Free The Dead Sun (Star Force Series) by B. V. Larson

occasions. He was the best at it as his brainbox contained the best set of neural chains in the known cosmos. But, although he’d asked for more autonomy in his communications, I’d always denied it to him. I just plain didn’t trust him to negotiate on Earth’s behalf as a free agent.
    “Well, I’m asking for your advice now, robot,” I said.
    “Sometimes I wonder if the term ‘robot’ has a negative connotation for you, Colonel. Your usage in this instance suggests—”
    “Look, let’s just stick to the subject. I asked what you would suggest, and I still haven’t heard anything but complaints. How can you expect me to elevate your status in these matters if you don’t even provide constructive input?”
    That comment seemed to get Marvin’s attention. His cameras reshuffled themselves, and his tentacles stopped rasping on the floor.
    “You’re suggesting a promotion in my status?”
    “We’re not cutting a bargain if that’s what you mean. I want to hear what you’re thinking about this situation.”
    “We have several viable options,” Marvin said at last. “We could declare war on the Worms for their misconduct, for example.”
    “Not going to happen. What else?”
    “I wasn’t suggesting that course of action. I was simply offering up alternatives.”
    “Well, keep going.”
    “We could send a scathing communication to them, telling them of our displeasure. Or we could send our apologies for the behavior of our envoys.”
    “Both sound weak, but plausible. Is that it?”
    “No, sir. There is one other option: we could ignore the incident entirely.”
    I looked at him. “What would that do?”
    “It would show that we understood their actions, but that we neither applaud nor condemn them. That we haven’t changed the nature of our relationship over the incident.”
    I thought it over and rubbed my chin. I nodded at last.
    “I like that,” I said. “They’ve got to be wondering what we’ll do. When they came at us playing chicken, I resolutely flew onward. They broke off. That shows they aren’t angry enough to start a war themselves.”
    “Not angry enough nor foolish enough.”
    I shook my head. “No, that’s not how they think. The Worms would rather fight to the last and die than hide in their holes as a beaten people. If they wanted to fight us, they would have attacked regardless of their poor odds. But they didn’t. That means they’re annoyed, but the situation can be repaired.”
    I stood up and slammed my fist on the table. It rang and dented with the impact. I loved smart-metal furniture as it allowed me to express myself fully and then quietly self-repaired afterward.
    “I’m going to take your advice, Marvin. I’m going sail on by the Helios system without a complaint, an apology or a single missile fired. As far as I’m concerned, we’re still allied peoples, and when the time comes, we’ll fight to the death against the machines side by side.”
    “Your statements are appealing, but I can’t take credit for your reasoning. My advice was merely a matter of listing options and consequences.”
    I laughed as I left the room. “Don’t sell yourself short, robot. Sometimes, the best advisor is one that serves as a sounding board for his commander’s thoughts.”
    I left him then and moved back to the bridge. My flotilla accelerated without a transmission to the Worms. We headed toward the Eden ring at flank speed. The Worm ships silently watched us slip away. They didn’t fire or follow us. They just waited until we exited their system a few days later and then returned to their home space and parked in orbit over their planet.
    By that time, I’d had the opportunity to second-guess my choices. In particular, I wondered about Marvin’s “advice”. He’d made a point of giving it to me, then clearly stating that he hadn’t given it to me. Why would he want to play both sides of the issue?
    I had to wonder about Marvin’s true motivations. He always