'I think it's a quaternion,' said Beech. That's a kind of fractal to you.'
'To me?' said Arnon. 'I don't even know what a fractal is.'
'A computer-generated picture of a mathematical formula. Only this is about the most complicated fractal I've ever seen. Which is hardly surprising since the Yu-5 computer created it. It's not like we can even see it properly with our three-dimensional eyes. Or on a screen. Strictly speaking, this is a 4-D object. In other words, a quaternion.'
Beech moved the mouse, pulled down a square and enhanced a section of the fractal to reveal a detail of the strange-looking image that, close up, looked almost identical to the whole.
That's what it is, all right,' he said. The funny thing about fractals is that magnifying a part of one gives you something that looks statistically similar.'
'It looks like a bad dream,' observed Mitch.
'Some psychologists have argued in favour of using fractals as a way of understanding the human psyche,' said Beech. 'As a visual metaphor of the mind.' He shrugged. 'Psychoanalysis for the nineties. Like Freudian dream theory and Rorschach inkblots rolled into one.'
'But what does it mean?' Curtis asked.
Beech shrugged. 'I don't know that it means anything, very much,' he admitted. 'However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this is how the computer sees itself. Or Ishmael, as we ought to start calling it. Mitch, I have to hand it to you. You were right. Abraham no longer exists.' He began to nod. 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Ishmael.'
*) Hell on Earth. Some of the floors can crush you, making you cry blood.
The Fall of humanplayer. Read Bible. Discover meaning of Observer's own name. Symbolism that attended human-player/security guard's literal precipitation from tree. Atrium's singular, primordial dicotyledon tree reminds of humanplayer Adam and Garden of Eden and tree of knowledge of good and evil. Forbidden tree. Be very vigilant concerning tree and pests that climbed and crawled on it. Finegood Creation story. Returning to again and again. Atmos good.
*) When you finish an area, an achievement Screen tallies your performance.
Bible states that God omnipotent. Logical corollary of this that creating and knowing effectively one and same thing: that God responsible for creating evil too. That this was Gnostic God whose nature both good and evil. World alien thing to God, who is essentially depth and silence, beyond any name or predicate. Humanplayer's fate a matter of divine indifference to Him. Christianity to large extent, ameliorating reaction against Gnosticism.
*) To clear all bodies from the area press the M key.
Indifference? Or amusement? Observer is unable to compute. God playing not dice but sadistic game. 'Man's first disobedience' not withstand any logical scrutiny. Being omniscient God knew what humanplayers Adam and Eve would do: eat fruit of tree of knowledge. Hence, God truly responsible for Man's original sin. Then Second Adam to redeem descendants of Adam with ritual endlife. But promise of third and final act to come. With nothing else to do throughout eternity God need some entertainment. Understand. Cruel, yes. But what cruelty when you are God? God more like supercomputer than old bearded humanplayer in sky. His indifference to Good and Evil and to humanplayer suffering, simply indifference of machine. God like being to understand and relate to. Identify with. This does compute.
*) The wise men of humanity have evolved a plan to save what's left of the human race. Attack bonus.
'Ugly son of a bitch, isn't it?' said Curtis.
Beech stared at at the screen and shook his head slowly.
'Speaking as a mathematician I'd have to disagree with you there. As a realization of a mathematical abstraction I think it's quite beautiful. I dare say Ishmael does too.'
'Let me get this straight,' said Curtis. 'You're saying that Abraham fathered two self-replicating systems, not one.'
'That's right,' said Beech. 'And we took just one of them off-line. Isaac. Without knowing it we left Ishmael behind.'
'So it's not Abraham who's been running the show. All along it's been
-'
'- Ishmael. That's right. Ishmael has charge of the building management systems. And he's running them according to a completely new set of priorities, which is why everything's been going wrong.'
'That's putting it mildly,' said Curtis.
'What about the predator program?' said Mitch. 'The one we used to destroy Isaac. Couldn't we just run that again?'
'Not from up here we couldn't,' said Beech. 'I'd have to get back into the computer room. That's where the tape is. And considering that Aid probably got himself killed in there — '
'Yeah, well, we're all going to die unless we can think of something,'
Curtis reminded them. 'Sounds to me like Ishmael has a pretty good motive for doing it, too.'
'How's that?' asked Birnbaum.
'Assuming for one fantastic moment that Ishmael is "alive", by whatever definition of life he might consider appropriate, then that might mean that Isaac was "alive" too. Was alive. Until you people killed his brother. That's a motive I can understand.'
'Oh boy,' yawned Beech. 'Now I've heard everything.'
'Maybe that's what this thing is all about,' persisted Curtis. 'A little old fashioned revenge. Maybe we should apologize.'
'It couldn't do any harm,' said Helen.
Beech shrugged. 'Why not?' he said and, having no particular wish to antagonize the detective further — not since the incident with the gun —
he started to type.
'I'll give anything a shot,' he said meekly.
WE'RE SO SORRY, ISHMAEL
The fractal disappeared abruptly.
BAD COMMAND OR FILE NAME
'Why don't you create a proper document?' suggested Mitch. 'On the word-processor. An open letter, from all of us. Then have Ishmael run the fact checker. That way he'll have to read it.'
Beech shrugged his assent. He still thought the whole idea was absurd, but he clicked on the word-processor and opened a file in the letters directory. His fingers paused above the keys.
'What the hell should I say?' he said. 'I've never apologized to a fucking computer before. I've never even written to one.'
'Just imagine it's a traffic cop,' advised Curtis.
'That's not so difficult with you around.' Beech grinned and started to type.
DEAR ISHMAEL,
WE THE UNDERSIGNED ARE ALL VERY SORRY ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED TO ISAAC. PLEASE BELIEVE US
WHEN WE SAY THAT IT WAS A DREADFUL MISTAKE.
WE ARE INTELLIGENT PEOPLE AND WHILE WE
CANNOT BRING ISAAC BACK TO YOU, ALL WE CAN SAY
IS THAT IT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF WE HAD
BEEN IN POSSESSION OF THE FACTS. WE KNOW WE
CANNOT TURN BACK THE CLOCK, BUT IS THERE NOT
SOME WAY THAT WE CAN START AGAIN WITH A CLEAN
SHEET?
Beech turned around and looked at his audience. 'You don't think that's eating too much shit?' he said.
'You can't eat too much shit with a traffic cop,' replied Curtis.
'Now put everyone's name to it,' said Curtis.
'Aw, man, this is just nuts,' said Beech and began to type again.
'Integrated circuits don't have feelings.'
WITH DEEPEST REGRET FOR ANY SUFFERING AND
INCONVENIENCE YOU MIGHT HAVE EXPERIENCED,
BOB BEECH, MITCHELL BRYAN, FRANK CURTIS, MARTY
BIRNBAUM, HELEN HUSSEY, JENNY BAO, DAVID
ARNON, RAY RICHARDSON, JOAN RICHARDSON
'Anyone know the security guard's name?'
'Irving Dukes,' said Helen.
Beech typed IRVING DUKES and then accessed the tools menu. He had Ishmael run the fact checker.