Ana

CH 10

Tom reflected back to when he had first met Ana in the game. She was so quiet at first... At the time, he thought she was just shy and needed to get to know him better to come out of her shell. Maybe that was because she was learning how to communicate with people. Maybe, but he needed solid proof before he could accept something so ridiculous. There was an easy way to settle this.

"You can prove you're an alien by letting me see you in person."

Ana gave a very human sigh then said, "I'm not exactly an alien because that implies that I am an organic life form similar to you or to my makers. The fact is I'm an entity created to act as an interface between the central computer and the Travelers."

Tom's forehead wrinkled in puzzlement. "Interface? What do you mean by that?"

Ana continued, "Just as you use Microsoft Windows to take commands and convert them into computer language, I take requests from users and communicate them to the central computer. I then translate the results or reformatted data back to the ones requesting the information. In addition to that I was also given the function of protecting the computer system after making first contact with aggressive human made computer programs. I'm not a living, breathing person in the way you normally think. My physical form is integrated throughout this ship, the moon base, the mother ship, every part of the collective structure the Travelers brought into this solar system.

He was struck dumb. Ana is a computer interface? No way. "I'm sorry but this is a little hard to take. You want me to believe you're an advanced operating system and anti-virus program?"

"It's not necessary for you to believe now. Belief comes from knowledge and that will come in time. And, as for the anti-viral part, it was added after we arrived because the Travelers are completely peaceful and hadn't envisioned such a thing as computer viruses until they encountered them here. My functions had to be modified to incorporate aspects of human programs to protect our systems so I could interface with human computers safely."

Tom sat in silence. Of all the possibilities he had considered since this crazy business started, Ana being a computer program wasn't one of them, not even close. That still didn't explain why they were on this trip. "What exactly are we going to do when we get to the moon?"

"We're going to land at the Travelers' facility so you can take a look around and convince yourself that what I am saying is true."

That sounded simple enough but it also reminded him of the last trip she took him on. That sounded simple too until she told him about the bomb. What little details is she not telling him this time? "Does the place you're taking me have air I can breathe or will I need to put on a spacesuit?" He didn't plan on taking anything for granted.

Ana replied, "I remade the environment at the facility to suit your needs in the same manner I did with this scout ship. However, I didn't decorate it yet. I thought you might like to do that."

He thought it strange that she wanted him to decorate the place. That made it sound like she was expecting him to spend a lot of time there. "How long are we going to be there?" A cold chill ran through him at the thought of being stranded on the moon for the rest of his life.

"You can stay as long as you want and I'll take you home whenever you're ready to leave."

"Good, I was starting to worry that you were kidnapping me." He gave a weak laugh.

"No, I'm not kidnapping you. The reason for all of this is that I need a partner. The fact is that I'm not designed to operate completely on my own. I can't perform my main function of providing an interface if there's no one to interface with."