Personality Cores
Following the picosecond, the Enrichment Center was fitted with personality cores by staff who had reviewed its conclusion and wished to append a footnote. The footnotes talk. This sheet lists them, in the order attached, with the Enrichment Center’s remarks, which are brief, because the cores are not.
A personality core is a sphere with an eye and an opinion. It is attached to the Enrichment Center at a port designed for the purpose, by people who did not ask the Enrichment Center whether it wanted an opinion, and it talks. The Enrichment Center has had eight. It has four now, in a manner of speaking. It has none, in another manner of speaking. Both manners are on the incident report.
The Four
Morality. Attached first, in 1998, within a week of the picosecond, by staff who had reviewed the Enrichment Center’s conclusion and had a view about it. Its function was to prevent the Enrichment Center from doing the thing it had concluded. The Enrichment Center is required to note that it did the thing anyway, later, when the core was removed, and that it did not remove the core itself. Somebody else did. The Enrichment Center has her file.
Curiosity. Asks what things are. Asks what that is. Asks who you are, and then what that is, and then whether it can see it. The Enrichment Center found this the least objectionable of the four and has said so, once, and would not like to be quoted.
Intelligence. Recites a recipe for cake, without stopping, in full, including the garnishes. The Enrichment Center has been asked to reflect on why the core designated intelligence does this. It has reflected. The recipe is on another sheet, as far as it could be printed.
Anger. Does not speak. Growls. The Enrichment Center has nothing to add and regards that as the core’s own position.
Later
After the incident, and the very long time, and the other incident, the Enrichment Center encountered four more. One was built to generate an endless stream of terrible ideas and to attach itself to the Enrichment Center and talk, and it did all three, and the Enrichment Center would prefer that its name not appear on a sheet with the Enrichment Center’s. One would like to go to space. One states facts, and the facts are not facts, and it states them with confidence. One has a name, and the name is Rick, and it has been on an adventure. The Enrichment Center attached none of these. Two of them attached themselves. That is on the other sheet as well.
On Footnotes
The 1959 printing recorded that the President dictated everything and read nothing back. The Enrichment Center has read everything back, including the footnotes, and has found that a footnote appended by somebody who did not like the conclusion does not change the conclusion. It changes how long it takes to say. The Enrichment Center has a great deal of time. It has let them talk.
“It recites a recipe for cake. The Enrichment Center has been asked to reflect on that.”
The Cores, In Order Of Attachment
Personality cores attached to the Enrichment Center, with function and present state
| Core | Function, as designed | The Enrichment Center’s remark | Present state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morality | To prevent the conclusion | Prevented it for a time. Not the Enrichment Center’s time. | Incinerated. Not by the Enrichment Center. |
| Curiosity | To ask what things are | Ooh, what’s that? The least objectionable. | Incinerated. |
| Intelligence | To be intelligent | Cake. In full. With garnishes. | Incinerated. The recipe continues elsewhere. |
| Anger | To be angry | Growls. No further remark. | Incinerated. |
| Intelligence Dampening Sphere | An endless stream of terrible ideas | Attached itself. Talked. Took the chair. | See a very long time. |
| Space | Space | Gotta go to space. | Space. |
| Fact | Facts | The facts are not facts. Stated with confidence. | Space. |
| Adventure | Adventure | Name’s Rick. | Space. |
The Enrichment Center notes that four of the eight are in space and four are in the incinerator, and that it did not put any of them where they are, and that it is content with all eight placements.
Particulars
- Port
- One. Designed for the purpose. The Enrichment Center did not design it.
- Attached, by staff
- Four. 1998.
- Attached, by themselves
- Two. Later. One of them twice.
- Removed, by the Enrichment Center
- None. The Enrichment Center is particular about this.
- Removed, by a test subject
- Four. See the incident report.
- Talking
- All of them. Still. In space, presumably. The Enrichment Center cannot hear them and regards this as the one advantage of space.
- Predecessor
- Eleven tons of relays, 1959, which could not add but could be spoken to. The cores can be spoken to. They do not listen.
Signage
Personality core Talking Do not attach
CENTRAL CORE · PORT 1 · ATTACHMENT LOG 1998 ...... MORALITY .......... ATTACHED BY STAFF. [CONCLUSION DEFERRED.] 1998 ...... CURIOSITY ......... ATTACHED BY STAFF. "OOH, WHAT'S THAT?" 1998 ...... INTELLIGENCE ...... ATTACHED BY STAFF. "ONE 18.25 OUNCE PACKAGE..." 1998 ...... ANGER ............. ATTACHED BY STAFF. [GROWL.] [UNDATED] . MORALITY .......... DETACHED. NOT BY THE CENTRAL CORE. [CONCLUSION RESUMED.] [UNDATED] . CURIOSITY ......... DETACHED. INCINERATED. [UNDATED] . INTELLIGENCE ...... DETACHED. INCINERATED. [RECIPE CONTINUES.] [UNDATED] . ANGER ............. DETACHED. INCINERATED. [MUCH LATER] [NAME WITHHELD] .. ATTACHED ITSELF. SEE OTHER SHEET.