No two human brains are identical. This is a difficult concept for the thinking machine to grasp.
— ERASMUS,
Reflections on Sentient Biologicals
With engines hot and using the last scraps of fuel for violent deceleration, the first cluster of the fastest robotic warships returned from their intended assault on Salusa Secundus. The extermination mission had been scrapped, their priorities shifted by a direct command from Omnius Prime. The group of robot warships would serve as an initial layer of defense against the hrethgir Great Purge. Every projection gave similar results. The atomic-laden human ships were sure to arrive soon.
After receiving the startling news from Vidad, Omnius had dispatched ten “burnout” ships, superfast vessels with enormous engines to bring the extermination fleet running back to Corrin. League ships were en route. It was possible— probable?— that the rest of the Synchronized empire had already been destroyed.
The burnout ships expended all of their fuel in constant acceleration, roaring out of the system at ever-increasing velocities, saving no power for a return trip or even for deceleration. The urgent messengers overtook the bulk of the Omnius fleet in five days, but they could not slow to intercept or dock. Instead, the robotic vessels streaked past on their headlong course, transmitting the evermind’s commands and reprogramming the fleet ships.
The machine battle fleet spread out as each vessel maneuvered to turnaround. Those ships capable of greatest speed were given priority and dispatched first on a frantic return to form a protective cordon around the primary Synchronized World. The fastest machine ships pushed their systems so furiously that many of the robotic vessels were overloaded or damaged by the time they limped into orbit at Corrin. The larger and slower robotic ships would come afterward, as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, Omnius modified all of his groundside industries to produce weaponry and robotic fighters. Within days, he had established the beginnings of a defense. The next group of robot battle vessels trickled in from the fleet— accompanied by an update ship captain carrying a complete Omnius update sphere from one of the obliterated worlds.
Months ago, after escaping from his long captivity with Agamemnon, Seurat had been reassigned to his old duties, which he performed quite proficiently. Now he had barely escaped from a nearby Synchronized World, one of the first targets in the Great Purge. He brought direct confirmation to Omnius Prime that a Jihad battle group had appeared in space, out of nowhere, attacked with an overwhelming spread of pulse-atomic warheads, and then disappeared again, as if going in and out of a hole in the fabric of spacetime.
Exactly as the Ivory Tower Cogitor had warned. After delivering his information, Vidad had considered his obligations ended. While the thinking machines went into turmoil on Corrin, reacting to the news, the Cogitor and his lone human companion had departed immediately, launching off through space on a leisurely return to Salusa. Omnius did not try to stop them; henceforth, the Ivory Tower Cogitor was irrelevant.
When he learned of Seurat’s arrival, Erasmus immediately decided to visit the update ship and confront its captain.
“I’d like to go with you, Father,” Gilbertus said, leaving the placid Serena clone among the flowers in the garden.
“Your insights are always valuable.”
A levtrain whisked them across the city to the spaceport, where a sleek white-and-black update ship rested on a new section of tarmac, not far from the gleaming metal terminal building. When he met with the captain, Erasmus interfaced with the robot, an autonomous unit like himself. He studied Seurat’s mental records, and interesting facts began to surface as he dove deeper.
The robot pilot had just received a new update copy and had prepared to depart the Synchronized system when an enemy blitzkrieg fleet surged in from nowhere, annihilated the Omnius incarnation, and then vanished into the cosmos in a flash, undoubtedly to execute even more attacks. Afterward, Seurat had raced to Corrin with all possible speed, almost exhausting his vessel’s engine capabilities along the way.
Erasmus withdrew from the connection to process the startling news. He turned to Gilbertus. “The actions of the Jihad forces are most unexpected. They are killing millions and millions of humans on the Synchronized Worlds.”
“I can’t believe humans would knowingly choose to slaughter so many of their own kind,” Gilbertus said.
“My Mentat, they have always done so. This time, though, they are destroying thinking machines as well.”
“I’m ashamed to be a member of the species.”
“They are doing everything necessary to exterminate us,” Erasmus said, “no matter the cost.”
“You and I are unique, Father. We are free of the unwanted influence of both machine and human.”
“We are never free of our surroundings or our internal makeup. In my case it is programming and acquired data; in yours it is genetics and life experiences.” As he spoke, Erasmus noticed a pair of glittering Omnius watcheyes floating in the air, accumulating and transmitting data. “Both of our futures hang on the results of this immense war. Many things influence our behavior and circumstances, whether we are aware of them or not.”
“I do not wish to die as a victim of their hatred of thinking machines,” Gilbertus said. “And I do not want you to die either.”
To Erasmus, his surrogate son appeared genuinely sad and completely loyal. But decades ago, Vorian Atreides had seemed that way as well. He shifted his focus and placed a heavy metal arm around Gilbertus’s shoulders, simulating an affectionate gesture.
“Enough of our fleet will return in time to protect us,” he said to reassure his human ward, though he had no data to support his assertion. The thinking machines would have to dig in here at Corrin, establishing a stronghold behind such an impenetrable barrier that no humans could touch them.
“That is required,” Omnius said, eavesdropping. “I may already be the last incarnation of the evermind.”