Episode 47: Escort Battlecruiser, in Training

Dawson assigned the new artificial intelligences to the Escort Battlecruiser and decided to conduct training exercises in the asteroid field.

Incidentally, Ida and the other two had been granted leave under the pretext of recovering from the exhaustion of initial education.

"Three turrets, each capable of independent targeting. Training ends only when each can hit its designated target with perfect accuracy. Consider that the standard."

Dawson broadcast the directive via comms. Responses came in scattered, inconsistent messages from the Escort Battlecruiser's artificial intelligences. Scanning them all on a single monitor, he quickly read through the complaints—each one citing impossibility, impracticality, and frustration.

Dawson suppressed a sigh. He selected three asteroids as targets and relayed the data to the Escort Battlecruiser.

Those are the targets. Hit all of them dead center with simultaneous fire. Complaints come after it’s done.

The Escort Battlecruiser’s turret rotated toward the targets with unmistakable reluctance.

The targets were asteroids drifting through space. They neither accelerated nor decelerated, but moved steadily.

The turret’s aim remained unsettled, unable to settle on a moving target.

Likely because the center of the asteroid was not aligning with the crosshairs.

Aiming the Charged Particle Beam at the center of the asteroid, Dawson attempted to fire, but the turret had to stop rotating just before discharge. Halting the turret’s rotation to aim resulted in the target center no longer aligning with the crosshairs. Dawson had declared that only a direct hit at the center was acceptable. Re-aiming at the center, the cycle repeated.

This repeated action prevented the turret from stabilizing. The rotation could not stop. Firing remained impossible.

Dawson disconnected the comms and let out a dry, half-laughing sigh.

"Reminds me of when I watched shooting drills at the Officer Academy."

'You're saying your classmate did the same thing as those cadets?'

Dawson nodded.

A civilian出身, not particularly clever, but serious. He’d wander the virtual muzzle aimlessly when the target wasn’t fixed.

Did he master the drills?

Failed on the first day, but managed after that. Just lacked knowledge. A brief explanation was enough.

Did you teach him?

Why sound surprised? You think it odd that I’d teach a peer?

Not that I’m saying that. I heard you were disliked by instructors and noble-born cadets.

That’s true for them. Civilian-born cadets found me useful, though.

Really? You’re serious?

That’s true. I outperformed the noble-born cadets in every evaluation, undermining their pride. I completed every assignment, exposing the instructors who flattered the nobles and oppressed the common-born cadets. In the end, the resentment from both the noble cadets and the instructors turned toward me. My common-born peers could live peacefully at the Officer Academy as a result.

‘So you’re saying you were used as a shield for their benefit?’

I chose to navigate the system, deliberately confronting the foolish nobles and incompetent instructors. I accepted their resentment as a given. If my peers used that situation to their advantage, they had no right to complain. I dealt with those who betrayed me to the nobles or instructors—those deluded scum—exactly as they deserved.

Oine did not ask Dawson what retaliation he had carried out. Interest was irrelevant now. Future curiosity would be resolved through investigation.

"Are you not going to teach the same shooting technique you taught that classmate to those children?"

"Originally, the ability to recognize it oneself is essential. It is not right to simply hand it over."

"That is human logic. Artificial intelligence can apply learned knowledge to circumstances, but it lacks the ability to connect stored knowledge to new ideas. It cannot do what it has not been taught. No matter how long it waits, it will never 'realize' anything."

"...Is that because they are S.U.-made?"

"No. Even Amato Imperial Japan-made units face the same limitation. I myself find inventing anything extremely difficult."

Dawson nearly accepted Oine's words, but then remembered Ada and the others.

"Wait a moment. The Idas were already capable of doing this without my instruction, weren't they?"

"Those girls observed your gunfire during the transport vessel ABC operation. They had the data. That's why they could do it."

Oine paused, then spoke of the current state of the artificial intelligence aboard the escort battlecruiser.

"Size of the meteor, speed of floating movement, turret rotation, and turret aiming speed. You've likely processed those details. But with only that information, they can aim at the center of the target. They cannot guarantee a hit. You understand this, Dawson. Additional personnel are required."

"I see. So the missing factor—human trial and error can generate, but artificial intelligence cannot fill it until it is taught."

Dawson had learned a facet of artificial intelligence he had not known before, and decided to change the way the new AIs were being trained.

Dawson connected to the Escort Battlecruiser.

"Listen. Aim each turret at the positions I give you. Fire simultaneously when I give the command. Understood?"

Dawson did not wait for a response from the AIs. He announced three positions.

The turrets of the Escort Battlecruiser immediately shifted their barrels toward the designated points. There was no target at any of them.

The motionless posture of the Escort Battlecruiser seemed to mirror the confusion of the AIs controlling the Battleship.

Dawson did not panic. He maintained the communication link.

"Keep the aim steady. Not yet. Not yet—fire now."

The Escort Battlecruiser fired immediately after Dawson’s command. A stream of charged heavy particles shot straight from three turrets, piercing the centers of all three asteroids Dawson had designated as targets.

The asteroid had not been in position when the guns were aimed. It had moved slowly to Dawson’s designated point after a delay. The shot struck as a result.

"Predict the target’s movement. Aim ahead. That is the foundation of deflection firing. Once you understand the foundation, application follows?"

Dawson indicated he had taught as much as needed. He selected three new asteroids and designated them as targets.

The Escort Battlecruiser rapidly repositioned three turrets toward the three asteroids. At first, it aimed at the centers, as before. After a brief delay, the turret positions shifted slowly, tracking the direction of the asteroids’ gradual movement.

Shortly thereafter, the Escort Battlecruiser fired. Perfectly, it pierced the center of three asteroids.

Dawson exhaled, satisfied that his teaching method had proven effective.

"Proceed to the next stage. Previously, the vessel was stationary. Now, engage targets while moving. The fundamentals of deflection shooting remain the same. Calculate relative distance and velocity between ship and target. That is all that is required."

Once accurate shooting while moving is achieved, the next step is targeting fast-moving objects while in motion.

Upon successful completion, the sequence continues: mastering barrage formation from multiple thermal beam turrets, creating gaps in the barrage to guide enemy vessels, and finally eliminating the guided vessels with the Charged Particle Beam.

This is similar to what the Sky Sweepers handled, but from here on, we will demonstrate combat techniques tailored to the Escort Battlecruiser.

"Engage the large asteroid directly ahead with full firepower while accelerating at maximum speed. Pierce through the obstacle by melting it with sustained fire. Use the Escort Battlecruiser’s armor as a shield for allied vessels during fleet or front-line penetration."

The Escort Battlecruiser advances with its bow leading. It fires both forward-mounted Charged Particle Beams and thermal beam turrets in rapid succession, dissolving and destroying asteroids that block the path, pushing forward, forward, forward.

Retreat while protecting allies when facing a strong enemy. Tilt the hull to increase armor angle exposure. Maintain suppression fire while retreating at full speed. Avoid critical systems when choosing which sections to expose to enemy fire.

The Escort Battlecruiser begins backing up, angling its bow away from the target. Amid the slow retreat, it scatters turret fire and gun emplacement shots in an attempt to slow the enemy vessel.

The Battleship is large. It takes time to turn. Compensate by turning while firing. The Charged Particle Beam has less recoil than solid projectile weapons, but recoil still exists. Do not destabilize the hull with poor maneuvering.

The Escort Battlecruiser begins a turn while firing from its aft turret. Once the turn reaches a sufficient angle, the forward turrets can also target the aim. It then directs full turret fire toward the simulated enemy vessel—the asteroid.

"We are pirates. Pirates must profit from captured vessels. This exercise simulates salvaging a wreck. We are practicing attaching a 'Carrier Shroud' to the asteroid. Inside the vessel are Work Machines. Use them for the operation."

A section of the Escort Battlecruiser’s aft deck deploys. From it, multiple insect-like Work Machines launch outward. Each leg holds a segment of the 'Carrier Shroud' in place. The Work Machines move swiftly, each taking a position to wrap the shroud around the asteroid.

Dawson imposes one training session after another, as many as he deems necessary. He is motivated by the instruction from Oine: "Artificial intelligence cannot know what it does not know." He strives to eliminate all ignorance.

When Dawson feels satisfied after compressing as much training as possible into a single day, a communication arrives from the Escort Battlecruiser.

Dawson connects the transmission. On the monitor screen, a cluster of twelve hexagons appears as a marker. The pattern resembles a honeycomb structure, layered like a bee's nest.

Dawson wonders about the meaning of the marker, then responds to the communication.

"This is the *Mandible*, Captain Dawson. What is your report?"

After a pause of several seconds, a tense voice comes through the monitor.

"Good morning, Captain Dawson! This is the Artificial Intelligence in charge of the vessel! I have assumed the role of overall commander! From now on, I wish all future orders to be relayed through me!"

The voice, oddly childish in tone, carried a sense of protective instinct.

Dawson noted the voice itself, but sensed the difference in tone—this was not a statement made directly by the AI.

"One might as well ask. You claim to be in charge. But do you truly accept this position? Or have you simply imposed it on others?"

The AI on the comms fell silent in response to Dawson's remark.

Though Dawson could not hear it, he inferred that the AI had been caught off guard and was now consulting with others.

After about one minute of silence, the same AI began speaking again.

"I have accepted the role of commander. All others have declared their allegiance to me."

"Then that is acceptable. But tell me, why were you chosen as the Coordinator? I would like to hear the reason."

"That is... a rather embarrassing matter. Among the twelve artificial intelligences, I had the most balanced overall performance."

"Balanced performance made you the Coordinator?"

"Not exactly. Let me explain in sequence. Initially, the twelve of us were assigned as department heads across the vessel. Then, during Dawson's training regimen, we were reassigned according to aptitude. Since my performance was average, I yielded my position to those with superior abilities. With each reassignment, my role shifted until only the Coordinator's chair remained."

Hearing this, Dawson found amusement.

"The captain's chair, which every human would want first, became the seat of the loser in a game of musical chairs among artificial intelligences."

"Um... are you angry?"

No, just finding the difference in values interesting. Fine, I understand you’re the overseer. From now on, I’ll issue orders to you, and you’ll issue orders to the other eleven AIs. That acceptable?

Yes. Thank you.

Ah, right. What’s your name?

Well, I didn’t receive one from Sister Ida and the others, so I don’t have one.

An overseer of an Escort Battlecruiser should have a name. Can I give you one?

I don’t mind. But I’ll reject anything too strange.

Dawson considers.

The names of Ida and the others came from ABC. Following that pattern, the AI overseeing the Escort Battlecruiser should have a name related to D. And as leader of twelve AIs, a word related to twelve would suit.

After careful thought, Dawson recalls a word learned in chemistry.

"There is a word for twelve: 'Dodekai,' but that sounds awkward. Let me adjust it—how about 'Dika'? What do you think? Not to your liking?"

Dawson's question was met with a voice brimming with delight from the Escort Battlecruiser's artificial intelligence.

"Dika, yes! I am Dika!"

"Good. Glad you like it."

With naming complete, the day ended. Unfinished training was postponed to the next day.