“What if we could help you? I mean, if the ICT were up and running?”
She considered for a moment. “I don’t know. I’ll believe it when I see it.”
7. Katie
Katie was often found in the infirmary, having tests done on her stump to see if her arm could be safely reconnected. The technology was highly advanced but not beyond that of Hub — it was simply different. This could probably have been done in a day if the world’s electronics experts weren’t preoccupied with the aftermath of the attack; as things stood, one engineer was trying to figure out the problem remotely in his spare time, and progress was slow.
Her presence in the infirmary did, however, allow us to observe her closely, and we soon noticed she was developing uncontrollable tremors. Her remaining hand would shake, or her otherwise expressionless face would twitch. She repeatedly denied these symptoms existed, despite all evidence.
Otherwise, she kept her own company, and it was therefore a surprise when she presented herself at my office, which I had only just finished restoring to its former state. Coffee was quietly brewing and the place was just about beginning to feel right as Katie chimed at the door and I let her in.
“Take a seat,” I said.
“My request is brief,” she said.
“Okay. Go ahead.”
“I wish to volunteer in the armed forces of the Interversal Union.”
“Katie… we don’t have any armed forces.”
“The Interversal Union has been attacked. It is reasonable to expect it will shortly require armed forces. I wish to volunteer.”
“I can see how you’ve come to that conclusion, Katie, but I’m not sure it’s accurate. Also, I’d feel much more comfortable if we could discuss this while sitting down.”
She sat in as formal a manner as ever.
“I have sat down.”
“Thank you. Let me repeat what I just said: The IU has no military. There’s no one to volunteer to. And I haven’t heard any plans to the contrary.”
“My offer is contingent upon the creation of a military. I am aware it does not currently exist.”
“Okay… but consider this. If the IU formed a military, there would still be a number of barriers to you volunteering. First of alclass="underline" you’re not an IU citizen. You’re under the care of the IU, but that does not make you a citizen. I don’t think we’re likely to let people fight for us unless they have citizenship, or they’re volunteering from an IU member species.”
“I am prepared to risk my life in defence of the Interversal Union.”
“Perhaps. But any release from this centre depends on the success of your therapy. At the moment I don’t think it’s likely that I’m going to allow you to put yourself at risk when you’ve experienced severe psychological and medical trauma.”
“The persona will not emerge again.”
“No?”
“I have taken steps to ensure the persona will not emerge again.”
“This is something I’d like to discuss. I mean the whole business with Elsbet. Do you remember anything about what happened?”
“No. It is irrelevant.”
“She accused you of war crimes.”
“She is mistaken.”
“We’re going to have to investigate, when we get a moment.”
“An investigation is unnecessary.”
“Were you really an infiltrator?”
Katie paused for a long time.
“Yes.”
“They took you into their hospital, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“And then you attacked.”
“Yes.”
“You killed everyone in the hospital.”
“Yes.”
“Including civilians. Including children.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She looked at me with a moment’s confusion, as though unable to understand why I needed to ask the question. “They would not negotiate. They would not communicate. They only declared their intent to extinguish us from the system. We had no other way to strike back. The primary target was the shipyards. Other casualties were impossible to avoid.”
“I see.”
“It was an act of war.”
“You’re not the first person to say that.”
“I will not discuss it further.”
“Katie—”
“I will not discuss it further.”
Her face was twitching again. I sighed.
“Okay. Let me go back to something else: you say she won’t be emerging again?
“Yes.”
“Does this have anything to do with your tremors?”
“I suffer no tremors.” And yet her mouth twitched, and her hand shook.
“It’s happening right now, Katie.”
“I am in complete control of all functions.”
“You’re not in control at the moment. I can see it happening,” I said, indicating her unruly hand.
She slammed a look at me and snarled: “I could rip your head from your shoulders.”
I froze for a moment. I’ve been threatened before, but not by a cybernetic killing machine.
“Do I need to call security?” I asked, swallowing back the animal fear in my gut.
The twitching intensified for a moment. And then her face relaxed again and resumed its placid stare.
“There is no need. I am in control.”
“Are you having more emotional disturbances?”
“Yes. I am in control.”
“Are you sure? You’ve never threatened anyone before.”
“I am in control.” Muscles around her eyes quivered for a moment, then lay still.
I sighed. “Katie, if these tremors are what you’re doing to yourself to stay in control, you’re only going to hurt yourself. You know your condition is terminal. Please. Let us help you.”
“I do not require assistance.”
“Can you give me a good reason why?”
“I must remain operational.”
“But why?”
Her blank stare was chilling.
“They are coming back.”
“Who’s coming back?”
“My species.”
“I think that needs explaining.”
“There were expeditions to nearby star systems that travelled at the highest possible speeds but had only reached their first target stars after two hundred years of journey time. They were informed in the final signals from Earth of the progress of the war and will return in due course.”
“In two hundred years?”
“Yes. And then the Fourth Machine War will begin.”
“Katie, you’re not going to last two hundred days. And you’re in the wrong universe. How do you think you’re going to help?”
“I require transfer to an artificial means of consciousness.”
“That’s not happening, Katie.”
A smile twitched around her mouth.
“I… I would be able to assist the Interversal Union greatly if I had an artificial consciousness.” She kept up her smile. She was trying to be friendly, in a rather creepy kind of way.
“That’s illegal on Hub. And that’s definitely not going to change.”
“I don’t want anything in return…” she said in something like a little girl voice, pleading for a toy.
“And we respectfully decline. You’re not fit for duty. You’re suffering from neural degradation and you’re going to die without our help. Katie, I’ll ask again: let us help you before it’s too late.”
The friendly look vanished.
“There is nothing further to discuss.”
She rose and left with no further courtesy.
8. Kwame
Kwame’s reaction to the new centre was one of complete avoidance. After a façade of relative normality on the journey over, he retreated into his room and did not emerge for a full day. Once he hadn’t shown up for a couple of meals, I went in to see what I could do.