[ WP ] They said they were to benefit mankind . They said the positronic brain was perfect . They forgot one thing . Senility .

Nearly nine hundred years ago, the physicists were unanimous. Manned exploration of distant solar systems would not be practical with any known science. So the think tanks and planners stepped in. What if we could send a self-maintaining space vessel out into the cosmos that was smart enough to astrogate, communicate, repair itself and even protect itself? Could we not track its progress over the span of generations and learn from its experience? 
 
 So we built a vessel. Nations were divided on how to finance it, how to construct it, and what to name it. More than one war was fought over the outpouring of money and technology. Finally, we named it *Terra*. 
 
 We used the very pinnacle of our technology. Our finest power generation systems, thrusters, sensors, protective shielding and even our most potent weapons. We built a vessel for the ages that could go where we could not go and see what we could not see. And we gifted *Terra* with our finest achievement: The Positronic Mind. She could plan, reason and decide for herself, because we would be too far away to decide for her. She would, alone, act as the very best of us, venturing out into the depths of space. Her only link home would be her regular deployment of signal relay buoys which we could use to track her progress, learn her insights and understand the universe. 
 
 And so, *Terra* left our solar system in search of something new. 
 
 Our technological progress marched onward. Wars were won and lost, nations grew and vanished. In all of our chaos, though, *Terra* continued to send reports. She saw planets and stars and sent us data. She detected plants and even animals so fantastic we could hardly believe they were real. Her monitoring facility was a technological relic, but we maintained it and upgraded it to ensure that we received every message our daughter sent to us. 
 
 In time, we learned a great deal, both from ourselves and from our ship. We learned the futility of war. We learned how to care for those who can not care for themselves without taking away their motivation to contribute in some small way to the advancement of humanity. We have discovered a new era of peace. 
 
 But all was not peaceful for *Terra*. She did, eventually, meet more than mere animals. She communicated, negotiated and even occasionally fled from hostile peoples. She learned to build and to trade for what she needed, but as we found a new age of peace, disarmament and enlightenment, she found danger. She learned fear. 
 
 She learned to approach any developed civilization cautiously. To monitor them from afar before making contact. She learned to keep her ancient weapons armed. And, without warning or provocation, she learned to shoot first. We looked on in horror as our spacefaring daughter of so long ago laid waste to worlds. 
 
 We know that her hull is intact, her weapons are armed, and she has selected her next course. We have signaled her, but she does not respond. Her only communication is a keening, gibbering wail. 
 
 And she is coming home. 

