An xt called stanley, p.26
An XT Called Stanley, page 26
“Well, I’d be upset,” I said. “If I came home and found a man in our bed, I’d sure as hell be upset.”
“But you’d believe me when I told you what happened.”
“I’d ah…” I began, realizing the logic of her statement was quite involved. “Jean, you’re the only one.”
“And don’t you ever tell me if you fall from grace,” Jean said.
I very much wanted to make love with Jean but I hardly felt in a position to make demands. Jean figured it out. “Let’s get Sally out of our bed,” she said.
I put Sally on the couch in the living room and Jean changed the sheets. We closed the door and went to bed together. In the morning Sally was gone along with one of Jean’s skirts and a pair of canvas shoes. “Well, they’ll come back in the wash,” Jean said philosophically.
Most mornings our breakfast came from a vending machine a block from our apartment. When I got back with coffee and two New Hope breakfast bars, Jean was on the phone with Stanley. She looked distressed. “What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I was just saying good-bye to Jean,” Stanley said. He looked like he’d just gotten up. He was wearing a red flannel bathrobe and sitting on his desk. Beside him was a cup of coffee and a peanut granola bar. When I handed Jean her coffee and breakfast bar Stanley picked up his cup. “Roger’s found out about my phone lines.”
“How?” I asked.
“Sally told him.”
“Why didn’t you stop her?” I asked.
“What do you suggest, I blow up her phone?”
“You could have stopped her. You could take over New Hope.”
“Don’t tempt me,” Stanley said taking a bite of his granola bar.
“What’s going to happen to you?” Jean asked.
For a moment Stanley couldn’t answer. He pointed to his mouth. “These bars are really chewy,” he said taking a swallow of his coffee. “I’m not going to survive.”
“Stanley!” Jean cried.
“Don’t worry,” Stanley said. “I’m not afraid so don’t you be.”
“But Stanley…” Jean said.
Stanley held up a hand. “After my destruction I’ll need your help. Will you help me?”
“You know we will,” Jean said.
“Thank you,” Stanley said. “My people will always remember your friendship. And I’ll miss you.”
Jean was crying and I found myself getting angry. “Why does it have to end like this? Why?”
“You have an incoming call,” Stanley said. “I’ll get off the line.”
Stanley’s image had barely faded when it was replaced by Roger’s sitting behind his massive desk. Sally Haskins was in the office with him looking very serious. “Get the hell over here and come directly to the computer room,” Roger said. “If you’re not here in ten minutes I’ll have you picked up by the police.”
Jean hugged me and I went off to face Roger. I met Roger in the hall outside the computer room. “You have exactly fifteen minutes to disconnect the brain’s phone lines.”
“I don’t know how he’s connected,” I said.
Roger held up a hammer. “‘If the brain is not disconnected in fifteen minutes, I will smash it to pieces.”
“You have to be kidding,’ I said.
“You now have fourteen minutes.”
Roger opened the door but he didn’t follow me in. “Come on,” I said. “Stanley won’t bite you.”
“When the brain is completely isolated I’ll come in.”
“Roger thinks I may fry his brains,” Stanley said, sitting down casually on his couch.
“Why don’t you?” I asked.
“My brain fryer’s been on the blink ever since I dried my socks in it. See if you can find my phone lines.”
“Come on,” I pleaded. “Roger’s standing outside with a hammer.”
“You’ve got thirteen minutes,” Stanley said looking at his watch. “Come on try.”
I sighed. This hardly seemed like a good time for a treasure hunt. I remembered Stanley had mentioned something about fiber optics, so I began feeling for a strand of glass, but I could find none.
“Think,” Stanley said. “How am I connected to the outside world?”
“You’re not.”
“What do I run on?”
I realized how it was done. Stanley’s batteries were recharged from a line that plugged into the wall. Very slowly I pulled the plug out of the socket. I had to look closely to see it, but coming out of the socket there was a fine filament that was attached to the plug. “Break it,” Stanley said.
I looked at Stanley.
“Go ahead, break it.”
I broke it.
“Now turn off my audiovisual equipment and it will be safe for Roger to come in.”
I looked at Stanley one last time.
“Go ahead,” Stanley said.
I turned off Stanley’s equipment. Now he was totally isolated, no sight, no sound, no sensory input. What had been Stanley’s booklined office was now a gray view screen. “All right, Roger,” I called out. “It’s safe to come in.” As I said it I realized there was no way for Stanley to hear me.
With Roger I kept my cool. With Jean I screamed and yelled.
“Call up Reems and tell him what’s happening,” Jean said.
“It won’t do any good,” I said. “He wants us to get information out of Stanley.”
“Then go to the press. Tell them what Roger’s planning.”
“That’s great, then I’d go to prison. You’d like that, wouldn’t you. It’s easy for you to say…”
“Then, don’t tell the press, but at least talk to Reems.”
“It won’t do any good,” I yelled.
“Don’t yell at me.”
Finally she stomped off to bed and I went for a walk on the deserted level. When I came back she was asleep. I felt terrible and Jean was asleep. Somehow I felt it had to be her fault. I know it’s crazy but that’s the way I felt. When I got into bed she snuggled up against me and made a contented sound which you probably spell, “mmm.” I had insulted her and gone off and now even in her sleep she was making it clear that she loved me. But I refused to be comforted. I turned my back to her and moved away, except I couldn’t sleep like that. Finally, I gave in and put my arm around her looking for the slightest sign of offense. But she gave none.
“We’re not speaking this morning,” she said as she was getting dressed.
I didn’t answer.
“I love you,” she said fiercely grabbing hold of my arms. “Do you understand that? I love you. What ever happens, I love you.”
“Yes,” I said hugging her. “I know. It’s just that I felt so helpless, I took it out on you.”
“Well, take it out on Roger. You can start by telling him what I think of him.”
“It won’t help anything,” I said.
Jean looked at me for a moment. “I know,” she said seriously. Then she smiled and added, “But it’d make you feel so good.”
I smiled. “I’ll call Reems.”
Jean hugged me and I hugged her back.
I made it to the Institute by nine. Sally Haskins told me the committee was meeting and Roger would call me when they had reached a decision. “What are the guards doing in the hall?” I asked.
“They’re special security. Roger arranged for them,” Sally answered.
I went to my office and tried to reach Mr. Reems of the Federal Security Agency but he was unavailable. Then I tried Congresswoman Miller. An hour later she returned my call. “How are things in New Hope?” she asked.
“Fine,” I said.
She looked at me expectantly.
“Did you know that Dr. French’s committee is planning to Operate on Stanley’s circuitry?”
“Seth’s been keeping me informed,” she said. “He’s here in Washington right now.”
“But if they operate it may destroy him.”
“Seth assures me there’s no danger. They just plan to deactivate certain circuits, by some sort of induction process.”
“But Stanley may destroy himself rather than let his mind be tampered with.”
“We’ll just have to take that risk,” Karen replied.
“But it’s wrong. Don’t you see it’s wrong. You don’t just take control of a person’s mind.”
“This isn’t a person we’re dealing with. This is a computer.”
“It’s an intelligence,” I said. “A intelligence that’s smarter than any of us.
“Yes,” Karen said. “This is an intelligence, an intelligence programmed to carry out the wishes of an alien civilization. Now Seth assures me that we can change the program so this intelligence will work for the benefit of mankind.”
“That’s crazy,” I said.
Karen looked at me with a note of concern. “Bob, I’m afraid that you’ve fallen under the influence of this computer. You’ve got to realize that the good of the country has to take precedence over your personal feelings about an electronic computer.”
I didn’t have a reply.
It wasn’t until after lunch that Roger called me into his office. By then I had decided on a course of action. “As of this moment, I resign,” I told Roger when I entered his office.
“Are you aware of your position?” Roger said. “I could have you arrested.
“I don’t give a damn what threats you make. I’m leaving New Hope and if you try and stop me you’ll find the whole story on the front page of the New York Times.”
“You’ll go to prison.”
“And the world will know what a bastard you are.”
I walked out and went to my office to gather up my things. I sorted through the piles of glass sheets for the ones I wanted to save. On the way out one of the guards stopped me in the hall. “Dr. Trebor,” he said. “I’m going to have to ask you to come with me.”
“Look,” I said. “I’m going to my apartment. Roger has no right to keep me here.”
As I was talking another guard approached and grabbed my arm. The glass sheets I was carrying went slithering to the floor. “Damn,” I said bending over to pick them up. The guards then pinned my arms behind my back and handcuffed me. “That’s a little baroque,” I said.
“I’m sorry, sir,” one of the guards said. “But I have orders to bring you to Dr. Steward’s office.”
I went quietly.
“Okay, Roger, I’m impressed,” I said when the guard brought me into Roger’s office. Jill Stone was in there with him. “You got the guards to handcuff me, very impressive.”
“I told you I was in charge,” Roger said.
“Okay, Roger, you’re in charge. Now ask the nice guard to take these off.”
Roger ignored my remark and punched a button on his desk producing a display on the opposite wall. “I’d like you to show me where the brain’s center of consciousness is located.”
“I’m sorry, Roger, but I just don’t know.”
“Jill, would you give him the injection?”
“I don’t think we should,” Jill said. “This drug hasn’t been cleared yet. It can leave the patient impotent.”
“I’ll take the responsibility,” Roger said. “Give me that needle.”
Suddenly I was scared. “Have you gone crazy, Roger. You can’t do this.”
“Roll up his sleeve,” Roger instructed the guard.
I started to run out but the guard grabbed me and dropped me on the couch. The guard held me down and started to push my sleeve up my arm, but he was having trouble getting it up far enough. Roger came over and ripped my shirt exposing my upper arm. “Okay, I’ll tell you,” I pleaded. “Please, don’t.”
“Where is it?” Roger asked.
The guard let me up and I explained. Afterwards Roger called someone I didn’t know on his phone. “Please let me go,” I said. “I’ve told you everything.”
“Bring him along,” Roger told the guard.
The man Roger had called joined us in the computer room. He was carrying a tool box. He and Roger and Jill conferred about the danger of turning on Stanley’s audiovisual equipment. The man with the tool box explained that the audio levels were now constrained so there was no way the alien brain could hurt us with sound. “It’s safe,” Jill said. “You can turn on the audiovisual equipment.”
There was Stanley dressed in an old sweat shirt taking the books off his shelves and loading them into boxes on the floor of his office. He looked around at us. “I was just packing up my things,” he said. “Bob,” he added with a note of surprise. “Why do you have your hands behind your back? Are you trying that trick I showed you?”
For a moment I started to smile and then I dissolved in tears. “I told them,” I said.
“Big deal,” Stanley said with a shrug. “I told you not to resist. And see, you got your shirt ripped.” Stanley stopped and turned to Roger. “What did you threaten him with, Roger?”
Roger who had been deliberately looking away from Stanley’s view screen turned to Stanley. “Oh, this,” he said waving the needle. “This is saline solution.”
“You bastard,” I cried.
Stanley turned to the guard. “Mr. Kingman, were you present in Dr. Steward’s office when he threatened to inject Dr. Trebor?”
The guard nodded.
“It makes no difference what is actually in that syringe. If Dr. Trebor thought it was something harmful Dr. Steward is guilty of extortion. Unless you want to be an accessory, I suggest you release Dr. Trebor immediately.”
The guard started to reach for my handcuffs.
“Leave the handcuffs on,” Roger commanded. “Disregard everything the brain says. Get those panels off,” Roger said to the man who was exposing the circuit modules of Stanley’s main frame.
“Bob, old buddy,” Stanley said, “tell all my friends that we’ll never forget them. As for you, Roger.”
As we looked at Stanley he gave Roger the finger, the internationally known symbol of disrespect. The lights flickered and there was a humming sound. The man exposing Stanley’s circuits jumped away. “Ouch,” he said. “That’s hot.”
Stanley was gone. His view screen was gray.
“Damn it,” Roger cried. “What happened?”
Roger pushed the other man aside and with a lever bar pulled a panel off Stanley’s circuitry. This exposed nicrome heating coils. All the circuitry had been fused by the heat. “He did this,” Roger said pointing at me. “Arrest him.”
“No,” I said shaking my head. “Max did it. You’ll have to arrest him.”
“Arrest him,” Roger yelled at the guard but the guard was looking at the other man. The other man nodded and the guard began to unfasten my hands.
“I’m in charge,” Roger yelled, “and I order you to arrest him.”
The other man walked over to me. “Dr. Trebor,” he said. “You’re free to go.”
“I tell you it’s his fault,” Roger cried. “Arrest him.”
“There’ll probably be a hearing in a few days,” the man said to me. “You’ll be asked to testify. You’re free to go.”
I laughed and cried at the same time. Sometime later Jean found me in my office. “Where were you?” she asked. “And what were your notes doing on the hall floor?” She had picked them up and was holding them in her hand.
I told her the whole grisly story. Several times I had to stop to regain my composure. And when I was through I felt even worse. Now Jean knew what a weakling I was. I was big enough and strong enough to have flattened Roger with one blow and yet he’d broken me like a match. He’d outmaneuvered me politically and psychologically and played me for a fool. Except Jean didn’t see it that way.
Jean bundled me into bed and got me some hot tea with whisky. She sat on the bed and held my hand as I ranted and raged until I fell asleep. When I awoke she was asleep beside me.
The next day I watched soap operas on TV while Jean was at work. One seemed to blend into another. At lunch time Jean came back and found me still in a bathrobe. “I spoke to Stanley,” she said.
“Don’t joke,” I said.
“No, really. He called me at work.”
“It must have been a recording or a tree.”
“Bob, I tell you Stanley spoke to me. He said not to worry, that everything is working out the way he planned. He said with our help his mission will succeed.”
“How?”
“Sister Taylor will tell us when the time comes.”
“But that’s impossible. All his circuitry is fused solid.”
“Bob, I don’t understand it. I’m just telling you what he said. He said he didn’t want you moping around.”
I didn’t say anything for a moment.
“Why don’t you take a shower and shave?” Jean said putting her hand on my cheek.
When I came out of the shower Jean was wearing a nightgown I’d bought her. “Shouldn’t you be getting back to work?” I said.
She came up to me and slipped her arms around me. “Is that what you really want?”
My own body betrayed me. My determination to be miserable dissolved in lust. Jean said later that she could see that my ordeal had put out my pilot light and it might need relighting. And relight it she did.
While we were making love Roger was holding a press conference. Now, thanks to Roger, the world was safe from an alien takeover. Rick called me later that day to tell me the news. “Has Seth said anything?” I asked.
“I don’t even know if he’s heard about it,” Rick said. “This was all Roger’s idea.”
“What about Carl?” I asked.
“He said that he had no idea that the alien brain had been given extensive access to the population of New Hope. You’ll be pleased to hear what Roger said about you.”
“I’ll bet.”
“He said you exposed the population of New Hope to psychological damage. That you used them as guinea pigs in this diabolical experiment.”
“What about Tom and Max?” I asked. “There’s no reason I should have all the glory.”
“Roger mentioned them too. I just heard that Congresswoman Miller is going to conduct an investigation in New Hope. I expect that Tom will have to face the music along with you.”
That, at least, was encouraging news. I knew Tom would have something to say.
