Intropsection

[will_marx 0]

Will once again sat in the center seat, trying to get comfortable. He’d be up, pace the command pit for twenty minutes, hover behind the relief officers, sit in the center seat again, and repeat every 30 minutes. Sitting, even if it were in command of the Arcadia, was not in his nature. Lead from the front was his motto during his time spent at Forts Benning and Bragg, before heading out to hunt down his brother. As head of Security, Will felt he should be on Aether, negotiating with this corrupt AI that had taken over the city-state, not the XO. But, with both the Captain and First Officer off the ship, it was the responsibility of the Second Officer to remain and maintain continuity of the chain of command.

 

Several times, while off the bridge, Will made his way down to the ship’s main computer bay. Sitting in their rack, but not pushed in fully, were the isolinear chips that would bring Arcadia’s own synthetic AI, HAL, back online. After all, had been the Arc’s second officer’s logic, why not use one AI to fight another AI? At the very least, HAL could overwrite “her” core processes. But his hand always stayed from sliding in the last chip…the one that would bring HAL back online. But that wasn’t his decision to make, it was the Captain’s.

 

Betty looked at the chrono, as Will stood, and began his pacing anew. “He’s early,” she muttered.

 

William J. Marx, LCDR, SFSOCOM

Chief of Security, USS Arcadia