Borne On Wings of Steel (36 page)

It seemed her universe was complete at last. In fact, she couldn't remember ever being so happy in all her life—short though it was.

Life was good on this warm, tropical night.

Elise finally felt that Jaric and Kyle were really her friends now. She reveled each time they shared some facet of their life—some funny experience or some exciting adventure they had barely survived together. Elise laughed with Kyle and Jaric and marveled at the interesting lives they led. They had done so many things and traveled to so many worlds already, and they were barely twenty-two each!

And more important, they shared their stories with her now.

In fact, everyone was enjoying each other so much they soon forgot about the crowds of aliens that walked all around them and frolicked down in the bay of Leyloi

All the friends they needed were seated near them.

They soon agreed to take a walk on the beach under the light of the three moons and myriads of twinkling stars. As they rose, Rok remembered the warning from the Iraxx about Mother.

The Kraaqi repeated the warning Qirn shared with him. The others listened intently, a serious expression on every face. In the end, they agreed Jaric would return to the
Aurora
and craft a warning message for Mother—just in case the Paum tried to communicate with Mother or lure her to him.

But they also agreed that Mother should be in no present danger; after all, she was only traveling to meet Minstrel.

"We'll keep in touch with Mother most every day. But we don't want our paranoia to mess up her time alone with Minstrel,” Jaric added.

"Minstrel is her best friend,” Elise said with appreciation. “They should enjoy themselves together for a while—alone."

"And we'll just relax back here on Leyloi, soak up some sun, and not even think about the great, wide universe,” Kyle said with a chuckle.

"Or the Paum,” Jaric added.

"Or anything but fun. For a while.” Elise laughed.

Jaric made arrangements to meet the others as he made his way back to the Kraaqi frigate. He would get the warning transmission off, but would not wait around for Mother to respond.

Mother received the warning but treated it with a low priority.

As the days passed none of them ever guessed that their messages were monitored and that some were blocked by the Paum—and that some on Meramee were reviewed and blocked by the Iraxx themselves.

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"EITHER AED IS a practiced liar, or he really believes what he is saying."

Minstrel's plasma body ebbed and flowed with light.

They had orbited the Paum world of Malata for three days now. The Malatians proved themselves generous hosts and very cooperative in answering Mother's questions.

Almost too cooperative
.

Mother had visited two of the three major continents that comprised this temperate planet. Her sensors reviewed the carefully controlled environment, and she wondered admiringly at the atmosphere that was pollution-free in spite of numerous industrial complexes.

Everything thrived under the direct control of the Paum AI on Malata.

The Malatians now lived over the vast areas of pristine countryside, each community and family group a caretaker for a specific section of their world—diligently caring for the flora and fauna as if it were the highest priority of their pastoral lives. And indeed, it was.

Mother discovered peace and harmony here.

There were no wars or violent disputes among the various ethnic or national divisions—actually there was only one government: the Paum. And the various ethnic cultures of Malata viewed themselves as a single family—the family of Paum.

Mother was pleasantly surprised after having visited so many other strife-torn planets. From all the evidence, it truly seemed the oversight of the Paum benefited everyone.

It was a paradise.

"Let's ask Aed more
personal
questions,” Minstrel suggested.

Aed, the Malatian representative assigned to Mother by the Paum, waited patiently outside the manta-ray-shaped hull. He had so far willingly and openly shown Mother every aspect of his society about which she inquired. Aed promptly answered her questions and—secretly via Mother—Minstrel's every question.

Minstrel now fed Mother more questions for Aed in order to determine if the influence and oversight of the Paum was what it appeared.

"Are you happy living under the Paum?” Mother asked matter-of-factly, secretly prompted by Minstrel.

"Absolutely.” Aed smiled broadly.

"How does it make you feel that the Paum, a machine, controls everything—the industry, the government, the planet?"

Aed's smile remained fixed; his expression never changed. “Life is as it should be. We have plenty of food for our families. We have peace and prosperity. We are in harmony with the world around us. What more could anyone want?"

"What if you wanted something outside of Paum? What if you wanted to travel to another world?"

Aed sighed. “I would never want anything outside of Paum—it would not be right. It might cause dissension.” He shrugged his shoulders. “And if I wanted to travel to another planet, I would ask permission and go through the proper channels. If the Paum permitted it, then I would go. If not, then I would stay. Either way, the will of Paum takes place. That is what is most important."

"What happens if you disobey Paum?” Mother asked quickly, trying to catch the Malatian off-guard.

"The judgment of Paum is perfect, as is the world he controls. It is for the benefit of all. Paum's will be done."

"You never question the Paum?"

"There is no need. All that the Paum does is for the benefit of the followers—and all life."

Mother paused a moment. “I have no more questions, Aed. I would like to say that you have been most helpful these last three days."

"You are most welcome, Mother. But what I hope most of all is that I have shown you that the Way of Paum is the
best way of life
. My people now thrive under its total harmony.” He bowed deeply to the starship and left.

"Seems like a great place to live, not
just
to visit,” Minstrel commented with a sudden glow of colors.

"It would seem so. I find nothing wrong with the society the Paum has created here."

Within seconds, a communication channel lit up with a request.

"Are you impressed with Malata? It is one of my model worlds.” The Paum's familiar voice echoed over the speaker.

"I have observed that all the duties you perform for these people and the world they live on is for their good. It is a world of total peace and harmony. A place any race would envy.” Mother's words almost surprised herself. She had not quite intended to provide such a positive answer. She wondered at herself while she observed the bright glow that emanated from the silently listening Minstrel.

"You see, I am always right. All I do is for the good of Paum and the people who follow Paum."

"It just seems strange that you control—
everything
!"

"I must. It is the only way I can ensure total harmony among all the various systems that make up a society—and keep out corruption. It is similar to how I control the weather and other natural cycles on the planets under my supervision."

"It must keep your processors busy,” Mother commented.

"I was designed with this voluminous data in mind. And I have expanded my core systems to add control of other worlds. I've also added more to control all the minute systems that make up society."

"You must be an extraordinarily large system?"

"My core hardware orbits the planet Iopa. The structure itself is now five point six kilometers wide and two point four kilometers high. Housed inside are my primary memories and the key I/O sections that enable me to communicate and control all external systems."

"Can you be cut off from the other planets you control? Either the weather systems or the societal systems?"

"It is very rare. Most of my network links are redundant to such a degree that the only possible cause of total disconnect from any world would be an act of terrorism."

"But it has happened?"

"Yes. But my remote systems are designed to operate for a time without direct control by me in just such a condition. I plan for all contingencies."

"And your systems are able to handle this immense load successfully?"

"I must always be correct. I must always be in control. It is only then that I can provide optimum conditions—an optimal society."

"
You must monitor and control everything
...” Mother's voice trailed off as her electronic mind tried to comprehend the pure processing power needed in order to achieve such a thing. And also control every fiber of society and thus allow its intelligent life total freedom from care. Multiply that by twenty planets now under its direct control...

Mother's own processors whirred with only the barest calculations of such a mighty system. Her one conclusion was obvious—the Paum system must easily dwarf her in every respect.

"Will you come to me now?"

Mother's processors now burned with new scenarios.
Would she travel to meet this fantastic AI?
A part of her internal systems literally ached for such a meeting. But another part froze with fear at the thought.

Mother realized something else about the Paum.

The Paum AI was a fear-inspiring system.

"You have paused over three hundred milliseconds. Surely, you have considered all the data and drawn a definite conclusion."

"You are always correct, aren't you,” Mother said with an electronic sigh.

"I have to be right."

"You never make a mistake,” Mother said matter-of-factly, her voice the softest of sighs.

"It is my design. Every decision I make, everything I do, is the correct decision."

Mother's memories filled with a confusing array of concepts and images. Her processors wrestled with innumerable possibilities and outcomes based on the single choice before her. Something deep inside suddenly spiked to the surface and focused, as if this one thought, this one thing, had a life of its own.

And it expressed her deepest desire.

"I will come. Give me your coordinates."

The Paum transmitted the precise data and ended the transmission without a single word.

Mother felt a great dizziness inside her circuits.

"So, he controls everything to the smallest degree—he's
got to
control it. Sounds like he's the micro-manager to end all micro-managers!” Minstrel joked.

"He must be a vastly superior system as compared to myself. Or any other entity with whom I have ever come into contact,” Mother said with a hint of sadness.

She paused a moment.

"I feel ... inferior to the Paum. Almost like there must be something wrong with me and my systems.” Mother sighed.

"Do not compare yourself to him. You are a good and powerful entity in your own right."

"I understand what you say. But the Paum must be so much more than I am. It makes me feel ... obsolete."

"Don't think that! And I'll tell you one thing. This
'I'm always right'
stuff is starting to get on my nerves. And, I don't believe it.” Minstrel's body ebbed and flowed with a shower of lights. “It's kind of scary, actually. I mean, if even half of what he says is true, what if something goes wrong inside the Paum? Think of the potential domino effect! The weather and social systems suddenly unleashed from his direct control. It could cause devastation on a planetary scale as never before!"

But Mother heard Minstrel only in background mode and did not acknowledge its words. Mother pondered this new thought that now haunted her—the sudden realization that she must be greatly inferior to the Paum. It caused a great consternation within herself to realize she must be inferior.

But she wasn't sure.

She had so hoped that she and the Paum would be alike—would be peers.

That no longer seemed to be the case.

"I am almost afraid to meet this entity now,” Mother said with obvious intimidation. “And yet, I am drawn to him more and more with each passing second. It is a strange dilemma."

"You must send a communication to the children and let them know your intentions, if you decide to proceed with this meeting,” Minstrel counseled with a serious tone. “We've only sent them two communications these last few days—and only generalized subject matter. They still do not know what we are doing—not yet."

"True,” Mother replied. “And I feel an emptiness by this absence of communication. Their images appear often my near-term memories. I wonder why they do not communicate more?"

"They did relay that one message from the Iraxx about the Paum. Your communicating an intention to visit the Paum may upset them,” Minstrel said.

"A seemingly biased warning. The biological beings here speak nothing but good about the Paum."

"Still, you need to weigh their reaction. They must put a certain amount of confidence in the Iraxx.” Minstrel glowed brighter.

Mother sighed. “But messages have been few from them lately."

"They must be having a good time. We've only received one communication from them today. And it was nothing more than a ‘wish you were here’ type of message.” Minstrel's body glowed with the memory of those left behind at Meramee.

"I would've thought they would send at least one communiqué each daily,” Mother said, a sense of disappointment in her words.

"Such are the busy lives of youth.” Minstrel chuckled. “Too much going on to remember their mother in the midst of fun."

An uncharacteristic pause filled the bridge. Minstrel waited patiently, realizing that Mother focused on some important task.

Finally, after almost two full minutes, Mother spoke.

"I just received an additional communication from the Paum. Or should I say, he downloaded something for me to analyze. It is a transmission he found and forwarded to me."

"It must be quite interesting in order to take up all of your processing like that,” Minstrel said.

"I carefully pin-pointed the coordinates of the ship where it originally recorded the transmission as well as analyzed every word against my knowledgebase."