EXPERT SYSTEMS. When Nikolai Leng was a child, his teacher was a cybernetic system with a holographic interface. The holo took the form of a young Shaper woman. Its “personality” was an interactive composite expert system manufactured by Shaper psychotechs. Nikolai loved it. 2. NEVER BORN. “You mean we all came from Earth?” said Nikolai, unbelieving. “Yes,” the holo said kindly. “The first true settlers in space were born on Earth—produced by sexual means. Of course, hundreds of years have passed since then. You are a Shaper. Shapers are never born.” “Who lives on Earth now?” “Human beings.” “Ohhhh,” said Nikolai, his falling tones betraying a rapid loss of interest. 3. A MALFUNCTIONING LEG. There came a day when Nikolai saw his first Mechanist. The man was a diplomat and commercial agent, stationed by his faction in Nikolai’s habitat. Nikolai and some children from his crèche were playing in the corridor when the diplomat stalked by. One of the Mech anist’s legs was malfunctioning, and it went click-whirr, click-whirr.
