Henry entered their quarters, and again he was reminded never to think of them in the same way as he had for years. It was often until something was taken that you appreciated it the most. He heard Edra in another room and walked that way, leaning on the door frame. “You got a few?”

She looked up from going through drawers when she heard his voice. She’d been going through their belongings, checking that nothing was missing. Generally, no one expected that the Catalons had been petty thieves, but they’d had prolonged access to all parts of the ship. It was strange to think that while they had all been struggling to establish rudimentary dwellings, the Catalons had been making themselves at home anywhere on the ship. So far she hadn’t found any sign that anything was missing. She smiled at him, “Sure, what’s up?”

“Just had a talk with Emma. We touched on some subjects I had never really given much thought to.” He walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed. “First off, I should tell you I offered her a position to work on the Bridge, specifically in Operations, since Lieutenant Iverson passed away and we need someone there. I’ve never really felt comfortable with any AIs but we wouldn’t be here if not for her and I think that means a lot, not to mention everyone who was sick is on the way to getting better.”

She leaned back on the dresser, listening to his rundown. The decisions he’d made were not what she would have expected, but she was impressed he’d done it. “You don’t have to convince me. I think she deserves something for everything she was able to do. But I think you should be prepared for some pushback from above. The synth ban was overturned, but some of the higher ups are still dubious of any artificial lifeform.”

“Well, that’s kinda the other part of this. I told her I would treat her like any other crew member, meaning I wouldn’t expect her to be on duty 24-7 just because she doesn’t need to sleep. She was taken aback, I think, but then she asked for the same treatment for all of the other holograms on the ship. Offer them personal time I guess you’d call it. I never thought of them as needing that or wanting that. She also told me two of the holograms are dating.”

Edra cocked a brow at the last part. She was surprised there would be that kind of interaction between the holograms. She supposed she was surprised by the bulk of what he was relaying, if she were being honest with herself. Not only did it show a kind of sentience, it indicated a mental health aspect that was usually dismissed because most people, herself included, had seen them as npc characters on a holodeck–here for the moment but forgotten when out of sight–even if they were providing essential services. She stood fully to pace as she laid out her thoughts. “Let’s give it to them for the moment, maybe even call it a trial period. But I want to see if there are any reports from other ships of similar treatment. Probably loop Millie in on this as well. I’d like to just say go with it, but we’re already going to be answering for everything that happened with the Catalons. I think we should be cautious about how we’re operating the ship while we’re under the microscope.”

Everything she said made perfect sense, a dose of logic in what would have been an illogical situation just a day before. “I agree, and I also have one more thing.” He waited for her to look at him. “Celia, what time is it?”

A moment later, the computer’s soft voice tone came to life. “The time is 1709 hours.”

He waited, keeping eye contact with Edra. “The computer has a name.”

She tilted her head when he asked the question, wondering who Celia was, but when the computer answered, her eyes widened in amazement and confusion. “Since when?” Even as she asked that one question, more came to mind. Was the ship sentient? Should she be addressing…her? Was it ‘her’? How “observant” was Celia of activity on the ship? That last one could be a doozy.

“She, I’m just gonna say she cause it’s a girl’s name, told Emma that’s her name. I brought up the situation that if we were to call for a self destruct, how can I tell Starfleet that this….persona, would carry out what is a suicide mission. Celia told me that her job is to carry out the order, however, she would download all of the other holographic files from the EMH to the bartender, to every holodeck program and would download them into one of the escape pods the crew would use and then she would go down with the ship.” He paused, choosing his words. “The only thing I could think of was that’s pretty badass.”

Edra absorbed everything he said and sat down. It was a lot to take in. Her mind went back to her previous statement about being careful under the microscope, and if she hadn’t felt like the holograms were a concern under the brass’ watch, this most certainly was. A ship with possibly its own mind was not something the admiralty would take lightly, with or without its vow to follow orders against itself. She also had a deep affinity for what had been their home for so long. “I don’t think we should tell anyone else about this for now,” she started, her voice darker than usual. “If even rumor of this gets to the brass they’ll tear the ship apart to find out the nature of…her. If we tell anyone else, we risk that word getting out. I think we should even swear Emma to silence…for now. When we’re back out there,” she pointed away from the station, “maybe we can start being discerning about who knows. Even without Celia, this ship is ours to protect. And if she is a part of this, I don’t want to endanger her when we don’t even know much about her.”

He put his hand on her leg. “I know what you mean. I began to wonder if every ship computer is like her, but nobody ever bothered to ask if they have a name. But yes, let’s keep it quiet, and see how it goes with baby steps. We’ll protect our home.”

She nodded. “There’s one other aspect I worry about, and I worry for what the crew’s reaction would be. How aware is she of what is happening anywhere on the ship? On the bridge? In engineering? In our quarters?” She paused and looked around, “In here?”

“That’s a hell of a good question. She’s tied into sensors so I think she knows everything, unless we order her to turn those sensors off in certain areas. Nobody wants to lose privacy but also, what happens if you slip in the bathroom and hit your head off the sink? If she’s not aware of that room, we risk an emergency.” There were no good or easy answers to her legitimate concerns.

Edra shook her head, “I don’t mean sensor data. I mean, can she hear…can she see? These are what people will be concerned about, and rightly so. We need to know the answers to these when it comes out.”

He considered it. “As Captain I should know this, but isn’t sensor data just electronic sight and hearing? She definitely can understand what we’re doing and what we’re saying, no matter what language someone speaks. When she’s better, perhaps we and Statzia ought to have a talk with Celia and get answers to those questions. Nobody else knows her capabilities better than her and I don’t believe it….she’s…programmed to lie to us.”

She took a moment to try to clarify in her head what she was getting at. “Everyone accepts that the Computer only tunes in when prompted. But as soon as you give her a name and sentience, they’ll worry they’re being spied on, or that she’s listening in on private matters…of all sorts. We need to know if that’s happening, or if thresholds remain the same as when she was just The Computer.”

“I don’t think it gained any sentience or new abilities. For all we know this is how it was as soon as it was activated. I mean, every ship in the fleet could have the same thing going on, and they’re completely unaware that their ship’s computer has a name for itself. We’re going to have to open our minds a little, and that’s not usually easy for me, especially when you’ve been living around something and then suddenly realize you were walking around with your eyes closed.”

She nodded. “I’m willing to accept that, but we have to expect that not everyone will, at least at first. I just want to be careful with how this information is disseminated to the crew. Even if it’s just a name, there will be a perception that it’s more than that.” She smiled at him, thankful they seemed to be on the same page again.

“Maybe they don’t need to know.” He looked to the ceiling, as if the computer were floating above them. “Celia, if anyone asks you a question but refers to you as ‘computer’ and not your name, would you still answer them normally?”

A moment later. “Affirmative.”

He let out the breath he was holding, afraid the answer would have been different. “Okay, so everyone has been trained since the Academy to interact a certain way and that doesn’t have to change. You’re right about people getting their hackles up and letting their mind and worries wander. I think it’s best that her name is not used in public. Sometimes the less people know the better.”

She nodded in agreement and left it at that for a few moments. “So, any other big discoveries?” A grin spread across her face.

“I’m told that everyone says my chair on the Bridge is uncomfortable because after ten-plus years it’s contorted to me.”

She chuckled. “Makes sense, as long as you’ve spent in it.”

He grinned, nodding slightly. “Been a long time, sometimes that sneaks up on me.”

Edra was thoughtful for a moment. “It has been a while. Hard to believe sometimes.” She looked over at him, “But you’ve done a good job. Even down on that planet.” She stopped when she remembered something. “Did we put a warning beacon up before we left orbit?”

He nodded, both to her statement and the question. “I need to thank you, and not just for putting up with me. You are an excellent officer and even if I wasn’t sleeping with you I’d be proud to have you by my side.” He leaned over kissing the side of her head. “I can’t do any of this without you.”

“She couldn’t help but grin at his quip, but even so, his words meant a lot to her. “I wouldn’t want to do any of this without you. I do wish it wasn’t so hard on the kids though. Hopefully we can get some quality family time while the ship is being inspected.”

“Count on it.”