gazdan^* olusan bir gezegende^* yasayan gaz torbasi seklindeki yaratiklar.

(bkz: star control)
(bkz: we come in peace)

edit:
bu elemanlarin kendi kendine cogalip tum galaksinin basina bela olan slylandro probe adli robotlarindaki programlama hatasini tespit ettigimiz sahnenin metnini buldum ve buraya paste etmeden duramadim.

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...

[captain]
can you explain the probe's replication ability?

[slylandro]
well, we're not hardware people, so we only know the theory.
what happens is that while the probe is exploring space
whenever it's not doing something more important
it hunts for asteroids and similar space junk
zaps it into its component parts, absorbs the debris
and when it has enough raw materials stored inside
it manufactures a perfect replica of itself.
so even though we only bought one probe
by now there should be hundreds of probes, maybe even thousands!

[captain]
well, why then do your probes attack our ships?

[slylandro]
our probes do not attack!
they have only defensive capabilities.
offensive behavior is not part of the instructions we programmed into the probe.
to have done so would have been reprehensible!

[captain]
would you outline the probe's program?

[slylandro]
sure. it was a difficult task for us, since we'd never done anything like that before but for the most part we just adjusted its standard program which went something like

scan (for targets, as defined in target list).
if (no current target).
then (select new target from current targets list, using specified priorities).
if (current position is at current target).
then (set current behavior to new behavior, based on behavior priority settings).
perform (current behavior).

okay, that's the basic program... i said it was simple
and here are the tables used by the program.

target list (with associated target priority).
space vessel (5).
transmission source (4).
astronomical anomaly (3).
planet bearing life signature (2).
raw replication materials (1).

probe behaviors (with assigned priorities).
communicate (5).
record data (4).
analyze data (3).
seek replication materials (999).
move to current target (1).

that's it.

[captain]
what is the effect of the priority settings on behavior?

[slylandro]
i'm pretty sure the way it works is that every time a behavior is completed or interrupted
the program selects a new behavior based on the defined behavior target priorities
and what kind of target is currently selected... i think.
a really high priority would cause a probe to focus its attention on that behavior.

[captain]
you mentioned the probe's defensive capabilities. elaborate.

[slylandro]
that behavior was hard-coded by the melnorme.
we couldn't mess with it.
essentially, the probe will only fire its weapons if it has been attacked
and cannot communicate with the attacker.

[captain]
and when defending itself, it uses its lightning weapon?

[slylandro]
no. the probe is armed with a battery of missiles.
it doesn't use its electrical discharge device in combat.

[captain]
missiles? it only attacked us with lightning!

[slylandro]
that's impossible! it's inconceivable!
the electrical discharge device is used only for breaking down raw replication materials into their component compounds for easy gathering.

[captain]
would you tell me about the `replication' behavior?

[slylandro]
i'd be glad to! you see, the probe has the capability
to seek out raw materials, process the raw materials into component compounds
collect the compounds, and then when it has a sufficient supply
it can build a duplicate of itself.
we decided that since we had only one probe, we should change the replication priority
and crank it up so that there would be more probes sooner.

uh... what priority did you assign to replication?
well, the factory setting was two, in between movement at one
and analyze data at three. i told joyous lifting to set it a bit higher
let me ask him what he set it to...
oh! my! that was a bit extreme, wasn't it?
joyous lifting told me he changed it to nine hundred ninety-nine
the highest setting on the dial.

[captain]
your probe does destroy ships and i can prove it!

[slylandro]
no! it cannot! it is not programmed for hostile behavior!
what is your reasoning?!

[captain]
think about what a probe does when it meets a ship.

[slylandro]
space ships are the probe's highest priority
because we want more than anything to make friendly contact with alien races.

[captain]
think about a probe's replication behavior.

[slylandro]
the probe seeks raw materials, and processes them in preparation for replication.

[captain]
think about the effect of changing the replication behavior's priority.

[slylandro]
the answer is simple... it would spend more of its time seeking raw materials
for its replication process. so what?

[captain]
now, what will it do to a ship, given that its replication priority is set to maximum?

[slylandro]
i don't see what you are getting at, but i'll play along with you.
like i said, alien ships are the top priority target.
once a probe scanned a ship, it would instantly move toward it.
then, when it got to the ship, it would initiate communication automatically.
when communications were terminated, a new behavior would be selected, and...

uh-oh.
a new behavior would be selected, and since the replication setting was set to maximum
the probe wouldn't get time to pick a new target... it would use the current target
the ship
for raw replication materials
it would process the ship
break it into component compounds
with electrical discharges.
oh no
what have we done?
traveller! you must tell us what we can do!
how can we stop the probes from destroying all life in the galaxy?!

[captain]
someone is going to have to hunt them all down and destroy them.

[slylandro]
no, that would never work!
the probes will replicate too fast!
as soon as you destroyed one, two would take its place!

[captain]
well to begin with, if i were you, i'd sue the melnorme.

[slylandro]
sorry. the melnorme made us agree to a formal waiver of damages
in case something like this happened.

[captain]
couldn't you broadcast some kind of recall signal?

[slylandro]
no, not catalog item 2418-b
(remote self-replicating robot explorer probe).
the model with the recall transmitter was catalog item 2419
and the melnorme said it was out of stock.

[captain]
i don't suppose you have some kind of mega-self-destruct code, or something?

[slylandro]
why yes, there is!
you're a genius, traveller! why didn't we remember that!?
oh... there's a problem though! how are we going to transmit the code?
well, while we ponder that problem, at least we can give you the code sequence.
that way, if you run into a probe, you can destroy it without getting shot.
to use the destruct sequence, simply engage a probe's standard communication system
and then transmit the code. the probe will then automatically destruct.

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(groundctrl - 27 Mart 2006 09:27)