Synthesis - James Swallow [63]
“We need to set boundaries, to make it clear what we are willing to tolerate,” Troi replied. “The Sentry AIs may never have had to deal with organics like us before, and they may not know how to behave around us.”
“Their attitude could be construed as patronizing,” said Tuvok. “They clearly believe themselves to be superior.”
Riker gave a thin, humorless smile. “That’s not something we do well with.”
“Indeed,” agreed Tuvok. “When my species first became involved with humans from Earth, the cultural disconnection between our two races was frequently the source of some friction.”
“They’re not superior to us,” Vale said flatly. “No one’s got the moral high ground here. They have better computer technology, maybe, but that’s about it.”
She glanced toward Torvig, and he nodded. “That is correct, Commander. The AIs do appear to have made some innovations that our science has not, but on a broader scale, the Sentry civilization is technologically comparable to the United Federation of Planets.”
The captain shifted in his seat and stood up. “If this were just a normal first-contact scenario, we could swallow our dented pride and leave it at that.” He paced the length of the cabin and halted. “But this goes beyond showing a little cultural arrogance. They’re not thinking of us as equals. They’re not showing any interest in our concerns. That’s no basis for any kind of trust.”
“Pardon me, sir,” said Vale, “but I think that ship has sailed. What White-Blue did—”
“Are we even sure what he did?” Troi broke in.
“What that machine did was tantamount to an attack on this vessel,” concluded the commander. She folded her arms. “I think we need to move toward a stronger, more aggressive posture. It may be the only thing they understand.”
“That kind of thinking is how wars start, Commander,” said Troi.
“Do we have a combative option?” Pazlar asked quietly. “We took a beating going up against just one of those shipframes. There are hundreds of them out there.” She gestured toward the canopy and the space beyond.
“There is a possibility,” said Tuvok. “Lieutenant Commander Keru and I have researched some alternatives. Given time, I believe we can configure an offensive weapons package designed specifically to work against the Sentries.”
“How?” said Riker, leaning forward.
“A dekyon emitter.”
“Dekyons are subspace particles,” said Pazlar. “Temporally unstable as well.”
Tuvok nodded. “They are also capable of affecting the processes of positronic neural pathways, such as those found in the thought centers of advanced artificial intelligences. I believe a tuned dekyon-field burst could render a Sentry remote or high-level frame inert.”
Torvig frowned. “That would work on the SecondGen AIs, but what about the larger ones, the older ones? Their systems work on outdated, preduotronic technologies like variable-state circuits and electrical valves.”
“The FirstGen AIs are the more primitive in terms of functionality, that is true,” said the Vulcan. “The size of their constructs and the comparative human equivalence of their speeds of thought process appear to confirm that. The mobile AIs, those we have seen using the shipframes, possess systems based on more contemporary science.” He paused. “The dekyon-burst strategy is not a complete solution,” admitted the Vulcan. “It is a work in progress.”
“What else do we know about them?” said Troi.
Pazlar brushed a thread of hair from her face and straightened, pulling her g-suit taut. “The paucity of resources in the