[Ready Room]
There were many common threads between commanding a ship in the
Federation and one in the Star Empire- in front of her was one of them.
Paperwork. She sifted through the PADDs randomly penning her digital
signature to them. Most of the paperwork she relegated to her army of
yeoman- but many things could not simply be tossed away. It was a
cumbersome chore but one that needed to be done.
She stopped and looked at the PADD in her hands- her eyes narrowed and
she licked her lips attempting to recall some of her brief training.
Perplexed she set the PADD down "Computer- what is the current Starfleet
regulation regarding transport of civilian science personnel in regards
to authority."
Shiarrael looked up as the Computer didn't respond as it normally did.
The machine activated on its own, bringing up the hum of an engaging
hologram, accompanied with a shower of white sparkles. A tall human
woman floated at the door, with black hair that was far longer than
regulation length and clearly paid only minimal respects to the law of
gravity.
She smiled a wan Mona Lisa smile and clasped her hands together,
reciting, "United Federation of Planets Merchant Marine and Starfleet
Regulations, section 25, subsection 413B: Special Operations with
Combined Civilian Arms, Behavior Aboard Starfleet Vessels. Civilians
shall obey all posted regulations and follow all instructions given by
any Officer in Good Standing. Furthermore, all Civilians shall follow
the instructions of any crewmember if those instructions are of an
instructive or safety-related nature. At no time is a Civilian to take
an action which may jeopardize the safety of the Ship or its Crew." Her
smile broadened a little wider as she added, "Captain."
"Ah..." Shiarrael studied the hologram "SAVANT I presume?" She pushed
the PADD out of her way and laced her fingers together across the desk
"interesting- I have been briefed about you, although operations is
having a hard time dissecting your programming." She tilted her head at
the holographic avatar "is there more to you than simply being a walking
encyclopedia?"
Savant maintained her enigmatic smile, at ease, while her registers
redoubled in annoyance. Yes, they were trying to pick her apart, and no,
it wasn't appreciated. That the Captain seemed so nonchalant about it
was worrisome. The program loaded its memetic engineering software and
went to work on altering that particular memeplex.
"I am what you need me to be, Captain," she took a half step forward and
held her hands open, a hologram of Charon floating above her palm. "If
you require an encyclopedia, I am that. A ship liaison, an interpreter,
a pattern analyst, an information database and collation agent. These
are all part of my function."
She lifted her hand upwards - the tiny Charon rose with it, and as it
rose a cluster of other starships, stations, moons and planets apepared,
connected together by a delicate webbing of light with Charon in the
middle. "I have a broad network to draw upon and can put a large
collection of resources at your disposal should needs require them."
Savant closed her hand to a fist, and the display disappeared in a tiny
puff of colorful fireworks. "I've operated in the capacity of a marine,
an engineer, medical doctor, councilor, cross-field scientist,
operations manager, logistics flag officer, intelligence resource,
yeoman, and ship's captain. So," She smiled generously, tiny wrinkles
appearing around her eyes, "I suppose you might say that I'm a touch
more than a walking encyclopedia."
"Colorful." Shiarrael studied the avatar unimpressed by the images and
holographic magic. She gently pressed her finger against the desk
control for the screen which gracefully rose from within the desk and
unfolded. "I am glad you have come here to see me though," she tapped
the screen and it illuminated showing a two dimensional chart "I hear
your programming is quickly being absorbed into the Charon's computer
network- however, I would like a personal guarantee." Her eyes lifted
and stared past the left edge of the screen at SAVANT- she didn't want
to openly admit it but the program scared her, just as much as ALICE did.
Savant maintained her pleasant and meek demeanor, clasping her hands
back together as the Captain spoke. What chemical markers and body
temperature mapping made apparent, Savant did not advertise. Shiarrael
had pride and was entitled to it. "I can only provide as much guarantee
as any other sentient, Captain; I can't foresee the future. I think that
my record with Starfleet speaks for itself, however." Savant had a very
good record from all of the ships and stations on which she had served,
and carried with her a portfolio of a great number of recommendations.
"You have my word that I will do everything in my power to ensure that
Charon is kept safe and well, and that her missions are carried out in
an efficient and timely fashion."
"I am not a Starfleet Captain." Shiarrael replied folding her hands
across the desk "I am sure you are aware of my history" for such an
evasive program it would be impossible to not be familiar with the crew
records, she thought as she stared at SAVANT "arhem u-rihannsu leih
plaeh. This skin is uncomfortable" she tugged on her uniform "but I do
my best. I want to know that you will be loyal to me. That you're life
is mine. Do you have a soul Captain?"
"I can answer that as definitively as anyone else, Ma'am. I believe I
have the same claim on life as any organic." Savant's tone was serious,
but not grave; she spoke plainly. "My loyalties are to those I respect
and love. I can tell you that you have my loyalty, if you prefer, but
you know as well as I that loyalty is earned. Such a thing can't be
rushed."
She bowed her head forward slightly and looked up towards the Captain in
supplication, "That said, your record shows that you have an honourable
history, and given such a record, I can see no reason to withhold my
loyalty. Pro bono, if you like."
"Honorable?" Shiarrael smirked "by my people's standards perhaps" and
even then it depended on who you asked. She looked amused by the
prospect however, "I find it hard to believe- even with your complexity
that you can comprehend mnhei'sahe. It still eludes some of the most
talented linguist and xenobiologists in the Federation that have spent
many years studying my people. The only thing they can say is that it
resembles something called bushido- but even then they find it difficult
to adequately define."
Savant shrugged pleasantly, inwardly bristling with aggravation.
Organics the universe over loved to tell her how she just 'couldn't
possibly comprehend' the fineries of whatever petty,
neurochemical-induced concept they were wedded to. She of course did not
reply in that fashion. She chose only the most polite and proper
interface moderator for her reply. "Honour is the falling cherry blossom."
"Sometimes." Shiarrael replied. Her eyes set on SAVANT. The serene
creature was unnerving with that overly projected and unwavering
delightful demeanor. It was unnatural but SAVANT was unnatural. "Yet, it
is meaningless here" there was a tinge of sadness in her voice. Even
though adhering to the complexities of mnhei'sahe had become an archaic
form of art on her homeworld- and a burden on those who still followed
its principles she still found it a haven from the often harsh and
brutal universe. It was also the perfect excuse for unabashed savageness
that would make even the most heartened Klingon blanch. She smiled
softly and corrected herself "well, mostly meaningless."
Savant smiled as well, a mirror of the Captain's nostalgia. At least,
the hologram did. It made a very useful puppet. "Such is life. I think
it's important to keep the proper intentions, even if the consequences
aren't what you'd like." Savant understood honour better than most, she
thought - she understood it in the hundreds of various forms that it
took throughout the known galaxy. She knew the taste of its offshoots,
and knew the evolutionary fundament upon which it rested. It was all,
frankly, a little silly, and rather simple. In general, "honour" was the
application of universality to evolutionary tendencies. She could see
why that would make it such a recurring theme in organic interactions,
though.
The hologram maintained it's placidity, barely a moment having passed.
"Are there any guidelines or regulations by which I should conduct my
function on board, Captain?"
Lost in the conversation it had been so easy to forget that SAVANT
simply invited itself into the ready room. The implications were
disconcerting but Shiarrael decided to overlook it for the moment.
SAVANT was a useful tool but a dangerous one. "No, that is all SAVANT-
you may return to…" she paused wondering where it was that the program
simply 'returned' to. After a moment Shiarrael smiled a bit bemused "you
may return to your duties."
"Yes, Ma'am," The hologram nodded congenially and disappeared as was
requested, back to who-knew-where. Her voice lingered only a moment
longer, long enough to finish with, "Please don't hesitate to call if
you need any assistance." Savant doubted that she would in fact call for
help, though. In some ways she liked that. The game of guessiing the
Captain's needs was far more interesting, after all.
Captain Shiarrael Rehu
Commanding Officer, USS Charon
and
Savant
