Chapter 25

Alicia crouched over the keyboard.

"GC 1. 27557 reporting. Nightmare. System unbalanced with only minimal sensors connected. Transmit operations manual soonest."

Nightmare indeed! Her grandfathers words came back to her. "Remember - ghosts are people, not programs. A program can go wrong, but people can really fuck you up. Without even trying."

That pulse in the fusion generator - it could have taken out half of Europe if it had not subsided in time. Theoretically fusion generators were safe - but not if a ghost was in charge. It had happened before. Nearly half of Outer Mongolia, and the entire former state of Nevada, were sterile black glass, after all.

But this was 27557.

System now stable. Dataflows within the core tangled - is this normal? Peeking in on someone's thoughts. Run analysis. As the analysis runs, the flows settle. 

Odd. Concious thought, subconcious thought and another wave form. Text books do not mention this. Grandpa never mentioned this. Should she run analysis? Or will that make it worse? Her call - what she is paid for. And this is 27557.

She types.

"27557, transmitting manual now. Please incorporate, stablise systems and await further instructions."

Count of 5. That is all it normally takes.

1

2

3

"GC1, manual recieved and incorporated. Thank you." The response came, not to the screen, but the speakers. A rusty voice, a person who has not spoken in decades. She flicks from keyboard to voice entry.

"That was quick" Man, what a stupid statement. Maybe she can go for the most obvious of the year award.

"I have had quite a bit of practice at this." The voice is changing. Becoming more human.

"27557, we will.."

"Call me John. After all, it is not like you'll confuse me with anyone else, is it."

Merda. How does he know? That data is not in the new package prepared for ghost access. More subscreens flicker to life as the ghost takes on full control of it's body. She sees auto repair sequences initiating on screen as the damage caused by the fusion pulse is repaired. 

"Ok, John. We still need to run an evaluation."

"Why? I am fully functional. I would know if I wasn't." Catzo. His voice is fully human now. And he is laughing at me.

"Regulations. Paragraph E, subsection 12."

"Very well. Hook your trick cyclists into the circuit."

She pauses. Memories of her grandfather using the same phrase. Hit the hush switch. A strange silence around her - it is just her and the ghost. No one else can hear.

"27557. John?"

"Yes control?"

"John Burnham?"

"Yes, once I was he." The voice is overtly tranquil, but with overtones of such bitterness that it is hard to bear.

Alicia took a deep breath.

"Hi, great grandad."