ALJ Chpt 25

frameless|right|300px|link=A Long Journey
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==Chapter 25 - A Long Journey==
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18 September 2785
Cephei (Unclaimed)
Major Paulina Flores had spent a few hours on board the Caspar Drone and had been surprised that there were crew accommodations for about 100 people onboard the ship. She had asked the Caspar about this and had been surprised by the response she had gotten, it had actually spooked her a little at how intelligent or human the AI made the ship seem.
"Crew accommodations are for ferry personnel when a Caspar unit needs to travel via hyperspace. It is a known issue with the Caspar design, hyperspace effects the AI routines some say that a Caspar loses the ability to think and reacts dangerously after traveling via hyperspace. It is standard procedure to shut down the AI aboard a Caspar during travel and then reactivating on arrival at assigned duty station."
"When was your last ferry movement?"
 "November 14, 2742. This unit AI was offline for seven months until arrival here at duty station."
Major Paulina Flores thought for a few seconds before typing "Authentication Code needs update."
 "Ready to accept new authentication code."
She then wrote down the new authentication code before typing it in. "STAM1740876FORD" using her deceased last name broken by the numbers. There were too many former SLDF running around and she had no clue who might be in possession of the former code.
 "New authentication code accepted. Auto engagement on wrong code or warning before engagement?"
"Warning before engagement unless hostile actions is attempted."
 "Rules of engagement accepted. Query, resupply and damage repair estimated time?"
"Will return 45 days for resupply and repair. Not equipped at this time. Survey mission only."
 "Fuel level critical."
"Will transfer remaining fuel stock before departure."
When she had returned to SLS Bucking Horse, Star Lord class Jumpship, they had transferred their remaining 150 tons of fuel to Caspar 101A before making the jump out system for the return to Mackolla. The moment they left the system, she could not shake the feeling that the AI held so much more potential. There were times it was very machine like and times it was like talking to another human. It was very eerie.
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6 October 2785
Mackolla (Federated Suns)
Upon arrival, Lieutenant General Samuel Mitchell shuttled to the Olympus Recharge Station to await another shuttle for the surface while Major Paulina Flores began the task of gathering all her ships for a resupply and recovery survey mission to Site 222. He also possessed the new authentication code for the Caspar Drones. He was curious how she was going to convince everyone going that the Caspar Drones were docile and not hostile. Even he still had his doubts on the matter. He had his own phobia he did not like to admit about them, having made the approach to Terra with the rest of the SLDF and having his own Division lose a Dropship full of troops to the massed Caspar attacks. But he had survived this encounter with the Caspar at Site 222, so he was just a little more confident in them.
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