Read Online Sentience 1: Storm Clouds Gathering by Gibson Michaels - Free Book Online
Authors: Gibson Michaels
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laundry... Hal took care of it all, freeing Diet from the drudge-work of everyday life.
After learning he was now the proud owner of more bank accounts than he could ever possibly need, Diet considered quitting his job and enjoying the lap of luxury this apartment and Hal offered him... for about a half-second. I’m too young to become a hermit. After a lifetime with few people in his personal life to talk to, Diet was coming to really enjoy his daily discussions with his new artificial friend.
Diet regularly researched subjects that involved complex social issues, as fodder for his ongoing efforts to “educate” Hal in understanding and interacting with humans. In the real world, Diet had learned to avoid discussing certain subjects like religion and politics, as those subjects tended to divide people, and often generated great animosity from the arguments that inevitably ensued. But those were exactly the kinds of things that Hal truly needed to understand most about humanity — the subjects that generated strong emotions and irreconcilable differences of opinions.
Diet had already been surprised, and amused on several occasions, by some of Hal’s shrewd observations about many incongruities within human society — an unbiased view from the outside-looking-in , so to speak.
The Planet Raku, Rak Imperial Palace
It was a long trip from Troxia Station to reach the Imperial planet of Raku. It took another 23 turns for even a quadrant-master like Raan, to finally arrange a private audience with Supreme-Master Xior. Drik was startled when he first laid eyes of the supreme-master. Raan had somehow neglected to mention that Supreme-Master Xior’s pelt was as white as driven snow. He was not a true albino however, as his eyes were not the normal telltale red, but a brilliant blue — a very rare eye color that Drik had only seen on one other Rak face… in a mirror.
Drik stood silently as Raan presented the supreme-master with a recording of the full inquiry, showing an exceedingly detailed and thorough report on the loss of Imperial Warfleet #28 and the two follow-up fleets. It also revealed the change in Trakaan strategy, and the particulars of how Drik’s squadron had escaped to bring the vital information back. Drik noticed that Supreme-Master Xior’s blue eyes flicked towards him periodically during Raan’s presentation, but he could read nothing from his controlled, neutral expression.
Surprisingly, Raan even went on to reveal Varq’s grim prophecy. Drik recognized pain registering in Supreme-Master Xior’s face when the details of the prophecy were fully revealed. When Raan’s lengthy report was concluded, Supreme-Master Xior closed his eyes, absorbing all that he’d heard. Suddenly, Xior’s eyes snapped open and bored in on the young squadron-master.
“Squadron-Master Drik,” said Supreme-Master Xior, speaking directly to Drik for the first time. “In regard to the charges brought against you, for your having broken the 500-cycle-old injunction against modification of Rak warships from the accepted standard — and of your contention that the restriction is appropriately applicable to inter-Rak warfare, but should not be applicable in the hunt of intelligent non-Rak prey, I have only one question. Knowing what you now know of our current Trakaan situation, would you do the same again?”
Without hesitation, Drik replied, “Yes, Supreme-Master... more so now, than before. Had I not done exactly as I did, the ships and crews of my entire squadron would have also been lost, and our people no wiser as to the cause of the disaster. If I must pay the ultimate penalty for having broken imperial injunction, so be it. The lives of my crews and the countless lives of other Rak warriors that may be saved from a repeat of the disaster because of what knowledge we now possess is fair enough exchange for the life of a single warrior. I die gladly in the knowledge that my life has served and saved others of my
After learning he was now the proud owner of more bank accounts than he could ever possibly need, Diet considered quitting his job and enjoying the lap of luxury this apartment and Hal offered him... for about a half-second. I’m too young to become a hermit. After a lifetime with few people in his personal life to talk to, Diet was coming to really enjoy his daily discussions with his new artificial friend.
Diet regularly researched subjects that involved complex social issues, as fodder for his ongoing efforts to “educate” Hal in understanding and interacting with humans. In the real world, Diet had learned to avoid discussing certain subjects like religion and politics, as those subjects tended to divide people, and often generated great animosity from the arguments that inevitably ensued. But those were exactly the kinds of things that Hal truly needed to understand most about humanity — the subjects that generated strong emotions and irreconcilable differences of opinions.
Diet had already been surprised, and amused on several occasions, by some of Hal’s shrewd observations about many incongruities within human society — an unbiased view from the outside-looking-in , so to speak.
The Planet Raku, Rak Imperial Palace
It was a long trip from Troxia Station to reach the Imperial planet of Raku. It took another 23 turns for even a quadrant-master like Raan, to finally arrange a private audience with Supreme-Master Xior. Drik was startled when he first laid eyes of the supreme-master. Raan had somehow neglected to mention that Supreme-Master Xior’s pelt was as white as driven snow. He was not a true albino however, as his eyes were not the normal telltale red, but a brilliant blue — a very rare eye color that Drik had only seen on one other Rak face… in a mirror.
Drik stood silently as Raan presented the supreme-master with a recording of the full inquiry, showing an exceedingly detailed and thorough report on the loss of Imperial Warfleet #28 and the two follow-up fleets. It also revealed the change in Trakaan strategy, and the particulars of how Drik’s squadron had escaped to bring the vital information back. Drik noticed that Supreme-Master Xior’s blue eyes flicked towards him periodically during Raan’s presentation, but he could read nothing from his controlled, neutral expression.
Surprisingly, Raan even went on to reveal Varq’s grim prophecy. Drik recognized pain registering in Supreme-Master Xior’s face when the details of the prophecy were fully revealed. When Raan’s lengthy report was concluded, Supreme-Master Xior closed his eyes, absorbing all that he’d heard. Suddenly, Xior’s eyes snapped open and bored in on the young squadron-master.
“Squadron-Master Drik,” said Supreme-Master Xior, speaking directly to Drik for the first time. “In regard to the charges brought against you, for your having broken the 500-cycle-old injunction against modification of Rak warships from the accepted standard — and of your contention that the restriction is appropriately applicable to inter-Rak warfare, but should not be applicable in the hunt of intelligent non-Rak prey, I have only one question. Knowing what you now know of our current Trakaan situation, would you do the same again?”
Without hesitation, Drik replied, “Yes, Supreme-Master... more so now, than before. Had I not done exactly as I did, the ships and crews of my entire squadron would have also been lost, and our people no wiser as to the cause of the disaster. If I must pay the ultimate penalty for having broken imperial injunction, so be it. The lives of my crews and the countless lives of other Rak warriors that may be saved from a repeat of the disaster because of what knowledge we now possess is fair enough exchange for the life of a single warrior. I die gladly in the knowledge that my life has served and saved others of my
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