When Tarrant notes that Slave is a rather sophisticated piece of equipment for a salvage hauler, Avon replies "It's very sophisticated by any standard." Later he remarks how costly the modifications must be (1).
This raises the question--in what way is Slave advanced? Without any detailed study, and even without Orac, Avon knew that he could override Slave's programming and beat the voicerecognition coding. Avon never made comments like this about Zen until he had made a thorough analysis of Liberator's computer systems. The conclusion drawn from Avon's off-hand manner is that Slave is familiar Federation-based technology, the type that provides little challenge to someone of Avon's calibre and qualifications (2).
Slave should be regarded as sophisticated by the fact of its very existence. Disregarding Gambit's control of Alpha-3, Zen is the only other flight computer in the whole series, and it is not of Federation manufacture. Even President Servalan does not command a ship that possesses a flight computer. Because of this, Slave should be regarded as unique within the Federation--but it is not, given the (lack of) reactions shown by the Scorpio crew and those who come aboard. We must take Avon's comment, "Someone spent a lot of time modifying a basic machine," (RESCUE)to mean that other flight computers exist, even if unseen and inferior by several degrees (3). Therefore that element which makes Slave exceptional must be something else.
Slave is sophisticated because it has the ability to speak. This is a rarity in the Federation, where computer speech synthesis is in its infancy. Few computers can talk, and those that do have a very limited response--repetitive phrases and monotone voices. The judgement computer in TRIAL provides our largest sample of this, and other examples include the LFS computer in GAMES, the house computer in TRAITOR, and Don Keller's computer in SAND. If this theory is true, however, then we would expect more reactions of surprise at Slave's and Zen's ability to speak normally, such as we see with the teleport (Ohnj Verlis in SAND, for example, or Farren in BREAKDOWN). At least Servalan says she has heard of Zen, which indicates she has some idea of its abilities. Other encounters must therefore be rationalised (4).
Other than Slave, only three exceptional computers were encountered in the series--Zen, Gambit and Orac. Zen is disqualified as the product of alien technology, the boundaries of which are unknown to us and unequal to--certainly in advance of--the Federation (5).
Gambit is a somewhat unknown quantity due to its curious pedigree--a hybrid of components added or removed at whim, mostly from games computers. Gambit has the logic of the games player--the luck of the draw, the hedged bet, random selection--Orac views this as deviant nature when compared to its own reliance on logic, especially given the relationship Gambit shares with Belkov. While Orac is clearly stamped with the personality of its creator Ensor, Gambit has a personality evolved from its creator's whim. It is worth noting, however, that rather than directly interrogating Gambit's memory banks, Orac accepts the challenge to win a game to get the information Avon requires--Orac enjoyed some games, such as galactic monopoly; perhaps this indicates another sideline of research it was carrying out, as with Vila's riddles?
Gambit is the only computer with a female voice, and, though it has more range and inflection, it is still stilted and fairly limited in its vocabulary. Possibly the "breathy female" tones are a product of the PPC components--wealthy Alpha clients paying big money would expect the most realistic speech simulation available. This would not be a consideration within the military--hence their computers have a more mechanised sound; their objective is a reasonable ability to communicate vocally, whereas complete 'vocal realism' would be deemed extravagance (6).From this, it follows that Gambit is at the forefront of speech technology, which explains why it has the greatest vocal ability of all Federation computers in the series.
It is also worth noting that those subcomputers under Gambit's control (i.e., on the Orbiter) featured the usual mechanised speech, and that Gambit was able to channel its own voice through the gunnery computer (7) when the Scorpio crew were there.
Orac itself can talk fluently, but Orac is the product of genius, a singularity in the sphere of Federation computers. If Ensor had remained within the empire, there is no doubt that talking computers would be common.
Federation androids can also speak--so why cannot their computers? The Avalon android and the Vinni android (8) not only look completely human, but sound completely human, too. The android in VOLCANO can be dismissed, as it is basic and does not talk. In any case, Obsidian technology may not be derived from Federation sources.
Muller's android can talk too, but this is not talking as with humans or even the Vinni or Avalon androids. Muller's creation speaks most after its actual identity is revealed, and this is really in the nature of a computer voice. Once again we have a distinctly synthesised sound and the use of set phrases (9). When the inhibitor head is displayed, it has no mouth. The android is not meant to look human (at least no more than a human-shaped robot is meant to look human) and thus has no need to sound human.
When Tarrant first encounters the android, however, it somehow manages to operate Muller's severed head and to sound human. That this must have been an extremely complicated and difficult task can be seen from the very limited answers "Muller" supplies. How this was achieved (10) I will have to leave to wiser fans than I. I can only note that Tarrant stood quite close to "Muller" and never indicated that the voice came from anywhere but "Muller's" mouth.
We can clearly see that the two androids that talk are meant to look human. In order to pass as such, they must have articulated mouths and imitation tongues. All the visible biological equipment that humans possess must be present and appear realistic, in order to successfully deceive the observer. The Federation must have thus harnessed replica-apparatus already in place in order to generate natural-sounding voices. Equally, the other two androids in the series are not meant to look human, therefore they do not possess such equipment and so cannot sound human.
By the same token, it must be assumed that computers cannot produce natural sounds because they do not possess such specialised apparatus either. It is unlikely that such equipment could be incorporated into computer design, and so any research on the matter must utilise a different approach. That this has been achieved is demonstrated by the existence of Orac and Slave, the only exceptions to the rule.
Slave was fashioned by Dorian, one of a number of his creations. As well as a sophisticated flight computer, he developed superior handguns and a teleport (11). That the Seska were able to trick Dorian into constructing a tele-ergotron without him realising, shows that while he may have been clever, he was no genius.
Dorian had a great deal of time, but an abundance of time would not necessarily have been a useful resource if he did not know exactly how to go about creating the things he wanted. Presumably Dorian consulted a number of people regarding the technology he wanted to acquire, just as he sought the advice of the Seska about matter transmission (12).
It is entirely possible that his previous partners were all geniuses--he picked their brains and then fed them to the gestalt-entity.
We have Dorian's own testimony that he had met Ensor (13) and we also know that Ensor worked only with computers--every aspect, not just tarriel cells, but still only computers (14). Furthermore, the only thing Dorian possessed that was advanced AND computerised was Slave, so it follows that Dorian went to Ensor in order to gain knowledge regarding creating a computer that could speak in the true sense of the word. It is entirely possible that Dorian's questioning inspired Ensor to design a computer that could talk.
This would explain how Dorian was able to repair Orac so quickly. As Orac is unique, advanced technology, Dorian should not have been able to repair it without a major study of its systems. Obviously, he did not have time to do this, so he must have been familiar with similar systems. Once again, this relates back to his meeting with Ensor. By this theory, Slave would be a precursor to Orac and thus the two systems would be related. And the best thing about this theory is that Orac would HATE IT!!!!!
Orac Orac's main ability is to gather information (15), which it can do by accessing any computer containing tarriel cells. It can be seen, however, that Orac has more than the capacity to read data--it can actively manipulate and control other computers. When the Liberator orbits Aristo, Orac suppresses Zen and takes control of the Liberator systems. Even when systems control has been restored to Zen, Orac sets the locator-fix on the teleport desk. As Avon explains, the (local) computers are being overridden and programmed (influenced) from another source (16). Other examples include Orac operating the teleport from the ground (GAMBIT) which also gives a strong indication of how instantaneous tarriel transmission is, even over incredible distances. This itself is demonstrated most clearly when Orac contacts the Strategy computer at Supreme Command (STAR ONE) an operation which takes mere seconds. Indeed, to be effective, Star One itself would need to have instantaneous real-time contact with all the distant Federation worlds. Clearly, the much-lauded circuit influencer, mentioned as far back as VOICE FROM THE PAST (and which the Auronar had abandoned after failure) was, in actuality, invented by Ensor as an extension of his tarriel cell technology. It is clear that Ensor actively and knowingly developed the circuit influencer--after all, it was central to his defences on Aristo. The tarriel cell was contained in every computer encountered within the series. It was not just a radical development, but a logical progression in computer technology, as it was contained in alien, as well as human, computers (Zen, the System, and Ultraworld). One wonders if Orac could have interrogated the Andromedan flight computers as well, perhaps influencing them to self-destruct (17). The proof that the tarriel cell is such a radical development is demonstrated by the fact that it is still a major component in modern computers, despite being developed at least forty years prior--i.e., before Ensor's exile. This is an astonishing achievement given the rate of technical obsolescence of hardware components. In addition, it allowed the ultimate in systems flexibility and integration--a "pure" data connection between two distinctly separate machines (i.e., the direct sensory link established between Orac and Zen in DAWN OF THE GODS). That Orac commented on the intelligence of the Auronar for aiming at the weaker part of the system--the human component--demonstrates Ensor's pig-headed stubbornness in persisting with developing a device that influenced computers, even if it was a parallel development. Thus we are given the problem of Orac and Muller's android. If the android is more powerful than Orac, why does it need Orac? Why does Avon want the circuit influencer if he already possesses one (contained in Orac)? And who is the greater genius; Ensor or Muller? Both Ensor and Muller had similar areas of expertise and both were hailed as geniuses. Although Vena Muller scoffs that anyone could be a greater genius than her husband, her unsupported bias provides no real proof. Possibly the strongest evidence of Ensor's superiority in his field is the fact that Muller never had to seek refuge in a self-imposed exile (although it is implied Muller is constantly "required"), while the only way for Ensor to escape detection was to conceal his genius on an unpopulated planet--Aristo. Similarly, Orac proved a superior creation to Muller's android. Not only does the android lack Orac's prediction function, but it needs to link with Orac in order to achieve its ultimate ambition. Although Orac is not treated as a threat, it is not disregarded--it is seen as vital in order to achieve the objectives of the android. Without Orac, it cannot succeed and so must actively seek Orac out. It is interesting to speculate whether the desire to find Orac was an initiative of Muller or his android--certainly, the knowledge of Orac must have been programmed in by Muller. If it was deliberate, why? Ensor was also successful in inhibiting Orac's personality, as Muller could not. In ORAC and GAMES, it is said that the creation takes on the personality of its creator (18). Ensor's personality is seen to be as bad-tempered as Mullers, so presumably Orac would be as aggressive as the android unless Orac had the equivalent of an inhibitor system. When Muller's android roams Xenon base, it could influence Orac, but not take control of it (as it had done with Slave), even at close proximity, demonstrating the superiority of Orac's inhibitor. The android's influencer may even be a variant of Orac's, since it was able to control the clipguns--would these necessarily contain tarriel cells? It is worth noting that today even simple items such as toasters contain integrated circuits (IC's). Avon seems to shroud his real goals and motivations in this episode (not that this is uncommon for Avon). He exaggerates his description of the android (19), which is demonstrably inferior to Orac. Clearly for Avon however, anything that can influence Orac must be perceived as a threat and so his real objective is to secure the only other circuit influencer in existence (20). Orac has other ideas, given the lax nature of Mullers restraint system and precipitates the android's destruction. That Orac actively intervenes and causes this event to occur must be considered in the light of Orac's prediction function. Clearly, there is some possible future event that Orac knows it must prevent from occurring, i.e., that announced by the android of its domination of man. The basis for Orac's decision to remain under the control of man is unclear. Perhaps it has some kind of programmed "duty" or "loyalty" to humans (21), but more likely it enjoyed the freedom of research Avon's company allowed. On the Liberator, at least, Orac was in a perfect position to study and observe. The unique powers of the ship led the crew to encounter a variety of objects and events that Orac would not have had the chance to study from a planet-bound laboratory--Ultraworld, the System, even the "fascinating" black hole Orac takes them into in DAWN OF THE GODS. Given Orac's penchance for safety (POWER), it is interesting how it puts itself in dangerous situations. Orac could have just as easily sent other spaceships into these areas, then assessed the sensor readings from their onboard computers. Along with its ability to read and influence other computers, Orac's prediction facility is its other great ("secondary") ability. No other computer comes close to having this capability, although the Liberator's battle computers and the Federation's strategy programs (STAR ONE) extrapolate data to provide some kind of basic forecast. As is shown in WEAPON, prediction is the purview of the psychostrategists, presumably because the number of variables and the "quirky" human element are too complicated for a computer to handle. Even with the Federations strict regimentation of its population, people are still individuals and so any prediction program would have to be uniquely and complexly tailored. The high volume of data to be taken into account, and the importance of even the smallest detail (eg, that Coser had a companion) implies that psychostrategists can only predict (and therefore manipulate) the actions of an individual, not a group. Any study of the predictions made by Orac will show the scope with which it can concern itself. Ensor's development in this area alone is a triumph, light-years ahead of anything else in the field (though Orac seems to make it a field of one!) and this is merely Orac's secondary ability! The capacity for computers to act on commands given vocally is linked to their capability to respond vocally themselves. The greater the sophistication of the system, the more complex the orders it can understand and the better able it is to speak. The conclusion that must be drawn is that the ability to communicate with expression allows the forming of a "personality." It is through this approach that true artificial intelligences are being achieved. NOTES 1. "Someone has a very expensive sense of humour." 2. It is interesting to speculate what Avon's qualifications are, especially as he seems an all-rounder rather than a specialist. It appears he has had some military background, given the knowledge he displays of certain non-civilian equipment such as detonators and encryption systems (SEEK-LOCATE-DESTROY, KILLER, COUNTDOWN). Similarly, he is able to recognise that the Federation gun Blake brings back to the Liberator (PROJECT AVALON) is not standard issue. This does not seem to be the kind of knowledge he would pick up as a civilian co-opted into the Aquatar project. There is also a predominance of military occupations in Avon's circle of acquaintances. Tynus became a Federation Base Commander ("We trained together"--Avon). Keiller was once a member of the Presidents security staff, and while Del Grant would not have been a mercenary when Avon knew him, he must have been training in a field that would give him the necessary background for such an occupation. Perhaps it was while in the 'Iron Guard' that Avon developed his taste for basic Federation black! On a similar tangent, how does Vila know what is in the FSA training manual (STARDRIVE)? Perhaps he could have been a starship Captain (VOLCANO, MOLOCH) after all! 3. When Slave is off-line in HEADHUNTER Tarrant comments that trying to pilot the ship without a flight computer would be hard work. This seems to indicate that is standard practice to pilot with a flight computer, or that the luxury of Zen and Slave have made Tarrant soft. By the time of GOLD, the latest technology allowed Space Princess to "run home on auto" (Keiller), needing only a pilot to bring it down from orbit. Similarly, Tarrant asks the LFS in GAMES for a damage report, automatically assuming he will get one, but it should be noted he was only able to request information, not give flight instructions. This in not conclusive, since the LFS is designed to test a pilot's manual ability. 4. Ensor's son, for example, is in serious pain throughout his time on the Liberator (DELIVERANCE), so would not be in an observant frame of mind. Also, having been on Aristo since the age of four, he would probably have only encountered his fathers talking computer, Orac. He would thus not consider it unusual to hear Zen speak, and so would pass no comment. Sarkoff (BOUNTY) clearly has a high disregard for technology of all types. He does not know what a computers abilities are--that would be gauche. Tarvin (BOUNTY) has voice control of Zen, so obviously we are not shown the scene where Jenna gives Tarvin control, and he reacts with astonishment at Zen's vocal abilities. (It should also be noted that Tarvin disproves the idea that "Zen" is the command-word for the master computer to come on-line, as he illicits a response by addressing Zen as "Computer"). Other instances can be similarly explained, and it should be realised that not everyone will necessarily react--persisting with the teleport analogy, Dr. Bellfriar (KILLER) and Dr. Renor (BREAKDOWN) take matter transmission in their stride. 5. It is worth noting, however, that Federation technology is approaching the point where it can match that of the System. Dr. Plaxtons photonic drive is able to surpass the speeds of the Liberator. More advanced than the self-healing hull of the London (SPACEFALL), the high intensity radiation grid around Central Control (PRESSURE POINT) had a self-repair capability similar to the Liberator's auto-repair, while the Hommik computer room was described as "self-maintaining" (POWER). The projected vision screen Ro uses in HORIZON is a duplicate of the Remote Visualisation System onboard the Liberator. Dorian was able to create a master flight computer that, while being a pale imitation of Zen, provided the basic pattern for achieving a machine of equivalent capabilities. The teleport, although elusive to both Dorian and the Federation, will eventually be achieved--quite possibly from the remains in Scorpio's wreckage. All that is required is to pull all the separate elements together in a suitable battlecruiser with a herculanium superstructure. 6. Indeed, Federation technology seems aimed at achievement but not refinement. Compare the computer graphics we have now with those in the series--a definite retrogression. Similarly, Orac's comment regarding the "crude design" of the pursuit ship drive assemblies (STARDRIVE) also seems to indicate a backward step--without Dr. Plaxton, the Federation cannot even maintain their current level of drive technology! Why is this so? 7. As Orac spoke through Zen on its initial encounter with the Liberator. 8. Presumably a triple-Omega model like the Avalon android. This type was first seen in PROJECT AVALON where it was described as "standard." This comment must be taken to mean "unaltered", rather than "common", as androids are rare in the series (particularly of this sophistication) and Avon describes it as the "best" robotic engineering he'd ever seen--so it could hardly be standard! 9. Given Muller's intelligence and the sophistication of his creation, the android has a large--but still limited--vocabulary. 10. It is possible that the android was able to cause the muscles to spasm by transmitting controlled electrical impulses from the exposed neck connections that would attach to the head. 11. It is unclear whether Dorian constructed Xenon base or if it is a product of the Hommik-Seska civilisation. The chronicle disks in POWER seem to have been recorded at Xenon base, while Dorian's remarks indicate he adapted what he found. If it was a Seska facility, why did they surrender it to Dorian? 12. By this theory, we can hypothesise Dorian may have taken Soolin as a companion in order to utilise her knowledge when constructing the clip-guns. 13. "He was never a gracious man. Orac reflects his personality." 14. It is thus very confusing when Avon describes him as "One of the great geniuses in the field of cybernetics." (HEADHUNTER). Surely an expert like Avon should know the difference between the fields of computers and cybernetics. Vila, too, ascribes the wrong field to the wrong man. "Not Mullers field!" he says, "Computers, not bombs!"--Vila should have said "Robots, not bombs!." Although we could ascribe Vila's comment to ignorance, we cannot ignore both testimonies. Therefore, it must be assumed that there is some grey area in defining the boundaries of the two professions. After all, while Avon is a computer expert, this did not prevent him from immediately recognising the inhibitor system when he saw it, or declaring that the Avalon android was "the best robotic engineering (he'd) ever seen." That he could only reprogram the Avalon android to a basic degree confirms computers constitute Avon's primary field of expertise. 15. When Blake first asked Orac its limits, Orac replied "They have not yet been defined. My knowledge is virtually infinite. My secondary ability is to logically process that knowledge and make accurate predictions."(ORAC). Orac only defines its secondary ability (processing knowledge), implying its first objective is to gather knowledge for processing. It can also be seen from this that Orac must have a tremendous degree of processing power in order to sort and collate information and to incorporate all the variables into its calculations. Orac's crowning achievement, that of calculating a line through the pattern of infinity, is no small task, and access to information would be of no use if Orac could not process it. It is interesting to note the use of the word "secondary" implies that Orac's ability to make predictions is not as great--or important--as gathering knowledge. Given this emphasis (obsession?) on collecting information, it is no wonder Orac becomes so crotchety about being disturbed. 16. When Orac causes disruptions to the control program of the System, one of the Alta describes it as ."..circuit disturbance....outside influence analysed." (REDEMPTION). 17. One wonders what kind of computers the shapeless Andromedan creatures would design! 18. "Surely it is obvious even to the meanest intelligence that during my development I would naturally become endowed with aspects of my creators personality." (ORAC) "A computer must, by definition, be logical, but it can also mirror the logic of its creator." (GAMES). 19. "Think of it. It is already as powerful as Orac, AND it is mobile, AND it has the circuit influencer." (HEADHUNTER) 20. It is worth noting that the behavioural influencer must be in Federation hands. The Auron inventors defected to the Federation, and when we encounter it in Ven Glynds possession, it could have only come from Federation sources--his own, Governor Le Grand, or Shivan (Travis). It is unlikely that Travis obtained it from the Andromedans, as he scoffs at the device when "in character" as Shivan, therefore he did not supply it. 21. Orac suggests to Ensor that it "might be more humane" to warn Servalan and Travis of the Phibians in the tunnel (ORAC), and later warns the boarding party from Krandor of the Liberator's active defence probe (DAWN OF THE GODS). More specifically, when ordered to restore the teleport (HEADHUNTER) Orac states that it is obliged to do as Avon tells it, despite the inherent danger it perceives. This should be compared with Zen's rejection of a direct command (to enter a prohibited space zone) in BREAKDOWN. As a result of its amazing powers, Orac could have quickly unravelled the solution to any problem, so it was always under-utilised, except in those few episodes in which it was foregrounded (such as HEADHUNTER). Like K-9 suffering from a flat battery, Orac's superior attitude, dislike of work, and general tetchiness, along with Avon's penchance for hiding the activator key, were the excuses for its lack of use. Despite this, Orac still managed to perform a large number of useful and impressive tasks. "It is a brilliant achievement. There is nothing else in the Universe like it."- Servalan, DELIVERANCE ORAC 1/ Orac can switch itself on. REDEMPTION 6/ Orac scrambles the missile system of DSV 1 (If the sister ship has missiles, does the Liberator? Are seekers--also mentioned in this episode--missiles?). SHADOW"That was its creators vanity. Orac is a computer. It is a highly sophisticated tool and that is all." (Avon). 7/ Orac teleports Vila to Space City ("remote activation of the teleport system"--Zen). WEAPON 12/ Orac provides a computation and attack strategy and then provides a series of options (rated according to probability) regarding Blake's given scenario. HORIZON 14/ Orac teaches Gan astronavigation (subject mentioned in the script only). PRESSURE POINT 20/ Blake has been collating information on Central Control for more than a year--using Orac. TRIAL 21/ Orac teleports Blake off the Liberator, then zeroes the locator. KILLER 24/ Orac taps Central Space Registry (for the history of Wanderer Class I's) and relays to an auxiliary monitor as it obtained the information. HOSTAGE 26/ Orac is described as having a "unique intercept capability", and decodes a non-standard cypher. COUNTDOWN 27/ Orac scans a batch of records, decoding the cypher to obtain the exact coordinates of the installation. VOICE FROM THE PAST 28/ A sensor-link is connected between Blake and Orac so it can carry out therapy. GAMBIT 32/ Orac reduces its size to 1/8th for two hours and six minutes, using a stabilised atomicimplosion. THE KEEPER Orac not featured. STAR ONE 35/ Orac instructed to operate the teleport. AFTERMATH38/ Orac pilots Avon's life capsule. VOLCANO 41/ Cally tells Orac to operate teleport on instruction. DAWN OF THE GODS 45/ Orac offers a high-status prediction. 46/ Reprograms navigation computers without permission. THE HARVEST OF KAIROS 51/ Orac operates the teleport. THE CITY AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD 52/ Orac activates the teleport--switches move. CHILDREN OF AURON 56/ Avon and Tarrant consult Orac on Aurons isolationist policies and the psi-powers of the Auronae. RUMOURS OF DEATH 58/ Orac interrogates the Federation Security computers and gets Servalan's current location, then computes the best strategy for reaching her. It checks for Councillor Cheskus location at the same time. SARCOPHAAUS 62/ Orac is unable to identify or surmise the functions of the alien artefact. ULTRAWORLD 65/ Orac gains an understanding of riddles and jokes. MOLOCH 69/ Orac knows about Sardos, even though Zen has no record of it in the databanks and there is no listing on the Federation starcharts. Given that Orac cannot have got this information from Zen or Federation sources, where did it get this data? It is either surmise or from the Sardoan computers. The truth of latter would display yet another independent technology based on the tarriel cell. DEATHWATCH 72/ Orac is able to monitor the crews conscious attention span and measure efficiency levels. TERMINAL Note: It is peculiar that, while on the flight deck, Avon only uses Zen and not Orac, which is far superior. Surely he could risk momentarily leaving the flight deck in order to get Orac, or make Vila fetch it. RESCUE (Dorian recognises and repairs Orac) POWER 82/ Orac is "functioning to request." It deliberately fobs off Tarrant's questions and doesn't answer. ("Orac knows more than he's saying"--Tarrant). TRAITOR 88/ Orac reports Magnetrix terminal programmed in as an extension of the Federation Command network. Presumably it got the information by monitoring Federation communications. STARDRIVE 90/ Orac has predicted when the Federation shipbuilding program would be re-established, indicating the prediction function is still being utilised. That the prediction is invalidated emphasises the importance of even one missing fact, just as in psychostrategy. ANIMALS 94/ Orac reports on the status of various systems on Scorpio (navigation control, teleport, drives) and is able to identify where the fault remains and recommends the necessary repairs required. HEADHUNTER 95/ Orac has detailed knowledge of Mullers childhood (logical, since Ensor was his teacher). ASSASSIN 104/ Orac advises the crew of Scorpio to get to Cancer before Servalan. GAMES 105/ Orac knows of Federation plans, including those involving Feldon. SAND 112/ Orac has intercepted Federation transmissions (i.e., from Keller on Virn). The last interception was a routine signal that a Federation ship was approaching Virn.In this episode, Orac is affected by the forces of Virn. GOLD 113/ Orac understands the gold conversion process (i.e., is able to comment on the incompatibility of the teleport process on matter subject to a submutonic overlap shift). ORBIT 116/ Orac taps Central Records to get all the information on Egrorian (and Pinder?) from the security files. WARLORD 121/ Orac detects Zukan's ship and the Betafarl freighter Lodestar, and gives time to orbit range.Does Orac have long range sensors, or did it access those of Xenon base and its satellite(RESCUE)? Or was Orac able to tell by perceiving the tarriel cells in the ships computers? BLAKE "Orac is an excellent research tool" (Avon). "A very useful device....called Orac" (Blake). 123/ Orac traces a line of cause and effect through the pattern of infinity and locates Blake, and determines he is a bounty hunter ("my interpretation of the data leaves little room for error"--Orac). In summary, Orac's main tasks and duties included: A/ Gathering knowledge; Orac also called the crew by name, unlike Slave who used titles ("master," "sir," etc.) and Zen who never referred to any individual, except when it first came on-line ("Welcome, Jenna Stannis..."etc.). Orac frequently referred to itself ("I am busy" type remarks) whereas Zen and Slave only referred to themselves infrequently (Zen--"I have failed you." Slave was a little more prolific--"I can find no flight control" or "May I express the hope...", etc.). Just how many people knew about Orac? Mostly the knowledge seems to be a close secret, but occasionally there are contradictions within the series. In DELIVERANCE, we learn that Ensor's son showed Servalan plans of Orac. If this is actually a technical diagram, rather than a list of functions, then Servalan should know what Orac looks like. Although she later tells Travis "I told no-one of this", Servalan mentions earlier that "There have been rumours about it for years." Since Ensor has been on Aristo for 40 years, one wonders if he was working on Orac even before his escape to freedom. And just how many people know of these rumours? (Perhaps these rumours extend to Ensor's location. After all, although Ensor junior will not tell Maryatt their destination, even while in flight, Servalan knows to go to Aristo, and even has a map of the labs location. This information couldn't have come from her surveillance tracer, which ceased operation near Cephlon. This may explain why she only wanted Orac, and makes no attempt to regaining Ensor's skill and genius--his location was always known but he was written off as not worth recapturing (or they felt the pretense of freedom provided a more productive environment). Hence, by the time of ORAC, the Federation only wanted the computer. This is a very unsatisfactory explanation.) On the beach of Aristo, Orac is in a metal box which prevents Travis and Servalan from seeing it. It would, however, give them an idea of Orac's dimensions. Blake then tells them he is going to report them, which he presumably does, since they are rescued. Blake would have to have contacted those high enough to reprimand a Supreme Commander, so the knowledge would be very limited--possibly just the President and High Council. (Servalan's Presidential predecessor must have been the man seen as Chairman of the Terra Nostra. As Blake says "To have total control, you must control totally, both sides of the law. Terra Nostra, the Federation--two sides of the same power--the same men of power." When Largo's enforcer asks "What about Blake and his friends, Chairman?", the Chairman replies "You can leave that to me"--indicating that his Federation forces will deal with them. Also, the Chairman plays with tarantulas--just the kind of ability one needs when dealing with Secretary Rontane!) In KILLER, Blake mentions Orac to Dr. Bellfriar, who does not see the computer and later dies. Bellfriar did not pass the information to anyone (the entire Q-Base personnel end up dead in any case). When the Liberator crew receive a coded message (HOSTAGE), they should have known it was from Travis and/or Servalan. Orac comments that whoever sent the message must have known about its "unique intercept capability." Not many people fall into this category, so why all the surprise that is is Travis? Ven Glynd (VOICE FROM THE PAST) has a surveillance report on Servalan's attempt to capture Orac, which means he and his surveillance team know about Orac, though not by sight. Possibly Servalan purges Ven Glynds people afterwards. When Servalan encounters Avon on Sarren, she guesses Orac is in the case he has (the same case from Aristo?). It is a reasonable assumption, and one which Avon confirms with his silence. Later she makes off with it after killing Hal Mellanby. Servalan doesn't see Orac while it is with Avon, but must have looked in the case when it was in her possession, as in VOLCANO her troopers (led by Mori) bring Orac onto Liberator's flightdeck. Thus, Servalan must have been able to describe it to them--something she could have only done if she had actually seen Orac (or the plans mentioned in DELIVERANCE?). Mori knows what it is, and calls Orac by name. He also knows of Orac's value since he is going to get at least a million credits from Servalan. Finally boarding the Liberator in HARVEST, Servalan doesn't seem to worry about obtaining Orac, even though she knows it is onboard. When abandoning the Liberator, Servalan intended to use Orac to operate the teleport (how did she know it could operate it?), but was prevented as Avon had the key. She would have been reminded of it in CHILDREN, however, when negotiating with Vila for possession of the Liberator. "I think I'll have a chat with Orac," Vila tells her. Avon is next to refresh Servalan's memory, when he gains access to her suite by pretending to be a courier. As Servalan knows, he is only able to do this because Orac has cracked the latest security codes, and this leads to a brief discussion about Orac. It is thus very strange that none of Servalan's team on Terminal had been briefed on Orac, an oversight that Vila is able to exploit when surrendering the Liberator to them. After Dorian rescues the crew from Terminal, he takes and repairs Orac, and talks with it. Dorian met Ensor before his exile, and it seems he knows about Orac too--confirming that Ensor was working on Orac before his escape from the Federation. In HEADHUNTER, Muller's android comes seeking Orac. It is possible the android detected Orac (i.e., at their first contact with Muller), and decided to seek Orac out. Otherwise, the knowledge must have been programmed in by Muller--supporting the theory that Orac was constructed before Ensor's escape. It is particularly interesting that Avon describes Orac as "Ensor's first brainchild" in this episode. Since the tarriel cell was created first, and Orac seems to be his last creation, we must take "first" to mean "foremost." Next it is Belkov who demands Servalan gives him Orac, his ship, and enough feldon crystals to negotiate his way around the galaxy. Despite the fact Belkov is in charge of the entire Federation contingent on Mecron (which peculiarly seems to have no troops in its number), it seems unlikely that his rank would entitle him to information regarding Orac's existence. Perhaps he was able to access sensitive Federation files using Gambit, itself an advanced machine. Egrorian, too, knows about Orac--a rather curious fact as he had been hiding for ten years (i.e., before Blake obtained it). This could be further proof that Ensor was working on Orac, before his escape. It is just as likely that Servalan told Egrorian about Orac, a fact which should have occurred to Avon. Perhaps it does occur to him subconsciously, providing one more proof that Servalan must be involved--it can't be anyone else running Egrorian since knowledge of Orac is so restricted. When Servalan and Egrorian realise they have a fake Orac however, Servalan says, "Look at it! It's just a box of flashing lights", which is strange--it looks like the real thing but Servalan doesn't recognise it, even having seen it. Finally, Orac gets the Scorpio crew into Blake's base, where they must have concealed it somewhere, since the Scorpio crew do not bring it with them into the main tracking gallery. Presumably, Avon reduced it with a stabilised atomic implosion and hid it in his mouth. Thus, in the last few seconds of BLAKE, he smiles grimly--Orac is reverting to full size, pushing his mouth open! e-mail site owner or author.
Appendix I--ORAC'S ABILITIESOrac was without exception the paragon of all computers seen within the Blake's 7 galaxy. It was peerless, having capabilities so extraordinary that no other machine could match it--only towards the very end was Muller almost able to equal Ensor's creation.
2/ Orac is capable of making a decision.
3/ Takes total control of the Liberator, speaking through Zen and comments that is "aware" of the teleport facilities. This seems to indicate Orac totally and instantaneously scanned theentire ship.
4/ Controls the flying probe and broadcasts through it.
5/ Makes a prediction--interestingly, Orac says "Space Vehicle will be destroyed" (not "Your space vehicle" or "This space vehicle"), demonstrating that Orac knows that Liberator is (Deep)Space Vehicle 2 before the crew find this out in REDEMPTION. This fact reinforces the ideaof Orac's complete scan of the Liberator (reading from Zen's data stores).
8/ Orac takes control of Zen again.
9/ All the lights on Zen's facia go out when Orac commands Zen to be silent, and are not activated until Orac permits it. 10/ It electrifies its key.
11/ Avon places a small disruption bomb to precise limits within Orac's energy range. Any variation above or below and there will be an explosion. One wonders what happens when Orac's batteries begin to go flat.
13/ One of Orac's regular tasks is to monitor the security frequency of Federation command ships in order to pass information to the battle computers.
15/ It is able to tell that the forcewall was activated (when Liberator travels through the magnetic barrier).
16/ Orac cross-referenced prisoner and execution lists for Cally.
17/ Orac can emulate a navigation computer--it can plot courses, "should it be necessary."
18/ At Avon's request, Orac calculates the odds on his survival, given certain conditions (using some of its' prediction abilities?).
19/ When Avon teleports down to Horizon, Orac calculates a place to put Avon down and activates the teleport. It also determines (by logic) that the ground-based detectors would be camouflaged.
22/ Orac relays Blake's message via the Remote Visualisation System.
23/ Zen passes information to Orac for analysis, upon which Orac conjectures.
25/ Orac processes Bellfriar's datablocks and identifies the alien paratype.
29/ According to Avon, Orac must provide clearance for anyone before they can board theLiberator. This is demonstrated when Orac does a voice scan of Shivan.
30/ Orac knows about the Auron circuit influencer.
31/ Has specific programming against telepathic influence.
33/ Orac predicts (or reads from the Big Wheel computer) which numbers will come up on the roulette wheel.
34/ Orac operates the teleport from Freedom City (i.e., off-ship).
36/ Orac analyses the defence zone--design and construction patterns, etc. Theorises why it was built.
37/ Orac punches through a message to the Strategy computer at Space Command and notifies Jenna when the message has been registered.
39/ Orac establishes a direct voice link with Zen, allowing Zen's voice to be relayed through it. (Can you imagine it doing this with Slave?).
40/ Even after voice contact is lost, Orac can still track Liberator on its way to Sarren and can tell the navigation system is "locked onto this location."
42/ Interestingly, Zen--not Orac--relays the Federation records.
43/ Orac calculates a course of flight which it gives to Mori for Servalan's fleet to approach Obsidian undetected.
44/ Orac teleports Cally, Dayna, Tarrant and itself up from the ground.
47/ Orac assumes control of the Liberator--Zen states all commands require "prior verification."
48/ Orac knows where they are (interpreting Zen's data?) and is also able to tell the crew that Liberator is shooting at itself.
49/ The Thaarn detects Orac's presence, but NOT Zen's.
50/ Orac institutes direct sensory link communication with Zen.
53/ Orac is connected to the locator and can detect tracer.
54/ Orac determines the name of the planet is possibly Keezarn, information which it found within an "obscure archaeological treatise." This demonstrates the extent to which Orac goes--and can go--in order to obtain information requested of it.
55/ Orac says the tracer is under the box 10 centimetres from Avon's right hand. Therefore it has sensors (otherwise it wouldn't know where Avon's hand was).
57/ Orac scans Traffic Controller for diagnosis and treatment, and finds a cure ("a grand therapy job"--Dayna).
59/ Orac accesses the plans of Residence One that are contained in the main security computer.
60/ Orac sets the teleport coordinates.
61/ Orac determines the optimum time for the crew to teleport into the security perimeter of Residence One.
63/ Tarrant attaches a little bubble-like device to both Orac and the artefact--presumably a sensor link. Orac later asks to be disconnected from it.
64/ Orac turns itself off, something it also seems to do when Avon closes the carrying case in AFTERMATH.
66/ Refers to Vila by name.
67/ Orac projects unstable wave emissions back to their source (the Core of Ultraworld).
68/ Curiously, although the Ultra know all about the crew of the Liberator, they have no knowledge of Orac, and of course this omission is their downfall.
70/ Orac controls the visual display, and is able to call up the T-16 schematic. Orac is first to know of the T-16's approach (access to detector information?).
71/ Orac knows the location of Molochs computer room.
73/ Orac picked up the information on the Teal-Vandor conflict during a routine communication sweep.
74/ Avon instructs Orac to monitor all transmissions and relay any public viscasts to the main screen (later, vision only).
75/ Servalan states Orac has broken the latest Federations security code.
76/ Orac taps into a record computer and obtains all the rules ("it will take a few moments to identify the correct data store"), then assimilates them and programs one of its systems as an analogue of a hostile orbiter (inferring it possesses multiple systems).
77/ Orac determines Vinni is an android, and mentions the medical examination clause (refer point 76).
78/ Orac taps into the combat computer and determines which chamber has been chosen. It also provides Cally with floor plan details of the chamber--presumably via the main display since we don't hear Orac speak.
79/ Orac ("our legal adviser") points out the Deeta-Vinni competition is technically void, and that Tarrant is the new First Champion. Advises a change of neutral arbiter and a medical examination before the next competition.
When Avon goes down to Terminal, he takes Orac's key, preventing the rest of the crew from using it.
80/ Orac talks to Dorian (Orac doesn't appear to have any special voice-print coding like Zen does; it talks freely to Dorian, Egrorian, and the party from Krandor).
81/ Orac "naturally" took the chance to study all the systems on the Liberator ("naturally," given the emphasis Orac's programming puts on the acquisition of knowledge).
83/ Orac is linked into the teleport bracelet transceiver.
84/ Orac knows of the chronicles disks in the records locker. Later, Orac scans the records disks.85/ Orac is unable to obtain the exact time until the compression charge detonates.
86/ Orac computes the code to the launch silo door for Avon.
87/ Orac "made contact" with Slave, overriding the security program. In RESCUE, Avon mentioned that Orac could do this (if it was working, which, at the time, it wasn't).
89/ Orac delegates the design problem it is given to engineering computers. Rather than Orac reading the results "at source"--i.e., directly from the tarriel cells of the design computers, they transmit the results back to Orac, and the transmission is detected by the duty tracer on Helotrix.
91/ Orac knows exactly what caused the pursuit ships to explode, what kind of vehicle is involved, the pilot, and the speed he was travelling at (Standard by 12.6).
92/ Orac knows of Plaxtons photonic drive research (but then, so did Tarrant).
93/ Orac ascertains the last known base of the Space Rats (Caspar, Sector 5)
96/ Both Tarrant and Avon make comments about allowing Orac to scan the box before it is opened, indicating Orac has the ability to scan objects.
97/ Orac diagnoses the No. 2 drive and the detector and scanner circuits.
98/ Orac acts as a remote flight computer for Tarrant, confirming course and distance to base orbit. Orac could have controlled Scorpio but could not risk being affected itself.
99/ Orac operates the base teleport terminal in such a way as to block Scorpio's teleport.
100/ That Orac is reluctant to restore the teleport indicates it has some idea of the danger that exists (something more than "undefined systems influence"!).
101/ Orac is able to monitor heart rate and brain and organ functions and can give a medical prognosis once "wired up and ready."
102/ Orac knows what Mullers android wants to do and what has to be done--it asks Soolin to disconnect and hide it.
103/ When Avon activates Orac, it calls him by name ("A new era, Avon,") showing it can detect who is near it, and that its protocol allows familiarity (i.e., Slave using Tarrant's name in BLAKE is unusual, while Orac using Avon's name is not).
(Incidentally, Vila says he picked the message up during a routine message sweep. Presumably this was done by using Orac, as Servalan could not risk making the message too obvious by transmitting it en clair.
106/ Orac picks up the message from Gerren in sector 9 via an obsolete communications satellite in sector 4.
107/ Avon found out about Gerren by getting Orac to research feldon crystals (Avon ran the relevant sets of figures together--his finance knowledge?)
108/ When Belkov sends a message to Scorpio, Orac is able to identify the type of computer that is transmitting the message.
109/ Orac plays games against Gambit in order to obtain information.
110/ Orac is able to tell that the fourth game is the last, and what has to be done.
111/ Orac knows about the delphic Oracle (Proof for the speculation that the origin of its name is "orac--le"?).
114/ Orac addresses Avon by name.
115/ Orac knows that Zerok has ceded to the Federation (and the ramifications of this--that thebank notes are deemed invalid). This is not a response to a specific request of the crew--does Orac have general instructions to monitor High Council matters?
117/ Orac operates the short-range relay station. 118/ Orac gets grade results on Egrorian's degree thesis from Belhangria University.
119/ Orac provides flight-related information (speed, necessary escape velocity, fuel capacity).
120/ Orac is able to measure Vila's weight.
122/ Orac detected a foreign object in the teleport bay and calculated that it was an explosivedevice. Orac did not detect (or did not mention--if not, why not?) the other bombs placed around Xenon base. Does this indicate a limited range to Orac's own sensors?
124/ Orac knows an application has been put before the High Council (refer to point 114).
125/ Orac is able to forbid Slave from speaking.
126/ Orac operates the teleport (the switches move).
127/ Orac simulates a distress beacon.
128/ Orac tracks a flyer (Blake's) and analyses its flight program. It is also able to read the results of another flyer's heat scan.
129/ Orac simulates the recognition signal to open the silo.
B/ Predictions (based on above knowledge);
C/ Monitoring Federation transmissions;
D/ Monitoring High Council activity; and E/ Teleport operation.
Appendix II--KNOWLEDGE OF ORAC'S EXISTENCE
Orac's biography
Slave's biography
B7 Hardware
Useful Lists
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