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Chapter 17
The Adventures of the Beer Keg of Science![]
Wardroom, NMS Beer Keg of Science!
Zenith Jump Point, Stettin System, 13 August, 3158
[Monitoring Wardroom Cameras 1-4]
[Department heads still in process of obtaining seating. Meeting has not yet commenced. Four minutes, 34 seconds to scheduled start time.]
[Incoming communications request from Executive Officer, Cmdr. James Kirk.]
[Kirk: "Mac, there's something I need you to do."]
[Acknowledgment required. Brevity remains acceptable.]
{"Mngh."}
[Analysis: facial expressions indicate 67% probability Cmdr. Kirk is agitated by brevity of my response. Recommended action: continue observations, moderate brevity of responses.]
[Kirk: "I know monitoring the health and status of the crew is part of your job, and you don't need me or the Captain to tell you to keep doing it. But, on that last jump, everybody aboard this ship experienced something that can't currently be explained. Some of us, including the Captain, have physical manifestations as a result of the experience. This is beyond what any of us expected for this mission, and we're going to depend on you to watch us, and make sure we're still fit for duty, because the only person who, as far as we know, hasn't been affected is you. And if you've lost it, Mac, we're all dead anyway."]
[Additional Analysis: 87% probability Cmdr. Kirk is worried or frightened by current turn of events. Note: Cmdr. Kirk referred to me as a "person".]
{"So, watch the Captain's behavior, and tell you if the Captain isn't herself."}
[Kirk: "Or tell her if I'm not. Or tell Rozhenko and O'Brien-Howard if both Captain Carpentier and I both aren't. Or let us know if they aren't, but we're OK. You're going to have to use your best judgement, Mac, on who in the chain of command can be trusted, including me."]
[Analysis: Cmdr. Kirk's request is logical, and fits expected behavior patterns. Direct statement considering an AI a person is unusual, but no previous statements or behaviors contraindicate this viewpoint. Behavior is within 92% of expected parameters.]
{"How long am I watching everyone?"}
[Kirk: "For the duration of the mission, Mac. For the duration of the mission."]
[Clarification of orders necessary. Require level of secrecy inherent in these orders to avoid potential conflicts. Orders include enhanced monitoring of all crew, including Captain Carpentier, but Captain Carpentier's orders can countermanded the Executive Officer's orders. However, Cmdr. Kirk's orders are prudent in our current situation, and countermanding them would be possible evidence of impairment on the part of the Captain.]
{"How secret are these orders?"}
[Kirk: "The Captain should know. We'll decide about the rest of the crew after this meeting. Is she in the wardroom yet?"]
[Current location and status of Captain Carpentier: Captain's Office. Captain is preparing to depart officer, and attend meeting.]
"{"She's about to leave her office."}
[Kirk: "Good, I'll meet her along the way and let her know. Thank you, Mac."]
[Observation: Cmdr. Kirk is proceeding on course that will permit him to rendezvous with Captain Carpentier. Recommend acknowledgement. Politeness recommended. Continue to monitor.]
{"You're welcome, Commander."}
[Monitoring: Cmdr. Kirk has located Captain Carpentier.]
[Kirk: "Captain."]
[Analysis: Cmdr. Kirk's facial expressions indicate worry and fear. Estimate 78% probability Cmdr. Kirk is apprehensive about informing the Captain of his order for me to increase monitoring of the crew. Anomaly: indicators in facial expressions are significantly reduced as compared to heart rate and respiration. Conclusion: as per SLDF command training protocol as adopted by Niops Association Militia, Cmdr. Kirk is attempting to project confidence, disguising his own mental state. This matches expected behavior for Cmdr. Kirk with 99.7% certainty. Continuing to monitor.]
[Carpentier: "Commander."]
[Observation: facial expressions indicate 54% chance of guardedness on part of Captain. Vocal tones and expressions also indicate expected levels of cordiality towards Cmdr. Kirk. Anomalous behaviors not detected.]
[Kirk: "Before we enter the meeting, I wanted to let you know that I ordered Mac to increase his level of monitoring of the crew, including both of us."]
[Carpentier: "Worried it's not just my eyes that have been changed, Commander?"]
[Observation: changes in facial expression indicate irritation, combined with fear. As with Cmdr. Kirk, Captain Carpentier is using SLDF command training to mask her emotional state. Analysis: Captain Carpentier is afraid that changes she has undergone during the jump to Stettin are more widespread than simply her eyes. This is within 87% of expected behavior for the Captain under these circumstances.]
[Kirk: "I'm worried about all of us, Captain. Myself included. How much do you remember from the jump?"]
[Analysis: estimate 95% probability of honesty on the part of Cmdr. Kirk.]
[Carpentier: "Enough. Too much."]
[Observation: both parties have ceased movement towards wardroom. Increase in fear responses on part of Captain Carpentier. Neither party is presently speaking.]
[Observation: still not speaking.]
[Addendum: it's been five seconds of silence now. What did they see during the jump?]
[Kirk: "Well, Apollo used an energy field shaped like a giant green hand to grab my starship after we'd dropped out of warp to survey Pollux V."]
[Note: I was not expecting that.]
[Carpentier: "Did you say 'warp drive', Commander? As in an Alcubierre warp drive?"]
[Observation: No records exist within my memory of an Alcuibierre warp drive. Full Star League scientific database not available. Captain Carpentier's anxiety levels increasing.]
[Kirk: "Cochrane-Alcubierre, actually. At least where I remember being. I'm surprised you're familiar with Alcubierre's work. His theories were considered utterly impractical decades before Kearny and Fuchida's work, due to a need for exotic matter...which is what Cochrane had solved. But not in our universe."]
[Observation: this is far outside the parameters of any expected predictions. But, then, so are Captain Carpentier's eyes.]
[Carpentier: "I wasn't familiar with him. He got mentioned in passing, while I was trying to briefly explain what a JumpShip is to the Queen of Air and Darkness."]
[Note: What?]
[Kirk: "What?"]
[Note: Exactly.]