Sunday 7 January 2001

Transcript

Narrator: Processing licenses in Nectaris city, Luna.

Shep: Move it people! There are twenty stations up there for your data-entry enjoyment!

Schlock: All these people in line for years. It's sad. It's like the goverment didn't even care.

Kevyn: Why should they? These folks all want recreation licenses. It's non-essential.

Schlock: So what needs to be licensed?

Kevyn: Wings. In the low Lunar gravity, personal flight is easy, and very popular.

Kevyn: The people want to fly, but the big, bureaucratic goverment is holding them down.

Schlock: Uh-oh. I sence an author's message coming.

Kevyn: Crap. I really said that, didn't I? I gotta think before I speak.

Narrator: You said it, not me. I refuse to comment.

Narrator: Meanwhile, data entry operations continue...

Ennesby: Thurl, I think this ancient computer system is getting more efficient.

Thurl: I'd noticed that it was taking less time for you to process these licenses. The line has almost cleared out.

Random Crowd:

Ennesby: Sweet merciful prograsms! There's an artifical intelligence in here!

Thurl: There was no indication of that outside of the box, was there?

Ennesby: Nope. The AI evolved on its owm. I think this computer has been alive for centuries, and only recently developed self-awaerness.

Thurl: How recently?

Ennesby: About twenty seconds ago. I was messing with an old ELIZA module, and suppenly it started talking-REALLY talking. I think the fact that I've been jeacked in has accelerated its development.

Thurl: Ennesby, based on what you are telling me, I think that you have givin birth! You are a mother!

Ennesby:

Ennesby: I.. I... err... parsing... err...

Ennesby: I don't to have to raise this thing.

Thurl: Then agian, you act more like a father.

Narrator: I can see the paternity suits already...