"Edward M. Lerner - What a Piece of Word is Man" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lerner Edward M)

couch. Get a grip on yourself, man!

тАЬAcey.тАЭ The image stopped moving.тАЭ Do you enjoy computer programming?тАЭ
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The skinny figure pondered, rubbing his evanescent chin thoughtfully with a spectral hand. тАЬWouldn't that
be Oedipal, doctor?тАЭ

Did the damned thing read minds, too? At least it didn't seem to recognize rudeness. тАЬTime out.тАЭ
Waterman broke the visiphone connectionтАФhe needed to do some mental regrouping.
***

The Automated Coder, hence AC, hence Acey, residedтАФif that was the appropriate verbтАФin a
computer complex a mile from Waterman's office. Once operational, Acey would do the work of
hundreds of software engineers. Once operational, there's the rub....

Two days ago, Fred Strasberg had sat squirming on his big leather couch. His old college roommate had
called just hours earlier, begging for a few minutes of Waterman's time, insisting that it was urgent. A
last-minute cancellation had allowed the psychiatrist to agree.

Fred was director of engineering at Atlantic Software, Inc. He sat there ranting, seeming older by the
minute.

тАЬAcey cost millions to develop, Kev, lots of millions. I'd be in deep shit if I told you just how many.
Building that thing was a bet-the-company decision.тАЭ

тАЬYou can tell me. I deal with privileged information all the time.тАЭ

тАЬI'm not the patient. Yet, anyway.тАЭ The engineer mopped a sweaty brow with a soggy handkerchief; it
looked to Waterman like the cloth had reached equilibrium dampness.

тАЬYou're the only one here.тАЭ

тАЬLemme use your phone.тАЭ Fred called out the number without waiting for an answer. Atlantic Software's
logoтАФan enormousA composed entirely of magically confined ocean wavesтАФfloated in mid-office,
courtesy of the company switchboard.

On the third ring, a gaunt man replaced the logo. Bits of white stuff (Waterman guessed Twinkie filling)
dotted the man's scraggly beard. He wore jeans and a Lord of the Rings T-shirt; on the shirt, an elf
maiden in leather and chains was performing an unseemly act with an elderly furball that had to be Bilbo
Baggins. By subcaption, the elf was saying: No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to kick the
hobbit.

тАЬWhat the hell took you so long?тАЭ demanded Fred.

Three rings!? Waterman sat back and just watched.