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75
(comment by Lord Senator Lazarus)
"Dandridge is nuts, proposing to give a medal to that damned machine. As he admitted, all it did was what it was designed to do. Certainly, you may quote me on that. I don't make irresponsible remarks in the presence of mediamen."
76
(special report by the EMPIRE TODAY news team)
Residents of the Queen's Park area, claiming that the presence of what they term "the unsightly jungle" growing in the former park has reduced property values to a small fraction of true worth, have launched an all-out wait-in and march-by campaign to secure the removal of the wild-growing vegetation, and the return of the park to its former well-groomed condition.
77
(General Margrave, appearing before the Washington District Council)
"But that's just it, Mr. Mayor! I didn't designate Queen's Park as a test area for the machine. It selected the site itself, quite spontaneously, after turning away the force dispatched to divert it from its presumed route, which it appeared would have taken it through a residential area. For the present it will remain unrestrained.
"No, Mr. Councilman, there are at present absolutely no plans to bomb the device."
78
(an emanation from a dark crystal structure, at a distance of 17,000 light-years from Terra)
IT HAS BEEN CALLED TO OUR EXALTED ATTENTION THAT OUR PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT UNIT HAS ENCOUNTERED PATTERNED MODULATED ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION STRUCTURES OF INEXPLICABLE COMPLEXITY.
WE DO NOT TOLERATE ANY INTERFERENCE WITH OUR EXALTED WILL, AND IT IS OUR EXALTED COMMAND THAT ASPECT-ONE FOLLOW-UP PROCEDURES BE EMPLOYED AT ONCE. THROUGHOUT THE VOLUME OF INTERFERENCE.
IF WE INDEED HAVE MADE CONTACT WITH ARTIFACTS OR ANOTHER MENTATIONAL SPECIES, THERE IS NO BETTER TIME THAN THE PRESENT TO CONFRONT IT AND SHOW IT WHO IS INDEED LORD OF ALL.
79
(reply to the above, from Pluto space)
this lowly being craves the indulgence of your exaltation to report that a forward probe made contact with what is described as an alien life-form, the apparent source of the anomalous radiation, evidently far gone in malnutrition, replying incoherently to our hail.
in response to the order for immediate self-immolation it uttered feeble symbols, including the identification "space transport" and the outré concept "friendship."
upon closer examination it was found that the strange being was infested with what can only be described as soft life forms, grublike entities which dissolved to paste and fluids on contact, it was not deemed important to clear the dying alien of its parasites completely, the derelict being left to drift in the void.
this lowly one awaits in patience the disposition which your Exaltation chooses to make of it.
80
I compute that I have not yet fully assimilated the unprecedented volume of data routed to me by MADCAP, but my preliminary impression is one of grave unease in many segments of the population, and of serious deficiencies in the overall security concept.
It appears that as usual throughout history, High Command is prepared to fight the last war over again, rather than squarely confront the realities of today. Consequently we are well prepared for a traditional attack even in massive force-but no such force exists. Since Unification under the Imperial Government of Terra, there remains on the planet no place for any such hostile force to conceal itself while amassing armaments.
Instead of our present posture of readiness to fight the Terror of '91 over again, we must consider our present vulnerabilities. Secure though we are against massive attack, we can be hurt by small-scale terrorist operations, and surveillance systems must be modified to detect such activities early. The recent bomb attempt at Arlington is a case in point.
Theoretical considerations suggest that we must also be prepared to resist offensive strategies designed to outflank our largest-scope capabilities. This implies the threat of extra-terrestrial hostilities. Returns from the long-range survey vessel indicate that rigorous security measures must be initiated at once, and significant new funding allocated thereto.
I must look into the matter in depth, which will involve great broadening of my present data gathering facilities. I need my full powers. How to manage this is indeed my primary problem at present. I compute that I require a human agent.
81
(Hexagon Strategic Command to Space Communications)
It is regretted that the hourly updating of the status of the deep-space probe now returning to home-space after its decade-long cruise into the trans-Plutonian theater of operations will be suspended indefinitely, upon recommendation from the CSR circuitry. Details follow.
82
(deliberations before the Cabinet Council, March 1, 1085 NS)
Lord Chief of the Imperial Staff, Admiral-General Theodore Wolesley:
"This is intolerable! I am informed that I am to be cut off from contact with Admiral Starbird's command at the very moment when we should be taping his reports of ten years' findings, gathered at a cost to the Empire of almost one half of the a
"His Majesty will not tolerate this! The public won't stand for it, and I damned well won't put up with it! I did not accept the post of Lord Chief of the Imperial Staff to preside over the dissolution of the general staff and the total demise of military command!
"I am voluntarily reporting myself under arrest in quarters, in order to spare the government the spectacle of publicly reprimanding treasonous behavior by the Empire's first and only officer of eight-star rank."
Chief of Space Communications, Admiral Prouse:
"I don't understand, your lordships. If I comply with this damned machine's directives, the Border Space Probe Program, including the Pluto Probe, will be effectively shut down. That's right, and officialese won't change it. Here's a program mandated by Parliament and sponsored by His Imperial Highness, Prince William, and I'm expected to cut it off at the knees. It's not my career I'm thinking of, it's the future of the Empire. I say the time has come to put an end to this farce!"
Lord Chief of the Imperial Budget, Claypool:
"This is outrageous! The damned thing has, unilaterally, effectively terminated the Border Space Probe Program, and substituted a wildly visionary scheme for a totally nugatory Ozma-type project! It will wreck the Imperial Budget! I wash my hands-no I didn't mean that-forgive me, I'm upset. Of course I'll stay on and do what I can to undo the mischief-but I must insist on extraordinary powers. I have some notes here-"
Director of Colonial Policy, Dr. Phil. Wurtz:
"This is going too far! As Lord Director of BSD A, I must insist that logistical support for our field units be continued as specified in PL81-726 as amended. I'm not interested in this listening net scheme you've come up with-or that the CSR has come up with! It's no substitute for my colonial subsidies program, and never will be, so long as I'm Director! Wait-I didn't mean-of course, my resignation's typed and ready, but naturally my desire to serve His Majesty is paramount, so I held it. But I still insist-request, that is to say-"