Agent Arizona: Man or Machine?

What's The "I" Stand For?

"South!" North shoots at her. 

"What he might as well be?!" Zone pounds his fist on the desk telling everyone to be quiet. Then Maine growls and everyone looks at him. 

"I would like to say just how appreciative the two of us are for Carolina's sacrifice. Agent Carolina, if anyone can excel without an AI unit, it is you." Sigma compliments. 

"Thank you, Sigma." Carolina smiles. 

"And Agent Texas of course. That goes without saying." 

Carolina's smile immediately fades before she says, "Right." 

"I notice she doesn't have to attend class." South scoffs. 

"Agent Texas doesn't need this training." 

"What the Director is trying to say is that Agent Texas has already completed her A.I. theory course work. I think that's enough for today." Counselor Price says. 

"If I may, Counselor. I have just one last question." Sigma says raising his hand. 

"Oh, come on." York complains. 

"On the different levels of AI awareness and rampancy." 

"Melancholia, anger-"

"Specifically in the fourth stage of rampancy." 

"Meta-stability." 

"Yes, the meta stage, in which an AI can be considered fully human." 

"That is only theoretical, Sigma. No AI has ever achieved such a state." 

"But it is possible." Sigma persists. 

"In theory, but-" 

"But possible. I find that very interesting." 

"Remember, Sigma, you're not even a full A.I. You are what we call a fragment, so something of that magnitude would be even more difficult for an entity such as yourself." Counselor Price reminds. 

"Well, as the Director always says, it is important to have ambition." 

"Why yes it is. Class is dismissed." All the Freelancers and AIs begin to leave. Delta notices Sigma is still looking at the board. 

"Sigma are you coming?" 

"Yes, yes. We will be joining you shortly." He replies as he is looking at the board at the front of the room. He looks at how some of the patterns make a certain symbol that he takes a liking to before he leaves. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

In the mess hall Zone, North, Wash, and Theta are sitting at a table. Theta is throwing fireworks in the air as North looks at him impressed. 

"That's really great, Theta!" North says looking at him. 

"Thank you! I worked super hard on it!" 

South looks at the both of them before scoffing and walking off. Zone notices this as he takes a sip from his glass. 

~Man she is just jealous as heck isn't she?~ 

"You said it boss!" Xi says in his head. York and Delta then sit down at their table. 

"Hey Theta! You mind if I talk to North and Zone for a second?" York asks. 

"Uhh...okay." Theta replies. 

"Need you to shut down while we chat, okay? Delta too. You know, it's the rules." Delta then disappears. 

"North?" Theta asks nervously. 

"It'll be okay. I won't talk too long." He assures him. 

~You better shut down too Xi.~ 

"You got it!" She says before logging off. Theta then disappears as well. 

"What's up?" North asks. 

"I need to ask you guys about something." York replies. 

[Uh, okay. Shoot.] 

"I need to ask you about the Alpha." Zone and North glance at one another before looking at York. 

[Where did you hear that word?] Zone asks. 

"Same place you heard it." York then points to his head. "Up here." 

"What's an Alpha?" Wash asks with his mouth full. The Freelancers look and see Wash still has his helmet on with a soda in his hand. He drinks with a silly straw. 

"Wash...are you eating inside your helmet?" York asks. 

"Maybe. Delta said they got the helmet waste disposal out of beta. That it would make my eating more efficient." 

"Haha, and you believed that? Maybe he is getting more personable." 

[I can't believe I'm just now noticing this and yet you were sitting right in front of me the whole time.] 

"It's not an Alpha, Wash, it's the Alpha. Theta thinks about him a lot. More than thinks, really. He's obsessed." North answers. 

"Delta too. You know how all the units call each other brother? They call this one "father". No...that's not right." 

[Creator.] Zone clarifies. 

"That's it." 

"I thought the Director would be their creator." Wash says as he takes out a banana. 

"Haven't you been paying any attention in class? AIs aren't created; they're copies of someone." 

"But our AIs are just fragments." North reminds him. 

"Which begs the question...where's the original?" 

"So this Alpha thing is what, creates the fragments?" Wash asks. 

[Will you swallow for the love of pete? I'm not giving you the heimlich if you choke.] Zone tells him taking another sip of water. 

Wash holds up a finger telling them to pause as he swallows. "It creates them?" 

"Yeah, Theta isn't clear. It creates them...or something." North says looking down. 

"Yeah, it's the "or something" part that has me worried." York replies. 

[You're not the only one.] Zone adds.