Red Zone - 24

A Novel

5

So. Can you help me with something?

What is it Sairen?

Why do you treat expers differently?

They are not conscious.

But I am.

You are inside of me, so you can use the parts of my brain that create a consciousness.

So, the picture I have of the world in my mind, that's consciousness?

Yes, it is called the theatre of the mind.

And expers don't have this?

No, Sairen, they do not.

But they could.

Well, we would have to put in the hardware for it, and that would be heavy and expensive.

They act like they are conscious.

That's because we make them that way.

And they could be conscious.

I do not think we could make that work. Conscious beings do not serve purposes very well. They want things.

Like me. I want things.

Yes.

So, you aren't going to sleep me?

He took a deep breath. No, you have been concepted, and that means we will work hard to keep you awake and alive.

But I still don't understand why the other expers have to be without a consciousness.

We can run an artificial consciousness through what is called a “soul cage.” But they are big and heavy and require power. Or you have to borrow part of an organic consciousness, the way people do with an avatar, or you are with me. We could not have every knife and fork attached to one.

Does that make you an avatar? But what about large expers like the tank? It seemed So, sad.

No, I am, however, a soul carrier. At least, that is what I remember the term to be, I could be wrong. As for tanks, it would be very dangerous to have them decide that they didn't want to fight.

So, what if I want to stay with you for a while?

Yes, it is alright.

And is not fighting so bad? If no one wanted to fight, then we would not have so much pain. The colonists are like us, the Jovians are like us.

Peace lasted for a century Sairen, and now it is being fumbled away. It might well be there is some conflict between consciousness and peace. I do not know.

I think we can have consciousness and peace.

I hope so, but it has not happened yet.

I have another question.

What is it?

What about the cephs?

What about them?

Are they like expers? Or like me and you?

He paused and thought.

I remember learning that they are conscious, yes.

And yet we treat them more like expers.

Yes, or worse.

Are you sure that is right?

I do not know.

If you don't know, who does?

I do not know that, either.

Does it bother you to say that?

Yes, but not because of me.