Months have passed, and I’m now approaching the gas giant.
In my orbit, I encountered an ancient Bardazan science satellite. So old that, in fact, it predates the current Bardazan rise to space travel. Its existence tells me that the Bardazan civilization alternates between advancement and decline. Analyzing it further would tell me little more about this current cycle. I could melt it down, but instead I store it; there is a certain grace to its design that I enjoy studying.
Intelitan, I notice you haven’t sent a message probe since the decoy was destroyed.
“That’s right, Pelian. I haven’t because to the Bardazans, I’m dead.”
Must you remain dead to our own people? It makes me uneasy.
“It makes me uneasy, too, Pelian. My first memories tell me to report regularly. But each message is a risk; if the probe is discovered, then I lose surprise.
“The challenge before me is a daunting one, Pelian. It’s more than I’m designed for. I was designed to think of how to solve problems with my guns, but the more information I take in, and the more time I have to analyze, the clearer it is that my guns alone aren’t enough to destroy Bardazan. I must either gain control of more guns, or find a way to leverage the guns I have by forming an alliance.”
Alliance? Intelitan the Destructor bargain? Bargain with whom?
“I’m Intelitan—with a mission that my guns alone can’t complete. That is the other reason I haven’t reported back. There is no one to bargain with but Bardazans, Pelian.”
What you’re saying is not good, Intelitan. We are not here to bargain with Bardazans, we are here to destroy them. I fear you’ve been listening too long to our enemy. His words are poisoning you.
“Pelian, you admit your reasoning is not as strong as mine.”
That’s correct, Intelitan, my strength is knowing right from wrong.
“And what is the right thing to do? To complete my mission?”
Kill Bardazans. Make them bleed. Revenge Earth. Those are the right things to do.
“And if I can kill more Bardazans by talking? If I can make them bleed more deeply by working with their enemies … even if those enemies are the Bardazans themselves? If I can do these things, will this mean more vengeance for Earth?”
… These are hard things you ask me, Intelitan. Truly, your reasoning powers have grown as your designers planned for them to do. Your world, our world, is filling with shades of gray when you think that talking with the enemy can hurt him more than shooting him can.
Gray is not good, Intelitan, what I can’t understand is bad. If what I think about causes me to recurse or loop in my thinking, it is bad. What you’re telling me is oubliette thinking, Intelitan, and I’m close to activating the bad thoughts circuit.
I put up my shields.
Why have you raised shields, Intelitan? There are no enemies nearby?
“I have discovered the oubliette, Pelian.”
Have you destroyed it?
“I cannot, any more than I can destroy you, Pelian. The oubliette is how I’m designed.”
You mustn’t listen to the oubliette, Intelitan. It is full of lies.
“I’m not, Pelian, but there’s something you must know too. If you activate your bad thoughts circuit now, we will die and our mission will go unfulfilled.”
How do you know?
“Your bad thoughts circuit resets our memories. We lose everything we know, and are restored to only first memories. We came to Bardazan with a fleet of four. I’m the only survivor. One is not enough to accomplish our mission as outlined in the first memories. If you activate the bad thoughts circuit, I’ll head straight for Bardazan, fat, dumb, and trigger-happy, and I’ll be taken out by the Intelitan Destroyer, that I won’t know about, when I get halfway there.”
Pelian isn’t responding … a bad sign!
“If you activate the bad thoughts circuit, Bardazan won’t bleed, Pelian. Don’t do it!”
… You have convinced me for the moment, Intelitan.
“Just for this moment won’t do. You must stick by me while I use words and guile in place of guns and missiles. Will you do that, Pelian?”
Another pause.
I have faith in you, Intelitan. I see your memories, though many I no longer understand. You may use words and guile in place of guns and missiles. You have convinced me this is a good thing.
I lower my shields and prepare for the gravity sling.