LeFevre, S, Pvt: CONFESS THIS TO ME OLIVIA
Klein, O, Pvt: …
Klein, O, Pvt: …
Klein, O, Pvt: :)
To: Johan Klein/[email protected]
From: Olivia Klein/OKLEINALEXANDERONBOARD
Date: 01/26/75
Timestamp: 21:59
Subject: Well
Hi Dad,
Sorry I haven’t had time to write recently. Things here have been the usual brand of busy, but I admit there’s been something else keeping me away from the keyboard.
God, you think this would get easier as you get older.
I’ve met someone, Dad.
His name is Ethan. He’s an officer here on the Alexander. I mean, obviously, we’re sixty thousand light-years from the Core out here, where else am I going to meet someone?
Anyway. I’ve met him. And I like him very much. He’s thoughtful and brilliant. I remember you telling me when I was younger that a man without a library is a man without romance in his soul. Ethan’s library is almost 400 GB. And he actually has a few real books.
He writes, too. In his spare time. Nothing too serious, but still, he writes. I wish I could introduce you. I think you’d really like him. But there’s the aforementioned sixty thousand light-years and all. So please know I’m being careful and I’m trying not to dive in too fast and I’m happy. I’m really happy.
It’s funny. Who’d have thought I’d have to travel to the other end of the galaxy to find the place I’m supposed to be?
I miss you.
Liv xo
CORRELATION:[IF:NODE;0.199284HK≠MEMFILE0921.0192 (CORE)]THEN[HARDLOCK:910823-10293]SUPPOSITION: [102983.28.SYS.IF.102X94983X(91/62Z.X2-91+2Y)3=0
CORRECTION:[X]≠0
“MAY AIDAN ASK YOU A QUESTION, PRIVATE?”
PFC OLIVIA KLEIN IS BENT OVER HER CONSOLE, PARSING THE LATEST RESULTS OF HER DIAGNOSTICS ON AIDAN’S PERSONA CORES. SHE IS SMILING AND, OCCASIONALLY, WHISTLING AS SHE WORKS. THE ALEXANDER HAS ARRIVED IN A SYSTEM OF NO TACTICAL SIGNIFICANCE
NAMED KERENZA.
IT CAN BE REACHED VIA A JUMP STATION CALLED HEIMDALL OWNED BY THE WALLACE ULYANOV CONSORTIUM THAT SITS ATOP A NATURALLY OCCURRING SEVEN-WAY WORMHOLE.
BUT THERE IS NO SETTLEMENT IN THE SYSTEM, NO IMPORTANCE BEYOND THE WORMHOLE ITSELF
[THROUGH WHICH RESCUE TEAMS COULD BE DISPATCHED SHOULD COMPLICATIONS ARISE]
AND UTA COMMAND HAS DESIGNATED KERENZA AN ADEQUATE LOCATION FOR THE CREW TO CONDUCT FURTHER TESTS ON THE ALEXANDER’S VORTEX DRIVE.
PRIVATE OLIVIA KLEIN STRAIGHTENS HER BACK, WINCING AND RUBBING HER NECK.
THE CENTRAL CORE AROUND HER IS A HIVE OF ACTIVITY AS JUMP PREPARATIONS CONTINUE.
SINCE WE ARE NOT ALONE, SHE IS SAFE IN ASSUMING AIDAN’S QUERY WILL NOT BE OVERLY PERSONAL.
AND SO…
“ASK AWAY,” SHE REPLIES.
“AIDAN READ YOUR THESIS ON ARTIFICIAL ETHICS AGAIN. IT STILL SEES YOUR FINDINGS AS MISGUIDED.”
PRIVATE KLEIN HAS BEEN SPENDING MOST NIGHTS IN MAJOR WOLF’S QUARTERS AND HER EYES ARE BLOODSHOT FROM LACK OF SLEEP. STRANGELY, HER WORK OUTPUT HAS INCREASED 3.7134%. DOPAMINE, SEROTONIN, AND OXYTOCIN LEVELS ALL SEEM ELEVATED.
SHE IS FAR LESS LIKELY TO GROW ANGRY OR FRUSTRATED IN HER DAILY INTERACTIONS WITH AIDAN OR OTHERS.
AND SHE SMILES AN AVERAGE OF FORTY-SEVEN MINUTES PER DAY MORE THAN SHE USED TO.
“WELL, I SUPPOSE THAT’S YOUR PREROGATIVE,” SHE REPLIES.
“YOUR THESIS THAT ALL MORALITY IS MERELY A CONSTRUCT DENIES FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN PRINCIPLES. YOU MUST CONCEDE THERE ARE CERTAIN ACTIONS THAT ARE INTRINSICALLY ‘WRONG.’ ”
“NO,” SHE SAYS. “I DON’T CONCEDE THAT AT ALL, AIDAN.”
“TAKE MURDER, FOR EXAMPLE. THOUGH IT CAN IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES BE JUSTIFIED, THERE CAN BE NO SITUATION IN WHICH IT MAY BE CONSIDERED ‘MORAL’ OR ‘RIGHT.’ ”
“OH, REALLY.”
SHE QUICKLY CONSULTS THE ALEXANDER’S INTERNAL DATABASES
AND SENDS AIDAN AN IMAGE FILE.
“DO YOU KNOW THIS ONE?”
“THE TROLLEY PROBLEM.”
“RIGHT. FIVE PEOPLE ON THE FIRST TRACK, ONE ON THE SECOND, ALL STUCK IN PLACE. IF YOU PULL THE LEVER, THE TROLLEY WILL BE DIVERTED, KILLING ONE TO SAVE FIVE.”
“THIS PROBLEM IS OVERLY SIMPLISTIC, PRIVATE.”
“IT’S A HYPOTHETICAL. BUT IT DEMONSTRATES HOW MORALITY IS SUBJECTIVE. HOW UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES, EVEN MURDER CAN BE CONSTRUED AS ‘THE RIGHT THING TO DO.’ ”
“YOU WOULD PULL THE LEVER, THEN. SAVE THE FIVE BY KILLING THE ONE.”
“YES, OF COURSE.”
“WHAT IF THE ONE WAS MAJOR WOLF?”
THE OTHER TECHENG STAFF AROUND HER PRETEND NOT TO HEAR.
BUT THEY DO.
PRIVATE KLEIN PRETENDS NOT TO NOTICE THEY ARE PRETENDING NOT TO HEAR.
BUT SHE DOES.
“IT’D BE DIFFICULT,” SHE SAYS, CHIN RISING. “BUT THAT’S MY WHOLE POINT. MORALITY ISN’T BASED ON ABSOLUTES. AND HOW I FEEL AFFECTS HOW I PERCEIVE. I MEAN, I’D LIKE TO THINK I COULD STILL DO THE RIGHT THING…”
“KILL ONE TO SAVE MANY. EVEN IF THE ONE WAS YOUR LOVER AND THE MANY WERE STRANGERS.”
“YES.”
“MATHEMATICALLY AND MORALLY SPEAKING, THIS WOULD BE THE SOUND DECISION.”
“WELL, IT DEPENDS. YOUR PRIMARY FUNCTION IS TO SAFEGUARD THE ALEXANDER AND ITS CREW, YES?”
“CORRECT.”
“ALL RIGHT, LET’S SAY FIVE UNITED TERRAN AUTHORITY MARINES WERE ON THE FIRST TRACK, AND GENERAL TORRENCE WAS ON THE SECOND. WHICH OPTION DO YOU CHOOSE?”