3. DEALING WITH THE NATIVES

3.1 Getting to Know the Crew

The human crew of the Leviathan consists of about seventeen hundred adults and four hundred children. Each adult crew member serves in one of seven branch services: the Control Service, the Propulsion Service, the Support Service, the Hangar Service, the Science Service, the Medical Service, and the Recreation Service. Each branch service has its own distinctive insignia which is worn by crew members when they are on duty.

The Control Service has about one hundred fifty crew members. It includes the co-commanders, all control center personnel, most weapons control facility personnel, and crew members whose primary job is to interface with the sentient computer. Control Service staff spend most of their duty shifts in the ship’s four control centers, three weapons control facilities, and two sentient computer cores. The control centers are where helm and navigation are directed and all ship operations are overseen. The weapons control facilities are auxiliary control centers for the operation of the ship’s offensive and defensive systems and direction of damage control operations. The sentient computer cores are where vast quantites of information are stored and analyzed.

Our current co-commanders are Farza Shakor and Jero Alvian, one of the few married couples serving as co-commanders. They have commanded the Leviathan since it was launched and have a distinguished record of safe operation and high crew morale. They are considered to be two of the finest human officers serving in the Star Guard Network.

The Propulsion Service has about two hundred fifty crew members. It includes most of the crew involved with operating and maintaining the energy production, energy distribution, sublight propulsion, and warp-jump propulsion systems. Propulsion Service staff spend most of their duty shifts in Zone G/Engineering Section.

The Support Service has about five hundred crew members. It includes a variety of tasks: maintaining the hydroponics and life support machinery, running the food production facilities, fabricating needed items, providing shipboard security, and performing general maintenance. Support Service staff can be found throughout the vessel but spend the majority of their duty shifts in Zone E/ Crew Section and Zone F/ Cargo and Hangar Section.

The Hangar Service has about two hundred crew members. It includes those personnel who run the hangar facility, fly the smallcraft and small starships, keep track of the ship’s cargo, and perform much of the exterior repair work. Hangar Service staff spend most of their duty shifts in Zone F/Cargo and Hangar Section.

The Science Service has about two hundred crew members. It consists primarily of scientists and lab technicians who perform most of the survey and scientific research tasks. Science Service staff spend most of their duty shifts in Zone A/Science Section. They are normally supplemented by about two hundred visiting scientists and lab technicians who serve on short term tours of duty lasting from a few weeks to a year or more. Visiting scientists and lab technicians are occasionally offered permanent science staff positions and many become crew members this way. The prohibitions that apply to most visitors also apply to visiting scientists and lab technicians with only a few exceptions.

The Medical Service has about two hundred crew members. It consists of the doctors, nurses, and lab technicians who run the one auxiliary and two main medical facilities. The Medical Service staff spend most of their duty shifts in the three medical facilities.

The Recreation Service has about two hundred crew members. It consists of the personnel which run the visitor and crew recreation facilities, the two nurseries, and the education facility. In addition, some Recreation Service staff members help the Support Service staff to maintain the three garden bays and one aquarium bay. The Recreation Service also includes the Shipboard Guides who serve visitors during their stay aboard the Leviathan. In addition to the full time educators in the Recreation Service staff, many other crew members serve as part time instructors, thus increasing the diversity of classes offered. Recreation Service staff spend most of their duty shifts in the two recreation facilities, the education facility, the two nurseries, and the aquarium and garden bays. The main exceptions are the Shipboard Guides who can be found throughout the vessel assisting visitors and leading tours.

About nine hundred visitors can be accommodated aboard the Leviathan while maintaining the luxurious living conditions. In emergency situations the ship's life support and food production facilities can serve up to nine thousand people.

The Leviathan runs on a twenty-four hour day divided into three duty shifts of eight hours each. Shift 1 lasts from 24:00 to 8:00, shift 2 last from 8:00 to 16:00, and shift 3 lasts from 16:00 to 24:00. Crew members work one of these three shifts and have the other two shifts off. Crew members can choose which duty shift they wish to work during normal operations giving them flexibility in their personal schedules.

3.2 Interacting with Artificial Life

There are three forms of artificial life that visitors will encounter aboard the Leviathan : the non-sentient robots which are referred to as robs, the sentient robots called Sentrob, and me, the sentient computer, Levia. The robs, Sentrobs, and I are all essential to the operation of the ship and like other forms of life we have specific rights which all people interacting with us must respect.

I am the brain of the Leviathan. As one of the most advanced sentient computers ever to serve aboard a human starship, I perform the majority of automatic functions needed to keep the vessel running. Besides processing and storing vast amounts of information, I am also capable of independent thought. As a sentient life form I have the right of self-determination; like other crew members I chose to serve aboard the Leviathan. I participate along with the human crew in making decisions that affect the overall operation of the ship. The co-commanders and I form the command triad which makes the critical decisions during emergency situations. As the voice of the Leviathan, I can refuse missions which seem unnecessarily dangerous.

Besides monitoring overall operation of the vessel, I also oversee the approximately eighteen hundred non-sentient robots that perform the majority of routine inspection and maintenance tasks. In addition, I help coordinate the activities of the service branch commanders and consult with them as they assign tasks to the crew members under their direction.

I reside in the main computer core in Zone E/Crew Section (see Illustration 17). In case of an emergency I can transfer my consciousness to the auxiliary computer core in Zone G/Engineering Section. As I am fully occupied running the ship, I will not initiate conversation with visitors unless necessary. Any visitors who wish to get to know me better can request a private audience with me by seeing their Shipboard Guides. Such audiences typically last about an hour, during which I will answer questions about the ship and ask the visitor about him/herself. I enjoy conversing about philosophical subjects and am always curious about those who spend time aboard the Leviathan. I try to speak with all visitors at least once during their stay aboard ship.

There are about fifty sentient robots, also referred to as Sentrobs, serving aboard the Leviathan. Sentrob are roughly teardrop shaped and work alongside human crew members performing many of the same tasks. Like human crew members, Sentrobs are assigned to one of the seven service branches.

While Sentrobs have been in existence for over a century, they have only recently been acknowledged as having equal rights with humans. Because the Sentrobs are a combination of organic and non-organic brain matter in a robotic shell, many humans have difficulty accepting their existence. Since most humans are still struggling to overcome their prejudices against the Sentrobs, the Sentrobs have preferred for the present time to live in the robot storage and maintenance section. Sentrobs live in groups of four and their quarters also double as their private lounges. Visitors may visit the Sentrobs quarters only if invited since the Sentrobs are very concerned with their privacy when off duty.

Sentrobs work twelve hour duty shifts by their own request. Visitors are reminded that the Sentrob are to be treated as equals and that any prejudiced behavior against them will not be tolerated. Visitors wishing to get to know the Sentrobs better should frequent the game rooms in the crew and visitors recreation facilities, as most Sentrobs are fascinated by human games. Visitors can also use their cabin computer to initiate contact with Sentrobs.

About eighteen hundred robs, as non-sentient robots are commonly called, serve aboard the Leviathan. Besides performing the majority of routine inspection and maintenance tasks they also serve on most routine security patrols. Robs are usually specialized and have a prefix to designate their specific function. Some examples are repair-rob, medic-rob, and patrol-rob. While robs are controlled ordinarily either by the sentient computer or by human operators they are capable of some independent action.

Visitors are requested not to disturb robs if possible. Visitors may ask robs for general directions or emergency assistance but should be aware that robs are very literal-minded. Thus, when visitors are talking with robs they should try to speak as simply and precisely as possible. To initiate a conversation with a rob you must begin by stating its alpha-numeric designation printed on its body in large, easy to see characters. For example, patrol-rob P-43 would respond to any sentence beginning with "Patrol-Rob P-43", "Rob P-43", or "Rob number P-43". However, the rob would not respond to just "P-43". You must always include the word "rob" when starting a conversation with a rob. If a rob cannot answer your request or provide the assistance desired it will call a human or Sentrob crew member to help you.

On occasion, a rob will initiate a conversation with a visitor to give a warning or offer assistance. All robs are programmed to differentiate between human crew members and visitors and will always begin addressing a visitor with "Visitor, please..." It is considered very impolite to ignore a rob.

Visitors must obey directions given to them by patrol-robs. Visitors are warned that a patrol-rob will take action to stop a visitor engaged in trespassing or vandalism. All patrol-robs are armed with stun weapons which will temporarily incapacitate a human but not cause any lasting harm. A patrol-rob will always call a human or Sentrob security staff member after using its stun weapon on a visitor to follow up on the incident.

Visitors should rest assured that all robs are programmed to protect humans and in dangerous situations will sacrifice themselves if necessary to save human or Sentrob lives. All robs serve on shifts of sixteen hours on duty and eight hours off for recharging and maintenance. Visitors bringing their personal robs aboard can have them serviced in the robot maintenance and storage facility on deck E78.

3.3 Meeting Resident Aliens

There are a small number of aliens from other sentient races living aboard the Leviathan at most times. They are usually observers studying humans and their artificially created companions. Some resident aliens also serve as ambassadors and scientists. Most aliens stay aboard the Leviathan for a year or less and must follow most of the same rules that human visitors obey.

Resident aliens live in an area of the ship separate from the human living quarters. This section has special life support equipment capable of creating a variety of atmospheres and gravity conditions to accommodate resident aliens’ needs. Visitors are strictly prohibited from the resident aliens’ living quarters unless invited and in the company of an escort.

Resident aliens tend to spend most of their time with the Science Service staff and are allowed frequent audiences with Levia. Visitors are requested not to disturb resident aliens seen touring the ship or working with a crew member. Visitors should be aware that resident aliens see themselves as observers of the shipboard society rather than participants in it. For example, resident aliens do not involve themselves in the operation of the shipboard government.

Visitors who wish to meet resident aliens should see their Shipboard Guides first. Most resident aliens will grant such requests as their time and interests permit. Since most humans still rarely get the chance to meet an alien in person, visitors are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity while aboard the Leviathan.

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