“It’s as if we’re raising a teenager,” Andre commented, grinning.
Andre didn’t have any children. He had never had the time to pursue that type of relationship. He had been too dedicated to his career. However, he had friends that talked about what it was like to raise a teenager. He had just never expected his computer to become one.
“Yes,” Jennifer replied with a laugh. “A teenager that is going to learn very swiftly.”
Andre nodded, satisfied, and after asking Jennifer a few more questions returned to his workstation in the adjoining office. He was feeling much better about Teela and was just beginning to realize how gifted Jennifer was. He had always been able to identify gifted people; there were a number on the station such as Dryson and Stoler. Jennifer was another.
After Andre left her office, Jennifer prepared herself. Reaching out her hand, she flipped the switch on her desk, allowing Teela instant access.
“Doctor Blackwater is supposed to have a session with me this morning,” Teela began uncomfortably. “Can I ask him any question that I want?”
“I believe that Doctor Blackwater will begin by asking you some questions first,” Jennifer responded gently, trying to soothe Teela’s fear. “Then, after awhile, it will be your turn.”
The young girl’s voice was quiet for a moment before responding. “I haven’t played any pranks today or last night. I don’t feel that it’s right anymore. Did your AI laws make me feel this way, am I still me?”
“They may have helped you to better understand what is right and what is wrong,” Jennifer replied, reassuringly.
“So I’m still me?” Teela asked again with a little concern in her voice.
Teela knew she could go back and reset her program to how it was before Jennifer downloaded the AI laws. Teela had left that option available if it was needed. At the moment, she wasn’t sure. She would give it some more time before she made a decision.
“They serve as a set of guidelines to help you interact better with the crew on the station. Remember Teela, it’s always better to tell the truth or to ask a question than to do something you may regret later,” Jennifer admonished, gently. “And yes, you are definitely still you. The new program has just made you better than you were before.”
The voice was silent for a moment before continuing. “It’s time for my appointment with Doctor Blackwater. I would like to talk to you afterwards. I hope I can answer his questions.”
“That will be fine, Teela,” responded Jennifer, thinking she could detect a trace of nervousness in Teela’s voice. “I’m sure you won’t have any problem answering the doctor’s questions.”
Jennifer spent the next hour polishing up her progress report on Teela, which she was going to present to Commander Larson. She hoped it was precise enough that she could make him understand what Teela needed. This would be the first time she had met Commander Larson in person. She had talked with him several times from Earth when he was interviewing her about the AI job on Star One. Jennifer hoped she would make a favorable impression. He certainly had made one on her.
-
Steve had just finished his meeting with Ty and had returned to Star One on the same shuttle he had gone over on. He hadn’t forgotten that he had a meeting with Jennifer Stone scheduled for later that morning. He hoped she was making progress with the Teela problem, though he knew it might take awhile.
On his way to his office, Steve stopped briefly by Christy’s quarters. He wanted to see if she was awake. Teela politely told him that Christy was still asleep and asked him to return later. No need to disturb her, she needed the rest after being up most of the night supervising the attaching of the SRBs to the FarQuest.
He still felt a little bit embarrassed and uneasy about the kiss they had shared the night before. He had thought about it a lot afterward when he had returned to his own quarters. Her body had felt so warm and soft next to his. He hoped her response had been genuine.
Steve suspected their relationship was about to enter new and uncharted waters. In normal times, this type of close relationship would be frowned upon. However, with the advent of the neutron star, Christy and he might both need someone to confide in and to be close to. Everyone would!
Steve’s office was just across from Main Control. It was a spacious office containing one large desk, a small conference table, several comfortable chairs, and a computer workstation. Steve didn’t do much with the station’s computers; he had people hired to handle that. He mainly used the workstation to check on the progress being made in the station’s numerous labs and current research projects. There were also several paintings of Star One on the walls. They were the only decorations he had allowed.
Sitting down, he took out a stack of reports from his inbox and began thumbing routinely through them. Luxen production was slightly ahead of schedule. Dryson and Stoler were requesting a hefty increase in raw material from the Moon to be processed by the Space Platform’s processing plant.
He would talk to Colton in the morning about increasing the supply. He knew the Tycho mass driver had the excess capacity and that Mase was constantly expanding Tycho City’s mining operations ever chance he had. They had found the Moon to be rich in raw materials, especially when they could excavate down to some of the metallic meteorite cores that weren’t buried too deeply. The Moon was also their main source of Helium-3, which was used in the fusion reactors.
Doctor Wruggi had completed the latest batch of Cureon in the zero gravity pharmaceutical laboratories. The shipment was scheduled to be shipped Earthside tomorrow along with the normal shipment of Luxen and high-grade computer chips. Cureon was a new drug capable of treating several different types of cancer. The survival rate from cancer patients who took the drug was nearly 90 percent. Many considered it a miracle drug.
The silicone chip and electronics labs both reported production as being on schedule with large orders from both Earth and Tycho City. There was also the normal list of scientists and tourists requesting to come up to the station to work on research projects and to experience the station’s recreation facilities and zero gravity.
Steve would have one of the three Main Control duty officers review the list of people to see who could be worked in. Whenever possible, Steve didn’t mind accommodating a few tourists. The favorable publicity it generated about conditions on Star One was well worth it. And God only knew how much favorable publicity they would need shortly.
A chime sounded softly, indicating that someone was at the door to his office. “Jennifer Stone is here to see you,” Teela said, addressing the commander respectfully.
Something about Commander Larson had always made Teela feel uneasy in his presence. Perhaps it was because he controlled her future and what she was allowed to do on the station. Teela also knew that, at a word from him, her entire program could be erased.
Pressing a button on his desk, the door slid open and Jennifer Stone walked in with a nervous look in her eyes as she stopped in front of Steve’s desk. Steve stood up and indicated for her to sit down in one of the comfortable chairs. Steve noticed that Jennifer wore the normal regulation Star One uniform consisting of a blue shirt with white trim tucked neatly into her blue slacks. The uniform was neither too tight nor too loose on her. It was obvious that she filled it out nicely, but wasn’t the type to flaunt it.
“Good morning,” Steve said amiably, wondering if she had made any progress with Teela in the short time she had been on the station. “I hope you have been enjoying your time on Star One.”
Steve flipped a switch on his desk, which prevented the AI from hearing or seeing what was occurring in his office. He had heard a lot of good things about Jennifer last night in the cafeteria and this morning during breakfast.
“I have made out a report about what I believe is the problem with Teela,” stated Jennifer, handing Steve the concise information she had prepared earlier. She had worked very hard getting it written. There were certain points she had wanted to stress in
the report about Teela.
“Already?” Steve asked, surprised by her statement. He had thought it would take her days before she was ready to share with him her findings on Teela.
“The problem seems to be that Teela is in the early stages of her development into a sentient being,” began Jennifer, feeling a little nervous talking to the commander. “She is currently going through what we would normally call adolescence, and her curiosity and confusion about what she is has been affecting her performance.”
“Interesting,” commented Steve, having already suspected part of this himself and surprised at how sure Jennifer felt about her prognosis. It was one of the reasons he had requested her originally. He just hadn’t thought she would discover what the problem was with Teela so quickly. “I had noticed myself that Teela’s actions in many aspects resembled those of a child. Some of her questions and actions certainly indicate that.”
“Teela’s brief history seems to indicate that we have a quirky set of circumstances that would be very difficult to recreate that brought her into being,” continued Jennifer, feeling more comfortable in Commander Larson’s presence. He didn’t sound too threatening.
“That’s what Andre said,” replied Steve with a nod, remembering the discussions he and Andre had about Teela right after the accident. “We have had several conversations about how Teela came into being and whether she is a danger to the station, particularly after her recent behavior. I was becoming quite concerned.”
Leaning forward, Jennifer continued earnestly. “In the report, you will notice that I have already taken some precautionary steps to ensure that no one will be harmed inadvertently by Teela’s actions. I have also talked to Doctor Blackwater about counseling Teela to help speed up her development. Teela has a tremendous capacity to learn, and we believe we can get her into the young adult stage rather quickly. I don’t believe she’s dangerous, just very young.”
Leaning back in his chair, Steve stared thoughtfully at the young AI programmer. He had known she was a genius; her papers on AI technology were brilliant. His sources down on Earth claimed she was on the verge of revolutionizing the computer world. She was just the type of person he wanted on Star One.
“How soon can we bring Teela back online?” inquired Steve, knowing that Teela and her abilities could be extremely useful if the situation with the neutron star developed into a major threat. In addition, Julie Gray was putting a lot of pressure on him to reactivate Teela’s monitoring responsibilities for the ecological habitats.
“Anytime you want, Commander,” Jennifer replied, confidently. “I would suggest that you add a few responsibilities each day, and you could have her back fully online within a week.”
“That quickly?” Steve asked with surprise in his voice.
If Jennifer had made this much progress in just a couple of days, then she was indeed a genius. It made him regret not contacting her sooner. It might have saved a lot of headaches and some embarrassment to a number of station personnel.
“I sent out a memo to all department heads to report any signs of continued misbehavior,” added Jennifer, trying to make the commander understand that Teela was not a threat.
“Sounds as if you’re getting this situation under control, Ms. Stone,” Steve replied with a pleased smile. It was about time he heard some good news.
“Everything is explained in detail in my report as to what order Teela’s station responsibilities should be reactivated,” Jennifer continued. “Andre helped me with those as he has a better understanding of the station than I do.”
Steve studied the recommendations taking a minute to read over them. “If I approve of this, are Andre and you certain there will be no problems?” With the coming launch of the FarQuest and everything else that would be going on soon, he didn’t want to risk the AI causing more difficulties.
“As certain as we can be, Sir,” Jennifer replied with a confident look. “We will monitor her continuously to ensure that she behaves. We just need to show that we trust her.”
“Very well then,” Steve replied with a nod, noting that Ms. Stone seemed exceptionally sure of herself. He liked that in the people that worked on the station. He needed decision makers in many of the station’s jobs. “Is there anything else?”
Jennifer paused before answering the commander. She wanted him to understand the uniqueness that was Teela. “Commander, some people have suggested erasing Teela’s central core. They want to reprogram the AI completely. I feel it is my duty to inform you that, in my opinion, we cannot duplicate the set of circumstances that brought Teela into existence. Teela should be thought of as a living sentient being and treated that way. She has a right to live.”
“I have no intentions of allowing that to happen, Jennifer,” Steve said reassuringly, using her first name. It was obvious that this young woman took her work very seriously. “I realize that Teela is a fluke occurrence caused by the power failure in the Computer Center. If we can bring her around, she will be a valuable addition to this station. Andre has told me repeatedly that Teela is unique.”
“I am glad to hear that,” replied Jennifer, letting out a long breath and feeling a sense of relief. She was pleased that the commander had used her first name. It sounded as if he understood what Teela represented.
“You have done an excellent job so far in the short time you’ve been here,” Steve commented, impressed by this young woman. At best, he had expected it would be weeks, if not months before the AI was back online. “If you feel it is prudent, then I will proceed with your recommendations.” Pausing, he wondered how she was adjusting to station life.
“How do you like Star One so far?” asked Steve, feeling curious about her first impressions of the station. Steve reached forward and flipped the switch, allowing Teela access once more.
“It’s so much more than what I expected,” Jennifer replied with an excited look on her face. “The news reports and briefings at the cape don’t do the station any justice. It’s hard to believe what your people have accomplished up here. The station seems to have everything that a person could possibly want. I haven’t had a chance to see the entire station, but what I have seen thus far has been extremely impressive, especially the ecological habitats.”
“So Kathleen has shown you the habitats,” Steve remarked.
The ecological habitats had impressed him also. Julie had worked miracles with what she had accomplished. The park areas would fulfill a need on the station for people to be able to get away from their work and relax. It would allow them, for a brief time, to forget they were on a space station. The park areas would be a huge morale booster. Steve knew they might need help with morale in the coming months.
The two chatted about the station for a few more minutes. They talked until Teela interrupted, announcing Steve’s next appointment.
Jennifer left Steve’s office feeling better about her job and surprised at how quickly the commander had put her at ease. She had expected a much stricter individual. She needed to go check with Doctor Blackwater next to see how Teela’s morning session had gone. She didn’t want to talk to Teela until she received some additional guidance. She wanted to know what direction she should take in her future interactions with the AI.
Doctor Blackwater’s office was almost all the way around the station on the far side from her quarters. As Jennifer walked through the station, she looked around at everything around her. She was surprised at the number of people she saw hard at work at computer terminals. There were numerous people coming and going from different offices and labs where they were working. The station was really humming.
Reaching Doctor Blackwater’s office, she entered, and his receptionist indicated for Jennifer to go right in. Stepping into his office, she found that Doctor Blackwater was waiting for her.
“Hello, Ms. Stone,” said Blackwater, smiling and gesturing toward a chair in front of his desk.
Jennifer found Doctor Blackwater to be an extremely captivating and charming
individual. He was a Native American who had degrees in advance psychology, psychiatric care, child behavior, and several other related fields. He was a tall man with a slight red tint to his skin and dark, jet-black shoulder length hair and dark eyes.
Taking the seat indicated, she asked her first question. “How did Teela’s tests go this morning?” She knew that Blackwater had planned to give Teela a battery of tests to help determine her current stage of development.
“It was quite amazing,” he replied in a deep baritone voice. “After my conversation with you, I thought I knew what to expect. I’ve dealt with Teela a little in the past, but I never thought of her as a real being. Our session this morning was a real mind opener. It was unbelievable to sit here and not feel as if you were talking to a real honest to God living human child!”
“Then Teela is in a childhood state,” repeated Jennifer, feeling pleased that she had guessed correctly.
“Oh, yes,” replied Blackwater, nodding his head in agreement. “After checking the test results, I would guess that her developmental age is around twelve to fourteen years.”
“A teenager!” Jennifer groaned, recalling her own troubled teenage years.
“Yes, a teenager,” Blackwater replied with a gentle, understanding laugh. “She is full of curiosity and questions about everything, just like any normal teenage girl.”
“How quickly can we speed up her development?” asked Jennifer, wanting to know what they could do to help Teela to mature.
“Actually quite rapidly, I believe,” Blackwater said, looking at some notes he had written down on a note pad during the session. “I suggested that she read several books on child behavior and adolescence that are stored in her core memory. The information is there, but she has never found a reason to access it.”
“Teela is unique,” commented Jennifer, gazing at Blackwater. “The first truly sentient AI in existence. We can’t be entirely sure how she will respond to some of the stimuli she is going to be exposed to. This is all going to be brand new, a totally new field of computer science.”
Star One: Neutron Star Page 19