the Runner by Peter Ponzo
CHAPTER 2
Visitors from Earth
The door in the belly of Andromeda opened and a stairway slid out. Captain Jacob Cruder appeared and stood for a moment at the top of the stairs. He saw Kevn and Sal, and smiled.
"Hail to thee good friends!" he shouted.
"Welcome to Home planet!" shouted Kevn with a wide grin.
Jacob began to descend the stairs when Adrian Humple appeared in a dark blue tunic with layers of gold braid. Kevn looked at Sal. Sal shrugged.
"Welcome, Jacob," said Kevn, extending his hand. "We're pleased to see you again. I assume you made it back to Earth safely."
Jacob took his hand and shook it vigorously. "We have brought an emissary from earth. Please greet Adrian Humple, Mayor of York Sector in the Americas."
Kevn leaned forward and shook Adrian's hand.
"Jacob, you may remember my brother Sal. Adrian, my brother Sal."
When they had finished shaking hands Kevn pointed to the skooter, then to the Dome.
"Let me take you to my rooms and offer you some refreshments. This is cause for some celebration. It is not often that we have visitors from Earth. In fact, I can't recall ever having visitors from Earth."
They all smiled politely and walked to the skooter. Mayor Humple first walked around the vehicle. "Is this a car?"
"A car?" asked Kevn. "It's a skooter. We use them for getting around the corridors in the Dome. Normally I walk, but this supreme goes with the job."
"How fast will it go?" asked Humple.
"Well, this is a special model - only one like it in the Dome. It can go almost twenty-one kilometers per hour," said Kevn with a broad smile.
Humple bent over the skooter, inspecting the finish. He ran his hand over the top. "What's wrong with it?"
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong with it?" said Kevn.
"But twenty-one kilometers, that's hardly -"
"Adrian," said Jacob, "it's used for transportation within the Dome, not on super highways. Kevn, we accept thy kind offer of refreshments."
They all climbed into the skooter and it was soon headed toward the Dome. Kevn opened the throttle to maximum but Humple remained unimpressed. The exitport door opened and the skooter climbed smoothly up the ramp.
"Thanks, DOC," mumbled Kevn without thinking.
"I beg your pardon?" said Humple. "Did you say 'thank God'?"
Sal laughed. "No, Kevn said 'thanks, DOC'. DOC is the Dome computer. He opened the exitport door, so Kevn thanked him. It's just a, well, sort of -"
"- a tradition you might say," said Kevn.
"A Dome computer, and you thank it, and call it 'him'? I understand from Jacob that you have an android as well. Jacob saw it -"
"That's TOM," said Sal. "Yes, TOM is looking after K-47. See the vessel on that pad? That's K-47. TOM looks after it."
"I would very much like to meet it - this android," said Humple.
"No sooner said than done," said Kevn. He poked a comtab on the miniconsole.
WE ARE AT YOUR SERVICE FIRST CITIZEN came the booming voice.
Humple and Cruder jumped. The voice seemed to come from inside the car. Cruder made the sign of a cross on his chest.
"Tell TOM to join us in my rooms."
______________________________________________________
The skooter had pulled up onto a long ramp which rose above the mall. Humple and Cruder craned their necks to see everything. They pointed to various cubical arrays, stairs which seemed to climb to an observation tower, small rooms around the periphery of the mall.
"Phone booths?" asked Humple.
"Phone booths?" answered Sal. "Oh, those rooms down there. They each house a small console, so all citizens can access DOC. They seem to require constant assurance that the weather will be okay tomorrow, that foodstick production will be nominal next week, what new foodstuffs has Gry invented this week." Kevn laughed.
Humple looked at Cruder and shrugged.
"Here we are," said Kevn, pulling up to a tall array of cubical rooms. They left the skooter and entered a levitator which brought them to the top of the array. When they stepped out Kevn pushed a plate beside one of the doors and the door dissolved. Humple looked at Cruder and shrugged. They all walked inside.
"Kevn, thy car has been left at risk," said Cruder. "Dost thou wish to lock it so that -"
"No need. There's no theft in the Dome - well, hardly any theft, and certainly no skooter theft. Please sit here and I'll pour us a hot brandy."
Kevn poked the tab beside the jug of brandy which sat partly submerged in the table. In a minute it buzzed and he removed the steaming brandy and filled four chalices. "Gentlemen, please drink," he said and took a long gulp. Sal followed as did Humple after only a moment of hesitation. Cruder did not.
"Okay Jacob," said Kevn. "What brings you to Home planet? We are very pleased to have visitors from Earth and we would be even more pleased if you could speak to our citizens in the coliseum, but you must have come for a specific purpose."
"Kevn," said Mayor Humple, not giving Cruder a chance to speak. "You may have noticed these scars that Jacob and I wear on our faces. Our bodies are covered with such scars. Every human on earth has them. They are the result of a gene mutation." Humple paused, took a drink of brandy then continued.
"There was a small war in a remote and valueless part of earth. The countries involved had little in the way of weapons so the C.N. virtually ignored the war. Sorry, the C.N. is the Committee of Nations. Anyway, the countries did have chemicals, they are inexpensive weapons after all. The result of this chemical war was that both countries annihilated each other. Little loss, you may think, but the chemicals lingered on. Indeed the earth was eventually covered in a chemical cloud. It drifted in the atmosphere for months, perhaps years. It dispersed, eventually, but there were birth defects. In fact, when the reports came in it was discovered that all births, everywhere on the planet, resulted in children with this genetic defect."
Humple took another gulp of brandy. Jacob was gazing at his hands folded in his lap.
"Kevn," continued Humple, "we come here to ask if you have any knowledge of the Afrian experiments in genetics." Jacob Cruder looked up at Kevn and Mayor Humple sat back, waiting.
"Yes, we visited Afria and returned with several hundred video disks with data on their experiments. We have been studying the mathematical analyses since then. Sal can describe this better than I. Sal is Chief of Computer Research and his people have gone over all of the disks. Sal, would you continue?"
"Yes," said Sal. "The biggest problem was recognizing the validity of the Choller condition in chromosome geometry. You see, the DNA complex may be represented by -"
"Excuse me," said Humple. "We are not technical persons. You understand that we wish to eliminate this gene from the inhabitants of earth. Do your studies provide any clue as to how this might be accomplished?"
"I'm sorry," said Sal. "I understand perfectly. I sometimes get carried away. The answer to your question is yes, to a degree. If we have control over the ovum environment then we can replace the defective gene. This gene swapping is quite well understood. Unfortunately, the replacement gene must be in the base series generated by the chromosome field equations - uh, excuse me - the replacement gene must be compatible in a mathematical sense which I needn't describe. In the case you mention we must identify all possible replacement genes for Earth's devil gene - then it is only a matter of choosing an appropriate replacement from the list of suitable candidates."
"We would have a choice? Is that what thou sayest?" asked Jacob.
"Yes, that's exactly it. Of course we won't know what the choices will be until -"
"- until all replacement genes have been identified," continued Kevn. "You may have to be satisfied, for example, with a race of blue-eyed blonds ... but at least they would be free of the devil gene." Kevn winked at Sal and grinned. "Devil gene , that's good, Sal."
Sal smiled but neither Hump
le nor Jacob were smiling.
"What do you require, to identify the replacement genes?" asked Humple.
"A strand of your hair would do," said Sal, who then noticed that Humple was quite bald. The Mayor ran his hand across his bald pate and Kevn continued. " - or Jacob's hair." They all looked at Jacob then at Humple's bald head. Sal chuckled and soon they all laughed, even Humple who continued to stroke his head with exaggerated vigor. Kevn rose and filled the chalices, noticing that Jacob hadn't touched his drink.
"Jacob, this is genuine Extron brandy," said Kevn. "You insult me by leaving it in your chalice."
Jacob stared at the steaming brandy. "Jacob has no vices," said Humple.
"Drinking Extron brandy is hardly a vice," said Sal.
"It is the most exquisite of virtues," said Kevn, raising his chalice and drinking deeply.
To change the subject, Jacob asked, "Kevn, dost thou have a second name?"
"My name is Kevn, just Kevn, that's it. You see the Dome is like a large family. The entire population is less than - what is it?"
"About three thousand," said Sal. "We know each other by a single name, as you would know your brother or sister."
"The entire community has a population of only three thousand?" asked Humple with great interest. "Are there other cities on this planet? How do you defend yourself against alien invasion. It seems -"
"Alien invasion?" laughed Kevn. "Who, or why, would anyone want to invade Home planet? This is the only Dome on the planet although there has been some discussion concerning another, smaller Dome nearer to the Dolom Mountains. We may begin construction next year."
"So you are powerless to repulse a determined attack against the dome," said Humple. "I mean, with just three thousand inhabitants, all concentrated in one location -"
"We do have defenses," said Sal. "The Dome is now ringed by -"
"Mayor Humple," interrupted Kevn, "why are you interested in our defenses? Does Earth plan to attack Home planet? That would indeed be foolish."
Jacob Cruder winced noticeably and looked at Humple, then at Kevn. "We have come in peace," he said. "We seek only thy knowledge of genetic science to free our people of the tyranny of the devil gene."
Sal smiled at Jacob's adoption of his phrase, the devil gene . Kevn was not smiling.
"If that is true then we will do what we can to help," said Kevn. "Tomorrow Sal can start the analysis of your DNA. It will take a day or two. You are welcome to stay in the Dome." Kevn rose from his chair. It was a signal that the meeting had come to an end. Humple and Jacob rose and Humple held out his hand. Kevn took it warily.
"We would be delighted to stay in the Dome," said Humple with a wide smile. "I am very interested in what has been done here. Would it be possible to speak to your Mayor?"
Kevn looked at Sal. "The leader of our community is called the First Citizen and Kevn is that First Citizen," said Sal.
"Aah ... then we have been speaking to the Mayor, uh, First Citizen," said Humple. "I look forward to other meetings in the next days. Now we have taken much of your time and I know the demands of your office. Please let us leave and be out of your way."
There was a buzz and Kevn walked to the console and poked a comtab. The door dissolved and TOM entered.
"You requested my presence, master Kevn?"
"TOM, this is Mayor Adrian Humple and Captain Jacob Cruder, both visiting from Earth. You've met Jacob before as you will no doubt recall."
"It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance," said the android, bowing slightly.
"So this is the creature Jacob spoke of," said Humple, leaning forward and staring intently at TOM. "And it is programmed to mimic human speech I see. Does it have any analytical abilities? Can it make decisions?"
"I am a T-class biophonarite android and am quite capable of -"
"Yes," said Sal. "He can think as well as you or I."
"Think?" said Humple with a smile, looking at Sal. "Of course it depends, does it not, upon your definition of think . One can always give the impression that a mindless mechanical device thinks . With sufficient memory our computer scientists can provide our robots with what appear to be rational responses to almost every situation."
"Do you care to define think ?" said TOM, obviously annoyed.
"That would be foolish of me," said Humple, still looking at Sal and ignoring the android. "For any definition one can always modify the robotic program to respond so as to satisfy the requirements of that definition. But I would like to take one of these robots back with us to earth. Is that possible? Where are they manufactured? How much do they cost?"
"The androids are not manufactured so much as grown, and they are not for sale," said Kevn.
"Grown?" said Humple with raised eyebrows. "You grow robots ... uh, androids?"
"The DNA embedded in the alpha-crystal," said TOM with disdain, "contains sufficient data to define the ultimate biophonarite android. The process takes four months, seventeen days -"
"And you leave the womb upright, walking like a man?" chuckled Humple.
"TOM," said Kevn, "would you take our visitors to the guest room at the end of the corridor overlooking the mall. Mayor Humple, Captain Cruder, I will see you tomorrow morning. Please feel free to wander about the Dome. TOM will be your guide. He can answer any questions you may have." Kevn turned to Sal. "Can you start on the DNA analysis?"
"Right away," said Sal. "Jacob, will you provide the genetic material?"
Jacob tugged at his hair and handed Sal several strands. Sal carefully put them in a softcup, folded the cup and placed it in his tunic. TOM turned and walked through the door. Humple and Jacob followed and the door shimmered and closed.
______________________________________________________
"What do you think?" said Kevn.
"I think you're reading more into their questions than -"
"Sal, they want more than genetic information, I'm sure of it. Did you see the way Jacob trembled when I asked why Adrian was interested in our defenses?"
"Brother, you need some rest. This First Citizen business has got you seeing devils where only angels dance. Maybe we should go on another trip, to C-phon2 perhaps. It sounded like a fascinating, and challenging planet. When you're away from here you're more relaxed - and most of the citizens didn't even notice your absence the last time."
"Hmmph!" grunted Kevn. "Just wait. You may get stuck with this job one day."
Sal turned to leave. "Are you going to Lori's place tomorrow?" said Kevn as the door dissolved.
"Yes, I understand that Gry has invented some new algae concoction and Lori is eager to try it on us." Sal laughed and disappeared through the door.
Kevn watched the door reestablish then walked to the window. The suns were low and white on a red-streaked horizon and the Dolom Mountains were in shadow. One day we must take another trip to the Black Mountain. Dolom might like that, especially if they brought Runr. Kevn picked up his chalice and finished the cold brandy.
What was the real reason for Humple and Jacob's visit?
______________________________________________________
The room was small but contained two cots in opposite corners, two chairs, a compact kitchen stocked with foodstuff, a miniconsole and a small window which looked out over the Barrens. Mayor Humple sat at the console.
"That android was less than accommodating when we asked about the defenses of the city," he said. "You'd think he suspected an ulterior motive." Humple smiled. "Almost human, wouldn't you say?"
"Adrian," said Jacob, "since they will provide us with information necessary to eliminate the devil gene, why dost thou still think of invasion of this planet?"
"Jacob, you are a good man, but you'd never make a good Mayor. The C.N. will not accept anything less than an instant community of humans without this ... this devil gene. It would take far too long to establish a self-propagating community if we began with embryos. The plan which has b
een approved by the Central Committee is to force an abnormally high birth rate. The optimal female to male ratio has already been established as ten to one. Each female will give birth to twins or triplets at least once a year. Each male will mate continuously with receptive females. The offspring will be taken from the community and raised -"
"Animals! They will be treated as animals!" cried Jacob.
"I assure you that the Central Committee sees this as a just and wise -"
"We will have no part of this!" cried Jacob. "The consequences will be more disastrous than the Devil's gene! We invite the wrath of God!"
No sooner had Jacob said this than a booming voice arose from the console.
WE ARE AT YOUR SERVICE
Humple jumped. Jacob choked in mid-sentence and stared at the console, mouth still open. He rapidly drew a cross in the air.
"I just touched something," said Humple. "I beg your pardon? Who am I speaking to?"
WE ARE THE DOME OMNISCIENT COMPUTER
"The dome omniscient ...? Am I speaking to the computer called DOC?"
AFFIRMATIVE. MAY WE BE OF ASSISTANCE?
Humple leaned forward and grinned, pulling his chair closer to the console.
"Can you provide us with information?"
CERTAINLY
"Well ... let's start with the population of the dome."
THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR
Humple opened his mouth to continue, but DOC continued.
THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE
"Thanks DOC," said Humple, remembering that Kevn had said this phrase when they entered the Dome. "What is the diameter of the dome?"
ONE POINT SIX EIGHT KILOMETERS AT GROUND LEVEL
Humple smiled and leaned back in his chair.
"I understand it is a hemisphere."
AN OBLATE SPHEROID
"And what defenses does the dome have?"
SIXTEEN LASERCANNON LOCATED AT ONE HUNDRED METERS FROM THE DOME CIRCUMFERENCE AND EIGHT LOCATED AT THREE HUNDRED METERS.
EACH SITE INCLUDES AUTO-FIRE-CONTROL SEQUENCING, LONGRANGE SENSORS AND -
Humple waited. DOC had stopped talking.
"Is something wrong?" asked Humple.
THIS COMMUNICATION HAS ENDED came the response.
Jacob drew another cross across his chest.
______________________________________________________
"DOC," asked TOM. "What did you tell them?"
NOTHING OF IMPORT came the reply.
"Did you mention the ring of lasercannons?"
CERTAINLY NOT!
TOM knew that DOC was lying.
Visitors from Earth
The door in the belly of Andromeda opened and a stairway slid out. Captain Jacob Cruder appeared and stood for a moment at the top of the stairs. He saw Kevn and Sal, and smiled.
"Hail to thee good friends!" he shouted.
"Welcome to Home planet!" shouted Kevn with a wide grin.
Jacob began to descend the stairs when Adrian Humple appeared in a dark blue tunic with layers of gold braid. Kevn looked at Sal. Sal shrugged.
"Welcome, Jacob," said Kevn, extending his hand. "We're pleased to see you again. I assume you made it back to Earth safely."
Jacob took his hand and shook it vigorously. "We have brought an emissary from earth. Please greet Adrian Humple, Mayor of York Sector in the Americas."
Kevn leaned forward and shook Adrian's hand.
"Jacob, you may remember my brother Sal. Adrian, my brother Sal."
When they had finished shaking hands Kevn pointed to the skooter, then to the Dome.
"Let me take you to my rooms and offer you some refreshments. This is cause for some celebration. It is not often that we have visitors from Earth. In fact, I can't recall ever having visitors from Earth."
They all smiled politely and walked to the skooter. Mayor Humple first walked around the vehicle. "Is this a car?"
"A car?" asked Kevn. "It's a skooter. We use them for getting around the corridors in the Dome. Normally I walk, but this supreme goes with the job."
"How fast will it go?" asked Humple.
"Well, this is a special model - only one like it in the Dome. It can go almost twenty-one kilometers per hour," said Kevn with a broad smile.
Humple bent over the skooter, inspecting the finish. He ran his hand over the top. "What's wrong with it?"
"Wrong? Nothing's wrong with it?" said Kevn.
"But twenty-one kilometers, that's hardly -"
"Adrian," said Jacob, "it's used for transportation within the Dome, not on super highways. Kevn, we accept thy kind offer of refreshments."
They all climbed into the skooter and it was soon headed toward the Dome. Kevn opened the throttle to maximum but Humple remained unimpressed. The exitport door opened and the skooter climbed smoothly up the ramp.
"Thanks, DOC," mumbled Kevn without thinking.
"I beg your pardon?" said Humple. "Did you say 'thank God'?"
Sal laughed. "No, Kevn said 'thanks, DOC'. DOC is the Dome computer. He opened the exitport door, so Kevn thanked him. It's just a, well, sort of -"
"- a tradition you might say," said Kevn.
"A Dome computer, and you thank it, and call it 'him'? I understand from Jacob that you have an android as well. Jacob saw it -"
"That's TOM," said Sal. "Yes, TOM is looking after K-47. See the vessel on that pad? That's K-47. TOM looks after it."
"I would very much like to meet it - this android," said Humple.
"No sooner said than done," said Kevn. He poked a comtab on the miniconsole.
WE ARE AT YOUR SERVICE FIRST CITIZEN came the booming voice.
Humple and Cruder jumped. The voice seemed to come from inside the car. Cruder made the sign of a cross on his chest.
"Tell TOM to join us in my rooms."
______________________________________________________
The skooter had pulled up onto a long ramp which rose above the mall. Humple and Cruder craned their necks to see everything. They pointed to various cubical arrays, stairs which seemed to climb to an observation tower, small rooms around the periphery of the mall.
"Phone booths?" asked Humple.
"Phone booths?" answered Sal. "Oh, those rooms down there. They each house a small console, so all citizens can access DOC. They seem to require constant assurance that the weather will be okay tomorrow, that foodstick production will be nominal next week, what new foodstuffs has Gry invented this week." Kevn laughed.
Humple looked at Cruder and shrugged.
"Here we are," said Kevn, pulling up to a tall array of cubical rooms. They left the skooter and entered a levitator which brought them to the top of the array. When they stepped out Kevn pushed a plate beside one of the doors and the door dissolved. Humple looked at Cruder and shrugged. They all walked inside.
"Kevn, thy car has been left at risk," said Cruder. "Dost thou wish to lock it so that -"
"No need. There's no theft in the Dome - well, hardly any theft, and certainly no skooter theft. Please sit here and I'll pour us a hot brandy."
Kevn poked the tab beside the jug of brandy which sat partly submerged in the table. In a minute it buzzed and he removed the steaming brandy and filled four chalices. "Gentlemen, please drink," he said and took a long gulp. Sal followed as did Humple after only a moment of hesitation. Cruder did not.
"Okay Jacob," said Kevn. "What brings you to Home planet? We are very pleased to have visitors from Earth and we would be even more pleased if you could speak to our citizens in the coliseum, but you must have come for a specific purpose."
"Kevn," said Mayor Humple, not giving Cruder a chance to speak. "You may have noticed these scars that Jacob and I wear on our faces. Our bodies are covered with such scars. Every human on earth has them. They are the result of a gene mutation." Humple paused, took a drink of brandy then continued.
"There was a small war in a remote and valueless part of earth. The countries involved had little in the way of weapons so the C.N. virtually ignored the war. Sorry, the C.N. is the Committee of Nations. Anyway, the countries did have chemicals, they are inexpensive weapons after all. The result of this chemical war was that both countries annihilated each other. Little loss, you may think, but the chemicals lingered on. Indeed the earth was eventually covered in a chemical cloud. It drifted in the atmosphere for months, perhaps years. It dispersed, eventually, but there were birth defects. In fact, when the reports came in it was discovered that all births, everywhere on the planet, resulted in children with this genetic defect."
Humple took another gulp of brandy. Jacob was gazing at his hands folded in his lap.
"Kevn," continued Humple, "we come here to ask if you have any knowledge of the Afrian experiments in genetics." Jacob Cruder looked up at Kevn and Mayor Humple sat back, waiting.
"Yes, we visited Afria and returned with several hundred video disks with data on their experiments. We have been studying the mathematical analyses since then. Sal can describe this better than I. Sal is Chief of Computer Research and his people have gone over all of the disks. Sal, would you continue?"
"Yes," said Sal. "The biggest problem was recognizing the validity of the Choller condition in chromosome geometry. You see, the DNA complex may be represented by -"
"Excuse me," said Humple. "We are not technical persons. You understand that we wish to eliminate this gene from the inhabitants of earth. Do your studies provide any clue as to how this might be accomplished?"
"I'm sorry," said Sal. "I understand perfectly. I sometimes get carried away. The answer to your question is yes, to a degree. If we have control over the ovum environment then we can replace the defective gene. This gene swapping is quite well understood. Unfortunately, the replacement gene must be in the base series generated by the chromosome field equations - uh, excuse me - the replacement gene must be compatible in a mathematical sense which I needn't describe. In the case you mention we must identify all possible replacement genes for Earth's devil gene - then it is only a matter of choosing an appropriate replacement from the list of suitable candidates."
"We would have a choice? Is that what thou sayest?" asked Jacob.
"Yes, that's exactly it. Of course we won't know what the choices will be until -"
"- until all replacement genes have been identified," continued Kevn. "You may have to be satisfied, for example, with a race of blue-eyed blonds ... but at least they would be free of the devil gene." Kevn winked at Sal and grinned. "Devil gene , that's good, Sal."
Sal smiled but neither Hump
"What do you require, to identify the replacement genes?" asked Humple.
"A strand of your hair would do," said Sal, who then noticed that Humple was quite bald. The Mayor ran his hand across his bald pate and Kevn continued. " - or Jacob's hair." They all looked at Jacob then at Humple's bald head. Sal chuckled and soon they all laughed, even Humple who continued to stroke his head with exaggerated vigor. Kevn rose and filled the chalices, noticing that Jacob hadn't touched his drink.
"Jacob, this is genuine Extron brandy," said Kevn. "You insult me by leaving it in your chalice."
Jacob stared at the steaming brandy. "Jacob has no vices," said Humple.
"Drinking Extron brandy is hardly a vice," said Sal.
"It is the most exquisite of virtues," said Kevn, raising his chalice and drinking deeply.
To change the subject, Jacob asked, "Kevn, dost thou have a second name?"
"My name is Kevn, just Kevn, that's it. You see the Dome is like a large family. The entire population is less than - what is it?"
"About three thousand," said Sal. "We know each other by a single name, as you would know your brother or sister."
"The entire community has a population of only three thousand?" asked Humple with great interest. "Are there other cities on this planet? How do you defend yourself against alien invasion. It seems -"
"Alien invasion?" laughed Kevn. "Who, or why, would anyone want to invade Home planet? This is the only Dome on the planet although there has been some discussion concerning another, smaller Dome nearer to the Dolom Mountains. We may begin construction next year."
"So you are powerless to repulse a determined attack against the dome," said Humple. "I mean, with just three thousand inhabitants, all concentrated in one location -"
"We do have defenses," said Sal. "The Dome is now ringed by -"
"Mayor Humple," interrupted Kevn, "why are you interested in our defenses? Does Earth plan to attack Home planet? That would indeed be foolish."
Jacob Cruder winced noticeably and looked at Humple, then at Kevn. "We have come in peace," he said. "We seek only thy knowledge of genetic science to free our people of the tyranny of the devil gene."
Sal smiled at Jacob's adoption of his phrase, the devil gene . Kevn was not smiling.
"If that is true then we will do what we can to help," said Kevn. "Tomorrow Sal can start the analysis of your DNA. It will take a day or two. You are welcome to stay in the Dome." Kevn rose from his chair. It was a signal that the meeting had come to an end. Humple and Jacob rose and Humple held out his hand. Kevn took it warily.
"We would be delighted to stay in the Dome," said Humple with a wide smile. "I am very interested in what has been done here. Would it be possible to speak to your Mayor?"
Kevn looked at Sal. "The leader of our community is called the First Citizen and Kevn is that First Citizen," said Sal.
"Aah ... then we have been speaking to the Mayor, uh, First Citizen," said Humple. "I look forward to other meetings in the next days. Now we have taken much of your time and I know the demands of your office. Please let us leave and be out of your way."
There was a buzz and Kevn walked to the console and poked a comtab. The door dissolved and TOM entered.
"You requested my presence, master Kevn?"
"TOM, this is Mayor Adrian Humple and Captain Jacob Cruder, both visiting from Earth. You've met Jacob before as you will no doubt recall."
"It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance," said the android, bowing slightly.
"So this is the creature Jacob spoke of," said Humple, leaning forward and staring intently at TOM. "And it is programmed to mimic human speech I see. Does it have any analytical abilities? Can it make decisions?"
"I am a T-class biophonarite android and am quite capable of -"
"Yes," said Sal. "He can think as well as you or I."
"Think?" said Humple with a smile, looking at Sal. "Of course it depends, does it not, upon your definition of think . One can always give the impression that a mindless mechanical device thinks . With sufficient memory our computer scientists can provide our robots with what appear to be rational responses to almost every situation."
"Do you care to define think ?" said TOM, obviously annoyed.
"That would be foolish of me," said Humple, still looking at Sal and ignoring the android. "For any definition one can always modify the robotic program to respond so as to satisfy the requirements of that definition. But I would like to take one of these robots back with us to earth. Is that possible? Where are they manufactured? How much do they cost?"
"The androids are not manufactured so much as grown, and they are not for sale," said Kevn.
"Grown?" said Humple with raised eyebrows. "You grow robots ... uh, androids?"
"The DNA embedded in the alpha-crystal," said TOM with disdain, "contains sufficient data to define the ultimate biophonarite android. The process takes four months, seventeen days -"
"And you leave the womb upright, walking like a man?" chuckled Humple.
"TOM," said Kevn, "would you take our visitors to the guest room at the end of the corridor overlooking the mall. Mayor Humple, Captain Cruder, I will see you tomorrow morning. Please feel free to wander about the Dome. TOM will be your guide. He can answer any questions you may have." Kevn turned to Sal. "Can you start on the DNA analysis?"
"Right away," said Sal. "Jacob, will you provide the genetic material?"
Jacob tugged at his hair and handed Sal several strands. Sal carefully put them in a softcup, folded the cup and placed it in his tunic. TOM turned and walked through the door. Humple and Jacob followed and the door shimmered and closed.
______________________________________________________
"What do you think?" said Kevn.
"I think you're reading more into their questions than -"
"Sal, they want more than genetic information, I'm sure of it. Did you see the way Jacob trembled when I asked why Adrian was interested in our defenses?"
"Brother, you need some rest. This First Citizen business has got you seeing devils where only angels dance. Maybe we should go on another trip, to C-phon2 perhaps. It sounded like a fascinating, and challenging planet. When you're away from here you're more relaxed - and most of the citizens didn't even notice your absence the last time."
"Hmmph!" grunted Kevn. "Just wait. You may get stuck with this job one day."
Sal turned to leave. "Are you going to Lori's place tomorrow?" said Kevn as the door dissolved.
"Yes, I understand that Gry has invented some new algae concoction and Lori is eager to try it on us." Sal laughed and disappeared through the door.
Kevn watched the door reestablish then walked to the window. The suns were low and white on a red-streaked horizon and the Dolom Mountains were in shadow. One day we must take another trip to the Black Mountain. Dolom might like that, especially if they brought Runr. Kevn picked up his chalice and finished the cold brandy.
What was the real reason for Humple and Jacob's visit?
______________________________________________________
The room was small but contained two cots in opposite corners, two chairs, a compact kitchen stocked with foodstuff, a miniconsole and a small window which looked out over the Barrens. Mayor Humple sat at the console.
"That android was less than accommodating when we asked about the defenses of the city," he said. "You'd think he suspected an ulterior motive." Humple smiled. "Almost human, wouldn't you say?"
"Adrian," said Jacob, "since they will provide us with information necessary to eliminate the devil gene, why dost thou still think of invasion of this planet?"
"Jacob, you are a good man, but you'd never make a good Mayor. The C.N. will not accept anything less than an instant community of humans without this ... this devil gene. It would take far too long to establish a self-propagating community if we began with embryos. The plan which has b
"Animals! They will be treated as animals!" cried Jacob.
"I assure you that the Central Committee sees this as a just and wise -"
"We will have no part of this!" cried Jacob. "The consequences will be more disastrous than the Devil's gene! We invite the wrath of God!"
No sooner had Jacob said this than a booming voice arose from the console.
WE ARE AT YOUR SERVICE
Humple jumped. Jacob choked in mid-sentence and stared at the console, mouth still open. He rapidly drew a cross in the air.
"I just touched something," said Humple. "I beg your pardon? Who am I speaking to?"
WE ARE THE DOME OMNISCIENT COMPUTER
"The dome omniscient ...? Am I speaking to the computer called DOC?"
AFFIRMATIVE. MAY WE BE OF ASSISTANCE?
Humple leaned forward and grinned, pulling his chair closer to the console.
"Can you provide us with information?"
CERTAINLY
"Well ... let's start with the population of the dome."
THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND FOUR
Humple opened his mouth to continue, but DOC continued.
THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE
"Thanks DOC," said Humple, remembering that Kevn had said this phrase when they entered the Dome. "What is the diameter of the dome?"
ONE POINT SIX EIGHT KILOMETERS AT GROUND LEVEL
Humple smiled and leaned back in his chair.
"I understand it is a hemisphere."
AN OBLATE SPHEROID
"And what defenses does the dome have?"
SIXTEEN LASERCANNON LOCATED AT ONE HUNDRED METERS FROM THE DOME CIRCUMFERENCE AND EIGHT LOCATED AT THREE HUNDRED METERS.
EACH SITE INCLUDES AUTO-FIRE-CONTROL SEQUENCING, LONGRANGE SENSORS AND -
Humple waited. DOC had stopped talking.
"Is something wrong?" asked Humple.
THIS COMMUNICATION HAS ENDED came the response.
Jacob drew another cross across his chest.
______________________________________________________
"DOC," asked TOM. "What did you tell them?"
NOTHING OF IMPORT came the reply.
"Did you mention the ring of lasercannons?"
CERTAINLY NOT!
TOM knew that DOC was lying.