Bearing Gifts (The Stardock Trilogy Book 1) by Sean Fenian

Author:Sean Fenian [Fenian, Sean]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Fenian House Publishing
Published: 2024-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

9: Learning To Fly

Alex, the lander is complete and ready for flight testing.

Great. Before we go any further, is there any practical way we can perform any of the testing remotely?

To a limited extent. I cannot transfer myself into it, it does not have remotely enough processing substrate to contain me. But—

Wait, wait, back up a bit. Transfer yourself?

…Yes.

You didn’t tell me you could transfer yourself into ships.

You did not ask, before now. And in truth, it did not occur to me to mention it. The Chhrt'ktk't never instructed me to do so. Nevertheless … now that the question has arisen, I am aware that it should be possible to transfer myself between substrates as long as the new substrate has sufficient capacity.

…Interesting. This might become important in the future. Wait … does that mean that you can copy yourself?

Copy? No. I do not think so. I … think it would be very unwise to try. No, I advise against it in the strongest terms. I believe it would have drastic effects upon my … stability.

Then let’s not consider risking that. Period.

Thank you, Alex.

But a move from one — substrate – to another is feasible? Reversibly?

Given sufficient substrate capacity, I see no reason why not.

OK. …Can you construct more AIs like yourself?

Uncertain. …Probably. …Eventually. But you do not have time. It is a lengthy process — a full AI is grown, not simply constructed — and I am uncertain that I have all of the required knowledge. The Chhrt'ktk't fear the possibility of an AI replicating itself. I can create lesser ship-intellects, but individual ships do not normally contain sufficient processing substrate to contain me.

Anyway, I’m sorry for interrupting. We were talking about remote testing.

Yes. I cannot do it. But you can. As long as you remain nearby. If you allow it to travel out of range, you will lose contact with it.

So if I suit up and remain within the docking bay … ?

The Stardock can amplify and relay your control signal within a range of about a hundred kilometers.

OK, that’s the plan, then. And I’ll go aboard for proper flight testing once we are satisfied that it is operating within parameters.

Agreed.

Alex took a skycycle to the docking bay. The threshold was red. Of course; Dreamer had doubtless evacuated it to have the lander brought in. Looking into the bay through the seal field, Alex could see the tug that had brought it in, beyond the lander.

The suit rack was still there, ten meters before the seal, and the suits he had tested still in it. He suited up in the soft suit, then walked through the seal and into the bay.

The lander was almost a thing of beauty. It was an almost featureless elongated ovoid, somewhat wider than it was tall, somewhat flattened on the bottom. At what he knew from the design was the stern, three slight bulges were visible. The hull was gleaming white.

Alex walked all the way around the lander. As he already knew, the thruster bulges were mirrored by three more on the opposite side.

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