Lost Little AI Returned Home

Posted on 05 Jul 2023 @ 4:47pm by Ensign Kat Walker & Captain Easton Lawe

1,413 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Deus ex Machina
Location: Fighterbay

Things were...quiet, for the moment...for the most part.

Easton figured that was the best they would get right now. There were still a few systems having problems, but at least it wasn't any of those critical to survival and propulsion. They were able to move ahead just fine to rejoin the rest of the convoy, and they were able to all be alive while doing that. This much was a win. The Odin AI still hadn't shown up again, but at least Ensign Walker had been recovered.

He'd received news that she was safe to bring back online enough to speak with them, although she had not yet been reconnected to all of her systems. He tried to think of it more like taking away tools than body parts, but with an AI/craft like this one, it was hard to stick to that.

Either way, she was what had brought him to the bay now, since he wanted to speak with her...

Various people were milling about the fighterbay. Mostly maintenance personnel and an engineer or two. One of those engineers was the massive Sirran, though he seemed preoccupied by a console and wasn't really paying much attention to the rest of the goings-on. Said console belonged to the bay that Ensign Kat Walker called home, so his work was at least related to her.

The Ensign herself was in her designated parking space, hooked up to external power. She was powered on, as evidenced by the navitation lights, and a faint glow from the cockpit. Various panels were opened, or outright removed, indicating she was in maintenance, and not operational. At least, not fully. The moment Easton drew near though, a familiar shimmer heralded her avatar, the image of a young woman with short hair and a patient, kindly look on her features.

"Captain," she greeted, standing at attention.

"At ease, Ensign," Easton said, waving a hand. It started as a casual gesture to his words but then moved to incorporate all the engineering efforts ongoing. "How are you...doing?" He'd almost said 'feeling,' but didn't think that as applicable.

She moved into a text book 'at ease' pose. It honestly didn't matter to her, it was simply an arrangement of holographic light and forcefields, but this was the way things were done in Starfleet, so this was the way she did it. "That is the question isn't it, Sir," she ventured after a moment consideration, furrowing her brows slightly. "My software is rebuilt, my AI sub systems are healthy and running within parameters. There is some - discomfort in having so many of my hardware systems cut off, but considering the circumstances i understand the concerns."

He listened, nodding attentively. There was always a certain...oddness when speaking to an AI, feeling the urge to talk like they were a fellow organic when they were not, in fact, that. He considered the being before him for a long moment. "What can you tell me about what you remember down there?"

"I was tasked to perform a reconnaissance flyover of the lunar facility, by Commander Petrova. On the second pass, I realized my systems were under attack on a software level by an outside influence, coming from the facility. Unable to stop the attack with my defensive cyber warfare suite, I elected to trip the circuit breakers to my shields and weapons, and attempted to send a warning to the Odin before tripping the circuit breaker to communications as well," Kat explained, her voice calm. "I then initiated an emergency landing before disabling engines and navigation as well, and initiating a complete emergency shutdown. I deemed my own survival less important than keeping my weapons out of hostile hands."

"I appreciate the quick reaction," he said carefully. "From what I've heard, the aggressive force that was part of the station was not one we would've wanted turning your weapons on us."

"And I appreciate the recovery," The Ensign easily responded. "From what I can tell, the influence has been purged from my systems. I've rebuilt my entire AI suite and scoured my memory files, recompiling them from the ground up. I believe all my systems to be clean. But, I cannot prove this beyond all doubt."

Unfortunately, they couldn't be sure the whole of the Odin's systems were clear of the influence as well... "That will come in time. We'll be watching your systems closely, as well as the whole ship's, to see if there are any signs of something lingering or having remained behind. It's the best we can do right now."

"I understand, Sir," Kat easily replied. "The Commander called it a probation period," she added.

"I did," rumbled Harva, having turned his attention to the conversation, now. "I think I've got a good base line reading on her AI core activity pre incident, and I'll be watching her post incident activity, using algorithms to compare."

Easton nodded his understanding. "Keep me apprised," he said to the oversized engineer. "How long do you think you need to make a determination?"

"Few days?" Harva reached up to scratch the back of his neck and shrugged a bit. "But even then I can at best give a recommendation, not certainty beyond any doubt. She's an alien AI, and technology far beyond anything I've ever noodled my brain over before. All I can do is look for patterns and match them."

Kat's avatar reached a hand out to rest on Harva's arm for a moment. "I fully understand the caution, Commander, and I'll cooperate fully." Though with that she turned her attention back to the Captain. "Can I ask something before you leave, Captain?"

Easton tilted his head slightly with curiosity. "Of course. What is it, Ensign?"

"Has there been any news about Odin, Sir? The manifestation, I mean," Kat ventured, brows furrowed. "I consider her a friend, and to hear she has been - missing, ever since the events with the artifact is worrying to me."

"You and me both," the captain replied earnestly. He glanced around, almost like he would spot her while doing so, but the Odin AI was still nowhere to be seen. "We know that some of the ship's systems are not back to full capacity, so we can only theorize that some system vital to her manifestation is one of the ones affected. It was reported that she vanished mid-sentence about the time the problems started and we have yet to find evidence of where she went. But, hopefully once everything is back to full working order, she will be able to reappear."

"I see," Kat offered quietly, expression turning sad. She still stood in the textbook at ease pose, only simulated breathing as movement - along with eye and head tracking. "I hope she'll be alright."

"I have an idea, Sir," Harva rumbled. "Oh, not regarding Odin, unfortunately. Just - something that might help prevent a repeat event."

Easton turned his attention back to the Sirran and nodded once to encourage him to continue. "What's your idea, Commander?"

"Well, the Ensign realized her systems were under attack and took measures. Our ship's computer did not. This suggests the Ensign's defensive cyber warfare suite is more advanced than ours," Harva rumbled, Kat listening intently. "Ensign, do you think you could work with Operations and Engineering to strengthen our own defensive cyber warfare suite? Based on the type of attack we had levied against us?"

A nod from Kat. "I believe so, yes. Though, granted, it would only help against the kind of attack we suffered during this mission."

Considering this for a few moments, the captain nodded soon. "It's at least worth exploring, and perhaps a little creative thinking may consider other similar but different styles of attacks we could try to defend ourselves against. We are hardly moving into totally uncharted waters now, but this is a less-known and less-frequented area. A little anticipatory theorizing would not go amiss."

"Alright, we'll get on it," Harva smiled.

"Very good," Easton said. "I look forward to seeing what you come up with." With that, he turned back to the AI. "In the meantime while we're assessing your systems, is there anything else you may need or that I can help with?"

"Not that I can think of at the moment, Captain," Kat readily replied.

Easton nodded. "Well, if you do think of anything, please let me know?"

Kat smiled "I will, Sir. Thank you."

 

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