d approach in that realm。 So I thought： Why couldn't it be the same for data？ After all； what's mind but a union of music and math？〃
Bruce Mirrorshades； Machine Mind and Arthurian Legend
Hodel； mander of the Karbarran flotilla； counted down the seconds。 He thought about Cano； the brother he had lost when the N'trpriz had been destroyed； and wondered how many others he would grieve for before the battle was through。
Haydon IV had yet to respond to the ultimatum； although the Tiresian； Cabell； claimed to have been in touch with a high…ranking official planetside who had affirmed that no offworlders would be released。 The Haydonite had also warned against the use of force to achieve that end。 In his capacity as amateur historian； Hodel was inclined to believe him。 He was conversant as any with the facts regarding the Mo'fiint Incident； in which 870 dreadnoughts at the mand of a would…be empire builder had attempted to add Haydon IV to her long list of conquests。 Eight hundred and seventy ships annihilated in a matter of minutes 。 。 。 But history was just that； or so the Karbarran High Authority had admonished Hodel when he had brought the Mo'fiint Incident to their attention。 So； in his capacity as battle group mander； he was expected to disregard any Haydonite counterthreats municated to the Ark Angel and accept on faith that history mattered only to the victors。
Moreover； it was obvious from the recordings made during the N'trpriz's final moments that K'rrk had mitted a series of tactical blunders。 He had failed to break off munication with Haydon IV's artificial sentience and had thereby allowed the Awareness access to the ship's onboard Tiresian…manufactured AI…which in turn had been based on Haydonite designs！
This time in there would be no such contact。 The Awareness had been given ample opportunity to respond； the deadline had not been met； and it was time therefore to actualize the threat。 Haydon IV would be given no second chance。
And neither would the ships of the flotilla。
Hodel buried the thought behind a confident scowl and rose from his mand chair as the zero…line display triggered battle…station sirens throughout the ship。
〃Order all ships into attack formation；〃 he growled to his munications officer。 〃Full ahead； on my mand； Ntor。 〃
〃Aye； sir；〃 Ntor responded from her station。 〃Sekiton drives at maximum power； all systems enabled。 〃
The battle plan was a straightforward one now that the safety of the hostages was no longer considered a mission priority。 Haydon IV was simply to be beaten into submission。 The loss of the five hundred or so merchants and traders planetside would be regrettable but acceptable。
Colonel Mo'fiint had felt no need to justify her actions when she had given the order to attack Haydon IV。 The goal； after all； had been conquest。
Much as today； Hodel thought。
〃Planetary reconfiguration in process； Captain；〃 the science officer advised。 〃Haydon IV is disengaging from the moon。 Weapons nacelles retracting。 We are being scanned and targeted。〃
Hodel swiveled to study displays。 The giant artifact was rotating to face the flotilla； its materiel transfer tubes traversing local space like twin cannons。 〃Standard evasion； Ntor；〃 he directed forward。 〃Close all munication frequencies。〃
〃Repositioning of the labor droneships； Captain；〃 the science officer updated。 〃They are being deployed to repel strikes directed against the surface。〃
Hodel growled to himself。 〃Order fighter teams away as soon as we're within range。〃
〃Aye sir。〃
Hodel watched the forward screens。 〃All right； Ntor； let's clear a path for them。 On my mark 。 。 。〃
Aboard the Ark Angel； Louie Nichols and his crew of ic…crazed pjockeys were headlocked into that part of the ship's AI mainframe linked to the mo device Veidt had left in Exedore's care。
The data room was a yard sale of consoles； monitors； slave decks； sensory boosts； psi…amps； and enhancers； a tangled nest of F/O lines； power leads； and interface cables； with the team members positioned about like switches and relays some sprawled on the floor beneath tables； cranial cyber ports studded with titanium plugs and alloy adapters； others cross…legged atop tables and racks； fiddling with tuning knobs； keying input； fingering touchscreens； but loving every minute of it； thrilled to be back where they belonged； ghosts in the mind of the machine。
Vince Grant had just sent word that the Karbarrans were making their move and that Haydon IV was readying what promised to be a crippling response。 It had been Louie's signal to mence an attack of his own devising； not directed _ against the planet； however； but against the psychodynamics of its ruling artificial intelligence。 With luck； the Awareness will be too busy attending to matters of defense to notice Louie and his cowboys' subtle approach； too preoccupied carrying out the timeless dictates of its enigmatic program to realize that someone was toying with its emotions。
Louie； Gibley； Strucker； and the rest were not going in so much on…line as they were on…wave； in an attempt to grapple with the Awareness where it lived； loved； and loathed。 Unified； the discorporate raiders aimed to plant the seeds of self璬oubt； to stir a bit of regret； to suggest a path to redemption。 To inject a virus if all else failed。
Louie could feel the cyber surge as he punched into machine mind； the hands to which his thoughts were now only remotely connected hovering over the console's directional cross and touchpad； his hands…on…trigger…and…stick。 The cyber…surge was the rush of a crimson…tipped stimulant； a kick clear out of the world。 He could feel Stirson and Shi Ling headlocked into the same vibe； telepathic twins flanking him like recklessness and daring； an upside Scylla and Charybdis。
Machine mind was dimly lit； boundless but crowded with the color…coded spires and sentry towers that guarded Ark Angel's mainframe cores。 Below was the network's familiar grid of pulsating lights； data highways for the grounded and uninspired。 Louie laughed as he soared above bridges and constructs； executing flyboy rollovers between mainframe pillars and pyramids as he closed on the access link to Veidt's device。
Exedore's puter construct was over the horizon； stuck in the real stuff； blazing a trail for the team。 Louie thought he could almost detect the Zentraedi's fingers hammering overhead like thunder in that weatherless domain。
Down the link into the device； a jump fueled by thought from ship to reconfigured world； into a much smaller space a foyer of a kind； an antechamber defined by the dark maws of derezz gates； the looming shadows of security fences。 Gibley's construct slid to a halt nearby； freaked by the sight； wavering like the filament in a shaken bulb。 Exedore was giving it his all； hacking away with mands； but there were defensive； mands beginning to line up behind the walls： retaliatory icons ordered in by executive decision。
Louie steeled himself； hands set for play in the Ark Angel's dreamscape。 Gibley； Strucker； Stirson； and Shi…Ling were eager trotters； panting at the start of the course。
An access window suddenly flashed transparent。 Exedore had punched through。
Gibley's construct took the point as the Awareness deployed its net。
Time to fry； Louie thought。
〃I've found a way in！〃 Exedore announced； hands raised above the keyboard in surprise。
〃Yeah； and I've found a way out；〃 Dana told him from the front threshold as repeated blasts shook the room。 The laser fence disabled； the Praxians had already gone through to lend support to the Karbarran revolt。
The ursinoids had streamed out of their cells only moments before at the sound of the first surface explosions； stacking bodies in the thresholds until the lasers were overworked； then flooding into the central confinement area armed with everything from furniture parts to sheets of alloy torn from the walls。
Most of level four was pure chaos。 The Haydonite jailers had trained their forehead weapons on the mob and successfully decimated the Karbarran front line。 But like the lasers； the hovering guards were soon overwhelmed and felled by body blocks and staggering paw…hand swipes。
Dana ventured that the Awareness itself was being overwhelmed by coordinated strikes launched by the ships of the Karbarran battle group。 Haydon IV's big brain could not effectively oversee confinement zone security when it was busy feeding off plasma bolts and safeguarding the spherical ships its factory had been spitting out。 The laser fences had been the first to go； control of the jailers had been relinquished； and Exedore was telling everyone that he had secured a route to the heart of the central puter。 It was a sure thing； then； that Louie's team would be able to follow Exedore in and loose their poisons。
In the meantime； Dana thought she might be able to assist both Louie and the Karbarran flotilla by opening up yet another front。 At her insistence； Exedore had ferreted out the whereabouts of the power management terminals that controlled production of the sphere ships' stardrives。 Readouts indicated that a few of those drives had already been installed； but most were still under construction。 The way Dana saw it； Haydon and h