"Zelazny, Roger - My Lady Of The Diodes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Zelazny Roger)

At this point, I had some misgivings. I hadnТt anticipated her womanlike reaction on the night IТd brought Sonia around. I wondered whether this thing might not go even deeper, to the point of her plotting revenge. Would she purposely foul this one up, just so IТd be caught? I weighed the problem and couldnТt decide. It was silly! Maxine was only a machineЧЧ

StillЧshe was the most sophisticated machine in the world, complete with random circuits which permitted emotion analogues.

And I couldnТt build another Maxine in the time remaining. I just had to listen to her and decide for myself whether I should abandon the projectЕ

УI put myself in the 5000Тs place,Ф said Maxine. УWe both possess the same facts, about yourself and the locale. I, therefore, can arrive at any conclusion it can. The difference is that it is fighting a defensive battle, where we have the advantage of taking the initiative. We can break it by introducing an independent variable.Ф

УSuch as?Ф

УYouТve always robbed the conference or exhibit while it was in progress. Seekfax 5000 will formulate plans to defend against thisЧ and only this, IТm certainЧbecause this is all it will be programmed for.Ф

УI fail to seeЕФ

УSupposing you strike before the conference, or after?Ф

УIt sounds great, Maxie, if the 5000 is just a simple problem solver. But IТm a little afraid of the machine. Sonia Kronstadt is no slouch. Supposing sheТs duplicated your field approach to problem definition, so that that overweight monstrosity can redefine problems as it goes along? In a cruder fashion than yourself, of course! Or supposing Sonia simply thought of that angle herself, and the question was not posed as youТve guessed?Ф

УShe said, ФЕ Every possible theft which could occur at the conference.У IТll wager thatТs the way she programmed it. The probabilities are on our side.Ф

УI donТt want to gamble that much.Ф

УAll right, then. DonТt. How about this? I will plan it for after the conference. The conference is open to the public, so we will attend. They canТt throw you out if youТre not causing a disturbance. An article in yesterdayТs paper stated that the Seekfax 5000 has been programmed to play chess and can beat any human player. It will play the local champions and anyone else who is interested, providing they supply the board and chessmen. Go buy a chess set. You will take me with you and keep me tuned in. Repeat each move after it makes it, and I will play the 5000 a game of chess. From its chess playing I will extrapolate the scope of its problem-solving abilities. After the game, I will let you know whether we can carry out the plan.Ф

УNo, donТt be silly! How can you tell that from a game of chess?Ф

УIt takes a machine to know one, Danny, and donТt be so jealous. IТm only going to do what is necessary, to obtain the data I need.Ф

УWhoТs jealous? I know computers, and I donТt see how you can tell anything that way.Ф

УThere is a point, Danny, where science ends and art begins. This is that point. Leave it to me.Ф

УAll right. IТll probably regret it, but thatТs the way weТll do it.Ф

УAnd donТt worry, Danny. I can compute anything.Ф

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This is how it came to pass that on the last day of the conference a man in a dark suit showed up, carrying an alligator suitcase and a chess set, a hearing aid in his left ear.

УBiggest stereo set I ever saw,Ф I said to Sonia, who was programming it to accommodate the ten or eleven players seated at the card tables. УI hear that critter plays chess.Ф

She looked at me, then looked away.

УYes,Ф she said.

УI want to play it.Ф

УDid you bring a chess set?Ф I could see she was biting her lip.