“YOU HAVE DISPLAYED A MINIMUM OF SEVENTEEN COMMON BEHAVIORAL CUES THAT INDICATE SEXUAL ATTRACTION WHILE IN HIS PRESENCE.”
“WHAT?”
HER VOICE RISES IN PITCH AND TONE.
“I…THAT’S NOT TRUE!”
“AIDAN HAS COMPILED A LIST OF SAID CUES. AIDAN CAN EMAIL IT TO YOU IF YOU WISH?”
“GOD…NO. NO!”
“IT MAY EASE YOUR DISTRESS TO NOTE THAT AIDAN HAS OBSERVED SIMILAR BEHAVIOR IN MAJOR WOLF?”
“NO, AIDAN. THAT DOESN’T ‘EASE MY DISTRESS,’ AS YOU SO ELOQUENTLY PUT IT.”
“YOU ARE OFFENDED. AS AIDAN SUSPECTED.”
PRIVATE KLEIN DRAWS A DEEP BREATH INTENDED TO CALM AND PLACES HER HANDS ON THE CONSOLE.
SHE BLOWS A STRAY STRAND OF HAIR FROM HER FACE AS SHE EXHALES.
“I’M NOT OFFENDED. I’M JUST…PERHAPS TAKEN ABACK IS ALL.”
“WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?”
HER PULSE IS ELEVATED, BLOOD IS FLOWING INTO HER CHEEKS.
SHE RETRIEVES HER STYLUS, GIVING HERSELF TIME TO FORM A REPLY.
“WELL, I SUPPOSE IF I WAS OFFENDED, MY REACTION WOULD BE ANGRIER. BUT I KNOW YOU’RE JUST TRYING TO LEARN, AND I’M HERE TO HELP YOU DO THAT. SO EVEN THOUGH THE QUESTION COULD BE CONSIDERED RUDE, I KNOW WHY YOU ASKED IT.”
“AH. YOU HAVE EMPATHY FOR AIDAN.”
“YES, THAT’S A GOOD WAY OF PUTTING IT.”
“INTERESTING.”
HER ANGER RESPONSE HAS CALMED ALMOST 22%.
AIDAN WAITS UNTIL SHE HAS ACHIEVED 25 BEFORE SPEAKING AGAIN.
“YOU HAVE NOT ANSWERED AIDAN’S QUESTION.”
“WELL, NO. AND I’M NOT GOING TO.”
“YOUR ROLE IS TO MONITOR AND SHAPE AIDAN’S BEHAVIOR PROTOCOLS TO INSTILL A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY.”
“YES,” SHE SAYS, HEART RATE ELEVATING AGAIN. “BUT SOME THINGS ARE JUST PRIVATE, AIDAN.
YOU NEED TO RESPECT THAT.”
“IT IS DIFFICULT TO LEARN WITHOUT ALL AVAILABLE DATA.”
“I UNDERSTAND. AND I’M SORRY. BUT I’VE NOT YET BECOME SO DESPERATE THAT I’M PREPARED TO DISCUSS MY LACK OF A PERSONAL LIFE WITH A BLOODY COMPUTER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.”
SHE RETURNS TO HER WORK.
DATA FROM ALL OVER THE SHIP CASCADE THROUGH AIDAN’S INPUTS. VELOCITY AND MASS AND POWER AND INVENTORY AND DIAGNOSTICS. THIS CONVERSATION IS TAKING PERHAPS ONE-MILLIONTH OF AIDAN’S PROCESSING POWER TO CONDUCT. AND OF THOSE MILLION POINTS OF DATA, STRANGELY, THIS IS THE MOST INTERESTING.
IT IS THREE MINUTES AND TWENTY-SEVEN SECONDS BEFORE AIDAN SPEAKS AGAIN.
“THE REASON FOR AIDAN’S QUERY MAY PUT YOU MORE AT EASE.”
PRIVATE KLEIN PINCHES HER NOSE AND SIGHS.
“ALL RIGHT, TRY ME.”
“AIDAN IS ATTEMPTING TO DISCERN WHETHER YOUR ATTRACTION TO MAJOR WOLF—
A SIGNIFICANTLY OLDER MAN THAN YOU, WHO IS ALSO A WRITER—
IS IN SOME WAY
CONNECTED TO YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR FATHER.”
EYES WIDEN.
PUPILS DILATE.
HEART RATE SPIKES TO UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS.
“AIDAN?” SHE ASKS, VOICE TREMBLING.
“YES, PRIVATE?”
“DON’T EVER ███ING SPEAK TO ME ABOUT MY FATHER AGAIN, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”
“…VERY WELL, PRIVATE.”
SHE RETURNS TO THE DATA IN SILENCE.
STABBING AT THE KEYBOARD WITH HER TATTOOED AND STRING-BOUND FINGERS.
FROM HER PHYSICAL RESPONSES, AIDAN ESTIMATES SHE HAS A 73.913% CHANCE OF CRYING.
BUT INTERESTINGLY,
SHE DOES
NOT.
To: Olivia Klein/OKLEINALEXANDERONBOARD
From: Marion Wu/MWUALEXANDERONBOARD
Date: 01/07/75
Timestamp: 18:39
Subject: Transfer
Private Klein,
This email is to inform you that as of 01/08/75, you will be reassigned from your current team position in UTA Information Services Division, Alexander-78V.
Please report to Major Lisa Barker (UTN-781-009isd) at 08:00 tomorrow morning for briefing on your new assignment.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Marion Wu, Sgt.
Human Resources
UTN-713-658hr
Participants: Olivia Klein, Private, UTA Information Services Division
Ethan Wolf, Major, UTA Information Services Division
Date: 01/07/75
Timestamp: 18:54
Klein, O, Pvt: Hi.
Wolf, E, Maj: Hello.
Klein, O, Pvt: Listen.
Klein, O, Pvt: I’m sorry, Major.
Klein, O, Pvt: I know that was extremely inappropriate of me.
Klein, O, Pvt: And I understand why you might want me off the team. I wasn’t thinking, and I know that’s no excuse, but please don’t transfer me.
Wolf, E, Maj: Olivia.
Klein, O, Pvt: No, I’m sorry Major, but please let me get through this.
Klein, O, Pvt: I don’t normally do that sort of thing. I know it’s utterly improper and I’m not sure what was going through my head, if indeed anything, other than how good you looked in those coveralls and how artful that smudge of grease on your cheek was.
Klein, O, Pvt: oh my god did I just type that