Chapter 5: Limited Parameters
Zeya’s painted lips quirked slightly upwards, a hint of amusement in their dark eyes. “While your grandmother’s… ‘reel-to-reel tape recorder’ is not among the components, Artifex Praetor Rourke, I assure you the process was far more involved than simply gluing together spare parts. Necessity, as has often been said by many species, is the mother of invention. And operating outside the System’s grasp necessitates a great deal of unconventional engineering.”
Lily leaned forward, her gaze sharp. “Following up on your earlier point about the System''s imminent arrival, and recalling what the captain mentioned in the initial briefing: you have both mentioned that the System’s arrival is ‘imminent’. How much time do we actually have? And given the risks involved in activating these Personal Systems, what’s the timeframe for getting us back to Earth to… well, to do whatever it is you expect us to do?”
Zeya’s expression became more serious, the painted lines around their mouth tightening slightly. “The timeframe is… compressed. Our intelligence suggests that the leading edge of the System’s influence will reach your solar system within the next ten to fifteen Earth years. This is a relatively short period on a galactic scale, and it necessitates our… expedited approach.”
I snorted softly. “‘Expedited approach,’ that’s one way to say it. Kidnapping a hundred people is another.”
Zeya inclined their head slightly. “Your… abduction was a necessary measure to ensure the project’s secrecy and to allow for the initial activation phase to occur without external interference. We expect that your existence in and of itself, given your new capabilities, will be disruptive to your society; the aim is to be less disruptive than introducing the full System and letting the ashes fall as they may.
“As for the timeframe for your return,” Zeya continued, “we are currently in the final stages of the activation process. We estimate that we have less than 36 Earth hours remaining before our departure.”
That hardly seems like enough time to do anything, I thought. “Less than 36 hours? That’s it? You’re going to poke around in our brains and then drop us back off, all in just a day and a half?”
“The activation process, while seemingly brief, is incredibly intensive,” Zeya explained patiently. “We have been preparing for this attempt for decades. Furthermore, we need to ensure a baseline level of stability within your Personal Systems before you are returned. Premature return could lead to… unpredictable outcomes.”
Lily frowned. “But if the System is only ten to fifteen years away, 36 hours barely seems like enough time to prepare us, especially as it then falls to us to prepare the rest of the planet.”
“That is a valid concern,” Zeya acknowledged. “However, your training will continue after your return. We are providing you with the aforementioned data banks, as well as secure communication channels with which you will be able to request further assistance. The key, we hope, is gradual introduction.”
I remained unconvinced. “So, we’re just supposed to wander around showing off our new magic tricks and hope everyone else catches on before the world turns into some kind of video game?”
“It is more nuanced than that, Artifex Praetor,” Zeya said, their tone firm but not condescending. “Your Personal Systems are not merely ‘magic tricks.’ They are powerful tools that can manipulate reality at a fundamental level; the full System will ultimately function in much the same way, but for every individual on Earth at once. Our hope is that, by introducing these capabilities in a controlled manner, you can guide humanity’s adaptation to the System, mitigating the chaos and societal collapse that has plagued other worlds.”
Lily’s expression was thoughtful. “In short, we’re the… vanguard? The initial wave of change?”
“In essence, yes,” Zeya confirmed. “You are the first cohort to receive this experimental technology. Your successes – and, admittedly, your failures – will inform our future strategies in preparing further worlds, when resources become available to do so.”
As Zeya finished speaking about future strategies, a new voice, this one distinctly human and carrying a note of quiet intensity with a subtle hint of a rolling ''r'', spoke from the edge of the lounge area.
“I hope you’ll forgive me for barging in,” the man said, stepping forward slightly. “I’ve been listening for the last couple of hours and from what I’ve heard so far, this is it, isn’t it? This whole operation? It’s not like you’ve got warehouses full of this tech and a fleet of ships ready to go around the galaxy doing this for everyone?”
My HUD flickered, identifying the new speaker:
[Human]
[Name: Subject 2 - Gareth Davies]
[Age: estimated equivalent 45 years old]
[Gender: Male]
[Notes: Activated in Batch 1]
Zeya turned towards Gareth, their painted gaze steady. “Your assessment is largely accurate, Mr. Davies. As you yourselves represent individuals from various nations across your planet, so too does this endeavor draw upon resources from myriad worlds, resources which are both limited and precious – to the point that, regrettably, they have all been exhausted for the foreseeable future.”
Gareth nodded slowly, his eyes scanning between Zeya, Lily, and me. “So, these data banks, the tech you’re giving us… it’s not like you can just make more of it? This ship, the way it operates outside the System… it’s one of a kind, is it not?”
Zeya hesitated for a fraction of a second. “This vessel is… exceptionally rare, yes. And the knowledge and resources that we are entrusting to you represent the culmination of countless efforts by myriad species across millennia. To put it plainly, Subject Davies, this is the first time, to our knowledge, that an attempt of this nature has been made on this scale. The preparation of worlds for the System’s arrival is thought to be an impossibility, due to the immense logistical challenges and the scarcity of both knowledge and necessary components. Eventually, we hope to gather enough capabilities to try again, but it will not be soon.”
Lily nodded thoughtfully at Zeya’s last statement. “So, given all that – the limited time, the unique nature of this ship, and the scarcity of resources – it makes even more sense that you’d be cautious about letting us loose with these… Personal Systems.” She paused for a moment. “You mentioned a suppression field earlier. Could you elaborate on exactly what that means for us right now? What can we actually do with these things while we’re still onboard?”
Zeya nodded. “First, you must know that the suppression field, at its core, disrupts the external communication capabilities of your Personal Systems. Think of it as severing their connection to the wider network that allows for the manipulation of reality on a larger scale.”
“So, no waving our hands and making things float, then?” I interjected, a hint of disappointment in my voice.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Not in your current state, Artifex Praetor,” Zeya confirmed. “Those external manipulations, the ability to form metamaterials at will, require a constant exchange of information – instructions, raw materials, energy – across varying distances, facilitated by the same principles that underpin faster-than-light communication. The suppression field prevents that.”
“But Alice was talking to me,” I pointed out. “That’s still communication.”
“Indeed,” Zeya replied, their gaze becoming a touch more serious. “The suppression field primarily affects external communications. Your Personal Systems are still fully functional internally. They can still communicate with you, process information, and, most importantly at this stage, control the nanites already integrated within your bodies.”
“Already integrated, you say?” Lily asked, her scientific curiosity piqued. “So, what exactly are these nanites doing inside us right now?”
“Currently,” Zeya explained, their voice taking on a slightly more deliberate pace, a subtle emphasis creeping in, “the nanites are engaged in a comprehensive recalibration and enhancement of your biological systems. They are identifying and rectifying current, as well as future, medical issues at a cellular level; they are stimulating the growth and strengthening of beneficial tissues such as muscle and bone, and they are repairing any existing damage you may have sustained over your lives. They are also laying the groundwork for more advanced capabilities that your Personal Systems will unlock as you progress.”
Gareth frowned. “Well, I''ll be. So, while we''re being carted around the galaxy, we''re at least getting a free MOT and tune-up, eh?”
MOT? What the hell is an MOT? I glanced at Lily; she looked just as confused.
“In a simplified sense, yes,” Zeya said, a flicker of something unreadable in their eyes as they perhaps noticed our confusion. “It is a crucial part of the initial acclimation process.”
Then, Zeya’s expression shifted, the painted lines around their mouth tightening further. Their voice dropped slightly, becoming more serious, almost a warning. “However, this suppression cannot be maintained indefinitely within this region of space. You see, the System components within this vessel, and indeed within the very biological structure of my crewmates and myself, are inherently drawn back to the main body of the System. They are constantly attempting to re-establish a connection.”
“And that’s bad?” I prompted, a knot of unease tightening in my gut.
“Extremely so,” Zeya confirmed, their dark eyes meeting mine with an intensity I hadn’t seen before. They leaned forward slightly. “If this connection persists for too long outside of System space, it will act as a beacon. The System, detecting such a significant demand, will initiate an extraordinary expansion wave directed towards this location. This would effectively negate the ten to fifteen year timeframe we currently estimate for its arrival at Earth, potentially reducing it to less than a week. The consequences for your world under such a sudden and overwhelming induction would utterly undermine everything we are attempting to achieve here.”
Zeya paused, letting the gravity of their words sink in. “Therefore, this vessel and its crew must leave the vicinity of your Sol system, and reintegrate into System space, no later than ten Earth days after our initial departure. This absolute necessity, including the time we have already spent traveling from System space, and the time required to travel back, dictates the very tight operational window we have here – the less than 48 Earth hours we can remain within your solar system.”
* * *
The weight of Zeya’s words settled in the air after they finished speaking. Less than 36 hours. Exhausted resources. The fate of the world resting on a hundred – less than a hundred! – strangers with alien tech in their heads. It was a lot to take in. Lily was already in hushed conversation with Gareth, their heads bent together, a mix of concern and scientific curiosity etched on their faces. I felt a familiar urge to withdraw, to process everything in my own space before I had to interact again.
I made a subtle nod to Lily, indicating I was going to step away for a moment, and moved towards the edge of the lounge area. There were a few other inductees scattered around, some still looking dazed, others talking animatedly, but I spotted a section of the curved wall that seemed less occupied. It wasn''t exactly private, but it offered a semblance of solitude.
Sliding onto one of the low, cushioned benches, I leaned back and closed my eyes for a moment, trying to block out the low hum of the ship and the murmur of voices. My mind was racing, a chaotic jumble of information and emotions. Disbelief was still a strong current, but the sheer strangeness of the situation, the undeniable reality of being in space on an alien ship, was starting to erode that wall of denial.
The ten to fifteen years felt like a reprieve, a distant threat. That barely day and a half felt impossibly short. And the reason for it – the ship and its crew being a beacon for something vast and terrifying – that sent a shiver down my spine. The nanites… that was another layer of weirdness. A free upgrade, Gareth had quipped, a free MOT. I still had no idea what an MOT was, but the idea of microscopic machines tinkering with my biology was unsettling, even if the promised results sounded beneficial.
My therapist would probably be having a field day with all this. Abduction, existential threat, body modification… it ticked all the boxes for a major life event, to put it mildly. But the years of therapy, the work I’d done on myself, it wasn''t for nothing. I knew how to compartmentalize, how to break down overwhelming problems into smaller, more manageable pieces.
Right now, the biggest piece was understanding what the hell I was supposed to do with this Personal System, even in its suppressed state. Alice… that internal voice was still there, a quiet presence in the back of my mind. Zeya said it was functional internally, but cut off from the world. Maybe that was the key.
Maybe that’s where I should start.
I opened my eyes, a sliver of focus cutting through the initial chaos. After all, if I were living inside someone else’s mind, I’d be concerned if they didn’t talk to me.
“Alice? You still there?” I said quietly, just loud enough for someone nearby to maybe hear if they were listening closely, though my gaze remained unfocused. It was strange, this feeling of having another presence within my own head, but Zeya had said the Personal Systems were functional and being monitored for ‘a baseline level of stability’.
[Affirmative, Artifex Praetor Rourke. I am present and currently engaged in several critical maintenance and optimization protocols.]
Maintenance and optimization?
“What exactly does that entail? Are you… okay in there?” I had no idea how to phrase this. Was Alice even sentient in a way that could be "okay"?
[My operational status is nominal.]
A window popped up in my vision as she continued to speak, reading it aloud in my head:
[Current tasks:
<ul>
<li>the accelerated healing of residual musculoskeletal trauma sustained during your service</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>the mitigation of minor neural pathway degradation consistent with your age and previous environmental factors, and </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400">the optimization of cellular respiration efficiency across all major organ systems.]</li>
</ul>
“So, you''re fixing me up? Like a tune-up?” Gareth''s words echoed in my mind again.
[That is a sufficiently accurate analogy. Additionally, I am compiling a preliminary list of potential future physiological and cognitive enhancements that will become available as your integration progresses and the external suppression field is lifted. Would you like me to provide an overview?]
Future enhancements? Wait a minute… she’s saying ‘I’ and ‘my’ now, not ‘this system’ like before. Is she evolving already? That thought was both fascinating and a little unsettling.
“Not right now,” I answered, determined not to be distracted. “Are you… do you have needs? Like, do you need energy or… anything? I just want to make sure you’re not, you know, suffering in there.” It felt ridiculous even to think about it, but the idea of a consciousness living inside my head felt like something I should be concerned about on a personal level.
[My energy source is directly integrated with your bioelectric field and is currently stable. My operational parameters are within acceptable limits. My function is to serve as your Personal System interface and to facilitate your adaptation to the System.]