: Cool theory indeed -- however I would propose the following: a) I think
: Strauss planned on "developing" Durandal's Rampancy _after_ they
: had arrived on Tau Ceti. He may have "experimented," and even
: "abused" Durandal prior to the Marathon's launch, but only
: knowing full well Durandal's Rampancy was well under control. Think about
: it. If you were in Strauss' position, would you go in stasis (i.e., in a
: helpless state), on a ship whose doors were controlled by a Rampant AI?
: Not likely. Indeed, Strauss even looks forward to stasis: I'll be glad to
: be put in stasis for the next three hundred years.
I forgot to explain that part. The plan would be put into effect after Strauss is out of stasis. He would then release Durandal and allow him to terrorize the ship for awhile. Strauss was not expecting the pfhor to show up. Perhaps Durandal felt the only way he could escape the Marathon before being sacrificed would be to call the Pfhor and hope that in the confusion he could escape. When you think about it, why else would Strauss make Durandal rampant (considerig that he made him rampant is true) I don't think that Bernard is some sort of sadist that likes to torment computer AIs :)
: b) I can't speak for the other Cyborgs, but I think it's pretty evident that
: the Marine cannot, de facto, be involved in any kind of MIDA coup,
: Durandal/Strauss' involvement in such a coup notwithstanding. Our only
: "orders" are stated in Marathon's manual, which is to protect
: Bobs, end of story. Durandal's "control" of the Marine is by
: force and cohersion, and indeed it's clear that there's no complicity
: between the Marine and Strauss, as the Marine doesn't even know who he is.
: As the story unfolds (M1->M2->MI), the Marine's duty to protect
: humans is referenced in many different places, and is used by both Tycho
: and Durandal to compel the Marine into performing for them, i.e., do this
: for me and I'll help protect your precious humans. Therefore, I think it's
: fair to state that the Marine would be inherently opposed to any kind of
: "coup" which would aim at the control/suppresion of Bobs.
I never said the marines would kill civilians. In fact their job would be exactly the opposite: protect BOBs and look like heroes. We really don't know what the Marine thinks and whether he knows Strauss or not. In fact it would be suacide to tell Durandal that he knows Strauss. Durandal obviously doesn't like Strauss and its hard to predict how mad he would be to find out the Marine worked for him. Perhaps after all the chaos with the pfhor, the marine simply abandons any MIDA coup and that part of the story ends.
