"Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman - StarShield Book 1" - читать интересную книгу автора (Weis Margaret)

synth!тАЭ
тАЬNot now, Evon,тАЭ he said without missing a beat, тАЬIтАЩm a little bit busy.тАЭ
тАЬWhat about that EтАЩtoris Primla?тАЭ Evon offered nervously. тАЬMaybe we should give him another
try, huh?тАЭ
Oscan glanced to the corner of the moderately sized research room and snorted. The EтАЩtoris sat
on the marble stone bench holding his head in his hands and rocking gently back and forth. тАЬWe tried
him already, remember? You can see how well heтАЩs coping with the situation. Why donтАЩt you take him
out on the balcony. He can help you keep a watch and get some fresh air at the same time.тАЭ
тАЬLook,тАЭ Evon said, тАЬfresh air may be hard to come by soon enough. IтАЩve seen the reports and
IтАЩm telling you this has a bad smell to it тАФ all of it.тАЭ
Oscan didnтАЩt listen тАФ couldnтАЩt listen. Perspiration poured off of him as he continued bouncing

┬й Copyright 1997 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman / All Rights Reserved. Page 32
different datapockets off the synthтАЩs mental wall. He was absorbed in the problem; another mystery he
couldnтАЩt solve.
The mystery of it was that he had gotten through. Several times his i.d. and connect pockets had
slipped through the interface synth and connected to Omnis 91745, the name designator of the local
central Omnet synth and known by all who used it here simply as Omnis. Those connections were
solid: heтАЩd been greeted by the central synthetic mind by name, welcomed and then abruptly told that
central was busy with other problems and would he please contact him later. Then the contact termi-
nated and he was once again left with the interface synth stonewalling his access.
If Omnis knew who he was тАФ why wouldnтАЩt he let him in or the EтАЩtoris for that matter either.
HeтАЩd tried every access he knew тАФ several that he wasnтАЩt supposed to know тАФ and still the synth
continued to ignore every command, plea and emergency override command that he knew. It wasnтАЩt
just that the equipment had gone balky. This was the one thing that he knew better than any of his
companions, the one area in which he shone. It was bad enough that he couldnтАЩt make the connection .
. . the synth was embarrassing him.
Finally the rage and frustration and humiliation got the better of him. In a sudden fit, Oscan
began a low growl that grew to a full fledge roar and slammed his head against the interface plate.
The crystal plate shook for a moment, then cleared.
Kiria and Terica, shocked at the outburst, stopped talking.
A cool baritone voice filled the room.
тАЬGreetings Oscan Kelis. There is no need to be upset. Please calm down. I will answer your
questions as best I can.тАЭ
Oscan blinked. тАЬI am here with a research team. Will you answer their questions as well?тАЭ
The voice that filled the room answered. тАЬIn addition to yourself, Oscan Kelis, I believe Kiria
Brenai, Terica Dharah and Evon Flynn are all present as expected. I will gladly answer your ques-
tions.тАЭ
Terica laughed aloud. тАЬWeтАЩre in! Oscan you wonderful little man! WeтАЩre in!тАЭ
тАЬBut,тАЭ Oscan stammered, тАЬbut I didnтАЩt . . . I . . .тАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt know what you did either, you little genius,тАЭ Terica turned Oscan in his chair, hugging
his head to her chest and kissing him on the top of his bald head. тАЬbut you are wonderful!тАЭ
She released him suddenly in her joy. Oscan fell back in his chair. He couldnтАЩt remember sud-
denly any of the questions they wanted asked.
тАЬOmnis!тАЭ
Everyone turned.
The EтАЩtoris had suddenly risen from his bench, his voice echoing through the hall. тАЬOmnis!
What is the meaning of your behavior? You have refused my direct orders for information access тАФ
indeed, you have refused to even acknowledge my existence! Why do you not answer when I call?тАЭ
тАЬI regretfully append my previous list to include EтАЩtoris Primla,тАЭ the Omnis voice spoke with a