(Rescue P.4)Learning On The Job

Posted on Sat 8th Feb, 2025 @ 12:34pm by Captain Izwyx 'Lo & Commodore H'tek & Alidade (Computer)

2,094 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: The Phoenix Gamble
Location: 3.7 LY from SB109
Timeline: 134 minutes until H'tek arrives.

Previously: https://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/viewpost/2398

-Start-

{Thunderchild- Bridge}

Izzy materialized, unsure of what to expect but startled all the same. Like an upended dollhouse, everything had been ripped from the floor and ceiling, walls and even itself. That pincushion was then compressed against the rear wall and bonded in parts even. No Captains chair to greet her, no conn, no master display. Somehow it felt right that her first true Starship command would come like this. A life time of rolling with the punches had taught her resilience and the ability to improvise. This just felt appropriate, to rebuild the bridge from the ground up.

"Gather up!" The cohort numbered twenty in all, mostly engineers, a few tactical just in case and an Ops specialists. Fouran was a Systems/ OPS phenom so she addressed hm first.

"Engineers to engineering, keep open comms, Fouran, add holo emitters to the order we dont have time to install furniture but we do need consoles, hardlight battery backups in every emitter as well let's use the good plates on her. Thunderchild are you listening?"

"I am here," she said. The voice sounded all throughout the ship. "Oh," the voice returned with a sound of realization, "so this is the kind of life form you are. Absorbing logs is one thing, but sensing you first-hand is another. You are..." clearly there some scans going on; penetrating and intrusive perhaps, "like nothing my kind has ever experienced."

Izzy pointed to Fouran, a Science officer with xenobiology backgrounds, "Get to know it, her, i'm not sure but solve the communication hiccups would you?"

She spoke to the ceiling, as the speakers were there and instinct turned her towards the speaker to reply. "I have much work to do, I'd like you to discuss your people and learn from Fouran Chance-Mccoy, and so he can learn from you. He's a specialist for meeting new life, look him up, he's in your registry, Federation Civilian Corps- Ticonderoga crew. I am here for you, but your new superior officer, who reports to me, is Fouran. Stand by for their orders, Understood Cadet... Computer?"

"I...understand, "came the voice. "If you put your trust in this Fouran, then so shall I."

Izzy also added to Fouran, "Help them with a name, but don't limit their expression of identity. Find out what you can, when we get back to base they'll want answers. Call me if there's any issue but we need an OS in ninety minutes or this ship is just for target practice."

The comment elicited a genuine laugh from the meager Fouran, a reedy thin Human whose accomplishments had all been academic so far. He was ready for this challenge moreso than the repairs of the trashed vessel around him. He was again grateful, the Starfleet path had demanded too much physicality, and here he was shoulder to shoulder with them and respected as a civilian specialist. He ended their conversation simply, "Aye Captain, I accept responsibility."

She loved the efficiency and clapped him on the shoulder before tapping a comm badge and turning away to walk back to the crowd of people and barking out, "I still don't see holo emitters on my bridge, that's an order for immediate effect I need buttons to push or I'm gonna get cranky! Get autorepairs going on affected hull patterns, get medical to cleanse the radiogenic particles so we can get the bio-neural circuitry back, No!!… I swear I told you twice already the EPS has to come first nothing else matters if there's no power...." Her voice trailed into a dozen others making a plan.

The entity was silent for a moment. Then, lowly spoke, "sounds like she knows what she wants."

The comment got a laugh from Fouran, which delighted him further. He was holding a tricorder alone on his half of the bridge and had only one order, Train the Computer. If it was cracking jokes the hard work was already done,.

He began scanning the bridge, "Hello Computer. I am Specialist Fouran. Annnd... You need a name that is unique, a name is a unique sound and language based designation that indicates my personhood. Like, I am not called Human, that is my Taxonomic nomenclature. We call you "Computer" because when we ordinarily speak to our ships computer it is not alive and therefore has no name we need to worry over. You are more than a computer and clearly intelligent, so I'd like you to consider the names of all the crew in your database, and find something that you feel represents you. Also, where did you select your voice? Would you like to be known as a specific gender?"

"Name? Yes, of course. I already have a name among my kind. If you are ready I can tell it to you.”

Fouran activated his comm recorder.

"Well...wait a second..." The comm went silent. There was clearly some thinking and computation happening. "So, it seems it will take some distance on your 4th dimension for me to tell you. Let's see. If I were to utilize this delineation, this degree of separation, and these units of measure then..." there came some buzzing from the comms mixed with white noise, "...then it would take 1 year, 6 months, 7 days, and 8 hours with you being able to process 1000 words per second for me to tell you my name. Are you ready?"

He stopped the recorder, “I’ll wait for the movie. We need something that can be said in three syllables, or so. Four-An, Iz-Wix.”

There was a pause. "Movie," the voice said as though attempting to understand what Fouran was saying. "Syllables," she said likewise. But she also understood what he wanted. "You want a shorter name...a given name," she said in realization. "I haven't one. I think it would undo the purpose of a given name if I were to select one." The voice paused briefly. It was accessing information. "I see that given names are generally profound and with meaning. How about you give me a name. If Captain Izwyx trusts you, then I trust you. And if you cannot call forth one right now, I will accept 'Computer' until you do."

The statement was frankly too large for him to conceive. How was he supposed to name a newly discovered alien? What right did he have for nominative determinism to dictate the perceptions of this machines personality?

"I can think on it, we also need to have a computer that answers to our whims without it being an active task for you. Two names really. If "Computer" is a name we already have for your operational capacities, then what you're really asking is something to designate your non operational intelligence as a distinct member of the crew and living being. I'll have to think on that, but I'm humbled to be trusted with it."

"You also asked about the voice I have selected," Computer continued. "Before my arrival, where I assailed the assailants, I had reviewed, what I now know to be, all the personal logs of the crew. They all referred to the ship as 'she.' I sought to understand what 'she' means, the knowledge base answered and I adjusted myself accordingly. "Once the viewscreen works or the holo-emitters are functional, I can display an avatar of myself."

Fouran chuckled, he had something in mind.

"I knew a girl, she hated her name and I knew her only as "Ali," It was when we dated that I finally found out her full name was Alidade. It's a tool ships used for finding direction. Might be appropriate for you if you care for it?"

"I am...indifferent to it," came the voice over the comm. "If you deem it appropriate, then I shall accept it. Only...why did your girl friend dislike her name?"

Fouran shrugged, "Children can be mean, I think they made fun of her for having an unusual name, I never got the scoop on her family life it was not a long relationship. "Ali" works for me, "Alidade", maybe "dade" but if you find one you like there's no reason we cant change it. So "Alidade" is your name as far as talking to you directly. When we talk to the Computer, do you understand we are utilizing the mechanical aspects of the ship for their functions. We will need to use the Computer many times a day, each of us, but you arent tied to those functions, you can do other things as "Ali" at the same time."

Fouran hoped this would resolve the issues at hand, but was afraid of doing anything wrong to jeopardize this moment.

"Yes," returned the voice. "From what I see, your kind requires each other for progression. You need each other just as much as you need this ship. I will try to reciprocate. I am here to be utilized when needed just as much as I hope you, among the others, will avail yourselves to me as I need. And we all can do our own preferences." The voice spoke all that in acceptance as well as further understanding the flow of life in this 4 dimensional universe.

"And I do tend to favor the name 'Alidade.' Can that be said in three syllables as per your protocol?"

Fouran was secretly thrilled but played it cool, "Yes, I think its much more efficient than what your full name would be in analog speech. I do however want to hear your name, and learn all there is to know if you are willing to share. Consider me an open book too, please ask or read up on me.

"I will do that," she said. "I have already accessed the personal logs of this ship's crew. I will ask the knowledge base after you when we are done here." There was a pause. "I find," Ali returned, "your verbal form of communication to be very inefficient.

I mean no insult or disrespect. It does seem to be the primary form of communication for you. But, I am intrigued to utilize it."

Fouran opened up the Starfleet database, which the Thunderchild had a complete up to date copy of. He knew the intelligence was linked to the database but there was a difference between knowing and, knowing where to look it up.

"Alidade, to program the computer can you study and implement Starfleet ship design, the operations department, famous officers careers from the ops department, and Tactical curriculum from the academy along with its associated readings? We need an operating system, and one that's ready for combat."

"Well, I did help drive all the assailants," she said and then paused, recalling the damaged Thunderchild and the two phaser arrays that were destroyed. "I will do as you instruct."

While Fouran was working away on his device the comms remained silent. He could clearly see that a great deal of data was being accessed and processed, far more than any one person could hope to sift through in a given week...or cycle at the Academy.

"The information is quite extensive and thorough," she said.

From his device, Fouran could see proxy interconnections being reestablished, certain functions coming back online, automation being restored.

"Please," Ali came back, "I do see that some of these officers that you mentioned, their distance on your fourth dimension has come to a conclusion. What does 'deceased' mean?"

Five minutes in and he was broaching the concept of death with something that was likely stupendously long lived.

"Well Alidade, that's a big question... to answer it simply and honestly, our biological systems require upkeep and maintenance much like this ship. Over a long period of time that system begins to wear down from if nothing else entropy. Humans, live for ninety to hundred years on average, some up to 150 years. but the end is always the same provided nothing kills you prematurely. Time passes, we age in its march and understand it will not last forever. But we will enjoy the time we have, that's why we fling ourselves into the void to see what's out there, our curiosity and ambition to raise Humanity up as fast as we can, there isn't enough time in the day to list all the reasons we love to be alive and explore with our senses, even if its for just a hundred trips around our sun.

He rambled, and stopped himself from going further, asking, Does that help you understand?"

TBC

 

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