Made Useful

2. Facing PAMA

Jesse jolted to his feet. "Gah! What happened?!"

Ivor put a hand on his shoulder. "You went down--hard. One punch and you were out."

Jesse ran a hand through his hair. "Jesus..."

Ivor randomly startled, the blank green wall that was lodged in the mesa suddenly lighting up. Lukas took a step back. "What is...what IS that?"

Petra shook her head. "I have no idea."

A face appeared from the lights, turning to a smile. Ivor raised an eyebrow. "You don't suppose its friendly, do you?"

"I guess it is kind of friendly looking..." Lukas stared up at it. "In a massively, hugely-intimidating sort of way."

Jesse shrugged. "Friendly or not, we're about to find out."

A mechanical voice sounded around them. "My apologies for the violent nature of this visit. I am PAMA. Greetings," the faced changed as the voice continued speaking. "We have much work ahead of us, but maybe it can even be...fun. If you choose to cooperate, that is."

Jesse put a hand to his head. "Sorry if this is a dumb question, but...am I talking to PAMA right now? What is PAMA?"

The face smiled again. "Some might call me a 'computer', a thinking machine. Although there has never been a computer quite like me. My job is to be useful. Using Redstone chips, I have connected to the people of this town and helped them become useful. I have made their world perfect."

Jesse and Petra exchanged horrified looks, twisting to stare at the chipped people nearby. 

PAMA continued. "Thanks to me, there is no wasted thought. No wasted activity. I am connected to them and they are connected to me. A beautiful blend of productivity and efficiency."

Jesse took a step back. "Hang on. I've seen what you did to this town and it is NOT perfect."

PAMA frowned, three dots appearing in place of the face. "Processing information."

Petra and Lukas took the opportunity to inch closer to Jesse, Lukas repeating, "'Processing information'?"

"It said its a 'thinking machine'," Ivor mused. "Thinking must take time?"

PAMA's face reappeared. "I have consulted my databases--my list of everyone and everything in this world. And my conclusion is that you are not from here. I would like to ask you some questions--to expand my database," a question mark replaced the face. "How did you get here?"

Jesse stared at the machine, pausing when Petra leaned over and whispered. "Be careful what you tell it."

He nodded, announcing, "We walked here."

"Walked?" The machine repeated. "Elaborate, please."

"Its, uhm, when you use your feet to take you someplace?"

"You are attempting to be 'cute'. Attempt, failed," the face frowned. "So far your performance in question-answering has been inadequate. This makes me sad. Now I must use alternative methods to retrieve my new information."

Petra felt hands grab her wrists, forcing her arms behind her back. Jesse let out an alarmed cry, one of the chipped people dragging him towards the device on the platform. "Petra, help!"

"Jesse!" She turned. "PAMA, let him go now. Or so Notch help me, you'll regret it."

PAMA smiled. "I will let this one--Jesse--go as long as you provide me with the information I require."

The person dragging Jesse stopped, turning him around and pinning his hands behind his back. "Petra, listen to me. You don't have to do this!"

"You don't understand that I do," she took a breath. "What do you want to know?"