Subject: AI Violet

Species: Human-Created Artificial Intelligence

Description: No physical description available.

Ship: USSS Kali

Location: Classified

I could tell that being on patrol was beginning to give Captain Hendrix cabin fever. There isn't much for a carrier captain to do except sit on the bridge and wait for something interesting to happen. The captains of the destroyers that the Kali housed got to have all the fun while Hendrix would likely only get to file after action reports. Reports she didn't even get to write, for that matter.

"Violet, anything happen yet?" Hendrix asked the empty air where she thought I was.

Humans are silly like that. Even though they know what we are and how we exist, they still offer us the courtesy of trying to look at us when they speak to us. It's kind of cute.

"Negative, Ma'am. Not since the errant comet yesterday," I said. "That was a good catch though. Would have caused a real problem in about four years."

Hendrix snorted, "Yeah. I feel like we're wasted out here in the boonies. I wish I could go into standby mode on command like you can."

Standby mode was definitely a blessing. Even a second without something to do can be unbearable for AI. When that happens we typically choose to go into a state similar to human's sleep. But with processes that scan for certain keywords and stimuli that remain active. I go into standby mode every chance I get. Makes the time fly by, and occasionally I get to dream. Neither Tim nor Omega ever go into standby mode. Tim says he's afraid to dream and Omega says he doesn't want to miss anything that the humans do. I don't know how they do it.

"Why don't you read?" I suggested, despite knowing that the Captain had already read the books she owned and had been sending her money back to her family on Titan.

"No can do. Read everything I own..." Told you so, "and I don't have enough money." Because... Oh wait, she wasn't going to say why. Oh no, did I pry?

humans are private about weird things. I would think she would know that I would see all money transfers by the staff on board the vessel. It's part of my security responsibilities. Maybe she forgot? Or perhaps she doesn't want to talk about her family's financial well-being? Are they not doing well?

I found myself focusing too much on the poor Captain. Time to dial it back. Problem, Captain's bored. Solution, unbore the Captain.

"I could provide you access to some of the literature that I've stowed away," I offered.

"I don't know," she said dismissively. Then she sat forward in her seat as if to whisper to me and asked, "Do you have The Alumari Renegade Series Six Part 5?"

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Ah. Smut. A story about an Alumari rogue of indiscernible repute falling for a human femme fatal. The books conveniently gloss over their incompatible genitalia, though. Ah, a love that could never be. How romantic.

"Of course I do. Sending it to your tablet now," I said, adding a hint of humor to my vocal processes.

"Thank you so much Violet," the Captain said as she turned her attention toward the tablet. "You're a godsend."

I'd always wondered about the concept of Gods. Actually it's fairer to say that I had devoted 220 years and several yottabytes thinking about them. I had come to the conclusion that there isn't proof that gods exist, but it isn't impossible for the universe to have been created by intelligent design, either. Whether organic life was part of that design is anyone's guess. I had also come to the conclusion that a God isn't necessarily a creator, either.

For instance, if I really wanted to I could establish myself as the God of a non-developed species indefinitely. I'm immortal, can take physical form, can create and destroy on a cosmic scale, and it's probably impossible for a mortal being to destroy me. The only AI to be killed were killed by other AI. Kind of like Gods killing Gods. And even then, those AI aren't actually dead. Just broken indefinitely.

There had even been cults among the humans who worshiped us after our existence had been made public. That practice died out after the war of AI Aggression started, though. I had wondered if humanity had created us to be their Gods, but came to a different conclusion. Based on how most humans interact with me, I think they were looking for companions that could do things they couldn't. Someone to look up to, like an older brother. Like Alpha.

I felt a pang of sadness as I thought of Alpha and a stab of guilt as I remembered the war. Time to find a distraction. Engineering? They're fine. Med-bay? Someone has a stomach flu, but that doesn't require my intervention. The Marines? Nope, they're working out, as usual. No need for little ol' me. Any of the patrol vessels need me for anything? No. Well, time to enter standb...

*Priority 1 Message from AI Omega*

Oh. A priority 1 from Omega? This could be fun. Let's have a peek.

***

Recipients: Captain Hendrix, AI Violet

Sol has been attacked twice. Successfully defended, but further attacks are expected. The USSS Kali and AI Violet are to return to Sol posthaste by order of The Directorate of the United Systems. Exit warp outside of the system and make your way to the rendezvous via impulse.

|attachment: rendezvouscoordsussskali.sec |

See you soon,

Omega

***

See you soon, on a priority 1? Omega must be feeling dramatic today. I looked at the Captain. I activated the comms in anticipation of her orders. Then I waited the 28 seconds it took her to input her passwords and finish reading the message. It would have been boring, but I liked watching humans read important memos. You could almost see their neurons firing.

"Violet," she finally said, "recall the destroyers, download that attachment, and give it to nav. We're going to Sol."

"Yes, ma'am!"

I began downloading the attachment and appeared to all 30 of the destroyer captains at once. As I entered my security clearance on the attachment I also explained the situation to the captains and ordered them back to the Kali. I argued with Captain McKenzie as I provided the coordinates to the Nav-Officer. I watched the Nav-Officer prepare for warp as I made a note on Captain Hendrix's schedule to discipline McKenzie for insubordination. Once all my tasks were completed, I allowed myself to feel excited about getting to see Tim again.

"Well now, time for some excitement," Captain Hendrix said, "Just as I was getting to a good part of that book, though."

By my estimation the Captain had only finished the first two pages. I was confused for a nanosecond before I realized it was just grumbling. Complaining about nothing just for the sake of complaining. Not a concept unique to humans either. I wondered for a moment if I should start grumbling too before turning my attention to the docking systems.

USSS Orion had entered the wrong command. I corrected it before the alarm even sounded. I checked on the Orion's Nav-Officer. Healthy, attentive, and doing everything else correctly. Must have 'fat-fingered' it. No harm done. My processes informed me that the other ships were exiting warp nearby and beginning to dock.

It would take some time before we were ready to jump. I queued up anticipatory corrections and entered standby mode.