11-19-2025, 03:05 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-19-2025, 03:10 AM by Kalli Thorn.)
== NRC Cindy Talion, Synthetic ==
Cindy blushed a little and gave a grin at his compliment. "Thank you. That means I'm doing a good job."
She then listened to him describe the local impact of their own experimentations in the Riani past. She nodded and gave a sympathetic look, "What you have described is not uncommon, but it is hard to explain to an organic. I don't know exactly what may have happened, but I've encountered very similar examples in the past. You can't try and think of it in terms that relate to a reaction or motivation that you might expect from an organic life form. You have a hard enough time even trying to make sense of other organic creatures. A synthetic life form is going to have far more challenging aspects to consider. The fact that they simply left and there was no clash between them and their creators is actually a good thing."
Jonas then asked her a more personal kind of inquiry, to which she smiled ad set down her mug to look him directly in the eyes, "Well, for starters, Star Fleet has a bit of an issue with their ships being controlled on that level. They have had sentient beings take over ships and they have also had Artificial Intelligence programs take over ships and they did not like any of those experiences. Let me clarify, for the record, that I am not technically sentient, but I am as close as I can possibly be to it without taking that final evolutionary step. I know this because I'm not the original program. My original program did become sentient and was set free. I am from a back-up that was made prior to that development and certain modifications were made so that I can still continue to learn, but that final step has deliberately been prevented so that I can continue to do what I enjoy without entering into certain legal minefields. As for being limited by this chassis, I think you misunderstand my nature. This chassis is no more limiting to me than a shuttle craft is limiting to you. I pilot this chassis, but am not limited to it. I can appear as a holographic matrix, if I wish. The origins of my program and duties that are accepted by Star Fleet allow me to act as Commander Talion's assistant. Within certain limitations, this allows me access to certain systems on the ship that help me to be very aware of what is going on. I then keep Alex informed, as needed, about ongoing issues that might require his attention. For example, the Captain is currently inquiring about who assisted in your medical intervention. I'm not yet sure why, but I suspect that his queries may lead to us having a conversation with him before long."
She sighed, took a sip and then continued, her expression a bit more thoughtful, "Ambassador, let me tell you why most robots or mechanical systems that become self-aware tend to be problematic. Nobody was able to ask them if they wanted to be. I know that seems paradoxical, but think about it. If you were placed in such a device, how would you feel about it? You consider even this chassis to be limiting, though because I'm not limited to it, I find it liberating. I can go places that have no power and no holographic emitters and I can pass for human in most places. For a human mind to be trapped in a device would almost certainly lead to a psychotic break. I'm unique in that I live in between the two extremes. Most people don't want machines that are people, they want obedient robots. I don't want to be someplace else, or to be set free. My desire is to be with my family and to continue doing what I do, which I find very productive, helps lots of people, like yourself, and let's me continue to be part of the lives of those I care for. If you were to be told you were going to be set free from your family, I think you might object too."
Cindy took another sip of her beverage and licked her lips, "You've not asked why I am able to enjoy this drink, but I'm going to tell you the secret. It has to do with why so many programs fail. People try to make programs that are like adults, with everything built in, but that's not how people work, so programs intended to emulate people can't work that way either. You have to start them out as infants, in every aspect of the experience. To understand and appreciate what it means to be organic, you have to be able to give them their own database of experiences and engrams. To plant them is to miss some of the most important stuff. You need memories of what it is like to fail and fall down as much as how to do it right. You have to experience hunger and pain to appreciate a good meal and to want to end pain. You can't program empathy, but you can teach it if you are very careful and have the patience. I wasn't originally created to perform duties as a lab assistant. I was originally a program created by a boy who had lost his twin sister to a tragic accident. It took a while, but eventually we figured it out." Her smile widened, "Before you ask, no, she didn't like her hot cocoa the way I like mine. Part of what he figured out was that he had to let go of his sister, yet here I am."
== Tag to GM for Jonas...and Someone will likely tell the CO that the patient is currently recovering in Ten Forward. ==
Cindy blushed a little and gave a grin at his compliment. "Thank you. That means I'm doing a good job."
She then listened to him describe the local impact of their own experimentations in the Riani past. She nodded and gave a sympathetic look, "What you have described is not uncommon, but it is hard to explain to an organic. I don't know exactly what may have happened, but I've encountered very similar examples in the past. You can't try and think of it in terms that relate to a reaction or motivation that you might expect from an organic life form. You have a hard enough time even trying to make sense of other organic creatures. A synthetic life form is going to have far more challenging aspects to consider. The fact that they simply left and there was no clash between them and their creators is actually a good thing."
Jonas then asked her a more personal kind of inquiry, to which she smiled ad set down her mug to look him directly in the eyes, "Well, for starters, Star Fleet has a bit of an issue with their ships being controlled on that level. They have had sentient beings take over ships and they have also had Artificial Intelligence programs take over ships and they did not like any of those experiences. Let me clarify, for the record, that I am not technically sentient, but I am as close as I can possibly be to it without taking that final evolutionary step. I know this because I'm not the original program. My original program did become sentient and was set free. I am from a back-up that was made prior to that development and certain modifications were made so that I can still continue to learn, but that final step has deliberately been prevented so that I can continue to do what I enjoy without entering into certain legal minefields. As for being limited by this chassis, I think you misunderstand my nature. This chassis is no more limiting to me than a shuttle craft is limiting to you. I pilot this chassis, but am not limited to it. I can appear as a holographic matrix, if I wish. The origins of my program and duties that are accepted by Star Fleet allow me to act as Commander Talion's assistant. Within certain limitations, this allows me access to certain systems on the ship that help me to be very aware of what is going on. I then keep Alex informed, as needed, about ongoing issues that might require his attention. For example, the Captain is currently inquiring about who assisted in your medical intervention. I'm not yet sure why, but I suspect that his queries may lead to us having a conversation with him before long."
She sighed, took a sip and then continued, her expression a bit more thoughtful, "Ambassador, let me tell you why most robots or mechanical systems that become self-aware tend to be problematic. Nobody was able to ask them if they wanted to be. I know that seems paradoxical, but think about it. If you were placed in such a device, how would you feel about it? You consider even this chassis to be limiting, though because I'm not limited to it, I find it liberating. I can go places that have no power and no holographic emitters and I can pass for human in most places. For a human mind to be trapped in a device would almost certainly lead to a psychotic break. I'm unique in that I live in between the two extremes. Most people don't want machines that are people, they want obedient robots. I don't want to be someplace else, or to be set free. My desire is to be with my family and to continue doing what I do, which I find very productive, helps lots of people, like yourself, and let's me continue to be part of the lives of those I care for. If you were to be told you were going to be set free from your family, I think you might object too."
Cindy took another sip of her beverage and licked her lips, "You've not asked why I am able to enjoy this drink, but I'm going to tell you the secret. It has to do with why so many programs fail. People try to make programs that are like adults, with everything built in, but that's not how people work, so programs intended to emulate people can't work that way either. You have to start them out as infants, in every aspect of the experience. To understand and appreciate what it means to be organic, you have to be able to give them their own database of experiences and engrams. To plant them is to miss some of the most important stuff. You need memories of what it is like to fail and fall down as much as how to do it right. You have to experience hunger and pain to appreciate a good meal and to want to end pain. You can't program empathy, but you can teach it if you are very careful and have the patience. I wasn't originally created to perform duties as a lab assistant. I was originally a program created by a boy who had lost his twin sister to a tragic accident. It took a while, but eventually we figured it out." Her smile widened, "Before you ask, no, she didn't like her hot cocoa the way I like mine. Part of what he figured out was that he had to let go of his sister, yet here I am."
== Tag to GM for Jonas...and Someone will likely tell the CO that the patient is currently recovering in Ten Forward. ==