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"Does the sun also move?" "Yes." "So, really, isn't it merely a mathematical convenience to decide which moves around which?" "Yes, but…" Two pink spots shone on Quint's taut white cheeks. The Tin Man hadn't expected the Green Elf to be so cluey. "I know, I know. It greatly simplifies the calculations. A good idea, too." The two men stared at each other. One, apparently, was open. The other, apparently, was closed. Both jostled to be the unmoving sun. "These robots," Wally opened, "do they have a name?" The Defense Minister's lips twitched in the ghost of a smile. "They're known as Arnies, sir, after an old movie star." "Oh yes, I remember him. Became a polly. The Terminus or something." "Terminator." "The Terminator, yes." Wally put the files into a neat pile. "In public, we call them Cybers." "Public is good. Cybers is good, too." Wally tapped the files against his desk. "Might be a good idea for me to have a look at them." "But, sir…" "Soon." "But…" "A-S-A-P." Quint sighed. "If you insist. I am still getting on top of my portfolio." "Rubbish. You've been on top of it forever." The Tin Man half nodded. "And Dr Ein Stein will be with me," Wally added. "Ein? Silly name." Wally nodded in agreement. "His parents, the Steins, were great fans of the great Einstein." He smiled grimly. "They either had a good sense of humour or, more likely, none whatsoever. Hence the name. Anyway, as Dr Stein is the Minister for Science and the Environment, it is appropriate that he come as well." Wally frowned in thought. "Ein did say something." "Yes?" Quint raised his eyebrows in question. They watched each other like hawks. "About this robot research." "Yes?" "He said it's a man's way of having babies." Quint snorted. "Very Freudian." "You don't like it?" "It's old hat. Men can have babies now. No, robots are simply part of our defense program." "And a very costly program it has been," Wally declared. The meeting concluded. The Tin Man went to arrange the visit of the Green Elf. The Green Elf went to see the Science Minister. The Science Minister, unable to go anywhere, just groaned. "Do I haf to go, Vally? Can't someone else do the paper vork?" Ein Stein wore a stained lab coat, mostly out of hope. He hadn't a chance of getting to a lab until the weekend. The Prime Minister leant close. "How're the bugs?" he whispered. "Vich ones?" "The human, the insectual… the electronic." "Don't ask." Ein was a slim man with a shock of hair that swept away from his forehead. An expert in acoustic violin, he had considered a career in music. The urge to help had pushed him into science. Anger had driven him to politics. He still wanted to save the world yet, unpolly-like, he remained concerned about the means justifying the end. "I don't like dis double-dealing," he moaned. "You don't have to," Wally said soothingly. "Only I do." "But I'm still party to it!" The Prime Minister raised his hand. "The last time, Ein. After that, you can do what you want." The last time? Stein's face brightened. In politics but out of the… politics? He couldn't believe it. Wally had already intimated it. Now he'd said it outright. Well, when most pollies were as straight as a corkscrew, the Green Elf was as straight as a polly could be and still survive. Stein clapped his hands. He'd take his chances. "OK, I'm vid you." Early the next morning, Dr Stein met with Wally at the Department of Defense. Quint led them into the bowels of ARCE, Automated and Robotic Control Engineering. Few knew about it. ARSErs liked to joke, "If I told you what I do, I'd have to pinch your bottom." Introducing them to a tall cavernous looking man, Quint said, "Professor Neo will show us around." Ein gave Neo an icy look. "Ve haf already met at the Mind-Metal symposium. Our views were quite different." "If I remember correctly," Neo said, a hiss in his voice, "yours were quite conservative, backwards looking. I prefer to look forward." He motioned. "I'll show you the A.I. Section first." He led them to an impressive steel door andNeo keyed in a series of numbers. There was a click. He showed his iris. There was a second click. He then offered his palm. There was a third click. They waited expectantly. Nothing happened. Trying to be inconspicuous, Neo pushed the door with his elbow. It swung open. "Very artificial intelligence," Ein muttered. A guard stood to greet them, an impressive array of gadgets dangling from his belt. Their weight caused his trousers to slide down. He hitched them up and said, "G'day, Neo." Neo grunted as Wally looked around. He felt slightly disappointed. He'd expected a big screen with a 2001 HAL or a ghostly holograph with a seductive voice. Instead, what he saw were young men, in black suits and crew cuts, glued to computers. Not literally, that would've been too interesting. A few of the young men, he noted, were actually women.
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