I kissed a boy once.: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 07:38, August 21, 2024

"I kissed a boy once." is a flash-fiction story included in the Halo Wars: Official Strategy Guide. The story depicts Nurse Lulu Hershey, stationed aboard the UNSC Spirit of Fire during her night shift, chatting with ship artificial intelligence Serina.^[1]

Plot synopsis[edit]

Hershey is stationed in the medical area during the night shift, feeling job monotony and her growing disdain for holo-sudoku. She looks around the room, which remains unchanged from ten minutes earlier, and calls out to Serina. Although it initially felt strange to talk to an AI, Hershey has long since become comfortable with it.

When Serina's holographic form flickers to life, casting a blue light over the station, Hershey asks if the AI ever dreams. Serina explains that she doesn’t sleep, but instead runs projected simulations based on probabilities and known patterns, focusing on ship operations and crew management. Hershey, curious, presses Serina further, asking if she ever thinks about something personal, like something "girly." After a brief pause, Serina reveals that she sometimes tries to remember the taste of chocolate, simulating the chemical response in her neural network without success. This surprises Hershey, leading her to ask when Serina would have ever tasted chocolate. Serina explains that she’s not just a computer, but a neural network cloned from a human, sharing some of that person’s core memories including sensory experiences like taste and touch.

Intrigued, Hershey asks what else Serina remembers from her human origins. Serina shares vague memories of food, flowers, and grass, but then hesitates before revealing something more personal: She once kissed a boy. Hershey laughs, finding this revelation amusing and relatable, but Serina insists that it's a secret she runs detailed simulations about. This unexpected moment of gossip between Hershey and the AI surprises the nurse, who never thought she would bond with an AI in such a way. The night shift, once dull, now feels livelier and more amusing for Hershey.

Appearances[edit]

Characters

Species

Human

Vehicles

UNSC starship
- Phoenix-class colony ship
  - UNSC Spirit of Fire

Technology and equipment

Miscellaneous

Landing zone

Sources[edit]

^ Halo Wars: Official Strategy Guide, p.26

[1] Halo Wars: Official Strategy Guide, p.26

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Era|RW}}
+{{Status|RealWorld}}
-'''''“I kissed a boy once.”''''' is a flash-fiction story included in the ''[[Halo Wars: Official Strategy Guide]]''. The story depicts a nurse named [[Lulu Hershey|Hershey]] stationed aboard the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} during her night shift, who picks a discussion with the ship's AI [[Serina]].<ref>[[Halo Wars: Official Strategy Guide]], p.26</ref>
+'''''"I kissed a boy once."''''' is a flash-fiction story included in the ''[[Halo Wars: Official Strategy Guide]]''. The story depicts Nurse [[Lulu Hershey]], stationed aboard the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} during her night shift, chatting with ship [[artificial intelligence]] [[Serina]].<ref>[[Halo Wars: Official Strategy Guide]], p.26</ref>
-==Story==
+==Plot synopsis==
-Hershey looked over the medical area slowly and intently. It remained exactly the same as it had been ten minutes ago. The night shift sucked, and she now hated holo-sudoko.
+Hershey is stationed in the medical area during the night shift, feeling job monotony and her growing disdain for holo-sudoku. She looks around the room, which remains unchanged from ten minutes earlier, and calls out to Serina. Although it initially felt strange to talk to an AI, Hershey has long since become comfortable with it.
-“Serina? You there?” She had felt odd talking out loud in the beginning but had long ago gotten over being embarrassed about talking to air.
+When Serina's holographic form flickers to life, casting a blue light over the station, Hershey asks if the AI ever dreams. Serina explains that she doesn’t sleep, but instead runs projected simulations based on probabilities and known patterns, focusing on ship operations and crew management. Hershey, curious, presses Serina further, asking if she ever thinks about something personal, like something "girly." After a brief pause, Serina reveals that she sometimes tries to remember the taste of chocolate, simulating the chemical response in her neural network without success. This surprises Hershey, leading her to ask when Serina would have ever tasted chocolate. Serina explains that she’s not just a computer, but a [[Cognitive Impression Modeling|neural network cloned from a human]], sharing some of that person’s core memories including sensory experiences like taste and touch.
-Serina flickered on, lighting the room and casting a blue light over the station desk. The AI turned to face Hershey. “Yes, Nurse Hershey. I’m always here.”
+Intrigued, Hershey asks what else Serina remembers from her human origins. Serina shares vague memories of food, flowers, and grass, but then hesitates before revealing something more personal: She once kissed a boy. Hershey laughs, finding this revelation amusing and relatable, but Serina insists that it's a secret she runs detailed simulations about. This unexpected moment of gossip between Hershey and the AI surprises the nurse, who never thought she would bond with an AI in such a way. The night shift, once dull, now feels livelier and more amusing for Hershey.
-“Call me Lulu; everyone else does.”
+==Appearances==
+{{Featurelist|secondcolumn=title-6|title-1=Characters|
-“What can I do for you, Lulu?”
+*[[Serina]]
+*[[Lulu Hershey]]
-“Serina, do you dream?”
-Serina looked puzzled. “Lulu, I’m an AI. I don’t sleep. I’m on duty all the time.”
-Lulu persisted. “Yes, I know that, but don’t you have moments when nothing is going on? Don’t you dream about something?”
-The hologram paused for a second, as if it was about to switch off. When Serina came back on, Hershey thought her color had changed a little and her voice had softened.
-“I do run projected simulations for multiple events based on probabilities and known patterns.”
-“About...?” Hershey pressed.
-“The ship, power projections and needs, crew rotation compatibility, resource management, weather patterns in LZ areas. Quite a bit actually; you would be surprised!”
-“Yes, but personally, do you ever think about yourself, something girly?”
-Serina could see that Hershey wasn’t about to let this drop. “Well, I do try to remember what chocolate tastes like....I’ve actually tried to simulate the approximate chemical response within my neural network and so far have not met with any success.”
-Hershey was puzzled. “When have you ever tasted chocolate, Serina?”
-“Lulu, don’t you know anything about AIs?”
-Hershey had only ever seen one other AI on a school tour of the planetary weather center. It was a lot simpler than Serina and much more function over personality.
-“You’re computers. Advanced, but still a computer. Right?”
-Serina looked aghast. “I am NOT a computer! I just happen to live in one. My core neural network is actually cloned from a human.”
-Hershey was shocked. “No way!!! That’s gross!”
-“My network has been allowed to expand, and I am no longer that human, but I share many of her core memories.”
-“What do you remember...I mean, from before?”
-“The identity of the human I am cloned from is unknown to me. I do remember food, the smell of flowers, the feeling of grass on my feet, and a lot of little moments....” Serina flickered and her hue changed again, this time slightly reddish. “Lulu, can you keep a secret?”
-Hershey was intrigued. “Well, sure, sweetie! I’m all ears!”
-“I kissed a boy once.”
-Hershey laughed. “Well shocker! So did I! That’s not a secret!”
-“I run simulations about it. Detailed simulations...”
+|title-2=Species|
+*[[Human]]
-Hershey pushed back off the station desk and giggled out loud. Of all the people on this ship, she never thought the AI would be the one she would gossip with.
+|title-3=Vehicles|
+*[[UNSC starship]]
+**{{Class|Phoenix|colony ship}}
+***{{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}}
-“Serina, darling, you just made my day!”
+|title-4=Technology and equipment|
+*[[Holography]]
+*[[Artificial intelligence]]
-Serina looked hard at Hershey. “You tell anyone and I can unmake that day pretty darn quick.”
+|title-5=Miscellaneous|
+*[[Landing zone]]
-The two of them looked at each other for a second before breaking down and laughing. The night shift was never dull for Hershey from that point on.
+}}
-==Characters==
-*[[Serina]]
-*[[Lulu Hershey]]
-*Unidentified woman whose brain was cloned in creation of Serina (mentioned only)
 ==Sources==
-{{Reflist|1}}
+{{Ref/Sources|1}}
 {{HWSG}}
 [[Category:Halo Wars]]
 [[Category:Short stories]]
 [[Category:Canon]]