The Question

The Sapients marched through the dining hall, stately in spite of the hard uneven cobbles that threatened their balance, while Scholars stood at attention on either side. As they mounted the dias, they alternated turning, first left, then right, and took their places at the Head Table. Fingers touched the dark wood for luck in the same places that Sapients had done for generations, so that the wood was polished smooth as glass. Sapient Mathilde turned up her nose. A first rate mind she had, Mathilde, but no patience at all. The Chief Sapient, resplendent in the full stiff and scratchy panoply of his office, waited until all were in their places. Then went to the podium and looked down at the finest minds in his world.

"Be seated," he said, and wondered if his thin voice vanished into the hangings before it reached the Senior Scholars at the back.

With a rustle of robes and a universal scrape of benches, the Scholars and Sapients sat. Their leader continued.

"I have called you together," he said, "to tell you that this may be the most important day in the history not only of the University, but of the world. Archaeologists working in the inner wastes have made a discovery." The Sapient realized that he was procrastinating, and chided himself as he would have rebuked one of his students. "They have found the Founders' Computer."

For a moment he couldn't even hear anyone breathing. Then the room erupted into a cacephony of question and debate.

"Other artifacts?"

"Pious fraud!"

"Gr...graves?"

The Sapient held up his hands for order.

"Those questions will inevitably be answered in time," he said, "but none of them is the issue vital to our world's survival."

"Is it sentient?" asked Sapient Mathilde, her voice firm and bright.

"We do not know," the Chief Sapient replied. "So far, it has only output a single question. Quite possibly its reaction will depend upon our answer."

Chaos broke out again.

"...self-destruct...."

"...references in the..."

"...us-destruct!"

Sapient Mathilde's voice rose above them all.

"Excuse me," she said. "Excuse me!" Only when the room had become quiet did she continue. "Chief Sapient, what is the question?"

"It is oddly phrased," he warned. "The computer keeps saying: 'Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?'"