Free Virginia Hamilton by The Gathering: The Justice Cycle (Book Three) Page B

quietly. “Is that right?”
    “Each has its plan and reason,” Celester told him. “As we reclaim Earth under our domes, we do not waste time in making mistakes.”
    There was weariness in Celester’s voice. Something beneath the surface of it was full of sad regret. Justice came near and, before she knew it, had placed her hand on his. She found that his hand was warm. Feeling flowed from it to her. Celester tilted his head back, domeward. He began to sing:
    “I be a Master-function. Through me, all occurs.” The song was sorrowful.
    Justice was moved to ask, “Is it so awful, being part machine?” Scanning, she had discovered that his vital organs, his blood, were marvels of chemical synthesis.
    “It is no worse than being part man.” Celester laughed. “I have man soul and man mind. The mind may be replaced and replaced as it dysfunctions. Yet each time it retains the soul; it keeps the prototype Celester’s memories and loves. I do love humankind. I work for humankind.”
    The four of power stared at the human-thing Celester. Stunned, Thomas smacked the side of his head in astonishment. “To be like you and the other Celesters!” he burst out. “To have your parts replaced—debrained! I’d sure hate that! And rebrained—man, you must live forever. That’s why you have that … that skin. Your real skin must’ve been replaced!”
    “Oh, yes, it was replaced long ago,” said Celester. “But the other Celesters, as you called them—they appear to be my duplicates, but they are not. I am Master-function for this Origin.” Pausing, his eyes burned intensely with laser light. The beam of it melted into pale liquid depths. “I analyze information. I create from intuitive sense in order to instruct truly intelligent machines, and the human forms you see, and others. All human forms that look like my duplicates are color-coded as to function. At dysfunction, skin color changes.”
    “Intelligent machines!” Levi whispered. “But they won’t need you. They’ll replace you with a whole machine.”
    Merry laughter came from deep within Celester. It did not seem to come out of his mouth. “The replacement of human brains took place early on. Machines were built to replace them. The machines did well. They organized and associated data, retrieving information according to content. Neuristor computers and prima perceptrons, most complicated machines, accepted fuzzy data just as humans’ brains had done. But machines carried out non-rigorous operations at fantastic speeds. Oh, yes, you might say that machines became as ‘tricky’ as the magic of Thomas.” Again he laughed a deep laugh.
    “With a flick and a flack,” Celester continued, “machines moved tons of supplies, invented airmobiles and spacers. They anticipated all human needs. And, finally, they themselves built a machine of perfection. Perfection built the spaceships.”
    Someone gasped. The four looked shocked.
    “Wait a minute!” Thomas managed to say.
    “It is a long story,” Celester gently toned. They found that now they understood him whenever he toned. He gave a muted progression of soothing chords which calmed them. “Let us find a comfortable place for talking,” Celester suggested. “We will go to the terraces above the hydrafields. There are vistas you have not seen; and we will take sustenance there.”
    “He means we’re going to eat,” Dorian said.
    “We know what he means,” said Thomas.
    “Here, here!” all at once Celester toned to the air. “Let come the sunshine!”
    He touched his chest. Justice saw that a series of tiny designs was worked into his chest skin. Celester pressed a finger to a circle and a thumb to a rectangle.
    Bright sunlight broke through the dim day of domity.
    “Sun-time,” said the Speaker, all around them. “Sun-time. Beats at your command.”
    “Just so. We will extend the primary into darkly,” Celester toned. “The humans of Sona will not mind. Life is so pleasant, whether