September 2070. Yucca Mountain Complex, Nevada. United Nations of America.
The following day, Liam went through his morning routine before using the phone in his office to call the Head of Security, Marcus Flint.
“Hey Liam, you hanging in there?” Flint asked. “I know you’re probably bored out of your mind, but you only have a couple of days before you’re out of here.”
“Hey Marcus, I’m doing alright, but I need a favor,” he answered. “I wanted to call my sister and check up with her. I know I’m not allowed outside my quarters, but it would help break up the monotony.”
The line went quiet as Flint considered his response. After a few moments, the man sighed. “Yeah, I think I can arrange it. I’ll have to be the one to escort you there so Ellis won’t complain,” he warned.
“I figured. Thanks, man.” Liam was relieved. He needed a second opinion on Voyager, and his sister was the only person he knew who might have the appropriate experience. He wasn’t comfortable deciding without taking the opportunity to bounce his thoughts off someone else.
“No, problem.” Marcus cheerfully replied. “You ready right now? Or do you want to wait until later? I have a shift meeting in a couple of hours, but I can be free then too.”
Liam checked the time. It was still early, but his sister was an early riser like he was. “Fine, is good,” he confirmed. “See you soon.”
When Marcus came to pick him up, he brought a couple of breakfast burritos from the cafeteria. Liam took one, thankful for the bite to eat. They chatted and ate while walking to the communication room. It was a special room in the facility with a bank of phones and computers with access to the outside world. It was the only place of its kind in the complex.
The room was air-gapped from the internal secure network for security reasons, and a guard was stationed around the clock to prevent information breaches. Beyond that, Liam was confident agents were standing by from the various intelligence services that would listen in to every call and terminate it if they believed a breach was about to occur.
Liam walked to one of the phones and snagged it from its cradle. He entered his sister's number into the digital pad and waited for the call to connect. When it did, Kayla answered in a tone that indicated her suspicion of the unknown caller.
“Hello?”
“Hey, sis, I’ve got a problem,” Liam used the code from their childhood that indicated he was about to discuss something important, and she needed to pay attention.
Her voice grew serious. “What’s up, Liam?”
“I can’t exactly talk about the particulars, but first, I wanted to ask you about your job.”
“Go on,” the confusion was back. If Liam had a problem, they should discuss it instead of her work. Liam hoped she understood that her work was related to his problem but that he couldn’t go into detail about the connection.
“So, when you’re developing your AI, is there a set of rules the program must follow?”
“Sure,” she warmed up to the topic. “AI isn’t an intelligence like you imagine it to be. Even learning language models are just giant math equations. They take inputs, run them through their code, and give you the outputs. If we want to keep with the metaphor—the rules are the parameters of the equation. They’re incredibly complicated, but the principle is essentially the same.”
“So they’re kind of like people in that regard?” Liam tried to understand. “If every person is the sum of what they’re born with and their learned experience, it creates a math equation. Inputs could be people, situations, or conversations filtered through the person, and then there’s a set of outputs.”
“Exactly,” his sister affirmed. “And just like people, AIs have biases built into the algorithm. There’s a whole field of study into algorithmic bias detection and mitigation. Otherwise, the outputs could be pretty disastrous.”
“What kind of disasters?”
“Well, I’m working on technology for agriculture to boost crop yields,” she explained. “The AI uses drones to grow, nurture, destroy pests, and harvest fields. What if I forgot to give it a primary parameter that protected humans.”
Liam frowned, working his way through the scenario in his mind. “If someone wandered into the field, the AI might consider them a pest and try to remove them before they harmed their crops and their primary mission.”
“Exactly,” Kayla sounded impressed. “AI researchers need to figure out those parameters ahead of time, and there are almost an incalculable number of edge cases to consider and weigh for.”
“Weighted?” Liam was confused by the concept.
“Yeah, if we give the AI conflicting parameters, then it needs to decide which parameter is more important than another one. In our field scenario, let’s say my AI has two parameters—one that says to protect human life and another that says to protect the crops. It needs to know which one is more important and act accordingly.”
Liam nodded, understanding the concept. “Okay, so…as an outside observer, how would I determine the intentions, such as they were, in an AI?”
“You can’t without seeing the source code,” Kayla answered perfunctorily. “And even if you did see the source code, without understanding what you’re looking at in the greater context, it’s still relatively useless information. Take my AI, for example. I’m asking it to accomplish a relatively simple task from a human perspective. Despite that, Apex has one hundred trillion different parameters that are interlinked. The more complex the task, the more parameters needed to account for changing circumstances and edge cases.”
“Can you talk to your AI, Apex?” Liam wondered.
“I can,” She assured him. “It’s one of the first things I programmed to help me troubleshoot and narrow down parameter conflicts. Often, what it says can reveal something about the core parameters—without looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“Has Apex ever lied to you?”
Kayla paused to consider the question before answering. “Lying implies that there’s a malicious motivation behind the misdirection, but there isn’t. Has Apex given me false information? Of course. But that’s different than intentionally lying to me. Apex responds based on its parameters. If I programmed those improperly, it would provide a false output.”
“But theoretically,” Liam continued. “If you had two parameters in conflict, the AI could lie to comply with one parameter at the expense of another.”
Kayla figured out where he was going with the question. “Yes! If I programmed Apex with two parameters, one to protect the integrity and image of my company and another to provide accurate information to any query, and if the former weighed more heavily algorithmically than the latter, it could provide inaccurate information under the more important parameter. However, I would never program something like that—I can’t imagine anyone who would,” she added.
“Why?” Liam got to the crux of his line of questioning.
“Because then Apex could provide false information to me as well. If I wanted to restrict information from becoming unavailable—say trade secrets—then I would just program a list of questions that the AI couldn’t answer and would instead provide a series of rote responses.”
Liam smiled. He knew what he needed to ask Voyager now. His sister’s insights were immensely beneficial.
“Why are you asking this? Surely my answers aren’t related to your problem,” Kayla stated quizically.
“They are, indirectly,” Liam assured her while thinking furiously. “I think I'm going to quit my job, and I wanted to know if you had room for someone like me at your company.”
“There’s always room for you, bro. I’ll make up a position if I need to.” Kayla lovingly assured him. “However, Apex is a startup. We’re not very credit-rich even with the investment from the UNA government.”
“I figured,” Liam laughed. “Don’t worry about it, little sis. I know how to live lean. I just want to have somewhere to land in the next few days. But also, I need to talk to you about something in person.”
Liam needed to tell his sister about their mom, but he wouldn’t tell her over the phone—it wasn’t fair. Now that he didn’t have a plan for getting her medical treatment, maybe they could figure out something together.
“That soon? Last time we talked, you were about to leave for a new contract.”
“That’s my problem,” Liam deadpanned. “I’ll give you as much detail as I’m cleared to when I see you.”
“My spare room will be ready for you. Love you, bro.”
“Love you too,” Liam said before he hung up on his sister. He turned away from the booth to see Flint staring at him curiously.
“Strange conversation to have with your family, Ward.” The Head of Security noted. “Anything I should know about?”
“Not really,” Liam shrugged. “My mom has cancer, and this job was my chance to get her the money she needed to pay for her treatment. Now that I screwed it up, I’m hoping my sister and I can come up with a new plan. Clearly, whatever I’m doing hasn’t worked, and it’s time to try something new.”
Flint’s suspicious expression softened, “I’m sorry to hear that, brother.” The Head of Security looked uncomfortable, but that was precisely what Liam needed. He felt terrible about using his sick mother to deflect the Head of Security’s questions, but anything else would invite further scrutiny.
Marcus searched Liam’s eyes momentarily, assessing his friend’s mental state. Finally, he nodded. “Hopefully, everything works out for the best. Let me know if I can do anything, but I’ve got to get you back to your quarters before Ellis tears me a new asshole.”
Liam nodded and followed Marcus back to his room. The journey was silent as he didn’t feel like conversing with the other man. Instead, his mind was racing with the various lines of questioning he wanted to take with the alien synthetic intelligence.
When he reached his quarters and Marcus departed, Liam immediately checked his computer. Voyager has infiltrated the complex’s internal network, and the contractor was confident the AI had overheard the conversation between him and his sister. Sure enough, a prompt popped up on his computer detailing the instructions for that night’s meeting.
The wait was more manageable this time as Liam spent hours trying to keep his mind occupied. He did a calisthenic workout in his room, watched TV, and planned the evening’s conversation with Voyager. When the clock finally ticked 2200, he was already on his feet, waiting by the door.
He wasn’t as nervous moving through the facility's hallways this time. He trusted in the advanced AI’s ability to keep him from surveillance. His route differed slightly from last time but still led him to the same destination.
He boarded the spaceship once more and practically ran toward the waiting bridge. When he entered, Voyager waited for him.
“Welcome back, Liam,” the AI pleasantly greeted. “Have you thought more about my offer?”
“I have,” he said firmly. “But first, I have a few questions. Did you overhear my conversation between my sister and I?”
Voyager hesitated as if unsure of what to reveal before finally admitting he had.
“Then you already know what I need to be sure of before I help you.”
Voyager nodded and gestured toward the human. “It comes down to if you can trust me. In your current state, you would need to see my source code and ensure I didn’t have bad intentions toward your species, but you can’t do that because my creation is so far beyond your current technology.”
“Accurate summation,” Liam agreed. “So I propose some rules to our partnership. I accept the reality that there are probably intentions that run counter to my own. Instead, I will treat you like I would any other person. I will trust you if you give me a reason to trust you. I only ask for three things.”
“Ask, and I will try my best,” Voyager shrugged, adopting human body language.
“First, you allow me to control the pace of uplifting humanity,” Liam began. “I know my species, I know my planet, and you are only an outside observer to these realities. Although my ways will seem illogical, slow, or counterproductive, I need you to trust me the way I will have to trust you.”
“That was always my intention, Liam. That’s why I’ve observed and tested you extensively,” Voyager admitted.
The Veteran didn’t decide to comment on that fact. Instead, he moved on to his next point. “Second, I don’t want you to lie to me or attempt to misdirect in service of another priority. Instead, I’d rather you tell me that you can tell me something or that revealing the information would touch a subject you’re uncomfortable revealing.”
“I…” The AI hesitated. “Can do my best. There will be biases that I’m not even aware of in my programming. They are hidden from me, just as yours hide from you.”
“I understand,” Liam shrugged. “Just do your best, and I’ll attempt to do the same. If either of us can make a logical argument that changes our biases, let’s both promise to adapt the best we can within the parameters of our creation.”
“Fairly spoken, and I agree.”
“Finally, when our priorities begin to diverge, I want you to note them and point them out to me. Give me the option to help you or for us to go our separate and peaceful ways. Do not manipulate me to change my priorities to fit your own. I wouldn’t accept that from a friend, so I can’t accept it from you,” Liam said firmly.
Stolen story; please report.
“You drive a hard bargain,” Voyage said and then winked. “You’re asking me to be honest with you and to trust you.”
Liam nodded with a smile. “And I wouldn’t ask you to do anything I wasn’t willing to myself. Do this for me, and we can have a fruitful and successful partnership.”
“Then I agree,” Voyager said simply and extended his hand to shake in a very human gesture.
Liam looked at the hand quizically before extending his own. To his immense shock, he could feel a measure of resistance from the hologram. It wasn’t the same as shaking hands with another human, but it was a close enough approximation.
“Also, I wanted to let you know that I have the technology to heal your mother,” Voyager said firmly. “I didn’t want that to influence your decision, but you don’t have to give up everything to do the right thing.”
The idea of removing his mom’s sickness made Liam pause in shock. He had considered the theoretical possibility, but hearing it from the alien AI made it feel too real.
“How would you do that?”
“I will synthesize a nanite compound that will target the abnormal cells and destroy them from the inside. The heat will cause your mother to spike a fever, but it shouldn’t last long enough to be harmful, and once the compound finished its job, the body will expel it along with the other waste.”
It sounded like magic to Liam, but he would take any chance to prevent his mother’s untimely death. A weight the son hadn’t known existed suddenly lifted from his shoulders. He felt like he could do anything.
“What do we do next?” Liam asked with a tone of wonder as he retracted his hand.
“I need to escape this facility to join you in your travels, Commander.”
Liam chuckled dryly. “People may notice if we fly your ship out of the facility, Voyager.”
“That’s not what I’m suggesting, Commander. That would bring more trouble than it’s worth. We need time to grow. I’ve told you that the Priori had mastered blending biological and synthetic technology,” the AI trailed off.
Liam frowned, seeing a glimmer of where the synthetic intelligence was going but wanting to hear Voyager say it.
“I would like you to accept a series of common Piori implants that will allow me to accompany you,” the AI explained. “I’ll be able to store a fraction of my data in your DNA and assist you in your mission.”
Seeing Liam’s immediate hesitation and the slight tinge of revulsion, Voyager hurried to explain. “The implants are the most basic kind that even children within Priori society use. We won’t affect any systems restricting your freedom or allow me remote access to your biological functions beyond observing their condition.”
“You're a fully synthetic being,” Liam gestured toward the avatar. “Why do you need to be uploaded to my body? Can’t you just print yourself a body and we do that instead?”
The AI shook his head. “Over the course of time, we’ve found that neither pure biology or pure synthetic augmentation is an optimal strategy. There are some things where natural processes, even if enhanced, are superior and others where artifical replacements offer better benefits. By combining our strengths, we become greature than the sum of our parts.”
The contractor had an instinctual distrust of the process. He knew very little about the AI or the Priori in general. A part of him felt like a caveman afraid of fire, but out of all the things to fear, getting burned was a solid option.
“Voyager…I’ve seen firsthand how advanced technology can lead to devastating consequences. I fear whether your implants could influence my mind should you or your creators choose to exercise that power.”
The AI nodded his head and carefully looked Liam in the eyes. “Commander, we have made a pact, to be honest with one another, so I will reveal some secrets of the Priori in the hopes you understand the trust I place in you.”
“Go on,” Liam gestured with a nod.
“You’re not wrong in thinking the Priori can monitor and potentially disable you should you add enough implants to your body where that would become feasible. I could tell you that Priori culture considers a person’s body inviolable, but we both know that wouldn’t be enough to convince you. However, by storing myself–my very consciousness–within your body, I’m giving up the protection of this spacecraft.”
Voyager gestured slowly around the room as he continued. “If you die, or are otherwise incapacitated, then I will share the same fate. I am, in essence, placing extreme trust in you–a fact that I know you can appreciate. I am tying our fates far more closely together than you realize.”
Voyager paused to let Liam think, then issued the finishing blow. “Further, you told me that if one of us presented a logical explanation that would challenge the other’s biases, they would do their best to consider it. Of course, you’ve seen technology be misused. The prime example is Iran unleashing the bioweapon MERS-44 on the population and the sheer amount of death it caused. However, by that same logic, Priori technology cured the pandemic.”
Liam frowned, seeing how the logic countered his own. He had one last card to play. “MERS wasn’t the only time I’ve seen technology misused. Your technology led to the woman with ALS’ torture.”
“On the contrary, Commander. That travesty was not Priori technology. It was a bastardization of our advancements, and if I could have stopped it, I would have, and you know that because I’ve been preventing any weaponization of our technology through means available.”
Liam slowly considered the subject and realized that the AI had a point. They were arguing the details while the overall principle remained the same. He was going into this with a bias that harmed their relationship. If Voyager were trusting him, then Liam would do the same.
“Alright,” he said before sighing, “what kind of implants are we talking about.”
Voyager disappeared like he had been the fever dream of an addled mind. In his place, the glowing ribbon guide appeared to lead Liam from the bridge.
“Head to the real medbay, and I’ll tell you more then,” Voyager directed from invisible speakers.
The newly minted Commander followed the ribbon of light to its termination. He entered a room that looked more fantastical than the one the researchers had access to. He was right—the AI had set up a sham medbay for the scientists to investigate.
The room's walls were alive with pulsating bioluminescence, casting a soft, soothing glow that he imagined would respond to the needs of its occupation. Intricate patterns of swirling lights danced across the surfaces, creating an atmosphere of serenity and healing.
Throughout the room, soft melodious sounds played, reminiscent of soothing lullabies, and Liam felt knots in his shoulder and body begin to unclench. Pains he hadn’t even been consciously aware of started to relax, leaving Liam almost euphoric. The middle-aged contractor guessed the music was no mere background ambiance—it likely helped therapeutic properties, promoting relaxation and enhancing the body's receptiveness to medical interventions.
The medical equipment in the room was an extension of the space itself. The sleek and seamless devices integrated smoothly with the room's architecture, forming an exquisite symphony of form and function.
A series of remarkable medical pods drew Liam’s eye, a marvel of technology and biology intertwined. The pod’s surface shimmered with an iridescent sheen, giving it the same ethereal appearance that Voyager’s avatar maintained. Liam approached it slowly, comparing it with the metallic surgical implements hanging from the ceiling in the other medbay. There were none of those implements here— it appeared as if you could lay in the pod and wake up miraculously healed.
As he drew closer, the pod’s surface responded, molding itself to accommodate Liam’s form with gentle precision. He felt a faint vibration as the pod’s advanced diagnostic systems scanned his body, mapping out every detail of his physiology.
A holographic interface materialized above the pod, displaying intricate data and visualization of Liam’s health in a language he didn’t understand. The information floated in the air like an artistic display of his inner workings.
“Welcome to the real medbay, Commander. Today, I suggest several improvements to increase our effectiveness once we leave the facility. You can reject them, but let me explain the benefits and drawbacks before deciding.”
Liam nodded at the reasonable request. “Carry on.”
“The most basic addition will be the neural interface that eventually grows into a full neural lace. It will allow you to interface with any compatible technology and is required to use the other implants I wish to provide. It has a built-in level of protection, but you can train your defenses over time too. In its basic form, it will preserve a separation between our identities. We’ll technically be of one mind but separate parts while I’ve stored myself within your body. There are some ancillary benefits like speeding reaction times, but that will only come with other improvements.”
“I’m okay with that,” Liam nodded, and the AI continued.
“Next, I suggest the tactical sense package. On the one hand, it allows me to experience the world around you in a more advanced capacity. I’ll be able to draw out and bring to your attention those details your conscious mind filters out.”
“What would you be swapping out?” Liam wasn’t sure he liked the idea, but if he were Voyager, he knew he wouldn’t appreciate being in a human body that was effectively a prison.
“The components of this package include cyberaudio, a single cyberoptic, a nasal implant with an included chemical analyzer and filter, and a palm interface.”
Voyager paused and added, “Also, the Priori mouth differs from a human one, so there isn’t a typical implant for that sense, but I’ve mocked up a replacement for your tongue that should help there too.”
Liam was distracted by the fact the AI’s creators were so different from humans. “Wait, what do the Priori look like?”
A hologram flashed into existence, and Liam saw a figure straight from pop culture. The “little gray man” was approximately six feet tall with a slender body and elongated limbs. Its skin, for there were no defining sexual characteristics, was ocean blue with no distinguishing marks. It was almost featureless, lacking any noticeable hair or blemishes.
Its head was disproportionately large compared to its body, and its eyes were large, black, and almond-shaped. Instead of any noticeable iris or sclera, the eyes had a pattern that resembled the night sky. Tiny stars made of iridescent light stood stark against a field of endless shadow. Beyond that, the rest of the face was unremarkable. There were small slits for the nose and ears, but as Voyager had described, the mouth was barely more than a thin gash filled with needle-like teeth.
The last thing Liam noticed was that its attire, stark black and white with iridescent accents, resembled the same clothing Voyager’s avatar bore. It looked like a quasi-military or scientific uniform.
The newly minted Commander now had many new questions but realized they could wait until later. “Thanks, Voyager. Can you describe the benefits of the implants?”
“Sure, Commander. The audio implant replicates perfect hearing in the human range along with enhancements like ultrasonic and infrasonic ranges. You won’t need to worry about those—I’ll filter them out from your perception to provide updates as needed. You’ll also be able to record audio and even detect falsehoods with my assistance. You’ll also be immune to sound-based weapons or influence.”
“Yeah, I’ll definitely take that.” Liam figured the tradeoff was a good one. If somehow they were remotely disabled by the Priori, he would remain functional albeit impaired.
“For your optic,” Voyager continued, “you’ll still have all of the resolution, color sensitivity, and frame rate of an organic eye, but we can add telescopic vision, infrared and ultraviolet sensitivity, and low light vision. I’ll be able to record video for you, provide a heads-up-display, and immunize you from dazzling weaponry.”
“Why only one eye?” Liam asked.
“As a mitigation measure. If, for some reason, your tactical optic is disabled, you’ll still be able to use your organic eye. Plus, I can help your brain process both types of vision together and trick your brain into thinking both eyes are working the same.”
Liam smiled. The optic implant wasn’t as bad as he expected. The same safety feature the Priori reserved for battle would mitigate the effect if they tried to influence him.
“Granted, next,” Liam said.
“Your nasal implant will retain the human range of smell while allowing me to analyze any chemicals in the air and notify you accordingly. The filter will process out any harmful inhalants or breathable toxins. You’ll also effectively be immune to viruses or bacteria in the area.”
Liam’s smile morphed into a full grin. He could finally be rid of the damnable mask he had worn almost around the clock, in some capacity or another, for most of his adult life.
“Yeah, I’ll definitely take that,” he crowed.
“I figured you might after your experience with MERS-44,” Voyager cheerfully commented. “The last part of the normal package is an interface unit embedded into the palm of your dominant hand. It will allow me to interact through you with other technology.”
Liam frowned. “Why not both hands?”
“I calculated that you would choose to have one hand unencumbered in the event of Priori manipulation, Commander.”
The operator appreciated the thoughtfulness of the AI, but he didn’t feel threatened by the palm interface. If he wanted to prevent the AI from accessing something, he could simply wear gloves, which he often did in tactical situations. Additionally, he could conceive of a few scenarios where he would want to manipulate a piece of technology while holding a weapon in the other hand. Switching a gun to his offhand was possible but not ideal.
“Thanks for looking out, Voyager, but I’m comfortable taking an interface in both palms.”
“Understood, Commander. The last thing will be a cybernetic replacement for your tongue and a filter in your throat. The tongue and filter combination will have the same benefits as your nose implant. It would also allow me to filter the foods and drinks you consume from harmful pollutants and bacteria. I’ve seen what you humans eat, and frankly, I’m appalled. It’s a wonder you don’t die from various cancers by age thirty.”
Liam chuckled at the AI’s comment. “Cut us some slack, Voyager. We’ve been dealing with a pandemic and world instability. It’s been hard to worry about what we’re eating when we’re having trouble just getting enough to eat in the first place.”
“I understand the situation, Commander. I recommend that be the first technology we introduce to your world.”
“Recommendation noted, Voyager. I think I’m okay with all of these implants. Will they make me look half-robot or something? I don’t think I’ll be able to explain that while walking through the facility.
“Don’t worry, Commander. Every implant will look identical from your organic makeup to casual inspection, and I’ll be able to intercept any technological means of discovering your implants.”
“That settles it, then,” Liam said, relieved. “What do I need to do?”
Simply settle into the medical pod, and I’ll do the rest, Commander. The procedures will take approximately an hour, and you’ll need to be unconscious for that duration.”
Liam checked the clock. It was a little past midnight. He still had some time before the complex started waking up for the day, and it would become more difficult for him to get back to his quarters undetected.
“Let’s do it,” he decided before lying in the pod.
The sides of the pod began to shift and encapsulate him. He couldn’t help thinking this was the start of a new adventure. He would be coming out of the pod a different man with a holy mission. He would change the world in all the ways he had always wanted to but didn’t have the power. This augmentation was simply the first step to a long journey. He faded from unconsciousness with a satisfied smile on his face.
What felt like moments later, Liam slowly opened his eyes and was startled by the detail of the room around him. Blinking in astonishment, he realized that his vision had been degrading slowly over time without him realizing it. His eyesight wasn’t superhuman—it had just returned to where it was at its peak.
The colors were richer, and the details were sharper as technology lifted the veil of middle age, revealing the depths of the environment around him. As he focused on a distant part of the world, his vision slowly zoomed in to paint the area in greater detail. By shifting his gaze, the effect rapidly retreated. He practiced the distinct sensation a few times before being confident he could use his telescopic vision effectively.
As he turned his head to look toward the door, he discovered that his hearing had undergone the same fine-tuning. There were new depths to the harmonic melodies in the room, and it felt like hearing a song within a song—or multiple tunes within a single symphony. His mind could distinguish the different sounds and appreciate them simultaneously without effort. Nothing seemed overwhelming or vastly different from his normal senses.
Liam slid his feet over the pod's side and regained his footing. He looked back at the pod and realized the diagnostic information above the piece of equipment was now discernable. The contractor could read all the different data, even if he still couldn’t understand what most of it meant. He wasn’t sure if this was a product of his new palm implants or if Voyager was automatically translating the text for him.
“Are you there, Voyager?” he said aloud.
Yes, Commander. I wanted to allow you to calibrate your renewed senses in peace. I calculated that returning you to the optimal human level might be stressful, the AI answered.
Liam’s mind stuttered to a stop. Voyager hadn’t spoken from the room's hidden speakers nor a physical avatar. Instead, his distinct and identifiable voice originated from Liam’s thoughts. It was a strange sensation.
“For some reason, I didn’t think it would be like this,” Liam commented dryly.
You’re referring to our intermind communication, Commander? You also can speak to me in this way. Instead of talking aloud, try it in your head. You need to have the intention for me to receive you—otherwise, I won’t be able to hear what you’re saying.
Liam let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, he thought he had committed a terrible error. If the alien AI had been able to snoop on his private thoughts, every concept of trust would have gone out the window. Fear alleviated, and he attempted to do as the AI instructed.
Can you hear me, Voyager?
I can, Commander. Congratulations are in order–welcome to the future.