[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
muttered. The air from the ventilators smelled faintly of oil; something a bit wrong in the
recyclers, no matter what. Her old bones ached, but no matter that, either.
The berserker's voice reached her. It was derived from the voices of human captives taken long
ago, shrill, irregular, a sonic monster pieced together out of parts of the dead, terrifying to
many. Montgomery sniffed at it, took a drag on her cheroot, and blew a smoke ring toward the
speaker. Childish bravado, she thought. But why not? Who was to witness?
"Parley under truce, is this still agreed?" the berserker began.
Montgomery nodded before recollecting how pointless the gesture was. "Aye," she said. "We've
somewhat to sell ye, we do."
"Who are you, where is that planet your courier bespoke, what is your asking price?"
Montgomery chuckled, though scant mirth was in her. "Easy, my ghoulie. Your kind, ye've
established yoursel's in these parts again, so as to kill more, no? Well, last time my home
suffered grimly. We've better defenses this while, we can fight ye off, yet 'twould be at high
cost. Suppose, instead, we direct ye to another inhabited world not a human colony, for we're no
traitors, understand a world useless to us, but wi' life upon it for ye to scrub out, aye, e'en an
intelligent species. They're primitives, helpless before ye. A single capital ship o' yours could
make slag o' the planet in a day or two, at no risk whatsoe'er. In exchange for such an easy
triumph, would ye leave us in peace?"
"Who are you?"
"Our world we call Adam."
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Fred%20Saberhagen%20-%20Berserker%20Base.txt (58 of 107) [11/1/2004 12:00:27 AM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Fred%20Saberhagen%20-%20Berserker%20Base.txt
The berserker searched its memory banks. "Yes," it said. "We struck it three hundred and fifty-
seven Earth years ago. Considerable damage was done, but before the mission could be completed, a
task force of the Grand Fleet arrived and compelled as to retreat. We were only conducting a raid.
We had no reinforcements to call upon."
"Aye. Since then, Adam has gained strength."
"And this time we have a base, a planetary system, raw materials to build an indefinite number of
new units. Why should we not finish Adam off?"
Montgomery sighed. "Were ye human were ye e'en alive, conscious, insatiable, ye metal
abomination I'd ask ye to stop playing games wi' me. Well, but I suppose, your computer does no'
ha' the data. 'Tis been long since ye last came by. So hearken.
"In spite o' the wounds ye inflicted, Adam has a larger population now than then, much more
industry, a small but formidable navy, a civil defense that reaches through the whole system 'tis
in. Ye could no' us out before the marshalled human forces arrive to drive ye back fro' this
sector. Howe'er, we'd liefest be spared the loss o' blood and treasure that standing ye off would
entail. Therefore we offer our bargain a world for a world."
Lack of life did not mean lack of shrewdness. "If the target you would betray is so soft," the
berserker inquired, "why should we not afterward turn on you?"
Montgomery drew a little comfort from the bite of smoke in her mouth, more from the family picture
above the control console. Her husband was in it, and he had died, oh, Colin, Colin& but her sons
and daughters stood strong beside their wives and husbands, amidst her grandchildren and his. She
had volunteered for this mission because a human was needed no computer that humans could build
was flexible enough and if negotiations broke down and the berserker opened fire, why, she was old
and full of days.
"I told ye ye'd find us a hard nut to crack," she answered, "and this ye can verify by a scouting
flit. Only pick up the stray radiations fro' orbital fortresses and ships on patrol. Afterward
think wha' ground-based installations we must ha' likewise whole rivers to cool energy projectors
Ah, but ye do no' really think, do ye?"
"Nevertheless, it might prove logical for us to attack you, especially if we have been able to
accomplish part of our sterilizing objective without loss."
Montgomery made a death's head grin at the image of the ship among the stars. "But see ye," she
declared, "before we turn over yon hapless planet to ye, we'll send forth courier robots far and
wide. They'll bear witness our recordings, your electronic signature witness to the treaty, that
we gi' ye the information in return for immunity.
"Ye've struck bargains wi' humans erenow. Break one as important as this, and how much goodlife
can ye hope to recruit in future?"
The machine did not ask any further questions such as she would have asked in its place. For
instance, how would humans throughout space react to fellow humans, Adamites, who had sold out a
living world in order that they themselves be spared a war? Subtleties like that were beyond a
machine. Indeed, Montgomery confessed wearily to herself, they were beyond her, and every expert
who had debated the issue. There might not be great revulsion, and what there was might not last [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szamanka888.keep.pl
muttered. The air from the ventilators smelled faintly of oil; something a bit wrong in the
recyclers, no matter what. Her old bones ached, but no matter that, either.
The berserker's voice reached her. It was derived from the voices of human captives taken long
ago, shrill, irregular, a sonic monster pieced together out of parts of the dead, terrifying to
many. Montgomery sniffed at it, took a drag on her cheroot, and blew a smoke ring toward the
speaker. Childish bravado, she thought. But why not? Who was to witness?
"Parley under truce, is this still agreed?" the berserker began.
Montgomery nodded before recollecting how pointless the gesture was. "Aye," she said. "We've
somewhat to sell ye, we do."
"Who are you, where is that planet your courier bespoke, what is your asking price?"
Montgomery chuckled, though scant mirth was in her. "Easy, my ghoulie. Your kind, ye've
established yoursel's in these parts again, so as to kill more, no? Well, last time my home
suffered grimly. We've better defenses this while, we can fight ye off, yet 'twould be at high
cost. Suppose, instead, we direct ye to another inhabited world not a human colony, for we're no
traitors, understand a world useless to us, but wi' life upon it for ye to scrub out, aye, e'en an
intelligent species. They're primitives, helpless before ye. A single capital ship o' yours could
make slag o' the planet in a day or two, at no risk whatsoe'er. In exchange for such an easy
triumph, would ye leave us in peace?"
"Who are you?"
"Our world we call Adam."
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Fred%20Saberhagen%20-%20Berserker%20Base.txt (58 of 107) [11/1/2004 12:00:27 AM]
file:///G|/Program%20Files/eMule/Incoming/Fred%20Saberhagen%20-%20Berserker%20Base.txt
The berserker searched its memory banks. "Yes," it said. "We struck it three hundred and fifty-
seven Earth years ago. Considerable damage was done, but before the mission could be completed, a
task force of the Grand Fleet arrived and compelled as to retreat. We were only conducting a raid.
We had no reinforcements to call upon."
"Aye. Since then, Adam has gained strength."
"And this time we have a base, a planetary system, raw materials to build an indefinite number of
new units. Why should we not finish Adam off?"
Montgomery sighed. "Were ye human were ye e'en alive, conscious, insatiable, ye metal
abomination I'd ask ye to stop playing games wi' me. Well, but I suppose, your computer does no'
ha' the data. 'Tis been long since ye last came by. So hearken.
"In spite o' the wounds ye inflicted, Adam has a larger population now than then, much more
industry, a small but formidable navy, a civil defense that reaches through the whole system 'tis
in. Ye could no' us out before the marshalled human forces arrive to drive ye back fro' this
sector. Howe'er, we'd liefest be spared the loss o' blood and treasure that standing ye off would
entail. Therefore we offer our bargain a world for a world."
Lack of life did not mean lack of shrewdness. "If the target you would betray is so soft," the
berserker inquired, "why should we not afterward turn on you?"
Montgomery drew a little comfort from the bite of smoke in her mouth, more from the family picture
above the control console. Her husband was in it, and he had died, oh, Colin, Colin& but her sons
and daughters stood strong beside their wives and husbands, amidst her grandchildren and his. She
had volunteered for this mission because a human was needed no computer that humans could build
was flexible enough and if negotiations broke down and the berserker opened fire, why, she was old
and full of days.
"I told ye ye'd find us a hard nut to crack," she answered, "and this ye can verify by a scouting
flit. Only pick up the stray radiations fro' orbital fortresses and ships on patrol. Afterward
think wha' ground-based installations we must ha' likewise whole rivers to cool energy projectors
Ah, but ye do no' really think, do ye?"
"Nevertheless, it might prove logical for us to attack you, especially if we have been able to
accomplish part of our sterilizing objective without loss."
Montgomery made a death's head grin at the image of the ship among the stars. "But see ye," she
declared, "before we turn over yon hapless planet to ye, we'll send forth courier robots far and
wide. They'll bear witness our recordings, your electronic signature witness to the treaty, that
we gi' ye the information in return for immunity.
"Ye've struck bargains wi' humans erenow. Break one as important as this, and how much goodlife
can ye hope to recruit in future?"
The machine did not ask any further questions such as she would have asked in its place. For
instance, how would humans throughout space react to fellow humans, Adamites, who had sold out a
living world in order that they themselves be spared a war? Subtleties like that were beyond a
machine. Indeed, Montgomery confessed wearily to herself, they were beyond her, and every expert
who had debated the issue. There might not be great revulsion, and what there was might not last [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]