“Who’s Leo?”
Orca
“The AI?”
Life and Time
AIs often use their radios to communicate with each other. “I never heard of Korvikov.”
“Are you planning on reading the book?”
“What did you think of it?”
“What is that?”
“That sounds more or less crazy.”
“To start with, trees don’t have brains.”
“We’re getting into deep water here.”
She switched them on and we got a male voice: Belle-Marie,
I let Alex know and gave them control. “Whenever you’re ready,” I said.
They took us through the main gate and released us. We soared out under a bright yellow moon. Thirty minutes later we submerged and were on our way.
XXXVIII.
.
Usually, Alex is good company, and we have no problem finding ways to entertain ourselves. But the probability remained that we were going nowhere, that there would be no transmission, no message, and consequently no explanation, ever, for what had happened during those bleak final hours on Octavia. At another time, I’d have worked on my current memoir. I’d already decided on a title, , but that suggested aliens weren’t really involved, and I couldn’t be sure about that. The real problem was that I suspected we’d get nothing, and in the end the whole thing would go unresolved. So there was no point working on a book that might have no resolution, other than speculation. In addition, I couldn’t reveal the presence of Ark and his companions. Alex had a tendency to get these things right, but we needed more than a tendency. Besides, I couldn’t take a chance placing the blame on Housman, or on anybody else, without solid evidence.
So I put the project aside and just wasted my time while the days dragged past. Alex rarely came up to the bridge, and I seldom heard him moving around. I found myself wishing we’d put the flight off for the few extra weeks and invited Veronica and Chad along. Or somebody else for whom there was no romantic entanglement. I doubt Chad could have gotten away from his business commitments. Lashonda Walton would have made an interesting passenger, though I couldn’t imagine her agreeing to come. Gabe would have been a good addition.
Belle got concerned about my mood. she said,
“No, I haven’t. I know he writes comedy, but I’ve never actually looked at his work.”
“How can you know if someone is reasonably bright?”
It wasn’t the first time we’d had this kind of conversation. “Belle,” I said, “are you more intelligent than Alex?”
She steered the conversation in a different direction. What did think was the meaning of life?
“Live for the moment,” I said. “We don’t have forever.”
We were in uncharted territory again. Was she really self-aware? Or was this simply the software talking? It was an issue that has puzzled society for a long time. On some worlds, Rimway among them, AIs had the right to vote and own property. On others, like Dellaconda and Toxicon, they were no more than equipment. It was a distinction that was growing increasingly divisive.
“I think you know the answer to that, Belle.”
She was silent for almost a minute. she said finally.
“Sure. Go ahead. What is it?”
I sat for a long moment, feeling stupid. How had I not noticed? We always said good-bye to Belle when we left her and went down to Rimway. And there was always the ecstatic greeting when we arrived back. I’m not suggesting we didn’t accept her as a living being. But during all these years, we’d just made assumptions. She was an AI. Part of the ship. See you in two months. “I’m sorry, Belle,” I said at last. “I think we had all assumed that you were programmed to accept this kind of existence.”
she said,
That occurred on our fourth or fifth day out. I reported the conversation to Alex that evening. That was an uncomfortable experience as well. I didn’t want Belle to overhear us. But to ensure that didn’t happen, I’d have had to shut down the comm system in whichever portion of the ship we were talking. And I couldn’t bring myself to do that. So I’d sat down with him in the passenger cabin and watched him, while I talked, trying to warn me that Belle was probably listening.
He didn’t look surprised. “I guess,” he said, “I always took it for granted she was an extra person on board. But I don’t think it ever occurred to me how she was reacting to being left at the dock. What do you suggest?”