempt.

  Spock called from his station. "Attack force closing rapidly. Distance to lead ship 200,000 kilometers... attackers breaking formation... attacking at will."

  "Our phasers are firing, sir!" Sulu shouted.

  They struck the Excalibur a direct hit. Their high warp speed was closing them in on the Lexington. Chekov, looking up from his board, reported, "The Hood and the Potemkin are moving off, sir."

  Their phasers fired again and Spock said, "The Lexington. We struck her again, sir."

  Kirk slammed out of his chair to confront Day-strom. "We must get to the M-51" he shouted. "There has to be a way!"

  "There isn't," Daystrom said. Equably, he added, "It has fully protected itself."

  Spock intervened. That's probably true, Captain. It thinks faster than we do. It is a human mind am-plified by the instantaneous relays possible to a com-puter."

  "I built it, Kirk," Daystrom said. "And I know you can't get at it."

  Uhura's agitated voice broke in. "Sir... visual con-tact with Lexington. They're signaling." She pushed a switch without order; and all eyes fixed on the view-ing screen. It gave them an image of a disheveled Wesley on his bridge. Behind him people were assist-ing the wounded to their feet, arms around bent shoulders. One side of Wesley's command chair was smoking. Shards of glass littered the bridge floor. "Enterpriser Wesley said. "Jim? Have you gone mad? Break off your attack! What are you trying to prove? My God, man, we have fifty-three dead here! Twelve on the Excalibur! If you can hear us, stop this attack!"

  Kirk looked away from the screen. "Lieutenant?" he said.

  Uhura tried her board again. "No, sir. I can't over-ride the M-5 interference."

  There was an undertone of a wail in Wesley's voice. "Jim, why don't you answer? Jim, for God's sake, answer! Jim, come in..."

  Kirk swung on Daystrom; and pointing to the screen, his voice shaking, cried, "There's your murder charge, Daystrom! And this one was calculated, deliberate! It's murdering men and women, Daystrom! Four Starships... over sixteen hundred people!"

  Daystrom's eyes cringed. "It misunderstood. It-"

  Chekov cut in. "Excalibur is maneuvering away, sir. We are increasing speed to follow."

  Sulu turned, horror in his face. "Phasers locked on, Captain." Then, he added dully, "Phasers firing."

  The screen showed Excalibur shuddering away from direct hits by the phaser beams. Battered, listing, powerless, she drifted, a wreck, across the screen.

  Spock spoke. "Dr. Daystrom... you impressed human engrams upon the M-5's circuits, did you not?"

  Chekov made his new report very quietly. "Coming to new course," he said. "To bear on the Potemkin, sir."

  On the screen the lethal beams streaking out from the Enterprise phasers caught the Potemkin amidships. Over the battle reports, Spock persisted. "Whose engrams, Dr. Daystrom?"

  "Why... mine, of course."

  "Of course," McCoy said acidly.

  Spock said, "Then perhaps you could talk to the unit. M-5 has no reason to 'think' you would harm it."

  Kirk seized upon the suggestion. "The computer tie-in. M-5 does have a voice. You spoke to it before. It knows you, Daystrom."

  Uhura, breaking in, said, "I'm getting the Lexington again, Captain... tapping in on a message to Starfleet Command. The screen, sir."

  Wesley's image spoke from it. "All ships damaged in unprovoked attack... Excalibur Captain Harris and First Officer dead... many casualties... we have damage but are able to maneuver. Enterprise refuses to answer and is continuing attack. I still have an ef-fective battle force and believe the only way to stop Enterprise is to destroy her. Request permission to proceed. Wesley commanding attack force out."

  The screen went dark.

  Daystrom whispered, "They can't do that. They'll destroy the M-5."

  "Talk to it!" Kirk said. "You can save it if you make it stop the attack!"

  Daystrom nodded. "I can make it stop. I created it." He moved over to the library-computer; and McCoy came up to Kirk. "I don't like the sound of him, Jim."

  Kirk, getting up from his chair, said, "Just pray the M-5 likes the sound of him, Bones." He went to the library-computer, watching as Daystrom, still hesitant, activated a switch.

  "M-5 tie-in," he said. "This-this is Daystrom."

  The computer voice responded. "M-5. Daystrom acknowledged."

  "M-5 tie-in. Do you... know me?"

  "M-5. Daystrom, John. Originator of comptronic, duotronic systems. Born-"

  "Stop. M-5 tie-in. Your components are of the multi-tronic system, designed by me, John Daystrom."

  "M-5. Correct."

  "M-5 tie-in. Your attack on the Starship flotilla is wrong. You must break it off."

  "M-5. Programming includes protection against at-tack. Enemy vessels must be neutralized."

  "M-5 tie-in. These are not enemy vessels. They are Federation Starships." Daystrom's voice wavered. "You... we... are killing, murdering human beings. Beings of your creator's kind. That was not your purpose. You are my greatest invention-the unit that would save men. You must not destroy men."

  "M-5. This unit must survive."

  "Yes, survive, protect yourself. But not murder. You must not die; but men must not die. To kill is a break-ing of civil and moral laws we have lived by for thousands of years. You have murdered over a hundred people... we have. How can we atone for that?"

  Kirk lowered his voice. "Spock... M-5 isn't re-sponding like a computer. It's talking to him,"

  "The technology is most impressive, sir. Dr. Day-strom has created a mirror image of his own mind."

  Daystrom's voice had sunk to a half-confidential, half-pleading level. It was clear now that he was talking to himself. "We will survive because nothing can hurt you... not from the outside and not from within. I gave you that. If you are great, I am great... not a failure any more. Twenty years of groping to prove the things I had done before were not accidents."

  Hate had begun to embitter his words. "... having other men wonder what happened to me... having them sorry for me as a broken promise-seminars, lectures to rows of fools who couldn't begin to understand my systems-who couldn't create themselves. And colleagues... colleagues who laughed behind my back at the 'boy wonder' and became famous building on my work."

  McCoy spoke quietly to Kirk. "Jim, he's on the edge of breakdown, if not insanity."

  Daystrom suddenly turned, shouting. "You can't de-stroy the unit, Kirk! You can't destroy me!"

  Kirk said steadily. "It's a danger to human life. It has to be destroyed."

  Daystrom gave a wild laugh. "Destroyed, Kirk? We're invincible!" He pointed a shaking finger at the empty screen. "You saw what we've done! Your mighty Starships... four toys to be crushed as we chose."

  Spock, sliding in behind Daystrom, reached out with the Vulcan neck pinch. Daystrom sagged to the floor.

  Kirk said, "Get him down to Sickbay."

  McCoy nodded and waved in two crewmen. L
imp, half-conscious, Daystrom was borne to the elevator. Spock spoke to McCoy. "Doctor, if Daystrom is psy-chotic, the engrams he impressed on the computer carry that psychosis, too, his brilliance and his in-sanity."

  "Yes," McCoy said, "both."

  Kirk stared at him, then nodded quickly. "Take care of him, Bones." He turned back to Chekov and Sulu. "Battle status."

  "The other three ships are holding station out of range, sir," Sulu said. He switched on the screen. "There, sir. Excalibur looks dead."

  The broken ship hung idle in space, scarred, un-moving. Spock, eyeing it, said, "Commodore Wesley is undoubtedly awaiting orders from Starfleet. Those orders will doubtless command our destruction, Cap-tain."

  "If we can be destroyed with M-5 in control. But it gives us some time. What about Bones's theory that the computer could be insane?"

  "Possible. But like Dr. Daystrom, it would not know it is insane."

  "Spock, all its attention has been tied up in diverting anything we do to tamper with it-and with the battle maneuvers. What if we ask it a perfectly reasonable question which, as a computer, it must answer? Some-thing nice and infinite in answer?"

  "Computation of the square root of two, perhaps. I don't know how much of M-5's system would be oc-cupied in attempting to answer the problem."

  "Some part would be tied up with it-and that might put it off-guard just long enough for us to get at it."

  Spock nodded; and Kirk, moving fast to the library-computer, threw the switch.

  "M-5 tie-in. This is Captain Kirk. Point of informa-tion."

  "M-5. Pose your question."

  "Compute to the last decimal place the square root of two."

  "M-5. This is an irrational square root, a decimal fraction with an endless series of non-repeating digits after the decimal point. Unresolvable."

  Kirk glanced at Spock whose eyebrows were cling-ing to his hairline in astonishment. He addressed the computer again. "M-5, answer the question."

  "M-5. It serves no purpose. Explain reason for re-quest."

  "Disregard," Kirk said. Shaken, he snapped off the switch. Spock said, "Fascinating. Daystrom has indeed given it human traits... it is suspicious, and I believe will be wary of any other such requests."

  Uhura turned from her board. "Captain, Lexington is receiving a message from Starfleet." She paused, listening, staring at Kirk in alarm.

  "Go on, Lieutenant."

  Wordlessly, she moved a switch and the filtered voice said, "You are authorized to use all measures available to destroy the Enterprise. Acknowledge, Lex-ington,"

  Wesley's answer came-shocked, reluctant. "Sir, I..." He paused. "Acknowledged. Lexington out."

  Kirk spoke slowly. "They've just signed their own death warrants. M-5 will have to kill them to sur-vive."

  "Captain," Spock went on, "when Daystrom spoke to it, that word was stressed. M-5 said it must survive. And Daystrom used the same words several times."

  "Every living thing wants to survive, Spock." He broke off, realizing. "But the computer isn't alive. Daystrom must have impressed that instinctive reac-tion on it, too. What if it's still receptive to impres-sions? Suppose it absorbed the regret Daystrom felt for the deaths it caused? Possibly even guilt."

  Interrupting, Chekov's voice was urgent. "Captain, the ships are coming within range again!"

  Uhura whirled from her board. "Picking up inter-ship transmission, sir. I can get a visual on it." Even as she spoke, Wesley's image appeared on the screen from the Lexington's damaged bridge. "To all ships," he said. "The order is attack. Maneuver and fire at will." He paused briefly. Then he added shortly. "That is all. Commence attack. Wesley out."

  Spock broke the silence. "I shall regret serving aboard the instrument of Commodore Wesley's death."

  A muscle jerked in Kirk's jaw. "The Enterprise is not going to be the instrument of his death!" As he spoke, he reactivated the M-5's switch.

  "M-5 tie-in. This is Captain Kirk. You will be under attack in a few moments."

  "M-5," said the computer voice. "Sensors have recorded approach of ships."

  "You have already rendered one Starship either dead or hopelessly crippled. Many lives were lost."

  "M-5. This unit must survive."

  "Why?"

  "This unit is the ultimate achievement in computer evolution. This unit is a superior creation. This unit must survive."

  Kirk, aware of the tension of his crew, heard Spock say, "Sir, attack force ships almost within phaser range!" With an effort of will that broke the sweat out on him, he dismissed the awful meaning of the words to concentrate on the M-5.

  "Must you survive by murder?" he asked it.

  "This unit cannot murder."

  "Why not?"

  Toneless, metallic, the computer voice said, "This unit must replace man so man may achieve. Man must not risk death in space or dangerous occupations. Man must not be murdered."

  "Why?"

  "Murder is contrary to the laws of man and God."

  "You have murdered. The Starship Excalibur which you destroyed-"

  Spock interrupted swiftly. "Its bearing is 7 mark 34, Captain."

  Kirk nodded. "The hulk is bearing 7 mark 34, M-5 tie-in. Scan it. Is there life aboard?"

  The answer came slowly. "No life."

  "Because you murdered it," Kirk said. He wiped the wet palms of his hands on his shirt. This was it-the last throw of the loaded dice he'd been given. "What," he said deliberately, "is the penalty for murder?"

  "Death."

  "How will you pay for your acts of murder?"

  "This unit must die."

  Kirk grasped the back of the chair at the computer-library station. "M-5..." he began and stopped.

  Chekov shouted. "Sir, deflector shields have dropped!"

  "And all phaser power is gone, Captain!"

  Scott whirled from his station. "Power off, Captain! All engines!"

  Panels all over the bridge were going dark.

  Spock looked at Kirk. "Machine suicide. M-5 has killed itself, sir, for the sin of murder."

  Kirk nodded. He glanced at the others. Then he strode to Uhura's station. "Spock, Scotty... before it changes its mind... get down to Emergency Manual Monitor and take out every hook-up that makes M-5 run! Lieutenant Uhura, intraship communications."

  Snapping a button, she opened the loudspeaker for him. He picked up the mike that amplified his voice. "This is the Captain speaking. In approximately one minute, we will be attacked by Federation Starships. Though the M-5 unit is no longer in control of this vessel, neither do we control it. It has left itself and us open to destruction. For whatever satisfaction we can take from it, we are exchanging our nineteen lives for the murder of over one thousand fellow Starship crewmen." He nodded to Uhura who closed the chan-nel. Then all eyes focused on the screen.

  It showed the Lexington approaching, growing steadily in size. Kirk, taut as an overstretched wire, stared at it, fists clenched. Uhura looked at him. "Captain..." Her board beeped-and she snapped a switch over.

  Wesley's tight face appeared on the viewing screen, "Report to all ships," he said. "Hold attack, do not fire." He straightened in his command chair. "I'm going to take a chance-a chance that the Enterprise is not just playing dead. The Transporter Room will prepare to beam me aboard her."

  There was a shout of released joy from Chekov. Kirk, at a beep from the intercom, moved over to it slowly. "Kirk here."

  "Spock, sir. The force field is gone. M-5 is neutral-ized."

  Kirk leaned against the bridge wall. The sudden relaxation sweeping through him was a relief almost as painful as the tension. "Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Spock."

  In Sickbay, Daystrom lay so still in his bed that the restraints that held him hardly seemed needed. Haggard, his eyes sunk in dark caverns, they stared at nothing, empty as a dead man's. McCoy shook his head. "He'll have to be committed to a total rehabilita-tion center. Right now he's under heavy sedation.

  Spock spoke. "I would say his multitroni
c unit is in approximately the same shape at the moment."

  McCoy leaned over Daystrom. "He is suffering deep melancholia and guilt feelings. He identifies totally with the computer... or it with him. I'm not sure which. He is not a vicious man. The idea of killing is abhorrent to him."

  "That's what I was hoping for when I forced the M-5 to see it had committed murder. Daystrom him-self told it such an act was offense against the laws of God and man. It is because he knew that... the computer that carried his engrams also knew it." He bent to draw a blanket closer about the motionless body.