Chapter 306 (1/2)
The Terrans had boarded the ship, examining it over and over, doing everything but tearing it apart. The owner, Historian Great Most High of Highs Bo'okdu'ust, had expected it and watched the Terrans with interest.
They had released nanites to check for secret compartments, checked all the computer systems and programs, checked every nook and cranny, then had finally admitted that Bo'okdu'ust had no nefarious goals, and left the ship.
”The computer system is far more than you needed for the limited virtual intelligence you were using to assist you in piloting this craft,” the Terran Digital Sentience said. ”It is surprisingly roomy.”
”I had estimated what would feel comfortable for any boarding digital sentiences,” Bo'okdu'ust admitted. ”I wished to ensure any comfort I could provide was provided.”
The Digital Sentience seemed a bit surprised. ”That was accommodating of you, Doctor.”
”Thank you.”
”Do you prefer Doctor or your Most High title?” the Digital Sentience asked.
Bo'okdu'ust considered it for a moment. There were a multitude of Most Highs, all of more a political appointment than anything else. He knew several Great Most Highs who were, well, to be honest, functionally idiots who merely parroted viewpoints and research millions of years old.
Doctor required vast education, experience, peer reviewed publications, and much more.
”Doctor will be fine,” Bo'okdu'ust stated. ”I appreciate the extension of the honorific.”
”What is your purpose for coming to the Kteshaka'an System?” the Digital Sentience asked.
”First, a question. How should I address you?” Bo'okdu'ust asked.
”Oh, sorry. I usually go by Technical Officer Fifth Grade Dancing Flame 8675309, you can call me Day,” the Digital Sentience said. ”May I use the bridge holo-emitter?”
”Of course,” Bo'okdu'ust said. There was a slight buzzing and a female Terran made entirely out of light, wearing an approximation of a Terran military uniform, appeared in the middle of the bridge and moved over to one of the chairs he had ordered installed that would be comfortable for a Terran.
Bo'okdu'ust cleared his throat. ”In an answer to your question, it has to do with several factors,” he said.
”Go on,” the DS, Day, said. She leaned back and relaxed, crossing her legs and tapping her knee.
”The first is that this was the ninth planet liberated by the Terran Confederacy, and one of the first to turned over to the neo-sapient natives. The Hakanian, a species of lemur I believe.”
”Yes,” Day said slowly, almost carefully.
”Another interesting point is that I watched with interest the very public trial of the forces that opened fire on a crowd after the Precursors were pushed away from the planet. I found the verdict of ”Not Innocent” to be quite an interesting thing,” Bo'okdu'ust said. ”Rather than proclaim them innocent or not guilty due to circumstances they were found to be guilty of the crime itself but the circumstances and other factors made it so that the punishment was quite different than a full guilty verdict.”
Day nodded slowly. ”It was a messy trial.”
”I particularly found it interesting that the Unified Legal Council found the Terran soldiers that took part in the massacre to be 'Innocent' and 'Not Guilty' once all of the information came out, despite the fact that the massacre happened,” Bo'okdu'ust said. ”The fact the Terran lawyers put the very existence of this system in doubt as well as managed to force the Unified Science and Unified Genetics Councils attempt to prove the existence of the Hakanian, which were proved to not be the Harkanian due to Unified Neo-Sapient Council genetic meddling, forcing the Council to admit that no actual Harkanian's existed on the planet.”
”Never get in a knife fight with a lawyer,” Day mused, smiling.
”Indeed. Indeed,” Bo'okdu'ust said, nodding. ”Another point of interest is that despite being in a state of war with the Councils the Terran government has allowed the Lanaktallan citizens to remain on the planet rather than returning them to Council Space.”
”This is their home,” Day said. ”Enough of them left when they discovered that they would have to abide by Confederate Protectorate Legal Codes.”
”You mean, most left when you took their slaves away,” Bo'okdu'ust said.
”Well, yes, but that's not polite to say.”
Bo'okdu'ust laughed. ”Did you know, I can actually explain to you why my people prefer slaves over menial labor robots.”
”Really?” Day said, raising one manicured digital eyebrow.
Bo'okdu'ust nodded. ”My people's brains are wired to mistrust robotics more advanced that manufacturing robots and our science has been unable to create a digital sentience that does not go omnicidal.”
Day smiled. ”Who's to say I'm not omnidal, Doctor?”
Bo'okdu'ust laughed. ”Of course you are, my dear, you are Terran Descent, after all.”
They both laughed for a long moment.
”All right, Doctor. You have permission to land on the planet, although command wants me to fly your ship,” Day stated. ”It will take about four days.”
”That is acceptable,” Bo'okdu'ust said. He felt the engines start to vibrate the ship and knew he was underway finally.
”What other reasons, Doctor?” Day asked.
”Well, to be honest, I'm interested in observing how you are assisting a species to move from nothing more than servants to being wholly in control of their own destiny,” Bo'okdu'ust stated. ”It is a historic moment, at least in their history, and something that any historian should be eager to examine.”
Day nodded slowly. ”Command wishes to know if you wish your presence to be known or if you would prefer your arrival to be largely unannounced.”
”Unannounced, if you would. I would rather not have my work interrupted,” Bo'okdu'ust stated.
”We were not sure if you would want to meet with and collaborate with your human colleagues,” Day said.
”Perhaps later. My initial observations I would prefer to make on my own without any outside assistance or biases coloring my views,” Bo'okdu'ust said. ”That will allow me to create socio-mathematic formulae in order to properly catalogue and review historical actions.”
”Socio-mathematics?” Day asked. She raised her eyebrows. ”Nobody's really been involved in those in several centuries.”
”The Foundation Wars, correct?” Bo'okdu'ust asked.
She nodded, smiling. ”Yes. I'm surprised you now about that, not many people pay attention to that period of time.”
”I have spent quite a bit of time studying your people's history,” he made a snorting noise. ”The war is somewhat of an annoyance as it made it harder for me to research your people.”
”Why the interest?” Day asked. She reached out, into nothing, and withdrew a glass of wine that she leaned back and sipped. ”Why the interest in our history by a historian such as yourself, Doctor? Your history spans a hundred million years, why the interest in us?”
Bo'okdu'ust shook his head. ”Because in your history I can start with the fact that you have recorded estimations of your species development of stone tools when you were largely non-human proto-species.”
”Veronica,” Day guessed.
Bo'okdu'ust nodded again. ”Possibly. I found it interesting that you spent just as much scientific thought on your own history as you do on your future as well as current technologies. Most species seem to discard their history in order to concentrate on their present and their future.”