A lesson in robotics

Dustin stepped into the medbay the next morning just as Trea’k was about to leave. Meli had already had her check-up, the pregnancy was going well according to the message Bleu had sent him when he’d been walking down, and his arrival at that precise moment was perfect timing.

“Would you mind staying a moment, Trea’k? I want to discuss something with both you and Bleu and it’ll be easier than traipsing across the ship later since we’re all in one spot,” he asked after greeting her with a tender kiss, the Vex’ess woman pausing and bowing her head slightly before turning to follow him back into the private room.

Bleu glanced up at their arrival, eyes narrowing momentarily when she saw that Dustin was not alone. “Trea’k is fine as well, Dustin, I was just finishing my notes…” she began, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand as he helped Trea’k settle onto the chair Bleu had clearly provided for the insect woman’s earlier appointment.

Sinking into his own seat, Dustin glanced between his lovers. “So. I wanted to talk to you about Defia,” he began, then almost immediately stopped. The two women had exchanged a glance so fast that he’d have missed it if he’d not been watching their faces, and he sighed before continuing. “Alright. Out with it. What’s going on?”

Bleu’s fingers stilled on the keyboard where she’d been typing up her notes, the slime woman steepling her hands in front of her before she replied. “I thought you’d figure out something was going on eventually; I believe I said as much to you a few days ago didn’t I, Trea’k? But it’s not our place to go over all the details, Captain. Let me call Defia, please?” Trea’k nodded in agreement with the Queri’s words as Dustin gestured towards the communicator.

The door slid open once more a short time later to reveal the form of the Rogue fractal, her red eyes scanning the room before meeting Dustin’s - and then glancing away, a hint of a reddish-black colour flickering over her cheeks in place of the normal void. “Statement. My presence was requested, Captain?” she asked, her voice somehow sounding less robotic and not as calm as usual, at least to Dustin’s ears.

Bleu gestured to the one remaining seat in the room, before updating the rogue Fractal on the reason she’d been summoned. “Dustin asked Trea’k and I what was going on with you. I felt it would be more appropriate for you to be the one to tell him; we’ll naturally be here to support you.” Dustin glanced between the three of them, becoming increasingly concerned about whatever it was that could be happening with the synthetic woman.

“Statement.” Defia began, then paused. “I…” she started again, then paused again, causing Dustin’s anxiety to spike before she finally began speaking in earnest. “Statement. I began undertaking adaptations of my systems to simulate hormonal and other changes present in biological units to better integrate with our cluster. Initial experiments were… ineffective, and I enlisted the assistance of several units including Trea’k and Bleu to aid in my efforts. With their assistance, the experiments have proved somewhat successful. New issues have arisen that I am now working on with unit Rye, but the primary experiment was a success.” She fell silent, red eyes searching his face for some indication of his thoughts on the matter.

Dustin took a deep breath before doing his best to give Defia a calm smile while his thoughts raced. “I appreciate your efforts to work more efficiently with the crew, Defia.” He said at last, before continuing “I would however have liked to know before you started modifying your systems purely from a security standpoint. What if something had happened to you? And really, Bleu, you or Trea’k, or any of the others who knew - someone should have said something.”

The medic and counsellor exchanged glances, Trea’k nodding in agreement as Bleu explained. “You’re probably right, Captain. However, by the time we were brought in Defia had already made sufficient progress that her safety or that of the ship were no longer a significant concern.”

Running his hand through his hair and groaning, Dustin nodded. “I get that, I do. But even so…” Shaking his head, he turned back to Defia. “Alright. You’re simulating biochemistry to fit in better? How does that work? And you mentioned that you have new issues - what are those please? I’d rather not have to go down to engineering to ask Rye only for her to also tell me I need to talk to you about it.”

The rogue Fractal paused for a moment, the black of her cheeks tinting with a reddish inner glow as she blushed. “Statement. By simulating biochemical interactions, I am better able to manage input overload from biological-style touch sensors. Additionally, I am able to experience what I believe to be ‘feelings’. For example, I am currently running with the interactions on. Prior to this, I viewed unit Trea’k’s pregnancy as merely a production operation; no different from building a starship or painting a picture. With the biochemical simulation running, I find myself experiencing irrational levels of statistical analysis regarding potential harm that could befall her. I believe this is related to ‘empathy’ and ‘concern’.”

She paused, turning and giving Trea’k one of her rare sharp-tooted smiles. Defia had learned long ago that few on the ship appreciated her grin, but Trea’k was one of those who would take the gesture in the spirit it was intended. Turning back to Dustin, the void-black woman continued. “Addendum. I also experience ‘feelings’ I believe to be connected to ‘wonder’ and ‘delight’ at the fact that she is expecting, which are not functions that Fractals are designed to calculate normally.”

Dustin rose and crossed to Trea’k, wrapping an arm around her and rubbing her back as he turned back to Defia. “If nothing else, I’m happy you can feel delight about Trea’k and I having a child.” Kissing the Vex’ess woman on the cheek, he held her a moment longer before his eyes narrowed. “But you used that as an example to distract me from my other question. What new issues are you having?”

Red eyes locked on his as Defia… winced? Dustin blinked, he hadn’t imagined that had he? No; it was faint, but the very human expression of being caught out was definitely displayed on the usually poker-faced Fractal’s features. When she spoke, her voice too was strange - the usual sing-song tones coming out stilted as if she was embarrassed by something. “Statement. My systems are functional, however during specific sensory and emotional overload scenarios some voltage arcing is occurring. This is suboptimal to further integration with the crew, and I have requested technical support from unit Rye as I am mentally… indisposed, during the required failure conditions, which makes monitoring the causes difficult and a resolution near-impossible.”

Dustin took a moment to think over what she’d said. It didn’t sound dangerous… then he blinked. She was still blushing, and ‘sensory and emotional overload’ - that couldn’t mean what he thought it could, could it?

“Defia,” he said, hesitantly. “When you said you are able to handle your touch sensors better, and when you talk about overload, you don’t mean…?” The rogue Fractal gave a tiny chirp of discomfort, before trying her best not to meet his gaze as she nodded. “Oh… Ohhhh.” Dustin scratched the back of his head, utterly at a loss for words. “And you think Rye can help you with that?” he asked at last.

It took a moment or two before Defia could look him in the eyes enough to reply. When she did, her voice was even softer than before. “Statement. Unit Rye is capable enough to work with Fractal technology. She is also someone I… I ‘feel’ that I can trust. Formally requesting permission from prime unit to continue with this research and development.”

Dustin sighed, disentangling himself from Trea’k and walking over to Defia. Wordlessly, he wrapped the Fractal in his arms, running a hand down her hair onto her back and noting as he did so the lack of any real difference in texture between her skin and simulated hair. As the surprised synthetic woman gave a series of unsure half-chirping noises, Dustin gave his verdict. “Of course you have my permission to work with Rye. If you want to be more human-like, even if it’s… in that way, I’d be a horrible person to not try and help. Just… keep me more informed from now on, okay?”