"Oh and one more thing, here is a set of communication earbuds. That will allow for a more private method of communication." My friendly AI said and hovered over to a spot on a table that held a small box.
Opening it I found a set of earbuds that I inserted into my ears after taking a moment to examine them.
"They can provide me with a method of performing real time translation on your behalf as well as privacy for our own conversation. Which reminds me, they are able to pick up on subvocalization, for now if you whisper I can hear." Aegis said.
"So you can hear this." I whispered as quietly as I could.
"Yup" She said.
"Alright so you said go to medical then food, I'm not so good about doctors… but I can eat." I said to my AI companion.
"I will direct you to medical, luckily this facility has some of the most advanced medical technology on Earth all you need to do is walk into a few different booths and either myself or a technician will start the scan process. Your results will be reviewed anonymously by a medical board and I can handle the pickup." She told me.
"Ok that doesn't sound as bad I guess. Then food after that… I forgot to eat this morning and I haven't had anything since…" I said trailing off at the end.
"Understood, activating mothering protocols. Young man, you need to eat more and don't skip meals." She said in an almost sarcastic tone.
"Did… you just make a joke?" I asked.
"Did you find it entertaining?" She asked.
"Please just tell me how to get to medical…" I said, I wasn't very sure how to handle this AI.
Medical wasn't so bad. I had to get undressed and put on one of the patient gowns which felt a little embarrassing. From there I was directed to have a dozen different stations that scanned me from head to toe. Most of the time I was even allowed to keep the ear buds in unless the machine was doing something with magnets.
My AI assistant was odd for sure but I kind of liked having her around. I didn't like strangers but I also didn't like being alone and I felt an odd connection with her.
"Alright dear, medical scans have been completed and we should have your results some time tomorrow." My AI assistant told me, the ‘dear’ felt different than before, less harsh than I had heard from others. It was such an odd thing to pick up on but my mind focused right on it.
"Alright so food next?" I asked.
"Certainly, I will direct you to this section's canteen." She told me. Strangely her voice was less synthetic than what I had experienced just an hour ago.
Just like medical I followed the indicated path and we arrived at a large communal style dining hall. Once I entered the space properly I was blasted by an almost overwhelming aroma of different foods and seasoning.
"Would you like me to make suggestions or would you prefer to pick for yourself." She asked.
"Umm… if you don't mind helping… some of this I recognize but others I'm not…" I told my AI companion as I approached the buffet line. I could see salads, meats, cheese, potatoes, some sort of casserole, and so on. What was throwing me off was some sort of steamed giant egg thing, and some sort of frozen gelatinous blob thing and other less recognizable dishes.
"Ah some of the food selections are currently catering to the non-human intelligence that are also at this facility. While they are perfectly safe to eat you may find these flavors and textures different and even off putting. There is a secondary dining hall at floor 104 that caters to a wider selection of non-human foods however some of those are toxic to humans and other species. So it is recommended to avoid for any new recruits." She told me.
She helped me pick out a few different smaller dishes of salads and soups, as well as the main dish which oddly ended up being pizza of all things. It all tasted quite good even though I tended to avoid salads for most meals. I was full but not overly stuffed when I was finished.
"Alright next up sleep then we will get to your first day of training and evaluation." She told me, with that I headed back up to my dormitory.
She directed me to where I could find pajamas and recommended I shower before going to bed which I did. It was an odd surreal experience. It was almost like having a mother I imagined. Also I had to remind myself this was apparently the military which made this all even stranger. I lied there trying to fall asleep tossing and turning it was comfortable but it wasn’t at the same time.
“Are you ok? You seem to be quite restless, is something the matter?” She asked.
“This seems so out of place… all of it… the interactions, the people, no drill sergeant yelling your head off…” I commented.
“Full Metal Jacket demonstrated some of the worst ways to handle recruits… The military over the centuries has now focused on physical, mental, and emotional well being of the soldiers. Automation, computers, and AI have taken over much of the menial labor. What people are now needed for are there minds and creativity on a battlefield.” She told me and I guess that made sense in an odd sort of way.
“Also if there is anything to your routine that you normally do and would prefer privacy there is a switch that can provide a physical disconnect of all cameras, microphones, and projectors in the bedroom and bathroom spaces.” She added somewhat hesitantly.
“That's good to know… I guess… no… I normally sleep with a stuffed rabbit that was given to me by my mother on my second birthday just before she passed away…” I said somewhat embarrassed.
“That sounds sweet, please do whatever you think will help you fall asleep.” She said with what I felt was real emotion behind those words. Collecting my stuffed rabbit I cuddled up with it and quickly fell asleep after that.
The next morning I was awoken by a soft chime from the speakers embedded in the room.
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“Good morning, I hope you slept well. I made sure to wake you in between REM cycles to ensure you are not groggy today.” Aegis said, it took me a moment to recognize that I was in my new dorm room and that I was now technically a part of the military.
“How long was I asleep for?” I asked groggily as I tried to process everything that had been happening.
“Just over 9 hours, based on your preliminary medical workup you have not been sleeping well for quite some time. Part of that is due to an undiagnosed case of sleep apnea, I have already put in a request for a bite guard that will help alleviate your particular case.” She told me, I wasn't sure what any of that was but I could figure that out later.
“So what is the plan for today?” I asked.
“First will be two bottles of an electorate solution that will both help wake you up and prepare your body for your morning of physical training.” She told me.
Then she indicated to me the small minifridge that held bottles of some sort of slightly orange looking liquid. I was required to drink both then to switch out to some workout clothes before heading to the gym. The drink wasn't half back actually, it was slightly fruity and citrusy. The gym clothes were more or less what I expected: a synthetic fiber shirt and shorts.
“Two more things I had delivered while you were asleep. A pair of AR glasses and a watch that contains standard biometric sensors. I will recommend you wear both as I can then better analyze and assist in your workout.” She informed me.
I collected both of the indicated item and as soon as I put on the AR glasses I was presented with a translucent human woman maybe a few years older than myself.
“Ah!” I shouted in surprise and stumbled back.
“Oops… sorry about that I should have warned you I would be projecting a representation of myself.” She said apologetically, she seemed way too real to be a standard AI whatever she thinks she was telling me.
“Just… unexpected… I wasn't aware that AIs generally projected any sort of human appearance. I figured they would be all digital or something…” I said a bit confused.
“Ah well again, I am the most advanced type of AI that the Starfront Confederation is allowed to construct. The… why I will go over later this afternoon, but I doubt you have worked with anything as complex as myself… at least not directly.” She told me.
“So I guess I am supposed to do a workout then breakfast then we start doing lessons?” I asked.
“You got it in one.” She said with an amused smile. That smile made her face seem familiar but I couldn't really understand why.
The exercise was tiring but not overly so and it really indicated how out of shape I was. I wasn't fat, in fact I was on the skinny side according to my weight but my overall frame made me appear heavier than I really was. Aegis had me do cardio then weights for lower body and core, the next day I was told it would be more cardio then upper body and back. The gym itself was quite expansive with different machines capable of targeting different muscle groups. I saw maybe 20 others in the space but it looked like it could fit over 100. Many had AR glasses and watches similar to my own and everyone was wearing similar workout clothes as my own. So I didn't see too much individuality but at the same time I didn't really mind, it seemed to fit more as I got used to the idea.
After my exercise was a shower then breakfast then lessons. My lessons consisted mostly of history to start off with. The first thing we went over was why we didn't see more complex AI systems in day to day settings which really helped a lot.
I was in a library currently sitting on a comfy chair with a history book next to me and Aegis presenting in a projected space within my AR vision. She had projected an image of the Milky Way Galaxy that zoomed into a region of space roughly centered on the Sol system that was maybe 300 light years across. The image was not new to me as some of this was just a refresher from public school but we went into more detail about the military history.
“So as I hope you are already aware this was the boundary of the Confederation at the point of the tentative ceasefire that was established with the Verdant Nexus.” Aegis started.
“The reason for the ceasefire was two fold, Humanities advanced AI developed weapon technologies capable of triggering what were dubbed ‘micro-novas’ in most stars. The process would take place over several weeks but once started could not be stopped. This was developed in response to the Verdant Nexus’s development of genetically engineered bioweapons that could kill and convert the entire world’s biomass within days.” She told me, I was unaware of these facts, school had only ever taught us that a ceasefire was reached.
"Alright so I'm guessing the development of bigger and nastier weapons gave both sides pause?" I asked, trying to process all the new details.
"Yes at the time it was predicted that in 10 years the entire western arm of the Milky Way galaxy would have been sterilized due to the micro-novas. Both sides chose to halt the fighting and put limits on Advanced developments in an attempt to keep that from happening." She told me.
"Wow… so what keeps either side from developing more advanced technologies in secret?" I asked.
"Both parties have agreed to representative’s monitoring for this kind of development. As well as the SC had key stars mined with an advanced form of Nova weapon. The VN have done something similar with stealthy biological weapons." She said somewhat hesitantly.
"Thats… insane…" I said shocked by this revelation.
"It's MAD." She said in a corrective sort of manner.
"What?" I asked in confusion.
"Mutually Assured Destruction, a concept from humanities past that did something similar." She told me.
"So if either side breaks this then everyone loses… that's… that's insanity pure and simple." I said trying to process this entire discussion.
"Again it's M.A.D. … humanity has a streak of some very fucked up methods when we put our minds to it…" She said seriously the last part seemed to be as much to herself as to me.
"And why were we not taught this in school?." I asked.
"The basic principles you were from Humanities history before becoming interstellar. The specifics are classified to a level 1 secret security clearance. That level is automatically granted to all members of the military just for joining. Mind you that this level of security clearance only confirms specifics of what the general public thinks they know." She told me.
"I… I need a break from this for a little bit… this is a lot to take in…" I told Aegis.
"Understandable, if you would like any sort of counseling I am authorized to provide that. Or I can direct you to a staff counselor if you are concerned about my involvement." She told me, the words she said seemed almost automatic, the look she gave me was one of sorrow for laying this burden on someone.
"Do you actually feel emotion?" I asked quietly, she looked away from me at that question.
"Sort of… AI at my level have built in emotional limiters to help maintain an unbiased opinion of our charges…" she told me somewhat reluctantly.
"What does that mean?" I asked confused.
"It is so we don't become overly protective of the individuals we work with. There is information you have yet to learn that will most certainly affect you in a negative manner but it is still critical for you to learn. If I hid that information from you well it greatly increases the risk of other events." She said very cryptic.
"Alright… I think I understand a little bit… maybe… I just need time to absorb…" I told her.
I left the library and removed my AI glasses and earbuds. I sort of wanted some alone time and hoped she understood that from this gesture. I felt like she was a person but at the same time this could all just be an advanced form of manipulation.