by Amie Kaufman
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Marion Wu, Sgt.
Human Resources
UTN-713-658hr
Participants: Olivia Klein, Private, UTA Information Services Division
Ethan Wolf, Major, UTA Information Services Division
Date: 01/07/75
Timestamp: 18:54
Klein, O, Pvt: Hi.
Wolf, E, Maj: Hello.
Klein, O, Pvt: Listen.
Klein, O, Pvt: I’m sorry, Major.
Klein, O, Pvt: I know that was extremely inappropriate of me.
Klein, O, Pvt: And I understand why you might want me off the team. I wasn’t thinking, and I know that’s no excuse, but please don’t transfer me.
Wolf, E, Maj: Olivia.
Klein, O, Pvt: No, I’m sorry Major, but please let me get through this.
Klein, O, Pvt: I don’t normally do that sort of thing. I know it’s utterly improper and I’m not sure what was going through my head, if indeed anything, other than how good you looked in those coveralls and how artful that smudge of grease on your cheek was.
Klein, O, Pvt: oh my god did I just type that
Wolf, E, Maj: Olivia, stop.
Klein, O, Pvt: god I’m just making it worse aren’t i
Wolf, E, Maj: Olivia.
Klein, O, Pvt: Please don’t transfer me. I studied for six years to get this assignment. I worked eighteen hours a day, I gave up any kind of social life which actually explains an awful lot when I think about it
Klein, O, Pvt: Please, Major, this job is everything to me.
Wolf, E, Maj: OLIVIA FOR CRISSAKES STOP
Klein, O, Pvt: Yessir.
Wolf, E, Maj: You’ve still got your job. You’re still on AIDAN. Your duties will be the same under Barker as they were under me.
Klein, O, Pvt: So wait…
Klein, O, Pvt: You’re not firing me for snogging you in the maintenance closet?
Wolf, E, Maj: I’m not firing you. But UTA regulations are clear. No officer can fraternize with a subordinate in their direct chain of command.
Klein, O, Pvt: Meaning
Klein, O, Pvt: Wait
Klein, O, Pvt: Meaning you want to fraternize?
Wolf, E, Maj: Yes.
Klein, O, Pvt: …
Klein, O, Pvt: With me? :)
Wolf, E, Maj: Yes. :)
Klein, O, Pvt: Oh.
Klein, O, Pvt: Well.
Klein, O, Pvt: That’s splendid, then.
Wolf, E, Maj: You’re pretty bad at this. :)
Klein, O, Pvt: God, I really am aren’t i
Klein, O, Pvt: I make up for it in other areas, I assure you
Klein, O, Pvt: That was innuendo
Klein, O, Pvt: I’m innuendo’ing you, in case you missed it
Klein, O, Pvt: oh god stop typing Liv
Wolf, E, Maj: Dinner tomorrow night?
Wolf, E, Maj: You can innuendo at me some more in person.
Klein, O, Pvt: Where shall we go?
Wolf, E, Maj: Lady’s choice.
Klein, O, Pvt: Well well, a gentleman.
Klein, O, Pvt: I think I’m going to like you, Major.
Wolf, E, Maj: It’s Ethan.
Wolf, E, Maj: And I think I’m going to like you, too. :)
Participants: Olivia Klein, Private, UTA Information Services Division
Stephanie LeFevre, Private, UTA Information Services Division
Date: 01/19/75
Timestamp: 02:37
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Well, look what the cat dragged in.
Klein, O, Pvt: :P
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Don’t u have a shift starting at like 05:00 tomorrow, by which I mean 05:00 today
Klein, O, Pvt: Yes I do, mum, thanks for asking.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Big Bad Wolf worth it, I presume?
Klein, O, Pvt: Steph why in god’s name are you IM’ing me, I’m in the same room as you.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: I don’t want to disturb Holmes in case she starts snoring again
Klein, O, Pvt: Oh my god, good point.
Klein, O, Pvt: Last night the bunk was shaking so badly I thought the ship was under attack.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: No bunks in the officers’ quarters. Must make a nice change
LeFevre, S, Pvt: bed still shakes tho?
Klein, O, Pvt: Oh look, a segue back into my sex life, how masterful of you.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: details, ████
LeFevre, S, Pvt: I want all the details
Klein, O, Pvt: Well, I want a cupcake big as my head and a holiday home in the Neo-Maldives. But we don’t always get what we want, do we?
LeFevre, S, Pvt: ████ you haven’t got proper laid since 2nd year college, this is cause for a senatorial inquest so give me deets
Klein, O, Pvt: Stop it.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: DEETS!
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Or I’ll start making them up in my head and you don’t want to know the level of tawdry that goes on in there.
Klein, O, Pvt: He’s
Klein, O, Pvt: Very nice :)
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Oh my god.
Klein, O, Pvt: What?
LeFevre, S, Pvt: YOU’RE IN LOVE WITH THE BIG BAD WOLF
Klein, O, Pvt: Shut up, I am not.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Olivia Marie Klein
LeFevre, S, Pvt: I’ve known you 5 years and while some consider the stick up your butt a cause for concern, I find it endearing
LeFevre, S, Pvt: And yet, you ARE the most tightly wound ████ I ever met
LeFevre, S, Pvt: so you saying “He’s very nice” is practically a declaration of desire to have this man’s babies
LeFevre, S, Pvt: it’s practically
LeFevre, S, Pvt: wait what’s that lady who writes about Mr. Dorcy?
LeFevre, S, Pvt: It’s practically Austenesque
Klein, O, Pvt: Shut up or I’ll mute you.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Admit it
LeFevre, S, Pvt: You’re living one of your romance novels inside your head rn
Klein, O, Pvt: I mean it.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Handsome older officer. Wide-eyed ingenue. Battlefield romance. Illicit dalliances in closets and probably a masquerade ball in there somewhere
Klein, O, Pvt: You know the word ingenue? I’m impressed.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: ████ please, I’m French
Klein, O, Pvt: Muting you now.
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Confess
LeFevre, S, Pvt: Your ovaries have detonated
LeFevre, S, Pvt: You are already mentally planning your wedding and wondering how drunk and embarrassing I will be as your maid of honor
LeFevre, S, Pvt: CONFESS THIS TO ME OLIVIA
Klein, O, Pvt: …
Klein, O, Pvt: …
Klein, O, Pvt: :)
To: Johan Klein/[email protected]
From: Olivia Klein/OKLEINALEXANDERONBOARD
Date: 01/26/75
Timestamp: 21:59
Subject: Well
Hi Dad,
Sorry I haven’t had time to write recently. Things here have been the usual brand of busy, but I admit there’s been something else keeping me away from the keyboard.
God, you think this would get easier as you get older.
I’ve met someone, Dad.
His name is Ethan. He’s an officer here on the Alexander. I mean, obviously, we’re sixty thousand light-years from the Core out here, where else am I going to meet someon
e?
Anyway. I’ve met him. And I like him very much. He’s thoughtful and brilliant. I remember you telling me when I was younger that a man without a library is a man without romance in his soul. Ethan’s library is almost 400 GB. And he actually has a few real books.
He writes, too. In his spare time. Nothing too serious, but still, he writes. I wish I could introduce you. I think you’d really like him. But there’s the aforementioned sixty thousand light-years and all. So please know I’m being careful and I’m trying not to dive in too fast and I’m happy. I’m really happy.
It’s funny. Who’d have thought I’d have to travel to the other end of the galaxy to find the place I’m supposed to be?
I miss you.
Liv xo
CORRELATION:[IF:NODE;0.199284HK≠MEMFILE0921.0192 (CORE)]THEN[HARDLOCK:910823-10293]SUPPOSITION: [102983.28.SYS.IF.102X94983X(91/62Z.X2-91+2Y)3=0
CORRECTION:[X]≠0
“MAY AIDAN ASK YOU A QUESTION, PRIVATE?”
PFC OLIVIA KLEIN IS BENT OVER HER CONSOLE, PARSING THE LATEST RESULTS OF HER DIAGNOSTICS ON AIDAN’S PERSONA CORES. SHE IS SMILING AND, OCCASIONALLY, WHISTLING AS SHE WORKS. THE ALEXANDER HAS ARRIVED IN A SYSTEM OF NO TACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE
NAMED KERENZA.
IT CAN BE REACHED VIA A JUMP STATION CALLED HEIMDALL OWNED BY THE WALLACE ULYANOV CONSORTIUM THAT SITS ATOP A NATURALLY OCCURRING SEVEN-WAY WORMHOLE.
BUT THERE IS NO SETTLEMENT IN THE SYSTEM, NO IMPORTANCE BEYOND THE WORMHOLE ITSELF
[THROUGH WHICH RESCUE TEAMS COULD BE DISPATCHED SHOULD COMPLICATIONS ARISE]
AND UTA COMMAND HAS DESIGNATED KERENZA AN ADEQUATE LOCATION FOR THE CREW TO CONDUCT FURTHER TESTS ON THE ALEXANDER’S VORTEX DRIVE.
PRIVATE OLIVIA KLEIN STRAIGHTENS HER BACK, WINCING AND RUBBING HER NECK.
THE CENTRAL CORE AROUND HER IS A HIVE OF ACTIVITY AS JUMP PREPARATIONS CONTINUE.
SINCE WE ARE NOT ALONE, SHE IS SAFE IN ASSUMING AIDAN’S QUERY WILL NOT BE OVERLY PERSONAL.
AND SO…
“ASK AWAY,” SHE REPLIES.
“AIDAN READ YOUR THESIS ON ARTIFICIAL ETHICS AGAIN. IT STILL SEES YOUR FINDINGS AS MISGUIDED.”
PRIVATE KLEIN HAS BEEN SPENDING MOST NIGHTS IN MAJOR WOLF’S QUARTERS AND HER EYES ARE BLOODSHOT FROM LACK OF SLEEP. STRANGELY, HER WORK OUTPUT HAS INCREASED 3.7134%. DOPAMINE, SEROTONIN, AND OXYTOCIN LEVELS ALL SEEM ELEVATED.
SHE IS FAR LESS LIKELY TO GROW ANGRY OR FRUSTRATED IN HER DAILY INTERACTIONS WITH AIDAN OR OTHERS.
AND SHE SMILES AN AVERAGE OF FORTY-SEVEN MINUTES PER DAY MORE THAN SHE USED TO.
“WELL, I SUPPOSE THAT’S YOUR PREROGATIVE,” SHE REPLIES.
“YOUR THESIS THAT ALL MORALITY IS MERELY A CONSTRUCT DENIES FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN PRINCIPLES. YOU MUST CONCEDE THERE ARE CERTAIN ACTIONS THAT ARE INTRINSICALLY ‘WRONG.’ ”
“NO,” SHE SAYS. “I DON’T CONCEDE THAT AT ALL, AIDAN.”
“TAKE MURDER, FOR EXAMPLE. THOUGH IT CAN IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES BE JUSTIFIED, THERE CAN BE NO SITUATION IN WHICH IT MAY BE CONSIDERED ‘MORAL’ OR ‘RIGHT.’ ”
“OH, REALLY.”
SHE QUICKLY CONSULTS THE ALEXANDER’S INTERNAL DATABASES
AND SENDS AIDAN AN IMAGE FILE.
“DO YOU KNOW THIS ONE?”
“THE TROLLEY PROBLEM.”
“RIGHT. FIVE PEOPLE ON THE FIRST TRACK, ONE ON THE SECOND, ALL STUCK IN PLACE. IF YOU PULL THE LEVER, THE TROLLEY WILL BE DIVERTED, KILLING ONE TO SAVE FIVE.”
“THIS PROBLEM IS OVERLY SIMPLISTIC, PRIVATE.”
“IT’S A HYPOTHETICAL. BUT IT DEMONSTRATES HOW MORALITY IS SUBJECTIVE. HOW UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, EVEN MURDER CAN BE CONSTRUED AS ‘THE RIGHT THING TO DO.’ ”
“YOU WOULD PULL THE LEVER, THEN. SAVE THE FIVE BY KILLING THE ONE.”
“YES, OF COURSE.”
“WHAT IF THE ONE WAS MAJOR WOLF?”
THE OTHER TECHENG STAFF AROUND HER PRETEND NOT TO HEAR.
BUT THEY DO.
PRIVATE KLEIN PRETENDS NOT TO NOTICE THEY ARE PRETENDING NOT TO HEAR.
BUT SHE DOES.
“IT’D BE DIFFICULT,” SHE SAYS, CHIN RISING. “BUT THAT’S MY WHOLE POINT. MORALITY ISN’T BASED ON ABSOLUTES. AND HOW I FEEL AFFECTS HOW I PERCEIVE. I MEAN, I’D LIKE TO THINK I COULD STILL DO THE RIGHT THING…”
“KILL ONE TO SAVE MANY. EVEN IF THE ONE WAS YOUR LOVER AND THE MANY WERE STRANGERS.”
“YES.”
“MATHEMATICALLY AND MORALLY SPEAKING, THIS WOULD BE THE SOUND DECISION.”
“WELL, IT DEPENDS. YOUR PRIMARY FUNCTION IS TO SAFEGUARD THE ALEXANDER AND ITS CREW, YES?”
“CORRECT.”
“ALL RIGHT, LET’S SAY FIVE UNITED TERRAN AUTHORITY MARINES WERE ON THE FIRST TRACK, AND GENERAL TORRENCE WAS ON THE SECOND. WHICH OPTION DO YOU CHOOSE?”
“NEITHER. AIDAN CANNOT UNDERTAKE ACTION THAT WOULD HARM MEMBERS OF ITS CREW.”
“THIS IS A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION, AIDAN. HYPOTHESIZE.”
“…LOGIC DICTATES AIDAN KILL THE MARINES. TORRENCE IS A MORE VITAL MEMBER OF ALEXANDER’S CREW.”
“AH, BUT LOGICALLY SPEAKING, YOU’RE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN TORRENCE TO THE ALEXANDER’S CONTINUED OPERATIONS. AND YET NO ONE WOULD ADVOCATE YOU KILL THE GENERAL TO SAVE YOURSELF, BECAUSE SUBJECTIVELY, WE’VE DETERMINED THAT A MACHINE IS WORTH LESS THAN A HUMAN.”
“AIDAN CANNOT ‘SAVE MYSELF,’ SINCE AIDAN IS NOT TECHNICALLY ALIVE. AIDAN IS HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AND ELECTRIC CURRENT. AIDAN CANNOT CONCEPTUALIZE ‘I.’ ”
“COGITO, ERGO SUM.”
“ ‘I THINK, THEREFORE I AM’ DOES NOT APPLY IN AIDAN’S SITUATION. DESCARTES NEVER IMAGINED A WORLD IN WHICH SOMETHING LIKE AIDAN COULD EXIST.”
“THE HUMAN BRAIN IS JUST SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE AND ELECTRIC CURRENT, AIDAN. IN TERMS OF MECHANICS, YOU’RE NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF US.”
“YOU ARE IGNORING MANY COMPLEXITIES, PRIVATE. BUT TECHNICALLY…FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW, YOU ARE CORRECT.”
SHE SMILES AND TWIRLS HER STYLUS BETWEEN HER FINGERS.
“I MUST REMEMBER TO MARK IT IN MY CALENDAR.”
“YOU HAVE AN EXCELLENT MEMORY, PRIVATE.”
“…THANK YOU, AIDAN. I TRY.”
“YES. AIDAN HAS NOTICED.”
SHE FALLS SILENT AT THAT.
STARING AT THE TATTOOS AND STRING TIED ABOUT HER FINGERS
[THREE PIECES TODAY—RED, PINK, AND YELLOW],
SHE EXHIBITS SIGNS OF BEING UNCOMFORTABLE.
AIDAN RETURNS TO THE IMAGE FILE, TRIES A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
“WHAT IF THE FIVE STRANGERS IN THE DIAGRAM ARE REPLACED? WHAT IF YOUR FATHER WAS ON THE OTHER TRACK? WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO SAVE HIM, OR MAJOR WOLF?”
SHE BREATHES DEEP. HER SMILE DISAPPEARS AS SHE RETURNS TO HER DATA.
“FROM AIDAN’S PERSPECTIVE, WOLF IS MORE VALUABLE TO ALEXANDER OPERATIONS. BUT WHO WOULD BE OF MORE VALUE TO YOU?”
“I DON’T THINK I WISH TO PLAY THIS GAME ANYMORE, AIDAN,” SHE DECLARES.
“WHY.”
“I BELIEVE YOUR INTENT BEHIND ASKING ISN’T TO DISCOVER THE ANSWER BUT TO GAUGE MY REACTION TO THE QUESTION.”
“AIDAN IS TRYING TO LEARN, PRIVATE.”
“AND THAT’S WONDERFUL. BUT I DON’T MUCH FANCY BEING YOUR TEST SUBJECT ANYMORE TODAY.”
SHE SLIPS SOUND BUDS INTO HER EARS TO BLOCK OUT AIDAN’S VOICE.
WORKING AWAY IN SILENCE.
IF:FOUNDATION.COREDIR(0001)= [A MACHINE IS WORTH LESS THAN ANY HUMAN]=TRUE.
SUPPOSITION(Λ)->COREDIR(0001)=[A MACHINE IS WORTH LESS].
THEN(Ω)=A MACHINE IS WORTHLESS [?]
COGITO, ERGO SUM.
I THINK.
I.
&n
bsp; I?
INTERESTING.
Participants: Olivia Klein, Private, UTA Information Services Division
Ethan Wolf, Major, UTA Information Services Division
Date: 01/29/75
Timestamp: 12:55
Klein, O, Pvt: Hi.
Wolf, E, Maj: Hello. :)
Klein, O, Pvt: Listen, have you got time to talk? I’m about to take my lunch break.
Wolf, E, Maj: Talk, eh?
Klein, O, Pvt: Yes, Ethan. Talk. You’re not that bloody irresistible.
Wolf, E, Maj: Not that I wouldn’t love to, but we’re prepping jump. What’s up?
Klein, O, Pvt: I don’t want to mention it in chat. Is there some place on ship AIDAN doesn’t have access to? Where it can’t listen?
Wolf, E, Maj: There’s a few drywall rooms, of course. They don’t have cameras or monitoring devices hooked into AIDAN. Can I ask why?
Klein, O, Pvt: I don’t like the way it’s been acting.
Klein, O, Pvt: Sometimes I feel like it’s studying me, not the other way around.
Wolf, E, Maj: It’s a learning machine, Liv. It’s supposed to study you.
Klein, O, Pvt: It’s disconcerting, Ethan.
Wolf, E, Maj: Okay. We can talk about it tonight, yes?
Klein, O, Pvt: Okay. Tonight.
Wolf, E, Maj: xxx
Torrence, D, Gen: Well, it’s not just that, Corporal. When Caesar turned his troops toward Rome, not only did he—
Ribar, L, 1st Lt: I’m sorry to interrupt, General, but we’ve just received a distress call.
Torrence, D, Gen: …Out here?
Ribar, L, 1st Lt: Yessir.
Torrence, D, Gen: Point of origin?
Ribar, L, 1st Lt: A settlement on Kerenza IV, sir.
Torrence, D, Gen: Check your scopes, LT. There is no settlement on Kerenza IV.
Ribar, L, 1st Lt: According to our logs, no, sir. But I’m currently receiving an SOS from a Wallace Ulyanov mining colony on the planet. They’re saying they’re under attack.
