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CH02: S [D02|0420] It is hard to say goodbye

[Lt. JG Logan Hale, callsign "Wraith" | Fighter Assault Bay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan
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The red alert was sounded, and Logan jumped up from his chair to hurry towards the hangar deck. Ezekiel Jackson followed suit. Just like the new one in this trio. Alith, who followed Zeke to the post as Logan's RIO overtook the two men, quickly, thanks to their vulcian physiology, and hurried to the fighter as quickly as possible. The two men parted ways in the hallway leading to the hangar. Both briefly reached out their hands and wished each other good luck. Zeke disappeared into the flight control.
Logan ran on. He did not know what to expect, but when he came into the changing room, Alith was almost finished changing. Logan carelessly threw his shirt and pants into the locker. He pulled the new EV suit out of the other closet. It was only this afternoon that he had worn it last. Slowly routine came into the matter. He slipped into it faster than before. But it could also have been the adrenaline. He threw his helmet over to Alith, who was already ready and waiting for him. She caught it, took it as a hint and made her way to the Valravn. Logan, who was in his last moves, followed her quickly.
It did not take long before they were ready to take off, to stand the ship aside against any threat. Rawley, Nix, Donna and Isley had been assigned to the Allegiant and couldn't help at the moment, so it was up to those at home to keep the stable in order and that's exactly what Logan intended to do.
"Wolf-02 ready for takeoff" he reported to the flight control, but they put him off and did not give the greenlight yet.
"What's going on?" he asked himself more than anyone else.
"Unknown," Alith replied monosyllabically. "The available data is not conclusive enough for this."
Logan laughed only briefly. "No kidding, Alith."
Even though he could not see it, he felt the Vulcan's eyebrow almost lift.
"Sarcasm is not necessary, Lieutenant. I suggest we simply await further orders. Reflecting on hypothetical reasons is not helpful."
"Hm... I have to admit, Alith, that these hypothetical reasons do help me to prepare for different situations" Logan explained. "Going through different scenarios helps me to quickly conclude the right course of action when we are ready."
Alith processed his words. "The human peculiarity of going through hypothetical scenarios repeatedly and then being surprised by a completely different situation is a peculiarity I will probably never fully understand.
"Oh, no?" Logan asked half sarcastically, half honestly interested.  "How do you prepare for certain situations?"
"Well, Lieutenant, when I'm confronted with a situation, I analyze it and use my conclusion to determine the correct and appropriate course of action," she coolly explained. "A hypothetical assumption of probably not applicable Situ....," she fell silent.
"What is it?" Logan asked.
"New data, sir. Apparently, there was an explosion in the Spearhead Lounge."
"What!?" Logan turned on the radio again.
"Wolf-02 to Mission Control. What about our takeoff clearance? Are we under attack?"
"Wolf-02, this is Flight Control. Stand by. We'll try to get further instructions."

[Lt. JG Logan Hale, callsign "Wraith" | Morgue | Main Sickbay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] 
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Several hours later.
Logan stood at the door staring at the alphanumeric code. The numbers and digits gradually blurred together until only a white spot remained. By now Logan had learned what had happened. He knew that the Spearhead Lounge had been attacked. He knew that it was not an outside attack and he knew that many good people were hurt or worse, lost their lives. And Logan also knew which door he was standing in front of now: It was the morgue.
He did not want to believe what he had been told. Allegedly, Liliana Walton and Devyrie Okhala should have died in the explosion. He could not imagine that. He did not want to believe that. Liliana Walton, Meerkat, a woman who enjoyed his full respect. Not only as a fantastic pilot, but also as a human being. She had been his leader, and with Devyrie he liked to compete. Somehow almost everything was a competition between the two. Everything seemed very surreal to him. Suddenly he was supposed to miss two important people and he did not like this fact. That is why he had not yet entered the room. He did not want to confront himself with the reality that was waiting for him behind that door.

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #1 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Miles Renard, callsign "Iron Fox" | Morgue | Main Sickbay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nero
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"My condolences, Lieutenant," said a male voice, and at the end of the corridor, another Lone Wolf stood, wearing his uniform and his flight jacket. It said "Wolf-03" on the chest, along with the callsign "Iron Fox".

It was the former Squadron Commander, believed lost at Starbase 84, but who had made his way back aboard the Theurgy in the Azure Nebula. Thomas Ravon had, in the interim, been promoted and assumed the Vulpinian's position as Wolf Leader. Since Miles Renard had come aboard, he'd worked to come to terms with old issues of his when it came to the original Lone Wolves, and he'd made peace with Evelyn Rawley and Nathaniel Isley. Interestingly enough, as he'd led the Lone Wolves at Starbase 84, he'd actually fought the other pilot in the corridor at that time - the White Wolves of USS Orcus having been the enemy until some of them defected.

During the month at Aldea, however, Miles had learned to know these new squad members aboard the Theurgy, so the loss of Meerkat and Dragon was felt. Not like Wraith would feel it, of course, since the three of them had served together since Luna Base and the inception of the Valravn testing project. At least loss of pack mates weren't new to Miles, and he thought he might have some worthwhile things to say to Wraith.

"Admiral Sankolov and his task force took four of my pilots before the Niga Incident, when I served in Ravon's role," he said quietly as he stepped towards Wraith, his fox tail trailing after him and his Vulcanesque ears catching the light. His slitted pupils were lowered in thought, and he had his hands in his flight jacket's pockets. "At Starbase 84, I lost Gun-Shy, Morrigan, Outrider, Game, Hurl and Hat Trick. This was when I didn't make it back aboard the Theurgy before she jumped into hiding in the Azure Nebula, and I was hard pressed to even make it back and find her again. When I did, I heard about Husker and what happened to Honey Badger. I guess that what I'm saying is that I believe I know some of what you're feeling now, and I wanted to tell you that..."

Miles took a deep breath, and raised his slitted eyes to the Human standing outside the Morgue. "I want to say it gets easier, but that would be a lie. Grief stays with you, regardless how precarious our line of duty might be. We have this jargon, among Tactical CONN; this brazen attitude towards life and death since we live on the cusp of dying out there, unprotected as we might be compared to those who serve aboard the ships we serve to defend, just to give a tactical edge and a forward line of defence. We laugh it off. We present ourselves harder than the next man or woman, and yet we still feel the losses, don't we?"

Coming to stand next to Wraith, Renard supposed that regardless the amount of years he'd lived, there really was little in terms of consolation to offer a fellow pilot. "Imagine what they would like you to do," he commented idly, his brow furrowed in thought. "Would they want you to grieve for them, or move on? This is the way of us warp fighter pilots. We don't expect to be mourned. We know what we've signed up for, and we put our lives on the line for the mission. As unfair as their death outside their cockpits might be, we still have our mission, and both Meerkat and Dragon would have wanted us to stay true to our calling, don't you think?"

From the other end of the corridor, a humanoid figure with a white, metallic chassis appeared, with a singular lens mounted on her cranial unit. Silently, with merely her feet clickety-clacking against the deck, she slowly made her way over to the two Lone Wolves.

OOC: @Cleric_Kyan has had a family emergency and has had to step away for an unknown amount of time, so in order to introduce his character in Episode 01, I NPC:ed Renard for this brief exchange. Hope you like it!

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #2 –
[Lt. JG Logan Hale, callsign "Wraith" | Fighter Assault Bay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan
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His eyes did not turn away from the door and the alpha numeric code. As much as he wanted to, his gaze was fixed on the door. He recognized the man only by his voice. It was the Vulpinian Lieutenant Commander Miles Renard. He was also called Iron Fox and was a fantastic pilot. At least according to the stories and the trust he enjoyed among the others. Logan himself only knew him from one encounter on the battlefield. Back then, when Meerkat, Dragon, and he were still standing against him, on the other side of the truth that the Theurgy was dedicated to. Logan hated himself for the fact that he had abandoned his friends back then, after the battle for Starbase 84. He hated himself for not trusting Liliana's instincts, and he hated himself for not being able to help them when they were killed with a bomb in a cowardly, backstabbing manner.
Logan wanted to put his hands in his pockets to prevent Renard from seeing them clenching into fists and then realized that he was still wearing his EV suit. Waiting for the all-clear had taken forever and the aftercare for the hunter and the usual protocols were eating up a fair amount of time. So, it was well after midnight when Logan heard the shocking news. He did not care about his things anymore and went straight to the Sickbay as he was. The staff there knew all about trauma and shock and had a calming effect on the pilot. Only when they were sure he would be okay did they leave him alone. Since then, he has been standing in front of that door staring at it. He hooked his thumbs into the belt loops.
The alien's speech irritated him more and more with every word. Logan just could not believe the arrogance with which the man thought he was trying to text him with these platitudes right now. Slowly but surely, he pressed his jaws together and his tongue under his palate. He filled his lungs with deep breaths to release the tension that was building up inside him. A moment ago, they were face to face as enemies and now he pretended to be the only one who could give him comfort. "This is not the first time that friends or acquaintances of mine have died," he pressed through his teeth with an aggressive undertone. But the longer the Vulpinian words hung in the air and affected him, the more he heard their meaning.
Finally, he breathed out with a heavy sigh. The tension dissolved. "Apologies, Commander." He rubbed his forehead. "It's just that this is all so damn close to me." Logan still could not tear himself away from the door. "I... Liliana... I've known Liliana and Dev for what feels like an eternity." We have experienced a lot together. "To know that they shouldn't be here anymore..." Logan dropped out. Too much pain was caused by the words that were breaking their way to the surface. A sob. The pilot felt tears rise to his eyes. Logan blinked them away and took another deep breath. Slowly he calmed down.
He then turned to the man eventually. His gaze, although undermined by tears and marked by lack of sleep, awake and alert. "I know the risk and I know the mission. I am ready for it. That is why I am here. But what has happened to these two and all the others here..." he pointed to the door to underline his point. "You know? We space nomads have a saying: Today our hearts are heavy, but tomorrow we will never forget you."
Logan looked the alien pilot in the eyes with the slit pupils. It helped a little. Even if he did not want to admit it, Renard was actually just someone who could comfort him. At least he had helped Logan to remember the saying.
Behind Logan, a mechanical being appeared that remotely reminded him of a human being. A gleaming white chassis and a single camera lens that flaunted his head. He was amazed at how quietly and calmly it moved forward. The robot stopped at the two men.
Logan reached out his hand to the other pilot. "Thanks for the words. I am Logan. Do you want to come in?"

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #3 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Miles Renard, callsign "Iron Fox" | Morgue | Main Sickbay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nero
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Without pause, Miles took Wraith's hand to shake it, and nodded to him. He was glad to pierce the numbness and provoke a reaction from the new Lone Wolf, lest he might have been in limbo - nursing bottled up grief that couldn't find any outlet.

"Any time. We're a squad, and we have to look out for each other," he said in his faded alien accent, the many years he'd led away from his home world having let him speak Federation Standard fluently instead of relying on the Universal Translator. "Especially in moments like these, when we loose brothers and sisters - in battle or not."

"Yes, please," answered the android when Wraith asked if she wanted to enter the Morgue. Miles had seen her around the ship now and then, but he only knew the rumours about this creation of the Savi. She didn't enter immediately, however, instead directing herself to both Wraith and Miles. "Oh, pardon my manners. I am Vignerary Model I-9 surgical android, but please, call me V-Nine. Do you two want to step inside? I have come to understand we've lost officers of your department, and if you want to say good bye, that can be arranged."

Miles didn't know what to make of the android, but he would let Wraith decide what to do. He knew Meerkat and Dragon far better than he did.

Odd, how feminine and alive the android seemed. He'd heard that Thea had done something to it, uploading some kind of code to it right after the battle at the apertures, but he knew little more. She seemed... quirky. Peculiar. Very personable,and quite the opposite from what he'd expected of a Savi creation...

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #4 –
[Lt. JG Logan Hale, callsign "Wraith" | Fighter Assault Bay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan
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Logan was definitely confused when the android answered his question to the Vulpinian pilot. The words got stuck in his throat, but after a few seconds of irritation he wrung an amused smile from himself.
It reminded him of the time when he had met Liliana. At that time, he had just arrived at the Luna Testing Range. Liliana was already waiting for him and although she was ranked below him, it was soon clear who was in charge. She had welcomed him friendly and openly, almost mothering him, but she had never been pushy. Logan remembered her laughter, which still echoed in his ears as bright as a bell. He was happy that the android had evoked this memory in him and wondered if the machine was created with such an intention.
"With pleasure, V-Nine. After you."
Logan meant to precede the android and open the door for him. The soft hissing could be heard, and an unnatural coldness seized him. He knew that modern morgues today work on a different principle, but still he was suddenly cold. His heart suddenly beat faster. Suddenly the truth seemed to come back to him. He swallowed hard. He nodded his thanks to the other pilot and wondered if he would accept his invitation to join him in saying goodbye to two of his best friends.
The heavy boots clattered across the floor as he took his first, but slightly unsteady step over the edge and took position in front of the myriad of compartments. Two of his best friends would lie in these and sleep the eternal sleep. His tension grew again. Logan struggled with tears.

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #5 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Miles Renard, callsign "Iron Fox" | Morgue | Main Sickbay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nero
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Accepting the invitation, Miles followed the android and the other Lone Wolf into the Morgue. He looked around, remembering how he had come there already, ahead of Logan. After learning her fate, he'd come to say something to Dyan Cardamone. After he entered, he looked at the hatch off to the side in the room, the one in which her body rested.

Her Velsren sac hadn't been able to compensate for the damage her body had taken this time around. Asurians were able to regenerate wounds, severe ones as well, but the shockwave of the chemical explosion had damaged her brain and the nervous system at the base of her skull too much, preventing the blank cells of her sac to spread through her body. Evidently, as he'd been told by V-Nine earlier, the sac simply hadn't been told to distribute the unique cells she kept in time - the connection severed. Her death had been quick, which had been a relief to hear, but as he'd stood there above her white-haired and bloodied body, Miles had remembered their brief time together before Starbase 84, at which point he'd ended their relationship out of fear that he was going to die in the battle. He'd done so for her sake more so than for him, and he had been lost in that battle.

When he'd returned, she'd not wanted to have anything to do with him. It wasn't just what he'd done that had changed her, however. All her family had perished at Starbase 84, and the woman whom he'd nicknamed 'Valkyrie' was no more. Instead, he'd encountered a feral, disconnected woman who barely stuck to the duties she'd been given in Security. A being filled with resentment and regret, tightly leashed anger, and embodying chaos. His heart had ached at the sight of her, and something had broken when he saw what she'd become. He had not been happy before she died, an outcast of her people and hateful of everything that didn't strike her fancy.

He had just stood there over her dead body, watching her peaceful face, and thought of how she'd been abused many times over, and perhaps there hadn't been any chance saving her. No means to restore what once were. Now, however, he would never know. He hadn't found the words, in the end, and just left.

Now, presently, he revisited the room together with Wraith, and the android quietly opened up two of the hatches, upon which Devyrie and Walton could be found. Dragon and Meerkat. White Wolves of old, but nonetheless Lone Wolves since they defected to the Theurgy's mission. Miles came to stand next to Logan, and looked upon them as they laid there. Eyes closed, and draped with blankets up to their necks. He'd flown on patrols at Aldea with them both, just like he'd flown with Wraith, and he thought of the idle comm banter they'd shared whilst helping the Klingons guard the Epsilon Mynos System.

"Dragon was fierce, coming back so quickly after loosing her sister on the Versant," he said quietly, looking towards the woman who'd once been half Romulan, yet the Savi had made fully human. Then his eyes drifted to Meerkat. "Walton, she listened to you after you encountered the Sabine in the Azure Nebula. She heeded your word after you've spoken with Chance and Foxfire, and heard how they were defecting to the Theurgy. You believed them, and Meerkat chose to believe in you, and you both joined this mission. I can't pretend to know what that must be like, but you shouldn't blame yourself for making her defect as well. A lot of White Wolves did, and they didn't need your word for it, so think naught of it. You did the right thing telling her, and making her come here as well. If she'd stayed with the Dauntless'" Black Wolves, she might have died fighting the Theurgy instead."

Perhaps you might have been forced to kill her, he thought quietly, but didn't say it out loud.

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #6 –
[Lt. JG Logan Hale, callsign "Wraith" | Morgue | Main Sickbay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan
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The noise was terrible. When the android, who introduced himself as V-Nine and gave rather female impressions, opened the drawers, in which two of his probably best friends were lying. That sound when the drawers broke the security seal and the well-known hissing sound could be heard, which was produced when two different air pressures met. Logan had heard it so often before. Mostly when he opened the roof of his cockpit. A sound that had welcomed him again and again when he had arrived home, when a mission was behind him. But this time it was different. This time the hissing did not bode well. Logan held his breath as the drawers were extended.

In them lay two of his best friends. It had become reality. Their faces looked peaceful. Liliana Walton and Devyrie Okhala. Two of the best pilots Logan had ever met. Logan felt it was unfair that these two outstanding beings had to die without being able to defend themselves. He felt it unfair that they had to leave so soon after their reunion. This time, unfortunately, forever. Logan pulled up his nose. Tears ran down his cheeks. He listened to Iron Fox.

It was encouraging to hear how Dev had fought back after such a loss, even though it was strange not to look into the same Romulan facial features as before. As far as Logan had understood, the Savi had removed her Romulan genetic heritage from her body and transformed the hybrid of human and Romulan into a complete human. It was complicated and the details behind it he had not understood until today. He only hoped that she could get used to her new appearance. I wonder if she regretted losing her Romulan side? Probably it had seemed much less important to her in the face of the loss of her sister and Logan would miss her just as painfully.

"She was strong. She always has been," Logan explained. "She was more of a doer. That could get on the nerves of many people. ...but her views have contributed greatly to the development of our birds."
He kept listening as Renard talked about Liliana. She had been a happy person. Meerkat always had an open ear for others and was happy to share her experience. This was not appreciated by many. Especially younger pilots who saw her as a know-it-all, but later realized that the term mentor suited her better.

Renard explained that he should not blame himself, that he talked her into changing sides with him, which brought a bittersweet smile from Logan.
"She hadn't learned anything from me that she didn't already knew. Deep down, she had certainly doubted for a long time. My words were probably just a confirmation for her. When it started, she was at my side and I was at hers. Just like always. As it always will be."
Logan went to the drawers, pulled out a stool and sat down between the two dead and yet so lively looking women.
"Damn..." he sighed heavily. "I'll miss your stupid pranks, Liliana."
He turned to Renard. "If she liked someone, she would play her harmless joke on them. I woke up once with a huge dick on my face." Logan laughed. "We went out one night in New Berlin. We caroused and partied. Eventually I fell asleep and she... She had nothing better to do than take her stupid mascara and paint a huge cock with nice hairy balls on my face. When I woke up again there were already dozens of pictures of it. Pretty infantile, huh? Nevertheless, the party was great, and I always like to remember it. The whole group was exuberant. The alcohol flowed. Liliana, Dev, everybody had fun. Even me with the huge penis on my face. …and the next day we were called up and moved to the Orcus to hunt the Theurgy".

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #7 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Miles Renard, callsign "Iron Fox" | Morgue | Main Sickbay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Nero
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It was strange, hearing the stories of people deployed to hunt Thea. The Savi android might have cringed and fiddled at the mentioning of penis-drawings and the language used, but Renard grinned on the outside - chuckling at the antics of lost squadron.

The strange feeling he got... was that of being reminded that all the Starfleet officers in Admiral Sankolov's fleet were just like Logan Hale and the old White Wolves. They simply followed orders, and yet Miles had led the defence of Thea for months and been forced to disable or destroy Starfleet fighters that persecuted them. It was a reminder, that all those dead - duped by the Infested and thus forcing Miles hand when he gave his orders - were just like any other squadron out there. They simply didn't know, and followed orders like they were supposed to do. The whole Task Force had been forbidden to communicate with Captain Ives and deny any incoming transmissions, just because of Thea. The Infested had played their hand, and convinced them all that Thea - being an A.I. - would compromise the computers of the fleet if contact was established. And so, while Theurgy officers could scream their voices raw into the subspace comms and beg their pursuers to stand down and listen, all they ever got back was silence and more torps.

"They will be remembered," he murmured, the bitterness of many months of frustration tinging his face and his voice, as he turned towards the door. "I should go. I have another patrol lined up. Again, my condolences..."

Having said as much, Miles left the former White Wolves with his dead packmates, but before the sliding doors closed, he heard the android speak up, directing herself to Wraith.

"Pardon me, could you please explain?" she said, wringing her hands, "I don't see the point of drawing genitalia on the faces of fellow officers. Is this common practise? Starfleet protocol doesn't mention it."

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #8 –
[Lt. JG Logan Hale, callsign "Wraith" | Morgue | Main Sickbay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan
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"Thank you and have a safe flight," Logan thanked the other pilot for his concern. He nodded to him and extended his hand as he departed for patrol duty. Renard was leaving the morgue when the robot turned to Logan and somehow seemed nervous. At least, that was what the artificial life form's body language suggested. Logan gave a short laugh.
"No, it is definitely not Starfleet protocol."
He looked up and into the single lens that adorned the android's head.
"It's some kind of a joke. Something you do among friends. We were drunk. The alcohol lowered our inhibitions about social interaction and the result of that was just that I woke up with drawings of genitals on my face."
He was amazed at how easy it was for him to explain and how wonderfully harmonious the robot's movements seemed. It was almost like talking to a living person.
"When I fell asleep, they thought to tease me by just doodling on my face. It was a funny surprise when I woke up and looked in the mirror. We celebrated, laughed at the joke at my expense, and kept on celebrating."
Logan looked again at the faces of Liliana and Dev. They lay calmly before him with expressionless faces. Their bodies were cold. They had been murdered from behind and not even allowed to defend themselves. Logan's gaze found the camera lens again. This time he had tears in his eyes and his voice trembled slightly.
"It was attention. A kind of affection, just... fun."
He let the words sink in and thought for a moment. "How is it that your behavior seems so... human, anyway? Please don't get me wrong. I've had the pleasure of meeting a few androids, but none of them seemed as alive as you do."

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #9 –
[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | TMorgue | Main Sickbay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nero  
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V-Nine had to admit that she didn't quite understand the levity in drawing genitalia on the faces of other humanoids, and how it might be considered an act of companionship, but she dismissed it with a slight shake of her cranial unit. She settled on the reoccurring realisation that she might never fully understand organics.

The question the pilot posed wasn't a new one. She'd got it at different intervals, most commonly during the first couple of weeks she'd spent aboard the Theurgy. "To answer your question, the artificial intelligence aboard this ship - Thea - upgraded me before we left the Versant. This, during the battle with the Borg Queen in the heart of the Azure Nebula. Her Synthesis Code, which the my makers - the Savi - managed to formulate from her program and hardware, is still being explored by my systems. Before then, I like to believe I was sapient as well, being a learning platform, but this upgrade has progressed my program's natural evolution well beyond what my makers thought possible. It is both disconcerting how much is revealed to me by the moment... and quite liberating as well."

She moved to press the button which made the two Lone Wolves slowly slide back into their temporary resting places, behind the hatches in the wall. "The definitions may differ between cultures, but sentience and sapience are two terms that are often confused. Sentience means the ability to feel things, the ability to perceive things. Any living thing that has some degree of consciousness is sentient, including low-intelligence animals of different worlds in the galaxy. The Universal Translation system aboard suggests - using Federation Standard as we are - that the word is derived from the Latin word sentientem on Earth, which means feeling. The adjective form is sentient. The word sentience is often misused to mean a creature that has intellectual motives and is 'aware', for a lack of a better word."

With the two Lone Wolves out of sight, and the hatches closing, she continued. "Sapience, on the on the other hand, means the ability to think, the capacity for intelligence, the ability to acquire wisdom. The Universal Translator renders a result referring to the latest phase in Human evolution, where their Latin name is homo sapiens. The translator suggest that the word sapience is derived from the Latin word sapientia, which means intelligence or discernment. The adjective form is sapient."

Having finished her explanation, she folded her metallic hands behind her platform and tilted her head, expecting follow-up questions.

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #10 –
[Lt. JG Logan Hale, callsign "Wraith" | Morgue | Main Sickbay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan
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"Cogito ergo sum." added Logan thoughtfully. "I think, therefore I am."
To be aware of oneself, that was the lesson he had heard so many times before. Back in the various schools and later at the academy. He vaguely remembered the lessons. That had been more for the philosophers. He himself liked to fall asleep during that lessons. The lessons had little to do with his interests. Only this one saying, and maybe a few more, stuck with him. It was simply repeated too often for that.
And yet they offered a wisdom of their own. Converted to the android in front of him, he was sure that this being was aware of itself. It thought of itself as an entity, but was it really alive? After all, it was created, built.
As the machine explained, it pressed a button. The two compartments where his friends lay began to close. Logan stood up in a jump and assumed his posture. At the same moment, a thick lump formed in his throat. Swallowing suddenly became difficult and his vision blurred. Suddenly, reality was back. His friends eternally consigned to the afterlife. Logan saluted and stared at the closed compartments for a moment. Only when he was sure he had halfway caught himself did he turn back around.
"Thank you so much for having me, V-Nine." Logan paused for a moment, thinking about the words he had only noticed as background noise when Liliana and Dev had been taken back to the stasis units.
"So, if I understand this correctly, you are a child of two worlds. Just like Dev."
Logan looked into the lens emblazoned on the android's face. "Then how is it that you are here with us and not with the Savi? Did your mother get custody, or how else did you end up here with us?"

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #11 –
[ Vigenary Model I-9 Surgical Android | TMorgue | Main Sickbay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Nero 
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The fighter pilot's observation about her situation aboard could be deemed accurate, V-Nine found, and she laughed a little at the chosen words - a little bit self-conscious about the scrutiny she was getting. "Perhaps in some kind of poetic way, I am, but in a literal sense, I am merely adapting to new medical doctrines while still carrying out the tasks I was designed for."

The follow-up question was one she more readily had a concrete answer for, however.

"Oh, well," she said and folded her metallic hands behind her posterior, "see, you may already know that my makers abducted members of the crew, before the battle with the Borg. In the end of those events, in which the abducted crew aided the leader of the Antecedents to overthrow the Scion Admiral, said leader - the Voice - were to present me as a gift to the Theurgy crew. Reason being that I had the programming and database to undo the Corrections that those abducted had undergone. A long story short, I ended up on the Theurgy in that way, and Thea upgraded me with the synthesis code before I even left the Versant. Since I came aboard, I have have fulfilled my purpose in regard to restoring the abductees, but I have found extended service in sickbay since your medical department had been undermined by losses. I am quite happy to serve, since my tasks are not limited to DNA re-sequencing."

The mentioning of a 'mother' had to be in jest, she assumed, since she was quite clearly an artificial life-form and not an organic one, and it had her chuckle before she moved to ask a question of her own.

"Will you be all right now, Lieutenant? I recognise the fact that these two officers were close to you, before you all came aboard this ship. Is there anything I can do?"

Re: CH02: S [D02|0420] - It is hard to say goodbye

Reply #12 –
[Lt. JG Logan Hale, callsign "Wraith" | Morgue | Main Sickbay | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy] Attn: @Auctor Lucan
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Logan listened to what the mechanical life form had to say. Their origin was an interesting story. One in which Dev was also involved, as far as he remembered. After all, his former half-Romulan friend had been part of the kidnapped crew and had to endure the deviant experiments of the Scion caste of the Savi.
Logan respected Dev for having later lived with the changes to her DNA and the total adaptation to human instead of restoring the initial state. On the other hand, he suspected that she was chewing hard on what had happened on the Versant. It certainly wasn't easy to forget what she had experienced, even more so when she saw the result of those actions in the mirror every day anew.
The only time Logan had to deal with the Savi was during the skirmish with the Borg in the Azure Nebula, and the arrival of the mighty ship itself he hadn't even noticed, since he was already in stasis at the time. So, it was fair to say that the pilot had never had any dealings with the Savi. Except for the EV suit he was wearing, which had been designed with ideas from the Savi in mind.
Now, however, he was standing right next to another design of theirs. Their body language and expressions, however, seemed anything but alien. On the contrary, they seemed quite human and the crew of the ship seemed to trust them. Even more, Dev and Liliana trusted her. That alone was reason enough for Logan to want to put his trust in V-Nine as well.
"I'm glad you found your purpose. Often, we humans spend our whole lives searching for it. Few actually succeed in finding it."
Logan extended his hand to the robot.
"Thank you again for letting me be here, V-Nine. That will be all."
As he turned to leave, however, he had one final request of the medic "I know they are in good hands, but please take good care of them. They mean a lot to me. Goodbye, farewell my friends."

--- FIN ---
 
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