name you use for me in these transmissions to be quite intriguing. A metallic food container? Of course, I am neither metallic nor a food container, but . . .”
“I did not mean anything derogatory. . . .” Terry said.
“Of course not. And Tinkan is a much easier form of address than Z-9604. I find the appellation comfortable, and should be delighted if you will use it.”
“Good. It’s much easier.”
“Me too?” asked Grontunk. “It does come more quickly to the tongue. . . .”
The robot bowed, and Terry asked, “Since you read me, do you read Grontunk as well?” Since the matter was under discussion it would be a good idea to find out as much as possible.
“Only superficially, as in your case. There are many recurrent groupings of electronic responses in your individual computers for which I have no satisfactory referents.”
“But if you can receive from us, what is the nature of the difficulty between you and the computer?”
“The signals you emit to your surroundings are of a distinctly different nature than those with which I should be communicating with my . . .” There was a distinct pause. “. . . boss? Of course I have a shielding quotient which you seem to lack which would make it impossible, but even without that, our channel of communication would not even follow the same type of code system you use.”
A binary system? Terry wondered, and found himself working through a binary numeral computation.
“No, no. That would be a formalized version of your own form of code.”
“It is, as far as I know, the simplest possible electronic code,” Terry replied. “Does Grontunk also follow it?”
“No.”
Terry tried again. There were, of course, innumerable other mathematical codes that could be superimposed on an electronic structure. But the simple form of Aristotelian “yes-no” logic. . . .
“Can be complicated,” Tinkan said, “as you say, by innumerable variations. For example, a pulse may be recurrent in time so that the time duration becomes the significant quantity, such as in Grontunk’s case. Or a pulse may be present or absent, as in your own case. An individual pulse may also vary in amplitude thus giving what we would call an analogue quantity of informational referent, which is the case of my own basic computational ability.”
“But an analogue value can run between zero and infinity. Can you also do decimal computation?”
“I find the value of decimal computation restricted by a large number of decimal points,” Tinkan replied, “whereas I can arrive at a much more valid approximate answer with a fewer number of actual manipulations by analogue usage.”
“And,” Terry replied, “with a great deal less precision.”
“But . . .” Tinkan’s answer was interrupted by Grontunk.
“If you gentlemen intend to continue a discussion in which I am not oriented, I must either sit here in puzzlement or withdraw. I do not wish to withdraw, for I am beginning to hope that more shall come of this than I had first thought possible.”
Tinkan turned to include Grontunk in his next remark. “You have misinformed me. This citizen is obviously not of a Basic rating, since there are no referents available to the Basic Galactic Citizen that would make such a conversation logically possible.”
“But he’s oriented to the same class I am! And . . . and I don’t understand!” Grontunk’s voice took a plaintive note. “Without a balancing tail to free his forelimbs, how could a biped have developed to a level of intelligence. . . .”
“Both the biochemical and the metalloid forms lend themselves to a variety of shapes,” Tinkan interrupted cheerfully. “But, Friend Terry, what is your numeric designation?”
Terry proceeded to supply that which his orientation told him was desired. “Which translates out,” he added, “basic citizen orientation.”
“Then you cannot know what you just said!”
“That is your opinion,” said Terry. “How would you classify me?”
“Sorry,” Tinkan answered, “insufficient referents for full classification. But you’re definitely not just a basic citizen.”
“And,” Terry replied, “I’m definitely not happy with that classification. Our problem seems to be to refer the matter of status for Grontunk and myself to a Citizen, Supervisor Class, for clarification. In order to get a Citizen, Supervisor Class here, our problem seems to be to create a signal that will call a Citizen Supervisor Class to this outpost. What emergency would cause a Supervisor to be called here?”
Tinkan replied readily. “Why, anything that constitutes an emergency beyond the capability of the computer to interpret and handle. Anything falling outside its basic orders would bring about such intervention.”
“And how can I get hold of a copy of those orders?”
“That’s simple enough. Ask the computer.”
“You forget. I’m a Basic Citizen. The computer is not required to give me any information of a technical nature beyond my understanding classification. But I was hoping you might have a copy of the orders.”
“Not completely. I do know some of the basics applying to my former job. For example, routine repairs of a predictable nature would be handled by my specific type of entity. However, if the cause of a malfunction is indeterminate so far as the computer is concerned, or if it does not fall within the predictable range of malfunctions, then a Supervisor must be called in to estimate the chances of recurrence and to specifically order any changes required in the computer’s routine to prevent future malfunctions.”
“Any unpredictable malfunction.” Terry sat thoughtfully. Then, “That seems simple enough.” He was already rapidly scanning over the general outline of the base and the various functions, not only those that he had been told of, but those that he could, from his own former knowledge, predict.
He had been told that the computer supplied its own power from several units, and that these were automatically monitored and regulated by the computer. But there was nothing in the General Citizen’s Orientation to indicate the type of operation factors involved in these units.
“Tinkan, are the power units electrical?”
“Yes.”
“Are the power units located close by, within the complex here? Or are they remote?”
“There’s a widespread grid of power collection units. They are located most advantageously around the planet, to make use of solar radiant energy, which is converted into electricity for transmission to this area.”
“And you have access to the repair department—say, to the switchboard unit that controls these stations?”
“Yes. As a nonspecific technical class I have access to any such in the station.”
“And if I give you specific instructions, you will obey them?”
