Doctor Who_ The Also People - Ben Aaronovitch [71]
'It occurs to me,' said aM!xitsa, 'that Daleks aren't really machines, Cybermen are descended from organic humanoids and Movellans were designed by an organic race in their own image.'
'You're claiming it wasn't their fault?' asked Roz. 'They were designed to be megalomaniacs?'
'Influenced, Roz,' said aM!xitsa, 'not designed. Seeking to subjugate or destroy all other life forms is hardly a form of rational behaviour, is it? What would be the point of creating this sphere, giving it viable biosphere, if only machines were going to inhabit it? Who would I talk to, what would there be to talk about?'
'So what you're saying,' said Roz carefully, 'is that you machines wouldn't take over because without humans around there wouldn't be anything to gossip about?'
'I don't think you understand the kind of collective resource that two trillion sentient individuals represent. However fast I think and however smart I am, the probability is that someone out there has thought of it too, probably millions of people. And even if only a tiny fraction of those people actually do anything with that knowledge then we're still talking about thousands of people. Not to mention, and this is the kicker, because they are all individuals they're all thinking about it in a different way. Collectively, the two trillion organic individuals that live here are smarter than God.'
Roz stared at the drone.
'Oh, all right,' said aM!xitsa. 'It's because life is more fun with humans than without them.'
'So what was all that business about collective intelligence in aid of?'
'Oh, that's all true,' said aM!xitsa, 'theoretically.'
Roz heard Bernice calling. 'I can definitely smell coffee. For God's sake, somebody lead me to it.' She came down the stairs and into the living room.
'I'll get another mug,' said aM!xitsa.
Bernice flopped down next to Roz and held out a bare arm. 'Never mind a mug, just give it to me intravenously.' A mug of steaming coffee slapped into her palm. Bernice took a sip and sighed appreciatively. 'So who's Mr Efficiency?' she asked Roz.
'A friend of the Doctor's,' said Roz. 'AM!xitsa.'
'Hello, aM!xitsa,' said Bernice. 'Where's Chris?'
'Didn't come home last night.'
Bernice raised an eyebrow. 'The little devil,' she said. 'Is it my imagination or is this coffee better than the normal stuff?' She caught sight of the breakfast tray. 'Is that bacon and eggs? I didn't know they had bacon and eggs here. Pass it over . . .'
'Watch it,' said Roz. Coffee was spilling from Bernice's mug on to her leg. 'Benny, that stuff's hot.' Then she realized that Bernice wasn't listening. Instead the younger woman was staring past Roz towards the stairs. Quickly Roz lifted the cup from Bernice's hand and turned to look.
'Oh dear,' said aM!xitsa.
The woman was crouching halfway down the stairs, one hand resting lightly on the banister, her head cocked slightly to the left. She was staring back at Bernice.
'Wait,' said Bernice.
The woman vaulted over the banister, ran lightly but with astonishing speed across the living room and out onto the balcony. Bernice tumbled out of the sofa and scrambled after her.
'Kadiatu,' she cried, 'wait.'
The woman somersaulted over the balcony railing and vanished. Roz caught up with Bernice as she ran into the sunlight. AM!xitsa overtook both of them and accelerated downwards and out of sight. Bernice's hands grabbed at the railing and leaned as far as she could go, looking wildly for some sign of the woman. Roz, cursing and trying to keep the hot stain on her dressing gown away from her leg, hobbled out to join her.
Bernice was angry. Roz had never seen her that angry before and it was kind of impressive.
'You overbearing multi-lived