dark blue cloth on a metal frame that it unfolded around Diana's
couch.
'Gonzales, we'll do it the same as last time: you're first
in,' Charley said. 'Why don't you get undressed? Just put your
clothes on the chair next to the eggs.'
'Sure,' Gonzales said.
'Doctor Heywood, you next,' Charley said. 'Getting you into
the loop takes longer. Doctor Chow will prepare you. Lizzie, you
can hold off a bitI'll let you know when we're ready.'
There was a sharp knock at the door, and it swung open to
admit Traynor and Horn.
'Good morning, all,' Traynor said.
'Good morning,' Charley said. Gonzales nodded; everyone else
pretty much ignored the man.
'I take it you are preparing for another excursion with
Aleph,' Traynor said.
'That's right,' Lizzie said.
'You =have no authorization,' Horn said.
'I have the collective's endorsement,' Lizzie said. 'Also
the concurrence of the medical team, and the consent of the
participants. We will replace the resources you took from Aleph.
It is a consensus.'
'One excluding any vertical consultation,' Traynor said.
'Point granted,' Lizzie said. 'But we didn't think it
necessary. We'll report to Horn in due course.'
Gonzales stood looking into the open egg and began taking his
shirt off. 'Mikhail,' Traynor said. 'What are you doing?'
'What I came here for,' Gonzales said. 'The same as these
people.'
'You're out of it,' Traynor said. 'Put your shirt back on
and go homeyou can take the shuttle out this afternoon.'
'I don't think so,' Gonzales said. He put his folded shirt
on the back of the chair.
'You're fired,' Traynor said. His voice shook just a little.
'By you, maybe,' Lizzie said. 'Gonzales, welcome to the
Interface Collective.'
'I'll never confirm that,' Horn said.
Toshi said, 'I have a question for you, Mister Traynor, and
you, Mister Horn. What do you intend to do about Aleph and the
existing crisis? Do you have a plan of action that makes what is
planned here unnecessary?'
'Yes, we are bringing in an entire staff of analysts,'
Traynor said. 'We will follow their recommendations concerning
the present difficulties; we will also institute arrangements that
will prevent anything of this kind from happening again.' He
nodded to Horn.
'By effecting a decentralization modality,' Horn said. 'The
various functionalities and aspects of the Aleph system will be
reorientated to allow of individualized project performance.'
'We're going to replace Aleph with a number of smaller,
controllable machines,' Traynor said.
'Are you?' Lizzie said, and she laughed.
'That is impossible,' Charley said.
'Or has already been done,' Toshi said. 'Aleph itself
instituted a dispersal of functions to independent agents.
However, all must ultimately be supervised by a central
intelligence.'
'That's what people are for,' Traynor said. 'Halo's reliance
on a machine intelligence has proved unworkable.'
Toshi said, 'As that may be. However, your remarks
concerning the immediate circumstances lack substance.'
'Does your advisor agree to this plan?' Gonzales asked.
'Why do you ask?' Traynor asked.
'Curious,' Gonzales said. Traynor said nothing. 'Well, I
didn't think it would,' Gonzales said.
Lizzie said, 'One thing at a time. You bring on your
analysts, and we'll fight your silly scheme when we have to. But
in the meantime, stay away from us and perhaps we can fix what you
have broken.'
'That will not be possible,' Traynor said. 'As your previous
efforts caused the situation, any further involvement on your part
will likely worsen it; therefore, as representative of SenTrax
Board, I am denying you authorization for any connections to Aleph
other than those required to maintain essential functions at
Halo.'
'Someone here is a fool,' Diana said. Dressed in a long
white cotton gown, she stepped from behind her screen, neural
cables trailing down her back. 'Presumably this one.' She
pointed to Horn. To Traynor she said, 'Horn has lived and worked
here; he has no excuse for his ignorance of the facts of life at
Halo. You, on the other hand, have come into a situation you do
not understand. Let me tell you the main thing you need to know:
you cannot disperse Aleph or replace it with what you think are
the sum of its parts. You cannot even locate Aleph.'
'What do you mean?' Horn asked.
'Where is Aleph?' Diana said. 'It and Halo are so deeply
intertwined that you cannot separate them. Halo's breath is
Aleph's breath. Halo sees and hears and feels and moves with
Aleph.'
'Poetic but unconvincing,' Traynor said.
'More than poetry,' Diana said. 'No one knows where Aleph's
central components are.'
'Is that true?' Traynor asked.
'Yes,' Horn said.
'This complicates matters,' Traynor said. 'No more.'
'I am not interested in this discussion,' Lizzie said.
'Anyone who wishes may pursue it later, but we have things to do.
Building monitor, this is Lizzie Jordan; please notify Halo
Security that we have two intruders in the building and wish them
