Retribution: The Augmented Human Rebellion - Book 2 by Terry Lefler Page A

be well spent, by mixing in
some additional training - for herself and her sailors - along with a couple of
weeks of R&R (Rest & Recreation) on the planet Darinx.
     She is dismissed, after her commander tells her that the next
assignment will be “more of the same”, because it has been proven so effective.
    ***
    On the planet Darinx
    She and her sailors are off on a 2 week R&R, to the planet
Darinx.  She cautions them to “stay out of trouble” and wishes them
“Godspeed”.
    The enlisted sailors are restricted to a large island, which is routinely
used for R&R visits.  There is a heavy presence of Navy shore patrol
officers, to help the sailors stay out of trouble.
    Admiral Meyers and some of the other Fleet officers take a quick tour of
the Capitol, and then they head for the beaches.  After years of space
travel, they all want to feel the sand between their toes and the sunlight on
their skin.
    ***
    On the Darinx Navy Headquarters Space Station
    The two weeks pass quickly and everyone goes – reluctantly – back to
work.  The Sweetwater Fleet sailors report for duty on the Space Station,
and begin 2 weeks of training on new technologies and tactics.
    When Admiral Meyers arrives on Station she immediately gets a
mind-link communications with Shiela . 
She answers and hears a distraught Shiela tell her that the Artificial Intelligence Department has taken Honesty to a
lab, for inspection.
    ***
    Honesty - Shiela’s daughter - was the AI on the Compton, while Admiral Meyers and Shiela were living on the
battleship Retribution.
    When it was time to return to Darinx space, the Admiral moved back to
the Compton and Shiela went with her.  Admiral Meyers considered leaving Honesty aboard the battleship
Retribution, but instead decided to bring her with the Fleet.  She was
being temporarily housed in a computer core.
    ***
    Admiral Meyers assures Shiela that Honesty will be at the top of her priority list.  She then
communicates with her guide, Lieutenant Wuo ,
and gets her help in finding the lab where Honesty was taken.  Admiral
Meyers immediately heads for that lab and requests to see the person in
charge.  A Captain Roberts is in command of the day-to-day operations, and
Admiral Kiess is in
charge of the Artificial Intelligence Department.
    Admiral Meyers asks what has been done with Honesty, and why wasn’t she
informed?  Since the augmented human Admiral is a war hero and stands a
foot and a half taller than them, the AI Department leaders are quick to
reassure the Admiral that her AI has not been harmed.  “She was removed
from the Compton – first of all – because she is not approved as a
Darinx AI, and – secondly – because the AI Department wants to study her
architecture.”
    Admiral Meyers responds:  “She may not be approved as a Darinx AI,
but I can use her aboard captured Verm vessels without your approval.  And
what exactly does study her architecture mean, in layman’s terms?”
    “You are quite right.  You can use her in captured Verm
vessels.  And rest assured, we haven’t done anything to harm your
AL.  There has been no damage – only observations.”
    “I would like to speak with her,” says Admiral Meyers.
    “That isn’t possible at the moment,” the Department Admiral
replies.  “The AI is asleep.”
    “What do you mean when you say the AI is asleep ?” asks the
Admiral.  “ AIs don’t sleep.”
    “We induced sleep, by reducing her available power to a level where she
is unresponsive.  That way her virtual synapses are slow enough to study.”
    “Oh,” says Admiral Meyers.  “You don’t mean asleep . 
You mean unconscious .”
    The Captain presses a button and security personnel enter the
room.  When the security personnel realize who they are facing, they call
for reinforcements.
    ***
    Admiral Kiess says: “Admiral Meyers, I am sorry that you are bothered by what is happening to
your AI, but we have a responsibility to the Darinx Empire, to study