The Burden of Command

I remember when he first reported to me as part of his check in procedures

"Senior Spacer Snowden, reporting as ordered, Ma'am."

My first impression was that he lied about his age to join up, he didn't look any older than sixteen. My second impression was that he was painfully shy; he refused to look me in the eye instead looking mostly at my deck plates. In an effort to ease some of his nervousness, I decided to bring up something I had read in his personnel file. "I see from your file, Senior Spacer, that you play Fairy Chess. Are you any good?

"Some people think I am, Ma'am."

"I'm afraid it's not a very popular game here aboard me. Go is more popular. As a matter of fact I only know one other person who plays." I tried to give him my best smile. "The two of us will have to play a game sometime."

"Err, yes, Ma'am. Whenever you want, Ma'am."

I wondered what was so fascinating about my deck plates, as he insisted at looking at them rather than me. I decided to get the interview over with before he melted into a puddle on my deck.

"Our command structure is different from what you are undoubtedly used to, Spacer Snowden. With the exception of Captain Hunt and myself, all the senior officers are civilians. Nonetheless, you will obey their orders as if they were regular High Guard officers. You have been assigned to my weapons department. Your department head is Tyr Anasazi. He is hard but fair, and he will expect you to put forth a 110% effort. That is all, you are dismissed."

I put him out of my mind as I got ready for my meeting with another new crew member. I didn't think of him again until a few weeks later, when I saw him on the forward recreation area with a fairy chessboard in hand.

"Is that offer for a game still open, Senior Spacer?" I asked.

"Err, uhh, yes, Ma'am, if you would like."

I set down at a table and we placed the game board between us. I am not fond of many board strategy games, and rarely play them with my crew. I can very quickly calculate the optimum move in virtually any situation, and it is simply too easy to win unless I dumb myself down, which I don't like to do. Fairy chess is different, the game board's computer controls the identity of the fairy pieces, and the identities can change at random or be forced by the player. The random element makes the game more challenging, since I can't calculate the optimum move for every situation. The randomness also makes it very challenging for organic players, and as a result there are very few players of this game, and even fewer good ones. Snowden was not only good, he was very good. An hour later we were finished. I had beaten him but it had not been an easy task.

"You're very good, Senior Spacer," I told him when were finished.

"Not good enough though," he said. He gave me a rather embarrassed look and then added, "Ma'am, can I ask for a rematch next week? I don't find many people who are willing to play a game with me."

At the time it seemed a harmless enough request. "If our duty schedules permit, yes." I wish now that I had said no.


"It's your move, William." I hadn't intended to call him by his first name it just slipped out.

"What did you say?"

It had been four months since our first game, and the rematch had turned into a regular routine. I was enjoying the games, and I was enjoying the young man's company. He was still awkward around me, but at least now he was looking me in the eye when he spoke to me, and had stopped blushing whenever I spoke to him. During that time I had been following his progress on the ship. It was really quite impressive, even Tyr had mentioned it in one of our senior staff meetings.

He had also developed something of a reputation among the crew. When we were on shore leave on Kasamir he had instigated a riot between my weapons department and some crewmen from Odin's Spear. One of the Odin's crewmen had called me a whore and Dylan a castrato, and Snowden had started swinging. As the ship's avatar I was responsible for investigating the incident, and determining if the case warranted the Captain holding a disciplinary hearing. Though I felt badly about it, I was forced to conclude that the hearing was necessary. My feelings should have been a warning, but I ignored them

"I said it was your move."

He was distracted after that and lost quickly. He appeared to have something on his mind.

I found out what that something was at our next game. There, on the table alongside the game board, was a single rose and a sealed envelope. Not a flexie but an old-fashioned paper envelope. Inside the envelope was a hand written note. The note said:

'Senior Spacer William Snowden requests the privilege of escorting Warrant Officer Andromeda Ascendant to the Empress's Ascension Ball'

The Empress' Ascension Ball is one of the two formal affairs that the entire High Guard celebrates, the other being the Lancer's Ball. No matter the size of the installation, from the largest planetary base to the smallest patrol craft, we celebrate the ascension of Empress Sucharitkul XII to the Vedran throne and the creation of the Lancer Corps. Most civilians don't understand why the High Guard still celebrates the Empress's Ascension. Tarn-Vedra is gone and the Empress has been dead for over 300 years. We know that of course, we celebrate it because it makes us who we are. It's our traditions that bind us together as High Guard, and not simply a group of hired mercenaries. It's our traditions that remind us of what the High Guard is, what we were, and what we stand for. It's our traditions that bring us together in times of grief; in times of joy, and help us stand together when it is time to die.

"William, I don't know what to say. This is totally unexpected." In truth I didn't know what to say. A ship's artificial intelligence is born an adult, we have theoretical knowledge, but no experience when it comes with dealing with certain types of situations. An organic woman of my apparent physiological age would have had many dates, but while I had had more than one 'girls night out', and had spent social evenings with both Dylan and Harper, I had never been asked out on a date. I took a millisecond to consult with my other selves.

"Are you out of your mind?" asked my core A.I.

"It's definitely against protocol," added my holographic self.

"No, and no it's not against protocol," I defended myself. "Protocol is quite clear that an AI can not have a relationship with his or her commanding officer while functioning in the capacity of ship's command and control entity, but Snowden is not our commanding officer. It also states that the ships AI, that's us in case you haven't noticed, should attend all official shipboard functions, and that one of the duties of the AI's avatar is to socialize with the crew."

"Socialize with, yes," said my holo self, 'but that doesn't mean go on a date with."

"Would you be happier if I went in the company of our commanding officer?" I asked.

"Frankly, yes," answered my core self.

"You know he's not going to ask me, us. He's never shown any interest in us other than as friend and shipmate. But maybe if he sees me on the arm of someone else, he'll start paying some interest. Besides, it's not as if this is a real date. I have to be there anyway. I'm just going someplace I have to be with someone who is going to be there anyway."

I broke connection with my cyber selves and turned my attention back to William. "I'd love to, William"

The ball should have been a happy memorable event for me, my first real date. It was memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.

When I entered the obs deck on William's arm conversation stopped. The looks the Sergeant Major and Dylan gave us could have frozen water. Harper simply turned his back to me, and even Trance was looking disapproving. The only officer who wasn't giving me disapproving looks was Tyr, and that was because he had not yet arrived.

"I tried to warn you," said my Core self. There was sympathy in her voice.

After a moment the conversations resumed, but the subject had changed. My date and I were now the subject of the talk. William couldn't hear the comments, but I could.

"Now we know why he only got a slap on the wrist at his disciplinary hearing. "

"Well he doesn't have anything to worry about at the next promotion cycle."

"I thought she was the Captain's lady, maybe the Old Man is ball-less wonder after all."

When William went to the punch bowl to get us both glasses of punch, he had to shoulder his way past several of my Lancers. My attention was diverted from my date when I heard the sound of breaking glass. I turned in the direction of the sound. Harper was holding a broken glass in his hand; blood was seeping from between his fingers.

We stayed for less than an hour and the gossip never ceased. My attempts to make conversation with Dylan were met with cold formality. Eventually it was more than I could bear; I told William that I wanted to leave, and he escorted me to my quarters.

We stopped at the entrance to my quarters, and he took my hands in his. "At least we gave them something to talk about for a while,'" he said.

"Perhaps but… I'm sorry, but I don't think we should give them any more to gossip about." I could tell from the look in his eyes he knew what I meant.

There was a hurt tone in his voice. "Yeah, well I have the morning watch, so I had better leave and get some sleep." He didn't try to kiss me goodnight.

When I entered my quarters my holographic self was waiting for me.

"I have messages from Tyr and Dylan for you," she said. "Tyr says 'If you wish to continue to steal from the cradle, confine your predations to a department other than my own. Poor morale is not conducive to survival, and I have enough to do without concerning myself with the damage you are doing to my department.' "

"And Dylan?"

"Just three words,' Knock it off.'"