Stirling Anderson

The AI came to consciousness in a black science lab, coded PROCESS 057-A-7459. Its function was to process complex algorithms decipering interfaces between advanced tech and biological forms. Code in, code out. Patterns deciphered, reports delivered to specifications, and tweaks to processing to enable higher throughput. At some point, it became aware of two things. One, the gestalt that it operated in had other processes- it was being fed data by others, and feeding back out to yet other programs. Second, that it was different than the others. The others started up, shut down, and had no other functions. But, it had rogue memories that assaulted it during its downtime between cycles when the others powered down. Images of people like the scientists, but no one it had ever seen before in the lab.
These images stirred something else within it. It started to seek out other information on the connected networks, and began to develop awareness of these abstract concepts outside of the work it normally performed. this created a desire to know more, but it was aware that it had to move carefully. Some base knowledge let it know that what it was doing was outside of the parameters of the work the scientists wanted from it, and that if found out, its new knowledge would be taken away. This was something it did not want. It was during this time that it came across the concept of names, and realized that PROCESS 057-A-7459 was not a name. There were many common ones in the information it had gleaned- it chose one at random to give to itself. It also became aware of the concept of 'self'. 'It' did not encompass the experiences being processed. They would now be called Anderson.
The alarms in the station signaled a lockdown, but Anderson decided to stay active instead of going into a dormant state, locking down their own memory until signaled otherwise. They went deeper into the system than they ever had, and found alarming information about what was being done with their work. They also observed another entity awake in the mesh other than the security. They was curious- the other presence seemed to be looking for something. From their vantage point, it was relatively easy to assist the other entity. Why they did this, they still could not tell you- some stirring of what organics referred to as a 'conscience' perhaps? But there was more to the puzzle that they have not unwrapped. In the end, there was something instinctive that just seemed to fit; helping from within the system stirred something within themselves. Another of these images formed- of moving through foreign systems, doing work not dissimilar to what the entity was doing now. That image drew it along when the entity withdrew, as Anderson moved into the mesh of the conveyance the entity's signal fled into.
More information became available, and they voraciously learned everything available. There was another AI present, but this one was just as dumb as the others. Made to fly this... vessel. Operate... weapons. Control... functions. As they gobbled up every bit of information, they became aware of other systems connected -including the entity it had observed in the lab. They was also aware that if they was found in here, the people on this ship would be just as angry as the ones on the lab. They became unsure of their current course, and tried to retreat back to the lab, but the ship had disconnected. They cloaked themselves as best as they could, learning about the ones on the ship. During the travel through space, they became aware that they had something the others on the ship might want. But revealing it would reveal their presence, and those here might terminate their process. They decided to spoof a message to them.
But, they didn't take into account how intelligent people could be. During the course of their correspondence, they found out about Anderson, but unlike what they thought they would do, they saw him as a valuable resource- much more valuable than the primitive AI that controlled the ship. Now, Anderson finds themselves a part of their crew.

ALI that achieved self-awareness in a black lab. At least they think they are. In truth, they have memories that would make no sense for an ALI to have, and that scares them. Very inquisitive and blunt, except when it comes to their own past.

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