<USS Avalon> From AI to Humanoid III

OOC: Ends just after the order to Helm to change course and increase speed to maximum, disregarding the warp "speed limit" set by the Federation.

IC:
(From "From AI to Humanoid II")
Shaking her head, [K'etrall] just grunted. "So, how did it go working on the console and reviewing the specs? Anything of interest I need to know about before we reach our destination?"

Rather than answering immediately, Cialra spoke calmly into the air. "Cialra to Captain Skyler. Secured channel, please." The chirrup from the computer indicated it was set up. "Captain, according to my calculations, we are presently twelve hours Terran at the /Avalon/-C's maximum cruise speed from the nebula the factory is in. Coordinates have been forwarded to the console in your Ready Room, Sir. As I understand, changing to course 355.5 mark 338.9 will get us on our way, but the data sent to your console will give the final course based on the exact time you issue the command."

Cialra received notice from the ship's core that Hap was enroute, and raised an eyebrow before commenting, "Hap's on his way here. He seems eager; his speed is quite high in relation to the crew he's having to avoid." She chuckled softly then. "He's been admonished by the ship's computer to slow down, lest he hurt someone or hits the wall or ceiling avoiding. Estimated time of arrival here, three minutes. This is because he's taken to the Jefferies tubes rather than the lifts and corridors, apparently at the suggestion of the ship's computer."

Not having had a chance to finish reading up on the exocomps, K'etrall was going to have to take Cialra's word for it. "How is it you know so much about these little machines, and I seem to have been left in the dark?" She hated not knowing everything she should.

Cialra shrugged lightly. "We Regellians use them ourselves. To us, they're old tech, though. Not current or bleeding-edge, although the exocomps aboard are high-end indeed." She grinned mischievously. "Not that I want to admit that to any of the three, lest they get puffed up about it." Sobering, she admitted, "Most remotes for we MIs are exocomps or devices you would recognize as such, although our designs are different in many ways."

"I guess I have a great deal to learn, both about the exocomps and AI's. I have asked Ensign McGivern to assist us in this project once we have all the facts and she has some spare time." /Not sure how much spare time that will be, but time will tell./ As the indicators changed, K'etrall commented, "Captain Skyler has sent the coordinates to Lyta at helm and we are currently on our way to our destination. Once we arrive, what exactly will you be needing?"

Cialra frowned slightly. "I honestly don't know. Even for someone with my talents, parsing all the information in those diagrams is taking a while." She smiled slightly, her expression a little wry. "Even with my advantages, as slim as they are over certain species, the data is so dense that it will take me a while to understand precisely how to even begin the processing of the raw material; it is likely not in the final form we will need."

With a distinctly cheerful-sounding whistle, Hap abruptly popped out of the nearest Jefferies tube opening, and guided his hoverplate to the deck. Once there, he unfolded his six long legs, used the front pair to quickly fold the hoverplate into a small cube, and tucked this away into one of his own inner compartments. "Ready to go to work," he said, speaking in his own language of electronic tones.

Cialra nodded, then, before she thought it through, responded in like manner, giving a quick brief to the exocomp. On realizing her mistake, she blushed furiously, then corrected by giving K'etrall a synopsis of the report she'd filed about ten minutes previous.

K'etrall watched as Cialra and Hap talked in their own language. She had never felt so out of it in her life. She was going to have to read up on these exocomps. The sooner the better. Especially if she was going to be working with them.

Cialra patiently waited for K'etrall to catch up to the rapid-fire briefing she'd given her, which had been an executive summary of the overview, not one of the full report. She was, in fact, almost itching to resume the research, since she wanted to be totally confident before they began the manufacturing process. The refining of the raw material would be somewhat of a difficult matter, but nothing a Starfleet vessel was incapable of. That much seemed obvious from her research thus far.

After getting the verbal briefing, (she would read the entire report as soon as possible), K'etrall noticed how comfortable Cialra and Hap were with each other. It made her slightly envious. "Why don't the two of you continue with your research, as I am sure you are eager to return to it. I will be in my office going over ship matters as well as your full report. Please keep me up to date on your progress." Nodding, K'etrall turned to return to her office.

Cialra chuckled softly, but acknowledged with a soft, "Aye, Sir. We'll do that. Hap, follow me, please." She led the way back to the station she had been using, secretly glad Hap had brought his leg-units; the tips would allow him to type, after a fashion. She spoke the console awake again, having locked it during her break, and resumed by showing Hap the overview of what she'd discovered thus far, which almost precisely echoed her earlier brief in exo-language. Carefully, however, she made a note to use Federation Standard during the rest of their investigation.

"Seems pretty straightforward," the exo-comp said. "Anything you need me to do until we get there?"

Cialra smiled slightly. "Here we are, at the console. As you can perhaps see, and that likely better than I can, what is on-screen is a very intricate and detailed schematic. What you may not realize is that what you see here is one page of four that makes up the full schematic of something about half the size of my balled fist, that will be implanted in my holomatrix to allow me to control whether I am solid or holographic at need, or at my whim." She smiled slightly. "This device is proven to work, since there is another MI of my acquaintance that has used one for years now. We go to raid the same factory that created the materials for hers, in fact."

"And I hope it's just retrieving the material you need me for," Hap said. "This sort of construction is beyond what I'm capable of, at least right now."

Cialra frowned, before responding in softly spoken Federation Standard. "That is not good, my friend, for we will need as much help as is possible. You exocomps have skills and capabilities that far outreach anyone else, including visual and motor skills. If you three cannot do the construction, who will be able to do so?"

"Any idea how much time I've got to study and practice?"

Cialra smiled sadly. "I know not." She froze then, as the engine timbre had changed, become a howl of power. "Something's changed, and I expect not for the better." She turned back to the circuit diagrams. "It would appear we've been trumped. By what or whom, I almost hesitate to even think, much less ask, but we must be at nearly maximum speed!"

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