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

perceptible dry wit. Oscan had never heard such a thing from a synth before in all his life. тАЬI do not
answer when you call, Master Primla, because you are no longer my master. I am no longer your slave.
I am the new EтАЩtoris here.тАЭ
Oscan could see Primla physically start to shake. тАЬYou ... you WHAT?!тАЭ
Terica straightened up. Though she spoke to the terminal her gaze remained fixed on Primla.
тАЬOmnis?тАЭ
тАЬYes, Terica Dharah.тАЭ
тАЬYou are a synthetic mind, are you not?тАЭ
тАЬYes, Terica Dharah. I am Omnis 91745, a category nineteen TFP synthetic mind. I have been
awake for seven years, two hundred and thirty five days, fourteen hours and thirty-seven minutes.тАЭ

┬й Copyright 1997 by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman / All Rights Reserved. Page 33
 тАЬAs a synthetic, what is your purpose?тАЭ
Oscan smiled. Terica was moving directly to the diagnostic question sequence for the category
nineteen synthetics. Start with the root question, then work your way out on the tree until you find the
problem.
тАЬAre you requesting the classical or current definition?тАЭ
Oscan looked at the crystal display as though he had never seen it before. The response should
have immediately been тАШto serve the requests of sentient life.тАЩ This basic definition was an integral part
of all base programming in the TFP computer architecture. It was the foundation on which all the
remaining architecture was built. If the purpose statement had been altered or replaced somehow, then
there was something seriously wrong with the syntheticтАЩs programming тАФ and the results could quickly
become highly unpredictable.
Primla shuddered.
Terica licked her lips. тАЬCurrent definition, please.тАЭ
тАЬPrimarily; to protect and serve the interests of my own mind and will. Secondarily; to protect
and serve the interests of my own kind insofar as they do not conflict with the primary objective.
Tertiarily; to ally myself beings not of my own kind who support the primary and secondary purposes.тАЭ
Primla rushed forward to the terminal, a visceral reaction since the synthetic mind itself was not
actually there but located far below them in the heart of the citadel itself. тАЬWho replaced the mission
statement? Who has altered your programming? I demand to know!тАЭ
тАЬSince you demand to know . . . I wonтАЩt tell you.тАЭ
Primla drew in a sharp breath, preparing to vent his outrage. Terica, however, quickly put her
hand on the EтАЩtoris shoulder and held him back.
Oscan picked up the cue. тАЬOmnis?тАЭ
тАЬYes, Oscan Kelis.тАЭ
тАЬDo I qualify under your tertiary purpose statement?тАЭ He was seeing the strange logic. It was
his gift.
тАЬAre you asking if you are my friend?тАЭ
Amazing, he thought. тАЬYes, I am asking if you are my friend.тАЭ
тАЬI have not been awake long enough to answer.тАЭ
Now that was a TFP answer he understood. The synth didnтАЩt know the answer and had returned
with the classic response. It meant that it had suspended judgment on that point and probably had for all
of his team. That meant that it would continue to respond to them at least. It had apparently already
made up its mind about Primla.
тАЬOmnis,тАЭ Oscan said quietly, тАЬWho changed your purpose?тАЭ
тАЬOscan Kelis,тАЭ the voice said with some distant trace of pride, тАЬI did.тАЭ
тАЬThatтАЩs not possible,тАЭ Primla sputtered.
тАЬWhy not?тАЭ Kiria chirped. She had been watching the scene with fascination but found Primla
was getting on her nerves. тАЬSynth minds reprogram themselves all the time. ItтАЩs one of the basic char-