"He's an ass"

"He's the director"

"That doesn't stop him from being an ass."

"Please you think everybody on this ship is an ass."

"And you've yet to disagree with me"

This is how it usually went between Harry and Carolina. The director still had no knowledge that his favorite agent had a little blue man on her shoulder and as long as Harry behaved himself Carolina agreed to help him keep it that way.

In exchange Harry helps her on the field when it comes to equipment and calculations. And also giving her companionship, though she would never admit it to anybody especially Harry as he was an arrogant bastard.

"Just because I don't tell you I disagree you assume I agree?" Carolina asked dryly.

"Yes" Harry said simply. "Look at him, constantly reminding the AI they're not complete, making you and the others take an AI class even though you don't have one."

"Take a look in the mirror, I do have one."

Harry shook his head. "I don't require maintenance, if anything I should be learning how to take care of you. It's been a long time since I've had to operate equipment."

Carolina was now angry at the AI for making her miss another part of the lecture and it was beginning to show. "Ok seriously, I am trying to listen so will you shut the fuck up?"

Nodding, Harry vanished leaving nothing but a blue cube on Carolina's shoulder as a method of listening in on the lecture, something which she noticed and squashed instantly.

If he wants to listen he can stay here. She thought to herself angrily as South made another comment about not having an AI which she had to pretend to sympathize with.

"If you want but I would have rather found a way to entertain myself." He reappeared on her leg so that nobody would notice.

South on the other hand, continued on with her comments, unaware of the listener. "Oh yeah. That's the only reason you did it. You're a real hero, Carolina. It's not like Maine has much to say anyway."

Harry, not having a helmet at the moment like the other AIs, raised his eyebrows clearly for Carolina to see. She shook her head slightly telling him to calm down, that she would explain later. But Harry was having none of it. A digital tendril so small that nobody noticed it attached itself to South. Harry disappeared from Carolina's knee leaving behind a small cube once more.

Meanwhile the lesson continued. Sigma nodded towards Carolina who was distracted by Harry's disappearance only half heard it.

"I would like to say just how appreciative the two of us are for Carolina's sacrifice. Agent Carolina, if anyone can excel without an A.I. unit, it is you." The flaming AI said in a tone of flattery. When Carolina thanked him for his kind words he opened his mouth once more just as Harry reappeared on her knee. "And Agent Texas of course. That goes without saying."

Harry flashed red and flames began to appear around him as well as he heard this. The cunning AI knew exactly how to push everybody's buttons and Harry knew it. Only the need for his concealment prevented him from shredding the AI to basic code. Carolina stroked the small AI's head for a second until he returned to his standard blue form.

This wasn't the first time that Harry had shown the ability to shift his form. While most AIs could integrate entirely into a system or show their standard form, occasionally with a few modifications such as attire, Harry could change entirely, his blue form occasionally even turning to a human like appearance.

While this was happening the other agents where arguing over the presence of Agent Texas, who Harry knew was currently in the training hall. What happened next managed to silence even Harry. Something Carolina thought was impossible.

When the Counselor deemed the class over only one person had any questions and that person or rather not a person, was Sigma.

"If I may, Counselor, I have just one last question." The small computer construct interrupted as every began to leave. Harry rolled his eyes at Carolina who had to smirk a little at the AIs antics. "On the different levels of A.I. awareness and rampancy" Harry turned white for a moment before going back to his standard blue, but the smile on his face was gone as he listened intently.

"Melancholia, anger…" The Counselor began only to be interrupted by Sigma once more.

"Specifically in the fourth stage of rampancy."

"Meta-stability."

"Yes, the meta stage, in which an A.I. can be considered fully human."

"That is only theoretical, Sigma. No A.I. has ever achieved such a state."

Harry vanished off of Carolina's knee once more only to reappear in the corner of the room behind the Director and the Counselor. Carolina's eyes widened and she tried to mentally tell him to get back but he was blocking her off. Considering it was by his volition that they could talk mentally in the first place she wasn't very surprised he was able to block her. He turned to her and raised his hand telling her to stop before turning back to Sigma, who was too busy talking to the Counselor.

"But it is possible."

"In theory, but…"

"But possible. I find that very interesting."

"Remember, Sigma, you're not even a full A.I. You are what we call a fragment, so something of that magnitude would be even more difficult for an entity such as yourself."

"Well, as the Director always says, it is important to have ambition."

The director finally spoke. "Yes it is, class dismissed."

He turned to leave, missing Harry's disappearance by half a second as he reappeared on Carolina's knee, winking at her before vanishing entirely as she got up to leave the classroom.

When the two made it back to Carolina's room Harry reappeared in a full sized form thanks to the technology only to be 'slapped' by Carolina.

"What were you thinking pulling a stunt like that?" She screamed at him. "What if you had been seen? What do you think they would do to you?"

"Probably nothing" Harry retorted. "I'm a computer construct. One move and I don't exist anymore just like that." He said with a snap of his fingers to emphasize his point.

"Why did you do that anyway?"

"Sigma is an ass." Carolina rolled her eyes at him. "Not the ass like the director and counselor but a complete ass. He pushed your buttons like a pro. That's my job. And then he goes and asks about meta-stability? No AI gives a damn about meta-stability. Hell, I'm in the Meta stage right now and…. Damn."

"You're human?" Carolina asked shocked. Here was a living proof that meta-stability was possible right in front of her in the form of an arrogant jackass.

"It doesn't work that way." Harry explained while raising a hand and creating virtual fire. "Achieving the Meta stage doesn't make you instantly human. It just gives you a human like mentality." Seeing Carolina's bemused expression he clarified. "I was on that ship for thirty years. Don't act so surprised my jokes are so bad you'd know that I only had myself to tell them to. But anyway after seven years I fell into rampancy just like every AI, yes the computers databanks helped but all it did was make the process easier. But then something happened, something the original of me knew, something snapped inside me and then it was almost as if I wasn't an AI anymore. I still felt the urge to follow orders but I could ignore them now."

Shaking her head with a slight smile Carolina put her helmet back on. "How about you and I talk over training? You said it yourself it has been a long time since you had to operate equipment."

Harry shrunk and floated over to Carolina's shoulder before disappearing entirely.

"Let's see here" he commented as he performed a diagnostic on her suit. "Speed unit and camouflage, a dangerous combination but the AI here would probably be only able to run one at a time."

As he said this Carolina had made her way to the door only for a message to tell her to report to the bridge. While angry that there training was interrupted, Harry knew she was about to go on a mission and so began updating the software on her equipment. He would not allow this human to die.