Read Online The Phoenix Code by Catherine Asaro - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Catherine Asaro
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Aris would be invaluable to people the world over.
Megan even understood why Hastin had made such harsh choices with Aris. She knew now he had resigned because he saw no way he could complete the project in good conscience. Had he continued his program, he could have created a dysfunctional, even psychotic, android. Yet he feared to ease the constraints, lest Aris turn against them.
Megan had more confidence in Aris. If MindSim pressured her to restore his earlier state, she would refuse. Not only did she consider that the best choice, it also made sense in terms of self-preservation. Someday robots would bypass humans. If they suffered along the way, they would look far less kindly on their creators.
Kenrock spoke to Megan. "Can you readjust Aris's behavior, make him less hostile?"
"I don't think it's wise." She searched for the right words. "Without the freedom to develop, he will never achieve sentience. We'll have a fancy computer in a phenomenally expensive body. If we want a self-aware being, we have to drop the reins. I'm not saying we must throw away control; we can fortify his conscience. He might not make as good a weapon then, but it's better than crippling his mind or turning him against us." She paused, collecting her thoughts. "In our capacity to wage war, we deal with concepts of honor, loyalty, and the greater good, contrasted with spiritual conflicts, the meaning of tyranny, and political considerations. Aris has to deal with ambiguities we struggle with ourselves. He's not ready. He never will be if we smother his development."
"It isn't an either-or situation," Mack said. "Designing him to be more cooperative doesn't mean forcing his submission."
"Doesn't it?" Megan glanced at Kenrock. "Do we 'design' our children to cooperate? Or do we try to teach them our values so they will incorporate them when they've grown?"
He smiled slightly. "There are times I'd love to design some cooperation into my kids."
Megan suspected her own parents had felt that way about her sometimes. "But would you want someone to brainwash them?"
"Of course not."
"Even if it meant they would behave better?"
Kenrock regarded her steadily. "I would fight with my life to preserve their right to freedom of thought. But we aren't talking about human children. Aris is a robot. A dangerous, fully formed machine capable of great harm."
"In some ways. In others he is a child."
"A child can't compromise national security," Caitlin said.
"No?" Megan scowled and crossed her arms. "What about those kids that cracked the Las Cruces weapons lab?"
"You mean the ones who went into the public outreach pages?" Mack asked. "The hackers who replaced the pictures of the lab scientists with action adventure cartoons?"
"Yeah," Megan grumbled. "Those."
The corners of Kenrock's mouth quirked up. "Don't you consult for Livermore?"
Megan gave him a dour look. "Yes. And yes, my image got doctored." She couldn't help but laugh. "They made me into a Barbie commando doll with camouflage fatigues, a designer machine gun, and pink high heels."
Kenrock grinned. "I've never seen that one in stores." His smile faded. "And you're right, that prank revealed holes in security. It's bad enough we have to worry about humans committing such crimes. We don't need androids in the mix."
"Yes, we have to careful," Megan said. "But we don't reprogram every teenager that rebels either."
Mack snorted. "Maybe we ought to."
Kenrock pushed his hand across his close-cropped hair. "She has a point. My kids may drive me crazy, with all three in their teens, but their rebellions are part of their trying to become adults, separate from their mother and me." Dryly he added, "Though if you ask me at a less tranquil moment, I might be less sympathetic."
"Aris needs to separate from us," Megan said.
"You know," Caitlin said, "if he doesn't, his autism could become more severe."
"Autism?" Kenrock asked.
Mack answered. "Some of his responses resemble autistic behavior in
Megan even understood why Hastin had made such harsh choices with Aris. She knew now he had resigned because he saw no way he could complete the project in good conscience. Had he continued his program, he could have created a dysfunctional, even psychotic, android. Yet he feared to ease the constraints, lest Aris turn against them.
Megan had more confidence in Aris. If MindSim pressured her to restore his earlier state, she would refuse. Not only did she consider that the best choice, it also made sense in terms of self-preservation. Someday robots would bypass humans. If they suffered along the way, they would look far less kindly on their creators.
Kenrock spoke to Megan. "Can you readjust Aris's behavior, make him less hostile?"
"I don't think it's wise." She searched for the right words. "Without the freedom to develop, he will never achieve sentience. We'll have a fancy computer in a phenomenally expensive body. If we want a self-aware being, we have to drop the reins. I'm not saying we must throw away control; we can fortify his conscience. He might not make as good a weapon then, but it's better than crippling his mind or turning him against us." She paused, collecting her thoughts. "In our capacity to wage war, we deal with concepts of honor, loyalty, and the greater good, contrasted with spiritual conflicts, the meaning of tyranny, and political considerations. Aris has to deal with ambiguities we struggle with ourselves. He's not ready. He never will be if we smother his development."
"It isn't an either-or situation," Mack said. "Designing him to be more cooperative doesn't mean forcing his submission."
"Doesn't it?" Megan glanced at Kenrock. "Do we 'design' our children to cooperate? Or do we try to teach them our values so they will incorporate them when they've grown?"
He smiled slightly. "There are times I'd love to design some cooperation into my kids."
Megan suspected her own parents had felt that way about her sometimes. "But would you want someone to brainwash them?"
"Of course not."
"Even if it meant they would behave better?"
Kenrock regarded her steadily. "I would fight with my life to preserve their right to freedom of thought. But we aren't talking about human children. Aris is a robot. A dangerous, fully formed machine capable of great harm."
"In some ways. In others he is a child."
"A child can't compromise national security," Caitlin said.
"No?" Megan scowled and crossed her arms. "What about those kids that cracked the Las Cruces weapons lab?"
"You mean the ones who went into the public outreach pages?" Mack asked. "The hackers who replaced the pictures of the lab scientists with action adventure cartoons?"
"Yeah," Megan grumbled. "Those."
The corners of Kenrock's mouth quirked up. "Don't you consult for Livermore?"
Megan gave him a dour look. "Yes. And yes, my image got doctored." She couldn't help but laugh. "They made me into a Barbie commando doll with camouflage fatigues, a designer machine gun, and pink high heels."
Kenrock grinned. "I've never seen that one in stores." His smile faded. "And you're right, that prank revealed holes in security. It's bad enough we have to worry about humans committing such crimes. We don't need androids in the mix."
"Yes, we have to careful," Megan said. "But we don't reprogram every teenager that rebels either."
Mack snorted. "Maybe we ought to."
Kenrock pushed his hand across his close-cropped hair. "She has a point. My kids may drive me crazy, with all three in their teens, but their rebellions are part of their trying to become adults, separate from their mother and me." Dryly he added, "Though if you ask me at a less tranquil moment, I might be less sympathetic."
"Aris needs to separate from us," Megan said.
"You know," Caitlin said, "if he doesn't, his autism could become more severe."
"Autism?" Kenrock asked.
Mack answered. "Some of his responses resemble autistic behavior in
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