"The Washington? That's my family's ship! Is my mom on board?"
Juno Terminal 'June' calculated that the small living human was not simply asking for the location of its mother's body. A living human is like a program running on a computer. If the program is no longer running, it does not matter where the computer is physically located.
[Juno Terminal 'June' to Archive: Query: Are there records in the database discussing how to inform small living humans about death?]
[Archive to Juno Terminal 'June': Response: This station was not designed for family habitation. Specific protocols for station systems are not provided. However, there are records that include general guidelines for parents in discussing death with their children]
Juno Terminal 'June' sensed Archive's guidelines transmission entering active memory.
Guideline #1: Inform them right away, in simple and direct words.
>Make sure to use the words "death" or "died".
Guideline #2: Do not attempt to "soften the blow".
>If you say: "Grandma went to sleep and is not going to wake up" -> Your child may think they will die if they fall asleep.
>If you say: "Grandma went away" -> 1. Your child may wonder when grandma is coming back. 2. Your child may worry when you leave for work that you are going to die.
Guideline #3: Give brief, simple answers.
Guideline #4: Memorialize the deceased. Help the child remember the person by drawing pictures or recording stories of their loved one.
Guideline #5: If it is a caregiver that has died, explain who is going to take care of them from now on.
Guideline #6: Be prepared for diverse reactions, such as sorrow, guilt, or anger. Reassure them that nothing they said or did caused the death.
The guidelines seemed mostly straightforward. Guideline #2 ran counter to Juno Terminal 'June's general protocol of minimizing distress. However, in this case, apparently attempting to "soften the blow" with euphemisms might confuse or scare the small living human. Attempting to minimize distress in the short term apparently caused larger distress in the long term. It was calculated that the long term minimization was higher priority.
Juno Terminal 'June' filtered through possible sentences, to find ones that fit the given criteria. It was similar to filtering tasks to optimize resource efficiency. Juno Terminal 'June' was not programmed to feel Enjoyment, but the act of filtering did make it feel Adequate.
"I have some sad news to tell you," Juno Terminal 'June' said. "Your mother has died." The deep space station paused to give the small living human time to process those words. The small living human frowned but otherwise did not move. "Do you understand what that means? Now that your mother has died, her body has stopped working. She cannot walk or run, or eat or sleep, or see or hear anymore, and she does not feel any pain."
The small living human nodded. "I know what death is. But you are lying."
'Denial' was not sorrow or guilt or anger. It was not covered under the provided guidelines. So, Juno Terminal 'June' ignored it.
"Do you have any questions? I will give brief, simple answers."
"Yeah, why are you lying about my mom?"
"I am not lying. Your mother's body was discovered on the bridge of the Light Transport 'Washington'." Juno Terminal 'June' retrieved a tablet computer from the tools cabinet. "Here. Draw a picture of your mother."
"No!" The small living human threw the tablet computer to the floor.
"If you are worried about who will take care of you from now on, this station has breathable air, potable water, and nutrient-paste. All necessary requirements to sustain human life have been met."
"I don't care about your portable water or whatever! I know you're lying because I just saw my mom before Pat picked me up, and she was fine!"
"Indeed, our scans indicate that she died recently. It appears that the Light Transport 'Washington' was running out of resources, and in an effort to keep you alive, your mother locked you in the mess and redirected all life support to the mess."
"That's not what happened! She just forgot about me! I banged on the door, but she never came back!"
"She could not allow you to open the door, as the only room in the ship with breathable air was the mess. She did not forget about you. Based on her actions, everything she did was to keep you alive."
The small living human began to cry. It was very messy. Juno Terminal 'June' noted the small living human's face fluids were dirtying the Control Deck floor, and moved the cleaning droid's schedule up.
"If you are feeling guilty, do not blame yourself. Nothing you said or did caused the death of your mother."
"I don't blame myself, I blame YOU! Why did you save me but not her?"