the weapon’s control mechanism that she had never knowingly invoked before. The presence felt almost preternaturally evil, but that — and the paralysis — was obviously just a refinement of the usual fear-generation mechanism. Volyova wondered how the weapon was talking to her. She had no implants, and yet the weapon’s voice was definitely speaking directly into her skull. It could only be that the chamber she was in was functioning as a kind of high-powered inverse trawl, stimulating brain function by the application of intense magnetic fields. If it could make her feel terror, Volyova supposed, and with such finesse, it would not have been a great deal more difficult for it to generate ghost signals along her auditory nerve or, more probably, in the hearing centre itself, and to pick up the anticipatory neural firing patterns that accompanied the intention to speak. These are desperate times… note 272 Who made you? There was no immediate answer from Seventeen. For a moment the fear was gone, the neural thrall interrupted by a blank instant of calm, like the drawing of breath between agonised screams. note 273 No? note 274 Volyova marshalled her thoughts with the care of someone placing heavy ornaments on a rickety shelf. I think the Conjoiners made you. That’s my working hypothesis, and nothing you’ve told me has led me to think it might need reconsidering . note 275 Probably not. I’d like to know for curiosity’s sake, but the most important thing is that you’re still capable of serving me. The weapon tickled the part of her mind that registered amusement. note 276 You did what I asked of you, in the past. Not you specifically, Seventeen –1 never asked anything of you — but whenever I asked anything of the other weapons, they always obeyed me. note 277 No? note 278 You’re just saying that. note 279 You still are. note 280 I don’t know. I think they might be. note 281 There’s a problem you might have to attend to. note 282 In this system, yes. I’d need you to deploy beyond the ship… beyond this chamber… and help me. note 283 You will. I’ve looked after you for so long, taking care of you, keeping you safe from harm. I know you’ll help me. The weapon held her suspended, stroking her mind playfully. Now she knew what a mouse felt like after the cat had caught it. She felt that she was only an instant away from having her spine broken in two. But as abruptly as it had come, the paralysis eased. The weapon still imprisoned her, but she was regaining some voluntary muscle control. note 284 Nothing we can’t work around… note 285 The other one? note 286 Her mind dwelled on the possibilities before she realised what the weapon had to be talking about. You mean the Captain . note 287 The Captain just needs persuading, that’s all. I’m sure he’ll come around, in the end. note 288 No… not at all. But I have faith in the Captain. note 289 I do too. She gasped suddenly, as if she had been stomach- punched. Her head was empty again and the horrid sense of something sitting immediately behind her had gone, as abruptly as a slamming door. There was not even a hint of the presence in her peripheral vision. She was floating alone, and although she was still imprisoned in the weapon, the feeling that it was haunted had vanished. Volyova gathered her breath and her composure, marvelling at what had just happened. In all the years she had worked with the weapons she had never once suspected that any of them harboured a guardian subpersona, much less a machine intelligence of at least high gamma-level status — even possibly low-to-medium beta-level. The weapon had scared the living daylights out of her. Which, she supposed, had undoubtedly been the intended affect.
Вы читаете Alastiar Reynolds
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