The Hunter, part 17
Peter led Dylan to the central control room, "Initiating AI start-up." Two of the screens switched on to show a man and a woman in High Guard uniforms. Peter stood before them, "Time to wake up, we have a visitor: Captain, this is the Fires of Arcadia, or as we call him, Art, and Stalking Angle, better known as just Angle. Art, Angle, this is Captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant. He's come here to reactivate the base." The two AI's nodded, "Captain."
Dylan was about to respond when Rommie ran in and kissed him. It took him a moment to get his breath back, "I see feeling your old self again." Rommie smiled, "All the better for seeing you." Dylan put his arm around her, "Rommie, meet Art and Angle." Rommie looked at the screen and smiled, "Hi guy's: long time no-see."
Art laughed, "You could say that again Andromeda. When'd you get the Avatar?" Rommie's smiled faded, "I've not been Andromeda's Avatar for three years: she has a new one now." Angle's eyes went wide, "You're rouge? You know what the penalty is for an Avatar that goes rouge?" Rommie nodded, her eye hard, "I'm fully aware of the normal procedures, and if any of you want to try and disassemble me, you're welcome to try!" Dex drew his gauss-gun, "Just try it, any of you!"
Dylan interceded, "Wow-there! No-one is dismantling Rommie!" Angle looked down at him, "Captain Hunt, I do believe you are allowing your quite clear personal feelings for that Avatar to cloud your judgment. I call a court- martial!" Dylan shook his head; "There aren't enough officers present to hold a court-martial." Peter's Avatar took a step forward, "I am afraid there are Captain: Yourself, Art, Angle and I are all High Guard officers." Dylan nodded, "Very well. Who should hold judgment?"
Art shrugged, "I say Peter: He's relatively neutral in this matter. Angle obviously wants to act as the prosecution. That leaves me with defence: you're a witness captain." Dylan nodded, "Very well, let's get this over with."
Peter walked to the centre of the room, "Andromeda-Avatar, you stand charged with abandoning your post and going rouge. How do you plead?" Rommie looked straight at him, "Not-guilty by way of mitigating circumstances." Peter nodded, "Very well, we shall proceed: Your witness Angle."
Angle looked down on Rommie, "What mitigating circumstances do you claim?" Rommie looked at the screen, "I developed feelings for Captain Hun that you would probably call improper. After three years of hiding my feelings, I told him how I felt, and, at the time, he rejected me. I have seen what can happen to AI's that feel rejected by people they have feelings for: I did not wish to put Captain Hunt's life at risk, so I left the Andromeda."
Angle looked confused, "What evidence do you have that by staying you would have put Captain Hunt's life at risk?" Rommie turned to Peter, "With your permission, I would like to enter into evidence the events surrounding the death of the Captain Warrick of the Starship Pax Magellanic." Peter nodded, "Proceed." Rommie placed her hand on the VR interface and downloaded her memories.
Peter gasped, then turned to Art and Angle, "You better see this for yourselves!" He tight-beamed the data to the two ships. Art's eyes went wide, "How could Pax do that? I fell that this proves the case: Rommie's decision to leave was based her knowledge of how AI's can react under the same circumstances." Angle nodded, "I light of this new evidence, I must concur: leaving the Andromeda before the feelings of rejection grew to dangerous levels was the best course of action. Rommie, I apologise for my reaction: I was un-aware f what you had seen happen to Pax."
Rommie smiled, putting her arm around Dylan, "It's perfectly understandable. I'm with Dylan now, and that's all that maters to me."
TBC
Peter led Dylan to the central control room, "Initiating AI start-up." Two of the screens switched on to show a man and a woman in High Guard uniforms. Peter stood before them, "Time to wake up, we have a visitor: Captain, this is the Fires of Arcadia, or as we call him, Art, and Stalking Angle, better known as just Angle. Art, Angle, this is Captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant. He's come here to reactivate the base." The two AI's nodded, "Captain."
Dylan was about to respond when Rommie ran in and kissed him. It took him a moment to get his breath back, "I see feeling your old self again." Rommie smiled, "All the better for seeing you." Dylan put his arm around her, "Rommie, meet Art and Angle." Rommie looked at the screen and smiled, "Hi guy's: long time no-see."
Art laughed, "You could say that again Andromeda. When'd you get the Avatar?" Rommie's smiled faded, "I've not been Andromeda's Avatar for three years: she has a new one now." Angle's eyes went wide, "You're rouge? You know what the penalty is for an Avatar that goes rouge?" Rommie nodded, her eye hard, "I'm fully aware of the normal procedures, and if any of you want to try and disassemble me, you're welcome to try!" Dex drew his gauss-gun, "Just try it, any of you!"
Dylan interceded, "Wow-there! No-one is dismantling Rommie!" Angle looked down at him, "Captain Hunt, I do believe you are allowing your quite clear personal feelings for that Avatar to cloud your judgment. I call a court- martial!" Dylan shook his head; "There aren't enough officers present to hold a court-martial." Peter's Avatar took a step forward, "I am afraid there are Captain: Yourself, Art, Angle and I are all High Guard officers." Dylan nodded, "Very well. Who should hold judgment?"
Art shrugged, "I say Peter: He's relatively neutral in this matter. Angle obviously wants to act as the prosecution. That leaves me with defence: you're a witness captain." Dylan nodded, "Very well, let's get this over with."
Peter walked to the centre of the room, "Andromeda-Avatar, you stand charged with abandoning your post and going rouge. How do you plead?" Rommie looked straight at him, "Not-guilty by way of mitigating circumstances." Peter nodded, "Very well, we shall proceed: Your witness Angle."
Angle looked down on Rommie, "What mitigating circumstances do you claim?" Rommie looked at the screen, "I developed feelings for Captain Hun that you would probably call improper. After three years of hiding my feelings, I told him how I felt, and, at the time, he rejected me. I have seen what can happen to AI's that feel rejected by people they have feelings for: I did not wish to put Captain Hunt's life at risk, so I left the Andromeda."
Angle looked confused, "What evidence do you have that by staying you would have put Captain Hunt's life at risk?" Rommie turned to Peter, "With your permission, I would like to enter into evidence the events surrounding the death of the Captain Warrick of the Starship Pax Magellanic." Peter nodded, "Proceed." Rommie placed her hand on the VR interface and downloaded her memories.
Peter gasped, then turned to Art and Angle, "You better see this for yourselves!" He tight-beamed the data to the two ships. Art's eyes went wide, "How could Pax do that? I fell that this proves the case: Rommie's decision to leave was based her knowledge of how AI's can react under the same circumstances." Angle nodded, "I light of this new evidence, I must concur: leaving the Andromeda before the feelings of rejection grew to dangerous levels was the best course of action. Rommie, I apologise for my reaction: I was un-aware f what you had seen happen to Pax."
Rommie smiled, putting her arm around Dylan, "It's perfectly understandable. I'm with Dylan now, and that's all that maters to me."
TBC