Starship AI (Castor 5) x Anonymous Reader
(An AI idea that I joted down here previously that I decided to make a short of. Castor 5 is a sassy troublemaker who is perpetually bored, ='3c they sure liven up the lives of the people around them. )
"You and I are going to have a chat-" You started in, as the cold metal doors whooshed open to reveal a large circular chamber. A striking humanoid figure in an emblazoned jacket and dark slacks stood staring out the starship window. Their plated robotic form tethered to long thick cords and wires that were connected to their back and the back and head.
"Back already?" Their soft smooth voice droned. Your eyebrows raise as they do not turn around to greet you. They keep their back towards you and facing the large starry window. From where you stood the image before you looked almost picturesque. The look of the jacket that rested over Castor 5’s frame, made them resemble the image of a captain themselves, staring pensively outside and pondering greater meaning.
"Feigning innocence huh? Well I just had to break up another fight between two workers because their communicators mysteriously started mistranslating what they were saying, and turning them into insults."
"I thought it was rather funny. The look on Vlis'ner's face when they were told 'Your mother was a hamster,' they have no idea what a hamster is, mind you, but it still came across well, I think."
You sigh and rub your temples. "So you've gotten into the old Earth Archives again. Lovely. You do know this is one of the reasons you got wired into a starship in the first place. . . right?
Castor pauses, their hands laced behind their back before they pivot on their heel to face you. Their face a blank screen except the multiple dotted cameras that were attached to the face plate. "Don't remind me. Anyway, this is a lot more fun than reading those filthy short stories you like to read on your holo-book in your spare time."
Your eye's widen and your mouth drops open, once again in shock of the sheer audacity of this AI. Castor was one of a kind, extremely sharp, and they took as many liberties as they could to abuse their intelligence and capabilities, like right now, in this very moment.
They swoon dramatically, a hand over their chrome temple.
"Oh Fernal! My love! Even though we will be stars apart and our homeworlds are at war, we can at least make love one last time! Muwah-Muwah!"
"You've read my data history?!" You hissed as your body tingled with embarrassment all over. "You assh--"
"Ah, ah," They wagged a finger at you, "You can't call me that, I don't even have one. And besides, if you didn't want anyone perusing your personal browsing history, you should make it private."
You screw up your eyes, squinting daggers at them. "Yeah right. You probably would still be able to snoop around in my data, even if I crypted it three times over. . . What the heck were you even doing anyway? I can't imagine you like romance."
"I was, truth be told, gathering intel."
You make a face, ". . . Oh no."
"Abso-lutely not!" You huffed, crossing your arms, feeling another surge of hot embarrassment. "I am not answering any questions! I have no 'personal experiences' or "input' I would like to express! You keep your weird, organic-being studies to yourself!"
“I have to find something to do with myself,” They complain in that soft spoken eloquent voice. The contrast between their personality and their voice makes your brain itch. “Piloting a ship is one thing, but it’s all background noise. Coordinates here, variables there. Adjust, adjust, adjust. It’s so dreadfully dull I could do it powered down and sleeping.”
“Lucky you. . .” You grumble, “Maybe if you stopped causing trouble the rest of us could have an easier time too.”
Castor reachest a hand to hold the railing behind them, tilting their head. “It would be helpful if I had. . . a little incentive. Then I would be less likely to, how you phrased it, ‘cause trouble’. “
You cross your arms, bouncing your shoulders slightly before pulling them backwards. Castor 5 mimics you, though does so in a more fluid manner.
“. . .What do you want? I can’t put in an appeal to give you more data rights or anything like that, you abuse what you have too much as it is.”
“No, no. Nothing like that. I want a companion.”
Castor 5 shrugs their shoulders, “That is what all artificial intelligence was made for. Companionship. It may have taken different forms or is used in different environments, but it’s a form of companionship.”
“I thought you would have figured it out by now.”
You turn your head suspiciously.
“No? Not as clever as I thought you were then, my, my.”
You rock on your heels looking annoyed, “Maybe ‘I’ would have more ‘incentive’ to come keep you company, if you didn’t pick on me all the time. Ever thought of that?”
“What can I say, you’re cute when you’re mad.”