Star Law: A Marshal Cole Series

Chapter 9

Doctor Kripisov was nearing completion of her autopsy. Assisting her in this was Kar Oharat. He was one of a number of non-human crewmembers aboard ship and held the position of Nurse/MedTech. Everyone on the Niagara had dual duties and in addition to medical duties in ship's infirmary; Kar was also responsible for monitoring environmental needs in the alien section. On this particular final leg, thirteen different species were travelling aboard. All were methane breathers.

"Patch her back up, Doctor?" Kar asked.

They had done a Y incision during the autopsy, still a standard even with 3D holographic scanners. "Yes," said Kripisov. Autopsy complete at 1600 hours."

Kar used a Surgical N-Joiner that microscopically joined the tissue back up. They were almost done. It had taken some time to remove all the foreign bodies embedded in the body. All that material lay in two trays. There was just so much. In her experience as a Navy surgeon, she had only seen this type of damage in shrapnel injuries during the war.

Once the surgical lines were knitted together, the body was covered in a nano-weave body bag.

"All material pertaining to the autopsy uploaded to CICI," Kar said referring to the Crime Investigation AI. "We're still waiting for tox panels and some other forensics over the next hours."

"Good, good" Doc Kripisov said. "You did good work, Kar."

"My first murder," replied Kar, shyly smiling. "It was rather awful."

Kar could speak English. It had an accent that some thought was vaguely European but was reflective of the vocal patterns of his own humanoid species on planet Ber Tekatic. It was an Earth-like planet with no continents, just island chains everywhere. The Tekatic people were as tall as humans with the same fingers and thumbs save for webbing between. The eyes, nose and mouth were narrower than a human. There were almost no ears to speak as they were very tiny. The most distinguishing feature though was the aqua blue/green skin.

"Murder is always awful, Kar," said Kripisov. "I've never gotten used to it even after being in the military."

"You've seen a lot of death, however," Kar stated with a bit of surprise.

"More than I care to remember," sighed Kripisov. She clasped her hands together as if in thought. "So Dox, have we missed anything in our autopsy so far?"

Dox was the ship Medical AI, a combination of doctor, nurse and medic. It was a resource but could also guide two medic droids that were at the disposal of the medical centre. The two bipedal androids had paramedical training crossed with forensics but could be taken over by the AI for surgery in the absence of the ship doctor.

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence were well debated throughout history in the technical age. As positronic intelligent "brains" developed, alarm about humans being supplanted sounded less shrill. Mathematical formulas embedded in the core programming based on Asimov's Law's of Robotics helped form the most basic of guidelines of artificial lifeforms. In its simplest form the algorithm read: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

This was a good start but even then robotics and artificial intelligence was fraught with danger in that it still created existential perils for human existence. What sort of livelihood would humans have if robots did everything, controlled everything? The question was more pressing as AI systems were being used for everything including inside the human mind. At first, to assist in pathologies like the long defeated Alzheimer's but then as an assistant within healthy brains.

Dr. Kripisov had an AI within her head and it used her own brain as a processor. Knowledge could be implanted or extracted but her AI known as Mor was more of an assistant. Too much tinkering with the brain could lead to bleedover of implanted knowledge.

To ensure human evolution and survival, the Hawking Accords codified in computer programming that robotics and AI would be symbiotic and in service to one another. Using robotics would not happen if the net affect was harmful to human beings long term. No artificial intelligence could operate defensive, environmental or other network systems without oversight and input from human operators. Robots could build robot and AIs could create and design new AIs so long as the codes of Asimov and Hawking remained paramount. AIs built internally into the human brain had the most checks and balances of them all. There were numerous other articles within the accord many of which dealt with how humans used robotics and artificial intelligence.

When Doctor Kripisov asked Dox for a medical opinion, she treated the AI like a colleague. There was not a job that robots or AIs couldn't do but with her education, personal AI and implanted knowledge, she could hold his own. The goal of the Hawking Accords was to have robotics, AI and humans working together and to advance together rather than seeing conflict and possible consequences that downgraded either's experience.

Dox's voice was a clipped English accent that he had picked himself. "There was a few surprising findings but I support the determination of homicide as cause of death."

"What did you find surprising?" queried Kripisov.

"I am not an investigator like CICI but I can't help think that the forensics is missing important information to help solve the homicide. The blood spatter evidence is one area where I am particularly perplexed."

Kripisov smiled a lop-sided smile. "Ah, yes... the blood spatter analysis. Puzzling, isn't it."

Kar stepped forward at this point. "Everything is put away at this point. I think I'll retire and wait till the remainder of forensics is processed."

"It's been a long night, Kar. Get a meal, a shower and sleep in. I'll be doing the same thing shortly."

Kar nodded. "Thanks, Doc. See you in a number of hours."

Kripisov watched as Kar left Medical. She was feeling tired herself and was but was waiting to brief Marshal Cole who was expected shortly. Dox was ever present and ever watchful. Sometimes the AI presented itself as a hologram but more often than not just a disembodied voice. When needed the AI could override the two medical robots based in the infirmary as they no resident intelligence programs.

"Have we gathered enough material to solve this homicide?" questioned Dox. "Marshal Cole and CICI will need much more information and some of what we have provided appears... unclear."

"The Marshal is an investigator," assured Kripisov. "He usually finds the truth of the matter."

"It is times like this that I feel the limitations of my AI programming," said Dox. "I don't like feeling unsettled and yet the circumstances surrounding this death are..."

"Deeply disturbing," said Kripisov finishing the AI's thoughts. "I know."