"Lawrence Watt-Evans - War Surplus 01 - The Cyborg And The Sorcerers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Watt-Evans Lawrence)

As the echoes faded off in the maze of trees and the machine-gunned leaves, twigs, and branches finished
falling, crackling, and rustling, Slant saw the flying figure fleeing the way he had come, skimming the
treetops. He started to call a sardonic farewell, but his voice caught in his throat and his body twitched
convulsively as the computer tried to take control of his body. The override was far less efficient at a
distance than through the direct-control cable, so for a few seconds Slant was subjected to spastic
twitching, but the computer had taken him completely by surprise. Involuntarily the submachine gun was
wrenched back up and the remainder of the ammunition clip fired in the direction of the departing wizard,
obliterating the new silence and tearing apart more leaves.

Slant was pleased to see that there was no sign any of this renewed fire had touched the Teyzhan
councillor.

The computer apparently saw the same thing; when the firing mechanism clicked after discharging the last
cartridge, the override released abruptly, and a final uncoordinated jerk sent Slant sprawling awkwardly
on the carpet of pine needles.

He lay there for a second, listening to echoes dying once again and watching bits of mangled leaf drift to
the ground, then demanded, "What the hell was that all about?"

"Cyborg unit dysfunction; airborne enemy patrol escaping."

"What dysfunction? I didn't want to kill him. There was no reason to kill him; he wasn't going to hurt us."

"Contention unsupported by evidence. Standard procedure calls for elimination of any enemy patrol or
individual discovering location of any IRU unit not operating under cover, to prevent relay of unit location
or other data harmful to IRU or beneficial to enemy military intelligence."

"Don't spout orders at me I You know there are special cases, and that it's up to me to assess them, not
you!"

"Affirmative. However, there is no evidence to indicate that recent action constituted a special case
calling for deviation from standard procedure."

"What evidence do you want?"

"Any evidence that would indicate recent action to be a special case calling for deviation from standard
procedure. Providing such evidence will modify record of cyborg unit dysfunction."

"And if I have no objective evidence, just my intuition?''

"Record of cyborg unit dysfunction will remain."

Slant wearily regained his feet.

"Warning: Cyborg unit has shown high incidence of marginal dysfunction and lack of enthusiasm for
mission. Further dysfunction may allow termination without further warning."

"What?"

"Warning: Cyborg unit—"