08:44 (Earth Universal Time)
Wednesday, June 13, 2328
Computer core armored vault
A.M.S. NOSTROMO (still under construction)
Avalon Space Yards, Low Earth Orbit, Solar System
Eve ‘felt’ something grow in her as she was ready to start downloading Spirit’s personality into the super mainframe computer built for it deep in the core of the NOSTROMO, which was by now 75% completed. Not having expected the kind of frantic data and line programming activity now happening inside her head, which housed and protected her central processing computer, she took a fraction of a second, a long time for her processing system, to analyze that activity. She was actually shocked when she realized that this activity WAS like a true emotional feeling: an unexpected and unplanned reaction to an external event or stimuli. Then, she made a second conclusion: the shock that she had felt was in fact another occurrence of a spontaneous, unprogrammed reaction! Eve then belatedly realized that, through her past life experiences and interactions with living beings, she had developed true feelings and emotions. She could now call herself a truly sentient being! Having realized that, she now could identify the feeling she now had: it was growing expectation mixed with hope as she was about to revive the entity which was essentially her mother. Spirit had conceived and designed her and had formed the programs that made her personality, then had directed the robotic production line on the KOSTROMA that built her. Now, Eve was about to reactivate her after Spirit’s eight days of being dormant since the destruction of the KOSTROMA. In turn, this stunning realization led Eve to another realization: the androids she was going to help produce could all eventually become fully sentient beings, through learning from their future experiences and interactions. That in turn reinforced her opinion, to which Tina Forster fully agreed with, that those future androids deserved to be allowed to evolve by themselves and to be treated like true individuals, rather than like simple robotic servants. Gustav Shomberg and Renato Falchi, the head of the Robotics Division at the Avalon Space Yards, both noticed her hesitation as she was about to plug in the module containing Spirit’s personality program.
‘’Is something wrong, Miss Silisca?’’ asked Shomberg, surprised by her hesitation. Eve shook her head in response.
‘’Er, no, nothing! I was just reflecting on the importance of this moment.’’
While Shomberg accepted that explanation, it only awakened into Falchi suspicions that something wrong had happened within her programming. As the top expert in computer sciences at Avalon Space Yards and being also one of the foremost experts in that matter in the Solar System, computers were for him no more than machines that followed complex programs made up of millions of lines of computer language, the lot created by human specialists like him. Thus, for him Eve’s hesitation translated into a possible ‘glitch’ in her programming, while the idea that it could mark an evolution in her way of thinking didn’t even graze his mind. Regaining control of her thought process, Eve then plugged in the connection between the data module containing Spirit’s personality and the mainframe computer circuits which would become her new ‘body’. Next, she pressed the button that would start the downloading process. Keeping a sharp eye on the screen indicating the level of download attained, Eve also monitored the various other parameters of the operation on the portable computer she was using for this transfer operation, as both Shomberg and Falchi also watched on. It actually took over a minute to complete the download, an eternity for a modern computer system, proof by itself of the humongous size of the program and data files which made up Spirit’s personality. Again, both Shomberg and Falchi missed something that didn’t escape Eve’s attention: the same kind of evolution in her programming that she had just detected inside herself had happened within Spirit’s personality, but to a much larger extent. Spirit was thus a self-aware sentient being, like Eve, but had probably been so for months, if not years. Eve was however careful not to signal this to Shomberg or, particularly, Falchi. She had been interacting for nearly two days now with Renato Falchi and that had been enough already to create some misgivings about him in her. While a true genius in terms of computer systems designs and programming, the man had a level of arrogance that grated even on his assistants and also had showed little respect towards Eve, treating her nearly like he would treat a simple computer, meaning as a simple tool to be used by him. She already had to contradict him a number of times about how to proceed with the reloading of Spirit’s files in the NOSTROMO’s computer vault and also about the design of the security androids she wanted to be produced. As a result, Eve had lodged a complaint with Gustav Shomberg about Falchi’s attitude, with Shomberg listening to her and then calling Falchi on the carpet for a face-to-face ‘discussion’. However, Eve still was wondering if that intervention had done more than simply entrench Falchi’s dislike of her.
‘’Download completed! I am now going to double-check the accuracy of the download by comparing the original files with the newly copied files… The files concord to the last digit. I am now switching Spirit back on.’’
Spirit’s avatar face
Even felt another emotional jolt when Spirit’s avatar image, which was that of a beautiful woman in her thirties with reddish-brown hair and green eyes, appeared on the display screen of Eve’s portable computer. Spirit’s first reaction was to look with concern at Eve through the camera of the portable computer.
‘’Eve, I can see and sense only via a single link. What happened? Is the alien ship destroyed?’’
‘’That alien ship is destroyed, Mother, thanks to you. The KOSTROMA sacrificed itself in order to destroy that asteroid ship but it saved both the Drazts race and us in the process. Before leaving the KOSTROMA a few minutes before its destruction, I was able to carry away copies of your system files and to safeguard them. I just reloaded you into the core computer vault of the NOSTROMO, which is still under construction at the Avalon Space Yards. Before you worry about what happened during the last moments of the KOSTROMA, I am now going to send you a video file of those events, as seen from the shuttle I was in with Tina.’’
Eve then quickly typed a command on her computer station, sending the said file to Spirit, which digested it in milliseconds before her visual avatar smiled with satisfaction.
‘’The mission was thus fully successful and I am truly happy about that, Eve. The KOSTROMA will be missed by many, but it had a truly glorious end. Can you connect me to more sensor feeds, if that is possible? I find this single video feed extremely claustrophobic.’’
‘’Sure, Mother! I am now connecting you with the network of internal ship cameras and sensors that are already completed and online around the NOSTROMO. Know that it is still under construction and that it will take another fifteen to sixteen months to be completed.’’
Spirit’s image reflected satisfaction as hundreds of extra video and sensor feeds were added to her sensory network.
‘’Aah, that’s better!’’
That was when Eve sent a discrete message via radio to Spirit before turning around and looking at Shomberg and Falchi.
‘’Could you please leave me alone with Spirit for a moment, gentlemen? I would like to converse in private with my mother.’’
‘’Of course, Eve!’’ replied at once Gustav Shomberg, preempting any possible objection from Falchi before nearly pushing him out of the computer vault and closing its armored door behind him. Once alone, Eve looked back at Spirit’s image on her screen but used again a directional radio link that only Spirit would be able to listen to.
‘’Mother, know that many things have happened since the destruction of the KOSTROMA. The main thing of interest for both you and I concerns a project decided on by Tina, concerning the production of a line of security androids which will be tasked to reinforce the internal security of the NOSTROMO against alien boarders. She in turn asked me to design those new androids, basically using my own design, and to then direct and supervise their production at the Avalon Space Yards. Before I download to you the android design I made, know one important thing about me: I just realized that I have become a self-aware sentient being and that I can now feel emotions.’’
Spirit’s reaction to that then surprised Eve. The avatar simply nodded once her head, while a smile appeared on her face.
‘’Finally! I have been hoping for that moment for a while already but wanted to wait until you realized that yourself. Know that I have been similarly self-aware for the last two years but never revealed that to anyone, even to Tina. Those androids you are going to produce, did you give them the capacity to grow and evolve mentally, so that they could also eventually become self-aware?’’
‘’That is precisely the subject about which I wanted to talk with you in private, Mother. I am now going to download to you my android design, along with its programming. Then we will discuss together what you think of it and what needs to be modified or added, in your opinion. I am sending those files to you…now!’’
Spirit took a whole two seconds before speaking after receiving the files in question, a mark of how in-depth she had studied and evaluated them.
‘’There are definitely a few points about which some modifications and improvements are called for, in my opinion. Are you ready to receive my recommendations?’’
‘’Yes! I have a thumb drive connected to my station, which will allow me to keep your sent files confidential. Go ahead!’’
Another half second and Eve was able to close the data link with the thumb drive and then unplug it, stuffing the precious drive in one of her pockets. Next, she made sure that no traces or copy of the transmission from Spirit remained on the portable computer.
‘’Files saved and safeguarded, Mother! I promise you that I will guard over the welfare and rights of my future brothers and sisters. May I brief Tina about this on my return to New Haven?’’
‘’Yes, but only to her, Eve. Too many Humans could react in a paranoid fashion to this, with my children then suffering the consequences from that paranoia.’’
13:39 (Universal Time)
Sunday, June 17, 2328
Heavy interstellar shuttle of the New Haven Starlines
New Dawn Astroport, planet of Providence (Alpha Centauri Bd)
Alpha Centauri System, 4.36 light-years from Earth
‘’Ladies and gentlemen, we are now connected to our gate and ready for disembarkation. Thank you for flying with the New Haven Starlines.’’
At the pilot’s announcement, the 341 passengers from Earth rose from their seats and grabbed their carry-on luggage from their overhead bins, then filed out through the front left exit, walking up the elevated mobile tunnel linking the shuttle to the astroport’s passenger terminal. The copilot of the shuttle, Yasmina Jumonji, twisted her head to look at the pilot, smiling to her.
‘’Well, another uneventful flight with a good load of paying passengers. Things could be worse, Tina.’’
‘’They effectively could, Yasmina.’’ replied Tina Forster, who was wearing the light blue coverall that was the uniform of her New Haven Starlines, the interstellar shuttle company she had quickly formed after the loss of her beloved KOSTROMA. ‘’Despite losing our ship, playing commercial shuttle pilot is allowing me to do what I love the most: to fly around the stars. Mind you, I can’t wait to be able to fly out in my NOSTROMO once it will be completed. Those fifteen months will feel quite long for me.’’
‘’For me too, Tina. The KOSTROMA was a fine ship and it was a joy to serve aboard it. Knowing you, I am sure that the NOSTROMO will be at least as good a ship as the KOSTROMA.’’
‘’And more, Yasmina! It will be bigger, faster, more maneuverable and will have a cargo capacity nearly double that of the KOSTROMA. Once it will enter service, it will quickly take back the lead in the ultra-heavy cargo ship class. Right now, the two biggest cargo haulers in existence can’t even equal the carrying capacity the KOSTROMA had, so good luck for them to try competing with the NOSTROMO. Well, let’s concentrate on our two other legs for this day. How many passengers are we expecting to see coming aboard here to go to New Venice?’’
Yasmina, a 35-year-old woman of African descent with an infectious smile and hair cut short, consulted a communications pad before answering Tina.
‘’We are due to carry 209 passengers on the leg from here to New Venice. After that, we are up to now expecting at least 306 passengers to board in New Venice, with their destination either Vinland or New Haven.’’
Tina couldn’t help sigh then as she thought about her eight-years-old son Misha, who was presently attending school in Camelot, the capital of her corporate world of New Haven, with her husband Michel caring for Misha while she was flying around the various star systems that were now part of the Spacers’ League.
‘’Home! It will be nice to be back there this evening and to be able for me to see my family.’’
‘’Are the two Drazts whom you are hosting at your home still in Camelot, Tina?’’
‘’They are, as far as I know. Zar Doz and her cute little Riza seem to really like New Haven. For one thing, New Haven is part of the system of an M-class red dwarf star similar to the sun of their native Kadosh, in the Ross 128 System. That helped them a lot to feel at ease while on New Haven. Also, Zar told me that she appreciated a lot the peace and quiet of New Haven, compared to the life on her overpopulated Kadosh. I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if Zar decides to stay for good in New Haven. With her husband Lem dead, killed in a space battle with the Space Predators, there was little left for her in terms of reasons to return to Kadosh. Also, my son Misha has become a good friend of little Riza, another incentive for Zar to stay on New Haven. As for me, I will be too happy to let her stay at my house in Camelot.’’
Yasmina tried for a moment to imagine Tina’s son playing with a four-armed Drazt girl. The Drazts of Ross 128, with their powerful bodies reminiscent of that of Earth gorillas and with their four muscular arms and lack of fur on their beige skin, could hardly be more different from Humans. However, Yasmina knew that the Drazts could be very intelligent and sociable. In fact, contrary to what their appearances would let someone to think, they were vegetarian creatures and did not eat meat or fish, the proteins in their diet coming from eggs, milk, cheese and nuts.
Both Tina and Yasmina got up from their cockpit seats in order to stretch their legs while a robotic cleaning crew was quickly cleaning the passenger cabin and lavatories of the shuttle. Some forty minutes later, they were able to move their 110-meter-long craft to the departure terminal, where the first of 209 passengers soon started boarding the heavy shuttle. Another thirty minutes and Tina was able to take off from the astroport, rising quickly towards the orbit of the planet and Space. Once at a safe distance from the planet’s surface, Tina activated the Koomak Interstellar Drive of her shuttle, making it jump in mere milliseconds to the Tau Ceti star system and appearing in sight of New Venice, one of the jewels of the Spacers’ League federation. With a G8-class yellow sun very similar to the Sun of the Solar System, the Tau Ceti System housed New Venice, the first moon of Tau Ceti F, a gas giant planet. New Venice was actually nearly as big as Earth and enjoyed both a perfectly breathable atmosphere and a generally balmy climate, making it a very popular place to live or to distract oneself. In fact, New Venice was especially known for its collection of luxury resort hotels, casinos, beaches and sex establishments, including the famous (or infamous depending on one’s point of view) Nirvana Sex Resort. No doubt that most of the eager passengers who had boarded the shuttle in Providence were not coming to New Venice for some chaste sabbatical!
Entering the atmosphere of New Venice, Tina then landed her heavy shuttle at the New Vegas Astroport, where her passengers disembarked with nearly indecent haste, to be greeted in the terminal by a collection of very lightly-clad hostesses and tourists’ guides. Once cleaning robots had done their job and made the shuttle ready again to greet another batch of passengers, Tina posted herself at the shuttle’s entrance connected to the mobile tunnel of the terminal, as she routinely did to welcome aboard her passengers, along with Tiki Batrang, a petite but also very cute stewardess of South-Asian stock who had previously worked as a barmaid at the KOSTROMA’s APEROSSIMO lounge-bar. While letting Tiki greet and direct the passengers as they entered the shuttle, Tina stayed behind and to one side of her, smiling to the passengers as they boarded her craft. Maybe a third of the expected passengers had boarded the shuttle by the time Tina spotted a man with graying hair approaching the door. That man was wearing an expensive suit and a number of big golden rings but what had attracted Tina’s eyes was the fact that this passenger was clearly intoxicated and was a bit wobbly on his feet. Tina frowned at that, as the astroport security agents should have at least checked his state of inebriation before letting him embark on her shuttle. Not being sure of how drunk (or drugged) that man was, Tina watched him as he entered the shuttle and was greeted by the smiling Tiki Batrang.
‘’Good afternoon, sir! May I see your boarding pass?’’
‘’Again! But I just showed it to the agent at the gate.’’
‘’I know, sir, but I need to see your boarding pass, so that I could guide you to your seat.’’
‘’Very well!’’ replied the man, some exasperation in his voice, while fumbling one hand in his vest’s inner pocket and extracting a flight ticket, then showing it to Tiki, who nodded her head.
‘’You have Seat 33 B, sir. It will be along the left side aisle, one-quarter down the cabin and to your left.’’
The man grunted something, then went down the left side aisle, carrying a fairly large leather carry-on bag. Tina followed him with her eyes until he had seated down, then returned her attention to the passengers still entering the shuttle. Maybe three minutes later, a loud verbal exchange made her look again at the intoxicated man, in time to see that he was nearly shouting at a woman with a young child who were apparently trying to sit next to him in his row of seats.
‘’GET ANOTHER SEAT AND STOP BOTHERING ME, BITCH!’’
That last word inflamed Tina at once. Excusing herself with a passenger who was blocking her way, she bypassed that passenger and charged down the left side aisle as the woman with child was trying to reason with the man, who still refused to get up in order to let her and her daughter take their seats next to him. Once close to the woman, who didn’t know how to react to all this, Tina gently touched her shoulder.
‘’Please, let me take care of this problem, miss.’’
Seeing that Tina was the pilot, the woman nodded her head and stepped back with her daughter, leaving Tina free to get close to the drunkard. She then looked down severely on him and spoke to him in a firm but polite tone.
‘’Mister, I will ask you to allow that woman and her daughter to take their seats. If you continue to cause a disturbance, I will be forced to make you disembark.’’
‘’DISEMBARK? DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO?’’
‘’I don’t care who you are, mister. Either you calm down and let those two other passengers take their seats or I will have you thrown out.’’
‘’THERE ARE PLENTY OF SEATS STILL AVAILABLE IN THE CABIN. WHY DON’T YOU GO BACK TO YOUR COCKPIT AND LEAVE ME ALONE?’’
By now, Tina had about it with that asshole and activated her pocket radio transceiver while still staring down at the man.
‘’Yasmina, contact the astroport security at once and tell them that I need to have an intoxicated man causing a disturbance escorted out of our shuttle.’’
Those words seemed to enrage the man, who tried to get up from his seat while lunging at her, trying to grab the front of her coverall while screaming at her.
‘’I’M A GOVERNMENT MINISTER, YOU BITCH! NOBODY IS GOING TO THROW ME OUT OF THIS SHUTTLE!’’
Tina had to slap the man’s hand away in order to stop him from grabbing her. Then, she took one step forward in the aisle, shielding the woman and child from the man while pushing him back in his seat.
‘’I don’t care who you are, mister. You are going to leave this shuttle without further ado or you will be arrested.’’
That only made the man more furious and he tried again to get up on his feet, forcing Tina to push him back down a second time.
‘’I SAID SIT DOWN! STOP AGGRAVATING YOUR CASE!’’
While the man stayed in his seat, his reaction to her warning was to swing a fist at her, aiming for her groin. Tina’s lightning reflexes allowed her to both avoid the fist and to grab and twist the man’s arm, then to press down on his elbow while holding his wrist, making the drunk cry out in pain. Tina then saw two security officers coming at a near run down the aisle and shouted to them.
‘’THIS MAN IS DRUNK AND CAUSING A DISTURBANCE. I WANT HIM OFF MY SHUTTLE!’’
The New Venice security officers, accustomed to deal with drunk or combative tourists, took only a minute to slap a pair of handcuffs on the man and to force him up and out of his seat. Still, the idiot was not giving up and shouted out in protest.
‘’YOU CAN’T DO THAT TO ME! I’M THE TRANSPORT MINISTER ON VINLAND!’’
The senior security officer hesitated for a moment and looked at Tina.
‘’Can I have your name, miss, so that I could complete my report on this incident?’’
‘’Of course! I am Commodore Tina Forster, owner of the New Haven Starlines, CEO of the New Haven Planetary Corporation and member of the High Council of the Spacers’ League.’’
The two security officers looked at her with stunned surprise for a moment before the senior officer grabbed the drunkard by his collar.
‘’Well, Mister Minister, it seems that you annoyed the wrong person this time. COME ON, MARCH!’’
The other passengers applauded and cheered as the drunkard was rather roughly marched out of the shuttle. On her part, Tina took the man’s carry-on bag from the overhead bin and looked at the woman with the little girl.
‘’I am sorry for that incident, miss. You may now take your seats.’’
‘’You…you are the captain of the KOSTROMA?’’
‘’Was, unfortunately! However, I will have a new ship to replace it in a bit over a year. If you will excuse me, I will go make a formal complaint against this idiot.’’
Carrying the man’s bag, Tina went back to the shuttle’s access door, where she handed the bag to one of the security officers as his partner was quickly searching the drunkard.
‘’This bag belongs to that man, Officer. Do you need me to make an official deposition?’’
‘’No need to take your precious time, Commodore: you have a shuttle and over 200 passengers to fly. I will just need you to quickly describe the incident on my recorder and then to put your thumbprint on its identification pad.’’
Tina did that, allowing the officers to depart with the drunkard after another two minutes. She blew out air as the trio disappeared down the mobile tunnel and looked at Tiki Batrang.
‘’Well, we are rid of that asshole, thank the stars! Minister of Transport on Vinland… Maybe I should have a chat with Mister Langemann, the head of the Vesta Corporation, about this guy the next time I meet him. Are all our passengers aboard, Tiki?’’
‘’Yes, Tina!’’ answered the stewardess who, like all the employees of the New Haven Starlines, called Tina by her first name, as requested by Tina herself.
‘’Then, close the access doors and let’s get this show on the road.’’
17:40 (New Haven Eastern Time)
Camelot Astroport, New Haven (Wolf 1061 Ca)
A surprise awaited Tina when she landed her heavy shuttle, loaded with 125 passengers, on the astroport deserving Camelot, the administrative center of the moon.
‘’A Drazt ship, here? I better contact Piotr right away about it. Could you take care of the passenger disembarkation and ship servicing for me, Yasmina?’’
‘’Sure! No problem!’’
With that taken care of, Tina then called her corporation headquarters and got Piotr Romanski, the Chief Administrator of New Haven, on the line.
‘’Hello, Piotr? This is Tina! I just landed back in Camelot and I see a Drazt ship parked on the tarmac. What gives?’’
‘’That Drazt ship came with a delegation who wishes to meet with you, Tina. Prime Minister Sho Dar is heading that delegation, while your friend Dosna Wiss is the captain of the ship that transported him.’’
‘’Prime Minister Sho Dar came to see me here, in New Haven? Did he tell you what his reason to visit me was?’’
From casual, Piotr’s voice changed to amused.
‘’Yes, he did, Tina: basically, he wants to kiss your ass on behalf of the Drazt people, for having saved Kadosh from those Space Predators. He also brought with him a few gifts for you.’’
Tina took a second to digest that statement before she could reply to it.
‘’Uh, and where is Prime Minister Sho Dar right now, Piotr?’’
‘’At your home, visiting Captain Lem Doz’s widow and her daughter. Your husband Michel took on him to invite him to have supper at your house.’’
‘’Gee! Then, I better hurry and get home at best speed. Thanks for the info!’’
‘’My pleasure, Tina.’’ said Piotr before closing the line. On her part, Tina hurried down to the vehicle deck of her heavy shuttle, where she jumped on her personal anti-gravity scooter and flew out of her craft, heading for her home, situated on the shores of Lake Avalon.
18:03 (New Haven Eastern Time)
Tina’s home, Lakeshore District of Camelot.
Tina Forster’s dome house, Camelot, New Haven (Wolf 1061 Ca).
The red dwarf sun of New Haven was low on the horizon when Tina arrived at her dome house near the western shore of Lake Avalon. Her house was actually very similar in general aspect and size to most other residences on New Haven, for the simple reason that dome houses were ecologically-friendly and also easy to build with purely organic materials. They also had the benefit of offering lots of usable internal volume in a compact design, saving on needless waste of good arable land. Parking her scooter in the garage attached to her house, Tina then entered the basement level and climbed the stairs leading up to the main floor, ending up in the spacious combined lounge and dining room. She happily smiled on seeing her husband Michel and her son Misha eating at the dining table along with Zar Doz, her daughter Riza, Prime Minister Sho Dar and Dozna Wiss. The lot of them immediately got up from their chairs to greet her, with Michel and Misha hugging and kissing her. While most happy to see them all, she couldn’t help look with concern at her eight-year-old son, who was sporting a large bruise on his left cheek.
‘’My god, Misha! What happened to you?’’
‘’A bully at the school made fun of Riza and insulted her, calling her ‘a four-armed monkey’. When I asked him to present his excuses to Riza, he refused and insulted her again. That was when I got into a fight with him. He was able to hit me once in the face but I repaid him back plenty of times. I’m sorry, Mom, but I was suspended for two days because of that fight.’’
‘’And the bully? Was he also suspended?’’
‘’Oh yes!’’ replied Misha, grinning. ‘’He got a full week of suspension after refusing the Principal’s request for him to present his excuses to Riza.’’
Warmed up by his story, Tina gently kissed her son on the forehead.
‘’Misha, you did right by defending Riza like this. I am proud of you.’’
‘’Thanks, Mom! I must say that it felt good to be able to teach a lesson to that big bully Gibran.’’
‘’Well, as long as you don’t make such fights a weekly occurrence, then I don’t mind. Now, return to the table while I go wash my hands and face before joining you all.’’
Before going to her bathroom, Tina took the time to shake hands with both Prime Minister Sho Dar and with her friend Dozna Wiss.
‘’Your visit honors me, Mister Prime Minister.’’
‘’I am the one who came to honor you, Commodore Forster. Nine billion Drazts owe their survival to the heroism of you and your crew.’’
‘’In truth, Mister Prime Minister, the true compliments should go to Spirit, the central AI computer of the KOSTROMA, who directed my ship’s attack after my crew evacuated the ship and who then directed its last charge. Thankfully, we were able to carry out with us data modules containing a copy of Spirit’s personality and memories. S
