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artificial intelligence and awareness has moved ahead in leaps and bounds. AIs have spread to every level and sector of Earth culture, permeating the social fabric to the point where many people carry personalised ones around with them, sometimes as implants, and calling them "companions", never AIs. In the Hegemony, such entities are even more widespread, with the majority conferred autonomous rights by law. Several of the oldest and most complex even hold senior posts in government.'
    There was a shocked pause, and a shared look of alarm as the meaning of his words dawned. One hundred and forty-eight years ago, soon after the detection of the world that was to become their new home, the crew and colonists of the Hyperion had fought a savage and desperate war against the ship's Command Ai. From the point when the ship had dropped out of hyper space, the onboard systems had begun to exhibit malfunctions which grew steadily more hazardous as the landing approached. By the time they made landfall they were actively struggling against the ship, whose AI had ceased to obey instructions. It took control of machinery, bots and various repair drones with which to sabotage the crew's efforts to get supplies out of locked storerooms or to directly attack them. Eventually it had begun waking other colonists from cryosleep, implanting them with neural devices to force them to carry out its instructions: 11 of the original crew of 46, plus 29 out of the cryosleep contingent of 1,200, had been killed by the time the survivors shut off power to the AI core. As to why it had turned against them, the weary victors could only speculate that the unknown stresses of hyperspace had corrupted its data or its cognitive substrate, turning it against them. The horrors of that struggle had echoed down the decades, becoming a potent symbol and a widely accepted justification for banning any research into AI, and commemorated in the annual Founders' Victory celebrations.
    'I shall be making my widecast address to the colony in a couple of hours, after making a statement in the Assembly,' the president said. 'There will be no mention of anything that I've related here, of course, except for whatever generalities came in the ambassador's messages. But I wanted to tell you this in person now, since even our most secure communications may cease to be so in days to come.'
    'Is it possible that the Earth ambassador will have one of these AIs with him?' asked Pyatkov.
    'It might be wise to assume that he has,' Sundstrom said. 'Which may lead to umbrage on his part come FV Day, but we'll paper over that crack when we come to it.' He spread his hands. 'That is all for the time being, my friends. Continue with your preparations, maintain your colleagues lists, and expect new codewords by tomorrow night.'
    As Theo rose with the others, Sundstrom beckoned him back. 'Theodor, if you could wait behind a moment.'
    Once the rest had made their farewells and left, Pyatkov looking grim as he did so, the president manoeuvred his wheelchair out from behind the cissl and over to a stolidly designed drinks cabinet. He poured himself a small glass of something dark red with out offering one to Theo, knocked it back and gave a throaty sigh of satisfaction.
    'I'm very glad that you agreed to join my little conspiracy, Theodor,' he said. 'Even though you still associate with various rogues and misfits, those Diehards of yours.'
    'Ah, merely a group of friends from my army days, family friends . . .' He shrugged, smiling. 'Like-minded folk.'
    Sundstrom's smile was knowing. 'In any case, I still value your experience and military insight, even your dissenter's viewpoint. But there's something else yon bring to our clandestine scheming, something that could prove crucial.'
    Theo laughed. 'Somehow I don't think you're refer ring to my charm and boyish good looks.'
    Sundstrom gave him a sidelong look.
    T believe that you and your old friends from the Corps call it "the