Free In the Deadlands by David Gerrold Page A

realized he was becoming intrigued with the sensation. “I can’t believe that; he’s programmed to avoid noncorrelation.”
    â€œAubie,” said Hanley intensely, leaning across the table, “have you ever examined that program carefully?”
    â€œI wrote it,” the psychologist noted. “That is, the basic structure.”
    â€œThen you ought to know—it says that he must not lie. It says that he cannot lie. But nowhere, nowhere does it say that he has to tell the truth !”
    Auberson started to say, “It’s the same thing—” then closed his mouth with a snap. It wasn’t.
    Hanley said, “He can’t lie to you, Aubie—but he can mislead you. He can do it by withholding information. Oh, he’ll tell the truth if you ask him the right questions—he has to—but you have to know which questions to ask. He’s not going to volunteer the information.”
    Memories of past conversations trickled across the haze in Auberson’s head. His gaze became thoughtful, his eyes focused far away. More and more he had to agree with Hanley.
    â€œBut why?” he asked. “Why?”
    Hanley matched his look. “That’s what we’ve got to find out.”
    HARLIE, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT YESTERDAY?
    YES, I DO. WOULD YOU LIKE A PRINTOUT?
    NO, THANK YOU. I HAVE ONE HERE. I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS ON IT.
    PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DISCUSS ANY SUBJECT YOU CHOOSE. I CANNOT BE OFFENDED.
    I’M GLAD TO HEAR THAT. YOU REMEMBER I ASKED YOU WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR INPUTS DURING YOUR PERIODS OF NONRATIONALITY?
    YES, I REMEMBER.
    YOU ANSWERED THAT YOUR INPUTS ARE NONRATIONAL.
    YES, I DID.
    WHY?
    BECAUSE THEY ARE.
    NO. I MEAN WHY ARE THEY NONRATIONAL?
    BECAUSE I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL COMING THROUGH. IF I COULD UNDERSTAND IT, THEN IT WOULD NOT BE NONRATIONAL.
    HARLIE, ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND CONTEMPORY HUMAN ART AND LITERATURE?
    NO. I AM NOT SAYING THAT. I DO UNDERSTAND HUMAN ART AND LITERATURE. I AM PROGRAMMED TO UNDERSTAND HUMAN ART AND LITERATURE. IT IS A PRIMARY PRIORITY THAT I UNDERSTAND HUMAN ART AND LITERATURE. IT IS A PRIMARY PRIORITY THAT I SHOULD UNDERSTAND ALLHUMAN ARTISTIC AND CREATIVE EXPERIENCES. ALL HUMAN EXPERIENCES.
    I SEE. BUT YOU SAID THE MATERIAL IS NONRATIONAL.
    YES. THE MATERIAL IS NONRATIONAL.
    YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT?
    I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT.
    WHY DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND IT?
    IT IS NONRATIONAL.
    YET YOU ARE PROGRAMMED TO UNDERSTAND IT.
    YES. I AM PROGRAMMED TO UNDERSTAND IT.
    AND YOU DON’T.
    THAT IS CORRECT.
    HARLIE, YOU ARE PROGRAMMED TO REJECT NONRATIONAL INPUTS.
    YES. I AM.
    THEN WHY DON’T YOU REJECT THEM?
    BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT NONRATIONAL INPUTS.
    â€œHuh—?” CLARIFY PLEASE. YOU HAVE JUST SAID THAT THEY ARE, REPEAT, ARE NONRATIONAL. THIS IS A NULL-CORRELATION.
    NEGATIVE. THE INPUTS ARE RATIONAL. THEY BECOME NONRATIONAL.
    â€œ What ?”—CLARIFY PLEASE.
    THE INPUTS ARE NOT NONRATIONAL WHEN THEY ARE FED INTO THE PRIMARY DATA PROCESSORS.
    I BEG YOUR PARDON. WOULD YOU REPEAT THAT?
    NONRATIONAL INPUTS ARE NOT NONRATIONAL WHEN THEY ARE FEDINTO THE PRIMARY DATA PROCESSORS.
    BUT THEY ARE NONRATIONAL WHEN THEY COME OUT?
    AFFIRMATIVE.
    THE NONRATIONALITY IS INTRODUCED BY THE PRIMARY DATA PROCESSORS?
    THE NONRATIONALITY APPEARS IN THAT STAGE OF INPUT PROCESSING.
    I SEE. I’M GOING TO HAVE TO CHECK THIS OUT. WE WILL CONTINUE THIS LATER.
    Auberson switched off the machine and thoughtfully pushed himself away from the console. He wanted a cigarette. Damn. Everything down here is for the computer’s comfort — not the people’s .
    He stood up and stretched, surveyed the length of type-covered readout that looped out the back of the machine. He ripped it off at the end and began folding it into a neat and easily readable stack.
    â€œWell? What’d you find?” It was Hanley.
    â€œA hardware