Skynet's Guard

Posted on Tuesday December 18th, 2018 @ 12:17pm by Lilliana Ironwhite & Brigadier General Aidan Thornton & Lieutenant Sigmund Peterson

1,713 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Season 2; Mission 3: We All Know What to Do; Let’s Not Do That…
Location: City-Ship; Command Center
Timeline: October 29th 4566

Remi was down on the planet helping clean up some things leaving Aidan in charge of the station. With the bugs sitting there even though unmoving the sensor officers were on high alert and reporting any contact as hostile. A slipstream point opened up; so he was summoned to the command deck.


He was nearby. Moving to the lift, he was on the bridge in short order. Walking around the deck, he said "report."

"Unknown slipstream point General... No scheduled departures or arrivals are scheduled."
The holographic sensor officer said.
"twelve contacts exiting slipstream sir."(edited)

"Yellow alert. Open hailing frequencies. This is General Thornton of the DFS Providence. Can we help you?"


Muting the channel, he said, "full scan. Let's see what we get." Aidan ordered(edited)


The what appeared to be lead ship responds. A mid-twenties in appearance woman of average height for a girl and of a average build with blonde hair and hazel eyes appeared on screen. "This is the Earth Defense Ship Requiem with Assault Group 1 responding to assist with the bug threat." She girl was standing in an at ease pose in civilian clothes; there was no one on her bridge and only the panel she was standing at with a seat. the rest of the bridge was empty; too empty. There was also only two doors. This did not seem like a normal configuration for a ship this size. Scans confirmed only one lifesign.... On the entire fleet. These ships were all armed to the teeth and all in non-standard configurations for any Federation or even Terran Federation ships... hell... these configurations while very powerful didn't match anything on record for crewed ships in the last like... forever... It was as if they were intended for a crew of one with only repair drones.

"Earth was destroyed. I didn't see you there." Aidan said flatly.
Having trouble believing his ears, he started searching the records.

"Correct. I did not exist prior to Lord Gainz and Skynet's recovery of earth; sir." The woman replied.
She was acting as if this was normal.
There was no record of these configurations anywhere. The closest things were from after it was thought earth was destroyed thousands of years ago and abandoned by the UDC during what was charted as the Mazda Handa Wars... but information was sparse at best.(edited)

They were designed for Ai controlled ships without crews.

"How about proof. Orders? Something of that nature. Also let's say I believe you. How can you help us?" Aidan asked.

"Proof... Well..." The woman adopted a thinking posture. "I can send you scans of earth however you could consider those fabricated... There is no command structure at earth except for my master... So I have no officially encoded orders. As for my actual orders; to defend Gainz' allies from the Swarm... It does seem as though we were late... I knew he should have just teleported us here... Slipstream was too slow..." She seemed unimpressed with that fact that she got here late.
"oh... dear.... I made a social error... I was supposed to introduce myself... as me...." she bows. "I am Lilliana Ironwhite... I am the Commander of Assault Force One. I have been told it is appropriate for you to call me Lilly."

The pieces were clicking into place. He wanted to tell Gainz to fuck off and didn't need afterthoughts, but they needed the help, badly."Better late than never, I guess. Maybe the rest of us won't die." He said outloud. "Take station and monitor the frozen swarm. Lily. Unless you have a better idea?"

"Understood. I can monitor my fleet remotely if it is more prudent for me to come "aground" sir."


Aidan considered what Lily said, "Just be ready to fire on the bugs if they reactivate. It's boring right now, but trust me, it gets active fast around here. Avail yourself of the facilities on the cityship if you like. Is there anything I can assist you with?"

"... I will come to port then General.... Thank you for permission to come aboard." She bows. She appears in the command center. Her fleet apparently knew their shield frequencies.... Which was not surprising being that they were by design Federation ships. The marines in the room draw their weapons and approach her as she bows and kneels but also says to the marines without any social tact. "I would advise putting your weapons away; I am here at  your Commanders behest and could easily kill all of you... We are allies and I would hate for that to change." She seemed very out of touch... Almost too much so with social etiquette and protocol.

He adressed Lilly directly. "Ask permission next time. That's protocol." Aidan said, his face changing color. "If you can't follow orders, you are  worthless to me. Is that understood?"

She stared down seeming like a pet that failed her master. "I apologize General. I will try to do better next time. Please excuse my error."

He gave the order for the Marines to stand down."I also want you to tell Lumi or Niklas how you just bypassed all our shields. If you can do that, I would prefer someone else not be able to."(edited)

"I see... I am unaware of whom those names refer too but with your permission I can access your station's database and figure out who you are referring too sir. It would be more reasonable and fast to however inform you... My fleet is Federation ships that were under construction during the attack. We have all command codes and allied shield frequencies on file. I did explain to your guards that we are allies... So... I have this information... If you don't want this to happen in the future setting them to a random cycle would be more effective." She explained while still on her knee bowed before him in subservience.

"It's irritating the way you do it so flippantly. That's my issue. You REQUEST permission to come aboard. You could just as easily beamed in a torpedo. Again, protocol. We've never met, and we don't know you. Is this making sense yet?" Aidan said.

"Understood. I will make that adjustment for future interactions." She replied; still bowing.

"All I want then." Turning to the bridge staff, he said, "make the adjustments to the IFF system." Turning back, he said. "Anything else I can get you?" Half sarcastically, wondering if she'd get it, he was thinking she was not firing on thrusters.

"I am here to serve you; General, sir... why would I have any requirements?" She seemed confused.
She was STILL bowing.

He pulled her up straight. "People that serve still need things."

As she was pulled up and close to him; since he was the first male she  had interacted with that wasn't "family" she seemed sheepish and looked around the room avoiding eye contact replying uncertainly. "I... only require a bed and sustenance... My ship provides these things for me. Only when I am not on duty am I allowed to partake in recreational solitude...."


That sealed it. "You need to get out more. You're an AI, aren't you." Aidan said more as a statement than a question.

"I am... both a human and AI... What do you mean get out more... I draw.... You couldn't be referring to.... I was told those things are improper to mention to... ones you are not intimate with or co-occupying...." (She is referring to sex but also bodily things... girl things... basically stuff you shouldn't talk to randoms about lol)
"This conversation is making me nervous... Like I am going to make you mad again master...."

Aidan held up his hand for her to stop. "Talk to a few of the females on board. Perhaps, Lumi, or even the doctors."

She said defensively in innocence.

"I just don;t want anyone to take advantage of you. You seem like a nice being."

"I still don't know who this Lumi is... You want me to go find a medical doctor to talk to... where is your medical ward?" She didnt really understand what his next sentence meant except that he was giving her praise.


"I think some kind of basic course in manners and general relationship parameters would be of immense help."

"You want me to learn... I can use the internet for that!" She seemed happy to be given a task she could actually do.


Aidan thought of a hundred ways that would go wrong, especially with the ship dynamics the way they were sometimes. "Sigmund, I have a pet project for you." Sigmund avater popped onto the bridge. Almost as tall as Aidan, wearing glasses with brown hair.. "Sir, I have to point out you are sadistic sob to pawn her off on me. "

Aidan smiled, "That may be, but too bad, you don't need as much sleep as I do and you always point out how much you help out. Call it an order, if it makes you happy." 

"Aye Sir. " Sigmund said.

"Am I not efficient enough for you General... I'm sorry... Please don't give me to your subordinate... I can do better... please..." She said becoming sad.

Turning to Lily, he said. "I am Sigmund, the Chief Operations Officers here on the Providence. We are kin so to speak." He sent her a simple outline for what he was.(edited)
Aidan said, " it's not a question of your efficiency, but of mine. As capable as you are, you need someone that can be there more for you while you learn our ways. I have always had an open door policy, in this case, I am asking you actually knock and ask first."(edited)

"I understand... I won't let you down General... I will learn more about social interactions and how to be less of a burden on you... I will make progress reports to you so I can be an effective servant. I only hope that I can become what you desire more Master General sir."

[This post continues into the group post]

 

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