Searching For... Something

Posted on Sat Dec 5th, 2020 @ 1:48am by A.I. Specialist Jaime Treva & Ship's A.I. Lyta
Edited on on Sat Dec 5th, 2020 @ 1:48am

Mission: What Lies In The Darkness
Location: Operations Chief's Office - Deck 125
Timeline: 248001.01 0800

Jaime had meant what she said about Lyta in the mission briefing. Lyta was the most advanced of all AI models and Jaime had faith in her abilities. Yet, like Azalin, she had still wondered if there was something to be found within the data of the distress signal that with the three of them working together, they could find or at the least, lead them to other ideas.

The majority of consoles and workstations on FarVoyager were holographic and such was the one the three stood around now. After taking one last look over the signal, that had been divided into several holographic segments before them, Azalin had left and Jaime sighed with a smile, slanting her head to look at the AI sideways, "You're still the best, Lyta."

Lyta, who had been standing to Jaime's right, smiled. The woman's faith in her had never wavered, even in the beginning when she'd had glitches. It warmed her, made her feel like a part of the crew, which was the design intention of course. "Only because I had good people affecting my program." it was intended as a direct compliment to the woman. "But that aside, I am sorry that we did not find anything new that could be helpful."

Lyta's sincere compliment was another example of her awesomeness in Jaime's eyes. "if there was something to find, I am sure we would have," Jaime assured her. And then she wondered, "Would we happen to have any schematics on a Builder Sector Post?"

Lyta seemed to stare into the near distance for a moment, then nodded. "When we were directed to this mission, the Builder Empire provided us with the standard blueprint for one of their Sector Posts." She turned toward the station Jaime was near, and the holographic image changed to the schematic layout of the Sector Posts.

Of course, they would.. Jaime thought as a matter of course considering the mission. She started looking it over and spoke out a few heartbeats later. "Hmm, I'd like to take a look at their sensor and communication systems, specifically, please."

Lyta nodded, and the schematic zoomed in. "This is Communications." That image remained but slid to the left, and an image of the sensor schematics appeared beside it. "This is sensors." She looked back at Jaime, trying to determine where the woman was going with this. "These two systems are quite separate, though. What is it you're looking for?" She smirked slightly. "Or is it one of those 'I'll know it when I see it' sort of things?"

"Well, it's that and a little multitasking," Jaime smiled. Then she started to explain as she enlarged the sensor schematics, separating it, "I am interested in their internal sensors. I want to be able to lock onto them if it becomes necessary..." She exhaled as she looked over the information. "We should be able to do this. What do you think?"

Lyta remained silent for a moment, then answered. "It would under normal circumstances, yes. The question is whether the internal sensors are functional or not. The message doesn't give us any clue to that."

Jaime nodded, "That is true, just like it doesn't for many things." She sighed at that. "Okay, next up, their power systems."

Lyta frowned as she switched the view to a schematic of the power systems. "This is what we were given. I'm, frankly, surprised they gave it to us, but maybe that's just Ashlyn's paranoia rubbed off on me." she smiled at Jaime to indicate that last was a joke. "In this state, which is it's optimal state, I don't see anything to help us," she added with a frown after a moment of giving the impression of studying it.

Jaime had returned Lyta's smile and was studying it too when something dawned on her at Lyta's last words. "Oh Shit!" she exclaimed, "I just thought of something, Lyta!" and shook her head in disbelief.

Lyta frowned, head tilting slightly. "What's that?"

Jaime looked over to her, the disappointment she was feeling for not thinking of it sooner was evident in her features. "Most likely why the signal is intermittent. They don't have enough power."

Lyta frowned. "That is possible. But if he had the power to send it at all, what would cause it to cut in and out?" She frowned in thought. "That would indicate either intermittent power, which is unlikely or that power is being intermittently diverted. That would then indicate that someone was still alive to do so." She cast her gaze sidelong to Jaime. "Was that what you were meaning?"

As she thought more about it, Jaime nodded, "Yes. And diverting power to what? And why? Whatever the problem is, whatever the cause, It's been continuous for thousands of years, never solved. Lyta, it both amazes me and concerns me on what we're going to face when we get there."

~End