Chapter 27 Paeans
The robots had provided an island of seclusion in the cafeteria to accommodate the seven human visitors. The robots were very adept at changing the motif of any area very quickly, as had been witnessed when the bare walls and bare floor cafeteria was converted to an airy cafe and now to a chic bistro. Maud and Wilma now posted themselves at opposite corners of the seating area for reasons that would soon be obvious.
The command surrogate holograph appeared with a few clicks and clacks from Maud and Wilma as they took their positions. Alta studied Maud for a moment and then turned to examine Wilma floating behind her. She then looked at Adams and told him “They are not here to protect us.” That drew a look of concern and stare from everyone.
Adams reached for the com-link to begin recording and it was instantly hit by a thin beam of blue light coming from Maud. Adams was startled but surprised to find he was not injured and he assured Alta he was all right. The com-link suffered no apparent physical damage but was rendered inoperative. The signal indicator was unlit meaning power had been neutralized. Alta shook her head while focusing her attention on the image of the Krell in some type of blue uniform seated with the group in a Krell style chair.
Alta said something very short in Krell and was answered in English by the image with “Yes, we can accommodate the ambassador. He retains his privilege of diplomatic immunity.” Alta spoke again in Krell and this time the com-link in Adams's hand was hit with another beam from Maud, restoring the device to working order.
“Well thank you.” Adams responded somewhat sarcastically before looking toward Alta and asking “What about you? What is your status? You are my wife, right?”
Alta turned ever so slightly to face Adams and said “Don't say another word from here on.” Alta's voice was very low and grim. “Our lives depend on your silence. You must trust me and you must contain your reaction no matter what I say.” Alta said as she turned to look into the eyes of everyone in the group.
Adams was about to answer when Alta instantly flashed a shaking finger at him, upon which he closed his mouth and simply nodded.
“My husband,” Alta began, “known by you as Ambassador Adams destroyed the Krell home planet about seven months ago.” Adams head snapped back and turned to look at Alta, as did the others, with mouths dropped open and the color leaving their faces. They remembered what she said about remaining silent but what was she doing?
“That is not possible.” the surrogate snapped back. “An inferior species like the Garon could not cause that kind of destruction.”
The grinding sound associated with surrogates began and Alta started to explain to the group. “The surrogates construct scenarios with millions if not billions of variables and test for probability. That sound is simply an encoded signal for sending and receiving data. You might call it the surrogate way of communing.”
The surrogate paused, exchanging looks with Alta, then with Adams and then agreeing “Yes, I believe you. That act demands punishment.” Alta thought about that and forced herself to remember that the Krell robots and computers strictly followed programming and never originated a single rule or instruction. A piece of program code said that hostile acts against Altair 4 were to be stopped and punished to prevent any such future acts. Alta was understanding that billions or even trillions of lines of program code did not constitute intelligence though they could give a convincing performance.
“No,” shouted Alta, “his act killed no one and destroyed a great evil!” Alta waited for a reaction. She could not read the Krell facial gestures and body language and had to rely solely on verbal communication and a hope the computer could read at least part of what she was now thinking. The surrogate remained silent but clearly had his attention focused on Adams as grinding sounds turned on and off in an erratic pattern.
Alta jumped again at the opportunity. “The Krell completed the great project 200,000 years ago. It was one of the last communications you received from the home planet.” Though she had not yet been able to locate an historical record concerning the event, she deduced the Krell must have informed their outposts of the great accomplishment.
As the grinding sound stopped, the surrogate turned his attention to Alta and admitted “Yes they did, and it was the last communication we have received to date.”
“Yes!” Alta yelled as she jumped up now at the opportunity to hit the surrogate squarely with the truth and let the cards fall where they may. “Because the great machine they built killed them all in a single night. That is why they don't answer your messages, your requests, your questions. They are all dead, killed by their great creation, the evil which Ambassador Adams destroyed so it could kill no more.”
Alta was well aware the truth detection sensors and software of Maud and Wilma were monitoring her. She looked at them both with a haughty expression because she knew they would find she was telling the truth. The surrogate was grinding at a frantic rate. For an instant, the grinding stopped and the surrogate said