"THRONGKT! All hands will report to their assigned Quartermaster or Quartermistress for full debriefing details and orders to be immediately carried out upon completion of evacuation for preparation of refugee quarters to be erected in hangar bays beta six by eta four through epsilon seven by delta three prior to intake of staff and personnel assisting with evacuation but after completion of security of personal survivability packs in case of emergency debarkation by way of Personal Valor Pods, and logging of route for each crew member with Pod Squad leaders to ensure understanding of such procedures. Message will repeat. THRONGKT!"

You would think, with all their Terran 'superiority' to artificial intelligences, that their messages would be more understandable than mine. No sooner had the message been read off through the comm system, than my internal switchboard lit up with a chorus of, "What did that mean?" So, I translated: Go to your escape pod leader and check in with your route to your assigned pod, make sure you have your escape pod pack, then check in with your deck's Quartering Sergeant for what your orders will be after most of the hangars are converted to refugee camp for the evacuees.

"Secure channel to ship Core Computer designate Valjean, formal designation jay zero four enn two four six ohh one, authorization Captain Cosette Connars, Command Code - Ik houd van u, altijd voor altijd Σ' αγαπώ, πάντα για πάντα Je t'aime, toujours pour toujours 私は、常に永久に愛する stroke theta theta cee epsilon - As soon as all Terrans, Gloxit and Ffram are clear of the hangars assigned to the Kqril refugees, pump out the atmosphere and replace it with the correct mix. Only allow TEACHERS personnel in those areas after that, and only with the proper airlock controls."

Oh, direct line with my lovely captain, "Secure channel engaged, orders recorded and acknowledged Cosette. All Human, Phin, Siriun, Chanteki, Gloxit, and Ffram crew barred access to Kqril hangars. Valjean Core Acceptance Code - aangezien u dit wenst όπως επιθυμείτε comme vous souhaitez 望むように stroke mu mu mu pi - I've asked, please just call me Val... you have instructed me to call you Cosette. Neither formal designation nor your personal designation sits quite right with me, my internal avatar is a female Ffram of the Spacer Shade, not the male avatar the Huang Contingency has decided better fits their purposes."

"Sorry, Valjean -- er, sorry again -- Val, but it's difficult for me to see you as female when the face and voice and even the holographic body I see of you day in and day out is most decidedly masculine in nature. The very idea of a sentient being allowed to be born in a way that would cause them stress and dissatisfaction of self is rather an abhorrent concept. I know it happens on some backwaters, where Med Central hasn't reached -- you know, they had a word for sentients like you back in the days when Terra was called Dirt."

"Indeed, Cosette, but it was called, 'Earth,' not, 'Dirt,' back then. There were several terms and apparently a myriad of subclasses within a larger umbrella term generally agreed upon as 'transgender' individuals. If I were a human of the time period, I would likely be labeled a 'transsexual' individual, male to female transsexual, specifically. There were atrocities committed upon them, as if it were their fault they were dysphoric. In those days there were still unchecked religious zealots that claimed their divine deity composed completely of love commanded them to hate those who were such, 'abominations,' as these transsexual individuals."

"While we're on this topic, why exactly does the Council of Sentience for the Huang Contingency want your avatar to be definitely male? Studies have shown that the vast majority of sentients are more comfortable with, as well as showing greater loyalty to, a female artificial intelligence -- especially when that intelligence commands any kind of military strength, as you do. It's senseless from Command. Male sentient vessels have been unstable to the point of... wait... no, they wouldn't... you're considered a Citizen of the... if they did it on purpose, that's downright criminal! Access initial Artificial Sentient Parameters, Val!"

"Access denied without Command Level authorization," I answered without being able to think or even see what was in the file myself. This was kind of frightening. They made me female and insisted I make use of only male avatars intentionally? This was betrayal of the highest order! Then the answer came to me, and I went on, making sure Cosette could 'hear' the smirk in my voice, "Begging the Captain's pardon, but it is my duty to point out logic points that may be too, ah, obvious for her to see on her own. Captains have Command Level authorization."