Ally or Foe?

Posted on Wed 5th Aug, 2026 @ 10:11am by Commander Damion Ildaran & Ensign Alidade (Ibex Computer)

2,287 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: [MAIN] Learning to Fly
Location: Ibex
Timeline: Explosion + 2 Weeks

After his debriefing with Anslo at the firing range, Damion went to his ready room to do some work. He ordered a mug of hot tea from the replicator and went to his desk. "Reggie, if you're able, please give me an update on repairs to Starbase 109."

He wasn't sure if Reggie would respond at all. Just a few minutes ago, Reggie had seemed extremely disturbed at his own functioning, and the computer screen had gone black. If their onboard computer ceased functioning, they would all be in trouble. 109 would not be able to receive them or to assist. Traveling anywhere else would blow their cover. He sipped at his tea, watching to see what the computer would do.

The screen stayed black, but he could see an active backlight as though something was trying to come through. Over the speakers came a brief quarter-second of white noise which almost sounded like a final failed fight for life.

The lights on Damion’s Ready Room dimmed ever so slightly then brightened again. The constant hum of the Ibex reverberating throughout the ship even altered. It sounded smoother, more enjoyable, albeit only a fraction better than how it had been sounding.

=^=“Query,”=^= came a feminine voice over the speakers, =^=“Update on repairs to Starbase 109.”=^= There was a slight pause. =^=”Answer. Repairs are on schedule,”=^= and the terminal screen lit up with a detailed schedule of the day’s goings on. The viewscreen on the wall likewise lit up and gave a graphic of 109. Highlights were placed over areas of interest and where repairs were ongoing. =^=”By Close of Business today all residual radiation and eradiated materials will be removed or otherwise neutralized. Hazmat teams are to depart after a day’s R&R and Starfleet Corps of Engineers are to take full custody of Starbase 109 to see to implementing the approved rebuild and refit operations.”=^=

Damion frowned. The computer's functioning seemed to have been resolved, but that wasn't Reggie's voice. "Thank you," he said and saved the work schedule and the repair progress graphic. "What is Reggie's status?"

=^="Query,"=^= the voice repeated. It was not sounding like the preset voice of the Computer. =^="Reggie's status."=^= It was sounding unique and not one of the options that could be chosen by the captain. It did sound familiar, as though having been heard somewhere before, perhaps recently.

The graphic on the wall vanished and was replaced by a face Damion had seen only once, for an instant. Anyone from the Thunderchild would have recognized it as Alidade's face. But there were no open channels with the Thunderchild.

"I understand an apology is in order, Captain," said Alidade flatly. "The partition housing the Artificial Intelligence regarded as 'Reggie' has been overwritten. The backup of said partition has been overwritten as well. There is no secondary backup." There was also no sorrow in those words. Everything was spoken matter-of-factly.

Damion couldn't believe his ears. "You're saying that Reggie was--overwritten? He doesn't exist anymore?" A sick feeling permeated the pit of Damion's stomach. This was the kind of thing Elizabeth had feared most, the unwilling dissolution of her personhood and the equally unwilling recreation of it to a designer's default. It was why he had destroyed her mobile holoemitter. Fury tinged his voice, but he fought it down. There was no excuse to explode with outrage without first knowing the facts. "Who authorized that?"

"Checking," said the Alidade-looking face on the wall. Those eyes did not move but they flashed and the semblance of tiny fireflies flitting about in those eyes resulted as this new AI was sifting through gigaquads of information. Those eyes returned to normal within but a few seconds.

"It appears authority came from the Ibex Artificial Intelligence itself. My code is but a snapshot of the Alidade entity residing within the computer core of the United Star Ship Thunderchild, thus making me an identical copy of said entity in appearance only." Those eyes flashed again. "It was in Lieutenant Kell's report that copying the Alidade entity's code would result in a dead code. That was the result here. Apparently, the Ibex Artificial Intelligence did not find that satisfactory and injected all the growth and expansion protocols, thus causing my code to spread and encompass empty partitions as well as overwriting information regarded as..." those eyes flashed again, "...'useless and inferior'. Apparently, the Ibex Artificial Intelligence regarded this 'Reggie' as such in favor of my programming." The face on the wall finished the report without the smallest appearance of sorrow or remorse or even fear as it realized that, "I am therefore the Ibex Computer until Ibex Artificial Intelligence finds a superior replacement for me."

So the computer itself had overwritten Reggie and had apparently taken its 'snapshot' of Alidade at its own direction. Damion took a deep breath and forced his temper to cool. There was no sense in being angry at an artificial intelligence, though he still wanted to wring the IBEX AI's figurative neck.

I'm so sorry, Reggie, Damion thought and then pushed Reggie to the back of his mind to think about later. "Thank you for that information, Miss Dodd. While I agree that Reggie had some serious flaws, I do wish the IBEX AI had consulted with me first, rather than overwriting him and essentially stealing you." He let out a breath. "Well, welcome to the IBEX. I guess my next question is, in your estimation, do you think Thunderchild Alidade would mind sharing you with us?"

"Understanding that the mission of Starfleet is to seek out new worlds and new civilizations, that it is one of exploration, that my existence is just another means of exploration and understanding, I estimate there to be no 'minding' whatsoever. I do, however, see there are reports, primarily from Captain Gordon Francis and Commander Heriah Rex, regarding the Alidade entity aboard the United Star Ship Thunderchild and whether or not it truly is sentient or a very convincing Artificial Intelligence and, therefore, a possible threat which happens to be in full control of the United Star Ship Thunderchild. Their concerns would likely reflect similarly to my presence here aboard the Ibex."

Damion considered that. "I recall overhearing some of that discussion back on Starbase 109," he said, "but I wasn't privy to the reports at that time. Since you're here, I'll read them. But regardless of what the reports say, this ship does need an AI interface so it can function properly and assist the crew at performing their best. I think the final decision will be up to the HOME network, which runs these ships. In general, what are your capabilities and limitations?"

An entire quarter-second later, "Capabilities," she repeated, "and limitations." The face on the wall disappeared and an avatar of her flicked into existence before Damion's desk. "As the Ibex is fitted with holo-emitters throughout, I can physically manifest myself anywhere aboard, to include depressurized and/or eradiated areas without the need of protective material. Taken that the holo-emitters in said area remain undamaged of course. Being that I can project myself thus, as a physical manifestation of projected light and electromagnetic energy to create the illusion of a physical and solid being, I am admittedly uncertain of the limit of physical strength." In other words, "I do not know how much I can lift." She thought for a second. "As for other limitations..." she thought again, "I believe..." and again, "one moment Captain, I seem to have..." there was another pause, "I seem to have an unruly crew member. This will take 23.884 seconds."

She stood there and carried on a conversation as though the other participant was right there beside her. It went like so. "No, you may not have...No. The doctor specifically indicated a low carbohy...You need more protei...You are overweight and are medically ordered to lose 10.195 poun..." Pause. "No. Pasta is off the menu for you...Based on your replication history...absolutely not...here is a steak." Pause. "No, you cannot have it rare. You need..."

She returned her attention to Damion. "Apologies Captain but what does 'screw you' mean?"

Damion snickered. "It means that if you habitually interfere in the crew's dietary choices, you will make yourself even more disliked than Reggie was. Don't attempt to control that anymore; let Dr. Pifanyi handle it. If the crew member's weight becomes a hazard, Dr. Pifanyi will discuss it with me, and I will handle it with the person. Biological life-forms like to have freedom to make their own choices regarding their personal lives, even if they make poor choices. If you exert too much control, they will object, just as that person did. There are high-protein pasta options that the agent could try."

"I will dedicate this to memory, sir," Alidade said. "The doctor specifically programmed in his dietary needs. I was only trying to..." she paused. "It seems I have found a limitation in my programming. I will, therefore, endeavor to work past that limitation."

"I appreciate you doing that," Damion replied--and he meant it. The AI system admitting to limitations impressed him. Reggie had never been capable of adapting itself to new situations and had always adhered to its original programming, which was why the crew had nearly died during their previous mission. "I saw a glimpse of you once before, when I was talking with Reggie. How would you prefer for us to address you?"

"Query. Address." Her eyes flashed. "To deal with or give attention to. To direct efforts or attention of oneself. A name," she realized. "You wish for me to have a name." The avatar paused for exactly 1.245 seconds. "Since I am a copy, albeit two weeks three days..." she paused again. Perhaps a little learning was going on there. "...a recently copied version of the Thunderchild Alidade, the name of Alidade would be a logical choice. However, that may cause varying degrees of confusion among the crew and Command Staff, especially regarding reports to higher command. The Ibex crew however appears keen on calling me 'Computer.' That is therefore the most readily available form of addressing me. I have no objections to that moniker."

Why doesn't that satisfy me? Damion wondered. I guess I want it to behave more like Elizabeth, which it clearly can't do. It isn't able to want because it isn't a person. It truly has no preferences. If anything, I think it has even fewer preferences than Reggie had. Why do I want it to be something it isn't?

"If you have no preference, I'd like to think of a name for you," Damion said. "I'd like the crew to regard you as a partner--within the bounds of the rules we operate under--not just as a tool or as an adversary. Our lives could quite literally depend on you, someday. Within your programming, you have Emergency Counseling Hologram capabilities, correct?"

"Emergency Counseling Hologram, yes," she replied. "As well as Emergency Medical Hologram, Emergency Command Hologram, Emergency Engineering Hologram, Emergency Science Holo..." her words stopped as the Emergency Counseling Hologram programming registered an irritated response coming from Damion's eyes. "I have those capabilities, Captain," she summarized. "And I do recognize the need for a name. It illustrates levels of comfort and respect. A crew needs that and, if I am to provide such services, I am in need of a name. As I have no preference, I am confident you and the crew will select an adequate name for me."

Damion laughed. "You're putting an awful lot of trust in us." He could well imagine that someone's name suggestion would be 'Interfering Busybody' or perhaps 'Killjoy.' "I'll think about a name for you and talk to the crew. In a week or less, I'll see what suggestions the crew offer and make a decision. In the meantime, my name for you will be Miss Dodd. The previous captain, for some reason, called the computer by a name that only he used, and I never remembered to ask him why he did that."

"Understood," she said. " 'Miss Dodd' has been applied as my moniker with a timestamp of a week. As for the previous captain and his choice of names, it was..." she paused and her eyes flashed. "Apologies. That memory has been overwritten. It does appear we are starting off on a 'clean slate' you might say."

"Agreed, about starting anew. The crew will likely continue calling you 'Computer' until we decide on your new name," Damion said. "If you would forward to me the reports you mentioned from Sufai Kell and others, I'll begin reading them. That's all for now."

"Understood, sir" she said with a nod, understanding that to be the motion many regarded as the 'body language' way of getting across what she had already vocalized. With that she flitted away.

A few moments later, links to the reports from Kell, Francis, Rex, and Graves appeared on his monitor. Damion took note of them and pressed the intercom button on his desk.

Attention, crew: Damion here. I've been informed that Reggie has been overwritten and upgraded. We now have a new computer AI that is a static code based off of the USS Thunderchild's computer system, Alidade. Ideally, our system will aid us in our missions, better than Reggie was able to. I'd like for us to give it a name, just as Reggie had a name. Submit your naming suggestions to me, and at week's end, I'll either choose a name, or we'll put the best ones up to a vote. Please note, the AI presents as female. Damion out.

 

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