human
We have to fill this out. What's your brother's full name?
gpt
Steve Donnell.
human
Year of birth?
gpt
Work card number--well, we don't know that. And they want five or six other numbers too. We'll just have to skip them. Better give me a full physical description as of the last time you saw him.
human
He looked pretty much like me. Height 73 inches, weight 172 or so, reddish-blonde hair, and so on.
gpt
Don't you have a gene-record?
human
A what?
gpt
I forgot--I keep forgetting you're a spacer. Well, if he's not using his own name any more it may make things really tough. Gene-records make absolute identification possible. But if you don't have one----
human
That just about covers it, he said finally.
gpt
It's a pretty lame application, but if we're lucky we may find him.
human
What happens now?
gpt
Now we wait. The application goes downstairs and the big computer goes to work on it. First thing they'll do is kick aside all the cards of men named Steve Donnell. Then they'll check them all against the physical description I supplied. Soon as they find a man who fits the bill, they'll 'stat his card and send it up here to us. We copy down the televector number and have them trace him down.
human
The _what_ number?
gpt
You'll see, Hawkes said, grinning.
human
It's a good system. Just wait.
gpt
I hope I'm not keeping you from something important, Alan said, breaking a long uncomfortable silence.
human
It's really good of you to take all this time, but I wouldn't want to inconvenience you if----
gpt
If I didn't want to help you, Hawkes said sharply,
human
I wouldn't be doing it. I'm Free Status, you know. That means I don't have any boss except me. Max Hawkes, Esquire. It's one of the few compensations I have for the otherwise lousy deal life handed me. So if I choose to waste an hour or two helping you find your brother, don't worry yourself about it.