-4-

 

 

The Life Support Computer resisted responding. For a moment, Grey was sure the computer wouldn't reply at all, but after several different colored signature patterns came and went from the monitor, the green signature patterns returned brighter than before.

"You live in a preliminary survey station known as the Old Section," the Life Support Computer said. "Until a few years ago, it served as a museum of early life on the moon. Now the Old Section functions as your living quarters."

Grey found the information interesting but not an answer to his question. He thought for a long time. Almost a minute. If I live in a survey station, he wondered, are there other stations or sections nearby? What would they be used for? Other humans? Are the stories about humans really true?

"Computer? Are there other humans? Like me?"

"Negative. There are no other human beings quite like you. However, many humans still inhabit Earth," Life Support answered.

"Earth? The water planet featured in the entertainment vids?"

"Affirmative."

"How many humans live there?"

"Approximately nine billion as of the 2050 census. There are less now because of the war."

"War!" Grey said. Many times he had watched vid programs about war where colorfully dressed humans rode in flying machines, crossed great bodies of water, and fought amongst themselves on strange animals. He thought the stories most imaginative.

"Are the Earth humans like the ones I've studied?" he asked, his bright, perceptive eyes eagerly scanning the signature patterns for nonverbal information. Many times he had played make believe games where the food was always good, or where he never had to use the gravity chamber, but other rooms? And humans? Suddenly he had so many questions they were difficult to organize.

The signature patterns swirled while the Life Support Computer developed a response. The delay answered Grey's question. If humans were merely fairy tales there would have been an immediate negative reply. But if there are humans, Grey asked himself, how come Computer has never admitted it before? He stopped to think as he had been trained to do. Select procedure, arrange information, process data. Analyze. If I want the right answers, he remembered, I must ask the right questions.

The Life Support Computer continued to delay, giving Grey time to formulate a hypothesis. His years of intimate association with the thinking machines paid off with an instinctive understanding of the way they shifted data. By the unsteady sub-current, he knew Computer didn't want to answer his question and was preparing a partial response to mollify him. Grey didn't like this game even though he sometimes played it himself. Then, somewhat unusually, the signature patterns paused in the flux so the Library Computer could provide a records channel.

"Some of what you read is true but much of what you read is false," a recorded human voice said. "Information compiled by humans, particularly in reference to other humans, is prone to error and prejudice. Examine the sources of your information. Determine for yourself what to believe. Remember, this pertains to all things in all situations."

The signature patterns grew sluggish as the higher function levels prepared to drop off line. There was so much more Grey wanted to know. Extra rooms. Humans. War. What did it all mean? What would humans be like? Could they communicate?

"Computer, tell me how to contact the Earth humans," Grey asked in a firm voice.

It was a trick, of course, the straightforward request for information being an attempt to bypass the optional response mode. The Life Support Computer wasn't fooled so easily.

As the signature patterns began to fade, Grey thought Computer had decided not to answer any more questions. But suddenly, unexpectedly, the control room lighting quivered, blacked out, and regained a hazy brown. The room grew nervously quiet as the power levels dropped. Fear of malfunction crept into Grey's mind.

Had he asked a question that was too difficult? Or was he going to be punished for his impertinence?

Grey noticed the air circulator shutting down. The room was getting colder. Black signature patterns came to dominate the monitor screen flux, twisting and churning in agitated waves. Then green signature patterns surged back even stronger. Finally blue signature patterns moved into dominance and fluctuated sharply before dropping off line. The other signature patterns quickly followed.

With the sudden withdrawal of the higher function levels, the minor computer systems returned to the flux with a furious burst of energy, power surging through the secondary control centers and flooding the automatic regulators. Circuits abruptly opened and closed, the lighting flashed wildly, and white smoke appeared.

Malfunction! Grey thought. A big one!

As he had been trained, Grey pulled on his life support hood, clamped the emergency seals to activate the internal atmosphere, and stepped back toward the doorway within reach of the gravity chamber. If fire occurred, he would be safe there until the environment was restored.

But what if it can't be restored? he wondered for the first time. What would happen then? He didn't know, but he knew malfunctions were serious. Hadn't he lost water service for nearly a week? And how many times had the waste disposal unit backed up in the last month alone? Not to mention problems with the Model Twelve.

"Please don't malfunction," he whispered, wishing there was something he could do. Then a powerful burst of energy blew sparks across the room and Grey ran cowering into the hall.

But the units did not fail. As readjustment occurred, the power flow stabilized. Internal fire controllers prevented burnouts while the air circulators flushed the cubicle with a cool breeze. Grey let out his breath when the monitor screen flux returned to standby.

"Request denied," the Communications Computer said, a high-pitched voice registering in unison with shifting hues of orange signature patterns.

Grey had all but forgotten his request to contact humans by then and was sorry he dared to ask, so he was surprised when the Life Support Computer came back on line.

– End Chapter Four –