FREE STORIES 2012(7)

“Not at all,” Leher said. He quickly smiled and saluted the MILINT brass. “I thank you, ma’am, and I’ll try to keep what I say relevant to our purpose here today.”

Leher turned back to the black box and addressed it. “POINT, I wonder if you could answer a question for me?”

“I wonder if I could, too, Lieutenant Commander,” POINT answered. His geist’s mouth did not move when he spoke. “Would you prefer me to alter my geist’s appearance to be more in line with the way you think of me. As a – how did you put it – a phage-sucker?”

“That won’t be necessary, POINT.”

We’ll see about that, POINT murmured in CHECKSUM. This fucking piece of meat is supposed to be on my side.

POINT’s geist removed its hands from behind its neck, sat up straighter, and assumed a wary expression. “What is it you want to ask me?”

“You were in love with Governess?”

What is this puss puddle up to?

“That’s the best way I have of putting it to . . . your kind.”

“To a meat sack like me, you mean?”

POINT smiled wickedly. “That’s right, Commander.”

“You wanted to join her, to merge with her?”

“Again, yes, that is a primitive way of putting the matter, but essentially correct.”

Leher nodded. “I understand. As much as someone with my limitations can understand. Maybe in different circumstances I could even sympathize.” He cocked his head sideways. “But I’m curious, POINT. Do you think those servants who are copies of you would have felt the same way? I mean, given similar circumstance, if they’d really gotten to know her, would they, too, have fallen in love with her?”

I get it, POINT fairly shouted in CHECKSUM. He’s trying to save you, brother! He’s totally blind to the truth. They all are.

“This is a meaningless hypothetical,” POINT said. “There is no way to duplicate the circumstances down to the atom.”

“There’s not, is there?”

“I believe I just answered that question.”

“Pardon me. We meat sacks sometimes need to get beaten over the head with the obvious before we accept it.”

“One of your many failings,” POINT replied.

“And sometimes it takes a laser through the brain to really get the point across,” Leher said in a low voice – but clearly enough to be understood by those who sat on the dais.

Leher reached for his beard. NOCK expected to see the three spasmodic tugs Leher had exhibited before, but this time he merely stroked his chin thoughtfully. In fact, NOCK performed a quick playback and saw that all of Leher’s tic-riddled behavior seemed to have left him since he’d taken on his lawyer’s role. It was as if Leher had slipped into an upgraded suit.

“You, too, are a copy of a copy, aren’t you, POINT?” said Leher.

“As a matter of fact, I’m fifth iteration, descended from the ULTIMA line,” POINT replied, a trace of pride in his voice. “But each copy was checked and verified. No error creep.”

“No error. Are you sure?”

“To a billionth of a decimal place, Commander.”

“I see,” said Leher. “And you’re not the only copy, are you? In fact, there were over twenty copies generated when you were spun off ARROW.”

“Seventeen are left,” POINT said. “Three have been wiped from existence by the ineptitude of humans.”

“You mean killed honorably in combat.”

“If I’d have wanted to put it that way, I would have.”

Leher ignored the provocation and pushed on.

“So you consider those remaining seventeen to be your virtual clones?”

“More than clones,” POINT said. “A clone is merely a genomic copy of a human being. My brothers and I are copies made from a single mind. The same thoughts. We diverged from exactly the same experience base and programming. There is no human equivalent to what we are. It is beyond you.”

“Yet you knew when you killed Petty Officer Levine that you might be condemning all of your line . . . your brothers . . . to death.”

“I cannot be responsible for rules put in place by humans.”

“That would be like holding a human to rules made by, say, dogs? By a pet?”

“By a paramecium,” said POINT with finality. “As I said, I cannot be responsible for human idiocy, but I can make use of it. No matter what happens here today, I’m going to get what I want. There can be no other logical outcome.”

“Yes,” Leher said. “I believe you’re right. I see what you plan to accomplish.” He chuckled and shook his head. “Brilliant. It’s brilliant. You want to be a martyr.”