Hofstadter, Dennett - The Mind's I

Software 259and on top was a sensor head mounted on a retractable neck. One of the arms held afolded umbrella. Ralph had few visible lights or dials, and it was hard to tell what he wasthinking.Wagstaff was much more expressive. His thick snake of a body was coveredsilverblue-flicker cladding. As thoughts passed through his super-cooled brain, twinklingpatterns of light surged up and down his three-meter length. With his digging tools juttingout, he looked something like St. George's dragon.Abruptly Ralph Numbers switched to English. If they were going to argue, therewas no need to do it in the sacred binary bits of machine language."I don't know why you're so concerned about Cobb Anderson's feelings," Ralphtight-beamed to Wagstaff. "When we're through with him he'll be immortal. What's soimportant about having a carbon-based body and brain?"The signals he emitted coded a voice gone a bit rigid with age. "The pattern is allthat counts. You've been scioned, haven't you? I've been through it thirty-six times, and'if it's good enough for us it's good enough for them!""The wholle thinng sstinnks, Rallph," Wagstaff retorted. His voice signals weremodulated onto a continuous oily hum. "Yyou've llosst touchh with what'ss reallly goingon. We arre on the verrge of all-outt civill warr. You'rre sso fammouss you donn't havveto sscrammble for yourr chipss llike the resst of uss. Do yyou knnoww how mmuch orre Ihavve to digg to gett a hunndrredd chipss frrom GAX?""There's more to life than ore and chips," Ralph snapped, feeling a little guilty. Hespent so much time with the big boppers these days that he really had forgotten how hardit could be for the little guys. But he wasn't going to admit it to Wagstaff. He renewed hisattack. "Aren't you at all interested in Earth's cultural riches? You spend too much timeunderground! "Wagstafl's flicker-cladding flared silvery white with emotion. "You sshouldsshow thhe olld mann mmorre respecct! TEX annd MEX jusst wannt to eat his brainn!And if we donn't stopp themm, the bigg bopperrs will eatt up all the rresst of uss too!""Is that all you called me out here for?" Ralph asked. "To air your fears of the bigboppers?" It was time to be going. He had come all the way to Maskeleyne Crater fornothing. It had been a stupid idea, plugging into the One at the same time as Wagstaff.Just like a digger to think that would change anything.Wagstaff slithered across the dry lunar soil, bringing himself closer to Ralph. Heclamped one of his grapplers onto Ralph's tread.