A Country for Old Man
By Ben Bova
Ignatiev said to the image on the wall screens, « What is the mission protocol’s first priority? »
The answer came immediately, « To protect the lives of the human crew and cargo. »
Cargo, Ignatiev grunted to himself. The stupid program thinks of the people in cryonic suspension as cargo.
Aloud, he said, « Observation show that we are entering region of very low hydrogen density. »
Immediately the avatar replied, « This will necessiate reducing power consumption. »
« Power consumption may be reduced below the levels needed to keep the cre alive, » Ignatiev said.
For half a heartbeat the AI avatar said nothing. Then, « That is a possibility. »
« If we change course to remain within the region where hydrogen density is adequate to maintain all the ship’s systems, » Ignatiev said slowly, carefully, « none of the crew’s lives would be endangered. »
« Not so, Alexander Alexandrovich, » the avatar replied.
« Not so? »
« The immediate threat of reduced power availibility might be averted by changing course, but once the ship has left its prpanned trajectory toward Gliese 581, how will you navigate toward our destination? » Coruse correction data will take more than twelve years to reach us from Earth. The ship would be wandering through a wilderness, far from its destination. The crew would eventually die of starvation. »
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| A country for old man... Photo by Elena |
« We coyld navigate ourselves, » said Ignatiev. « We wouldn’t need course correction data from mission control. »
The avatar’s image actually shook her head. « No member of the crew is an accredited astrogator. »
« I can do it! Nikki cried. « I monitor the navigation program. »
With a hint of a smile, the avatar said gently, « monitoring the astrogation program does not equip you to plot course changes. »
Before Nikki or anyone else could object, Ignatiev asked coolly, « So what do you recommend? »
Agian the AI system hesitated before answering, almost a full second. It must be searching every byte of data in its memory, Ignatiev thought.
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