Mark Tiedemann - Mirage

"Or this might have just switched off."

"Either way, it wouldn't be able to tell that the false information was coming from outside. This would appear to be just another branch of its own system."

"Damn."

"Absolutely damn. I-"

A chime sounded. Rana peered at another console. "Bogard's finished transferring." Derec put Bogard on standby before he brought the receptor brain up. "Thales, I want you to run monitor. Keep the receptor brain from collapsing till we get a complete picture."

"May I remind you, Derec," Thales said in its calm way, "that a conflicted positronic brain on the verge of collapse is a chaotic system? I will do what I can, but I guarantee nothing."

"Do your best, Thales." Derec touched a contact and watched his screens.

"Would you like me to run a recalibration on Bogard?" Thales asked.

"Can you handle both?"

"Of course."

Derec glanced at Rana, who smiled at the hint of injured pride in Thales' voice.

"Go ahead, then." He studied the readouts. He keyed a set of commands. "Bringing up the surrogate… now."

All the realtime graphs warped radically.

"What? What? What?" came sharply over the speakers. Derec turned down the decibels.

"Bogard," he said.

"Y-yes. Who are-what?"

"This is Derec Avery, Bogard. Pay attention to my voice. Center on my voice."

"D-Derec, yes. I acknowledge-I know-I-yes-"

"Calm down."

"I am. I-am."

"Listen to me. Are you listening?"

"Yes, Derec."

"I require a report. Can you give me a full report of the operation at Union Station?"

"Yes, I-will."

"Begin report."

Several seconds passed in silence. The fluctuations displayed on the screens continued.

"Thales?" Derec asked.

"The brain continues nominal for the circumstances," Thales said.

Derec nodded. "Bogard, report."

"I cannot!" The response came as a shriek.

"Bogard, center on my voice," Derec said calmly. "Pay attention to my voice."

The robot paused. "Yes, Derec."

"I require your report."

"Yes."

Again, the silence stretched. As Derec was about to make his request again, Bogard's voice finally responded.

"I failed!" it shouted.

"Report, Bogard," Derec insisted.

Suddenly, the chaos on Derec's screens seemed to settle down slightly.

"Report on security operation," Bogard said. "Subject: Eliton. Theater: the Gallery at Union Station, Washington, D. C."

Derec looked at Rana, who seemed surprised.

"Continue," Derec said.

"All telemetry reports optimal. Crowd control is in effect. Communications and sensor telemetry established realtime through Resident Intelligence. Surveillance reports zero infiltration of threatening subjects. Police have blocked admission to several protestors who appear on their trouble list. Robotic security maximum. Crowd density acceptable, assessment acceptable, the word from One is Go.

"The limo stops at main entrance. We are met by Eliton's field security team. I am assigned operational control to Agent Mia Daventri. She indicates that the situation, while apparently chaotic, is acceptable. I allow Senator Eliton to emerge from the limo first per prearranged program. I follow immediately and perform an on-site scan. The crowd is noisy and hostile, but belligerence is kept at the level of verbal protest. No indication of immediate threat. Per scheduled conditions I uplink to Resident Intelligence for optimal security coordination. The security team moves ahead. I stay one meter behind Senator Eliton all the way to the ceremonial platform.

"I-mission parameter amendation-tier four, level B-nine-proceed sublevel sixteen-"

"Bogard, stop," Derec ordered. "Clarify last sentence."

"Mission parameter amendation."

"Understood. What is the nature of the amendation?"

"Circumvention tactic. Request movement to tier four-' "

"Bogard, stop. Clarify. Circumvention of what? You are performing observe and protect duties for Senator Eliton. What circumvention?"

Bogard paused. "I do not know. Missing modules, data incomplete."

"Very well, Bogard. From whom have you received this amendation?"

"Source-direct-link, Resident Intelligence, Union Station."

Derec leaned forward. "Proceed with report. You followed Senator Eliton to the ceremonial platform. What happened then?"

"I continue monitoring security channels. Everything is continuing optimal. There is movement in the audience, but floor security indicates that everything is acceptable. RI reports everything under control. The assembly is informed that the Spacer legations are arriving. Senator Eliton takes his prearranged position to greet Ambassador Humadros. I-"

The robot fell silent.

"Bogard?" Derec prodded.

"Mission parameter amendation to defence standby, level twelve"

"What's it talking about?" Rana asked. "We don't have any routines that run by levels like that."

"Bogard, reset," Derec said. "Report events, bypass further program modifications."

"They are shooting. They are shooting. They are shooting." Bogard repeated the sentence, almost mantralike, until Derec interrupted.

"Who? Bogard, follow report protocols. Sequencing-"

"Explosions occur all around the outer wall of the gallery. They are harmless, smoke and noise, no fragmentation. Loud. The humans are frightened. Then the shooting begins. I see several people rush from the crowd carrying weapons. They begin shooting at us. Telemetry from RI indicates situation normal. I step forward and enshield Senator Eliton. My primary concern is Senator Eliton. Other humans are falling from injuries. My primary concern is Senator Eliton. Ambassador Humadros is my secondary, but she is out of my teach. Senator Eliton is demanding that I secure her as well. I see her, frightened, four-point-six meters away. I cannot be responsible for other humans outside the limits of my priority. First Law violation. I alert the nearest human security, Agent Daventri, and indicate Ambassador Humadros's situation. I shunt response to hierarchical buffer. My primary concern is Senator Eliton"

"All right, Bogard. You are tending your primary. What happens next?"

"I perceive that the majority of the shots from the assailants are illusions, part of an internal scenario run by the RI. There are no projectiles emerging from their weapons. This is inconsistent with my own sensor telemetry. I count nine whose weapons are dangerous. I cannot locate Senator Eliton. I cannot locate Senator Eliton. My primary is changed. I am to protect Ambassador Humadros. I retract enshielding and proceed to cover her, but I am not fast enough. Ambassador Humadros falls from a puncture to the throat."

"What happened to Eliton?" Rana asked, dismayed.

"I don't-" Derec began.

"I search for my previous primary," Bogard continued. "I see Senator Eliton. He is in the open. He is vulnerable. I move to enshield him. I am not fast enough. He falls from a puncture to the chest. I move to administer medical attention, but I scan no pulse, no respiration, falling body temperature. Senator Eliton is dead. Senator Eliton is-I failed-I have-"

"Bogard, stop. Back up. What happened just before you lost Senator Eliton?"

"I receive a mission parameter amendation."

"From who? The RI?"

"The Resident Intelligence, yes."

"What is the nature of the amendation?"

"Respond to verbal command, reset identification specifications. After that, the communications link goes down. We lose all contact with the RI."

"What is the verbal command?"

"Zed-slash-repatch-one, reestablish, local parameter, verbal command 'I am not here. Protect Ambassador Humadros. ' Omega-five catalogue reset. Responding."

Derec exchanged a startled look with Rana. That was the command code to override Bogard's preset priority, the command used by Mia Daventri to save the robot at Union Station.