Shinie’s Ritual

In fact, it had defined and coded all categorization indicators. Now the Superperson was in for a much more complicated assignment – to evaluate destructive behavior according to the degree of hazard for the members of the control group.

The problem was that some of the indicators had estimates, which generated controversial conclusions. The revealed evaluation indicators would not let the machine categorize this type of behavior as ‘hazardous’, although they did not meet the criteria of ‘non-hazardous’ incidents either.

– 2 —

The Superperson once again aligned the non-standard indicators in the order of decreasing frequency rate. The first indicator was absence of motivation. None of the incidents had been motivated. The objects, which had showed behavior deviating from that defined by the standard program, had no reason to act as they actually did. That followed from the analysis of voice records.

Second, incidents were supposed to inflict consequences, which could not be regarded as the only possible ones and therefore could not be predicted. Man would call them “absurd”.

Third, the criminals did not seem to try to hide at all. The analysis of the controlled group members’ body movements, given the destructive act they had committed, had demonstrated perfect calm.

Had the Superperson obtained an ability to assign qualitative characteristics to its own condition, it would have referred to it as ‘in confusion’. Since a group of scientists and programmers had designed it in back the twenty-second century, and since the global system of supercontrol over offenses against person – the Superperson – had been accepted worldwide, it would not have reached its current parameters.

Capable of assembling its own physical body from nanograin containers, which were located at a decent distance from each other, so that it could arrive at the scene of destructive act within 27 seconds, the Superperson, connected to a full-range detection network, chose to accumulate more data.

As soon as the decision was made, i.e. after 4,45 seconds since the launch of the process, the Superperson once again tuned all its resources to signals coming in from the detection network. There it was: one of the signals was non-standard again. The Superperson directed 4,59% of its resources to the scene.

– 3 —

There were two of them standing face to face. One was checking the time and the other one was looking around worriedly.

“Where is the THING?”

“3, 2, 1… here we are.”

The Superperson materialized the nano-particles, which were contained in the nearest tank, and all but walked up to the two.

“Destructive act 3112—05—14789564 detected. Offence against person Category 2, Type 1, Code 3. Non-accomplice theft, minor loss.”

“Oh, come on”, the number-one objected with factitious resent, “No theft.”

“You don’t have anything against me, do you?” the number-two uttered with a snort.

“Nothing, Dr. Cooper.”

“Well, thank you for sharing your sandwich with me.”

“The analysis of your action shows signs of destructive behavior, Dr. Cooper Arc-ID-17895462879.”

“No, that’s wrong. Why should I steal – you mean I did it, don’t you?” Doctor did realize that the Superperson would not appreciate his irony, but he could not hold it.

“Affirmative, Cap,” his swashbuckling companion trumped. “Thank you for being alert, Sir… erm… Miss (there was hardly anything in the whole world that the doctor’s companion liked better than sneering)”.

“Charges of destructive behavior withdrawn, proceeding terminated for mutual denial”, the Superperson turned around and, followed by the “criminals’” choked-back laughter, started toward the nearest container. To an onlooker, it might appear that it walked heavily and was quite low-shouldered.

– 4 —

As soon as it collected a sufficient amount of resource in one place, the proceeding was resumed. It started with the question: is the offence against the Superperson an offence against a person?

An affirmative answer was received in 10,87 seconds.

In 14,35 seconds, the Superperson decided to categorize this type of destructive behavior as ‘highly hazardous’.

98,52 seconds later, the first member of the control group became the thirtieth-century’s first life-termer.

Strategic Mistake

That was an act Trent could not have expected from the rival. He pulled the collar of his uniform coat. The move seemed robotic, and the body was signaling fatigue and oxygen deficiency. However, his conscience kept ordering him to stay calm. In any case, a response action would follow in minutes.