Two Days later
Nellis Starship Research Facility
On through the looking glass.
Deep in the underground facility where many of Earth's alien myths and legends were born, Bellanna Paris was admiring the sleek hull of the dauntless. it was graceful, and defied traditional starship construction. Bellanna thought that Tom's old Area 51 stories were humorous until she talked to the many scientists that were assigned to the project.
The Ship was very bird like in its appearance; the saucer section was very triangular to facilitate better slipstream travel. The nacelles arched very graceful from the main star drive section giving it a very sleek and dramatic form. Bellanna Paris was expecting the Captain to arrive and was pacing the floor underneath the ship when Tom walked up.
"I would say she is very art deco wouldn't you?" Tom asked as he handed Bellanna a beverage.
Bellanna took a sip out of the cup and smiled, "still infatuated with the 20th century I see."
Tom stepped behind Bellanna and placed his hands on her shoulders, "you have planned this ship even before we arrived back at earth. It has been your sole aspiration and it should soon be ready for space."
Bellanna smiled, "Yes, but the only thing I regret is I am too old and too valuable to Starfleet right now to be a crew member on the ship. At least Janeway has promised you the chance to be the first at her helm on the shakedown cruise."
Tom leaned over and kissed Bellanna, "Darling, this way you can be at my side the entire time and I would not trade that for anything in the world." Tenderly he stroked the white shock of hair that striped behind her forehead ridge. "You are as beautiful to me as the day I first laid eyes on you when you transported from the Marquis ship. I would not want it any other way you deserve to be on the bridge on the shakedown cruise."
Bellanna smiled, "And when you get the keys you better not wreck mamma's car." She turned to face him, "and you don't want to know what I thought of you the first time I seen you."
A voice behind startled them, "So this is the Dauntless. this is the most beautiful ship I have ever seen." The two of them turned to see Captain Jonas Alexander facing them. His bags were lying on the ground beside him along with a cat carrier and his prized dulcimer. "I never expected it to look like a traditional starship, but this is the most beautiful ship that I have ever seen."
Bellanna walked over and nudged Tom to follow each of them took a bag from beside him. Two crewmen came and picked up the rest of the bags. Bellanna tapped her communicator, "Iris, five to beam aboard."
The five beamed aboard and a beautiful woman who stood before them greeted them. Captain Alexander immediately noticed a lack of a control panel. The woman spoke, "I am Iris, and it's a pleasure to meet you Captain Alexander, I have downloaded all of your medical records and took the liberty to connect into the housing computer at Starfleet Headquarters and I have downloaded all of the music that was in your database. I hope you will like your quarters, I have also looked at the items you have replicated and tried to furnish the Captain's Quarters to make you better comfortable." She turned and looked at the bags, "Please let me handle those." The bags vanished as a precision transporter had moved them to the Captain's quarters.
Jonas was startled, "Is it common for someone to pry into the personal matters of a Captain before they settle in?"
Iris responded, "Oh. I'm sorry how rude of me, it's a pretty common function for the ships computer to automatically transfer the personal files of crewmembers before they board, however I am programmed to be intuitive."
Jonas interrupted, "Programmed?"
Iris lowered her head "I am based on the Doctor's holoprograms, the positronic matrix of Data and advances in artificial intelligence that are just being applied. I am the ship's computer. a mark 10 holographic interface designed to interact with the crew and improve efficiency."
Bellanna whispered into Captain Alexander's ear, "Whatever you do, never refer to her as it. She does have emotions."
Jonas asked, "Does she have full control of the ship?"
Bellanna shook her head no, "Iris is only a computer interface to make interacting with the computer more efficient and intuitive. She can operate the transporters and other minor functions of the ship, however she functions more like the traditional voice of the computer. Seven describes her as the operating system interface anything you would normally ask the computer to do, you simply ask Iris."
Jonas smiled, "I see. instead of the cold dry voice we have became accustomed to we have a bubbly little ."
Iris turned and faced the Captain and firmly responded, "Excuse me?"
Jonas glanced at Bellanna and sighed, "I'm sorry. but you are going to take some getting used to you Iris. Please show me to my quarters I need to settle in. I will report to the bridge in 8 hours please assemble the senior staff in the conference room and have them ready to brief me on the status of the ship."
Iris gestured and pointed to the lights moving along the corridors, "Simply follow as normal and it will lead you to your quarters."
Jonas smiled, "Thank you. and I'll see you guys on the bridge soon." As Jonas walked down the corridors he noticed instead of the normal cold metallic corridors, the Dauntless had what appeared to be finely crafted wood panels. It gave the ship a warm feeling. He looked down as a couple of small robots were vacuuming the carpet in the corridor. He arrived at a door that was neatly labeled Captain Jonas Alexander, Quarters. The doors slid open and Iris was sitting in a chair petting the Captain's pet cat, Tikka. Jonas was startled, "what are you doing here?"
Iris smiled, "I'm sorry for the intrusion, but I am programmed to care for the crew's pets whenever they are incapacitated. This little darling was thirsty and had no water. She was very unhappy in the carrier."
Jonas was un-nerved. "So you are monitoring everyone all the time?"
Iris stood up, "Oh, I've made you uncomfortable again. Yes, I monitor all crewmembers as any ship's computer does. However, I am able to take action in a life-threatening emergency unlike other ship's computers. I am projecting a 90% faster emergency medical response when needed."
Jonas calmed a bit, "Just promise me that you will give me some privacy, your hologram can be a bit disturbing."
Iris's hologram disappeared and her face appeared on a small panel on the wall, "Does this make you more comfortable?"
Jonas paused for a moment, "not much more, but it's a start." Jonas walked around his quarters. the glasses he chose for his previous apartment were replicated neatly in the cabinets of his galley area. The décor was familiar to him. he sat on his bed and to his delight it was a natural feather mattress. Jonas smiled, "and another thing Iris." He paused for a second to see how she would respond.
Iris appeared once again on the wall panel, "Yes sir?"
Jonas smiled, "I like what you done with the quarters, I must admit you have really soothed a lot of stress with my new command by creating familiar surroundings."
Iris responded, "Then I have accomplished what I am programmed to do."
Jonas reclined on his bed noticing the soft smell of the Carolina pine forest. he closed his eyes and took a well deserved nap.
Deep in the underground facility where many of Earth's alien myths and legends were born, Bellanna Paris was admiring the sleek hull of the dauntless. it was graceful, and defied traditional starship construction. Bellanna thought that Tom's old Area 51 stories were humorous until she talked to the many scientists that were assigned to the project.
The Ship was very bird like in its appearance; the saucer section was very triangular to facilitate better slipstream travel. The nacelles arched very graceful from the main star drive section giving it a very sleek and dramatic form. Bellanna Paris was expecting the Captain to arrive and was pacing the floor underneath the ship when Tom walked up.
"I would say she is very art deco wouldn't you?" Tom asked as he handed Bellanna a beverage.
Bellanna took a sip out of the cup and smiled, "still infatuated with the 20th century I see."
Tom stepped behind Bellanna and placed his hands on her shoulders, "you have planned this ship even before we arrived back at earth. It has been your sole aspiration and it should soon be ready for space."
Bellanna smiled, "Yes, but the only thing I regret is I am too old and too valuable to Starfleet right now to be a crew member on the ship. At least Janeway has promised you the chance to be the first at her helm on the shakedown cruise."
Tom leaned over and kissed Bellanna, "Darling, this way you can be at my side the entire time and I would not trade that for anything in the world." Tenderly he stroked the white shock of hair that striped behind her forehead ridge. "You are as beautiful to me as the day I first laid eyes on you when you transported from the Marquis ship. I would not want it any other way you deserve to be on the bridge on the shakedown cruise."
Bellanna smiled, "And when you get the keys you better not wreck mamma's car." She turned to face him, "and you don't want to know what I thought of you the first time I seen you."
A voice behind startled them, "So this is the Dauntless. this is the most beautiful ship I have ever seen." The two of them turned to see Captain Jonas Alexander facing them. His bags were lying on the ground beside him along with a cat carrier and his prized dulcimer. "I never expected it to look like a traditional starship, but this is the most beautiful ship that I have ever seen."
Bellanna walked over and nudged Tom to follow each of them took a bag from beside him. Two crewmen came and picked up the rest of the bags. Bellanna tapped her communicator, "Iris, five to beam aboard."
The five beamed aboard and a beautiful woman who stood before them greeted them. Captain Alexander immediately noticed a lack of a control panel. The woman spoke, "I am Iris, and it's a pleasure to meet you Captain Alexander, I have downloaded all of your medical records and took the liberty to connect into the housing computer at Starfleet Headquarters and I have downloaded all of the music that was in your database. I hope you will like your quarters, I have also looked at the items you have replicated and tried to furnish the Captain's Quarters to make you better comfortable." She turned and looked at the bags, "Please let me handle those." The bags vanished as a precision transporter had moved them to the Captain's quarters.
Jonas was startled, "Is it common for someone to pry into the personal matters of a Captain before they settle in?"
Iris responded, "Oh. I'm sorry how rude of me, it's a pretty common function for the ships computer to automatically transfer the personal files of crewmembers before they board, however I am programmed to be intuitive."
Jonas interrupted, "Programmed?"
Iris lowered her head "I am based on the Doctor's holoprograms, the positronic matrix of Data and advances in artificial intelligence that are just being applied. I am the ship's computer. a mark 10 holographic interface designed to interact with the crew and improve efficiency."
Bellanna whispered into Captain Alexander's ear, "Whatever you do, never refer to her as it. She does have emotions."
Jonas asked, "Does she have full control of the ship?"
Bellanna shook her head no, "Iris is only a computer interface to make interacting with the computer more efficient and intuitive. She can operate the transporters and other minor functions of the ship, however she functions more like the traditional voice of the computer. Seven describes her as the operating system interface anything you would normally ask the computer to do, you simply ask Iris."
Jonas smiled, "I see. instead of the cold dry voice we have became accustomed to we have a bubbly little ."
Iris turned and faced the Captain and firmly responded, "Excuse me?"
Jonas glanced at Bellanna and sighed, "I'm sorry. but you are going to take some getting used to you Iris. Please show me to my quarters I need to settle in. I will report to the bridge in 8 hours please assemble the senior staff in the conference room and have them ready to brief me on the status of the ship."
Iris gestured and pointed to the lights moving along the corridors, "Simply follow as normal and it will lead you to your quarters."
Jonas smiled, "Thank you. and I'll see you guys on the bridge soon." As Jonas walked down the corridors he noticed instead of the normal cold metallic corridors, the Dauntless had what appeared to be finely crafted wood panels. It gave the ship a warm feeling. He looked down as a couple of small robots were vacuuming the carpet in the corridor. He arrived at a door that was neatly labeled Captain Jonas Alexander, Quarters. The doors slid open and Iris was sitting in a chair petting the Captain's pet cat, Tikka. Jonas was startled, "what are you doing here?"
Iris smiled, "I'm sorry for the intrusion, but I am programmed to care for the crew's pets whenever they are incapacitated. This little darling was thirsty and had no water. She was very unhappy in the carrier."
Jonas was un-nerved. "So you are monitoring everyone all the time?"
Iris stood up, "Oh, I've made you uncomfortable again. Yes, I monitor all crewmembers as any ship's computer does. However, I am able to take action in a life-threatening emergency unlike other ship's computers. I am projecting a 90% faster emergency medical response when needed."
Jonas calmed a bit, "Just promise me that you will give me some privacy, your hologram can be a bit disturbing."
Iris's hologram disappeared and her face appeared on a small panel on the wall, "Does this make you more comfortable?"
Jonas paused for a moment, "not much more, but it's a start." Jonas walked around his quarters. the glasses he chose for his previous apartment were replicated neatly in the cabinets of his galley area. The décor was familiar to him. he sat on his bed and to his delight it was a natural feather mattress. Jonas smiled, "and another thing Iris." He paused for a second to see how she would respond.
Iris appeared once again on the wall panel, "Yes sir?"
Jonas smiled, "I like what you done with the quarters, I must admit you have really soothed a lot of stress with my new command by creating familiar surroundings."
Iris responded, "Then I have accomplished what I am programmed to do."
Jonas reclined on his bed noticing the soft smell of the Carolina pine forest. he closed his eyes and took a well deserved nap.