[snip]

=/\= Hello, may I call you VA 19 Matrix? I am Captain James T Glen. Is it possible to talk to the ascended who created you? =/\=

=/\= You may Captain James T Glen. Though please know the AI matrix you speak to presently is but only one of 3,926 others on this station. The matrix you speak too is related primarily to communication with non-Ascended lifeforms such as yourself. =/\= It clarified.

A second later it added, =/\= Your request to speak to the Ascended has been forwarded to Ascension communicator matrix 1. This matrix will let you know if your request is approved or any replies are given. In the mean time may this matrix inquire about you? Specifically if you are also an individual like the one from before as Doctor Cross was. Or do you speak as a collective mind for others? I have noticed by our visual communications several different races in your current ship’s room different from Cross and my directive in this case is to learn more about those I communicate with that they wish to give.=/\= It said.

=/\= We are all individuals. We don’t have a Hive Mind, if that is what you mean? However, we have social norms that we willingly conform to, and we share information collectively, although often quite critically. Our crew is drawn from a wide range of species who all work together as members of the United Federation of Planets. I am the Captain on this particular ship. I hold the ultimate command on this vessel and I am responsible for everyone aboard. I ensure that the ship complies with our established codes of practice and local laws. One of our principles is that we do not interfere with the development of a culture that is living and growing. =/\=

=/\= I see, this is as this matrix surmised about your organic bodies and differences. Your united governing body is like some others this station and matrix has encountered since the Ascension and this station came online. =/\= It said.

Cross managed a small smile and a slight nod. On seeing the Vulcan at the science station she made her way towards him ‘’Lt ,I know you will eventually work in the lab with the bacteria samples .Just to let you know that the AI spoke of destroying some ships which fell down on the planet, the bacteria was present and it killed many of he inhabitants but by time they became immune to it eventually becoming a symbiosis bacteria which made them stronger ‘’ she levered her face to look up at him and see if he was following ‘’ I did some work on it and found there is no known antibiotic that had any effect on it ‘’ .

Salek had taken the station from Cara then nodded at the information she gave him. “If you would Cara help me keep a second set of eyes as we work on this. It may prove useful.” He then turned to Cross. “I see… so it was a genetic evolution that lead to a symbiosis. That is concerning… I know one of our crew also had come into contact with it… which means that the bacteria had been the one to mutate more into it’s helpfulness… that is good to know. We have the samples in the science labs and will see if there is something we can synthisise given the time.

“That crewmember was me, actually!” Cara replied. “So, a little more than concerning!”

Cross was still next to Salek waiting for a response any response, she was also interested in the ongoing conversation between the AI and the Captain ‘’Its asking the same questions and my response was pretty much the same as yours Captain ‘’ and Cross being Cross went on’ ‘This AI and who’s ever behind it are completely and utterly nuts ‘’.

“That’s the reason that I’d much rather speak with the Ascended than this AI,” Glen told Cross. “It seems that it is still in a social learning mode but without any direct experiences or observations to relate to.”

As Glen went on about not effecting development of cultures the AI replied. =/\= I am curious, your principles do not have you interfere with other cultures or their development. Yet you are in orbit of Experimental Planet 19 doing just that. While we are not against this as it gives the experiments in progress more data points for future analysis your words seem to act against your taken actions. Doctor Cross previously explained you were here after the previous spacefaring race known as the Klingon Empire left after some time of using Planet’s 19’s seeded populace from this station as a labor force. They also attempted a massed attack on this station but without any success with heavy losses. The station’s tactical matrix has sent a request if you intent to also attempt hostile actions against this station. It states advisement that to do so would be foolish account for great loss of life. =/\= It said.

Cross was about to say that unlike ourselves, the Klingon’s had known about the structure, even if they had come in a fleet of several ships and demanded its surrender/compliance, and it had replied with no. and they attacked and lost ships before retreating, but never said they attempted to destroy it, then thought it was best to keep her mouth shut though she was infuriated by their consistencies.

On Cameron McDuff’s console he would see a new Security report that the Shuttlecraft has returned missing phasers, circuits and emergency equipment.

As soon as the report flashed up on-screen McDuff stood over the Security NE and read the message. Parts missing? Very abnormal. He transferred the report onto a PADD. He was more than aware of the fact the Captain was just begging a dialogue with the AI and he was reluctant to interrupt or disturb him, but McDuff felt that this was something the Captain ought to be aware of.

Cameron walked over the CO’s side. “Captain, I’ve just had this come through” he handed him the PADD. “Just give me the nod and myself or one of my team will go down to the shuttle bay and investigate this further.” Cameron spoke quickly and quietly to minimize the time he spent disrupting the Captain. He walked away and return to the security station.

“Okay,” replied Captain Glen. “If they were stolen on the planet, then we’d be in violation of the Prime Directive, never mind our mission brief.”

Kahuna said, “Urr! During the rushed evac, Commander Aphelion was accidently beamed up while holding onto the natives Sacred Scrolls. Maybe we can do a swap with them of the missing scrolls for the missing equipment?”

“I must have missed that,” Glen replied. “I was reading the transcript of the AI’s conversation with Dr. Cross. Yes, please organise that. You can tell them that Va says it’s okay now that we’ve actually met VA.”

Salek looked thoughtful as he listened to the conversation the wrinkles in his forehead deepened as he frowned. His face showing deep concern.

Cross nodded ‘’How do you feel with regards to your tail Cara, still capable of producing great physical force?’’ she asked hoping against hope that cutting off the air from the bacteria would by now have had some anticipated desired effect.

“We will try to make an effective antibiotic, I would also like for blood draws to be done from Cara in both the area that came into contact and then from another area… compare the samples and from the baseline on record… it may prove useful. If we can see how it replicates itself that may help figure out an antibiotic.” Salek looked between Cara and Cross.

“My tail doesn’t feel any different,” Cara replied. Maybe you should check it out again in Sickbay. This time there will only be myself to deal with and I’ll try to keep it under control.”
‘’Sure no problem ‘’ Cross replied ‘’Hunter must be in sickbay by now , so when you can head there Cara do tell him what Salek requested ‘’.

“I’ll report to Sickbay,” Cara replied, thought she thought she might hang around a little longer on the Bridge to find out what would happen here.

Cross was not yet finished, her inquisitive nature took the better of her ‘’Salek are you one of those Vulcans who have purged yourself of any emotions ?’’ it mattered to the CMO ,it mattered a lot.

Glen replied to the AI again, =/\= We have tailored our principles of non-interfere with other cultures or their development, so that it applies only to planets that aren’t Warp-capable, but also only to those that have not previously been contaminated by earlier contacts. It simply isn’t feasible to do otherwise. We believed that this planet, experimental planet 19, had been contaminated by the Klingons and so it didn’t apply. Now we find that it was actually seeded by your masters, so it was always interfered with from it’s very creation. While we cannot condone what your masters have done, we can’t turn back the clocks on this, so it is what it is. As for attacking you, we have no grievance with you or any reason that I can think of. The fact that you defeated a fleet of Klingon vessels, and an armada of 23 ships from the Rostar Alliance, is something we can appreciate too. We have no wish to undertaken suicide missions. =/\=

“I am glad that it hasn’t decided to just blow us from orbit.” Salek said his face still showed his concern that just continued to grow.

Glen was concerned about this situation with the AI escalating. The AI seemed to be very militant, but it didn’t seem hostile or aggressive to them right now, at least, not yet, and maybe it had good reasons to have destroyed fleets of ships. It certainly had no regrets about doing so, and killing thousands of sentient beings in the fallout. Which was why Glen really wanted to speak to the Ascended, because he thought that they might show a little more emotional intelligence. On the other hand, to place VA stations in charge of the development of 19+ planets didn’t particularly seem to be an idea that had passed very much critical thinking either. While he waited for a decision to me made upon that request, he could only work with what he had…

‘’Captain don’t you find it strange that the Ascended show such keen interest to gather as much information as they can about what its like to be organic ,in the hope of their next generation becoming so ,when they have little or no regards for other beings ?’’ Cross asked ‘’Don’t take them for fools they have already scanned the whole ship and every crew member ‘’ the doctor advised ‘’About the dilithlum the AI said the Klingons needed it for their ships just as we do ‘’.

=/\= I have just signed a trade agreement with the Elders on planet 19 and I wish to know if this is still acceptable to your program. We would give them limited medical and agricultural technology in exchange for the 2(5)6 dilithlum 2(:)l diallosilicate 1:9:1 heptoferranide crystals that they mine. While any technology given could be reverse engineered, we would restrict weapons technology to them, and would also not interfere with their social and cultural development. In addition, this sector has recently become the jurisdiction of the United Federation of Planets, and the UFP would have protected them from other threats, such as the Klingons and Rostar Alliance. Would you have any problems with this as I have described? =/\=

• Cara Meow