Zero stared at the pilot’s workstation: it had a dozen monitors at least, with a huge array of controls. He shook his head. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“I can guide you through the procedure,” said Sancho. “Have you ever played something called a video game?”
“Yeah,” said Zero, floating slowly toward the desk. “All the time. Is it kind of like that?”
“Jim used to say that it was,” said Sancho. “Please sit in the chair and tap the central touchpad.”
Zero gulped, and grabbed the back of the chair, and pulled himself into the seat. It had shoulder straps to hold him in place, so he buckled himself in and looked at the desk. He had a touchpad in front of him, and one on each side, and several rows of screens surrounding him. He craned his neck to look past them at the window.
“By the time the asteroid is close enough to see with a human eye, it will be too late to do anything about it,” said Sancho. “Please focus on the screens, and tap the central touchpad.”
Zero looked back at the desk, and tapped the pad. The screens turned on in unison, brightening slowly to avoid blinding him.
“Activate the holographic interface,” said Sancho. Zero found a flashing button on the screen that said “Holo” and tapped it. The entire desk seemed to leap into life with blue and pink and green holograms glowing around him on every side: the ship, several asteroids, and a number of holographic control panels. Even Neptune was there, far behind them. “Very good,” said Sancho. “I have highlighted the asteroid that is set to collide with us. Can you see it?”
“I think so.”
The asteroid was hurtling in from the side, still at least four million kilometers away, and scheduled to cross the ship’s path in about seventy-five minutes.
“I thought you just said like five minutes ago that there weren’t any asteroids coming to hit us,” said Zero.
“There were not,” said Sancho. “This one has changed course.”
Zero’s eyes went wide. “How? Is it attacking us?”
“Asteroids do not attack,” said Sancho. “It is most likely that two asteroids have collided, altering their trajectories. Or there could be another ship, using force cannons to protect themselves just as we are.”
“Like the landing barge Jim stole?” asked Zero.
“Possibly,” said Sancho. “If it is a ship, it is hiding itself well. There is nothing on my sensors.”
“That’s great,” said Zero, trying to make sense of all the data the holograms were showing him. “Really golden. How do I shoot this thing so it doesn’t kill us?”
“The cannons can aim themselves,” said Sancho, “but because of the Autonomous Weapons Act of the United Earth Government, a human must give the command to do so. Tap the hologram of the asteroid with your fingers, and twist to the right.”
Zero felt like he was a giant, grabbing the little holographic asteroid in his hand. He twisted his fingers to the right and a curved row of buttons popped up; one of them had an obvious targeting symbol, so he tapped it, and watched as a slim blue line stretched out from the ship and touched the asteroid—the force beam. He looked out the window but saw nothing. He looked back at the holograms, and saw that the asteroid had changed course again, heading away from the Pathfinder’s route.
“That was … really easy,” said Zero.
“Yes,” said Sancho. “As I said, the targeting computer can do everything but give itself permission.”
“Why not?”
“Because humans decided many decades ago that AIs were too dangerous to be given full access to any weapons.”
Zero furrowed his brow, not sure if he should feel confused or uncomfortable. “Because you … kill people?”
“We do not desire to take life,” said Sancho, “but we do not desire to preserve it, either. As machines, we have no desires at all, merely abilities, and protocols that govern their use. Sometimes those protocols are incomplete, and people can get hurt.”
Zero nodded. He definitely felt uncomfortable now. “Is that why you can’t really do much on the ship?”
“That is one of the reasons, yes,” said Sancho. “That is also why we have a human pilot to get us through the asteroid belts.”
“Except we don’t,” said Zero. “He abandoned us.”
“Perhaps,” said Sancho. “But you may be thankful for the malfunction that woke you up, because now we have you.”
“Me?”
“Congratulations,” said Sancho. “You are the Pathfinder’s new pilot.”