按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
yed you。 It has something to do with this place； Minmei。 Something we haven't considered yet。〃 She gnawed at a finger； remembering Roy。 〃It's even begun to affect the children。〃
Minmei looked ashen。 〃Oh； please； don't tell me that；〃 she said； turning to face the corridor wall。 〃You can't tell anyone； Lisa；〃 she added； 〃but I'm carrying Rem's child。〃
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Although Wilfred Gibley is most often credited with the discovery of machine mind and the development of cyber…interface technology （See Shi…Ling's 〃Sometimes Even a Yakuza Needs a Place to Hide〃）； Nichols was to bee the movement's principal advocate and spokesperson。 Evidence suggests that Nichols himself may have been working along similar lines as early as May of 2031； when he wrote： 〃It was Bowie ＇Grant＇ that started me thinking。 He used to say that he thought of music； like mathematics； as this place somewhere out there that adepts could tune into。 And that the key signatures and notes and scales were actually solid things you could approach in that realm。 So I thought： Why couldn't it be the same for data？ After all； what's mind but a union of music and math？〃
Bruce Mirrorshades； Machine Mind and Arthurian Legend
Hodel； mander of the Karbarran flotilla； counted down the seconds。 He thought about Cano； the brother he had lost when the N'trpriz had been destroyed； and wondered how many others he would grieve for before the battle was through。
Haydon IV had yet to respond to the ultimatum； although the Tiresian； Cabell； claimed to have been in touch with a high…ranking official planetside who had affirmed that no offworlders would be released。 The Haydonite had also warned against the use of force to achieve that end。 In his capacity as amateur historian； Hodel was inclined to believe him。 He was conversant as any with the facts regarding the Mo'fiint Incident； in which 870 dreadnoughts at the mand of a would…be empire builder had attempted to add Haydon IV to her long list of conquests。 Eight hundred and seventy ships annihilated in a matter of minutes 。 。 。 But history was just that； or so the Karbarran High Authority had admonished Hodel when he had brought the Mo'fiint Incident to their attention。 So； in his capacity as battle group mander； he was expected to disregard any Haydonite counterthreats municated to the Ark Angel and accept on faith that history mattered only to the victors。
Moreover； it was obvious from the recordings made during the N'trpriz's final moments that K'rrk had mitted a series of tactical blunders。 He had failed to break off munication with Haydon IV's artificial sentience and had thereby allowed the Awareness access to the ship's onboard Tiresian…manufactured AI…which in turn had been based on Haydonite designs！
This time in there would be no such contact。 The Awareness had been given ample opportunity to respond； the deadline had not been met； and it was time therefore to actualize the threat。 Haydon IV would be given no second chance。
And neither would the ships of the flotilla。
Hodel buried the thought behind a confident scowl and rose from his mand chair as the zero…line display triggered battle…station sirens throughout the ship。
〃Order all ships into attack formation；〃 he growled to his munications officer。 〃Full ahead； on my mand； Ntor。 〃
〃Aye； sir；〃 Ntor responded from her station。 〃Sekiton drives at maximum power； all systems enabled。 〃
The battle plan was a straightforward one now that the safety of the hostages was no longer considered a mission priority。 Haydon IV was simply to be beaten into submission。 The loss of the five hundred or so merchants and traders planetside would be regrettable but acceptable。
Colonel Mo'fiint had felt no need to justify her actions when she had given the order to attack Haydon IV。 The goal； after all； had been conquest。
Much as today； Hodel thought。
〃Planetary reconfiguration in process； Captain；〃 the science officer advised。 〃Haydon IV is disengaging from the moon。 Weapons nacelles retracting。 We are being scanned and targeted。〃
Hodel swiveled to study displays。 The giant artifact was rotating to face the flotilla； its materiel transfer tubes traversing local space like twin cannons。 〃Standard evasion； Ntor；〃 he directed forward。 〃Close all munication frequencies。〃
〃Repositioning of the labor droneships； Captain；〃 the science officer updated。 〃They are being deployed to repel strikes directed against the surface。〃
Hodel growled to himself。 〃Order fighter teams away as soon as we're within range。〃
〃Aye sir。〃
Hodel watched the forward screens。 〃All right； Ntor； let's clear a path for them。 On my mark 。 。 。〃
Aboard the Ark Angel； Louie Nichols and his crew of ic…crazed pjockeys were headlocked into that part of the ship's AI mainframe linked to the mo device Veidt had left in Exedore's care。
The data room was a yard sale of consoles； monitors； slave decks； sensory boosts； psi…amps； and enhancers； a tangled nest of F/O lines； power leads； and interface cables； with the team members positioned about like switches and relays some sprawled on the floor beneath tables； cranial cyber ports studded with titanium plugs and alloy adapters； others cross…legged atop tables and racks； fiddling with tuning knobs； keying input； fingering touchscreens； but loving every minute of it； thrilled to be back where they belonged； ghosts in the mind of the machine。
Vince Grant had just sent word that the Karbarrans were making their move and that Haydon IV was readying what promised to be a crippling response。 It had been Louie's signal to mence an attack of his own devising； not directed _ against the planet； however； but against the psychodynamics of its ruling artificial intelligence。 With luck； the Awareness will be too busy attending to matters of defense to notice Louie and his cowboys' subtle approach； too preoccupied carrying out the timeless dictates of its enigmatic program to realize that someone was toying with its emotions。
Louie； Gibley； Strucker； and the rest were not going in so much on…line as they were on…wave； in an attempt to grapple with the Awareness where it lived； loved； and loathed。 Unified； the discorporate raiders aimed to plant the seeds of self璬oubt； to stir a bit of regret； to suggest a path to redemption。 To inject a virus if all else failed。
Louie could feel the cyber surge as he punched into machine mind； the hands to which his thoughts were now only remotely connected hovering over the console's directional cross and touchpad； his hands…on…trigger…and…stick。 The cyber…surge was the rush of a crimson…tipped stimulant； a kick clear out of the world。 He could feel Stirson and Shi Ling headlocked into the same vibe； telepathic twins flanking him like recklessness and daring； an upside Scylla and Charybdis。
Machine mind was dimly lit； boundless but crowded with the color…coded spires and sentry towers that guarded Ark Angel's mainframe cores。 Below was the network's familiar grid of pulsating lights； data highways for the grounded and uninspired。 Louie laughed as he soared above bridges and constructs； executing flyboy rollovers between mainframe pillars and pyramids as he closed on the access link to Veidt'