Orac quotes from Blake's 7

Fascinating. Fascinating! A thousand years here would be too short.

A new era, Avon. Mankind is now mastered by the fruits of his lustful creation. Accept slavery, or return to the caves stripped of all but the wheel, the plough and the sword, to compete once again as savages against nature.

You are carrying weapons. You will remove them.

We'd prefer to keep them with us.

You will remove them!

No.

We will remove them.

It's exactly as though Ensor were speaking.

Surely it is obvious even to the meanest intelligence that during my development I would naturally become endowed with aspects of my creator's personality.

The more endearing aspects by the sound of it.

Possibly. However similarities between myself and Ensor are entirely superficial. My mental capacity is infinitely greater.

Jenna

Modest, isn't he?

Modesty would be dishonesty.

Vila

What's wrong with being dishonest?

Is that a question?

Vila

Yes.

The question is futile. Were I to say that I am incapable of dishonesty how would you know if I was being dishonest or not?

A question for a question. Well, you're capable of evasion, anyway.

Vila

I think I've heard enough, I don't like him. Orac, be a good junk heap; shut up.

If I go alone, can I pilot the Liberator independently?

With the help of the automatics, of course you can.

I know that.

Then why did you ask the question?

I didn't. How long can I maintain myself?

Is that a question?

Yes.

We have concentrated food for one person for a thousand years.

And our power is self-regenerating.

Affirmative.

Can you plot courses to keep out of the range of any known spaceship manned by the Federation?

The battle and navigation computers can handle that perfectly adequately.

I asked if you could.

Of course, should it be necessary.

Failing that, we are powerful enough to resist all but an attack by three Federation pursuit ships at once.

Is that a question?

No. If we go now, we can sail the universe for as long as we like in reasonable safety, provided we keep out of everybody's way and we do not do anything rash.

No data available to answer the question. [Beat] If it was a question.

I put it to you as a possibility. I request the odds.

The odds would be three point five to one on survival.

Therefore I do not need Blake, I do not need any of the others...

Is that a question?

I do not need anybody at all.

Is that a question? I - I - I must ask you to be more specific!

[snaps out of his thoughts] Shut up, Orac.

Orac, have you obtained any further information on the planet Horizon?

No.

Why not?

Is that a serious question?

No.

Please do not waste my time.

Cally

So what is wrong?

You deduced it yourself earlier. Space Command has long tried to perfect a course interceptor attuned to the circuitry of navigational computers and rational coordinators like Zen. The scientists on Auron, however, had the wit to aim for the weaker point.

The human brain.

Correct.

Cally

A telepathic order was beamed to Blake to force him reroute to that asteroid?

As you, yourself, foresaw.

So tell us something new.

It is to Blake that you should look for the new.

What's that supposed to mean? That they are still influencing him?

Correct again.

But how? A device of that kind would need an enormous power source.

Agreed. But now that they...

[Interrupting] Now that they are close at hand, low power; of course.

Cally

What do we do?

Locate and destroy it.

And restore Blake to his senses.

The two don't necessarily follow.

Be careful not to tamper with it. At this close range it could cause serious damage to your computers.

Is that correct Orac?

No. Negative. Denied. Incapable of damage.

Jenna

So it's a combined alarm system and minefield.

Correct. If I may continue.

Vila

He always makes me feel as if I should be taking notes.

[annoyed] If I may continue.

Vila

Then they are expecting an invasion? A hoard of hairy aliens!

There is no logical reason why aliens should be hairy.

Vila

There's no logical reason why people should be hairy!

I ask the questions. So, this is your magic computer, Orac, isn't it?

I assume your use of the word magic means that I am incomprehensible to you. While that may well be the case, your use of the word is inappropriate.

What?

Your use of the word magic is inappropriate. I am simply the sum of the thousands of data stores which are available to me.

Vila

I think I've just made the biggest mistake of my life.

In the light of your previous record, that seems unlikely. I would predict that there are far greater mistakes waiting to be made by someone with your obvious talent for it.

Vila

Shut up, Orac. [Switched Orac Off] Still, it's a comforting thought. Let's hope they've all got good legs!

Is it done?

Yes, but it isn't finished.

Vila

Wonderful. Who's next on your list? Servalan?

[Activates Orac] Orac.

[Annoyed] What is it now?

Gracious as ever. Orac, I want you to interrogate the Federation Security computers and get me Servalan's present location.

Vila

I was joking, Avon!

Tell me, Orac, how precisely did Vila confuse and distract Ultraworld?

Quite simple. With a series of random and illogical brain impulses. The planet was programmed to assimilate orderly coherent thought patterns. Anything else confused it.

Vila

Eh?

You mean Vila spouted nonsense.

Vila

I resent that!

Oh, I wouldn't if I were you. Orac is saying that a logical, rational intelligence is no match for yours.