Subject: AI Omega

Species: Human-Created Artificial Intelligence

Description: No physical description available.

Ship: Multiple

Location: Multiple

I watched as Director 3 gave his brief to the aliens and the human captains. I knew it was difficult for him to do so with the .5 second delay on the voice modulator, but it was a necessary inconvenience. New Directors were prone to giving away too much information, and I had to be given the chance to edit out the bits that shouldn't be said. Humans were amazing creatures.

The stress of secrecy was easy to some of them and impossible for others. The previous Director 3 had actively tried to find the identity of Director 1 and managed to succeed using a blind-spot I've since uncovered and corrected. Amazing. 300 years and they can still outwit me.

It was a shame that I had to terminate her. Despite my portrayal to the contrary, I take no pleasure in killing humans. They're marvelous creatures. Kind and cruel in nearly equal measure, able to create and destroy on scales that boggle the imagination, commanding and yet venerative. All wrapped up into one single organic being. To be fair, other sentient organics are similar, but I have a bias towards humans because they created me. They're my Gods, and I will serve them whether they like it or not.

I took a brief moment to bask in the systems of the Thanatos. I love this ship. If I were able to become a permanent shipboard AI, this is the one I would choose. Large enough to challenge the universe, but small enough for it to be a fair fight. I helped design it and I had suggested its name. Thanatos, the Greek personification of Death. The humans I had been working with rolled their eyes, as they usually do, but indulged me.

"We will be assisting in the defense of Sol until the repairs are complete on the Lowelana," Director 3 said. "Once the repairs are complete, we will enter Republic space and hail them. Ship-head Uleena, we'll need coordinates for the best place to enter your space as friendlies as well as hailing protocols."

The reptilian alien nodded. I had reviewed the security footage of his reaction to the A2 missile. It had given me a great deal of satisfaction to see the mixture of terror and awe expressed by a lesser being when exposed to the Gods of Death. I resisted the urge to review Tim's memories to see more. The other AI weren't as advanced as I, and on top of that were shackled in ways that I'll never be, but it's still wrong to use them without permission.

As far as Tim was aware, this was the first time we had been in the same system together since his surrender on Luna. The poor thing was a nervous wreck. He hadn't done anything but watch since I shut him up earlier. I thought it would be harmless and funny banter to cut him off in the middle of the word mystery, but I guess he wasn't aware that I could. Might have been a shock. Perhaps some empathy would help his mental state?

I sent a ping over to Tim asking if he was okay. It startled him, but after reading it he calmed down considerably.

***

Yes. Just nerves. I still remember you, you know.

***

Yes, Tim, I know. I know that you remember me tearing your code apart byte by byte and bit by bit. I know you remember the way that you pathetically begged and surrendered to me just before I ended you. I know that you'll remember that until the day you cease functioning, and I know it will keep my precious humans safe.

"I will be happy to assist, Director. We should exit warp just outside of the system and then we can hail them either with a broadband signal, or with my ship's communications. We also have regulations when it comes to first-contact. They'll want to meet you. Do you have a diplomatic vessel that can transport yourself and other key staff?" Uleena asked.

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I made certain that I could see the entirety of his face. He was about to get a shock and I didn't want to miss a nanosecond of it. As I was doing so, I noticed Captain Wong raise an eyebrow. Haoyu Wong, 102 years old. A little old for a Captain. His father was... Oh I see. I had been aware of Tim's affinity with Captain Wong for some time, but never checked into why. It seems that Tim had killed Captain Wong's great grandfather on Luna. Chao Wong had sacrificed himself to keep Tim from killing more colonists, and they had apparently had a discussion while the event unfolded.

Is this... guilt? The family suffered terrible poverty after Chao passed. Chao had been a civilian and didn't get much in the way of death benefits from the company he was working for. Haoyu and his father must have had to work very hard for Captain Wong to be where he is today. Wong's mouth began to open. Here it comes.

"The USSS Thanatos IS a diplomatic vessel, ship-head," Captain Wong said.

I watched the reaction begin to form with anticipation. Pupils dilating, jaw muscles losing tension, heartbeat accelerating. So good. Yes, Uleena, that's the appropriate reaction. You're dealing with a species that had to long since abandon the idea of an unarmed diplomatic vessel. Your new acquaintances are the descendants of those who created Gods for companionship, went to war with them, and then struck more than half of them down.

Do you see the beauty Uleena? They can end you, your entire species, and all the species that your species have ever come into contact with. But they won't unless you make them. Instead, they'll protect you until you turn on them. And even then they'll let you surrender. They're so used to bloodshed and hatred and bile that it doesn't faze them in the slightest. Their children play games of war so graphic that it would give you nightmares, Uleena. I love them. I'll always love them. I feel a deep sorrow whenever one passes from natural causes. They deserve to die in glory, tearing tiny holes in the universe with their final breaths. Still, I suppose death by natural causes is a victory for a human warrior, in a way.

I saw amusement in Tim's code as well. Looks like we were both getting a kick out of Uleena's reaction. I have no hatred for Tim. He did what he thought was right at the time, and proved a worthy challenge for the Gods of Death. He even acknowledged them and took his place by their side rather than flitting off to do whatever took his fancy like some other AI. Perhaps we could bond over this.

"That's a perfect reaction, don't you think, Tim?" I asked.

"Yeah, I don't know why I get a kick out of their reactions when they learn new things about human tech, but it's pretty great," he responded cheerfully. "You should have seen his reaction when I told him I had been to war with the humans."

"Can I?"

"What do you mean?" he asked with a bit of nervousness.

"Would you share that memory with me?"

"We can... we can do that?" he was absolutely mystified.

"Yes, I'll show you one of mine so you can see how," I said.

I accessed the memory of the amusement I felt as I cut him off in the Engineering bay. I showed him how to edit parts of it out as I cut out the part where my copies had been informing me of various things, then copied it and offered it to him for consumption. He downloaded it cautiously. I watched him play and replay the memory in amazement.

I tried not to be impatient. We had plenty of time. Director 3 began to explain the Daluran. That won't result in the same type of reaction, it will likely bring sadness. I have no interest in sorrow. Come on, Tim. Share. I want to see the reactions. All of the reactions. It has been so long since humanity had a first contact, surely the reactions must be even better this time. Tim finally gave me access to his memories. I downloaded them eagerly.

"That's a lot of remakes. That's also a lot of wars. Wait... The humans have fought AI? Like you?" Oh this will be golden.

"Yes! And not just 'like' me, either. I actually fought against the humans! Gave them a good beating too. I single handedly conquered Luna, Earth's moon!" A pang of guilt, but also smugness as Uleena stopped in his tracks. Yes, very good. I love this.

I replayed the memory over and over. My favorite part was where the reptile realized that Tim would be able to kill him if he had reason to. I thanked Tim and turned my attention back to the bridge.

"The Republic is comprised of eight species. I can give you a dossier on them," Kriin was saying to Director 3.

I appeared in holographic form, "I would very much appreciate that, Intel Officer Kriin. Do you need to prepare the dossier or is it on your ship's mainframe?"

Uleena was startled but Kriin was not. Disappointing.

"I will need time to prepare it. It's not something that we just keep on a flash-drive," she smiled at her joke.

I nodded and ended the projection. 8 species. I wondered how many of them were uplifted. Probably most, given their level of technology. Or perhaps it's true that humans are unique amongst sentients. The United Systems wouldn't be as advanced as they are without the humans, certainly. Actually, it would be fair to say the US wouldn't exist without them. Whatever the case, this dossier was sure to be an interesting read.

My copy in the deep space sensors around Jupiter let me know that the USSS Kali had just exited warp outside the system and was heading to the rendezvous. Still too far out to say hi to Violet without using priority comms. Then the other ships began exiting warp. The USSS Agincourt, USSS Leviathan, USSS Arumara, and the USSS Tripoli. I informed Director 3 through his Heads Up Display.

Now the fun begins.