Shadow Warrior #02 - Hunt the Heavens by Chris Bunch & Allan Cole

Author:Chris Bunch & Allan Cole [Bunch, Chris & Cole, Allan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Adventure, Science Fiction, Fiction, General
ISBN: 9780345387363
Google: 4c-rtls86H8C
Amazon: 0345387368
Publisher: Del Rey
Published: 1996-07-30T22:00:00+00:00

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

Inside were the banks of a great Al’ar strategy computer.

***

Taen slid his hand down a multicolored strip next to a rack, and around him screens lit. A larger screen, almost a yard on a side just in front of Taen remained blue-black, inactive. “It lives!”

“It would have been a not life-enhancing experience if it had not, considering our passage,” Wolfe said.

“That is what you callsarcasmI would guess,” Taen said. “I did not know it was possible to do that in Al’ar.”

The holograph rose in front of him, the computer’s “keyboard.” Dim green light formed vertical squares, and in each was a character or combination of characters in Al’ar.

“Let us hope that it will recognize me.”

Wolfe pulled up a resting rack and madehimself as comfortable as possible.

Two hours later the dark screen in front of Taen blinked into life, swirled through a color wheel, shades unseen by Wolfe since he was last on an Al’ar world.

“Now we have a starting point,” Taen said.

“Start by asking about the Guardians.”

Taen’s impossibly long fingers moved, screens showed figures,then a diagonal multicolored band appeared across the main screen. Taen’s grasping organ shot out, and the screen blanked.

“That I do not like.”

“What occurred?” Wolfe asked.

“Be silent. Let me attempt the task again.”

Again his fingers moved against the “keyboard,” and again the diagonal band flashed and Taen was cut out of the program.

“The machine has defenses and takes precautions. I thought I had a high-enough permission, what you callclearance,but any attempt to inquire in the area of Guardians produces a warning. If I persisted, I suspect the whole computer would shut down on me. Do you have a suggestion?”

“I think,” Wolfe said, “we stay light-years away from that area. You realize that what just happened confirms the existence of the Guardians.”

Taen’s hood flared slightly,then subsided. “No, I had not yet…of course. Certainly it must. I wonder what has become of myintelligence? I am behaving entirely like a broodling.”

“Don’t concern yourself,” Wolfe said. “I never thought you were highly gifted in the arena of thinking.” Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

“Such is obvious,” Taen said. “I chose to associate with Terrans.” Wolfe looked at the Al’ar in considerable astonishment. “Taen, did you just make a joke?” he asked in Terran.

“Perhaps I did. It was an error.How shall we pursue the matter now?”

“I wondered if there might not be some kind of block within the computer,” Wolfe said, “so I brought some backup.” He dug in his pack and took out two microfiches, a viewer, and a notepad.

“This will take a few minutes,” he said, inserting the card into the viewer’s slot. “If we can’t get ‘em high, perhaps we can nail them down low.”

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