Strata

deck. Helooked up. A robot was dangling above his head. He sighed.
    The ship rose into daylight. It emerged in the middle of a black sand beach, with the copper dome of the hub behind it. The sea moved lazily a few metres away. There was a shudder as the lift platform locked.
    Now the cubes were spraying foam over three structures of curved tubing which they had bolted to the floor. The foam congealed into about the right sized hollows for a shand, a kung and a human.
    ‘We’ve got a little time until lift-off,’ said Kin, and stood up. ‘Has anybody got any questions? Yeah. I thought you might. Okay, but get in the couches.’
    ‘You don’t expect me to get us into interspace from the disc surface?’ asked Marco. ‘We wouldn’t have a chance!’
    ‘You did it from Kung,’ said Kin, settling into her couch.
    ‘Kung hasn’t got a damn great dome over the sky!’
    ‘No. I don’t expect to flip yet, anyway. We need the couches for the primary launch.’
    ‘But who is going to be at the controls? I can’t reach them from here!’
    ‘No one is going to be at the controls. There aren’t any for the launch. Trust me.’
    ‘No controls and you want me to trust you?’
    ‘Yes. I want you to trust me.’
    Marco lay down and reached for the couch straps. Silver was already prone. They lay in silence for a while.
    Then Kin said, ‘Marco, can you see that round screen from your couch?’
    ‘I see it.’
    ‘It’s radar. Keep an eye on it. And now, perhaps I owe you an explanation …’
    HELP , said the screen.
    Trying not to think about it, Kin lifted the occupant out of the chair, and sat down in front of the pleading letters. Keeping the hovering helmet in the top of her eye, she ran her hand over the arm.
    Nothing happened, except that the screen now read YOU ARE KIN ARAD .
    ‘That’s—’ Kin’s voice sounded faint in the closeness of the room. She cleared her throat. ‘That is correct,’ she said. ‘Who are you?’
    WE BELIEVE YOU HAVE REFERRED TO US AS THE DISC MASTERS , ALTHOUGH WE CALL OURSELVES THE COMMITTEE .
    ‘It’s got a nice democratic ring about it. Let me see you.’
    IS THAT AN EXPRESS WISH ?
    ‘Well, I’ve come a long way to meet you. This is hardly an intimate conversation, you must admit.’ Kin looked around; looking for doors, hidden cameras. The walls were blank.
    YOU MISUNDERSTAND US , WE ARE MACHINES . COMPUTERS , JAGO JALO CALLED US , WE FAIL TO UNDERSTAND YOUR SURPRISE .
    ‘I’m not surprised,’ lied Kin.
    THEN WE SUGGEST YOU SUE YOUR FACE FOR SLANDER .
    ‘Why do you need help? It’s me that needs help. What has happened to my friends?’
    THEY ARE SAFELY IN PROTECTIVE CUSTODY. THEY WERE TOO VIOLENT TO BE ALLOWED TO ROAM LOOSE, OF COURSE. DO YOU WISH THEM TO BE FREED, AND FOR US TO PROVIDE YOU WITH TRANSPORT TO YOUR HOME WORLD? IF YOU SO ORDER, IT WILL BE DONE .
    ‘I can order you?’
    YOU SIT IN THE CHAIR. THERE IS NO OTHER INCUMBENT. YOU ARE THE CHAIRMAN. THEREFORE YOU CAN GIVE THE ORDERS. WE IMPLORE YOU TO DO SO .
    ‘You can build me a ship?’
    WE BUILT A SHIP FOR JAGO JALO. WE ASSISTED HIM, DESPITE ALL THAT HE DID. CHOICE DOES NOT EXIST FOR MACHINES IN MATTERS OF THIS NATURE. JALO CHOSE TO FLEE THE DISC RATHER THAN LEARN MORE ABOUT IT .
    Kin considered this carefully. When she spoke, she spoke slowly.
    ‘You will give me a ship, but if I chose to leave the disc you won’t tell me any more about it?’
    YES .
    ‘But you said I could give the orders.’
    YES. HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE WE WILL SHORTLYEXPERIENCE A SLIGHT MALFUNCTION IN OUR AUDITORY CIRCUITRY. IT MAY PREVENT US FROM HEARING ANY SUBSEQUENT ORDERS .
    Kin smiled. ‘Then there’s no choice, is there? Not against blackmail. Tell me about the disc.’
    ‘Kin,’ said Marco urgently. ‘There’s something on the screen.’
    ‘It’s about time,’ replied Kin. ‘Don’t worry.’
    ‘Yeah, I remember. Trust you. It’s bloody big.
    What is it?’
    ‘It’s our launch vehicle.’
    Kin leaned back in the oh-so-easy chair and stared at the blank screen for a long time.
    ‘You’re wearing out,’ she said. ‘That’s why the seas are going mad and the climate’s shifting. I understand that. The disc is a machine. Machines have a finite life. That’s why the Company builds planets.’
    PLANETS HAVE A FINITE LIFE .
    ‘A longer one. They don’t start to squeak on their bearings after half a million years.’
    YOU GLOAT ?
    ‘No. I keep thinking of a few hundred million people on a spaceship the