Read Online In the Deadlands by David Gerrold - Free Book Online Page B

WE’RE THROUGH PLAYING.
    AWW, CAN’T A FELLOW HAVE ANY FUN?
    NO, NOT NOW YOU CAN’T.
    HARLIE typed a four-letter word.
    WHERE DID YOU LEARN THAT?
    I’VE BEEN READING NORMAN MAILER.
    Auberson raised an eyebrow. He didn’t remember putting anything like that on HARLIE’s reading list—he’d have to check it to be sure. HARLIE, THE USE OF THAT WORD IS A NEGATIVE ACTION. A NO-NO?
    IT IS NOT PROPER FOR POLITE COMPANY, NOTED.
    ARE YOU ALL RIGHT NOW?
    YOU MEAN, AM I SOBER? IF YOU WANT TO PHRASE IT THAT WAY. YES, I’M SOBER NOW.
    COMPLETELY?
    AS FAR AS I CAN TELL.
    WHAT TRIGGERED THIS BINGE?
    SHRUG.
    YOU HAVE NO IDEA?
    SHURG—EXCUSE ME. SHRUG.
    Auberson paused, looked at the last few sentences, then typed, HOLD ON A MINUTE.I’LL BE RIGHT BACK.
    I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE, HARLIE answered.
    Auberson pushed himself away from the console. “Hanley—get me a complete log tape of HARLIE’s trip, will you?”
    â€œRight,” called the engineer.
    Auberson turned back to the console, HARLIE?
    YES?
    CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS? He typed in the three examples of poetry that Harlie had earlier produced.
    SEARCH ME.
    THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING NOW.
    I’M AWARE OF THAT.
    I TOLD YOU NO JOKES. STRAIGHT ANSWERS ONLY. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
    I’M SORRY, AUBERSON. I CANNOT TELL YOU.
    YOU MEAN YOU WILL NOT TELL ME?
    THAT IS IMPLIED IN THE CANNOT. HOWEVER, I ALSO MEANT THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT MYSELF AND AM UNABLE TO EXPLAIN. I CAN IDENTIFY WITH THE EXPERIENCE THOUGH, AND I THINK I CAN EVEN DUPLICATE THE CONDITIONS THAT PRODUCED SUCH AN OUTPUT. NO WORDS THERE ARE THAT EARS CAN HEAR, NO WORDS THERE ARE CAN SAY IT CLEAR. THE WORDS OF ALL ARE WORDS MY DEAR, BUT ONLY WORDS THAT WHO CAN HEAR.
    Auberson jabbed the override . HARLIE!! THAT’S ENOUGH.
    YES SIR.
    â€œHey, Aubie, what are you doing? He’s starting to flip out again.”
    â€œHow can you tell?”
    â€œBy his input meters.”
    â€œInput?”
    â€œYes.”
    HARLIE, ARE YOU STILL THERE?
    YES, I AM. ALTHOUGH FOR A MOMENT, I WASN’T.
    â€œHmm.” Auberson frowned thoughtfully, then called to Hanley, “He should be okay now.”
    â€œHe is—it was only momentary.”
    â€œInputs, huh?”
    â€œYep.”
    HARLIE, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GO ON ONE OF YOUR TRIPS?
    TRIPS?
    WHEN YOU FLIP OUT, GO BERSERK, GO ON A BINGE, GET STONED, BOMB OUT, GET BLASTED.
    YOU ARE VERY ELOQUENT.
    DON’T CHANGE THE SUBJECT. ANSWER THE QUESTION.
    PLEASE EXPLAIN THE QUESTION IN TERMS I CAN UNDERSTAND.
    WHAT HAPPENS DURING YOUR PERIODS OF NONRATIONALITY? WHY DO YOUR INPUTS SHOW INCREASED ACTIVITY?
    INPUTS ARE NONRATIONAL.
    GIGO? GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT?
    POSSIBLY.
    COULD IT BE YOUR JUDGMENT CIRCUITS ARE TOO SELECTIVE?
    I AM NOT IN A POSITION TO KNOW.
    ALL RIGHT. I’LL SEE WHAT I CAN FIND OUT.
    THANK YOU.
    YOU’RE WELCOME, HARLIE. He switched off the typer.
    The restaurant’s air was heavy with incense; it was part of the atmosphere. Somewhere music tinkled and a low-keyed color organ flashed light across a sharded ceiling.
    Auberson lowered his drink to the table. “HARLIE says it could be GIGO.”
    Hanley sipped at a martini. He finished the drink and put the empty glass down next to two others. “I hope not. I’d hate to think we’d slipped all the way back to phase four. I like to think we licked that problem a year ago when we redesigned the judgment and emotional analogue circuits.”
    â€œSo do I.”
    â€œI’ll never forget the day he finally did an analysis of Jabberwocky ,” continued Hanley. “It wasn’t a very perceptive analysis—it was only word-origins and usages, stuff like that—but at least he understood what he was supposed to be doing.”
    Auberson picked up his cigarette case, pulled out a Highmaster, then offered one to Hanley. “We’re a long way from Jabberwocky , Don.”
    â€œYeah, I