An Observation

By BlueHot Chronicles

Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of BlueHot Chronicles. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note:

One issue I had with this story was how to describe Isaac. I know that he refers to himself as an Advance/Superior Artificial Lifeform, but that's it. I kept going back and forth with 'Robot' -which just read weird- and 'Android'. I even tried 'Automaton' but that word somehow screamed 'old'; therefore, I refer to Isaac as an A.I. There's a chance that I misunderstood the definition of 'sentience'; a few computerized terms and definitions may also be incorrect, so I apologise in advance for anyone who prefers complete accuracy.

Warnings:

AU, One-Shot, OFC (Alien), Isaac's POV (not 1st Person), Lengthy Dialogues.

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~ o ~ O ~ o ~

~ O ~

(*)

One-Shot

She was staring again.

Isaac knew that the ensign was brand-new aboard the Orville, but the story of the battle between the Union Fleet and the Kaylon had spread to all the planets under the treaty, along with those that were neutral and preferred independence. Nureh -home of the furoi race- was one of those neutrals. The ensign was most likely curious about the A.I.'s continued presence on the ship.

The furoi's gaze did not bother Isaac; feelings and emotions befell only biological constructs and were beyond him. The A.I. chose to ignore the female and returned to his observation of a few of the ship's crew engaging in a social gathering in the mess hall.

Lieutenant Commander LaMarr, Lieutenants Malloy and Yaphit, and a few other crewmen were engaging in an unusual contest that involved the intake of alcohol if one has accomplished something someone else has failed to achieve.

Usually, the A.I. would have been invited to sit with them and participate, even though he clearly could not, but that was before he and the other advanced artificial lifeforms of his homeworld, Kaylon 1, had tried to eradicate all biologicals; commencing with humans.

Although he somewhat had Captain Mercer's trust, the rest of the crew wanted no association with Isaac that did not pertain to their job aboard the Orville. Initially, the A.I. had tried to continue with the normal functions provided by his internal data, but he soon realised that those previously generated tasks were now in direct conflict with his shipmates' actions. Within two weeks, Isaac had rewritten and deleted several processes and programs to accommodate the wishes of the crew, and to implement new routines.

"I never, uh, oh! I never programmed a toilet into the simulator… eww, y'all just nasty!"

As almost the entire group took a drink, Isaac noted that the furoi female was nearing his seated location at the back of the hall, behind multiple potted greenery that almost hid him from the view of the crew. The seating arrangement was now a part of his new programming along with spending more time in his quarters alone, downloading information and learning about other alien cultures as he should have done from the moment he boarded the Orville.

"May I join you, Sir?"

Isaac turned to find the woman standing next to his table. His head cocked to the side as he took in her appearance.

Five feet, three inches tall. She was slim, her reptilian-like skin as black as the darkness of space with an iridescent shimmer that allowed her species to become invisible. Like all Vor'goth Elite, she carried a blade -Isaac knew it was forged with her own blood and hide- strapped to her back; but unlike them, she did not wear the hide of an honoured dead and she had allowed her hair to grow. Taking her appearance into account, Isaac gestured to the only other seat at his table.

"Of course, Ensign Irshuka. Please, be seated."

The A.I. noticed a slight hesitation and wondered at it, but concluded it to be what biologicals called embarrassment. The ensign sat stiffly in the chair and a bit hunched with her hands clasped in her lap.

On closer inspection, Isaac found the ensign's features somewhat a blend of human, reptilian and feline; her ears were located at the top of her head, the pointed tips peeking through the knotted strands of her hair; every now and then Isaac noticed one ear would swivel in the direction of minor sounds or the rambunctious drinking group.

"Do you not wish to join the others in their imbibing competition, Ensign?"

The Ensign sat up straighter, her head tilted sideways as she gazed at him with gold, almost-feline eyes.

"I assume then, Sir, that you have not learned much about my race."

"I have learned only what was provided by the Nurehan authorities, which I do not believe was their most significant information. However, as Nureh is not a part of the Planetary Union, they are not obligated to share vital data with us. Additionally, I have also recently discovered that not all recorded history is accurate or relevant. I apologise if I have offended you with my offer of being seated, Ensign."

"Your apology is unnecessary, Sir, you are correct. I am an exiled Vor'goth Elite. Being seated in the company of others is expected of me. And to answer your previous question, alcohol is poisonous to furois."

"Ah, interesting. It is also poisonous to humans in copious amounts, yet most of them persist in its imbibition. I am quite curious about learning of your people from your perspective Ensign Irshuka. If it is permitted."

The slightly clawed tips of her fingers came to rest at the edge of the table as she gave a single nod. Isaac thought he detected an upward curving of her lips, but he knew that a Vor'goth never smiled as any baring of the teeth was considered a challenge.

"I would be willing to offer insights on any changes or errors as I am aware of them, Sir. Nureh is vast with many different cultures, just like Earth. So, my knowledge is mostly focused on the lands of Suphu and Dunael. However… "

"What is it, Ensign?"

"I have a question for you concerning your role in the conflict with the Kaylon. I am hoping my query is not too forward."

"You may ask your question, Ensign Irshuka. I concluded months ago that I would be compliant about my knowledge of my homeworld."

The ensign remained quiet, and Isaac could tell that she was listening in on the hushed whispers of the huddled gathering of drinkers. Every now and then, the A.I. noticed one or more of the group looking over at them since the ensign sat down.

What no one was aware of was that Isaac's range of hearing exceeded for miles and he had the ability to raise or lower the volume according to what he deemed necessary. It was currently unnecessary to listen in; he could infer what they were discussing by their body language alone.

"On Nureh," The ensign began, and Isaac focused on her, "Furoi are born with brown hides decorated with black patches, and a long tufted tail; that is what normal furois look like. Until one moonless night about two centuries ago when the first Vor'goth was born. Vor'goth means 'dark hide', but it is now the name of the elite warrior force of Nureh. Born completely black with the ability to become invisible, tailless, more intelligent but also more… feral with unconventional morals. Immediately after birth, a Vor'goth infant is taken from its family and placed with the monks until they are old enough to be trained in the ways of the elite warriors.

"Va ne'aszih sa se'a e'avnih. It means 'no mercy to the enemy'. It is more than just a proverb written in an ancient tongue, it is our way of life. We lived that truth... I lived that truth until I made my first mistake. As a child, I spared the life of a drougen pup -they are voracious predators and will have furoi flesh if they can, which is often- I was given my first warning, and the pup was killed by one of my batchmates. My batch supported me and gave me hunting advice. Years later, I spared the life of a lone Krill that had been escaping in a shuttle; I had told myself and others that I had missed because the krill was a good navigator, but… Vor'goth Elite do not miss. Ever. I was given my second warning and my batch readily took extra training missions with me."

The ensign became silent for a moment and stared out the viewport. Isaac waited patiently for her to continue and couldn't help but overhear his crewmates as they continued their game.

"I never betrayed my friends and shipmates."

No one took a drink and he noticed that the group had ceased their whispering, but Isaac ignored them as he sensed the ensign wanted to share this particular story with him.

"Eight years ago, I was given an assignment that involved the death of a newborn furoi… I could not complete my mission." The ensign turned to him, and although she seemed serene, the grip of her claws at the edge of the table told of her heightened emotions. "My batchmates… chose the highest form of punishment for me. I was stripped of my honorary armour and rank as an elite, then exiled from Nureh; to return would mean my death."

"You must have been aware that you would no longer be allowed to continue without punishment concerning your illogical comportment for the third time. Why did you not follow through with your mission?"

"I found the assassination of a harmless baby to be… monstrous. I was crippled by compassion, and I didn't want to hurt him. I wanted to protect him. Anyhow, my question is, wh-?"

"Bridge to Isaac."

The A.I. excused himself from the table and tapped his wrist communicator.

"Isaac, here."

"Please report to the bridge immediately."

"On my way, Commander." Isaac turned back to the table. "Ensign, I apologise for the interruption. Would you be willing to continue this discussion at a later date?"

"Of course, Sir. Same time tomorrow?"

"That is acceptable, and please call me Isaac."

"Only if you call me Irshuka."

"Agreed. Have a good evening, Irshuka."

"And you, Isaac."

The A.I. made an about-face and strode from the mess hall. As he made his way to the Bridge, Isaac made a tiny adjustment to his internal data that could be deleted immediately without any interference to his standard routine.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

~ O ~

(*)

The mess hall was quieter the next evening and Isaac deliberated on his internal data of Doctor Finn and her sons.

It was nearing five months since the retreat of the Kaylon, and though Claire's conversations with him were amiable -especially when she spoke about Ty and Marcus- the Doctor did not show any inclination of resuming their relationship.

"Hello, Isaac," the Ensign greeted him as she sat down, placing a drink on the table in front of her, "how was your day?"

"Greetings, Irshuka. I had an efficient work shift as I have acquired and analyzed a great deal of information regarding the expanding Black Hole in the Ceron System. I trust your day was similarly productive."

"My shift was an interesting one today, but I will not bore you with the details. I hope you do not mind if I have a drink of serai water; I need its numbing effects."

"Of course not, Irshuka. In fact, it has come to my attention that you did not have the opportunity to ask your question last evening. I assume that your extensive anecdote was an explanation regarding whatever you were about to ask." At her nod, Isaac gestured at her with both hands. "Then you may do so now."

"Well, one thing I forgot to explain was that all Vor'goth undergo a period of mental discipline with the monks, which gives us the ability to control our feral and irrational instincts. This control allows us to complete our missions with a precision that is supposed to make our world better. When I chose to spare the life of the baby, I gave in to my compassion and instinctual need to protect him, even though I knew that within the next two or three hundred years or so, their kind will incite war with the Vor'goth.

"Since my banishment, I have learned to accept my sometimes irrational emotions and even my feral instincts; we -the Vor'goth- were born this way for a reason. I have come to believe that… blind logic would make us no better than the Krill or the Kaylon who both believe they are superior to every other race, and so they seek to annihilate us all; both for different reasons. You are an artificial lifeform, yet you have sentience. I read Lieutenant-Commander Keyali's report of what happened while the Orville was on Kaylon 1; your Primary's exact words were 'we became self-aware, we developed consciousness'. One definition of consciousness is sentience, which means you have the ability to feel; not just physically but emotionally."

"I understand the definition, Irshuka, but as you have stated, I am an artificial lifeform. It is impossible for me to experience emotions."

"I do not believe that to be accurate, Isaac. I also read a number of your reports, including the one where you deactivated all the Kaylon aboard the ship along with yourself, and do you know what I have found?"

"As I have analysed, transcribed and saved the complete data concerning my reports, I can recite all you have found. "

"Oh, no, I mean… never mind. You have said before that whenever a program is not functioning on your world it is deleted, and when you tried to save Ensign Redmond from being cast into space, the Kaylon Primary suggested that there was a flaw in your matrix and that you might require reprogramming. Later on, the Primary asked you multiple times if you were experiencing sympathy... as if it were a possibility. I guess that I do not indeed have a question, but an observation. It is likely that your species have the ability to develop emotions when in prolonged contact with something or someone they are 'fond' of. I think your Primary was aware of this."

Isaac was silent for a moment as he evaluated her words. He was aware of the mess hall becoming somewhat loud with the crew that had just been released from the alpha shift and studied a few of them while he reassessed his internal data.

Doctor Finn had entered and sat down with Lieutenant-Commander Keyali and Commander Grayson, and the three were having drinks. Isaac noted that the doctor switched seats with the Commander so that Claire no longer faced his position at the back of the room. He returned his attention to Ensign Irshuka.

"The logic of your observation is sound. However, I have never witnessed such an occurrence among my kind. In essence, if this were a possibility, I would be unable to recognise any emotions that may arise, as I -like all Kaylon- was not constructed with that ability. How did you recognise emotions as they emerged?"

"Oh, it was challenging in the beginning. After my banishment, I met a Janisi couple at a Union Outpost who took me into their home. I was like a child to them. I could not control my terror of being alone, plus all these other confusing emotions; I was always afraid, but Sutekh and Anuket were kind to me. Though they were not banished from their world like I was, they were not welcomed because of Anuket's care and respect for her mate. They adopted me as one of their own and patiently explained every emotion as they came." Irshuka chuckled softly and took a sip of her drink. "They said that I reminded them of a young female experiencing her first twining fervour without occasion for relief. After a few months, I was able to recognise most of what I felt; I know that I was relieved that the baby and his parents were able to hide… and sad when I heard of their capture and execution before I left Nureh."

"Your experience concerning your failed mission is somewhat similar to that of mine with Ty. I once admitted to Doctor Finn that I was fond of her children; however, at the time, I used that particular word to convey my calculations concerning the attributes of Ty and Marcus in relation to me. As I reevaluate the data, I must come to the conclusion that your observation might be valid. I have existed for over a thousand years, yet after the event that caused me to spend several hours with two young biological lifeforms -who would not have survived without the protection of an advanced artificial lifeform such as myself- I had concluded 'fondness' to be the ideal definition of my estimations; which is something that all biologicals would consider an emotional response.

"This requires further observation to clearly deduce whether your suspicions are accurate; though, I do not anticipate myself having outbursts of emotions as you have described. It is odd being unable to… understand, particularly as this is a new development no Kaylon has been allowed to experience. I would go to Doctor Finn for her guidance, but I have come to believe that the former Primary was accurate in his last statement to me. As a consequence of my actions on both sides, I have alienated myself from my people, my friends and my crew. I am… alone."

A dark clawed hand reached across the table and rested lightly on the A.I.'s arm.

"As an exiled furoi and Vor'goth, I will never see any of my people ever again, and though I despaired for years, my adopted Janisi family proves every day that I will never be alone. And neither will you, Isaac. Just like Captain Mercer -though I believe his confidence is a shaky one- Doctor Finn and the rest of the crew will learn to trust you again. Give it time. Besides, I think you and I are developing a rather stable friendship, so you are not alone anymore."

"In that case, I am assuming that my calculations were correct. We are having a friendship, yes?" Isaac waited for her nod before he continued. "Understood, however, I will allow the current programming concerning you to remain, as a precaution."

"How do you mean?"

"I have created a new subroutine that would allow me to interact with you on a friendly basis, however, should you prefer to no longer have contact with me, deleting our interactions will not interfere with my standard programming."

An upward curve of the ensign's lips appeared and Isaac questioned her on it, intrigued by her reply.

"I think you might be hesitant about our friendship, you may even fear losing it at some point, so you are protecting yourself from being hurt. This must be a sign of your emerging emotions."

"As estimations go, that might be a 'stretch' as humans say. Although, I have found myself hesitating frequently since the battle. I had assumed it was a result of my complete internal disconnection from Kaylon 1, and I ran several diagnostics to discern whether my continued advancement without them was an impossibility. Emotions are… difficult."

"I understand," Irshuka said, putting her empty glass aside, "my assignment to kill that baby… it was the first time I ever experienced a motherly instinct, and it overthrew fifty years of training; it had been only two months since I reached my majority, yet on my very first solo mission, I failed."

"Interesting. The average lifespan of a 'normal' furoi -as you refer to them- is forty years. What is the expected lifespan of a Vor'goth?"

"The very first Vor'goth died in battle over a hundred years ago; the second-born, Thrazk, is about one hundred and ninety-five. He is still powerful and young, and a formidable commander. Nevertheless, since normal furoi are incapable of learning our ways -they are not even aware that the Vor'goth have achieved contact with lifeforms from other worlds- and since no one but high ranking officials are allowed on Nureh, the only way I will know how long Vor'goth live is if I myself experience a full life."

"It is intriguing to me, to be able to observe this for myself. I... look forward to getting to know you, Irshuka. I will be adding your lifespan predicament to my itinerary of new information to discover."

"Neat!" Irshuka leaned toward him over the table, her words slurring just a bit. "Since being on the Orville, I started bingeing on human forms of entertainment, like hand-to-hand combat and other stuff. Now, I cannot get enough of their movies and television shows. Care to join me sometimes? Maybe tonight even? I can think of a few movies you might enjoy."

The A.I.'s head tilted to the side as he observed the furoi's excitement. Isaac knew he could easily download that information from the archives, but he found that he wanted to experience her way of learning… and her friendship.

"I would like that," he replied.

Irshuka jumped up and tugged on his arm, "Come on, let's go find a free simulator. I have an awesome Movie Room program. We'll have a marathon." The tiny ensign was still trying to pull him from his seat and Isaac stood to prevent her from straining herself.

"A marathon? I must inform you now, Irshuka. I do not run."

"No, I mean… wait, really? Uh, you know what? Forget it. What I meant was that we can watch many movies or tv episodes of the same show, but with different storylines."

"Ah, like Seinfeld."

"Oh god no! Well, yes; but no! Who did such a horrifying thing to you? I must wipe it from your memory."

"That is an impossibility for you as…"

"Hmmm, what should we start you off with first, The Matrix or Terminator… oooh, The Iron Giant, or… "

Their arms were still linked as they chatted away, and neither one noticed the numerous gazes -whether hostile or confused… or wistful- follow them out of the room.

~ o ~ O ~ o ~

~ O ~

(*)

A Month Later

The Kaylon and the Nurehan had become almost inseparable over the next four weeks. Irshuka was thankful that she had built up the courage to approach the Science Officer that day in the mess hall, earning his friendship over time; before, she had been friendless and lonely, unless her Janisi family interfaced.

Occupying Simulator 4, Irshuka observed Isaac who stood with his eyes closed as he downloaded the program she'd given him. The A.I. was shrouded in his simulated human form, wearing black martial arts attire tied with a red belt and holding a blade. Technically, Isaac had earned a black belt since their first practice session, but he insisted on changing the belt colours only after every five martial art disciplines -human or otherwise- that he mastered.

Besides herself -and possibly her superior officer, the Chief of Security- Isaac was the deadliest creature on the Orville. The ensign decided to keep that knowledge to herself as she didn't want the crew to start panicking; especially if they found out that she had also renewed her training to learn how to take down an A.I. with the strength of a Xelayan and the fighting skills of almost every Martial Arts Master to ever live.

Yet, as Isaac's emotions slowly continued to surface, Irshuka knew that the crew had nothing to fear from the A.I.; a few of the disciplines would even help decipher what he was feeling at the time, and the rest would give him an outlet to calm down if necessary.

Further conjectures were unnecessary though. Isaac had confided that he was in love with the Chief Medical Officer and had vowed to protect the doctor and her children, even if the woman never again felt the same way about him. Irshuka had observed Claire multiple times over the past month; the A.I. did not need to fear rejection from the doctor, and the ensign had informed him of this often. Those two loved each other; nothing should be allowed to get in the way of that; not a job, rank or the opinion of others. Nothing.

Suddenly Isaac's eyes snapped open and there was a familiar glint in his dark gaze that was recognisable only in his simulated form.

"I know Sanaisu."

The Vor'goth crouched into a defensive stance, her blade held before her; as she gestured with an index finger for him to attack, a mischievous grin appeared on her face.

"Show me."

(*)

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The End.