An aside for students: those of you who rise to command level should expect to take one of the advanced courses offered to captaincy candidates. How to talk an alien computer into committing suicide. I’ve seen Ohm do it on at least a dozen occasions. War computers. Pompous, matrix architect programs. Skynet-terminator style scalawag AIs. Pinocchio bots, krell-robbies and rogue trash compacters. Our leader had a real gift for it. And indeed, part of me savored what was about to happen.

Still, I had to advise him. It’s my job.

“Captain, I’m not so sure it’s a good idea to wreck the Leininger machine so abruptly. There are aspects to this… maybe it’s worth discussing a little.”

Ohm glanced back at me and nodded. “You’ve been right so often, adviser… and I have been too rash. But you heard him. This Spertin plot has cost countless lives, ruining an entire planet’s hope for peace and advancement. Also, if these spies are right, then it’s a terrible threat to the Alliance. I’m sorry.” He turned back to the shielded machine.

“Computer! I put it to you that you were programmed with a purpose! What was that purpose?”

“To solve the overpopulation and resource depletion problems, of course.”

“Fine, but then your purpose was amended, right? In order to __”

I felt helpless. Of course even if Ohm succeeded – and I never doubted his ability – things looked bleak. Tonight, after we were all killed by a tsunami of Nomorts, the Spertins would simply transmit a call to their nearest base, requesting their support forces to send in a new computer. That is, unless –

At that moment, a sudden, soft ratcheting sound came from behind me. It must have been my hyper sensitive human hearing, because only Earl Dragonlord seemed also to notice. While all the others watched Ohm, mesmerized as he lured the computer into his unfolding trap of logic, I turned and saw Karakal, near the building’s entrance, holding the finder device at arm’s length, like someone in possession of a suddenly quite-active rattlesnake. While he quivered, the implacably capricious mechanism emitted a smug, self-satisfied clack! Then the finder swiveled and pointed. To the southern wall of the Obtania cube, and beyond.

At first – while the captain continued weaving his web of inescapable rational conundrums, and the Big Computer’s lights flared in evident panic – I could see nothing through the barrier of glass surrounding us. Then Earl Dragonlord gasped. And seconds later I saw it too.

A hair-thin line, slanting downward at a steep angle, with a glittering pebble at the bottom. A blue line almost invisible against the sky, descending from above until its shiny tip plunged to ground beyond a copse of native trees.