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

capability?тАЭ
One of the crew heard him. тАЬWe call it evolving. The system learns what new
capabilities are needed and modifies existing equipment.тАЭ
тАЬWhere does it get the resources? Does it cannibalize existing equipment?тАЭ
тАЬIt can.тАЭ The engineer grinned and highlighted a display showing the first wave
of now-obsolete repair drones being disassembled by some of their successors.
тАЬThereтАЩs also a small supply stockpile onboard for her to draw on during the test
voyage. We didnтАЩt top her off since we didnтАЩt know how sheтАЩd work until we put
her through her paces.тАЭ
тАЬGood,тАЭ Kevlin muttered. He saw Yasmina eyeing him.
тАЬWhatтАЩs bothering you?тАЭ she asked.
тАЬNothing.тАЭ
тАЬRight. And I canтАЩt judge thoughts from exterior cues. WhatтАЩs wrong?тАЭ
He frowned, not wanting to admit it. тАЬEvolves. I donтАЩt like that.тАЭ
тАЬThereтАЩs limits. Sandra canтАЩt evolve into sentience.тАЭ
 тАЬTheyтАЩre sure?тАЭ
Yasmina nodded. тАЬI was in on that design work. SandraтАЩs control system is
roughly analogous to the more primitive parts of the human mind, the stuff that
handles basic functions. ThereтАЩs nothing that can evolve into a higher brain function
because the space is tightly constrained and the resources are fenced off. In order to
modify itself enough to achieve a simulation of sentience, Sandra would have to be
sentient to begin with.тАЭ
тАЬYouтАЩre telling me sheтАЩs just operating on instinct?тАЭ
тАЬPretty much.тАЭ
Kevlin tried to relax his frown. тАЬSo all we have to worry about is instinctive
level behavior. I hope they didnтАЩt forget about the id.тАЭ
тАЬOh, no!тАЭ Yasmina declared in a dramatic voice. тАЬThey forgot about the id!тАЭ
She chuckled. тАЬItтАЩs been ages since IтАЩve seen that ancient video, but I still remember
that line. The id doesnтАЩt really exist, you know.тАЭ
тАЬSomething does that we can call the id,тАЭ Kevlin replied.
тАЬSandra doesnтАЩt have ancestral behavior patterns inherited from a long line of
evolution,тАЭ Yasmina noted sharply.
Kevlin subsided, gazing morosely at the displays again.
****
They watched, they ate the boxed meals provided, they watched some more.
The crew made things happen, made things go wrong, made things break, and
watched Sandra take corrective action. As minor incidents were properly handled
and SandraтАЩs abilities evolved, the tests continually got harder, stressing the shipтАЩs
responses. Most of the action was apparent only on the displays, though, as events
unspooled inside the ship away from the control room.
Kevlin switched displays restlessly, even taking a while to watch the view from
the chase ship that was following Sandra as a safety precaution. But watching a ship
whose motion wasnтАЩt apparent against an unchanging backdrop was like staring at a
painting. A little of that went a long way. Kevlin finally dozed off, waking to see it
was late at night on the human clock, though of course the star-studded darkness
outside Sandra hadnтАЩt changed.
Voices were raised in the forward part of the control room. The argument
there was probably what had awakened him. The captain noticed Kevlin was awake
and directed a question his way. тАЬWhat do you think of this?тАЭ
KevlinтАЩs virtual display lit with an image of Sandra. He studied it, baffled as to