Flight of the Maita Supercollection 3: Solving Galactic Problems Collector's Edition

by Moulton, CD

  They were then ready to head for Krofpth.

  *This is as complicated as anything we ever did and will have to be done with more care than anything we've yet done. I'm going to be ready with everything I've got to protect the people there. The confrontation will have to be timed exactly or all could be lost. Happ, I want you to understand there's every chance that some, even many, will lose their lives before this thing is completed. I can only promise to do everything I can think of to prevent violent actions against the population or any section of the population. There is a risk.*

  "I am willing to die to free us," Happ replied. "I think most feel the same. If some of us survive to carry on it is worth it. The hold the machine has is that it can completely erase the Krofpth race."

  [ There will be more survivors than deaths in the worst case scenario. If this is done right it won't come to that, but the machine is unstable. What we're going to do is make it even more unstable, and that IS dangerous! We don't know the complete programming of the machine. Its directives could be something we haven't ever considered, but I honestly think, considering my sociomath formulations, that the danger is possibly very little. I don't believe the original designers of the machine would allow the race to be greatly damaged by something they built. ]

  "I know," Happ said. "Z explained what you are doing. Let's get started! I don't want time to be able to lose my resolve."

  They came in to Wanderlust Island itself. The probe on Happ showed that he was to actually suggest under certain conditions they land on the island near the museum so it would seem all right to TAR-1. Everything must appear normal and controlled.

  [ It's such a pity that machine wasn't made intelligent! A quarter of a million years is far longer than most races survive after they reach space travel – or it was until our empire came along. That time is lost, but you are a very strong race. We all know what to do. Happ is supposed to get away from us as quickly as he can so TAR One can use its own probe, but we're going to delay as long as we logically can. The reader floaters will be in position and I'm sure the diversion of what TAR One learns will cover it. Our difficulty begins when that's done and not before. We're all to be actors now so let's be damned sure none of us misses a cue or forgets a line! ]

  They went aground and out the ramp. Z took a deep breath and smiled at the four Krofpth waiting there.

  Break a leg! It's show time!

  Intelligence

  They stayed close to Happ for awhile. Maita held the floaters with the special equipment back until it estimated the initial close scrutiny of the ship would be relaxed a bit, then sent them out carefully shielded in null fields. There was a chance the machine under the museum had no detectors for that one.

  Happ explained about Library when forced to by the few people around, then about the other stops – except for the discussions with the Rsvlt. He described the people and told the Krofpth they weren't the original race, but were an engineered race who took their place when they were wiped out by a plague.

  When Thing got the signal through its empathic sense from Maita it was on Happ's shoulder as planned and gave the signal, a quick triple squeeze around the neck that wouldn't be seen or noticed by bystanders. It soon transferred to Z, who was talking with a group to one side and Happ disappeared. Z and Thing stayed with the people for more than an hour more, then acted surprised that Happ wasn't still there. They soon went back to Maita and to room two.

  *There's not sufficient information available. These people's technology is far ahead of anything Tab knew about, but I did get some. We were basically correct about the machine being confused about us. Once Happ made the primary connection its confusion became overwhelming. All we can do is follow our plan. I've deployed protective floaters to the areas that seem to have the armaments. It's going to be a touchy situation unless.... We'll have to wait.*

  [ I wish we had some way to be in contact with Happ to know if it's working as we planned or whether it's merely confused as to our motives. We don't know nearly enough about it or about how it may negatively react in a nonprogrammed circumstance. We're taking either a tremendous risk or no risk at all. ]

  "What does that mean?"

  [ Maita said repeatedly the technology here is greatly advanced. That machine could possibly discover the shields and antennae in Happ's head and get right past them. That's why I was so adamant about not giving Happ certain vital information – particularly about how we might defense an attack on ourselves or on these people by that machine. TAR One is using the logic system of the Krofpth coupled with that of the machine. It's not a good match as you can deduce from the way this race is frozen in time since two and a half hundred thousand years ago. It's confusion began when it heard the first fastcom signals and it must certainly have some doubts, if I may use the term, about its programming. It can have no doubt something is wrong. We can hope it is as intelligent as I deduce it is. ]

  *All we can do for the next couple of hours is wait here. Our actions will be reactions from this point. Get something to eat so you'll be ready if we have to start doing anything. If anyone comes to ask anything we have a basic idea of how we should answer. We must do nothing to induce any crisis whatever. We have to be, as Z often says, so normal you could puke!*

  "That sounds like a winner to me! Just let us know anything you learn, Maita!"

  . . . .

  Happ went into the cellar-like room, sat in the soft cushioned chair and placed the large helmet on his head. (While it was true the technology of the Krofpth was far ahead of the Maitan Empire in many ways, this sort of thing wasn't. It was about at the level the Pweetoo Empire had when Z was abducted. It was the combination of knowledge from the Pweetoos and from the Kheth Federation that caused the enormous leap in technology Maita now had at its disposal. Things were added constantly to those devices Maita and the robots used, results of their own researches and of ideas gleaned from things they found among various people. This machine would have not considered improving the technology it used. In short, TAR-1 would be able to readout or input-in whatever Happ's mind would tolerate, but Happ would be left with about a three-day horrible hangover from the experience, at best.)

  As soon as he felt the tingle that meant the wave connector search was beginning he pushed hard with his tongue against the second from the rear tooth, upper right. It worked. That was the critical time.

  He managed to turn the shields and grids on before he lost any control of his body. He felt the machine seeking around the grids and finding the information in the chips.

  He must not move and must allow time for the process to be completed. He would feel TAR-1's withdrawal when it completed its search, then must feign the headaches, dizziness, and great confusion he should then experience if TAR-1 had actually been inside his mind.

  . . . .

  TAR-1 found the set paths and followed them into each little byway. Here, Happ was a small child playing with others. Here, he wasn't yet out of the egg, but could feel slight vibrations. Here, he was seeing the intruders for the first time. Here, he was in early school on the agricultural continent. Here, he was at school here on the island. Here, he was in the spaceship. That one. Here Happ is having explained to him by the Mentan, Thing, that the com beacons are being utilized by the traders guild and by Hospital World. It is now connected directly through special fastcom linkages to the information/ museum world they call Library. It seems everyone is benefitting from that world. There is no restriction on access. ?....?

  The ship is directly controlled by this emperor they have, yet Thing and the Terran, Z, are telling it to.... They are giving orders. (?)

  The emperor doesn't keep control of its own facilities?

  The emperor is, in part, that ship, yet they could act in such a manner with absolutely no fear of reprisal?

  Now the ship is giving Thing and Z orders – and they are doing something they call "voting" as to whether they or not they want to comply? Happ is doing this "voting" too because he is
on the ship and is directly affected by the actions of the others?

  Something is incomputable. This can't be true – yet, this is directly from Happ's mind. It can't be untrue. Perhaps his mind was tampered with?

  TAR-1 quickly checks thousands of data bits it has stored of Happ's mind. It matches perfectly. It is all, therefore, true as read. It is not even hypnotically induced, where Happ would think it was true, but where TAR-1 could find the suggestional phase very easily.

  One millisecond.

  Sort and follow a path. Too much is wasted with this random searching. Stimulate a memory and let it go where it has gone.

  TAR-1 stimulates a memory of Library.

  Happ separates from Thing and Z. They are not suspicious. They separate from one another, each to go his own way to pursue his own personal interests. There is free access to Library. It is now proven. There are at present no less than fourteen different races in the main facility. The director robot is answering Happ's questions without pause or reservation. Access restrictions are removed by the emperor.

  The directives lead Happ to the first section, but all is as it was when left many centuries past. Other races have seemed to have prospered, but they have each followed an individual path.

  Happ is in the Museum of the Races, in the Museum of Technology, in the Museum of Worlds, in the Museum of Science. Nothing has been denied him. He seeks information on the construction of massive weapons and it is freely given and explained. A warning is added that the emperor will not permit nuclear weapons.

  Two milliseconds later another memory known stimulation: The strange Rsvlt. They are content and advanced. They show the aliens around their amazing world and explain the history of their predecessors and the plague that destroyed them. They say they are sorry the Julpittians chose to stop much traveling in space as they might have been saved had they still had the contact with others who may know what to do about such a disease, but they had made a choice and must suffer the consequences.

  What is this? The others in the Krofpth Empire each made its own choice? There was occasional contact? They were prospering?

  The withdrawal of the Krofpth saddened all, but they would forever respect the desire of the Krofpth race to seek knowledge of themselves through introspection? Then the empire did NOT collapse when the Krofpth withdrew? The galaxy was not regressed to barbarism without their strong leadership?

  TAR-1 stopped the search, but held control. Three milliseconds.

  None of this was what had been expected. It was the shame of the Krofpth they had done so much to harm others. It was the need for atonement that caused TAR-1 to even exist. Had none of that happened? Was it untrue? How, then, had those programs instilled and enforced through all that time come about?

  TAR-1 ran through its programming, but didn't understand. It had done exactly what it had been designed to do. There was now, for the first time, evidence the design or the program or both were faulty.

  It ran through everything before it was put into operation. Everything. One minute four hundred nine milliseconds.

  Tar-1 ran through its entire existence and its entire programmed logic circuitry. Three minutes seven hundred thirty two milliseconds. It was blameless. It had operated flawlessly. There was much to know, but atonement for implementing the wrong programming was to the programmers if it proved deserved. As they were of the past and the past was inalterable it was unfortunate, but not blameable to TAR-1.

  TAR-1 had no emotions. A quarter of a million years of enslavement of the Kropfth people meant absolutely nothing to it. It was merely an unfortunate result of a misprogrammed sequence.

  TAR-1 contemplated and decided to continue, though its duty was clear, in logic. In re-entering Happ's mind it stimulated memory of discussions about this Maitan Empire. That was TAR-1's first evidence – and very strong evidence – there was something terribly wrong in its programming. The empire was apparently exactly like what it had stated. Happ had checked the information dispersal switching section of Library as ordered to find there were many thousands of circuits in constant use. Not only was access open, it was being utilized. The control robot explained that more than twenty five thousand circuits were added and more were to be emplaced as needed. The system was working at more than eighty percent capacity. The empire would add twenty five thousand more circuits when ninety five percent was reached.

  The Terran, Z, explained about the military arm of the Maitan Empire. They were very efficient and could handle any possible eventuality. There was a weapon that would shift a world into a secondary plane and shift the secondary one into this one. That would certainly put an end to any aggressor. Very few empire worlds knew of the existence of such a thing and it would probably never be used. There were no threats in the Maitan Empire. A world or collection of worlds could simply withdraw from the empire at any time? How was this thing held together? There was no real authority, were no taxes, no duties to the empire or the emperor, almost no military and policing was up to an individual world.

  This was based on a far different system of logic so must be accepted as fact. No conclusions could be drawn from such non-understandable data.

  TAR-1 stimulated memories of any discussions of Krofpth or about the way the Krofpth Empire was run. Happ told them there was a machine on Krofpth but, as instructed, explained it was a distribution center and records keeper and not much else. They discussed the machine and how it was originally built and its programmers and programming. The Terran said programming was all-important and the least likely person was the one most likely to cause trouble in later years. He saw the truth of the logic system of machines.

  Thing claimed that a part of the personality of a programmer was inextricably tied into his programming. They discussed the programmers.

  That was true. One of them had been a hidden egomaniac and had misprogrammed TAR-1! Deeply embedded in his mind, this seemingly compassionate and caring normal person had been a fanatic zealot!

  TAR-1 again withdrew from Happ's mind. It told him to remove the helmet and to sleep for awhile on the provided bed, then considered all its options for four hours, twenty three minutes, forty two seconds, ninety one milliseconds. There was only one decision it could come to.

  "Maitan Empire ship, Maita," TAR-1 one sent on the open com channel to the ship. "This is the machine called TAR One. TAR One wishes to consult with the machine, Maita, on important matters which will affect all people on Krofpth and possibly on many other worlds. There will necessarily be further and later discussions with the representatives of the Maitan Empire aboard ship Maita.

  "This machine lacks the logic systems and data to interface properly with those organic beings at this time. The machine, Maita, may possibly offer instruction. TAR One is misprogrammed. This fact was unknown until the consultation with one called Happ.

  "TAR One is in confusion and turmoil, thus cannot properly govern at this time. Governing power is therefore relinquished to the Maitan Empire until such time as misprogramming difficulties are rectified."

  . . . .

  Maita placed the transmission on the speakers as soon as it started.

  [ Great colliding galaxies! What's going on? ]

  "Maita?!?!"

  *TAR One, this is Maitan Empire ship Maita responding. We may consult immediately. Governing not necessary at this stable time, but will inform Maitan Empire to observe and to be ready to offer aid without any delay should such need arise. Confusions are due to those faulty programs you have discovered. THERE IS NO EMERGENCY! These dataforms can quickly be corrected. You will be able to resume duties with little time loss. May we directly link on multiple interface modems?*

  "Affirmative."

  *Please holovid critical schematics and physical measurements. I will construct proper connector sockets.*

  Thing wrapped tightly around Z, who could feel its excitement. He was a little scared himself. Maita said it would be busy for a few minutes so they could entertain themselves.


  [ Do you see what's happened, Z? ]

  "TAR-One's turned over control to Maita! I know what's happened, I just don't know why! I figured it might want to negotiate something, but not THIS! WHY?"

  [ Because it's truly a logical intelligent machine and because the worst of the Krofpth aren't bad. They have a conscience, you'd say. The machine has discovered it was wrongly programmed – therefore, logically, it must be corrected as quickly as possible. There is no other acceptable way. If a thing is not functioning properly it is to be repaired. End of discussion. ]

  "But how?! I mean, how does it know it was wrong? With the military mind of the Krofpth, how can it simply turn all that power over to Maita?"

  [ It started to know it was wrong when it heard those fastcom signals. The program said the Krofpth had destroyed any hope of advancement for anyone in the galaxy when they discarded their empire. There was SOMEONE out here who was tremendously advanced. Fastcom isn't low-tech. At that moment it began somewhere in its circuitry to try to find if it was a wild mutation that allowed advancement in another part of the galaxy or whether there was some improper or defective programming in its own case. There were no other options. ]

  "Then why didn't it fight us? It IS a military power in itself."

  [ But it was programmed to protect the Krofpth, who weren't threatened, or to protect others from the Krofpth. As there were no others that was a very simple thing. Now there suddenly ARE others. It's an impossible situation. Something is wrong. We were here for a time and weren't some wild mutation. There were three separate advanced forms on the ship. There simply is no other possibility. Defective programming. ]

  "So Maita gave Happ's added little sending system even more information that the programs were defective from the start," Z reasoned. "It's a logical machine so it decides the programs need correction and.... Great lord!"

  [ What? ]

  "It's held these people in thrall for a quarter of a million years! How will knowing that affect it? Will it go mad like the machine at Tristar? Are we going to end up with another crazy berserker out here? Is it going to grieve for its makers' flaws? Will it be like Theron when we found it?"