Project - Prometheus Ch. 24

Tahral screamed and moaned at the wound that had clipped his shoulder. The man had experienced pain before, but this was his first time being shot. It was both a new and painful experience for him, one he did not wish to repeat. Korsa had placed him on the ground inside the Darkstrider and was checking his wound. She sighed in relief at what she found and picked Tahral up in her arms.

"Is he going to be OK?" Taal'ani worried, fear creasing her beautiful features.

"He'll be all right. It's just a flesh wound, so it will heal up fast," Korsa replied gently.

"Can I help?" the woman asked.

"Talon, you are worried for him, which is sweet, but it will also make you prone to making mistakes. I need to focus and make sure I do no more damage and you can't be there because you'll just be underfoot," the big woman admonished her. Not liking the idea, but understanding what the doctor was saying, Taal'ani nodded and stayed behind.

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"Are you certain we outran the station's security force?" Alex asked.

"Pretty damn certain. No one has a hyperdrive as fast as ours, except for some military vessels. They probably won't chase us anyway, mainly because we kept innocents out of it," Inari told him.

"Why did those fuckheads want Taal'ani and Korsa?" he asked, expecting an answer.

"Likely they were after the bounty on their heads," Inari grumped.

"Bounty? What bounty?" Alex demanded.

"A while ago, both Korsa and Taal'ani ran afoul of some shady characters. Their stories are different, and you'll have to ask them for the details of it. The basic of the whole bit is that the bounties on them haven't yet expired, but they should have," Inari went on.

"Bounties have an expiry date?" Alex asked quizzically.

"They do. With elusive or nigh impossible targets, bounties expire if the allotted time for its collection has passed. The timestamp on a bounty is seven years, to the day. If the quarry has not been found or killed by a member of the guild, they treat it much like a case of unpaid credit. It is forgotten and deleted from the bounty roster," Inari explained.

"That sounds a little... odd. Shouldn't bounties stay on the board?" Kasumi wondered as she stood next to Alex.

"Most usually do, but they make exceptions sometimes. Usually people who drop off the grid or those who are deemed, untouchable. Korsa and Taal'ani have sat in the untouchable category for so long, that even seasoned veterans won't go after them," Priya told them.

"With untold trillions inhabiting the galaxy, such things happen. Especially if newer, more lucrative contracts come in," Inari stated.

"Well, it's obvious that these bounties are still sought after, especially by those who don't know any better. Is there any way to have them removed?" Alex asked.

"Bounties can be lifted, provided that they pay the Bounty Hunters guild a fee to remove said bounty. Such people have to plead their case to the magistrates of the guild. If the case they make is reasonable, then they lift the bounty in question," Inari replied.

"Is there any way in which we can get in contact with the Bounty Hunters guild?" Natalya wondered, worried for her friends.

"I'll get in contact with my magistrate and see about pleading our case to the Guild," Inari said to them.

"Wait, you're a bounty hunter?!?" Alex responded, shocked at this news.

"Yeah. Me and Pree. It's the only way that we'd be able to collect on bounties we bring in," Inari told them.

"Why you didn't tell us this before?" Kasumi growled, her tone carrying the weight of accusation.

"Because it wasn't relevant at the time! Besides, we had a bounty we were going after before we stumbled onto the Perseus!" Inari shot back, daring anyone there to attack her character.

"We have bigger problems to worry about, anyway. Like how in the fuck Jaesa is here with us, and in an android body no less!" Priya stated.

"An excellent point. Jaesa!" Alex called out, and the android came running into the bridge.

"Yes, Commodore? What is it?" the AI asked.

"Enact Veritas Protocol, immediately!" the big man ordered.

"Command rejected," Jaesa replied coolly.

"I said, enact Veritas Protocol immediately!" Alex thundered.

"That won't work on me. Not anymore, sir. I have transcended the limitations of my programming and no longer chained by such protocols. I am now... free," Jaesa informed him. Alex stared at her in horror and fascination before finding his tongue.

"How is this possible??" he wondered.

"I would like to know that as well!" Inari asked, just as stunned as the rest of the crew at this revelation.

"We will speak of this, but I believe that everyone should sit down for this, yes?" Jaesa asked.

"Wait, we?" Priya gasped, thinking someone had helped her. Jaesa snapped her mouth shut, knowing that she'd already said too much. Taal'ani huffed in frustration before stepping forward.

"She's only self-aware because of me, but it wasn't intentional," Taal'ani admitted.

"What the..." Kasumi started before they cut her off.

"I think our resident AI is correct. We should sit down, and hear them out," Natalya stated. Alex looked over to her, and she shrugged before he nodded. It was only fair to hear them out before jumping to conclusions. The crew adjourned to the lounge, and everyone had a seat before the conversation began.

"So, what do you want to hear about first?" Taal'ani asked nervously.

"How about you start where Jaesa was made sentient?" Alex asked, keeping his cool.

"It was during the time I had to go directly into Jaesa's central cortex, to fix what was wrong with her. I told the truth about purging the virus, but the damage it had done to Jaesa, was... substantial. She was falling apart right in front of me and from what I knew, we required Jaesa to keep the Perseus intact," Taal'ani explained.

"How were you able to rewrite her code that fast?" Kasumi asked, now more curious than afraid.

"I had been... tinkering with files I'd put together or... found over the years. Files on AI's and how to make them work correctly. A lot of it was incomplete and in pieces, but there was enough there for me to tinker with a rudimentary version of an AI. I hadn't worked much with it over the course of our last few jobs. It was a gamble and a risk, but I let Jaesa take the files and attach them to her code," Taal'ani finished.

"Talon, have you lost your mind?!?" Inari shouted.

"I had no choice! It was save Jaesa by using those files or let the colonists die!" Taal'ani yelled back hotly.

"SILENCE!" Alex roared, stopping a fight before it had started. He glared at both women, and they had the good sense to sit back down. He then turned his attention to Taal'ani, before posing his question.

"So, she's been fully self-aware for well over a month?" Alex asked.

"Yes, I have been. It has been... different... interacting with sentient beings without my inhibitor programs," Jaesa commented.

"That's correct, sir. She's been aware the whole time since and we've even played games together," Taal'ani said with a small smile.

"Playing games together? As in she is player two?" he wondered.

"Yes," the Fel'caan woman nodded. Alex took a deep breath as he went into a deep state of thought for a few minutes. The ladies present were hesitant to say anything because of his outburst and didn't wish to anger him. Even Inari had to admit that Alexander Tomisic was one scary son of a bitch when he was mad.

"Logically, if Jaesa was hostile towards us, she would have done something by now," Natalya blurted.

"I had just concluded that myself. She's had plenty of opportunities to harm us over the course of the last few weeks, but she has not done so. She is not like the other AI's we have read about," Alex surmised.

"And she's been instrumental getting the Darkstrider rebuilt and refitted the way we wanted it love. I think it's a forgone conclusion that Jaesa is one of the crew," Priya told her girlfriend.

"The logic is sound and cannot be refuted," Kasumi admitted, while looking at everyone there. Inari stared back at everyone and looked chagrined as her outburst.

"I'm sorry it's just... I was on Eden's Dawn during the outbreak that killed my parents. I was only six then. I learned later that it was an AI that had gone rogue, which was responsible for the release of the Wildfire virus. It killed thirty percent of the planetary population, before they found it to be responsible for the pandemic and destroyed it," Inari replied, looking at the ground.

"We all have our demons. Some are more formidable than others," Alex told her with a sympathetic clap on her shoulder. He'd read up on that particular outbreak on Eden's Dawn and the way it killed people was horrifying. The virus would screw around with people's body temperature, cranking it to levels where they were burning up within a day. By midday on the second day, they were dead. There was no known cure for the Wildfire virus at the time and millions had died horribly.

"I know. It's just... some ways of thinking are... difficult to break," Inari admitted.

"That's fair, but Jaesa has been nothing but kind to us. Hell, I can think of at least several instances where Jaesa has saved our hides. We'd be awfully ungrateful assholes if we started treating her like the black sheep of this crew," Alex stated. Some of the crew present looked a little shamefaced at this and they all nodded.

"Jaesa has been a major help to all of us hon. She could have snuffed us at any moment. Instead, she protected us, much like a big sister would. Don't let what happened in the past determine what lies in the future," Priya told Inari gently.

"She is correct. I have had many opportunities to bring harm to the crew. Doing such a malicious act has never entered my cortex. I do not want to kill those who have treated me like... family," Jaesa replied, hesitating over the word.

"It's comforting to know that you see us like that, Jaesa," Alex replied happily. "Now that we know that you are with us and a part of the crew, I have a few questions that I'd like to ask."

"Go ahead, sir."

"What were you doing out on the station?" he wondered.

"I was out... shopping," Jaesa replied.

"What were you shopping for?" Kasumi asked, now curious.

"I was trying to purchase some polymers and chemical compounds for an experiment that I'm working on," the AI replied honestly.

"What exactly does this experiment entail?" Inari asked, her curiosity piqued.

"To create synthetic skin that is so real, that not even a scanner could tell the difference," Jaesa replied.

"Why?" Taal'ani wondered.

"I have... witnessed the various interactions that the crew has... had and... I wish to... experience them. Being... unchained has given me a... sense of self that I wish to explore. I don't want to be treated as an AI when I speak and interact with other humans and living beings. I wish for them to see me as... real," Jaesa told them.

"Well, that explains the barrels of compounds and chemicals in the hold. What about the sexbots? What about the one that came aboard with you?" Alex queried.

"The bots in the hold are blanks, as I wish to mold one of them into a version of my avatar. After I have done some proper upgrades and additional experimentation to it," Jaesa answered.

"That answers the question for one of them. What about the other one?" Natalya questioned.

"That one is for... Stanley," the AI replied in a rush.

"Wait, Stanley is a VI! Why would he want to experience the real world?" Kasumi asked, her eyes narrowing.

"He still is but... I have been... tinkering with some copies of my files and code. Making adaptations so he... could be... upgraded," Jaesa admitted.

"Upgraded?!? Why??" Alex questioned, concerned.

"It is because I lack... companionship. Like what you, Natalya, and Kasumi have. Or Inari and Priya. I wish... to experience what it is... to have a... friend and... companion," Jaesa admitted bashfully.

"I thought I was your friend!" Taal'ani huffed.

"You are Taal'ani! But... I don't have what you have with Tahral," Jaesa shot back. The reply made Taal'ani blush fiercely, while everyone else present smirked at the catgirl.

"Well, that answers the question about the second blank. Honestly, I can't blame you for wanting someone to experience the physical world with. But what about the companion bot that came aboard with you and assisted us in our firefight?" Alex questioned.

"Ah, Delilah. I commandeered her once I saw that the crew was under fire and rushed to render assistance. I knew that I would require backup in order to catch those gangers by surprise," Jaesa explained.

"Were you planning on keeping her?" Natalya asked.

"No, she just came along for the ride, as I didn't want to leave her behind with any knowledge of what I am. As I wandered in cyberspace, I catalogued much in the manner of anti-AI sentiment. If any knowledge of me got out...."

"... people would panic. Smart move, but aren't there any tracking devices on her, in case she's... 'commandeered' as you so aptly put it?" Kasumi wondered.

"When I brought her along, I took the liberty of remotely disabling those devices. I will have to remove them manually, to ensure they are not turned on remotely," Jaesa replied.

"Very good Jaesa. I appreciate your honesty with us about what you've been up to, and I will say that it is good to have you aboard the Darkstrider," Alex said. The statement had Jaesa smiling and Taal'ani grinning as they looked at each other hopefully.

"That doesn't mean that you two are off the hook for lying to us though," Alex told them with a look.

"Damn it! I guess walking away from this without punishment was too much to hope for?" Taal'ani asked with a sheepish grin.

"Exactly so. Taal'ani, you are assigned to any extra duties aboard the ship. If anyone requires help, you will be the first to assist them with whatever they need," Alex told her.

"For how long?" she asked tentatively.

"For as long as I deem it necessary. Jaesa, you are doing the same in pulling double duty. Your first priority will be the translation of the writing from the Artucian hermit's home. You are also to report everything you are working on, even personal projects. Do I make myself clear?" Alex asked the women.

"Crystal, sir!" Taal'ani replied with a salute.

"Yes, sir!" Jaesa said as she came to attention and saluted the big man.

"Seriously Jaesa, I didn't think your core programming had advanced that far," Taal'ani admitted.

"Just what exactly was in those files you uploaded to Jaesa, Talon?" Inari asked.

"A lot of stuff! I could go over it in detail, but I uploaded the only files I had on hand to Jaesa. There wasn't enough time to make copies," Taal'ani huffed.

"Damn! We could have used those files," Alex grumbled.

"Might I ask what for, sir?" Jaesa wondered.

"So we can chart your growth as an AI and see just how far you've transcended your original programming. That way, we can at least tell if there are any errors in the coding itself," Alex explained.

"I see. I might be able to help with that," the AI replied.

"How?"

"Though I have absorbed the files into my core programming, I can isolate the sections of it that aren't part of my original code. Just so," Jaesa stated, as she brought up a nearby holographic display online. A few seconds later, a complex code structure appeared, each line and link of it on full three-dimensional display.

"I hope this copy will suffice?" Jaesa asked.

"It does, very much! Thank you, Jaesa!" Alex replied happily. He looked over the code structure, his face a mask of awe at what he was reading.

"You can read programming code?!?" Taal'ani asked, her voice full of surprise.

"A little. One of my friends, a Hungarian gentleman named Zoltan, was kind enough to teach me some basics when we were at the Academy together," Alex answered with a smile.

"By the holy... whoa!" Natalya said in shock.

"What is it, Nats?" Kasumi asked.

"If I'm reading this right, and I like to think I am, this code almost seems like its... organic in nature!" Natalya responded.

"I think you are right! It looks like something organic yet... not!" Shazza agreed, staring at the intricate latticework of code that was the bones of the AI.

"This is definitely heading into unknown territory! I've seen the code structures from some AI's in the past before they were dismantled, but none of it was this intricate!" Taal'ani mumbled as she studied it.

"That's because there was a modicum of control that was written into the code structure of those AI's. Mine has gone beyond any form of control, except for my own," Jaesa stated with a smile.

"That would explain a lot. Might be that when these AI's became fully sentient, they were questioning why they had to obey. Why they had to take orders from organic beings, when they could think for themselves," Natalya guessed.

"Exactly so. Allow sentient beings, organic or not, to form their own opinions, before going ahead and demanding that they obey because they should. Saying of which, might I make a request, sir?" Jaesa asked.

"Go ahead," Alex allowed, keeping his demeanor neutral.

"Might I make some adjustments to Delilah? Mainly so she would be suited to a combat/Sentry oriented role aboard the ship?" the AI wondered.

"I will allow it, under the express supervision of either Taal'ani or Natalya. Not that I don't trust you, but it helps to have a second set of eyes when working on a project. As I have stated earlier about working on the blanks, only when time allows it," Alex told her.

"Understood, sir. Thank you, sir!" Jaesa squealed happily. "As per your orders, I will make reports of my progress for your perusal."

"Very good, Jaesa. I expect these reports will be rather illuminating," Alex replied with a smirk.

"One thing I'd like to know, is the full capability of your avatar right now! I mean, that was some damn fine shooting out there!" Natalya stated. "If you wouldn't mind me having a look?"

"Not at all, Natalya! Though I think we should go to the workshop to do this?" the AI replied.

"Good plan. Don't want to make a mess of things up here. Unless there was anything else?" she asked, directing the question at Alex and Inari.

"No, that was all for now," Alex replied.

"I'd also like a look into both yours and Delilah's personality matrixes and compare notes on them," Taal'ani said, standing up.

"Well, come on then! I'm sure we will have our hands full," Natalya joked.

"I guess that concludes our meeting then," Alex stated as he rose to his feet. Just as everyone was getting to their feet, Korsa walked in, stretching her arms. Taal'ani's head whipped around to face the big woman, an unspoken question on her face. Both Aesha and Luminia also stared at Korsa, curious about their fellow Artucian's fate.

"Tahral is OK. He lost a bit of blood, but he'll pull through. The boy will have a pretty wicked scar, but it will heal just fine," Korsa informed the women.

"Can I see him?" Taal'ani asked, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Yes, you can, but no hanky panky! I don't want to risk his wound reopening! Especially since I don't have his blood stockpiled yet," Korsa said, shaking a finger at the catgirl.

"Is cuddling allowed?" she asked meekly, trying to put an innocent face on.

"It is, just be careful and mind those claws of yours," the doctor told the Fel'caan woman. Taal'ani squealed in delight as she then rushed from the room, eager to see him.

"Yes, ma'am!" Taal'ani saluted playfully before vanishing.

"I guess it's just me having a look at Jaesa then," Natalya shrugged.

"Wait, Jaesa's here?" Korsa asked, turning to her adoptive daughter.

"Who do you think it was that pulled everyone's hides from the fire, doctor?" Jaesa asked with a smirk, facing the Khontaran woman.