this?”
“Maybe this one is testing us, and somehow they’re communicating with one another. They are sentient, after all. Maybe they’re smarter than we assumed, with hidden intelligence.”
“Kind of a game, isn’t it?” Gio said, in an edgy tone.
“Not the way I look at it,” Thinker said. “Machines are my life.”
* * * * *
Subi Danvar, as acting head of the Guardians in Noah’s absence, received reports from Giovanni Nehr and from Thinker on the episode with the Digger. He also heard from Gio that he’d grown tired of supervising the necessary construction activities, which kept enlarging with the increasing forces and supplies. The man wanted even more important duties.
Impressed with Gio’s ambition and desire to contribute, Subi assigned him to work more closely with the machines that had brought him here and with the newly manufactured robots, to form them all into an efficient fighting force.
“But I have no real military experience,” Gio admitted.
“You have an inventive mind, don’t you? Doesn’t it run in the family?”
“Well, I don’t know. I do have a lot of ideas.”
“Some of the men said you had ideas about military formations and training. Comments you made over beers.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“They passed a few of your ideas on to me. My boy, if you can think that well when you’re drinking, I’d like to see what you can do when you’re completely sober.”
The two men laughed, and clasped hands to mark the new relationship between them.
* * * * *
A couple of days later, Gio and Thinker reported to Subi that disturbing news had just come in: The best machine fighters—led by Jimu—had left the Inn of the White Sun some time ago and joined the Red Berets. Even worse, they had initiated a large-scale robot manufacturing program, and with access to more raw materials theirs far outpaced the program that Thinker had established for the Guardians.
It was indeed troubling news. After considering the situation for a moment, Subi said, “We need Noah back more than ever. He’d know what to do.”
“We’ve already discussed that,” Thinker said, his mechanical voice weary. “From our reconnaissance missions and other reports, I’ve assembled all available data, and Noah is nowhere to be found. Since his captors have no podships to take him off planet, we know he’s on Canopa. Hopefully alive. The Doge’s people have set up an elaborate disinformation campaign about his whereabouts, with tens of thousands of Noah sightings reported all over the planet. Too many for us to investigate with our limited resources. We can’t mount a rescue effort until we have some idea of where he is. Why, he might not even be in one of their government prisons. In fact, I suspect he isn’t.”
“That’s your analysis, is it?” Subi said.
“It is. Absolutely.”
“And didn’t you also analyze the Diggers some time ago, without finding their override system?”
“Yes.”
“That proves that there are possibilities beyond your intellect. There is a way to find Noah and break him out—I’m convinced of it—and we need to find out what it is.”
“You’ll never outthink a machine,” Gio said, as he listened in.
Ignoring the comment, Subi said, “It must be a perfect plan, against superior forces. Nothing is more important.” With that, he stalked away, followed by Thinker, who continued to argue with him.…
For days afterward, Gio began to think about this at length. If he could pull off a rescue of Noah, or at least get credit for it, he would be rewarded extremely well. Thinker, however, remained obstinate against sending out any rescue missions until they had more data. He and Subi could frequently be heard in loud exchanges.
Chapter Eighteen
Tulyans call it the “Visitor’s Center,” a large facility that can accommodate more than thirteen hundred guests at once. And yet, they have used an odd singularity in the title for it, as if the place was
“Maybe this one is testing us, and somehow they’re communicating with one another. They are sentient, after all. Maybe they’re smarter than we assumed, with hidden intelligence.”
“Kind of a game, isn’t it?” Gio said, in an edgy tone.
“Not the way I look at it,” Thinker said. “Machines are my life.”
* * * * *
Subi Danvar, as acting head of the Guardians in Noah’s absence, received reports from Giovanni Nehr and from Thinker on the episode with the Digger. He also heard from Gio that he’d grown tired of supervising the necessary construction activities, which kept enlarging with the increasing forces and supplies. The man wanted even more important duties.
Impressed with Gio’s ambition and desire to contribute, Subi assigned him to work more closely with the machines that had brought him here and with the newly manufactured robots, to form them all into an efficient fighting force.
“But I have no real military experience,” Gio admitted.
“You have an inventive mind, don’t you? Doesn’t it run in the family?”
“Well, I don’t know. I do have a lot of ideas.”
“Some of the men said you had ideas about military formations and training. Comments you made over beers.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“They passed a few of your ideas on to me. My boy, if you can think that well when you’re drinking, I’d like to see what you can do when you’re completely sober.”
The two men laughed, and clasped hands to mark the new relationship between them.
* * * * *
A couple of days later, Gio and Thinker reported to Subi that disturbing news had just come in: The best machine fighters—led by Jimu—had left the Inn of the White Sun some time ago and joined the Red Berets. Even worse, they had initiated a large-scale robot manufacturing program, and with access to more raw materials theirs far outpaced the program that Thinker had established for the Guardians.
It was indeed troubling news. After considering the situation for a moment, Subi said, “We need Noah back more than ever. He’d know what to do.”
“We’ve already discussed that,” Thinker said, his mechanical voice weary. “From our reconnaissance missions and other reports, I’ve assembled all available data, and Noah is nowhere to be found. Since his captors have no podships to take him off planet, we know he’s on Canopa. Hopefully alive. The Doge’s people have set up an elaborate disinformation campaign about his whereabouts, with tens of thousands of Noah sightings reported all over the planet. Too many for us to investigate with our limited resources. We can’t mount a rescue effort until we have some idea of where he is. Why, he might not even be in one of their government prisons. In fact, I suspect he isn’t.”
“That’s your analysis, is it?” Subi said.
“It is. Absolutely.”
“And didn’t you also analyze the Diggers some time ago, without finding their override system?”
“Yes.”
“That proves that there are possibilities beyond your intellect. There is a way to find Noah and break him out—I’m convinced of it—and we need to find out what it is.”
“You’ll never outthink a machine,” Gio said, as he listened in.
Ignoring the comment, Subi said, “It must be a perfect plan, against superior forces. Nothing is more important.” With that, he stalked away, followed by Thinker, who continued to argue with him.…
For days afterward, Gio began to think about this at length. If he could pull off a rescue of Noah, or at least get credit for it, he would be rewarded extremely well. Thinker, however, remained obstinate against sending out any rescue missions until they had more data. He and Subi could frequently be heard in loud exchanges.
Chapter Eighteen
Tulyans call it the “Visitor’s Center,” a large facility that can accommodate more than thirteen hundred guests at once. And yet, they have used an odd singularity in the title for it, as if the place was
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