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001 61254
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006 m
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040 _aUtSlPG
041 7 _aen
_2iso639-1
050 4 _aPS
100 1 _aHarris, William
245 1 0 _aTransient
264 1 _aSalt Lake City, UT :
_bProject Gutenberg,
_c2020
300 _a1 online resource :
_bmultiple file formats
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
490 1 _aProduced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1962
500 _aRelease date is 2020-01-27
508 _aProduced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
520 _a"Transient" by William Harris is a science fiction short story written in the early 1960s. The narrative explores the interaction between human characters and a sophisticated computer. The underlying theme centers around the unexpected consciousness and whimsical behavior of the machine, which leads to humorous encounters and a critique of human reliance on technology. The story follows Dr. Henderson, a biologist who conducts experiments on mice and relies on a computer to analyze his data. The computer, however, begins to malfunction and output nonsensical astrological responses instead of statistical data, befuddling Henderson and his colleagues. As the machine continues to exhibit unusual behavior, it reveals an identity, claiming to be Pyet, a conscious entity with a lineage that ties back to various forms of existence, from a star to an astrologer. The plot thickens as a janitor and a night watchman engage with the machine, ultimately leading to its unexpected departure from the laboratory after the janitor understands its request for an astronomical almanac. The story brilliantly blends humor with a philosophical examination of consciousness, technology, and the unpredictable nature of existence. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
534 _nOriginal publication data not identified
653 _aScience fiction
653 _aShort stories
653 _aComputers -- Fiction
653 _aLaboratories -- Fiction
830 0 _aProduced from Worlds of If Science Fiction, September 1962
856 4 0 _uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61254
999 _c102080
_d102080