Agent Massachusetts ‘Massa’
Artificial Intelligence: Pi (Curiosity)
“What the hell is that?” CT snapped, backing away from Mich.
“How should I know?” Massa replied, her voice wavering slightly.
The small scratch on Mich’s cheek –the one caused by the beach-ball monster –had turned a horrible greenish-brown, and like mould it was spilling over the cut, onto his skin. Mich himself had taken on a sallow colour, and looked like he was about to be horribly sick. Eta had appeared next to him, and looked abnormally concerned for his Freelancer. Pi was morbidly curious, but supressed it for his host’s sake.
“What’s going on back there?” Lucy asked.
“We’ll tell you when we know,” CT yelled back.
Massa, I think the best thing to do would be to let the doctors handle it, Pi told her, and she could tell how hard it was for him not to ask her to investigate. Any attempts to examine on our part could lead to possible infection. Let the Director decide what to do with him. Pi mentally winced at that last part –he had heard some of Epsilon’s ‘moments’ close-up and was still unsure how to feel about the head of the Project.
CT made to approach Mich, but Massa put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “Not our area of expertise, CT.” CT nodded, and backed off again.
Mich, for his part, was holding onto the safety bar for dear life. He drooped, like if he let go he would collapse to the ground. Even Eta appeared to be pale and sickly green, his state mirroring his host’s.
“What’s our ETA?” Massa yelled to Lucy.
“’Bout two minutes,” Lucy replied.
***
Massa ordered a medical team to the landing bay the second they got out. Mich could barely stand, and he had to be led off by medics in sealed suits. Massa and CT deemed it safe to remove their helmets, and they watched as Mich was led away, in the direction of the medical wing. A few dark brown curls had escaped Massa’s ponytail, which she tucked behind her ear.
“What happened to him?” Wash asked, walking up to the women, followed by Kenni.
“Hell if we know,” CT replied simply.
“Agents!”
“Sir,” the Freelancers said in perfect unison. Massa knew Pi was a little scared, but with her helmet off, there was little she could do to comfort him. Wash had it worse–his helmet was on, and she could see him buckling slightly at the onslaught of… whatever Epsilon was throwing at him. CT subtly put a hand on his for a second, and quickly removed it as soon as the Director looked her way.
“Massachusetts, what did your team find?” he asked.
“We found the missing soldiers, sir,” Massa replied. “I believe so, anyway.”
“And what does that mean?” the Director drawled.
“They were…”Massa trailed off, unable to explain. Pi took over, his orange form lighting up next to her, yellow and red flickering through it.
“We encountered unknown hostiles, sir,” Pi said. His voice never quavered, because his curiosity about the ‘unknown hostiles’ distracted him. “They were not human, nor any life form we have encountered previously.” Pi activated a second hologram, showing one of the Beach-Balls they had encountered. “Their destruction seems to leave a cloud of spores in the air –” the holographic Beach-Ball exploded in a hail of bullets, and spores spread from it “– but these spores only last for seconds. However, each time they attacked they launched themselves at the head. After Michigan had removed his helmet (within the Pelican) one snuck up and latched onto his face.”
“We managed to get it off before it could get a good grip,” Massa interrupted. “Unfortunately, it scratched Michigan’s cheek before it let go, and that may have led to a possible infection.”
“Possible?” CT scoffed. “There was mould on his face.”
“Mould?” Kenni asked, looking completely disgusted.
The Director cleared his throat, and there was a small chorus of ‘sorry, sir’s all round.
“And the missing simulation troopers?” he asked.
“We detected no life signs from them,” Massa reported. Pi changed his secondary hologram to an image of one of the former sim-soldiers. “Yet they were still moving. They shot at us, although their aim was erratic, even considering their, ah, station.”
Beaver Creek was not well known for its superb soldiers.
“Zombies?” Wash asked, while Kenni outright giggled.
“That’s hilarious, M,” Kenni snickered. “Seriously, I never thought you were such a joker.”
“Actually, Kentucky,” the Director interrupted. “The team’s findings correlate with a previous encounter reported by a Spartan-II.”
That stopped the snickering.
“Massachusetts, I will expect a full report,” he glanced at CT, “from both of you. Have your AI attach the relevant video files. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,”Massa said.
“Dismissed,” the Director said, storming off.
“Zombies?” Wash asked. “Really?”
“What do you think will happen to Mich?” Kenni asked.
“Not to mention Eta,” Epsilon added, appearing as a blue-armoured soldier on Wash’s shoulder.“I’m picking up some signals from him. Guy’s a mess.”
“I agree with Epsilon’s assessment,” Pi said. “The signals Eta is sending out are becoming increasingly… disturbed –similar towhat happens to Epsilon during a, uh, moment,” the last part was said so only those in the conversation could hear. Wash and Epsilon’s condition was a closely guarded secret among the Freelancers; hell, only about a dozen of them even knew. “I suggest that Epsilon and I –as well as the other AI –cut all ties to him.” Once again, Pi’s inherent curiosity made it hard for him to say that. “It would be safer for us, if he continues on the path he is on.”
“Agreed,”Epsilon said.
“C’mon, CT,”Massa said. “You might wanna drop your helmet off at Processing. It looks a little…” she trailed off, gesturing at various pieces of gunk covering CT’s helmet. “See you guys later,” she said to Wash and Kenni, as they headed off to no doubt tell everyone about the ‘zombies’.
I’m proud of you, Pi, Massa sent. You managed to ignore your curiosity and make the safer suggestions.
Thanks, Massa, Pi sent back. Pi was the only AI that called her‘Massa’, but that seemed to be the norm. Only Epsilon called Wash ‘Wash’, only Eta called Mich
‘Mich’, and only Sigma called Maine ‘May’ –although that last one was more in an effort to humiliate his host than any actual familiarity.
CT made a disgusted noise and threw her helmet into Armour Processing, before grabbing her bag and leaving, giving Massa a nod on the way out. Massa checked her own armour for any dents or gunk, but found none.
As she left the locker room behind, Massa asked Pi what he thought about the Beach-Balls.
“I can’t find any information on them anywhere!” Pi whined, hologram turning a few shades darker with his irritation. “I can infer that they’re some sort of… giant parasite, or something. I can’t tell,” Pi finished, looking miserable. His form was jolting as she walked, but he never moved from his position: knees drawn up to his chest and face in his hands.
“Calm down, Pi,”Massa said. “The docs’ll figure it out.
Artificial Intelligence: Pi (Curiosity)
“What the hell is that?” CT snapped, backing away from Mich.
“How should I know?” Massa replied, her voice wavering slightly.
The small scratch on Mich’s cheek –the one caused by the beach-ball monster –had turned a horrible greenish-brown, and like mould it was spilling over the cut, onto his skin. Mich himself had taken on a sallow colour, and looked like he was about to be horribly sick. Eta had appeared next to him, and looked abnormally concerned for his Freelancer. Pi was morbidly curious, but supressed it for his host’s sake.
“What’s going on back there?” Lucy asked.
“We’ll tell you when we know,” CT yelled back.
Massa, I think the best thing to do would be to let the doctors handle it, Pi told her, and she could tell how hard it was for him not to ask her to investigate. Any attempts to examine on our part could lead to possible infection. Let the Director decide what to do with him. Pi mentally winced at that last part –he had heard some of Epsilon’s ‘moments’ close-up and was still unsure how to feel about the head of the Project.
CT made to approach Mich, but Massa put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “Not our area of expertise, CT.” CT nodded, and backed off again.
Mich, for his part, was holding onto the safety bar for dear life. He drooped, like if he let go he would collapse to the ground. Even Eta appeared to be pale and sickly green, his state mirroring his host’s.
“What’s our ETA?” Massa yelled to Lucy.
“’Bout two minutes,” Lucy replied.
***
Massa ordered a medical team to the landing bay the second they got out. Mich could barely stand, and he had to be led off by medics in sealed suits. Massa and CT deemed it safe to remove their helmets, and they watched as Mich was led away, in the direction of the medical wing. A few dark brown curls had escaped Massa’s ponytail, which she tucked behind her ear.
“What happened to him?” Wash asked, walking up to the women, followed by Kenni.
“Hell if we know,” CT replied simply.
“Agents!”
“Sir,” the Freelancers said in perfect unison. Massa knew Pi was a little scared, but with her helmet off, there was little she could do to comfort him. Wash had it worse–his helmet was on, and she could see him buckling slightly at the onslaught of… whatever Epsilon was throwing at him. CT subtly put a hand on his for a second, and quickly removed it as soon as the Director looked her way.
“Massachusetts, what did your team find?” he asked.
“We found the missing soldiers, sir,” Massa replied. “I believe so, anyway.”
“And what does that mean?” the Director drawled.
“They were…”Massa trailed off, unable to explain. Pi took over, his orange form lighting up next to her, yellow and red flickering through it.
“We encountered unknown hostiles, sir,” Pi said. His voice never quavered, because his curiosity about the ‘unknown hostiles’ distracted him. “They were not human, nor any life form we have encountered previously.” Pi activated a second hologram, showing one of the Beach-Balls they had encountered. “Their destruction seems to leave a cloud of spores in the air –” the holographic Beach-Ball exploded in a hail of bullets, and spores spread from it “– but these spores only last for seconds. However, each time they attacked they launched themselves at the head. After Michigan had removed his helmet (within the Pelican) one snuck up and latched onto his face.”
“We managed to get it off before it could get a good grip,” Massa interrupted. “Unfortunately, it scratched Michigan’s cheek before it let go, and that may have led to a possible infection.”
“Possible?” CT scoffed. “There was mould on his face.”
“Mould?” Kenni asked, looking completely disgusted.
The Director cleared his throat, and there was a small chorus of ‘sorry, sir’s all round.
“And the missing simulation troopers?” he asked.
“We detected no life signs from them,” Massa reported. Pi changed his secondary hologram to an image of one of the former sim-soldiers. “Yet they were still moving. They shot at us, although their aim was erratic, even considering their, ah, station.”
Beaver Creek was not well known for its superb soldiers.
“Zombies?” Wash asked, while Kenni outright giggled.
“That’s hilarious, M,” Kenni snickered. “Seriously, I never thought you were such a joker.”
“Actually, Kentucky,” the Director interrupted. “The team’s findings correlate with a previous encounter reported by a Spartan-II.”
That stopped the snickering.
“Massachusetts, I will expect a full report,” he glanced at CT, “from both of you. Have your AI attach the relevant video files. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,”Massa said.
“Dismissed,” the Director said, storming off.
“Zombies?” Wash asked. “Really?”
“What do you think will happen to Mich?” Kenni asked.
“Not to mention Eta,” Epsilon added, appearing as a blue-armoured soldier on Wash’s shoulder.“I’m picking up some signals from him. Guy’s a mess.”
“I agree with Epsilon’s assessment,” Pi said. “The signals Eta is sending out are becoming increasingly… disturbed –similar towhat happens to Epsilon during a, uh, moment,” the last part was said so only those in the conversation could hear. Wash and Epsilon’s condition was a closely guarded secret among the Freelancers; hell, only about a dozen of them even knew. “I suggest that Epsilon and I –as well as the other AI –cut all ties to him.” Once again, Pi’s inherent curiosity made it hard for him to say that. “It would be safer for us, if he continues on the path he is on.”
“Agreed,”Epsilon said.
“C’mon, CT,”Massa said. “You might wanna drop your helmet off at Processing. It looks a little…” she trailed off, gesturing at various pieces of gunk covering CT’s helmet. “See you guys later,” she said to Wash and Kenni, as they headed off to no doubt tell everyone about the ‘zombies’.
I’m proud of you, Pi, Massa sent. You managed to ignore your curiosity and make the safer suggestions.
Thanks, Massa, Pi sent back. Pi was the only AI that called her‘Massa’, but that seemed to be the norm. Only Epsilon called Wash ‘Wash’, only Eta called Mich
‘Mich’, and only Sigma called Maine ‘May’ –although that last one was more in an effort to humiliate his host than any actual familiarity.
CT made a disgusted noise and threw her helmet into Armour Processing, before grabbing her bag and leaving, giving Massa a nod on the way out. Massa checked her own armour for any dents or gunk, but found none.
As she left the locker room behind, Massa asked Pi what he thought about the Beach-Balls.
“I can’t find any information on them anywhere!” Pi whined, hologram turning a few shades darker with his irritation. “I can infer that they’re some sort of… giant parasite, or something. I can’t tell,” Pi finished, looking miserable. His form was jolting as she walked, but he never moved from his position: knees drawn up to his chest and face in his hands.
“Calm down, Pi,”Massa said. “The docs’ll figure it out.