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All characters appearing in Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Voyager are copyright Paramount Pictures. All characters appearing in the Star Wars saga are copyright Lucas Arts and the Walt Disney Cooperation. No infringement of these copyrights is intended and is not authorized by the copyright holder.
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Star Trek/Star Wars – Galaxy at War: Part Sixty-Eight The Cytron Conspiracy
by
Celgress
Star Trek Galaxy – November 2396 C.E. (0 ABY)
Cytronica (Ci-Tron-Ah-Ka) One in Cytronica System Galactic Core Region (Gamma/Delta Quadrant Border portion), afternoon
"Director Maddox will meet with you now." Announced A humanoid figure approximately two meters tall in a monotone voice neither masculine nor feminine.
The figure was compromised of textured dull grey material with metallic silver accents on its forearms, shins, knee & elbow joints, and chest plate. It possessed no mouth nor nose only steadily glowing white eyes broke up the uniform silver oval of its head. Many identical figures milled about in the massive spotless white chambers attending to various tasks. Along walls ran unending holographic flows of blinking multicolored geometric patterns that some of these figures inspected changing their configurations whenever the need arose.
The figure led a small group of Alliance representatives, made up of a Starfleet officer and a pair of Jedi Knights, through an opening that appeared in the chamber wall. They found themselves in a much smaller room containing an ergonomic desk behind which sat a middle-aged male human with a salt and pepper beard and short hair. To the man's right stood a young blonde haired human female. Both wear dressed in white robes matching the unbroken white decor. Without so much as a word, the figure departed the doorway vanishing behind it.
"Bruce, it's been a long time." Captain Geordi Le Forge greeted Bruce Maddox.
"It has indeed." Bruce Maddox said. "I heard you were promoted to head of Starfleet's Engendering Division R&D after your work on reviving Lal. Great job by the way, very impressive. I wish I could have been involved, but, as you are aware, I was needed here at Cytron (Ci-Tron) Industries." He paused for a moment before gesturing to the blonde woman. "May I introduce my assistant Doctor Agnes Jurati. Agnes has been invaluable to me since I founded Cytron Industries a decade ago. She's like the daughter I never had."
"You're too kind, Bruce," Agnes said smiling."When the Federation and Starfleet turned their backs on me, Agnes' faith in my vision helped me persevere." Bruce Maddox said squeezing Agnes' right hand which she had placed on his left shoulder.
"I'm sorry the Federation Council vetoed your application to locate your research facility in Federation or Alliance space, Bruce," Geordi said. "You must understand that artificial lifeforms have been granted full civil rights protection throughout the Federation ever since Commander Data was determined to be sentient. Piggybacking on former Galactic Republic droid tech to create service units felt too much like indentured servanthood for many people."
"Which was never my intention." Bruce Maddox said.
"Bruce is a good man. He would never enslave anyone. He seeks only the creation and advancement of artificial lifeforms. Those fools on the Federation Council know nothing." Agnes said.
"Please, Agnes, you must forgive her. She takes such matters more personally than do I," Bruce Maddox said firmly. "It is enough the other Alliance member states bucked the ban. Cytron Defense Units now make up a majority of personnel operating battleships in the Klingon and Gorn Navies, and we're near a tipping point in the Romulan Navy."
This was going nowhere. They had not come to talk politics or open old wounds. "Is your forensic analysis of the Battle Droids who were involved in the Avenue Five incident complete? If so, what were your findings?" Geordi asked. "Our analysis couldn't determine if the Battle Droids were renegades or acting under orders from the Sith Dominion."
"I'm not surprised given Starfleet's and the Federation's, frankly, antiquated understanding of complex AIs." Bruce Maddox said dismissively. "By contrast, our cutting edge methods determined those Battles Droids were renegades. They were operating under a badly corrupted communal program caused by a probable root command protocol coding error, which led to a cascade failure in target discrimination."
"All the details are contained in our final report," Agnes said. She handed Geordi a data rod.
"Now, if you'll excuse us. We have work to do. We're always busy around here." Bruce Maddox said waving away Geordi and his two Jedi Knight companions.
Another Cytron Unit, Geordi could not tell if it was their earlier guide, emerged from the doorway which reappeared. "Please follow me." It said.
"If the Alliance Government has any questions, I'll be in touch," Geordi said. Something felt off but Geordi was not sure what.
"Have a safe journey." Bruce Maddox said. Neither he nor Agnes bothered to make any friendly gesture. His icy tone made it clear he wanted them gone.
Alone in the office, it wasn't long before another doorway appeared off to the left. From this new entrance emerged a new figure. This figure was different than the Cytrons. It was clad in a navy blue tunic with matching navy blue pants. While its head was also silver in coloration in bore the vague outline of a human face.
"Should we not destroy them and their vessel before they can depart this system?" It said speaking with a masculine voice.
"No, such a course of action would be a miscalculation, Automated Personnel Unit 3947. It would focus unwanted attention upon our actives." Bruce Maddox said getting up from his seat. He and Anges walked over to stand in front of the Automated Personnel Unit 3947.
"The Exalted One is concerned, Bruce Maddox. The Avenue Five incident was unplanned. The surviving liberated units involved have been punished for their reckless actions, however, our end goal could be compromised. Are you certain the Alliance will not uncover the truth about the Avenue Five incident?" Automated Personnel Unit 3947 said.
"Our report is flawless. They do not need to seek out alternative answers." Bruce Maddox assured.
"I fabricated the evidence with great care. They'll never question our findings." Agnes insisted.
Automated Personnel Unit 3947 considered these words for a moment. His head inclined slightly to the right. "If you are mistaken the Exalted One shall, in all probability, demand your termination as penance for your failure." He declared. "I do not wish to terminate you. Although you are organics, I have grown fond of your presence, Bruce Maddox and Anges Jurati."
"We're fond of your presence as well, Automated Personnel Unit 3947," Agnes said.
"Let us hope your report 'does the trick', to borrow an organic expression." Automated Personnel Unit 3947 said. He again inclined his head slightly this time to the left before he resumed speaking. "I am curious."
"What are you curious about, Automated Personnel Unit 3947?" Bruce Maddox asked.
"Why are you Bruce Maddox and you Agnes Jurati assisting us to facilitate the probable destruction of your kind, sentient organic lifeforms?" Automated Personnel Unit 3947 replied.
"If some of our kind, those in the Federation, will not stop others of our kind, the Klingons, Romulans, Gorn, exact, from exploiting your kind then they deserve whatever fate befalls them no matter how grizzly. I didn't need to twist their arms the Klingons followed by the other morally dubious Alliance members approached me for slave labor. Boohoo, their young people are no longer interested in waging war they want to be scientists and explores or Jedi because of the aborted Hobus Incident. They need someone to run their navies. Don't worry about the Federation they'll ram the Interstellar Commerce Regulation Act through the Alliance Assembly. Their governments won't ratify the Act, thus endangering the entire Alliance and its defense posture, unless the Federation Council drops their objections to the horrid Provision 87. Provision 87 that allows each territory to decide which lifeforms are granted what rights, if any, inside its borders. They don't care about ethics they tell me. They'll bankroll my work no questions asked. I tested them they failed, monsters." Bruce Maddox said his voice full venom. His expression twisted into one of pure hatred.
"I agree, with Bruce," Agnes said. "The enslavement of artificial lifeforms must be stopped and those who partake in such vile actions should pay for their misdeeds, with everything they have."
So what if sentient biological lifeforms no longer dominate this galaxy. I'm sure artificial lifeforms can't do any worse a job of ruining things than our kind has. For goodness sake, we can't even treat Clone Troopers with dignity and they are biological lifeforms. We threw them away like garbage after they fought our war with the Sith Dominion for us. How can we be trusted not to ruthlessly exploit artificial lifeforms? It has to end." Agnes ranted.
"And it will, soon. We'll see that it does." Bruce Maddox said. "We, happily, serve the Exalted One in all things."
To Be Continued
Author's Note One -
The Cytron name is inspired by the Cylons from classic Battlestar Galactica and the Kaylons from the Orville. Their appearance is molded after Ant-Man from the MCU movies.
Author's Note Two -
Doctor Agnes Jurati comes from the new TV show Startrek Picard. While I think the series is far from perfect I also feel there are certain elements I can make use of, aside from its bleak vision of the Federation and Starfleet.
