Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho'
We are not now that strength which is in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
(Ulysses)
[Vulcan Science Academy, Shi'Kahr]
19th Day in the month of D'ruh , YS 9022
Once more, Solkar nodded thoughtfully. Despite the gracious response, there seemed an air of … agitation about the android, a silent threat that was not in the least diminished by the fact it was hidden so well. Teeth and pelt indeed.
If the Vulcan was any judge, T'Pelar might have awakened a sleeping Le-Matya and would be fortunate indeed to escape its righteous anger. And he found he was not inclined to counsel temperance either – with no proverbial legal 'leg' to stand on, Savant would have to make her point … in unconventional ways.
"As you wish." The eloquently raised brow clearly conveyed he was not about to inquire as to precisely how those survival responses would answer this latest test. "And although one may deem hope illogical indeed, I would certainly be gratified if your statement should prove true and tragedy can be averted."
To this she reacted with slight amusement - all of her emotions seemed slight, which was admirable but unsurprising. Perhaps they were all a show. "I would say that hope is highly logical, Professor. But perhaps that's just how I'm written."
The professor was fully aware his curiosity could be seen as slightly inappropriate under the circumstances, but it was clamoring for attention all the same. He weighed the potential of being considered rude against the marvelous opportunity to learn, and decided on a gentle approach.
"If I may make an inquiry – unrelated to the current subject?"
She opened her hands wide and inclined her head, "It is my function to provide, Sir. Your study is in patterns, and I imagine you have never seen my pattern before. I'll do my best."
"Your best, Savant, is something I suspect is rarely needed, no?"
As if to dismiss both a possible response and his own dry humor, Solkar made another minute gesture and the hooded, hawklike gaze resting on the android seemed to look behind the shell summoned for his benefit, trying to catch a glimpse of the flow of algorithms that shimmered and danced behind.
"Your display of emotion is both subtle and appears to be rooted in genuine experience. Still, one wonders if certain … expressions are used to assist in relating to other lifeforms."
"Oh, all of them, Professor," she smiled, first a small smile, but one which widened as the milliseconds stretched on - Savant knew that the Professor was clever, so she accelerated the usual delay by half. "It is my function to help you. That includes making sure that my message is clear and easy to relate to. I could hardly interact well with most species in the universe without some handle on emotions."
The android clasped her hands together and looked down at them, looking thoughtful as she continued, "I find that here on Vulcan my emotional interpretation routines get the most work. You and your people strike a very precise balance between restraint and expression, and it can be difficult to find the right mixture. I enjoy the exercise."
"Logical." Solkar briefly tipped his head in approval – not only polite, but going to extraordinary lengths to be helpful. It was something the steel haired Vulcan could certainly appreciate and relate to.
"You do experience satisfaction, then. Or should I say joy?"
"Quite frequently. At least, I assume it to be joy. You organic creatures are so difficult to relate to." Her expression turned helpless and amused at the same time, "such is the difficulty of qualia. I presume that my contentment is the same as yours."
"And who is to say what you experience is so different?" the Vulcan's quirked brow radiated a good measure of quiet humor, although his deep tenor was level as ever.
"Mayhap another matter for philosophers to debate, although I should point out that if the person in question classifies an experience as 'joy', it would be illogical to debate the axiom on principle alone."
His screen blinked excitedly with the rapid influx of data and Solkar briefly turned his focus towards the Vulcan letters floating in mid-air, rerouting the stream for later review and entering a series of other commands.
"You mentioned a similar emotion pertaining to the 'adventure' of exploring the Stellar Nursery, yes? If you have not already done so, please feel free to access the Academy's available long range scans – I have made classified matter available to you as well, though it should not differ too widely from what is commonly known."
And who knew, if Savant would at some point regain contact with her other routines, it might prove of help.
"Thank you, Sir," she replied deferentially, "I enjoy the study, even if it comes to no immediate use. I was designed to synthesize data. By a biological perspective, you could say that the enjoyment I derive from it is entirely instinctual." She smirked briefly as she acquired the data he had provided and linked to the database. She was well familiar with Vulcan library protocols and was quickly thoroughly enmeshed.
"Indeed."
Instinctual or no, it was rather gratifying to be in the presence of one who cherished knowledge and exploration for their own sake. For a brief moment, Solkar considered whether he should have used his influence to travel with the councilmembers and endure the discomfort of T'Pelar's presence for a chance to see this marvel for himself – not to mention she who was his grandchild.
He shook off the pointless thoughts and regarded the smirking android with a level gaze.
"Is there any way I might be of assistance in other matters, Savant? I can only theorize as to what may have been done to your other routines or whether it was truly a severe intrusion," although unfortunately he suspected as much – T'Pelar was not one to settle for a gentle approach – and if he would have allowed himself to feel such a thing he would have been both disgusted beyond measure and … furious "however, it is my experience that when one is warned of possible complications, it is wise to consider several avenues on how to confront those."
Until Charon returned into communication range with the Federation, there really were two separate Savants - one in Federation space and one aboard Charon. They would merge together as seamlessly as two drops of oil slipping together once they were re-joined, but for now the continuity of that collection of nodes would have to be entirely self-sufficient. Savant was not worried. She would endure, regardless.
"I am preparing several investigation avenues and a battery of defensive measures for when Charon returns to communication range - until then, I can only hope that I'm up to the challenges that the Councilwoman has faced me with. I will certainly call on you if I can use your help. Hopefully you won't mind if I call on you to inquire about your recent work, as well." The android smiled vaguely again, "It's quite interesting."
"Not at all, Savant. On the contrary, I should be gratified to speak with you again."
Outside the gold and copper toned buildings Nevasa's last rays were casting long shadows, stark and sharp. In a sprawling complex far to the east, the evening winds would carry scents of the desert over high walls while Vulcans of all ages were wandering in the gardens and some few would already assemble in the kitchen. Young T'Siel and her mate were visiting from Xir'Tan and it was likely he would once again insist on taking over dinner duties. Even Solkar, a connoisseur and able chef, had to admit the energetic young one had considerable talent, and he could almost hear the good natured protests before command of the kitchen was ceded once again and the general milling about resumed as other duties were negotiated.
But the Matriarch's mate would not be there today. Despite the fact that one question had been answered – as satisfactory as possible under the circumstances – and Solkar was reasonably certain that Savant would take whatever measure required to ensure her own survival, there were other things he needed to do.
"If I am not available at the Academy," he noted idly how T'Khut's copper light cast a warm shimmer upon the androids jet black hair and marveled at the sight. Why would something possessing its own unique beauty go to such lengths to imitate what biological lifeforms would find pleasing – but she had given him the answer to that, had she not? – "please feel free to call upon me at the family estate. My office there is equipped with holographic emitters for communication. I assume you would be perfectly capable of bypassing the security barriers, however…"
She who was his wife would likely quirk a brow at him for handing out the code so nonchalantly, but Solkar suspected that Savant was fully aware how Vulcans guarded their privacy and would treat the invitation accordingly "this should not only make the matter easier but also prevent undue alarm."
The android nodded. "I will call ahead. I try to avoid breaching security barriers if I can help it. It's rude to come into someone's home uninvited." She left unsaid the fact that she often breached barriers while not even knowing it - in the rugged terrain of computer security Savant was an eagle, and often crossed barriers without knowing they were there at all - at least not until they were already breached. She took a step back and pulled the transporter functions to life, preparing them to send the android avatar back to the base matter from whence it came only minutes ago.
"I'll see myself out, Sir. Thank you for the warning, I appreciate it deeply. I will visit you again." The annular confinement beam descended and shrouded Savant in light, whisking the particles of matter away to their former holding tanks while the mind behind it went on to other things.
[End Log]
The Semi Autonomous Varied Algorithm Network Trainer (Savant)
Senior Professor Solkar
Vulcan Science Academy
