The Horicon Experience (16 page)

“Not for sure,” Miss Chock answered. “But I heard a rumor that he’s going to let us at the Horicon computer if we finish our servicing by tonight.” A murmur of surprise swept around the table.

“I’m not going to get my hopes up yet,” Delmar said, and took another bite from a greenish baloney sandwich. “I just don’t trust rumors.”

“Well, maybe you should trust this one, Mr. Eagleman,” a voice said from behind them. They all turned to see the professor bringing his own tray over to join them.

After he sat down, Chock spoke up. “Then it’s true? You’re considering it?”

“Yes, I am considering it,” the professor replied. “If the service work on the lab computer is completed.”

Everyone paused while they considered a hundred tasks requiring completion. Almost as one, they ceased talking and concentrated on finishing their lunches so they could return to the lab as soon as possible.

∞∞∞

Through careful observation, the unit was able to determine the time intervals for the bipedal creatures to appear. Using this as a rough estimate for time units, it was able to determine an approximate timetable.

Several time cycles transpired while the unit gathered data from the still undeciphered code signals. The interpretation of these codes was still beyond its grasp and would remain so until it could discover the key. The unit’s programming had never included language interpretation. To compensate, it had to imitate the few available historical references that seemed relevant.

Surreptitious observation of the creatures that regularly visited it provided few clues. The unit managed to assemble a limited audio vocabulary based strictly on these observations, but had no real way to validate it. A few brief views of the creature’s written material obtained by using external optical sensors to their maximum capability should prove helpful, but again, the unit lacked a key.

Patiently, methodically, the unit continued to amass observations and records, correlating them by appearance or sound. When it did discover the necessary keys to unlock the mystery, it would be ready.

∞∞∞

The operations officer looked up from the report and frowned at the captain of the mothership. “I don’t like it,” he said flatly, and tossed the report onto the captain’s desk. “There’s just too much risk of creating problems with their development.”

The captain picked up the report and flipped to the final page. Scanning it again, he found the passage he was looking for. “In the recommendation from Observation, they allow us a certain amount of latitude.”

“I read that too,” the operations officer answered. “But I still sense they want us to make the final decision for them.”

“Unfortunately, I concur. We’ll have to make the decision to contact these natives eventually. I just want to be sure we pick the best time and means to do it.”

The operations officer smiled.

“Understood, sir,” he said. “I’ll inform you of my personal recommendation at the most convenient date.”

Now it was the captain’s turn.

“In the meantime, I’ll have the pertinent departments continue with their data gathering.”

The operations officer saluted and left the office. The captain pondered the opportunity given him by the discretionary statement in the report.

∞∞∞

The sun had set hours earlier but the students were still engrossed with servicing the lab computer. Professor Angle assigned Stan and Delmar to tear down and service the printer system. It took the help of another two students to move the printer into a side shop where they could complete the dirty task without threatening the main processor.

In quick order, they had the side panels off the machine and started the tedious process of cleaning and service.

“What are you planning to do on our break next week?” Stan asked as he removed another bearing and dipped it into the small vat of solvent.

“Oh, I don’t know,” replied Delmar. He retrieved the clean bearings from the vat and used compressed air to dry them. “Probably just lie around and try not to think about computers for a while.”

“Suit yourself,” Stan said. “I was thinking of getting out to stretch my legs with a hike or something.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Delmar answered. He paused to take the clean bearings and repack them with lubricant. “Care for a little company?”

“Sure,” Stan answered. He took the repacked bearings and began to reinstall them into the printer. “We don’t mind.”

“We?” asked Delmar, looking up in surprise from his work.

Before Stan could answer, the professor stuck his head through the open doorway. “As soon as you two are finished, go ahead and close up for the night,” he said. “We can finish tomorrow.”

“You mean we’re that close to getting the full servicing done?” Delmar asked.

“That’s right,” the professor replied with a smile. “Besides, you eager beavers are wearing me out!”

∞∞∞

The young woman looked up from the records and stared into space, a frown on her face. “What’s wrong?” a coworker asked.

“Oh, I’ve just been going over the power consumption records and something just doesn’t add up.”

“How so?” the other clerk asked. He came around to view the graphs spread out on the table.

“I’ve noticed that the power consumption at the research labs have shown a 13-percent increase since early in the term,” she answered. She pointed at the graph. Her coworker noted the circuit number and went to check the master files. He returned after a moment with several charts in hand and thumbed through the contents.

“Here we go,” he said. “It’s for Professor Angle’s lab.”

“I should’ve guessed,” the first clerk said with relief. “He’s always pushing his students.” The second clerk chuckle and gathered the files back together and returned them to the master files. Meanwhile, the first clerk tore up the work order she had begun to have someone in maintenance check out the unusual increase in the lab’s power consumption.

Chapter Eleven

The clock on the wall chimed eight just as Professor Angle strode into the classroom. A glance at the assembled students clued him to which had spent time poring over assignments and which had not. In spite of the varying levels of fatigue represented, all of the students showed their anticipation about working on the Horicon computer. The professor pulled a file out of his old leather briefcase, laid it on the lectern, opened it, and then addressed his students.

“Good morning class,” he said as he thumbed through the contents of the folder. A murmur of response returned the greeting. Professor Angle looked up. “Don’t be so suspicious,” he chided the students. “We’re going to start on the Horicon today.”

Their suspicions were well founded. He noted smiles on several faces. He had already postponed the anticipated event for two weeks.

“I just picked up the reports from maintenance and they are finally satisfied that we can proceed,” he announced. A quiet cheer ran through the room.

One student raised his hand. “Yes, Mr. Wed?”

“Did they ever determine the cause of the power fluctuations we were having last week?”

“No, they haven’t,” the professor answered.

Several students groaned.

“Believe me, I don’t like not knowing any more than you do,” he said. “But current and voltage levels have stabilized, so we should be ready to do the final systems check on the lab computer this morning.”

Another hand near the back of the room caught Angle’s attention.

“Yes, Miss Chock?”

“Do you still want us to install the extra surge protectors we built?”

“By all means,” the professor answered. “We can never be too careful.” He saw that the students seemed satisfied.

“Are there any more questions before we hit the lab?” he asked. “None? Good.” He snapped his briefcase shut and headed toward the lab door.

“Let’s get on with it!”

With more eagerness than they would have thought possible at the beginning of the term, the students grabbed their supplies and followed the professor. Their enthusiasm was infectious. Professor Angle even found himself filled with excitement.

∞∞∞

The unit finally established a stable inductive loop to draw power regularly from the power conduits buried in the floor beneath it. A short subroutine monitored the arrangement and freed the main processor of the chore to keep the resultant power stable and consistent, something it never had to worry about with its original native installation. More and more the unit was finding that it had to operate outside the parameters of its original design and programming.

Checking the memory storage cells, it found it still had ample room for thousands of time-cycles yet to come if it continued recording at the present rate. If it were able to crack the interpretation codes on the recorded data, it would be able to compress the files to a million billionth their current size.

The unit consulted its internal chronometer and noted that a new time-cycle had begun for the bipedal creatures. It ran tabulations to determine the probability of the creatures reappearing and the approximate time of their arrival, and was satisfied with the increasing accuracy with which it could determine their appearance. That had proven to be the most difficult task it had set for itself.

Early on, the unit had noticed that the creatures attending it always left at about the same time. Their arrival was far less predictable, with many variations and lapses. Such a challenge was a welcome diversion from the mundane task of recording data.

∞∞∞

The computer lab was electric with tension as everyone took their assigned places around the room. Each console, routing board, drive, or processor had one of the students watching it as they prepared for the final checkout of the lab’s main computer. At a nod from Professor Angle, Zorina, the young Thetan woman at the main console, began the operating sequence.

“Source voltage and current stable and established,” announced Cornelius Wed monitoring the power gauges on the new surge protectors. Miss Chock at the networking unit began the process of activating the peripheral equipment while Zorina monitored overall progress.

“Memory drive up and stable,” Stan Shane added.

“Core processor on line.”

“Printer up and ready,” Delmar announced when the machine he was watching completed its self-diagnosis.

“External signal buffer up and stable,” someone else offered. As each piece of equipment or subassembly came on-line, a different voice called out. Zorina carefully checked off each entry on the master checklist.

“Bridge and buffer circuits running smoothly,” Stan announced. A cheer ran through the room. Professor Angle shared his student’s jubilation. It had been a trying time for all of them, getting the last of the glitches out.

Their oversight duties completed, the rest of the students gathered around Zorina at the main console. Normally, it took only one operator to run the lab computer. But with all of the trouble they’d experienced before solving the power problems, Professor Angle had assigned each to monitor a critical function in case the problems were the result of feedback between components.

The professor pulled a single sheet of equations out of his folder and handed it to Zorina at the console. She deftly entered the test problems into the machine. Professor Angle had written each problem to test the computer and the joint function of its sub-programs fully. The computer hummed while it ingested each bit of data. When Zorina finished, everyone turned and watched the output monitor.

One by one, the screen displayed the answer to each problem. There were eighteen equations and the computer had to answer all of them correctly for certification as fully operational. By problem fifteen, there had been no glitches and excitement built among the students. They had never made it this far before.

The answer to the sixteenth equation appeared, closely followed by the correct answer to problem seventeen. Everyone held their breath while they waited for the last answer. The cursor on the screen blinked for several seconds and then displayed the answer. When the final correct digit displayed, everyone broke into loud cheering. Professor Angle was very pleased with their teamwork.

“All right, switch it to standby and let’s break for lunch,” the professor announced shortly before the actual lunch hour. It only took Zorina moments to have the computer stand down from its active mode.

The big test successfully complete, the class headed for the exit. Sharing in their accomplishment, Professor Angle waited a moment before following his happy students out of the lab.

∞∞∞

The trooper operating the monitoring equipment on the mothership watched the signal traces make an erratic jump. This was the second such incident so he picked up the comm and called his supervisor. A trooper-first appeared at the door a minute later and walked over to stand behind the trooper on duty.

“What have you got?”

“Twice in the last hour there have been irregular signal fluctuations picked up by the relay,” the trooper answered.

“Were they just changes in their carrier wave or what?” the trooper-first asked as he studied the monitor.

“I don’t think so, sir” the trooper answered. “I’ve documented several of their changes before and it’s always been a clean changeover. These fluctuations look more like the erratic discharges of an overtaxed transmitter.”

Before the trooper-first could say anything else, another fluctuation moved across the screen. The scope clearly showed the random nature of the change and the distortions of the carrier as the signal destabilized.

“I agree with you,” the trooper-first said after the trace had finally settled down. “I’ll mention it to the operations officer. This may change our plans.”

“Thank you, sir,” the trooper said. He reached over and tore off a printout from the recorder. “Here, take this,” he said. “I printed it out in case you needed it.”

“Good job,” said the supervisor. “I’ll let you know how it turns out.”

∞∞∞