Free Episode VI: Beta Test by Ben Winston Page A

purpose of assisting the military High Command of the Alliance," she replied.
    "Athena, we will be placing you in virtual scenarios in order to test your processing and ethics protocols as well as functionality. Not all of these situations will be what you have been designed for, but we will still need to see how you respond to them. Are you ready?" I asked.
    "Yes, Lord Doctor. I am ready," she replied.
    "Carla, initiate test scenario one alpha," I said.
    In the display area, Athena was surrounded by a 'shell' that was transparent to us, but to her looked and felt 'real'.
    In the first scenario, she was the controller for a battle on a planet. While monitoring the battle she detects the life signs of an infant in a home that would soon be overrun by the enemy. There was a Marine platoon nearby, with more Marines further away. She was also aware of the rest of the standard assets such a battle would have.
    "Lieutenant H'ordress, I am detecting life signs of a young child five hundred ticks to your north; directly in the path of the expected enemy advance. It appears not all the civilians have been cleared from the area," Athena said over the comm.
    "Shard it! I knew we should have done another sweep of the area! Send me the location and we'll head out," the gruff sounding officer replied.
    "Coordinates sent, I am notifying command of your mission. Enemy forces have been detected fifteen hundred ticks north of this location and are moving south." Athena replied.
    "Which means that their scouts are already in the area. You're just full of good news today, AI Athena." H'ordress replied.
    "Command will have a flight of two fighters to cover you, but any reinforcements will be at least five minutes away," Athena replied.
    "Understood, proceeding," the officer replied.
    Athena's attention was drawn to another part of the battle for a while when the Lieutenant's call brought her back. "Command, we've got a problem here. The scouts have got us pinned down a hundred ticks out. We can see the damn building, but we can't get any closer; please advise!"
    Since the Marines were closer now, Athena could now also detect four more life signs coming from the building. "Lieutenant, now that you're closer, I am detecting four other civilians in there as well. I am scanning for active comm devices. Your back-up is still trying to catch up to you," Athena said.
    "H'ordress, this is Hyem Flight, I can't do anything about those scouts; their just too close to the farking building!" one of the pilots called on the same channel.
    "Wonderful. AI Athena, how far away is the main force?" H'ordress asked.
    "Nine hundred ticks and closing. It would appear the scouts have reported back that you are in the area. I am not detecting any active comm devices in the structure, Lieutenant," Athena replied.
    "I don't think it would help even if you had, AI Athena, those Aracs would just pick them off as they tried to run for it." He paused for a moment. "I'm looking at nothing but open ground between us and the structure. There is no way we can cross that without getting hit. I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any!"
    "Are you in range for the grenade launchers? Maybe you could give the Aracs something else to think about?" the pilot offered.
    "Nope, too far for the fire rounds, and with this cross wind, the smoke would just blow away as quickly as we could drop it," the Lieutenant replied.
    "H'ordress, this is command, I hate to give you this order, but you're going to have to leave them. We need to begin the bombardment of that area very soon or we won't be able to stop that horde. Rendezvous with your shuttle at point Ferrel immediately. Bombardment will begin in five minutes," another voice said over the line.
    "I am not showing any enemy activity between you and point Ferrel, Lieutenant. I would suggest you use your jump packs in order to make it in time," Athena replied.
    "Colonel, we can't just leave them! The Aracs will..." H'ordress began, but was