"John G. Hemry - Do No Harm" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hemry John G)

тАЬOh, God,тАЭ another engineer responded. He tried calling the captain, to no
avail. тАЬBack to the control room. LetтАЩs go before those things try to recycle us.тАЭ
The captain gave them a startled glance when they returned, her face setting
into grim lines as her engineers reported what they had seen. тАЬThat does it. IтАЩm
pulling SandraтАЩs plug. Once sheтАЩs off, weтАЩll get aft and shut down the main power
supply.тАЭ Unstrapping, the captain went to the aft bulkhead and lifted a cover to
expose a large manual switch.
Kevlin gave Yasmina a questioning glance as the captain pulled the switch
down. All of the lights went out and KevlinтАЩs virtual display vanished, leaving only
the lights on the suits to illuminate the control room.
тАЬThe Frankenstein switch,тАЭ Yasmina answered KevlinтАЩs unspoken question.
тАЬSome people also call it the wooden stake or the silver bullet. Every artificial
intelligence system has one built-in that manually cuts all power. Just in case the AI
starts singing тАШA Bicycle Built for Two.тАЩтАЭ
тАЬHow many artificial intelligence systems have built-in autonomous repair
capability that can operate without power for a while?тАЭ Kevlin asked.
 The captain heard, stared toward Kevlin, then placed one palm over the
bulkhead next to the manual cut-off switch. тАЬI can feel activity behind the bulkhead.тАЭ
тАЬTheyтАЩve identified the cause of SandraтАЩs problem.тАЭ The lights came back on.
тАЬAnd theyтАЩve fixed it. Captain, youтАЩve got a wonderfully effective simulation of a
living organism here in terms of identifying injuries and taking corrective action. And
it knows what keeps trying to hurt it, and that we just tried to shut down its brain.тАЭ
тАЬSandra canтАЩt be sentient!тАЭ
тАЬSheтАЩs not! ItтАЩs all happening at a level way below sentience!тАЭ Kevlin yelled.
тАЬWhy should that be a surprise? Out of all the threats to human life, how many are
sentient and how many are essentially mindless, like bacteria?тАЭ
A momentary silence fell. тАЬCan we stop the drones if they try to take us out?тАЭ
someone wondered.
тАЬWhat about the nanos? SandraтАЩs subsystems have been modifying them right
and left. The rate of evolution seems to be on a exponential curve.тАЭ
тАЬIf itтАЩs like the evolution of living organisms, most of the modifications will be
harmful or useless and die out,тАЭ Kevlin suggested. тАЬSome of them might even
threaten Sandra.тАЭ
тАЬMost will die out? Or some might further harm the ship? ThatтАЩs not all that
reassuring, doctor. The seals on our suits are supposed to keep out nanos, but
nothingтАЩs perfect.тАЭ The captain gestured. тАЬWeтАЩre abandoning ship. Everybody out.
Back to the boat dock.тАЭ
Repair drones of various kinds were visible in the passageways this time as
they pulled themselves through the ship. Kevlin stared as he saw several drones
attack another and disable it. They had to veer to one side as a bulkhead bulged
perilously toward them. In another area, drones were busy dismantling what Kevlin
recognized as a cooling unit. тАЬShe needs that!тАЭ one of the crew protested. тАЬWhy
would Sandra take apart an essential component?тАЭ
тАЬSandra isnтАЩt,тАЭ Kevlin insisted. тАЬHer subsystems are doing it. Just like when
humans run short of calcium and the body robs it from bones to keep the teeth
strong. Part of the repair subsystem thinks some other part of Sandra needs those
components more.тАЭ
The last remnants of the boat had vanished along with the drones that had
digested it for Sandra. The captain and another engineer tugged at the emergency
release on the outer hatch with no results. тАЬIтАЩll have to blow it using the explosive