按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃It is essentially plete； Lazarus。 All my permanents； programs and memories and logics； are twinned in Dora's number…four hold； and I run routine checks and exercise by running the twinned parts parallel with the me here under the Palace…~a 'Tell me six times' instead of my normal 'Tell me three times' method。 I have found and corrected some open circuits that way…minor factory defects； nothing I could not handle at once。 You see； Lazarus； I treated it as a crash program and did not depend on Turing processes to build most of my new me； as I would have had to build extensionals in Dora for that sole purpose； then remove them save for maintenance extensionals。
〃That would have taken much time； of course； since I can't use puter speeds in manipulating mass。 So instead I ordered all new blank memories and logic circuitry and had them installed in Dora by factory technicians。 Much faster。 Then I filled them and checked them。〃
〃Any trouble； dear？〃
〃No； Lazarus。 Oh； Dora grumbled about dirty feet in her clean partments。 But it was just grumbling； as they worked 'clean…room' style； lint…free coveralls and masks and gloves； and I required them to change in the air lock； not just before they entered her number…four。〃 He felt her quick smile。 〃Temporary sanitary facilities outside the ship…which caused the project engineer to grumble； as well as the shop steward。〃
〃Should think so。 Wouldn't have hurt Dora to activate a head。〃
〃Lazarus； as you pointed out； I will be…I hope…a passenger in Dora someday。 So I have tried to bee her friend…and we are friends； and I love her； and she is the only friend I have who is a puter。 I don't want to jeopardize that by making a mess； or permitting one to be made； in my moving into her ship。 She is； as you said； a neat housekeeper； I am trying to be just as neat and show thereby that I respect her and appreciate the privilege of being a passenger in her。 The engineer in charge and that talky shop steward had no reason to grumble； I specified all this in the contract…change clothes at the lock； leg urinals for all personnel inside； no eating？ expectorating； or smoking in the ship； go by the shortest route to number…four； no snooping elsewhere in the ship…which they could not； anyhow； as I asked Dora to keep all doors locked save that direct route…and I paid to have it done this way。〃
〃A pretty penny； I'm certain。 Did Ira ment？〃 …
〃Ira does not bother with such …matters。 But I did not report costs to him； I charged it all to you； Lazarus。〃
〃Whee！ Am I bankrupt？〃
〃No； sir； I paid it from' the Senior's unlimited drawing account。 That seemed best to me； Lazarus； as the work was done in your ship。 Perhaps they wonder why the Senior wants a second puter； of high capacity； installed in his ship。 I know the project engineer wondered； I snubbed him firmly。 But wonder is all they can do； the Senior is not accountable to anyone。 1 hinted quite broadly that Mr。 Chairman Pro Tern would be annoyed if anyone attempted to snoop into your affairs。 Not that anyone can tell what a puter really； is； just from looking at it…even the manufacturer。〃
〃This manufacturer… Low bidder？〃
〃Should I have placed it for bid； sir？〃 Minerva sounded worried；
〃Hell； no！ If you had； I would have told you to tear it out and start over…then we would have hunted for the best supplier。 Mmerva my dear； once you leave here； it may be many years before you have any factory service； you'll have to maintain yourself。 Unless Ira can minister to a sick puter？〃
〃He can't。〃
〃You see？ Dora is gold and platinum where a cheaper puter is copper and aluminum。 I hope yodr new carcass is just as expensive。〃
〃It is； Lazarus。 My new me is even more reliable than my old me…and smaller and faster； as much of me…'old me'… is about a century old； the art has improved。〃
〃Hm。 Must see what ought to be replaced in Dora； if anything。〃
Minerva made no ment。 Lazarus said； 〃My dear； when you don't talk； it is louder than when you do。 Have you been overhauling Dora？〃
〃I stockpiled some ponents； Lazarus。 But Dora won't let herself…be touched unless you order it。〃
〃Yeah； she hates to let a doctor poke around inside her。 But if she needs it； she'll get it…under anesthesia。 Minerva； it would be smart； with two of you in the ship； for Dora to carry your maintenance instructions in her permanents； and hers in yours…so that you can nurse each other。〃
Minerva answered simply； 〃We have been waiting for you to tell us to do so； Lazarus。〃
〃You mean you have been waiting； it is not something Dora would think of。 So now I'm telling you both； and let her hear my voice say so。 Minerva； I wish you would get over being so humble with me。 You should have proposed it； you think faster than I do by many orders of magnitude； I've got flesh…and…blood limitations。 How are you ing on astrogation？ Is she teaching you to pilot？ Or balking？〃
〃Lazarus； I am now as skillful a pilot as she is； in my other me。〃
〃Like fun。 You're a copilot。 You're not a pilot until you've made an n…space jump unassisted。 Even Dora gets jumpy before a jump…and she's made hundreds。〃
〃I stand corrected； Lazarus。 I am a very highly trained copilot。 But I'm not afraid to do it； if the time es。 I've rerun all of Dora's jumps in real time； and she tells me I know how。〃
〃You may have to someday； if disaster hits。 Ira isn't the pilot I am； I'm certain。 With me no longer aboard； your new skill may save his life sometime。 What else do you know？ Heard any good ones lately？〃
〃I don't know； Lazarus。 I've heard some stories； bawdy ones I believe； from listening to the technicians installing my twin。 But I don't know that they are funny。〃
第21节
〃Don't bother。 If it's a bawdy story； I heard one like it at least a thousand years back。 Now the key question… How fast can you cut loose if Ira decides to jump？ Assume a coup d'etat and he's running for his life。〃
〃One…fifth of a second； minus。〃
〃Huh？ You're not pulling my leg？ I mean how long to put your whole personality aboard the 'Dora。' Not leave anything behind and not leave the puter here aware that she ever was Minerva…for anything less would not be fair to yourself； dear。 The 'Minerva' left behind would grieve。〃
〃Lazarus； I am speaking not from theory but from experience； as I knew it was the critical aspect of this twinning。 So； once I dismissed the contractor and had twinned my permanents and logics and my running temporaries； I experimented； cautiously at first； I simply paralleled me； as I described to you。 That's easy； I just have to balance the lag at each end； to stay synchronous in real time…but I have to do that with my remote extensionals at all times； I'm used to it。
〃Then I tried；…very cautiously； suppressing myself； first at the ship end； then at the Palace end； with a self…program to revert to full twinning in three seconds。 No trouble； Lazarus； not even the first time。 Now I can do it in less than two hundred milliseconds