SARA v1

SARA v1 was the first incarnation of SARA and the Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) matrix of the GPS Absolution Mk. I from 1999 to 2003 and the GPS Absolution Mk. II from 2003 to 2004. She was first introduced in part one of the first Toonami Total Immersion Event, The Intruder, on Monday, September 18, 2000. This version of SARA remained in service for 3.5 years, from September 18, 2000 to April 16, 2004, when she was replaced by SARA v2 on April 17, 2004.

History
SARA is the Absolution's onboard computer. An artificial intelligence matrix, designed by professor William Gill. Gill was one of the pioneers of a new way of looking at A.I. - which he called, "non-linear imaging capacity." An artificial intelligence with the ability to learn, not only from cause/effect experiences, but able to learn simultaneous tasks and their relationships to one another within the context of a larger whole. Processing the sum total of this information is something humans can do, but until SARA no "program" could mimic this ability.

Gill also created an emotion chip (modifiable) for the SARA A.I. that allowed for further depth of character. The SARA A.I. became, for a time, a standard option on many larger freighter/tanker sized ships. SARA could act as navigator, pilot, maintenance crew and even captain for deep space operations.

Eventually SARA was replaced by the now popular "BOB" A.I., also developed by Gill. Yet, to this day the SARA matrix is considered a highly reliable A.I. fit for just about anything. The Absolution, being a larger (L) class starship, came with a SARA matrix onboard (factory standard). TOM, the Absolution's custodian droid, discovered that running a vessel of the size and complexity of the Absolution, while also delivering the finest action cartoons possible, was growing increasingly harder to accomplish on his own. As a result, TOM activated the SARA matrix. Being an artificially intelligent robot himself, TOM discovered that he enjoyed SARA's company - and she enjoyed his.

Although she remained unseen until The Intruder, SARA was always aboard the Absolution. Prior to the events of The Intruder, she was not yet fully activated, so she had no visual appearance. However, her voice can be heard in the Toonami intro saying, "hello." She only became fully operational after being activated by TOM 1.

After TOM was consumed by the Intruder, SARA transferred TOM's A.I. matrix into a brand new body and helped him defeat the Intruder. She also had a major role in the second T.I.E., Lockdown. In the third T.I.E., Trapped in Hyperspace, she was attacked by a virus named Swayzak and eventually saved by TOM.

In 2003, in the Toonami comic, Toonami: Endgame, the Absolution was destroyed and SARA was taken prisoner by a space pirate named Orcelot Rex. After TOM 3 destroyed the pirate, he was gifted a new ship (GPS Absolution Mk. II) by the Dronomeks, and SARA returned to act as the new ship's A.I. After this change, SARA's appearance remained the same, except for her color which was changed to blue-green. This design lasted until Toonami moved to Saturday nights on April 17, 2004.

Trivia

 * SARA's voice could be heard in Toonami's intro, saying "hello", from the time TOM was introduced in 1999 to her actual introduction during The Intruder.
 * The original version of SARA was voiced by British alternative singer "Cowboy" Sally Timms.