<USS Avalon> Planning Begins: From AI to Humanoid"

"Planning Begins: From AI to Humanoid"
 
Captain Skyler, XO
Lt. K'etrall, Acting CENG
Cialra, 
Dr. Alexis Cazook
 

K'etrall's eyes were growing tired from reading the computer screen,  but if 
she was to work with one or more of these exo-comps, she needed to know  more 
about them. After all, she didn't want to look like a complete idiot. After  
several minutes, she sighed, stood and stretched her tired muscles. ~What I  
wouldn't give for a workout in the holodeck about now, but that will have to  
wait until later.~ She moved deliberately over to the replicator and ordered a  
glass of her favorite beverage . . . Diet Pepsi. She had had to specially  
program the replicator to make this drink, as it wasn't widely known in the  
galaxy. Once she had her drink, she returned to her desk and resumed her  
reading. 

As she continued to read, K'etrall was becoming more and more  interested, 
when she noticed a visitor. Looking up from her computer screen, she  remarked, 
"Is there something I can do for you, Doctor Cazook? Or are you just  here 
checking on me? If that is the case, I am doing just fine, as you can see  for 
yourself." 

Looking at the Klingon woman, Alexis nodded. "Indeed, you  do look as though 
you have recovered from your ordeal both in the lounge and on  the bridge. 
However, that is not what brings me here. I have a situation that I  thought 
perhaps you could assist with. You see, Ensign Erridim's AI is currently  bound 
to 
where there are holo-emitters. It has come to my attention that there  is a 
way to make her free of those boundaries. It would require obtaining some  
difficult-to-find materials as well as getting permission from Captain Skyler,  
which I don't foresee being a problem. Also, I suggested that perhaps the  
exo-comps on board could be of some assistance." 

Crossing her arms  across her chest, the engineer didn't have much to say. 
"You want me to come up  with a program that would allow this holographic 
person 
to become more real? Is  that the essence of what you are saying, Doctor?" 

"Well . . . yes, I  suppose that is what I am asking. She has all the 
necessary information. I don't  see what harm there could be. She could be of 
assistance to you here in  engineering as well as to Ensign Erridim." 

"This is all very  interesting, Doctor, but as I recall, the last time I met 
this AI, she wasn't  the least bit happy to see me or my crew. How do you plan 
on getting her to  agree to work with me? Better yet, how are you going to 
get the Captain's  permission?" 

With a small smirk, Alexis just smiled. "You let me worry  about the Captain. 
I just need to know that you are willing to give it a try. So  . . . are you 
willing to try?" 

Thinking to herself, 'It would make for  an interesting science paper, and it 
beats sitting around here waiting for  something, anything to happen,' 
K'etrall admitted, "If you can get all the  appropriate parties to agree, then 
I 
suppose I would be willing to do this. As  long as it is understood that if 
something goes wrong, I am not to blame."  

Looking at Alexis, K'etrall spoke hesitantly, "So when are we supposed  to 
begin this process? And where are we going to get the materials needed? I am  
assuming you have all the details worked out. Of course I shouldn't assume  
anything around here. Have you spoken with the Captain yet?" 

Alexis  shrugged. "Haven't really had the chance yet. Wanted to get 
everything in order  before broaching the subject to the captain. Although I 
have no 
doubt that she  will approve the detour required once she knows all the 
details." Alexis grinned  at K'etrall and then turned abruptly and left 
engineering 
with the Klingon  wondering what she had up her sleeve. 

Cialra approached, her footfalls  silent due to the fact she actually wasn't 
there in a real sense. "Excuse me,  but I believe you are curious as to what 
we are to do, Miss K'etrall? And I do  apologize for having reacted in a way 
that made it seem that you were unwelcome  around me." She sighed. "I am but 
human in that way. I do make mistakes. Please,  forgive me?" 

Startled by the sudden appearance of the AI, K'etrall  almost jumped out of 
her seat. She had not expected a visit from Cialra so soon.  "The name is 
K'etrall. No Miss. Just K'etrall. There is nothing to forgive, or  rather, I 
should 
be asking you for forgiveness on behalf of the actions of some  of my staff. 
I apologize for any harm they may have done or attempted to do. As  for what 
we are going to do, yes, I am a bit curious. This is one of the more  major 
projects I have taken on. I want to make sure it is done correctly."  

Cialra smiled and pulled up a holographic chair. "Well, if I may open a  new 
window on your console, so as to give you the circuit-diagram, without  
affecting whatever else you may be doing?"   

Pushing her chair  back from the desk, K'etrall made room for Cialra to work 
on the computer. "If  you are a hologram at this moment, how are you going to 
be able to open another  window on my computer? How will you be able to 
actually touch and feel the  console? I don't mean to be rude or anything but . 
. . 
of this I am most  curious." 

Cialra just smiled mysteriously. "Let's just say that I would  do this the 
same way my avatar shows on board the Avalon. My agreement with the  ship's 
computer includes any action that does not endanger operations of the  vessel. 
Since this is something that, in the end analysis, is likely to assist  the 
vessel's crew, it falls into that category of helpfulness." She then spoke a  
short 
phrase and a new window appeared with one of the sheets for the device's  
circuitry. A box in the lower right showed it was page one of four. "I have  
uploaded the other three pages as well. I confess that I am not an engineering  
wizard, so much of the circuitry is very foreign to me." She pointed out 
several 
 segments. "I gather this is the switch governing solid or holo-avatar mode, 
but  other than that, I honestly have little idea of what is here." She 
carefully hid  the fact she was very annoyed at her lack of knowledge, 
especially 
as, once this  mysterious object was built, it would become part of her!


Looking at  the information that had popped up, K'etrall had to admit to 
herself that she  wasn't exactly sure what it all meant. "I have a feeling, 
Claire, that we are  going to learn this process together. I am not going to 
put 
anything in you  until I am sure it is safe and works properly. For that, we 
can 
work together. I  can create another hologram in the holodeck, and we can 
attempt the procedure  there until we are both confident that it works. Does 
that 
sound reasonable to  you?" 

Cialra nodded. "One slight problem with that is the possibility of  the 
device becoming attuned to a specific holomatrix, and not being adaptable to  
any 
other afterward. How to solve that little issue is beyond even my  experience. 
But then, so is this device's technology-base; it is, however,  clearly 
neither Regellian nor Federation technology." 

Nodding, K'etrall  had to agree with Cialra. "You raise good points, but 
let's not get ahead of  ourselves before we have even attempted anything. I am 
sure that we will be able  to come up with something that will work. When would 
you like to begin working  on this little project?" 

Cialra chuckled. "How about immediately? Or at  least, as soon as the 
materials necessary can be obtained?" She then shook her  head. "Assuming, of 
course, 
we get permission from Captain Skyler, and I manage  to deliver our 
malcontents safely to their destination." Her expression was wry.  "Lords know 
I am 
tempted to give them a taste of Regellian justice for this sort  of crime. Pity 
they wouldn't survive the experience, and it's not permissible  for me to do so 
in Federation space under Federation laws,  anyway."


She shrugged. "Come to think on it, I could take one of the  exocomps, whom I 
believe is named Hap, with me and collect the material on the  way home with 
his able assistance, but that takes the permission of his  guardian-protector, 
one Bobby Woodward." There was very nearly a growl of  frustration audible in 
her voice now.


"I agree. They do deserve  appropriate punishment. Too bad they aren't on my 
homeworld. They would be  subjected to such things one cannot imagine." Just 
thinking of the things she  had seen her father do caused K'etrall to cringe 
just a little. "Is there any  doubt that the bartender would object to Hap 
going 
with you?" What she wouldn't  give to see one of the little machines in 
action. 

Cialra smiled  slightly. "I doubt it, since he was the one who suggested that 
Hap is the one  most suited for the task. His approval of the situation is 
almost a done deal,  I'd say." She had noticed a look of fear, then an 
expression of intense  curiosity on her face, but refrained from mentioning 
either. The 
first seemed to  be caused by thoughts, and who knew what had caused the 
second? 

"Well  then, if we have approval to use Hap, then perhaps we should start 
working on  some simple programming. Something to see if what we want to do can 
be  accomplished. When did you plan to leave with the degenerates?" 

Cialra  grimaced at the question, but answered it truthfully. "Considering 
the fact that  only Ensign Jackson has been processed, to my knowledge, I must 
wait until  they're all formally charged and remanded to the JAG station. 
Currently, it will  take six to eight days round-trip to get there, but that 
does 
not take into  account the required detour to the nebula to obtain the 
materials. I expect that  if I acted on my own behalf in that extent, it will 
increase 
the Captain's  willingness to  permit this retrieval." 

"Hmm. Well then, perhaps we  need to get them all formally charged, so that 
you can be on your way. I will  have a talk with the Captain as soon as she 
returns from the away mission."  Looking back at her console, the engineer was 
trying to fathom the amount of  work involved in actually making this AI a 
"real" person. It was not going to be  easy. 

"When Captain Skyler returns from the away mission, we can see to  it that 
she charges them and you can be on your way. Will Ensign Erridim be okay  while 
you are away?" K'etrall really didn't want to experience another episode  as 
she had while on the bridge. She was willing to help, she just hadn't  realized 
the cost could be quite so high.


Cialra smiled slightly.  "Now that Talea is back to normal in that respect, 
no. That sort of help will  not be necessary. As for her being physically safe 
with me gone? Havens only  know." She paced, walking three paces to the left, 
then completing a circle  around the console they had been facing, speaking as 
she did. "Sergeant Ranger  seems quite protective of her himself, so that is 
a good sign, I believe. Both  for the immediate future and, I trust, for the 
long term. It is good for me to  see her finally find a man she can trust." She 
stopped pacing once she got back  to where she'd been, after noticing 
K'etrall's glare at her for the pacing.  "There are security measures I can and 
will 
take, to assure my own safety during  the trip. What they are should be 
reasonably apparent without me spelling them  out. I will say this about them, 
though. Unconscious men can do no harm, and the  measures themselves will do no 
harm." 

K'etrall laughed gutturally.  "Cialra, I must admit you are my kind of woman. 
I don't envy you the mission,  yet at the same time, I also wish I was going 
along, if for no other reason than  to learn more about you and your people." 

"We all have duties,  Lieutenant K'etrall. Very few of our duties cause us to 
have joy in our lives."  Cialra sighed. "And ferrying these miscreants to 
their fates promises to be more  heartache than anything else. Especially if 
their defense counsels find ways to  get them off these charges." She knew the 
worry was really a false one; what she  had seen of the security tape from 
Talea's quarters alone, much less the footage  caught by her computer, was 
damning 
to Ensign Jackson. The other group? She  wasn't certain that the evidence was 
strong enough. 

"I'm sure that  Captain Skyler will make sure that at least Ensign Jackson 
will face charges.  That I know for sure. As for the others, I imagine that 
Captain Phillips will  handle those Marines in a manner he thinks is proper. I 
will contact the  Captain, and see about getting you on your way so we can 
start 
this process. I  am sure you are as eager to get started in this as I am." 

Cialra nodded.  "Aye. It will be a relief to be of constructive use to this 
crew. I have always  disliked being idle. And Havens help the crews that have 
to deal with me when  I've damage that prevents me from flying." She laughed. 
"One such ground crew  complained that I was worse as a patient than a doctor 
would have been, but not  being useful drives me wild." 

Smiling as much as a Klingon smiled,  K'etrall nodded her head in agreement. 
"I know you will be of help to me in  engineering. It seems I am always 
short-staffed down here. Of course, that is if  you are interested in working 
down 
here." Tapping her combadge, K'etrall called  Skyler with, "Captain Skyler, 
this is Lieutenant K'etrall. Could you please come  to engineering at your 
convenience?" Hopefully, she would make an appearance  soon and they could get 
going 
on their way. 
Cialra responded to the Engineer  with a smile. "Perhaps. It all depends on 
how many avatars I can maintain aboard  the Avalon at once. I sincerely doubt 
that I'd be able to maintain over three  under the best of conditions, 
however." She held up a hand in caution. "Not that  I foresee a significant 
problem, 
assuming we manage to make this device, and  preferably more than one; a spare 
is always a good idea. A ship without backup  systems is all too easily 
disabled or destroyed, after all." 

As Cialra  was talking, K'etrall's combadge sounded. "Lieutenant K'etrall, 
this is Captain  Skyler. I am on my way to Sickbay and then I will come to 
engineering. I shall  see you as soon as possible." 

Cialra responded with, "Understood, and  thank you, Captain. I shall brief 
you on my idea once you  arrive."


K'etrall hadn't expected Cialra to respond to the Captain's  hail, yet she 
said nothing. "So just what exactly are you going to tell the  Captain when she 
arrives?" 

Cialra chuckled softly. "My original plan,  which is to deliver our 
malcontents, then head over to the nebula and retrieve  the material. It just 
seems 
like less trouble all around if I perform the  retrieval rather than having the 
Avalon change course. The inconvenience to me  is minimal, in actual fact. In 
the idea discussed briefly with Doctor Cazook,  the Avalon would alter course, 
but that is quite unnecessary."


Having  left Talea in sickbay, Skyler was not in the best of moods. She still 
had to go  to engineering and see what was going on down there. It was not 
often that she  was summoned by K'etrall. Walking into main engineering, she 
saw 
people going  about their normal business. Not wanting to bother them, she 
made her way to the  Chief's office. Inside, she heard voices and wondered who 
all was there.  Entering the office, she saw K'etrall and Cialra talking. "I 
hope I am not  interrupting anything? You called, Lieutenant?" 

Cialra nodded. "She did,  ma'am. On my behalf." She then briefed the Captain 
on the situation with, "There  is a device that will permit me to become 
solid; the technology is advanced, but  buildable by your engineering staff. We 
have two plans for retrieving the  materials necessary. One would involve the 
Avalon changing course to the nebula,  the other is far simpler, since it means 
I 
retrieve the material on the way back  here from delivering our miscreants, 
with help from one of the exocomps." She  flashed a grin. "The device would 
permit me to become solid and remain so at  need; currently, while I have the 
knowledge to assist both Engineering and  Medical, I cannot do so. The EMPH 
protocols are incompatible with my matrix, I'm  afraid, and Havens know that it 
has 
been a frustration to me for me to be idled  in the Shuttlebay, with no way 
to be useful." 

Skyler listened intently.  It would be beneficial to have someone who could 
help both medical and  engineering. Someone possibly able to go places a human 
couldn't go. "Well, I  must admit the idea does sound intriguing. As for the 
Avalon changing its  course, as of yet we have no current assignment. However, 
if you feel that you  would be better able to get the supplies you need on 
your own, I don't see a  problem with that. How long would it take you to get 
these supplies?"  

Cialra shrugged. "Without knowing the composition, mass and volume of  the 
material, which I presently do not, despite trying to research the material  by 
the names I was given by Celeste, who is the MI of the USS Resurrection, a  
ShadowDragon-class vessel," she looked both flustered and frustrated now, "it 
is 
 impossible to say. It's almost as if the material doesn't exist, yet I have  
never known a Regellian MI to lie to any other." She frowned. "The only thing 
I  have discovered about the material is that it is extremely exotic. Not  
radioactive, but exotic all the same. What form that takes, I have not been 
able 
 to discover." She closed her eyes, shaking her head. "The more I find out 
about  this material, the more I feel I do not know about it. This is quite 
unsettling.  It is apparent that the material is not hazardous to biological 
life-forms, but  whether that is after some form of stabilization process or is 
a 
native property  of it, I have not been able to ascertain, and I find it 
terribly frustrating."  

"Then perhaps under the circumstances, the Avalon should alter course.  With 
more eyes looking at the material, maybe we would be able to help you to  
determine its properties. It would also allow us to run this vessel through its 
 
paces. Similar to a shakedown cruise. Also, if this material is going to be  
hazardous to you in any way, I am not going to allow you to go through with 
this 
 process. We will find another way to make you more "solid", so to speak. Dr. 
 Cazook and Talea need you the most. In whatever form that may be. Is that  
understood?" 

Cialra chuckled. "Clear as crystal, Captain. One moment."  She closed her 
eyes as she concentrated on connecting the Avalon with the  Resurrection via 
the 
MI-to-MI channel. "Celeste? Care to comment on the safety  of the material?" 
There was a sense that Cialra was vastly amused, although  there was no sign, 
either expression or her vocal tone, that she was. 

A  lovely voice sounded over the comm system. "Captain Skyler, this is 
Celeste, the  MI of the USS Resurrection." There was a slight pause before she 
resumed, due to  an issue on her side. "I wear one of the devices all the time, 
and 
it has never  posed any risk to me. Admittedly, Cialra is a much older MI 
than I, but I  foresee no problem." Her next words were chagrined. "I fouled 
up, 
actually. I  should have explained the material in terms you could 
understand." She   paused several seconds before noting, "As I recall, the 
material is 
hazardous  after manufacture to approximately eight Regellian hours afterward. 
Past that,  it is not, and it has been close to a year since the machinery that 
created it  was automatically shut down, on the filling of the material bay. 
There is  approximately eight kilograms of it available, if I recall the size 
of the bay  properly." There was a sense that she was smiling with the next 
words.  "Retrieval is not that difficult, although it is very much bulky in its 
raw  form. An eight kilo block is approximately two meters on a side." She 
paused,  apparently consulting with someone else. "Ah. Eight kilos is enough to 
make  sixteen of the units. One word of caution: They do imprint on the hol
omatrix  they first encounter on activation. Programming of the unit is quite 
simple,  although the cycling of the unit causes a delay between your change 
being 
 programmed and it taking effect, unless you can safely force a cycling, 
which is  not always possible. You see, Captain, the unit creates a shell, for 
lack of a  better term, a shell that is full-sensory and, for all intents, 
anatomically  correct, save that she would have no need to actually eat or 
drink, or 
the  bodily functions that result from that." 

Cialra just chuckled. "Eating  and drinking are easily simulated, and not 
having some of the other needs will  be good." 

Celeste returned the chuckle before commenting seriously, "The  shell has a 
specific half-life, but this does not imply the unit or shell are  radioactive 
at any point during the cycle." She then cautioned, "The cycle time  can be 
programmed, but only while the unit is totally inert. Forgive me if this  is 
rude, but I must ring off. We've yet another situation with those roaches  
called 
the Triad of Triads!" 

As the comm dropped abruptly, Cialra's eyes  widened. "That's not good. I 
know that Triad hates Captain Bluehaven with a  passion, but after the last 
attempt on his life failed so utterly, I do not  understand them attempting 
again, 
with the crew much more integrated and alerted  to the likelihood of attack."


"That doesn't sound good. Cialra, why  don't you get me the coordinates for 
the supplies you need and perhaps we can  just send the Avalon. We have more 
than enough space to hold the materials. I  will leave you now, so that you and 
Lieutenant K'etrall can continue planning  this mission." With a grin, Skyler 
turned and left engineering. It was the first  time she had seen the engineer 
actually look happy about something.  

Cialra frowned as the Captain departed, but sighed. "I was given very  
specific details on how to get to the factory. I'm honestly not sure I'd want 
to  
risk the Avalon; the material could be a little more unstable than Celeste  
recalls, after all." She sighed and routed the exact coordinates, with the  
likely 
safe-distance orbit for the Avalon, to the Captain's console; reports  from 
Celeste had shown that the materials had been retrieved via shuttle the  first 
time, and Cialra was very much a cautious person. She would risk herself  and 
her ship-body, but was not keen on risking everyone aboard for what might  
turn out to be a pointless exercise.


Looking at the AI, K'etrall  frowned. "Just how volatile is this material? We 
can make the cargo bays as safe  as possible. I know the Captain would not 
want to risk losing you, especially  considering how important you are to 
Ensign 
Erridim. I know you want to do this  on your own, but perhaps it would be 
better if we used the Avalon. Ultimately, I  suppose it would be up to the 
Admiral when he ever returns." 'I wonder where he  is, anyway,' thought 
K'etrall. 

Cialra chuckled. "Sometimes, a smaller  vessel has an easier time of it 
inside a nebula, you know, and that is precisely  where this cache and 
manufacturing facility are. I have been cautioned not to  destroy the facility; 
Celeste is 
rather keen on recovering it if at all  possible, in fact. She did not say 
why." 

"We could use the Avalon to get  you close enough to the nebula, then with 
you and myself aboard, we could enter  and get the materials you need. I really 
don't want you doing this alone. If  something happens to you, then this will 
all have been for naught. I really  don't think you or Talea would appreciate 
that. I certainly wouldn't if I were  in their positions." 

Cialra smiled. "But I would not be alone. Hap is  not exactly a toaster, you 
know." Her tone was amused. "He is, in fact, quite  the conversationalist." 
She chuckled. "In addition, my vessel may look ancient,  and, truth be known, 
is 
several hundred years old, but she's had many  modernizations done that 
Talea, bless her, knows nothing of. For example, I have  an early form of the 
Advanced-Mode Shield System. Current marks of that system  have a Galaxy-Scale 
ra
ting of over 30,000, but the version I have, while not  nearly so powerful, 
could probably keep most hostiles at bay long enough for us  to retreat." She 
shrugged. "Regellian sensor platforms are generally better than  Federation, as 
well, but that is nearly not important for this task."  

She looked over at K'etrall then. "I truly appreciate your concern. It  warms 
me that you would be so concerned over someone who had, to the best of  your 
knowledge, been rather hostile toward you and your crews." She sighed. "I  was 
rather panicked, I'm afraid, when I threw the guilty ones off. You see, they  
had noticed my core-box and were tampering with it. Naturally, had they  
succeeded in pulling it out of its alcove without properly disconnecting it, it 
 
would have disabled the vessel and destroyed me in the process. Perhaps not  
immediately, but I would have been doomed all the same." She smiled gently.  
"Young Ensign Scott confirmed they'd not actually done damage to the core-box,  
but had to certain circuits necessary for me to see and feel in the aft of the  
vessel. She and two others corrected the problems, although she was the only 
one  I allowed aboard during the repairs." She apologized again for the 
mistake. "I  truly did not intend to imply that all of Engineering was 
unwelcome 
aboard. For  that, I beg most humbly for your pardon."

Now that she knew the full  story, K'etrall could understand why Cialra had 
been so defensive in regard to  whom she would allow access to her vessel. "You 
have no reason to beg for my  pardon or anyone else. You were only doing what 
anyone else would do when being  what they perceived as being attacked by 
individuals who did not know what they  were doing. I hope in time that I and 
at 
least one or two others may become more  informed about your vessel's systems. 
I think we can safely put what happened  behind us and work toward our 
present goal of making you more 'whole' so to  speak." 

Cialra chuckled. "Being able to silently sneak up on people can  be fun, 
though." Her chuckle deepened. "And holographic avatars are unfazed by  phaser 
fire in their direction, since it simply goes right through without  damage." 
She 
sobered before admitting, "But holographic avatars do not typically  have the 
ability to assist the rest of the crew without specially-devised  methods, 
and as I may have mentioned, I am not compatible with EMPH 1.0 or EMHA  1.0 
protocols, so cannot use their medical instruments." At K'etrall's look of  
confusion, she explained, "The first is a Starfleet design, known as "Emergency 
 
Medical Personnel-Holographic", the latter is the Regellian version, known as 
an  
Emergency Medical Holographic Assistant." She chuckled then. "EMHAs tend to 
have  significantly better bedside manner and be reasonably pretty females to 
boot,  but their knowledge base is usually smaller, so they're usually, at 
best,  Physicians' Assistants, although that can change over time." She then 
commented  offhandedly, "I believe the EMPH is up to 2.0 by now, but I am still 
not 
 compatible with the protocol. Doctor Zimmerman is a fine researcher, but his 
 bedside manner is abrupt at best, and bedside manner can spell the 
difference  between a patient surviving and dying."


Chuckling along with Cialra,  K'etrall nodded her head in agreement. "The EMH 
most certainly lacks bedside  manner. Luckily, so far, we haven't had much 
use for it, what with Dr. Cazook  and Dr. Mahler. And as a last resort, Captain 
Skyler. I am sure once we get  everything in order, we can make whatever 
adaptations we need so that you may  actually assist the crew as you so desire. 
I 
am actually looking forward to this  project. It will be the most interesting 
thing I've done around here in some  time. In fact, forever, as far as I can 
remember." 

Cialra shook her  head. "What does it take for something to be interesting to 
Engineers, anyway?  For it to be a life-and-death disaster?" She chuckled. 
"Although this admittedly  isn't one. Just a hard puzzler of a problem to 
solve." 

"Anything that  makes one think or use their skills for something other than 
repairing warp  drives or replacing burned out ODN relays is interesting. Most 
of the stuff that  needs to be done is fairly routine. Something that this is 
not. Engineers are  not the most thought about people. They are expected to 
keep the ship running  without exception or gratitude. Sometimes, it is almost 
boring."

Cialra  sighed. "Same for we MIs, in all too many cases. You see, on smaller 
vessels,  the MI does Engineering, Security, and whatever miscellaneous chore 
needs doing  that isn't covered by the currently-assigned crew's skill set. So 
I totally  understand your complaint."

Sighing, K'etrall looked at Cialra. "Now you  are confusing me. First, you 
are an AI, now you say you are an MI. What is the  difference? AI, MI . . . 
what's next? PI?"

Cialra chuckled softly.  "Forgive me for confusing you. There are times, in 
my old age, that I get  confused as to which I truly am, but to answer your 
question, AI is "Artificial  Intelligence", and in the Regellian sense, is 
roughly an order of magnitude more  intelligent than a Starfleet core. MI is 
"Machine Intelligence", and is fully  sentient and self-aware. Considering the 
fact 
I've been self-aware for several  centuries by either scale, I believe that 
qualifies me as MI, no? And the step  above MI? It can't be reached by we 
sentient computers. It's called a Brain  Controller, or, more commonly, a 
shell-person, and is usually the result of an  infant who is extremely 
intelligent, but 
their body would forbid them ever  developing, or they have such profound birth 
defects in their body that they  cannot survive otherwise." She looked 
extremely sad. "In the early decades of  the B and B program, we lost perhaps a 
hundred for every one we managed to save.  Now the ratio is much better, but 
still 
not the desired 1:1 by any means." She  sighed. "Much as we'd love it to be. 
The problem is that sometimes, the brain is  also flawed, or the surgeries 
necessary to transform the living entity into the  shell-person simply don't 
work, for whatever reason, and the candidate dies. The  advantages of being a 
BC 
are numerous. They tend to live several thousand years,  and are, at least in 
theory, capable of paying-off at some time in their service  life. Some do, 
many don't, and it isn't because they are being coerced into not  doing so; the 
Council of Sentient Computers and the Eldaren Council in  particular both 
celebrate when a BC manages pay-off."

She explained,  "Anne McCaffery was very close in her descriptions, actually. 
BCs need a mobile  partner, who is actually referred to as a brawn, just as 
she predicted. The  difference is partially due to the fact that they are 
usually Regellians, and  Regellians need a bond-mate, typically. BCs can and 
normally do have more than  one during their lifespan, however."

Knowing she'd given the engineer  quite a lot to think on, and probably 
shocked the woman badly by the revelation  of what was higher than MI, Cialra 
simply stood easy, waiting the other's  response, almost certain it would be 
harsh 
denunciation of her people for the  practice.


Taking in all that she had been told, K'etrall just nodded.  She had seen 
more atrocities in her lifetime that hearing this was nothing new.  Each 
species 
had its own way of dealing with certain types of beings. She didn't  have to 
like it or approve of it, she just had to follow the prime directive,  which 
was harder at some times than others.

Looking at the AI, the  engineer simply stated, "Shall we get on with 
whatever it is we have to do to  get you a shell, so to speak." It wasn't going 
to be 
easy but it would be  interesting if nothing else.

Cialra nodded. "The sooner we retrieve the  material, the sooner we can 
effect the building of the devices."
 



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