Anticipatory
05 Jul 2023Ryuko Ntsikana
Anticipatory
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Though there was no reason for her to be physically present, Avery accompanied Xochitl on her first flight of the Imperial Cutter in its mining configuration. She could garnish the experience from the flight data recorders that were downloaded after each adventure, but she wanted the first-hand experience, which was unique for an android manifestation of a larger AI.
Avery noticed Xochitl’s predisposition to fly and maneuver the large ship around the tight confines of the asteroid field without the flight computer's assistance. If she had any physical nerves, it would have taxed them. Instead, the experience provided a new set of mathematical variables. Though she had been in Xochitl’s thoughts and dreams, there was much about her human captain that had to be experienced to be known.
Avery connected herself to the flight computer as it monitored the inputs Xochtil was making in place of its assistance. She continually adjusted the ship’s vectors in relation to the asteroid she was mining, putting the reactive control system thrusters through a continual test.
She rarely heard Xochitl listen to music, but she had a soothing instrumental cadence playing as the computer announced the expiration of the last deployed limpet drones in a language other than what was standard. Again Avery was presented with new variables, as she was unaware that she understood other languages.
‘Do you find this style of flying, in situations such as this, to be enjoyable?’
Xochitl focused on the gyrating rock in front of her, adjusting the thrusters to maintain the ship's position while she launched subsurface boring drills into the icy crust.
‘More of a distraction. It helps me to focus my mind on other more important things.’
Avery watched the team of robotic collector limpets racing around the asteroid, picking up the recently mined mineral deposits and racing them back to the ship’s onboard refinery for processing.
‘I had not heard you listen to music before and was unaware you knew more than the common language.’
Xochitl adjusted the ship’s rotational vector pointing its nose at a second asteroid and launching a prospector limpet while the collector limpets continued their frantic pace, collecting the samples from the prior.
Xochitl smirked, casting a sideways glance at Avery. ‘It has been rumored that I understand several languages as to music. I often listen to music while working. The genre depends on what I am doing.’
Avery processed the information, searching the ship’s data storage for musical directories and the number of accesses for each.
‘I have referenced your selection and correlated the number of plays for each. Based on human psychology, the taste can differ from your preference in opposition to the numbers listed. Do you have a preferred selection I can reference and prepare additional samples for your enjoyment?’
The ship pirouetted around the twisting asteroid, mining lasers ablating the minerals from its surface.
‘Reference subjective. There isn’t a specific selection for a given moment. It is whatever I feel at that time if anything.’
‘Watch the rocks!’ Avery’s sounded as automatic routines activated, causing an almost human flinch from the nearness of a partnering asteroid spinning next to the ship, whose nose was pointed at its neighbor.
‘We have a few meters. Besides, our mass and shields are sufficient for the occasional impacts.’
Avery noted the calm in her captain’s voice. Her vitals were unchanged in relation to the dangers surrounding them. Knowing her history and having been connected to her deepest emotions, there was much that was not understood about her. Even when confronted with a predatory AI entity from the recent past, there was measured concern and aggression but not a lack of purpose. The same as with these hull-crushing tumbling rocks surrounding them.
A notation was made to begin work on new routines to better understand the captain. If this could be accomplished, it would make the anticipation of needs and desires more efficient and provide a baseline to measure against.