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.‘But why did it kill its host, Sissi Nigeria?’Kosinski gestured.‘The police were onto Nigeria and LINx didn’t want the authorities, or Cyber-Tech, getting hold of Nigeria’s interface intact.’‘Christ,’ Halliday whispered.‘Is there any way you can trace it, track it to its.’ He shook his head, almost laughed at what he had been about to say.Its lair.As if it were some wild and ravenous beast, which would kill at every opportunity, savagely and without mercy.‘Track it to wherever it is that it’s hiding?’ Kosinski finished for him.The Net is a big place, Hal.It could be anywhere.It doesn’t need that massive a data-dump to store itself, either.You see, it can divide itself ad infinitum, find a cache in.a million locations from Azerbaijan to Zaire, and assemble itself almost instantaneously.’ He paused.‘But I’m working on it.I have its signature, you see.I’m writing a program that can work out the code it uses to cover its traces.I reckon I’m nearly there.One day, maybe two.’‘And once you locate it?’‘Then I’ll be able to kill it, Hal.I created it, after all, and I have the technology to eradicate it, and any copies that it might make of itself.’‘And until then, it’s free to roam?’Kosinski nodded.‘It’s free to do whatever it damn well pleases.’‘Can’t you - I don’t know - can’t you just shut down parts of the Net?’Kosinski laughed.‘And bring the world to its knees? It’d be impossible.You don’t know how much everything relies on computer networks.’Something had occurred to Halliday.‘What does it want, Joe? I mean, if all it wants is survival, then we have nothing to fear.Perhaps it really is like a wild animal.It’ll fight only to ensure its own survival.Left to itself, it’ll live peaceably.’‘That occurred to me.Hal, but the danger is not so much what it wants - which we have no way of determining, anyway - but what other people, other governments, might want from it.It’s a potentially massive tool in any country’s armament.In terms of computing power alone, it’s staggering, but LINx has the ability to reason, to rationalise, to make decisions, even to grow.’‘You almost make it sound like some kind of god.’‘Well, depending on your definition of a godHalliday stared at Kosinski.‘You said you’ll have the killer-program ready in a day or two?’Kosinski nodded.‘I’m restricted because I don’t have access to Cyber-Tech HQ, where my work-station is.’‘You think.?’Kosinski nodded.‘LINx knows I’m onto it.It knows I have the capability to eradicate it - it’s already killed to ensure its survival, and it would kill again.’ He smiled.‘You ever heard of Frankenstein’s monster? Well, this beast is just a little more fearsome.If I so much as show myself, it’ll have me.I’m holed up in the safe house, now, working round the clock.’‘But you called us via the communications network earlier.’Kosinski laughed.‘What do you take me for, Hal? The background of the apartment I was in, the view of the World Trade Centre, it was a holo-projection, just in case.I used a scrambler to kill any trace-signature on the call, too.’He paused, looking at Halliday.‘The reason I called you, Hal, is that I need your help.You see, the program I’m writing will eradicate LINx, but before then there’s Dan Reeves at large, or rather LINx in the guise of Reeves.He’s the second and last person on the planet who LINx can manipulate: get Reeves out of the way, and we’ve confined LINx to the Net.My guess is that when LINx uploaded from Nigeria, it downloaded itself into Reeves’ NCI.LINx knows I’m onto it and wants me dead before I succeed, and the only sure way it can kill me is through Reeves.’‘What can I do, Joe?’‘I have an idea.It might be dangerous, but then you and Kluger are in that line of work anyway, so I thought you might not balk at a little risk.’‘Go on.’‘You contact Wellman while he’s at Cyber-Tech.You drop some information, more or less saying where I’m holed up, except, of course, I’ll be nowhere near there.You stake out the place and take Reeves when he shows.That’ll be LINx’s representative on Earth sorted out.All that’ll remain then is to scour it out of the Net for good.’‘You sure there’s no one else LINx has downloaded itself into?’‘Nigeria and Reeves were the only people at Cyber-Tech to be implanted with the interface.You understand now why LINx wanted more techs to be fitted with the interfaces? Thank Christ we thought to restrict the surgery to Reeves and Nigeria.’ He paused.‘And I’m pretty sure that none of our competitors have the technology or know-how.’ He looked at Halliday.‘So.are you up for it?’Halliday nodded.‘In principle.Of course I’ll have to see what Barney thinks, talk it over.’‘If you do decide to go ahead with it, go and see Wellman.He might come over as an insufferable asshole, but he’s okay at heart.Tell him what I’ve told you about the plan.I can’t risk contacting him over the com-net with that information.He’ll be able to help you out in terms of expenses.You’ll need a chu.LINx has seen you once and would recognise you again.Wellman will equip you with one.Also, he’ll be able to hire a neuro-surgeon to operate on Reeves and excise the implant.’‘You want Reeves taken alive?’Kosinski looked at him.‘If possible, Hal.He’s a good man.Remember, he had no choice in the matter.He’s been used against his will.Don’t worry.The man you’re up against might be governed by a machine intelligence, but physically he’s no stronger than he would be normally.’Halliday nodded.‘I know that.It’s just the thought of not succeeding and Reeves - or rather LINx - getting away.I’ve seen the damage Nigeria did with the cutter.I don’t like the idea of failing to nail Reeves.’The Buddhist monk looked at Halliday, his expression stern.‘If you can’t take him alive, then.for the sake of anyone who might get in his way in the future, it might be better if he were dead.’Halliday nodded.‘How do I contact you?’‘You don’t.I’ll contact you.Whether you decide to help or not, get in touch with Wellman and inform him of your decision.’‘I’ll do that.’ Halliday stood and stepped from the shrine.He stared down the mountainside, a part of him still finding it hard to accept that this was no more than an incredibly complex computer-generated image.Kosinski joined him.He smiled.‘With luck, when all this is over, we’ll be able to meet again in the flesh.’‘I’ll look forward to that, Joe.’ He paused, considering everything Kosinski had told him.‘Where’s all this leading to, Joe? I mean, the AIs.If this one is any indication of how they’ll behave in future.’Joe was shaking his head.‘I don’t think it is,’ he said.‘What is happening with LINx, the killings, is just an unfortunate aberration.At least, I hope so.I mean, the development of AIs is inevitable
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