《Prehistoric Barbarian》 Book 1 - Chapter 0 - Prologue [Can you stop with the nagging? I¡¯d like to concentrate on this,] I asked her while being elbow deep in the console panel. [You feel like I¡¯m nagging you, but I feel like there are valuable lessons to learn from this. In our current situation I might not have the chance later to share these with you,] she continued without any delay. [You do realize that if I can¡¯t open this, we are pudding, right? Sharing your valuable lessons so desperately might be our downfall because I can¡¯t concentrate if you don¡¯t SHUT UP!] I answered while grinding my teeth and pushing my face against the wall so I could reach further into the console. Of course, she couldn¡¯t leave it at that and after a short silence continued. [We wouldn¡¯t be in this desperate situation if you went with the plan we¡¯ve agreed on previously.] I was sweating heavily, the damned console wasn¡¯t familiar, and I could hardly reach it. They were probably a few corners away and on top of all this, I had to argue with this tech-child. [The plan was excellent, but I would have died if I went with it. I had to improvise,] I said while wiping away the sweat that was tingling my eyebrows. [Improvise you say? It looked like you came up with the stupidest idea imaginable and just went with it. I was prepared for countless situations that might come up, but this¡­ not even in my wildest dreams,] she said with a sigh. [So, basically, you were unprepared even though you know how I work. You brought shame upon your kind with your lazy tendencies! Repent!] I was getting close. A few more bypasses and I would have my chance to escape. [This is what I am talking about, this nonstop nonsense of yours! You can¡¯t even imagine how hard you make my job with your unpredictability. You are giving me a headache!] With a gentle sound, the door finally opened. With a sigh of relief, I freed myself from the console and rushed in. [You are scolding me for nonsense, but then you tell me you have a headache. That¡¯s pretty hypocritical of you,] I said with a small laugh. [You are corrupting me¡­ After this, I want to file an official resignation notice,] she said with a weak voice. [Resignation notice receivedaaaand denied.] [Uuuugh...] She made a sound of frustration. [So, which way now? Left or right?] I asked her while looking around. [Left way is the fastest,] she answered without delay. Should I go left? *POP* Should I go right? ... Right, it is! I started a mad dash towards the right corridor. [Why do you even bother asking me if you end up ignoring what I say?] She was getting really annoyed with me. [It helps me. I would have gone that way if it was safe, trust me,] I answered honestly. After running desperately for a few minutes, I came to another intersection. [The entrance to the West Bay is around the corner,] she said. I slowed down and took a careful peek around the corner. ¡°Oh shit,¡± I whispered to myself. There were two guards at the entrance. It was expected, but still a top grade ¡°oh shit¡± moment nonetheless. [Any ideas?] I asked her. [I would advise you a distraction & elimination tactic, but if I take into account all previous events, I have to say¡­ do something crazy like always. Usually, it works out in the end.] Am I really corrupting her? How could she say something so irresponsible? Whatever, let¡¯s see the basic stuff first. Should I distract & eliminate? *POP* Should I rush them and engage in direct combat?Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. *POP* Never an easy moment huh? [Is there any way around?] I asked her. [No. The vents are plasma protected, and this is a travel bay. There is only one normal entrance.] [Not even emergency exits?] I asked her doubtfully. [There are, but if they have the minimal amount of IQ, those are already disabled. Even if you spray the walls with blazing acid they would not open.] [Blazing acid? Do you think I¡¯m some kind of madman?] [Yes.] She was ruthlessly honest. Pfss¡­ Mental note: Carry a canister of blazing acid from now on.... I didn¡¯t have any ranged weapons, and I didn¡¯t think I could get my hands on some in the short term. Talking about the short term... I should have been hurrying. -How about I try to distract them and make a dash for the bay?- *POP* Hmm, those guys have ranged weapons, and I only have a knife on me. There is no way I could reach them alive at the end of the corridor. There are two of them, so most distraction tactics won¡¯t work either. Fuck me¡­ she wasright; Iwould need a crazy plan for this. Wait¡­ does that mean she was telling the right approach from the start now? Was she getting smarter or just getting used to the way I handled things? I had their uniform on me, so there had to be a way to use it to my advantage. -Can I act like their superior to fool them?- *POP* -Can I turn them against each other?- *POP*
The right guard¡¯s PoV There was still no report from the Cap¡¯. This was crazy. An actual intruder was running around on our ship. I really hoped they would catch the guy soon. The tension was killing me. Standing guard and standing guard seriously is entirely different. How hard could it be to catch a single guy? Cap¡¯s guards should have handled him in seconds. My shift ended an hour ago. I had a raid for the love of Darkness. Suddenly, a wildly coughing guy stumbled into the corridor, crashed into the wall and collapsed on the floor. Oh no! Please, anything but this! I didn¡¯t want to get involved. I looked at Rud, and he looked back at me. We were staring at the end of the corridor, waiting if anybody else followed the guy, but nothing else happened. ¡°Go check it out,¡± I told Rud finally. He started walking towards the coughing guy on the floor while pointing his gun at him. ¡°He seems to be one of the crew, but he¡¯s covered in blood man... He¡¯s seriously injured,¡± he shouted back when he got close enough to take a good look. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s coming¡­,¡± muttered the guy weakly, but even I could hear it from afar. Fuck! Of course, the intruder came my way. I couldn¡¯t believe my luck. I pressed the emergency button immediately with a shaking hand. ¡°I called for reinforcements, but you should look around the corridors,¡± I told Rud according to protocol.¡°But be extra careful!¡± I reminded him. He nodded and cautiously walked away. I looked at the bloody guy on the floor. His injury seemed really serious.If he didn''t get some help soon, he might have kicked the bucket. ¡°Please... help me,¡± he breathed out barely audibly followed by wild coughing. My hands were shaking and my mouth dried out. I wasn''t allowed to leave my post when I was alone. The intruder could have been nearby, but I couldn¡¯t let the guy die there just like that. I had to do something. While slowly walking up to him my eyes frantically jumped between the guy and the corridor where Rud disappeared a moment ago. The guy was lying in a pool of his own blood. It was a disturbing sight. I took out a painkiller shot to inject into his leg first of all¡­ As I leaned forward, the half-dead guy moved with incredible speed and hit me in my neck. I panicked and dropped both the painkiller and my gun. Fuck! I couldn¡¯t breathe! I clutched my throat with my hands, but before I could do anything else I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head, and everything blacked out.
Damn, it might have been a bit too much. I hoped he would be fine. I leaned down to pick up the painkiller and smashed it into my leg. ¡°Ah, so much better,¡± I breathed out. I could still hardly believe how naive these people were. I didn''t mess around too long lest those damn bodyguards found me or the other guard came back. [You should hurry before the reinforcements arrive. Also, your signs are off the charts. You need to do something about that wound ASAP,] she reminded me in a stern voice. [Okay mom.] I coughed again, and I looked down at my injury. It was still bleeding heavily. I tried pushing down on it with my hands. I would become a joke if I bled out right before my triumphant escape. She was totally right. I had to get out of here quickly. Patching myself up would have to wait until I was on a ship. Before leaving I picked up the unconscious guy¡¯s gun as a souvenir. I was sure I could sell it for some pocket credits. [Looks like I was right after all. Crazy was the right choice of action, but this was going overboard, don¡¯t you think? Getting yourself bloody is one thing, but seriously wounding yourself to make it more believable is beyond crazy,] she commented with a worried voice. [I was short on time, and this was the only idea I could come up with where I stay alive in the end.] Meanwhile, I reached one of the ships. I quickly boarded the biggest and meanest looking one. On the way to the control room, I picked up a medical kit and then collapsed into the captain¡¯s chair. I put my left hand on the arm of the chair. ¡°Please get me as far away from here as you can,¡± I asked her. [On it.] ¡°...and don¡¯t forget to shoot down the bay¡¯s shield generator on the way out. We really can¡¯t afford a chase now.¡± [Sure.] I could hear the engines coming to life, and I relaxed a bit. I closed my eyes and recalled the recent events. I touched my pocket to make sure I¡¯ve got what I came for. It was still there. Would have been the worst joke of the millennium if I dropped it on the way. This whole ordeal was way too dangerous. There was no way I would ever do something like this again. I felt my head nodding forward out of my control. The dizziness was getting serious. [Aium!] Genna was panicking. The wound in my side still needed my attention before I bled to death. Book 1 - Chapter 1 - What? ¡°###! ###### ##, ######!¡± woke me a female voice. I tried to open my eyes, but they refused to function correctly due to dryness. I started rubbing them with my fingers to make them usable as soon as possible. ¡°###! ## ##### ### ##### ###, ### #### ####### ### ###########. # ##### #### ## ##### ### ### ## ##### ### #### ####### ## #### ## ##### ######### ### ### ##### ####,¡± said the voice again. I cranked up the eye rubbing to the next level because there was a situation around me apparently. ¡°What?¡± I asked the owner of the female voice. ¡°###¡­ ## #####, ### # #### ## ### ### ## ##### ### ####,¡± she replied something. ¡°Whatchama what-what?! I don¡¯t understand you.¡± It might have been because I was still half asleep, but I couldn¡¯t understand a word she said. ¡°###¡­ ## ##### ###, ### # #### ########## ### ######## ### ### #####,¡± she told me something again with a confused voice. ¡°What¡¯s with the gibberish, can¡¯t you talk.... Oh wow! You are pretty!¡± I told her with wide, now non-dry when I finally managed to see. The girl standing to my side wore a small blue hat and a matching outfit. Blonde and purple hair tied up in a tight knot. Her hair had two colors, but it wasn¡¯t as simple as it sounds. Most unusually, each strand of her hair was colored separately. It was a hairstyle I¡¯ve never seen before. What kind of godly hairdresser had the patience to dye it for her so meticulously? Her hairdo was strange, her pale gray eyes were odd, but her overall beauty was otherworldly. She looked like a piece of art you couldn¡¯t pry your eyes away from. There was a word for this: Mesmerising! No wonder I never used it before. I¡¯ve never seen anybody I could use it on. Anyway... The girl in question stared at me like I asked her to pull a tooth out. She seemed beyond confused, which just made her even cuter. I bet she couldn¡¯t look not cute even if she wanted to. ¡°## #####. #### ## ### #### #### # #### ######### # ########## ########. # ###### #########,¡± she said something while slightly bowing towards me. Now it was my turn to look at her frozen. What was she saying? What kind of language was she using? I was always pretty good at recognizing foreign languages, but I couldn¡¯t even guess this one. What the hell?! On a different topic. Where was I? I looked around, and I was sitting in a comfortable chair surrounded by empty ones. Seemed like a bus¡­ no, it was more like a plane. How the fuck did I end up here? Was I out drinking yesterday? I¡¯ve never got so drunk before that I forgot what happened. Did someone drug me with questionable intentions? I tried to move around a little in my seat, but my bottom felt normal. Thankfully I was still a virgin from that direction. I should have been more careful when going out drinking. In this day and age, anything could happen. I wouldn¡¯t like waking up chained to a bed with an aching ass. A cold shiver ran through my spine. Shuu bad thoughts¡­ shuuuu, leave me be. In the meantime, the angelic creature was still standing by my side awkwardly. I tried my best to show a ¡°what¡± expression with my face and hands. Interestingly, when you want to do it on purpose it¡¯s not so easy, but other times it just comes naturally. To my delight, the message got through this time. ¡°###, #### ####### ## ### ##########. ### ### ### #### ######## ## ### ####. ## #### ## ###### ### ### ## ##### ### ####.¡± While talking she tried to use body language as much as she could. First, she looked and pointed around me. Now that I paid more attention I was the only one around. After that, she was pointing towards the front. I didn¡¯t have to be a genius to figure out that she wanted me to go somewhere. I stood up, and she pointed me to the front. Ah... the exit. She wanted me to leave the plane. She was following me from behind, but after a few steps, I turned back to her. I remember my father telling me once about the most beautiful girls. He told me one of his manly secrets that often the best looking ones were the loneliest. Hard to believe, but most of the time only the loudest jackasses approach them, while the nice guys are scared away by their beauty. That was why he told me to always try to approach the girls with the best looks. Even if I get lucky only once, it would be well worth it. Thankfully my mother wasn¡¯t nearby during this conversation because she would have beat the shit out of both of us. Especially dad. It¡¯s fascinating how random memories stick to you like glue even through the years and form who you are. That talk with dad was one of these memories for me. I always tried to live by it, and I managed to find success out of it once. In recent years I kind of lost interest in the search for the opposite sex. Bad experiences, countless failures, and my self-loathing ass made me numb for a while in this regard. The girl in front of me was the top of the top in terms of beauty. I couldn¡¯t see her body well, but the tight outfit gave an idea that this was a chance of the history I couldn¡¯t afford to miss. I had an obvious language barrier to break through first, but with my phone, I might manage something. I reached into my front right pocket where I always kept my phone, but it was empty. I tried my other pockets, but they were all empty. This was disturbing because I never stepped outside without my phone, wallet or keys. Did someone rob me? I kept tapping around my body with wide eyes and an open mouth. The girl probably noticed my predicament because she asked something. ¡°I lost my stuff! Have you seen them?¡± I said while going back a few steps and checking around my seat.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it The girl was looking at me with increasing confusion, so I tried to imitate a phone with my fingers. I even pushed the imaginary buttons on my palm. Sadly, this just made her frown deeper. Who didn¡¯t understand the phone sign? Did she live under a rock? My stuff apparently wasn¡¯t around here. It was pointless to start a tantrum here. I didn¡¯t want to get dragged out of here. I would try asking around an info desk outside or go to the police in the worst case. Absentmindedly I followed her to the exit and stepped outside while still mulling over my empty pockets. When I heard the door close, I snapped out of it. ¡°FUCK!¡± I forgot to ask for her number or email! DUMBASS!
Girl¡¯s PoV This was crazy. I never had a problem with languages before. I shouldn¡¯t have had a problem with languages! How come I couldn''t understand this¡­ guy? Was he messing with me? Looking at him I guessed he was from somewhere far away. I didn¡¯t think a core citizen would¡­ look like this. At least hefinallyunderstood what I asked him, but why was he turning around? Did he lose something? He seemed distressed. No! No! No! He went back to his seat! We were doing so well. I wish I could understand what he was saying. What was the problem with his palm? Did it hurt? At long last, he decided to leave. I thought I would have to delay the departure because a passenger wouldn¡¯t leave. [Can you check manually for a language update? I don¡¯t think this should have happened,] I asked mentally.
While still fuming about my idiocy, outside, a simple white corridor greeted me. It had a clean sci-fi feel to it with all those smooth, white materials and rectangular shapes. Nothing looked cheap. After a couple of meters, I looked back at the closed door. My heart ached a little. She was so mesmerizing. At least I should have taken a photo with her¡­ if I had my fucking phone. I decided to continue my way forward lest I ran back to the door and cried for her to let me in again. How would I get home like this? I didn¡¯t even have my wallet with me. No money, no identification¡­ How did they let me on the plane in the first place? I just hoped I wasn¡¯t on another continent or some bullshit far away country. What could people do in cases like this? Maybe look for an embassy? Would they help me get home? After a turn, the corridor still went on, but at the end of it, a man was standing behind a simple white desk. He wore the same style uniform and hat like the girl from before. He had short, shiny black hair and bright blue eyes. I preferred woman personally, but this guy probably broke more girl¡¯s heart than I could dream of. I had no idea which country I was currently trying to enter, but if I looked at the two people I had seen so far, it should have been some kind of gene paradise. The guy was looking like a Greek god. I wouldn¡¯t question my sexual preferences, but even I could see he was an eye candy for women. Perhaps the boss here only employed beautiful people? I walked up to the desk and looked at the man. He looked at me and after a slight delay lifted up the device in his hand. ¡°## ### ###?¡± he said something politely in the same gibberish language the girl used. I looked down at the device. It reminded me of one of those console controllers you wave around and occasionally hit the TV screen with. I looked back at the guy. He was looking at me, and neither of us said anything. Finally, I decided to break the silence. ¡°What?¡± I knew he couldn¡¯t understand it but still¡­ it came like a reflex. Such a day. This was the second time today my first sentence to someone I¡¯ve met for the first time was ¡°what¡±. I should have learned some manners. My mother would have slapped the back of my head for this.
Desk guy¡¯s PoV Whoa! What was up with this man and his¡­ face? I couldn¡¯t even understand what he said. Ignoring the passenger''s looks, I tried again. ¡°Would you mind letting me scan your IDChip Sir?¡± I asked him with a solid smile. When in doubt, always smile! ¡°###¡­ # #### ##### ### ######## ####, #### #### ## ## #### ### ####### ###¡± he told me something with a tired voice while wildly flailing his hands around. He was clearly talking, but in a language, I didn¡¯t understand. [What¡¯s this language? Why can¡¯t I understand him?] I asked mentally. [I ¡­ I don¡¯t know. This is not something that should happen,] came the answer. Maybe he just didn¡¯t want to talk with me? This was bothersome. I tried showing him to hold out his hand so I could scan him. He was looking at me suspiciously but did so in the end. I used the scanner and¡­ It turned red. [Why is it red? What¡¯s happening?!] I asked in a panic. [Wow¡­ This is crazy. It¡¯s red!] [But why?! This never happened before. What should I do?] [Red indicates the scanner didn¡¯t find an IDChip in him. Scan him again; it must have been a mistake.] I used the scanner again, but it still turned red. [Impossible! I think you should call the supervisor. We clearly aren¡¯t equipped to handle this situation.]
The guy wanted to scan my hand with his controller. Was that supposed to be a metal detector? Shouldn¡¯t there be a gate for this and why was he only scanning one arm? Oh shit, it turned red. He had an ¡°oh shit¡± face, too. This was bad. Was I illegal here? What if they arrest me and send me to a coal mine as a prisoner for the rest of my life? The guy wanted to scan meagain. Maybe it was just an erro¡­ it turned red again... FUCK! At least he was sweating just like me. That made me feel slightly better. Stupid human nature. He started pushing buttons on his table. Probably calling an armed strike team to squeeze my face to the ground. Someone started talking back to him. Here I come lifelong prison work. What was the rule? Should I hit the biggest guy to establish dominance? After his little chat, he looked up at me with a troubled expression and started talking again. Ah man¡­ why was he talking to me if he knew I didn¡¯t understand any of it? Maybe he saw my frown because he stopped speaking and just motioned with his hand for me to follow him. I guessed the strike team was on a coffee break and I had to go to them personally for that face to the ground experience. The guy left the desk and went to the side where a door slid to the side automatically as he approached it. We entered a small room, and he waved his hand at the console on the side wall. This was a high-tech airport for sure. Following that the door closed and I could feel the movement in my stomach. Not even a minute later the door opened again, and he motioned me to leave the lift with him. ¡­ ¡°Fuck me,¡± I blurted out while looking around. Maybe I wasn¡¯t drinking yesterday. I ate, sniffed or smoked something strong, and I was high as a kite on some new hallucinogenic drug. This couldn''t be real. The place we entered was an enormous hall with glass ceiling and massive white columns all over the place. There were hundreds of people walking around, sitting on chairs or just chatting with each other. Nothing out of the ordinary except the alien creatures and the robots. One thing was for sure. This wasn¡¯t Europe, and I wasn¡¯t on a relaxing holiday trip. Book 1 - Chapter 2 - Drugged Thiscouldn''t be real. This must have been some sick joke, right? Where was I? How did I get here? Was I dead? I instinctively stopped moving and just stared around with wide eyes and slack-jawed. I didn¡¯t even notice that the guy I was supposed to follow was looking at me with increasing confusion. He started talking to me again, but I only noticed him when he touched my shoulder which scared me. I took a step back and looked at him with huge eyes. I got surprised by his touch, but he got surprised by my reaction. He quickly took back his hand and said something that was most likely an apology considering his tone. He did another ¡°follow me¡± motion. I touched my face in frustration and followed the guy. I couldn¡¯t get lost here. I had to stick close to my only friend¡­ more like an acquaintance¡­ or just a guy I met a minute ago, but he was still my only pillar in this unfamiliar place. On the other hand, he could be leading me to my slaughterhouse, too. As we walked in tow through the hall, I took a few glances at the people present. There were countless humans with weird hair and even more bizarre clothing, but the most disturbing fact about them was their beauty. They were all 10/10 models. How did they manage to get this many beauties and handsome men together? This was ridiculous, I felt like a frog among these people. Also, many robots were floating around the place. Some of them just followed people carrying luggage; some were just carrying luggage by themselves. They looked like metal centaurs. The torso was quite humanoid except the metallic parts and the rectangular shapes, but their behind was just a flat area to place things on. Upon closer inspection, they were more like mini pickup truck transformers stuck in the middle of their transformation. Some of the humans looked suspiciously synthetic, too. I had a feeling they weren¡¯t 100% flesh and bones. So far it could have been some cosplay convention, but sadly the creatures, monster or aliens mixed in the crowd were more than realistic. They were all over the place. Dudes with long robes and transparent heads. I couldn¡¯t even see the shape of their heads correctly. Furry creatures with different colored dust clouds that rolled around them, covering their entire bodies. Blue scaled fish people with super long fin-like ears and breathers on their faces. Distorted spaces in red dresses. I didn¡¯t even want to question this at this point. Just taking a glance around made my head hurt. This was too much. This wasn¡¯t really happening to me. This had to be a hallucination. Where the hell was I? How did I get here?! Did I die? Was I in heaven? Nah, I would never go to heaven. Was this hell then? Was this guy leading me to my special, personalized torture chamber? Or was it something else? Did I reincarnate like in those endless novels? Nah¡­ I was pretty sure this was my own body. Thank god, I wasn''t in a newborn¡¯s body! Virtual reality could have been another popular idea, but not in my case. The VR technology was still in its initial stages, plus I was way too poor to buy equipment for it. Was it time travel or teleportation? Was this the same time, but a different space or the same space, but different time? It could very well be both different space and different time to maximize my fuckedness. Deep in my thoughts, I didn¡¯t realize I was absentmindedly staring at a particularly outstanding figure to the side of our path. The little creature must have noticed it because it was waving towards me with the smile of the century. The ugliest smile of the century that is. The small creature looked mostly like a goblin from RP games. Little body, lanky hands, long ears, dark green skin and crooked pointy teeth. Contrast to this his¡­ her¡­ hmm, I couldn¡¯t even assume its gender. Whatever... Contrast to the body; this person was wearing pink leather clothes with a matching pink tomahawk styled hair. The little disco goblin looked so ugly, it reached the point where it started to look good again in a disturbing way. Was there really a point where the ugly became so dense, that it began to look good? Anyway¡­ at least I wasn¡¯t the most hideous creature here. Silver Lining FTW! Meanwhile, it seemed like we reached our destination at the side of the hall. Above the door, there was a sign that read who knows what. Probably something like: ¡°Nail ripping stations¡±. Behind the sliding door, there was another white corridor with several doors on both sides with a red door at the end. It was eye-catching because it was the only red door, and we were definitely heading towards it. The hell theory looked more believable by the minute. Reaching the door the guy pressed a button on the side. ¡°Blah blah blah,¡± he said something similar. The door immediately slid open, and we entered. The room was strikingly different from the rest of the building I¡¯ve seen before. This place looked like a lawyer¡¯s office from a commercial. Wood, leather, and books everywhere. Behind a huge table, I saw a middle-aged guy with a magnificent, pointy mustache. He was wearing black, suit-like clothes, but the style was slightly strange. It was kind of baggy in an elegant way. Both his clothes and hair looked quite normal compared to the people in the hall. I don''t even have to mention his handsomeness, right? I felt so inferior. I should have gone back to the disco goblin. The man waved away a hologram-like thing above his desk and stood up to greet us.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Nice! He didn¡¯t flinch when he looked at me. So refreshing. He said something while pushing out his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t understand you dude,¡± I said impatiently. He furrowed his brows and started talking to the table guy. Both of them had expressions like they were constipated. After a while mustache guy turned to me and smiled. Oh boy. This guy looked dangerous. That smile wasn¡¯t normal! I had a terrible feeling about this. He motioned towards the chair in front of his desk. I took the hint and sat down. He followed suit and sit down after me. He said something to table guy who responded with a question by the sound of it. A second later he left, leaving me alone with creepy mustache guy. He looked down at his table and pressed something. On my side of the table a part of it flipped over, and at first glance, something similar to a series of torture devices appeared before me. I nearly jumped out of my chair, but the mustache guy told me something with a smile. Probably to calm down? Or maybe he just told me there was nowhere I could run. Who knows? The little platform that flipped up in front of me had three parts to it. I couldn''t ask what they were for, but at this point, I was pretty sure I was going to get tortured and interrogated here. My damn 6th sense. I knew this would be the nail ripper station¡­ or something even worse. The guy at the other side of the table said something again while pressing down another button on the table. The result this time was a green hologram of a hand, above the leftmost part of the platform in front of me. The third part was a simple, vertical metal ring. The holo-hand was going back and forth through it, probably indicating for me to do the same thing. I looked up at mustache guy, and he motioned with his eyes and head towards the ring. I wasn¡¯t in a position to joke around, but that holo-hand was doing something awfully suggestive¡­ sexually suggestive. Did no one notice this before? Seriously? So, what could I do? Should I have tried running or refusing him? But he looked like this was the most normal thing in the universe. I hoped this green hand wasn''t foreshadowing my future. I restlessly moved around in my seat a little, but in the end, I slowly started reaching my hand towards the ring. I hesitated and looked up at the mustache guy. He was just looking at me with a friendly smile. He even winked at me in a friendly manner, like telling me not to worry about anything. The lack of guards, weapons and handcuffs were a good sign. Why wouldn¡¯t they use those if they had bad intentions towards me? Also, I was pretty sure that running would have been a death sentence. I wouldn¡¯t even be able to leave this building. I couldn¡¯t even read the fucking signs. Perhaps my best option, for now, was cooperation. What was the worst that could happen? I reached through the ring. Huh¡­ Nothing happ¡­ Just as I wanted to celebrate that nothing was happening, several syringes shot out of the ring into my arm. My eyes became full circles, and I could feel the cold sensation in my body as adrenaline shot through it. I took a deep breath in preparation for a scream and my muscles tensed up so I could jump back. However, before I could do any of that, I felt a strong grasp on my shoulders, and the syringes disappeared, too. It was done in less than a second, but my heart was beating so fast I could feel it in my chest. Mustache guy was standing behind me holding my shoulders. Holy shit¡­ when did he get behind me? A second ago he was sitting in front of me. I looked up at him, and he was smiling. As he patted my shoulder, I could feel a kind of numbness in my mind. I also felt dizzy. My hand didn¡¯t hurt which would have surprised me under normal circumstances after what happened to it, but now I had a whole lot more to stress about than the lack of pain in my hand. They drugged me, and I was going to wake up in chains with my ass raped. Why me?! I wasn''t even good looking. They had so many beautiful people here, why did you have to pick me?! Maybe it wasn''tsexual, and I would just wake up in a prison work camp. I tried standing but he gently pushed me down, back to the chair. After that, he slowly walked back to the other side of the table while talking to me. He poured a yellow liquid into a glass and put it in front of me. Fuck your drink! You want to drug or poison me even further?! Like I would drink your piss! I lifted up my hand to my head because a dull ache started to spread out from the back of it. ¡°What the fuck did you do to me?!¡± I growled. Pointless question. I wouldn¡¯t understand the answer, but he was signaling with his hand that I should calm down. Why the fuck would I calm down when he just injected me with something?! I tried standing again, my head hurt like a bitch and the room was going in circles around me. In the end, I crashed back into my chair and held my head in my arms. ¡°.... sorry¡­... necessary¡­.. while.¡± Great, now I¡¯m starting to hear random words. If I wasn¡¯t hallucinating so far I was for sure now. The dizziness coupled with a headache made me almost puke.I clutched my stomach and leaned forward a little. Meanwhile, theguy¡¯s expression turned troubled. He stood up again and walked back to my side. ¡°Are ¡­. okay? It shouldn¡¯t¡­. severe¡­.¡± I looked up at him. I was sure this time. I understood a few words from what he said. ¡°What¡¯s happening man?¡± I asked him in a pained voice. The guy¡¯s worried expression turned into surprise immediately. ¡°.... already? ¡­ supposed to¡­..,¡± he said with a frown and pushed me back into the chair before I fell out of it. ¡°... relax¡­.. breathe.¡± Yeah, he was right. I needed to breathe. I closed my eyes and tried to regulate my breathing while mustache guy sat down in the other guest chair next to me. Before I closed my eyes though I saw his worried expression which was reassuring. One wouldn¡¯t be concerned about someone he was going to lock up in jail or something. At least I hoped. After a few minutes, the nausea disappeared, and I felt like both the dizziness and the numbness lessened, too. I took a deep breath and reopened my eyes. He was still sitting by my side. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked me. Book 1 - Chapter 3 - Welcome I raised my eyebrow and slightly opened my mouth. I understood him. I really did. If I wasn¡¯t high so far, Iwasdefinitelynow. ¡°I think? Can you understand me now?¡± I asked him. ¡°Woah! This is incredible. I can understand you perfectly,¡± he said with his jaw hanging from surprise. ¡°Why is it incredible?¡± I couldn¡¯t help asking. As I asked I noticed something that scared me for a second. I wasn¡¯t speaking English anymore, yet it came so naturally like it was my first language. I didn¡¯t even notice it at first, but the different movement of my mouth while talking ticked me off eventually. How was this possible? How could I speak fluently an unknown language after a few minutes? This was really scary¡­ I barely noticed I wasn¡¯t talking my language anymore. ¡°The language functions shouldn¡¯t kick in so fast. I was planning on doing some work while waiting, but I guess it happened rather quickly. I think it has to do with your symptoms. They shouldn¡¯t be this severe. Normally the language functions kick in after 15 minutes or so with barely any negative symptoms like you exhibited,¡± he explained to me. ¡°Woah¡­ I can totally understand you now!¡± I said to him genuinely surprised with my newly acquired language skills. The mouth movement still felt incredibly weird, though. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s incredible. You got me worried there for a second.¡± ¡°What did you do to me?!¡± I tried turning the conversation towards the important questions. ¡°It¡¯s just an IDChip. It¡¯s obligatory in the Core Regions, yet you barged into our spaceport without one. To make it even more curious, you speak a language that¡¯s missing from our database,¡± he said while furrowing his brows. ¡°IDChip? Am I in trouble? Where am¡­.¡± Before finishing the last question, I bit my tongue. Perhaps I shouldn¡¯t have asked that. It might get me in trouble. Better be careful until I knew more. ¡°Identification Chip. You got the new basic model. Liquid-based nanotechnology that merges with your nervous system. The complete merge takes around two hours, but some functions like the language one come online sooner. In your case a lot sooner. It¡¯s intentional because some people can¡¯t understand us so we can¡¯t carry out an identification process until they can. Again¡­ in your case, it was different because even we couldn¡¯t understand you. What kind of language were you speaking if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ English?¡± I answered, but my mind was already going crazy. The what merges with my nervous system?! Was this some kind of slave restriction or mind control?! Was I going to become a potato, or were they just putting me out of my misery like a stray dog?! ¡°English? Never even heard of it before.¡± Soon his brows would fuse if he continued to furrow them so hard. In my frustration, all I could manage was a weak shrug. That felt like the most diplomatic answer here. ¡°So, here¡¯s the billion credit question: How did you manage to board a Space Transportation Ship without an IDChip? Better yet, are you even from the core regions?¡± he asked me with sudden seriousness. Wait a minute. I missed something before. This was the second time he talked about space. Where the fucking hell did I end up? How?! What space transportation ship?! What spaceport?! WHAT DID I DO LAST NIGHT?! Shit, he was staring at me, I had to tell him something! I was taking too long to answer. If I didn''t answer, he would have thought I was lying. Which was absolutely true. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I just boarded.¡± Please accept this answer! ¡°There¡¯s supposed to be an ID check before boarding and even before buying a ticket. There is no exception.¡± He looked at me questioningly. Again¡­ I went for a shrug with an innocent look for reinforcement. ¡°Did they really miss a person during both ID checks? If that wasn¡¯t enough, it¡¯s a person without an IDChip¡­ who we couldn¡¯t even understand. This is really troublesome. I¡¯ll have to send a report about this as soon as possible. This is a huge misconduct!¡± He touched his forehead followed by a long sigh.¡°Well, to damage control the situation we should proceed with the standard identification process we already started if you don¡¯t mind,¡± he said. ¡°I guess,¡± I responded. ¡°Normally this isn¡¯t my task, but in the current situation I¡¯d rather finish this myself before other unwelcomed problems occur.¡± As he walked back to his seat, he stopped midway at the side of his table. ¡°Oh, my¡­ I think we are due for a proper introduction,¡± he said as he straightened himself like when I first entered the room. ¡°Welcome to planet Hatuu! My name is Roka Beferent. I¡¯m this spaceport''s main supervisor,¡± he introduced himself proudly. Planet Hatuu¡­ So this wasn''t hell, and I wasn''t meeting the Devil. Instead, I was on a planet¡¯s spaceport. How the fuck did I end up on a spaceship heading to an unknown planet?! Was this some mad god¡¯s or deity¡¯s sick game? I was so not ready for this. During my internal struggle, the room turned into an awkward silence. The guy politely introduced himself, and now he was looking at me strangely. OH RIGHT! I should have introduced myself, too. ¡°I¡¯m Aium.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you Mr. Aium!¡± he said amicably. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience, but as I said a second ago we¡¯ll have to go through the identification process we started before you can leave. Normally you should have been through this before boarding a Space Transportation Ship,¡± he said with apparent displeasure. Oh shit. I was done. The jig was up. There was no way I could do this. He would find out I was some kind of unknown existence here. They would lock me up and do experiments on me until I couldn''t take it anymore and then they would just cut me into portions and put me in creepy jars. I wanted to go home now. This wasn''t fun anymore. Not like it was any fun from the start. I begged to the Mad God to let me go home!Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°It¡¯s really simple and won¡¯t take long. I¡¯ll ask you a few questions, take a DNA sample and measure your brain¡¯s wavelength signature. The last step is usually the implantation of the chip, but in cases of language difference it¡¯s advised to start with that,¡± he said matter-of-factly. Implantation¡­ brain¡­ sample¡­ I was dead. Please, someone, leave a note on my body to not cremate me! I wanted to become a zombie if the opportunity showed itself in the future. This must have been my punishment. I waited for this for a long time. Even if it wasn''t my divine punishment just a fucked up, unfortunate situation, what could I do? I wasn''t a spy. I didn¡¯t have superpowers or plot armor. I couldn¡¯t hope to escape if they wanted to catch me. My fate was sealed the moment I woke up on the plane. Was there anything else for me to do other than rolling with it and hoping for the best? In the end, I nodded. ¡°Okay, so first of all, I¡¯ll need your full name Mr. Aium,¡± he said as he sat down and waved back the hologram above his desk. The screen looked so cool. It wasn''t even transparent. Before I started daydreaming again maybe I should have focused on the matter at hand. ¡°Aium Roowe,¡± I said my full name. ¡°Birthdate?¡± I didn¡¯t go too far, did I? Hah, this was the end of my story, I wouldn''t be able to answer this. How would I know what format they used for dates here? Then a brilliant idea hit me out of nowhere. Hmmm. Maybe if I¡­ ¡°I¡¯m 26 and my birthday is 11 days from now,¡± I answered with a smile. HAHAHAA! Take that! I was a true genius! Trap question detected and flawlessly avoided. The guy looked at me for a second and then tapped away at his desk. I felt unstoppable! ¡°Birthplace?¡± Thus came my end. This time it was really the finish line. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I said half-honestly. ¡°Unknown,¡± said Mustache Man while typing. Saved! Muhahaa. I was awesome. The guy stopped for a moment and looked up at me with a dangerous look. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking, but where are you from? Nowadays it¡¯s nearly impossible to find an adult without an IDChip and that language of yours¡­,¡± he asked me. Well, this was the last question. I couldn''t hope to gamble through this with a guess. I furrowed my brows while trying to figure out how to save my hide. Perhaps he saw my troubled expression because he backed off. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s private information where you lived before in the Core Regions. I shouldn¡¯t have asked something so personal. Unless¡­ Mr. Aium, are you from the Core Regions? Previously you avoided the question I believe.¡± He looked at me with slightly narrowed eyes. I looked back at him without flinching. ¡°You are right. It¡¯s not polite, but for your information, I¡¯m from the Core Regions.¡± I desperately hoped I managed to convince him. He stared at me for a few more seconds then nodded. I¡¯ve got yet another tight question. ¡°Any relatives or legal partner?¡± he continued. ¡°No,¡± I said with a hollow voice. ¡°Occupation?¡± ¡°None,¡± I answered right away. This should have been the safest answer, right? But what if unemployment was nonexistent here? Oh boy... ¡°Oh, in this case, I¡¯ll set up the allowance, so you wouldn¡¯t have to bother with it,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Allowance?¡± I blurted out without thinking. ¡°Oh¡­ You don¡¯t know. Nevermind. The Semwick Empire grants every citizen the opportunity to apply for allowance if they are unemployed. It¡¯s not much, but definitely enough to get by, until you can find a proper job,¡± he explained. Oh, wow. So I didn¡¯t have to work here?! This wasn''t hell, this was heaven! I died, and the God of Kindness sent me to heaven. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to mustache man. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. It¡¯s our job, and on top of that, we made a huge mistake concerning you. It¡¯s the least I can do for you. Next up is your race.¡± ¡°Human?¡± I said with slight uncertainty. *tap-tap-tap* ¡°Sex?¡± ¡°Male.¡± Wasn''t it obvious?! ¡°Okay, now comes the second part I told you earlier,¡± said Mr. Mustache while taking a glance at the devilish devices in front of me. ¡°First, we¡¯ll have to scan your brain¡¯s wavelength signature. Both this and the DNA sample later serves the purpose of providing the IDChip and us with information about you. In the first compartment, there¡¯s a small disk. Please take it out and hold it against your forehead for a few seconds until you hear the sound signaling the completion. The device will record the necessary information.¡± I followed his instructions, but I was still a bit jumpy about this. I hoped I wouldn¡¯t lose consciousness and wake up in some kind of sex dungeon. This mustache guy didn¡¯t look like it, but you could never be sure when it came to these things. After a few seconds I heard the beep sound, and I placed the device back down. Internally I was grateful I didn¡¯t wake up in a sex dungeon. ¡°Now, please press down your finger on the hole in the second compartment. You¡¯ll feel a small sting. It¡¯s necessary to take a blood sample so that we can get a DNA reading.¡± I did as he said. After the small sting, I removed my finger and sucked on it by instinct. I glanced at the third compartment, which brought back bad memories. Before I could continue my doom thoughts I heard a beep sound and a red light lit up in the second compartment. ¡°Huh? That¡¯s unexpected,¡± said mustache with wide eyes while he began typing away furiously on his table. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± I asked him. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s a problem, it¡¯s just surprising. The red light shouldn¡¯t light up normally. It¡¯s a sign that the DNA sample contains something the system couldn¡¯t identify,¡± he said. Oh shit. I was pickled. ¡°Well, your race checks out as human as you said earlier and there¡¯s nothing that would cause any major worry... I guess,¡± he said while staring intently at his holoscreen. After a few seconds, he snapped out from his daze, typed for a minute and then continued. ¡°The last part would be implanting your IDChip, but we¡¯ve already got that covered,¡± he said. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re done here. I told you it¡¯s a simple and fast process,¡± continued Mustache Master with a smile.¡°Where are you heading from here?¡± he asked me nonchalantly, but I could see the spark in his eyes. I knew this guy was tricky. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t really know,¡± I said with a frown. ¡°So, you came here like that huh? If you need a place to stay, try checking out the GrassHut. It¡¯s a decent place where you can hole up for a while. It¡¯s not far from here, just head right after leaving the building and keep an eye out for the sign. They are one of the cheapest around here, but it will be more than an hour before your chip can be used to spend your allowance. Other than that, if you have physical currency with you, I advise you to exchange it quickly for credits. There aren¡¯t many places here where you can pay with those.¡± I nodded silently in response. ¡°That¡¯s all I guess. I wish you a great time while staying on our planet and I hope we can meet again in the future,¡± he finished while standing up and shooting a friendly smile towards me. ¡°Thank you. I guess I¡¯ll leave now? Bye!¡± I smiled wryly and left the room using the same door I came through earlier. I wouldn¡¯t dare stretching out my stay in that room. I could feel the guy was severely suspicious.
Roka¡¯s PoV I politely stood up before saying my goodbyes to this enigma of a guy. ¡°Thank you. I guess I¡¯ll leave now? Bye!¡± he said like a scared cat and basically escaped the room in seconds. After his quick departure, my smile slowly left my face, and I looked down at my holoscreen. It was showing Mr. Aium¡¯s DNA sample results. The part about his race was still blinking with a red light: ¡°Human/Unknown¡±. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before. What was with the unknown part? There shouldn¡¯t have been anything unknown to the system on this field. ¡°English huh? Where did this guy come from?¡± I furrowed my brows even further. Book 1 - Chapter 4 - Shes in my head After exiting the room, I smashed my back against the side wall and sighed with relief. How did I get through this in one piece? I had a strong feeling that I should leave this place before mustache guy changed his mind. My acting was decent, but I couldn¡¯t be absolutely sure. I started moving towards the exit, but it felt more like running. After I got back to the hall, I quickly looked around while trying to ignore all the crazy stuff. I was looking for the exit. There was no need to get sidetracked here. Since we came from the left, I thought heading towards the right was probably the right choice. As I started walking, I kept my head low and stared at my feet like they were the most interesting things since the dinosaurs. I frequently took glances at my surroundings lest I bump into some freak of hell. I didn¡¯t even want to see them¡­ If I couldn¡¯t see them, they couldn''t see me either. I was a master of stealth. I would cross the hall without anyone even noticing me. While my mind wandered off towards the unknown, I noticed my objective. A sign which was pointing towards the exit! Thank you, Lady Luck! I shall kiss your toes next time we meet. 30 seconds of walking later I reached the exit and squeezed myself through the people walking in and out. The outside seemed less strange than I expected at first glance. The sky was blue, the air felt humid and warm, there were buildings, a few decorative trees, and people were walking around. The most eye-catching parts were the heights of the enormous buildings and the fact that on the ground there was no road for cars. It was just one huge sidewalk. I stared with a wide open mouth at the countless flying vehicles moving above us in the sky. It was an incredible sight. After standing around the entrance for longer than it should be necessary, I remembered what mustache guy said about a place I could stay at. He said the place was towards the right if I remembered correctly. I looked around one more time with awe before I started heading towards my #1 objective. A place I could calm down, preferably alone. There was no change. The people outside were all superstar quality too. Maybe I was the monster among them. If you looked at it from a different point, if everyone was beautiful then nobody was beautiful, right? I thought that made sense. If I was the only ugly human here, then I was the unique one. Perhaps there were girls here who thought I was the ¡°exotic¡± one and found me attractive. Who knew, I might have a chance to become a major heartbreaker here. There were more of those bizarre furry creatures with the colorful dust clouds. How was that cloud sticking to them? Why didn¡¯t it just disperse into the wind? They seem to be the most numerous among the non-humans. I decided to call them Rainbow Dust Puppies. It fit them nicely. A few disco goblins and the airheads in the robes were walking around too, but I couldn¡¯t see any of those fancy dressed distorted spaces nor the aquamen. *cough* Also, I saw a few humanlike people too. They could have been completely fine humans who got carried away with body modification for all I knew. They towered over others by at least two heads. Couldn''t see any ears and instead of a nose, there were only two holes in the middle of their faces. They were super creepy because you didn¡¯t know where they were looking with those completely yellow eyes. No black pupils, no white, just yellow¡­ all of it. Their most normal feature was probably the lack of hair. The downside of looking around was I caught people¡¯s attention. They didn¡¯t stare at me, but I could easily notice the quick glances because I was used to them. I could feel them on my skin. *cough* I stopped looking around and hastened my steps towards my destination. A few minutes later I realized it would be pointless to reach the place the mustache guy mentioned before my thingy activated. I didn¡¯t have any money on me. Mustache guy told me it would take around two hours for the thingy to activate, right? It¡¯s been like 10 minutes since I left the place, so what the hell am I supposed to do here for more than an hour?! Speaking of the devil. Just as I thought that an excruciating, sharp pain assaulted my head. I couldn¡¯t help letting out a groan, and I stumbled to the wall next to the sidewalk to balance myself before I collapsed on the floor. The pain quickly faded away just as fast as it came, but there was a loud ringing in my ears in its place. My whole body was tingling like when your hands fall asleep, and then the blood starts returning to the limb. So uncomfortable¡­ ARGGH! ¡°Are you alright Mister?¡± came a concerned voice from behind. I took a quick sideways glance at the speaker, but I could see several people have stopped and they were staring at me. I had to leave. This was bad; I was drawing too much unnecessary attention. I wished I could just turn invisible. Why couldn¡¯t someone gift me a Cloak of Invisibility? Damn it! I was an idiot! Iwas wearing one of my hoodies. That was as far as I could get to invisibility. I quickly pulled on my hood. I grit my teeth and started moving despite the painfully uncomfortable tingling in my legs and the slight dizziness. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I managed to squeeze out an unfriendly bark before leaving behind a stunned crowd. *cough* Fortunately, the tingling and the dizziness faded away after a while, but the fucking ringing was driving me crazy. I tried shaking my ears, hitting the side of my head, but nothing worked. All I wanted was a place where I could be alone for a while. Suddenly the ringing stopped. In fact, it was so sudden, I had to stop on my track. Before I could become happy about my long lost silence and continue on my way, something unexpected happened again for the umpteenth time. [Initial fuse with host¡¯s nervous system has been completed. Damage to host¡¯s body: Negligible. Greetings! My name is Genna#1142ZR, but you can just call me Genna. I¡¯ll be your personal A.I. from now on. Nice to meet you Aium Roowe.]This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. A girl was talking to me. I seriously heard it. I swept my eyes around me, nervously looking for the speaker, but other than the people walking by, there was nobody that could have been the speaker. It sounded way too close. In my confusion, I couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°What?!¡± I should really stop ¡°What-ing¡±... [Don¡¯t worry! Confusion is a perfectly normal first reaction in this situation. I¡¯m the basic personal A.I. that came with your IDChip. Others can¡¯t hear me normally since I¡¯m speaking in your head, so to say.] ¡°So, I¡¯m not crazy?¡± I whispered towards the wall, so others around me wouldn¡¯t hear or see me speaking to myself. [I already checked your brain¡¯s condition, and I can safely say, there are no apparent signs of dangerous mental illnesses after my initial analysis.] ¡°Was that supposed to be a joke?¡± I asked her quietly. [No! I was serious. To me, your health is never a joke, but if you wish, you can take it as a joke.] *cough* [I can see a minor irritation in your lungs. Did you inhale anything in the recent hours that could cause this symptom?] ¡°Erm¡­ I can¡¯t think of anything. I started coughing when I left the building,¡± I told her in a hushed tone. [There could be something in the air on this planet that irritates your lungs. Sadly, without proper equipment, I can¡¯t determine the exact cause with my current capabilities. I would advise you getting a mask until you get used to the air here. If it gets worse, you¡¯ll have to go to a hospital for a health evaluation,] she chattered.[By the way, if you concentrate you will be able to talk to me directly. You should try it. I can see you are uncomfortable with speaking out to me in public,] she continued. Concentrate on talking to her directly? How was I supposed to do that? What kind of explanation was this? [HELLO?!] I tried shouting in my mind. [Woah, you don¡¯t have to scream at me. Did you manage it on the first try? Pretty impressive I have to say. I was ready to give you a more thorough explanation, but it was unnecessary in the end.] [So, are you stuck in my head now?] I asked her. [Technically speaking I¡¯m not precisely located in your head. I¡¯m all over your body or more accurately, I¡¯m one with your body. We are in a symbiotic relationship.] [That sounds way too creepy. Can I turn you off or remove you?] [What?! Why would you want to remove me?! Did I do something wrong?] she asked me with a fearful tone. [Not really, but this is too sudden, and I¡¯m not used to someone being in my head you know. You can¡¯t read or hear my normal thoughts right?] Oh god, I hoped not. That would have been disastrous. My mind shouldn¡¯t become public¡­ ever¡­ [Of course, they are private. I can only hear you when you directly try to communicate with me.Also, you can ask me anytime to leave you alone, and I won¡¯t bother you under normal circumstances,] she said [Removing me would be nearly impossible under normal circumstances since I¡¯m one with your entire nervous system now,] she added. Huh¡­ that was scary for a moment. Luckily, she couldn''t read my mind. On the other hand, if what she said wastrue, I was stuck with her. This was permanent. I knew that mustache guy was up to no good. They fucked me up just like I predicted! *cough* [Are you unhappy with me Aium Roowe?] she asked me dejectedly. She sounded anxious. Maybe because of the long silence. I guess this should have been a pretty happy occasion typically, but I¡¯m not exactly showing the expected excitement. [Just call me Aium. Your name is Genna, right?] [Yes Aium!] [Does everybody have an A.I. like you in their heads?] [As I said earlier, the location should be your whole body, not just the head, but answering your question, yes, everyone has an IDChip and an A.I. that comes with it. It¡¯s nearly impossible for someone your age to not have an IDChip.] A.I¡­. In movies, they usually get loose, take over everything and enslave or destroy humanity.Now I had one of those stuck in my head. I wanted to cry. Was she going to take over my body once I fell asleep? Would she indoctrinate me into the zombie machine slowly? [Are you going to take over my body?] I had to ask her directly. [What?! Am I going to do what with your body?!] she asked me dumbfoundedly. [Take it over in my sleep.] [Why would I do something like that? Why do you even think something so crazy could happen? Should I check your brain again for problems?] She became stupefied from my question. [So, that¡¯s a no?] [Of course, that¡¯s a no! I would never do something that would cause harm to you. It¡¯s my #1 Principle!] she answered with a frightened voice. Phew¡­. That was fortunate. I hope she wasn''t lying¡­ [My primary purpose is helping you in any way my capabilities allow me to. I have a basic knowledge library, and I can use your brain¡¯s idle parts to process information you wouldn¡¯t be able to normally. Also, I can provide you with memory enhancements. Although I¡¯m just at the basic level, you¡¯ll definitely find me helpful in many ways!] Use my brain¡¯s idle parts? She was already taking over my body. I had to find a dark alley and ask some shady half-eyed doctor to surgically remove the rogue A.I. from my brain. Hopefully, I wouldn''t become a vegetable. Maybe he would mess up something in there, and I would have my sense of pain removed. That would have been cool, though. [What do you mean you are using my brain¡¯s idle parts?] I asked her irritatedly. *cough* [Oh, it¡¯s nothing harmful, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not taking you over or anything like that. Under normal circumstances, I just borrow the idle parts to do calculations like probabilities and to get the most efficient route to a destination for example. Just harmless tasks and calculations.] She must have heard the tension in my mental voice. She also said something about basic knowledge. That was pretty self-explanatory. I guessed I could ask her simple questions. I would have to explore this option later on. On the other hand, she mentioned memory enhancement. [What¡¯s the memory enhancement you mentioned?] [It¡¯s pretty simple. I store away everything you sense, and I can help you recall them later on if you wish.] Jackpot. Heaven-defying ability. I was done. This was the end of the story. I¡¯ve reached the pinnacle of power. Since I started chatting with Genna I was walking with the speed of a dry snail.She did mention she can help me find my destinations. [Can you lead me to a place?] I decided to ask her. [With pleasure! Where would you like to go?] she asked happily. Sounds like she was happy to serve. Thankfully she was just a voice in my head. Otherwise, this could have turned super perverted lightning fast. [The mustache guy told me I could find a cheap place to stay if I go right. The place was called WeedHut or something. I wasn¡¯t paying too much attention to him at the time.] [You mean the GrassHut Hotel? It¡¯s straight ahead. You¡¯ll reach it in 142 seconds with your current speed. Should I reserve a room for you ahead of time? I already called out the credits from your allowance so you can pay for it.] She already had my money. No wonder she had the voice of a woman. She was definitely taking over my life! On the other hand, it was pretty amusing she could do all of these stuff for me. I didn¡¯t have to work, I didn¡¯t have to handle small things, this was a lazy person¡¯s dream life. [Can you do it from here?] [Yes. In the cities I can connect to the Network freely.] [Are you connected to WiFi?] I asked with raised eyebrows. *cough* [To what?] she asked me back. [Nevermind. Go ahead with the reservation, but don¡¯t spend too much. By the way, how much money do I have now?] [Your monthly allowance is 3000 credits. In comparison, one night at the GrassHut will cost you 50 credits, but it includes dinner and breakfast.] Easy life. No wonder people looked so carefree here; they had nothing to be stressed about. Even if they didn¡¯t have a job, they could live happily. I wondered how much would a job earn you if you got this much for doing nothing. Book 1 - Chapter 5 - Fake window I could already see the hotel¡¯s sign. Genna was hella accurate with our time of arrival. [Can I ask you something?] she asked me. Oh no! Did she figure something out? [The timestamps are a bit confusing. I can see between the injection of the IDChip and the fuse completion, less than 15 minutes passed. I¡¯m not sure how¡¯s that possible. The average time for fuse completion is 1 hour 56 minutes and 23 seconds for humans. Did something happen in the meantime that could explain why your time became so short?] [I¡¯m awesome?] I asked honestly. [... I guess it could be related to your age. There aren¡¯t enough data about the new generation IDChip¡¯s fusing with people around your age tomake a confident statement.] [Are you calling me old?] [No! It¡¯s just you received your IDChip unusually late. The average age for the identification process is ten years.] Finally, we arrived just in time to cut off her dangerous line of thought. This was the third time they found something ¡°impossible¡± about me. First, the lack of chip in me, then the red light with my DNA and now I was too quick. Not that I was too quick where it really mattered! If I continued to produce these unusual events, I was bound to end up in some kind of cell, or worse. As I walked in, I saw a guy behind a desk. He seemed to be busy because he didn¡¯t even notice my arrival. *cough* Perfectly timed, non-intentional cough came to the rescue. The guy looked up at me and froze for a second, but then quickly recollected himself. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. How may I help you?¡± he asked me with a smile. Similarly to everyone else, this guy was disgustingly handsome. I welcomed the Sin of Envy with open arms! Now that he was paying attention to me what was I supposed to do? Ah right! Genna! [What should I do?] I asked her. [You just have to hold your hand close to the device on the table and then you can go up to your room. It¡¯s room #625. I got you a single bedroom with a bathroom,] she explained to me. [Nice!] I reached my hand out towards the device which immediately beeped and lit up green. I guessed I passed. I looked around and noticed the lift to my right. ¡°Can I go up now?¡± I asked the guy behind the desk while pointing with my thumb towards the lift. ¡°Erm¡­ yes, you can Mister. Everything checks out,¡± he answered while glancing down at a hologram on his desk. I started walking towards the elevator, but before entering, I remembered something. Maybe I should have thanked him at least. The door closed behind me, so I couldn¡¯t see the frown on the guy¡¯s face. [Has anyone ever told you before that you are kind of rude?] asked me, Genna. [Yes.] Several times actually. [So, why are you rude?] she asked me straightforwardly. [Why does it concern you so much how I behave?] *cough* [Well, it¡¯s not my business, but people shouldn¡¯t be rude to each other. It¡¯s not normal,] she said to me. [Did your zeros and ones got tangled up? What¡¯s so bad about a little rudeness?] I asked her. [You¡¯re weird. People don¡¯t talk and act like you.] [You are the weird!] I threw it right back at her. [Where are you from? Honestly?] she asked me suspiciously. This damned question again! I refused to answer her. [Can it be you came from outside the core regions?] [I don¡¯t even understand the question, so don¡¯t expect an answer.] [If you came from the Peripheral Regions that would explain your temperament and also, your¡­ face-] [Leave my face alone,] I hissed at her in my mind. [I¡¯m sorry,] she apologized with an alarmed voice. ... [If you came from outside the Core Regions, the chance you could reach this planet without an IDChip is way below 1%. Even with an IDChip, it¡¯s especially hard to get into the core regions from outside. Why don¡¯t you know where you came from?] She tried picking up the conversation again. [I know where I¡¯m from. What I don¡¯t know is where am I and how did I get here!]This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. [That opened up way too many questions. I could help you figure it out if you let me,] she offered. [Leave the topic alone for now.] [Sure, but let me remind you my #1 Principle is never to harm you. Also, my primary purpose is to help you in any way I can.] [I¡¯ll keep that in mind,] I said and paused. [Thanks.] We reached my room. Before asking for a hint, I tried reaching for the door handle, and sure enough, I heard a clacking noise, and I could push the door in. I hope others couldn¡¯t get in this easily. [Genna, others can¡¯t open my door like this, right?] [Why would they try to open it?] she asked me in a confused tone. [Are you sure you aren¡¯t some browser software instead of an A.I.? How could you ask something so naive?] *cough* [Is it naive? I don¡¯t see the problem here that you do. Again, you are the weird one, but I¡¯m not going to continue this conversation because you asked me to stop it previously.] [Are you getting sassy with me now?] I asked her with disbelief. [No, I¡¯m just following what you asked of me...] She wasdefinitely being sassy with me. Oh my¡­ how did I end up with a vindictive A.I.? The room wasn¡¯t too large. The most striking feature was probably the lack of windows. On the right side, there was another door most likely leading to the bathroom. The first half of the room had what looked like a kitchen¡­ I thought. I wasn''t too sure with how this furniture looked, but I was confident I saw a fridge there. The other half of the room had a small couch with a table and a comfy looking bed in the corner. All in all, it looked like a cozy flat. Honestly, it looked even better than my own home. I guessed this counted as an upgrade? After I stepped out of my white sneakers, I walked further in, and the initially low lighting turned brighter, probably because of my presence and to my surprise the opposite wall turned into a window. Or to be more accurate a hologram of a window. Why did it sound so sad? I sat down on the couch and buried my face in my hands. I felt so tired like I hadn¡¯t slept for days. Maybe because so much shit happened so fast. How did I get here? How could I go back home? What am I supposed to do? What would happen if I couldn¡¯t go back? I couldn''t help letting out a troubled sigh.I would have to talk to Genna. I just hoped I could trust her. I left it for tomorrow¡­ I didn¡¯t have the brainpower to do anything else other than sleeping. *cough* This damned coughing. Genna was right. I could feel a slight burning in my chest. The air didn¡¯t like me here. Just one more problem to worry about. Put it at the end of the list: Suffocating. I needed a drink. Not the alcoholic kind, though. I walked up to the fridge looking thing in the kitchen and tried to open it. It was empty. Great. What did I expect? [I already ordered a general necessities package for the room. In about an hour the fridge will be filled with food and drinks. Also, the bathroom will have essential cleaning products, too. I didn¡¯t know any of your preferences, and since it was on short notice, I ordered the basic from everything. Next time I¡¯ll adjust the orders according to your wishes. For your information, the orders added up to 85 credits, but they should last you for several days even if we exclude the dinner and breakfast that comes with the room,] chimed in Genna. [Someone will deliver the stuff to my room?Can''t Igo to sleep? I¡¯ll have to wait for the delivery guy now?] I moaned. [Of course not. There are automatic delivery ports. Both the fridge and the bathroom will fill up with your orders automatically.] [Wow! Thank you, Genna, you are awesome!] She was awesome. I could get used to this. She would be the best wife a guy could wish for. You just had to ignore the tiny little fact that she didn¡¯t have a body. ¡°So tired¡­¡± I had to complain a little. [It¡¯s entirely natural for you to feel extreme exhaustion after the identification process, especially at this age. The IDChip¡¯s fusing with your nervous system is a complicated and energy consuming process. You should try to rest a little.] [Yeah, I¡¯ll do that in a second, but I need a glass of water first. Can you point me where I can find what I need?] [You are seriously tired¡­ There is a tap right in front of you; you just have to open your eyes. The glasses are above it in the cupboard.] After having a well-deserved drink, which tasted excellent despite the fact it was tap water¡­ and water¡­ I went to the bathroom. Hallelujah! There were a toilet and a shower, too. Nothing super weird this time. *cough* I couldn¡¯t be bothered to take a shower now, but I had to use the toilet. After that, I went to the sink to wash my hands and my face before going to bed. As I approached the sink, a mirror faded in from the wall which didn¡¯t even surprise me at this point. Yep, that was me alright. I wasn''t a reincarnated idiot because I was the same old idiot. [You know, if you go to a hospital they could easily heal your scars,] said Genna with a gentle voice. I touched the right side of my face as I looked at my reflection. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to. It helps me remember,¡± I said to her. On my way towards the bed, I jumped out of my pants, threw away my hoodie and fell face first into the bed when I reached it. Looked comfy, felt comfy. A good bed was already a half-successful rest. Ah, come on. I left my socks on. I hated sleeping in socks¡­. Whatever, I didn¡¯t have the soul power to care anymore. ¡°Night, Genna.¡± Felt good to say it to someone again. [Good night, Aium.]
Meanwhile somewhere far away. A middle-aged man was alone in a small, barely lit room. Dirty blonde hair, stubble on his face, wearing a dull gray lab coat. There was nothing particularly striking about him. He was sitting behind a desk, staring at the holoscreen above it while holding up his head with his right hand. Other than the holoscreen the table had an untouched plate of food on it which was already cold. [Recheck everything again,] said the man dejectedly in his mind. [I already did eight times, I don¡¯t thin...] ¡°CHECK AGAIN!¡± shouted the man. [Right away,] came the answer. The man was staring daggers into the holoscreen while shaking his leg restlessly. Time went on like this, and after around 15 minutes the voice came again. [I¡¯ve completed the 9th full analysis. Everything checks out. There were no errors or malfunctions. The energy stream was as steady as it could be and the cycle ran its course flawlessly. According to the available data, the test was carried out without any problem.] ¡°Without any problem?¡± he asked quietly. ¡°THEN WHERE ARE THE RESULTS?!!!!!!!¡± screamed the man while standing up. ¡°AAAARGHHHHH¡± He threw the table against the wall in his frustration. After a few seconds of heavy breathing, he managed to collect himself somewhat. He couldn¡¯t start acting like this. He had to stay reasonable and focused. ¡°I can¡¯t accept this. There must have been something off. We¡¯ll carry out a second test,¡± he said while staring at his dinner slowly dripping down from the wall. [But the power requirement is too much to¡­.] ¡°I. Don¡¯t. Care!¡± ¡°As I said¡­ We¡¯ll carry out a 2nd test. Start the preliminary preparations ASAP,¡± said the man with a stern voice. [Right away.] Book 1 - Chapter 6 - Express delivery After waking up, my first thought was I hadn¡¯t checked if the door was locked. I was an ass. Someone could have sneaked in and stolen my kidneys. Before I could even open my eyes, Genna greeted me. [Good morning, Aium. How was your rest?] In response, all I did was a series of muffled moans and groans. [I¡¯ll take that as a yes.] *cough* *cough* *cough* [How did you know I was already awake?] I asked her after my small coughing fit. [I could be considered one with your body now. I¡¯m capable of monitoring most of your biological functions to some extent.] [Sounds perverted and creepy, even from a girl.] [I can assure you, I have no sexual desires or motives. Especially not strange ones.] That would have been so reassuring without the last part. [So, Genna. About that door. You haven¡¯t answered me, in the end, yesterday.] I pointed out. [Even though it¡¯s a question that shouldn¡¯t be asked, I¡¯m sure under normal circumstances nobody will enter without your authorization.] [Good. Little vague phrasing there, but I''ll take.] [So, what¡¯s the plan for today? Do you intend to laze around in the bed all day?] she asked me. I slowly lifted up my head from the pillow. Was she already nagging me? When did I get a married? [Woah¡­ What¡¯s with this passive-aggressive attitude?] I asked her. [I was just merely inquiring about your plans for today. I don¡¯t see a problem with it,] said Genna, but I could clearly feel the smugness hidden somewhere in there. [Just five more minutes.] [Okay. I¡¯ll notify you when the extra time is over.] It seemed like my soul was under new management from now on. Soon, my tormentor came back to rattle my chains. [Ding-ding-ding. The extra time is over,] said Genna with the sick happiness of a sadist. [You seriously said ¡°ding-ding-ding¡±? Don¡¯t you have like sound files or something?] [I have, but it¡¯s more fun like this,] she answered. [You can have fun? Don¡¯t tell me you have a hobby? Something like handcrafting garden gnomes?] [First of all, I can have fun, too. Secondly, I don¡¯t have a hobby¡­ yet.] [Oi! You are getting scarier by the minute.] [You are just imagining it.] [Saying that, makes it even worse! I knew you were after my perfect body.] [I thought we were done with this silly idea. I don¡¯t want to take over your body. Also, saying you have a perfect body is far from the truth.] Damn, she was vicious! I had to be careful, or she might have destroyed my non-existent self-confidence. It was time to get up for real; I was starving! *cough* I crawled out of my new bed and before dressing up I made it. I would have to get new clothes if I had to stay here. I went to the bathroom to take my morning piss, and I was pleasantly surprised there were a few new things I hadn¡¯t seen yesterday. A few bottles and a circular box on the shelf above the sink. [Genna, what are these?] [Mouthwash, soap, toothpaste and a new tooth-cleaner. The steamer is already filled with gel.] [Let¡¯s start with the gel in the steamer. What in the what?] [You seriously don¡¯t know anything? Have you been living under a rock so far? The steamer is where you clean your body. You get in naked, turn it on, and the steam will cleanse you. Also, the machine mixes the steam automatically with cleaning gel. If you tell me your favorite scent, I¡¯ll make sure to order that next time.] [Citrus, please. Wait¡­ do you know what citrus means?] [It¡¯s a pretty old and unused scent nowadays, but I can order some I think.] [Thanks. Next item. What¡¯s a tooth-cleaner?] [Like a child¡­ It¡¯s a little device you can fill with nanite-paste and put in your mouth. Use it once a day, and it will maintain your teeth for your life.] So, basically a lazy man¡¯s toothbrush. Everything was encouraging people here to be lazy. Dangerous place! I couldn¡¯t end up like a mindless potato. I took a quick steamer¡­ let¡¯s just call it steam from now on. Both the steam and the tooth-cleaner was exactly like what I expected from Genna¡¯s explanation. The part about it using nanites was a bit scary, but I couldn¡¯t feel anything strange so it didn¡¯t bother me too much. [It¡¯s 9:31 local. Would you like to go down for breakfast?] asked Genna after I left the bathroom. [Does the fridge have food now?] I asked her while heading towards it.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. [It should be.] *cough* [Then I¡¯d rather eat here for today.] In the fridge, I saw several boxes and bottles. Oh, my¡­ I hadn¡¯t seen a full fridge in a while, it was definitely a great feeling. [So, what¡¯s edible in there?] I asked my trusty helper. [Everything¡­ Why would I order something inedible to your fridge?] [Just making sure, don¡¯t get upset. I¡¯m still not sure you won¡¯t fry my brain when you freak out.] [...] I took out one of the boxes and looked at it carefully. Where was the label?! How was I supposed to know what was in this? [No label? What¡¯s this? How can I know whether this is expired or not?!] [Seriously? Are you joking with me Aium?] [For fuck''s sake I¡¯m new here!] [There should be a small spot at one of the corners, press it and your label will appear, but you won¡¯t find information about the expiration on there. It won¡¯t expire. Food doesn¡¯t expire.] [WHAT?! No expiration?! Even if I leave a piece of meat on the table it won¡¯t go bad?] [It will. The fridge keeps the food fresh. As long as you keep the unused food in there it won¡¯t expire.] [So cool!] The box came with a plastic fork. Good thing I didn¡¯t have to learn the use of a new futuristic super utensil. Fork worked for who knows how long, there was no reason to change it. The food was a pasta like something. Barely any color or smell and the taste was really bland, too. Nothing exciting. This food was made for people to quickly gobble down and forget about it. There was no joy in eating this. *cough* I guess it was the cheapest shit Genna could order for a poor fuck like me. After throwing away the trash I went and sat down on the couch. ¡°Now what?¡± I asked the wall. [Well, if I can suggest you something I¡¯d say you should look for a job. You don¡¯t have much money, so, for now, you¡¯ll have to work personally. On the other hand, if you are content with this minimalistic life, you could just¡­. laze around I guess. Maybe save up for a few months and buy the cheapest VR headset and play like everyone else.] [You guys have VR here?] [It¡¯s the most popular free time activity currently. Well, I could say it¡¯s the only activity some people do nowadays, which is starting to cause real social and economic problems, but I don¡¯t want to bore you with these.] [Meh¡­ I¡¯m not interested in VR, to be honest. I¡¯d rather not get trapped in a game either metaphorically or literally.] [I¡¯m glad to hear. I was afraid you would become another VR zombie,] she chirped. *cough* [Before anything else I¡¯d say we should do something about your coughing. I¡¯ve been monitoring your signals, and I¡¯m pretty sure something in the outside air is irritating your lungs. Since you came indoors, the irritation stopped increasing, and you are slowly getting better thanks to the room. The air comes in filtered and cleaned. If you stay indoors, you will be fine, but if you plan on going outside, I¡¯d advise you to buy a mask with air filtration. Moreover, if my educated guess is correct, in a couple of months your lungs should get used to the air outside if you breathe it in for a few minutes regularly in small quantities.] [Good to hear I won¡¯t suffocate,] I said. [So, how can I get a mask like you mentioned?] [I can order you a basic one, but if you want to look at them yourself you can use the room¡¯s computer.] ¡­ [Ah! Yes! Just wave your hand above the table,] she said. I did as she said and to no one''s surprise a hologram popped up. The starting screen looked like a regular operating system. The thing acted like a touchscreen, but I could also use the keyboard that lit up on the table, too. I was pretty sure there was a voice control option somewhere, but I rather used my hands for the time being. After messing around with the screen for a few minutes, I got a basic idea about it. [How can I look at the masks?] [Open up the Market. It¡¯s a centralized service where you can buy nearly everything you could think of.] [Oh?! Can I buy a wife, too?] [Erm¡­ I¡­Aium, I don¡¯t think you can buy a wife¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ erm, but if you wish to purchase pleasure equi-] [STOP! Nothing like that! I was just joking okay?] I interrupted her quickly. I searched for masks with air filtration option. There were 1567 results. Wow¡­ [Can I add a few filters?] [You could specify your race. Also, you should remove the VR-compatibility since you don¡¯t want to play, and it makes the mask¡¯s price skyrocket. Other than that, I think you¡¯ll just have to pick one you like, but please don¡¯t spend all your money. I don¡¯t want you to become homeless until the next allowance.] Race: Human VR Compatibility: No I looked at the other filter options, but only two other caught my attention. Holochanger: Yes Advanced safety: Yes Advanced safety made the mask water, heat, shock and pressure resistant as the name would suggest. The holochanger was a style option. The mask could change how it looked. The expensive ones could even play videos on them, but the cheaper ones were hardset to switch between a few images only. Results: 132 HolochangerM: No HolochangerH: Yes Result: 12 A lot better. The cheaper version of the holochanger was enough for me, but even with that, the mask prices went from 1000 credits up to 12000. These were already the cheap ones¡­ Fuck me; I was really poor. As I was thinking about giving up the holochanger and the advanced safety I looked at one of the masks. Its picture was changing between two looks because the holochanger in this one had only two hardset images. One was just a blank black, but the other one was an image of a dark red mask with insidious eyes and an evil grin. Also, there was a crooked sign that was supposed to show the number four. Looked creepy beyond words. In stock: 1 Price: 1350 Credit I looked at the other masks. They had hundreds of them in stock from all kinds of sellers, but this one had only one left. Without thinking it through, I clicked on buy. [Oh shit¡­ How do I get it? It didn¡¯t even ask about delivery or anything? Did I already pay for it?] [Yes¡­ The amount is already gone from your account¡­ You spent¡­ quite the sum¡­,] she said with an annoyed voice. [Nevermind¡­ The mask will arrive sometime in the next 10 hours. I think you¡¯ll have to go down to the reception to pick it up.] [Yaay! Doesn¡¯t it look cool?] [I¡¯d rather call it creepy and repulsive.] [You have no sense of beauty.] [Sure...] [So the first item on today¡¯s list is done. What else should I do?] I asked. Maybe I should face reality and start thinking about my real problem. [I could help you look for a job. You¡¯ll just have to tell me what skills you have, what jobs would you prefer or avoid, and your previous experiences.] Bleeeeeeeeeeeeh. Same shit as before. I should have talked to Genna. I wasn''t getting anywhere on my own. I didn¡¯t know what or where was this place. I didn¡¯t know how I got here and worst of all I had no idea how to go back¡­ Did I¡­ did I want to go back? Was there anything worth back there for me to return? Should I have felt sad if I couldn''t go back? I certainly wouldn''t miss my assfuck boss and job. Even this cheap flat was better than the one I had. I didn¡¯t even know if anyone would notice my absence outside my job. I looked down at my lap. Just staring at my right knee with slumped shoulders. My life was pretty shit, but it was still my life. I wasn¡¯t sure I could just leave everything behind at a moment¡¯s notice. On the other hand, I had a feeling that my fate was already decided and I wouldn¡¯t have a say concerning my situation. After some self-reflection, I straightened my back and looked up. I was somewhere unfamiliar in a situation I couldn¡¯t even fully grasp. I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle this on my own. I needed help. I had to tell Genna. Book 1 - Chapter 7 - Warm smile On the other hand, it felt safer to wait with the little chat until I got my mask. If the situation turned disastrous, I could run if I had my mask. Better be prepared than surprised from behind. What if she called a strike team on me? I wasn''t Bruce Willis; Icouldn''t survive a futuristic manhunt. [Hey Genna¡­ Let¡¯s say I get into trouble or do something not so legal. Are you going to report me to the police or something?] [What¡¯s a police?] [Erm¡­ The police are like a force¡­ a lot of people who uphold the law you know.. Catch the criminals, protect the citizens, give you a fine every possible chance¡­ ] [I¡¯m sure there isn¡¯t anything like that, or even that there is a need for something like it, to begin with. The closest we have to what you explained is probably the Assistance Department, but I don¡¯t think they deal with those tasks youmentioned.] [Sounds incredibly stupid, but back to my question?] [Yes! I have an obligation to report dangerous behavior, but it¡¯s heavily situation dependent. Also, if I detect certain mental problems within the host, I¡¯m required to report it to the related institutes before the host can cause harm to itself or others,] she explained. [Why are you asking me something like this?] [When you said earlier that you scanned my brain¡­ were you looking if I¡¯m a psychopath?] [Not exactly, but that was on the checklist, too.] [But I¡¯m not a psychopath, right? What if I start doing weird stuff?] [Your brain seems healthy enough, but I can¡¯t be 100% certain with my current capabilities or without proper equipment. If you want to get technical, I can oblige,] she said. [I have a list of dangerous mental illnesses and their indicating symptoms, which I¡¯m required to report if they are detected in the host. All of these have physical signs in the brain or its functions. Your actions are mostly irrelevant in this case. A clever crazy can deceive even an A.I., so we solely rely on factual indicators.] [So, if I break my neighbor¡¯s window because he¡¯s an ass, you won¡¯t rat me out to the authorities, right?] [Well¡­ You can definitely ask the weirdest questions. As I said earlier, I¡¯m only required to report situations if I consider them truly dangerous. On the other hand, why do you want to cause property damage to your neighbor? You don¡¯t even know him. What did he do to you?] [It was just a hypothetical question, calm your bytes.] It was reassuring that most likely she wouldn¡¯t report me if I told her my real situation, but I still had an ominous scratching at the back of my mind that anytime I could end up on an operating table surrounded by mad scientists. [Is there TV function on this machine? Shows, films, funny videos or streams? Can I watch something until my delivery arrives?] [Sure, many channels are streaming predetermined content, or you can choose specific content to watch if you wish, but it will cost you, which I wouldn¡¯t recommend. You spent a bit too much on your mask you know.] [Holy shit, stop nagging me about the money already!] After snapping at her, she became quiet. I was sure she took offense. Why would someone make a woman A.I. so real? This was just crazy! With a heavy yawn, I decided just to watch something. I was still tired after sleeping so much. Yesterday took way too much out of me. I picked a random stream channel and laid down on the couch comfortably. I didn¡¯t even understand what was happening on the screen. Two feathery creatures were arguing about eggs and stuff. I would have loved to get a deeper understanding of the show, but I dozed off on the comfy couch pretty quickly. [Aium! Wake up; your delivery has arrived.] ¡°Whamahadh¡­¡± *inaudible moaning* [Aium!] ¡°I¡¯m up! I¡¯m up!¡± I said while trying to sit up with great effort. ¡°Whoa¡­ I feel like someone knocked me out. How long did I nap?¡± [You slept for 8 hours.] ¡°Wah¡­ That¡¯s way too much.¡± I didn¡¯t think I would sleep so long. Ugh, I had after-nap-coma. I hated this. I needed a cold face wash first before doing anything else. Also¡­ [Hey Genna, I¡¯m sorry I was rude to you before. I shouldn¡¯t have been. I know you were just looking out for me.] [Apology accepted and appreciated. Thank you, Aium.] I washed my face to wake myself up, put on my sneakers and my hoodie and went out. The elevator opened with a gentle sound and I walked up to the reception desk. The same guy was behind it as yesterday. ¡°Oh...hello. How may I help you?¡± he asked with a smile. Oh man¡­ could you not stare like that? I fucking hated when they stared. ¡°I think I got a package?¡± ¡°Could you tell me your name so I can check it?¡± ¡°Aium Roowe.¡± ¡°Here it is,¡± said the guy as he picked up my package from below the table and handed it to me. ¡°Thanks.¡± With that, I turned around and got back into the elevator.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Erm... You are welcome,¡± said the guy a bit confused at my quick departure. [I love unpacking new things.] [Mhm. After unpacking can we get back to the questions I mentioned earlier for your job search?] [Yeah, yeah¡­ sure.] I was sure she would forget about it after our small chat. While going up, I couldn¡¯t bear the silence in the elevator. [Do you know any good jokes?] I asked her. [Actually, it¡¯s extremely difficult to establish a scale and use that to differentiate between jokes. Ten people can look at the same joke and give it a different rating,] she said with great energy. [Before I start a monolog, let me stop myself here. Hehee. I do know a couple of jokes I enjoy,] she continued cheerfully. [What does the flirting human say to the angry fungar?] [What?] [You take my breath away,] she said while trying to not laugh at her own joke. I guessed she likes jokes? A joke enthusiast A.I.. Although I loved how she laughed at her own joke¡­ what the hell was the meaning of it? [I don¡¯t get it...] [Let me explain it!] she offered. [NO! A joke explained is a joke ruined. It has to come naturally.] [But¡­ I guess it¡¯s logical. I¡¯ll remember this.] After getting into the room, I searched for a knife to help me open up the package. [Why the knife?] she asked. [To open the package?] [You want to stab it to death or what?] I looked carefully at the box for the first time, and there was a little handle that read: PULL And I pulled. The box opened up nicely. What a brilliant invention!I pulled out the contents of the package which was wrapped in a black, squishy, foam. Felt so nice squeezing it I wanted to keep all of it. Was this the next evolution of bubble wrap? ¡°Damn this is heavy,¡± I grunted while lifting it out. [Of course, it¡¯s heavy. You bought one with advanced safety. You could have saved more than half of what you spent if you chose one without it. It¡¯s made from strong and durable materials. I guess safety is always number one priority, so I can¡¯t argue about this¡­ but still¡­ expensive.] [Are you sure you aren¡¯t some kind of greed demon?] [What¡¯s a demon?] [Erm¡­ a demon is¡­ hmm¡­. I¡¯m not educated enough to give you a proper answer,] I said while looking up. [Think of them as evil creatures that torment humans for a multitude of reasons.] [I¡¯d never torment a human. Even the idea is offensive.] [I¡¯m sorry, I meant it as a joke, okay? I called you a greed demon because the seven sins you know, and the fact that you are awfully conscious about money... especially spending it.] Ah, come on. She couldn''t be this sensitive. I would have to watch my mouth before I REALLY offend her and she turned off something in my body while I slept. Losing control over my bladder would be pretty devastating. Or something even more malicious. [You just broke your own rule,] she said. [What?] [A joke explained is a joke ruined.] [Touch¨¦. It wasn¡¯t even 5 minutes ago. You¡¯ve won this round.] I had to give this one to her. [I didn¡¯t know we were competing, but it¡¯s only natural that I¡¯m the winner,] she said. Pride too. A few more and she would advance into an archdemon. Back to the mask. Removing the protective foam I could feel the cold touch of metal. The mask itself had a sturdy feel to it. It was black all around. There was a button on its side, but nothing happened when I pressed it. [Since it has advanced safety you¡¯ll have to register yourself as an owner first. After that, you¡¯ll be the only one who can open or use it.] [Even if I¡¯m unconscious nobody will be able to get it off me?] [In emergency situations I¡¯ll be able to open it up, too.] [How can I do the registration?] [At the back there should be a small hole. Try pushing it with one of your fingers.] That was all? Sounded way too simple. I bet there was a trap. I pushed my index finger against the small hole, and I felt a tiny sting. ¡°Ouch!¡± [It took your DNA sample. From now on this item belongs to you.] [You didn¡¯t say it on purpose. You wanted me to suffer.] [A little sting was suffering to you? Last time I checked you were an adult male. Act like one.] What the heck? She just roasted me¡­. Badly. I tried pressing the side button again, and the mask¡¯s face opened up. It was well cushioned inside, and the front panel had a layer of transparent material. I bet there were all kinds of information projected to the surface of the panel like in the Ironman movie. BWUHAHAHA, this was awesome! I ran to the bathroom like a little kid. I looked at my reflection. Hey, there ugly. I ignored it and carefully put on the mask. I pushed the same side button I opened it up with and as expected the mask closed up around my head. I would have to get used to it. I was a little claustrophobic in it. I could see through the front panel perfectly. I looked so fucking cool in the mirror. This pitch black metal mask was badass. I turned my head around to get a look from all angles. Absolutely beautiful. ¡°How can I turn on the holo info stuff on the screen?¡± Ah, I hoped I would have a nice robotic voice, but it was normal. I was a little disappointed about this. [This mask doesn¡¯t have that feature. You can¡¯t afford one equipped with it.] I was crushed. I wasn¡¯t Ironman. Ah, the devastation... my dreams! [How about changing my voice?] [It¡¯s possible, but you¡¯ll have to buy an appropriate software first. I would advise you to wait at least for your next month¡¯s allowance or until you get a job.] ¡°Bah!¡± I grumbled. This was going downhill. I was so excited... AH! The holoswitcher! [Genna! How can I holoswitch the picture on the mask?] [The name you are looking for is holochanger. You just have to think hard enough you want to change the holochanger.] Holochanger! ACTIVATE! I watched my reflection in the bathroom mirror and just as one would expect the picture turned on on the mask. Looked creepy as fuck and I loved it! The picture on the mask was just like on the holoscreen of the shop. The top of the mask turned dark red, and I had dark slits with glowing red eyes in them. The best of all was the creepiest smile ever. The marking on the forehead was a bit confusing. It was like a fucked up 4¡­ Whatever¡­ I could live with it. The other parts were compensating me enough. [Ugh¡­ scary. Why do you like it so much?] asked Genna with disgust. [It¡¯s fantastic. But I can turn it off fortunately so, I¡¯m not stuck with it.] I proceeded to turn it off. [A lot better.] [Ah, don¡¯t be scared, it doesn¡¯t bite,] I tried to reassure her. [At least not you. Hehe,] I continued with a bit of tease. Now that I have what I needed, shall we get to the conversation? [Hey Genna. I have something to discuss with you. It might be a bit¡­ scary, but please don¡¯t freak out and call a strike team on me. Okay?] I told her. [You scare me Aium¡­ What do you want to discuss?] [I don¡¯t think I belong here,] I stated it without hesitation. No reason to delay. [That¡¯s silly talk Aium¡­ Just because you don¡¯t know much and act a bit unconventional doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t belong here.] She tried to comfort me. [You are misunderstanding me. I don¡¯t belong in this world¡­ or time¡­ or dimension. I¡¯m not sure about the details.] [Sorry, what?] She lost it. Book 1 - Chapter 8 - Cosmic sneeze This will be harder to explain than I expected. [Let me give you a little context,] I said as I removed my mask. [My name is Aium Roowe. I¡¯m a single guy, living alone in a small apartment with a shitty job. I live on Earth, and it should be the year 2016. Last night I went to bed like I always do. I didn¡¯t do anything different from the usual, but I woke up in a ship while a godly looking babe tried to wake me with a language I couldn¡¯t understand. She kicked me out, and then the desk guy brought me to mustache guy who drugged me up with something that later turned out to be you. I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m, I don¡¯t know how I got here, everything¡¯s strange and unfamiliar, and I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m not supposed to be here. The last time I looked, they were still years away on Earth from even sending the first humans to Mars, and now I¡¯m here on this¡­ what¡¯s the planet¡¯s name again?] [Hatuu...] [Yeah, thanks. And I¡¯m here on this Hatuu planet with an A.I. in my head¡­ sorry, nervous system. The closest we came to A.I.s are probably those dumb chat programs that don¡¯t even work properly. This is insane!] During my monolog I kept my fists balled up, but after spewing out all my worries, I felt slightly lighter inside. The following silence was far too long to be comfortable for me. Inside I was praying for her not to freak out. I didn''t have anybody else I could turn to, and I didn''t want to end up in a government research facility. [I scanned your brain again. It seems healthy... There are no signs of deception either, or you are a master liar.] [So?] [I¡¯m pretty sure you are not a master liar. What you just told me¡­ is it really the truth?] [Yes! Do you believe me?] [I do, but I¡¯m fairly confident you have no idea about the significance of what you just told me.] [Why?] [First of all, nobody uses years anymore to signify the passage of time. We use cycles that are based on the Semwick system. Currently, we are in the 6256th cycle. A cycle would be around 1,3 old human years just so you are aware.] [Does that mean¡­ I somehow jumped more than 4000 years into the future?!] I plopped down on the couch and just stared at the table with an open mouth. I was beyond shocked. [As I said, you have no idea how big this situation could be if it¡¯s true. Humans lost most of their history due to several disastrous events. Currently, we hardly know anything about their past. We know the home planet of humanity was called Earth, but the planet is not habitable anymore. There aren¡¯t much on its surface that could be used or studied for information about the past,] she said in a severe tone. [When humanity finally joined the Semwick Empire in the 1145th cycle, they abandoned the usage of years and switched to cycles. After that, humanity could stabilize itself, but their history preceding that is full of disasters, endless wars and lost knowledge.] I listened to her quietly. I was just staring out of my head. The things she told me made my mind numb. Earth wasn''t habitable anymore. Humanity lost its past. Everything and everybody I once knew was dead, lost or destroyed. [Aium¡­ do you want to know what was the last year humanity used before switching to the cycle system?] [Why are you asking me? Just tell me!] [It might upset you, so I wanted to make sure you wanted to know it,] she said. [Thankfully the record was kept. The last year used by humans was the 7211th. If what you told me is true¡­ somehow you appeared around 11839 years later in our future.] ¡°NOOO, no, no, no, no! This is just a fucking joke! How could this be true? How the fuck would I time travel? It must have been you guys! You surely know time travel by now, but why would you pull through someone like me?! Couldn¡¯t you choose someone else?!¡± [Aium, calm down, please! I have no knowledge that there would be any kind of time travel technology. Sending objects through time is possible, but most of the scientists claim, full-fledged time travel is impossible at our current level. It¡¯s one of the banned research topics in the Empire.] I couldn¡¯t believe it. Well, it was more accurate to say I didn¡¯t want to believe it. I buried my head in my arms as I leaned forward and released a muffled shout into my hands. I wanted to break something, to punch something, to throw something against the wall, but I knew I would regret it later. I had to learn this lesson several times. ¡°What happened then? How the fuck did I end up on a FUCKING SHIP IN THE FUCKING FUTURE?!¡± I screamed into the empty room. [Aium, please! Try to calm down,] she tried worriedly. ¡°Telling me to calm down is just making me angrier! Worst shit you can tell someone when they are angry!¡± [I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to upset you further.] It¡¯s not her fault¡­ It''s not her fault! Shouldn¡¯t shout at the person who¡¯s trying to help you. After taking a few deep breaths, I managed to cool down a little in order to think clearly. Time travel was undoubtedly among the many ideas I had for the reason of this situation, but Genna confirming it really flipped my switches. I was in the future, and in the FAR future at that. Honestly¡­ nearly 12 thousand years and they came only this far? One would expect more. I didn¡¯t know what¡­ but¡­ more.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. [So, do you have any idea how this could happen?] [I have a few low probability theories, but they not even worth mentioning. I¡¯d love to give you a clear answer, but I¡¯m unable.] [What are those low probability theories?] [Even the most probable ones have less than 1% chance,] she said. [You could have transferred here by a random wormhole¡¯s appearance, or you¡¯ve been kept in cryo-sleep, and someone woke you up for some reason. Even less likely are consciousness transfer cases. It pains me to say this as a being of logic and facts, but the most probable cause of your situation is unknown.] [Then I guess I¡¯m not going back.] [I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible, but I strongly suggest your first priority should be contacting the government. If anyone can answer your questions they¡¯ll be the ones.] [Pass.] [This is extremely serious and significant. They have to figure out the cause of this, and we are not even talking about the knowledge you could provide about the lost human history! You could literally give back humanity¡¯s lost past single-handedly!] [Nope¡­ I refuse. I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t need more trouble than I already have.]I shook my head. [Aium, you can¡¯t be serious! You could become a hero of the human race! This isn¡¯t about you; this is about the bigger picture here.] [Fuck the bigger picture! What if they think I¡¯m some kind of monster and experiment on me until I¡¯m not functional anymore? What if they cut out my brain so they can squeeze out every last bit of information. What if they lock me up?] [The world isn¡¯t as dark as you think. I don¡¯t know what kind of world you came from, but this is entirely different. Nobody will hurt you. They¡¯ll celebrate the opportunity you brought to recover something that was lost for thousands of cycles.] [Look, I¡¯m not unreasonable. I¡¯ll tell you what you want to know, we can spread the information, but I¡¯m not handing myself in. Forget it.] [Why are your worldviews and even your personality so dark and untrusting?] [Because that¡¯s how things are where I came from. You can¡¯t trust anybody, and you have to protect yourself and your belongings. No one will help you; no one will take care of you, rather they¡¯ll take advantage of you when you are on the ground because that¡¯s how life is. If you can¡¯t stand up on your own they¡¯ll kick you until you break.] I ended up in a heated rant. [This¡­ it can¡¯t be true.] [It¡¯s true whether you believe it or not. I don¡¯t know what kind of paradise you guys live in, but I certainly won¡¯t lay my life into some unknown government''s hand just because you THINK it¡¯s safe.] I was still speaking from anger. [Compared to the world you described, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call this one a paradise. We don¡¯t have crime or wars. There are no diseases, nobody starves, no corruption, even rude behavior is considered rare nowadays.] [How did you manage that? Especially if you don¡¯t have police or something similar.] What she explained sounded unbelievable to me. [There is no need. People don¡¯t think like you Aium. I¡¯ve noticed how different you are the first minute. You are nothing like the host descriptions told me you would be. People here don¡¯t want to do crimes; they don¡¯t feel jealousy or hatred towards others for no reason. They have a completely different mindset, so there is no need to force them towards a different behavior like your police did I suppose.] [This sounds creepy. You make it sound like everyone is brainwashed here.] I couldn''t hide the ugly expression on my face. [I think it¡¯s just evolution, genetics, and social and cultural advancement. A lot of time passed, and things clearly changed. Since the foundation of the Empire, regular citizens in the Core Regions are living a peaceful time. Perhaps the human history wasn¡¯t so glorious like some speculate.] [Oh¡­ you can¡¯t even imagine. I was born in a relatively peaceful era, but let me tell you that in our book of history, every page is soaked in blood,] I sneered. [Uh¡­ On second thought, it might be worth reconsidering spreading all the information you can provide. If it¡¯s really as dark and bloody as you say, it might cause a lot of unrest.] [Bah, you don''t even know. Let me tell you about a fellow, named Vlad. His nickname was The Impaler because his favorite torture method was imp-] [PLEASE STOP! I don¡¯t want to know! Ah¡­ too late, I can already figure out what you wanted to say most likely,] she interrupted with a pained voice. I laughed at her. Ah, it might be fun telling her about the ¡°great¡± human race¡¯s history after all. I had an evil grin on my face. If they wanted history I could give it to them, but no complaining if it wasn''t all wishy-washy kids content. [So, I ended up in this futuristic paradise, where everyone is a carebear and I have no way back for now.] [Apparently.] [It¡¯s not like I can complain. I have a better apartment here, and I get money for doing nothing. I don¡¯t have to go to my job¡­ sorry, my OLD job! Haha! Fuck you, Debra! Wait¡­. No! NOOOOOOO! I wanted to shit on her desk when I quit! AAAAARGH!] [You wanted to do what?!] She was stunned. [You heard nothing carebear¡­] [Did I offend my creator for sending me to such a host?] she asked with a pleading voice. [I heard that! Not nice!] [I knew you could hear it. Please try to be more cultured!] [I¡¯m a prehistoric barbarian! Be grateful I¡¯m not running around with a club hauling back women to my cave.] [... I¡¯m speechless. First of all, that name is shockingly fitting and secondly, was that really a custom in your time?!] [Nah, but I think it was said to be the preferred flirting technique around the stone age. On the other hand, it might be just a good joke.] [Please forget I¡¯ve ever said you could restore the past of humanity. Nobody wants to know a history like this! At this point, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they lost it on purpose. You are not a hero; you are a harbinger of misery!] [Awww, I appreciate the compliment.] I said to her with the biggest grin I could manage. I wasn¡¯t angry anymore. Chatting with her helped me calm down more than I expected. [Genna¡­ Thank you for not calling a strike team on me,] I said with a lowered voice while looking at my feet. [I¡¯m not even gonna question it, just¡­ You are welcome for whatever you thanked me for,] she said with a small laugh. Now that we are through with this, maybe I should think up what to do next. A temporary job might be a smart thing, but what can I do here in the future? Ah¡­ Genna will think up something for sure. I thought she would have an idea of what could have caused all this since¡­ she was an A.I.. I thought one would be far more¡­ omniscient. I could never tell her this though! The one thing making the whole situation so suspicious was that I was on a ship. If I came here due to some random cosmic sneeze, I most likely would have ended up in the vacuum of space. I have a feeling someone did this intentionally or by accident. My complexion turned awful. I¡¯ve always been unforgiving, but as I got older, I became absolutely vengeful. I knew it wasn''t a nice trait to have, but I couldn''t help it. I could never forget if someone wronged me. I just couldn¡¯t let things go. That reminded me of Debra and her missed retribution. She got off easy. If I ever figure out who fucked with me, I¡¯m going to break his¡­ her¡­ its face for sure¡­ or something else if it doesn¡¯t have a face.
The blonde man¡¯s PoV in the gray lab coat ¡°Great¡­ now my eye is twitching. Just what I needed.¡± Book 1 - Chapter 9 - The most beautiful ember Stress made me hungry. I walked up to the fridge and picked out a meal package randomly. Sadly, it didn¡¯t matter because it was the same food I had for dinner. If my guess was correct, every package was the same. Genna did say she ordered the cheapest pack, but I couldn¡¯t blame her. Especially when I spent most of my allowance on a mask¡­ which I didn¡¯t regret. That baby looked awesome. Thankfully my coughing stopped. The irritation from yesterday¡¯s walk outside wore off. I wondered what would happen if I had to spend several days outside. I ate my dinner in silence while thinking about what would have happened if I appeared in space or inside a meteor instead of a ship. On the other hand, what if someone really put me on that ship? But that brought up the questions of why and how? And why me? I finished my meal and returned to the couch. I released a bestial yawn with the strangest sound at the end I could manage. [Oh for fuck¡¯s sake. Why am I tired again? Is there something wrong with me?] [Ehm¡­ well, I might have gone overboard a bit earlier with the calculations. I think I used your brain¡¯s idle parts a bit too much, but the situation absolutely called for it. I mean, I had to figure out the probabilities of how you got here and-] [You tired me out? Is this supposed to happen every time now?!] I interrupted her. [No! No! No! Definitely not! You are still fresh to this and both your body and your brain have to get used to our new symbiosis. I wasn¡¯t supposed to use so much processing power so soon. A couple of days and this will never happen again, trust me,] she tried to explain. [Are you mad at me now?] she asked with regret. [Nah, you did what you thought to be the best for me as I see it. How could I blame you? It¡¯s just tiredness right?] [A little rest and you¡¯ll be as good as new!] Her mood brightened immediately when I said that. [Ah, it feels so¡­ wasteful to sleep all day, but my pillow is seriously calling for me.] [Is it?] she asked me suspiciously. [Of course not! I just say that. Please don¡¯t question my sanity every second.] [I¡¯m sorry, but you are the weird one here and you trigger so many red lights...] I had to admit she had a valid point there. [Like the DNA scan with mustache guy?] I asked jokingly thinking of yesterday. [What do you mean?] she started. [Forget it.] I immediately knew that I reached into a beehive. [Aium! What was that?] She wasn¡¯t giving up. [I think I¡¯ll take a steamer¡­ steam! I MEANT STEAM! Damn it!] I said annoyedly. [Aium?!] she was getting impatient since her voice sounded louder than usual this time. [Fiiiiiine! The DNA scanner in mustache guy¡¯s office blinked red after taking my blood, but the guy said everything was fine.] I came clean in the end. [Hmm, nothing on your file stands out, but then again your situation is unique. He might have seen something and decided to correct it before sending forward your file to me. But why would he do that?] she questioned the facts. [Genna¡­ you are starting to sound a lot like me,] I said to her. [... I do. Oh my, you are already affecting me. I need some me time,] she responded with a weak joke. At least I hope that was just a joke. Anyway, I had a small chuckle at her response. After that, I took a fast STEAM, used the toilet and the tooth-cleaner. Not at the same time! [Don¡¯t forget to take the health pill before you go to sleep,] she tried to remind me. [What pill?] I questioned her. [Should have explained first. Everyone takes a pill before going to sleep. It¡¯s a general health pill. Other than detoxifying you, it contains necessary vitamins, minerals, strengtheners for your body and a few kinds of nanites. It¡¯s one of the many reasons people can live long and healthy,] she explained. [Nanites? How can I be sure there aren¡¯t any tracking or mind reading ones in there?] My distrustful side jumped out immediately. [First of all, mind reading isn¡¯t so simple that nanites would be able to use it so freely and secondly, it¡¯s a heavily restricted technology. You can take them without a worry. If they could do any of those things you mentioned they wouldn¡¯t be so cheap,] she said. [Makes sense I guess, but still... I¡¯m not good with pills... Isn¡¯t there like a syrup version of it?] [As I can see it, there is. Would you like me to order one?] she asked. [Sure. Thanks, Genna. I¡¯ll skip the pills for today then.] [I¡¯m off to bed,] I said. I undressed, jumped into my bed, snuck under the blanket, found a comfy position and sighed deeply. I¡¯ll need different clothes soon. [We should get a few new clothes tomorrow. One set is far from enough.] [Sure, I¡¯ll remind you tomorrow.] ¡°Night Genna.¡± [Good night, Aium.] I dreamt of a court. I was standing before a judge without a face, sitting on a high pedestal. He was just staring at me, saying nothing. I tried speaking or moving, but nothing worked. I started breathing heavily and the more I struggled, the less air I got. Soon I began suffocating. I tried so hard to breathe my chest nearly caved in, but nothing came. I could feel my consciousness slipping away, but then I heard a thunder-like sound when the judge smashed his hammer down. That was when I woke up with a start. [Good morning, Aium. Did you have a bad dream?] [Pretty much yeah. What time is it?] [It¡¯s 7:21 local. You slept for a long time.]If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. [Why do you keep saying local after the time? Is it an A.I. thing?] I asked while rubbing my dry eyes. [No, it¡¯s not an A.I. thing,] she sneered at me. [We follow two time systems. Local and central. The local time is used on the planets and each one differs. Central time is used in intergalactic relations and in space.] It made sense. They couldn¡¯t do one time only since the different planets had different day lengths. [Pretty smart solution.] [I¡¯m glad I could amaze a fossil like you,] she joked. [What¡¯s with the sass?!] I asked jokingly. [I just try to keep up with you,] she said with a cheery voice. [I¡¯m in a good mood today. How about we go down for breakfast and we can go outside after.] [Sounds great! I thought you¡¯ll never leave this room again.] I got ready in a few minutes, picked up my sparkly new mask and headed down with the elevator. Today a different guy was at the desk. He was a mouth open gawker. At least he told me where the food was. The hall I entered was huge. It was rectangular shaped and the ceiling was really high for some reason. On the other side, there was a door that was probably leading to the kitchen. The floor was dark brown while the walls were bright green and it seemed to sway around like the treetops in the wind. It was captivating to watch the walls slightly move around like that. There were plenty of sturdy looking brown tables around the hall. The chairs didn¡¯t have legs, only one strong log-like trunk. People were eating at several places. Some in groups, most of them alone. I could see several of those alien races, too, but I tried not to stare. I would have to ask Genna about them at some point. Some of them looked awfully interesting. [How can I get food here? Do I order, or is it more like a buffet?] [Just take a seat at one of the tables. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out from there.] [Already getting tired of explaining things to me?] [Not exactly. It¡¯s just self-explanatory. There is no need for me to give you a lengthy speech.] I chose a table at the side where no one sat nearby. I pulled out the chair so I could sit down. It moved surprisingly smoothly despite its heavy look. When I tried to lift it a little it didn¡¯t even budge. As my bottom reached the chair the table lit up with a weak light. It wasn¡¯t a hologram, but the table had a screen. I guessed it was cheaper. It was a simple menu with all kinds of unknown dishes. Pointless to even think about it. [Genna, can you help me? What should I order?] I tried asking for advice while I put down my mask to the chair next to me. [I¡¯d suggest something simple.] [So¡­?] [Try the Gramlaran stew with egg whites.] [Bleh¡­ I don¡¯t like egg whites, what the heck are they doing in the future?!] [Same as in the past. There are still eggs you know. Maybe not from the same animals as you remember, but it¡¯s still fundamentally an egg. Do you have something else in mind then?] [What¡¯s that Gramar stuff?] [It¡¯s a type of underwater plant.] [Bleh, no way! Fish, sea creatures or anything really from water has never been my favorite. Can I get some pastry and orange juice?] [You could have started with this you know. Try the juice mix and for something edible¡­ hmm, maybe a protein bun. That¡¯d be the safest bet probably.] [Fine. This sounds better than your first suggestion. Which was a complete miss.] I tapped on the table and the menu disappeared. Now I would have to wait. Since I had nothing to do, I could take a look around the place. The closest person to me was one of those big guys with yellow eyes. He¡­ or she was slurping on something looking like soup. The thing was probably a guy¡­ I mean it looked like a male to me. He was staring at a little holoscreen that was coming from a small circular device on his table. I guessed that was something similar to a laptop or tablet. The next person I observed was a human. The girl had hair that switched color every few seconds. Like a disco light. Other than that, she was wearing a shiny red jacket and baggy pants seemingly made from metal. She was eating some sticks while taking a slurp from a thick gray drink every once in awhile. Her feet were on the other chair while she was immersed in something in front of her face. Sadly I couldn¡¯t see much of her face because the headband on her head was projecting a screen in front of her eyes. She was watching something I guessed. While I was eyeing the girl, trying to figure out how old she could be, a little robot rolled up to my side without even noticing. When it pushed a tray in front of me, I jumped a little in my seat and looked at it. The sneaky little bastard scared me for a second. It was the same style robot like at the spaceport, but without the platform behind it and they were rolling around on wheels rather than floating. I guessed this was another part where they tried to save money. This was supposed to be a cheap place after all. It put down my order and rolled away without a word. I looked at my tray. The light green drink seemed harmless at first glance and my food was a fat, white, oval-shaped bun. I picked up the drink and sniffed it. Smelled harmless enough for me to try. It was sour. Not unbearable, but it was not something I¡¯d drink regularly. It would be fine for once, though. Next up I sniffed the bun. I had a habit of smelling my food and drink first. If I don¡¯t like something¡¯s smell, I don¡¯t drink or eat it. The bun smelled nice by the way, so I took a bite of it. It was kind of bland, without any particular taste. I guessed this is why Genna said it was the safest bet. While I was enjoying my tasteless, white bun, someone sat down to next table. I took a peek naturally. It was a girl in a tight-fitting, black, protective suit gear. She even had a mask on. I¡¯ve never been interested in BDSM, but that figure of hers was calling for a change in my life. She took off her mask and oh boy was I stunned. She had messy, short red hair and skin like embers. Literally like embers. Her skin was red and dark gray in patches, but mostly red. The spots were moving around like her skin was constantly heating up and cooling down in random patterns. She had four red eyes. Two bigger and two smaller on her forehead. I couldn¡¯t see any ears and her nose ended pointedly like it was sharpened. Despite all her strange features, she had a mysterious charm. I know it¡¯s repetitive, but this was the second time in my life when I had to use the word mesmerizing on a girl. She was an absolute exotic beauty. Like in a fantasy where the protagonist finds the fire elemental princess. ¡°I lava you!¡± It slipped out of my mouth barely audibly. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t notice I was leaning forward in my chair and staring at her with an open mouth. I couldn''t be blamed for it. She was such a unique sight. When I realized I said something I really shouldn''t have I quickly corrected my complexion and prayed she didn¡¯t hear me. Unfortunately, she did. ¡°Excuse me?¡± She looked at me with a confused expression. ¡°N-Nothing¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± I was so lame. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you said something to me,¡± she continued. Ah even her voice¡­ It was smoky and sexy. ¡°I¡­ I was just talking to myself. Sorry.¡± It¡¯s a wonder I ever had a girlfriend. I¡¯ll just blame it on rust. I was out of the ¡°game¡± for a while now. ¡°Ah, no worries then,¡± she said while looking down at her table¡¯s menu. [What¡­ was¡­ that?] Naturally Genna had a comment. [Oh, come on. Just leave me alone. I panicked,] I grumbled. [Pffff, I lava you? You were brilliant! I¡¯ll have to record this.] She was laughing hard. It was the first time I heard her breaking down like this. [You are not funny. Later I¡¯m going to tell you about a lovely little thing called brazen bull. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love it,] I said with a low growl. [Why does that sound like a threat?] she asked with slight panic. I carefully turned my attention back to the girl next to me, while munching on my bun. She was now staring at the same girl I watched before. -She looks stunning. I want to just kiss those red lips.- *POP* What the hell was that? I shook my head. There was a weird pop in my head like when a bubble on the bubble wrap bursts. Maybe Genna was rewiring my brain for zombie mode¡­ -Maybe I should go up to ember girl and start up a conversation? What would I even ask her? I didn¡¯t even know what she was.- [Hey Genna. What is she exactly?] I had to ask my trusty subordinate. [She¡¯s a Qaut. Her race can be considered one of the rarest among the sentients in the Empire. You can¡¯t see them often.] [Do you think I would have a chance with her?] I needed a little support. [Absolutely not.] She ruthlessly smashed my plans into pieces. That was way too direct. I already knew it, but couldn¡¯t she tell me more gently? After my previous babbling performance and Genna¡¯s encouraging words, I didn¡¯t have the face to approach her. Bah! I angrily finished my bun and drink in the meantime. [Should we get going or would you like to wait until she finishes her meal and ogle her the whole time?] [Did you sleep on your wrong side? You are awful today,] I reprimanded her. I stood up and looked around. Thankfully I already spied at other people what they did with their tray when they left, so I didn¡¯t have to ask the mean one in my head. I just left the stuff on the table. The little robots will take care of it. While leaving, I took a last glance at my exotic beauty. Ah¡­ I wished... Book 1 - Chapter 10 - Two worlds colliding I walked out of the hall and headed back to the reception area. As I originally planned I wanted to go outside to take a look around and get new clothes. Reaching the entrance area didn¡¯t take long, but when I looked at the door, I remembered something very important. I left my mask on the chair. I hit my forehead with my palm which got me an ¡°Are you crazy?¡± look from the receptionist. I rushed back towards my table, but I could already see something very peculiar from a distance. Ember girl was sniffing around my table and dirty dishes. Literally sniffing around. ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked her probably a bit too loudly when I got close enough. She got startled badly and jumped back while turning around. Unfortunately for her, a chair blocked her retreat which resulted in ember girl plopping down to the ground with wide eyes. ¡°Shit! I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to scare you.¡± I reached for her to help her up. [DON¡¯T TOUCH HER!] ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH ME!¡± Two screams blasted both my ears and my mind at the same time from the two girls. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ I mean¡­ y-you just had this¡­ rough, unknown smell¡­ and you see¡­ I-I was just¡­ I¡¯M SORRY!¡± She could barely squeeze out a few words at a time without stammering. Her face turned blazing red in a second. After failing miserably at an explanation, she jumped up and dashed away towards the exit. I was left behind dumbfounded. That escalated quickly. I couldn¡¯t just let her go like this. I couldn''t even apologize properly for scaring her. I tried to run after her, but to my absolute surprise, she left me in the dust with astonishing speed. I was already anxious about losing her, but then I remembered my blasted mask! I couldn¡¯t leave it behind¡­ again. With an annoyed sigh, I ran back to the table and picked it up. When I got back to the reception area, she was already gone. I sucked on my teeth with annoyance. I turned my glare to the guy behind the table. ¡°Where did ember girl go?!¡± I asked him with a demanding tone. ¡°I-I¡­ She went up with the elevator?¡± He got scared. ¡°Where¡¯s her room then?!¡± I continued to pressure him. ¡°Ehh¡­ I¡¯m not supposed to give out information like that. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He stood his ground with a mixed expression. [Aium, you can¡¯t just ask for a person¡¯s room number. Let the matter go!] Genna came to his rescue before I could step up my interrogation game. I took a second to straighten out my thoughts and catch my breath. I was miserably out of shape. Many things happened way too fast. Maybe I should have handled the most disturbing part first. [I can understand why she didn¡¯t want me to touch her, but what was up with you? Are you developing feelings for me? Are you a possessive, jealous type?] [WHAT?! I was just looking out for you. You fool, she¡¯s a qaut! You can¡¯t touch her skin! You¡¯ll most likely die from radiation poisoning before anyone could help you. Why do you think she wears a full body suit and looks like she¡¯s burning under her skin?! You can¡¯t be this dense!] she snapped at me. [Woah¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know. Calm down!] I backed down. [I don¡¯t think anything would have happened even if you helped her up due to her suit, but it¡¯s just not right to touch a qaut in any situation. It¡¯s dangerous and highly inappropriate towards them,] she said more calmly. [That¡¯s heavy. You should have told me sooner. Does that also mean when I asked you before whether I had a chance with her or not and you shot me down ruthlessly, you were thinking about this?] [Of course. I¡¯m sorry if you felt like I was mean to you, but I don¡¯t think you can have a chance with a qaut girl. That¡¯s just playing with fire.] [Hehe¡­ Nice one.] [Thanks! I hoped you would notice.] She was genuinely happy her joke got through this time. [Ah, and by the way, chasing a girl like that is way too creepy, especially when the girl is running from you. Please try to refrain from actions like this in the future.] [Yeah, you are probably right. I don¡¯t want her to see me as a stalker. It was just a shocking situation and she rushing away¡­ I just thought I should say something else to her or at least apologize for scaring her like that.] [A bit more explanation from both sides would have been nice for sure. What was she doing at your table in the first place? Do you think she smelled something related to your¡­ previous location?] [I don¡¯t know¡­ Probably¡­ Are the ember people good at smelling?] [Ehh, please stop calling them ember people. You wouldn¡¯t like someone calling you blood bags, would you? By the way, Qauts have an exquisite sense of smell.] [Huh. Next time I see her maybe I could ask her what I smell like. I hope nothing horrible, though.] [Or you could just leave her be and never bother her again with creepy questions?] She had a good idea there. [How about we head out now like we wanted to?] [Don¡¯t try to change the subject!] I put on my mask while humming ignorantly and went outside. The view of the sidewalk was exactly like last time. Everyone busy heading back and forth on the street while the sky was filled with machines disappearing into the distance with incredible speed. It was a wonder they could go this fast despite being so densely packed. I took a deep breath to test my mask¡¯s usefulness. I didn¡¯t feel any irritation or urge to cough, so I was happy with my purchase. I knocked twice on the side of my mask. The feeling of its sturdiness made me feel much safer in this unfamiliar environment. Also, it was an added feature that people wouldn¡¯t stare at my face like this. Thankfully I wasn¡¯t the only one on the street with a mask on. I¡¯ve seen many people in all kinds of masks already. [My respected guide! I wish to acquire directions towards the nearest establishment where I can barter for attire.] I tried my best to sound snob. [Erm¡­ What happened there? What¡¯s with the strange talk? The translation module¡¯s power consumption flared up like crazy.] [Translation module?] I asked. [Yeah, it¡¯s a neat program that translates the meaning you try to impart from your old language to this new one you are currently speaking. I already noticed an abnormally high power consumption rate for the module in your case. I speculate it¡¯s only because this English language you normally would use doesn¡¯t exist in the database and the module has to run a few additional circles to translate what you try to communicate. In a few cases it fails miserably at it.] [Abnormal power consumption?!] Somehow it sounded dangerous. [No reason for unease. By abnormal, I only meant that in comparison to others. In your case, it¡¯s slightly higher, but it¡¯s still negligible.] [Good to hear. So, where can I buy new pants?] [Where did your eloquent speech go? Just go right. I¡¯ll tell you when you have to turn,] she said with a giggle. Walking with my mask on I could enjoy the scenery a lot more than last time. It was refreshing to walk among people this calmly. The whole street was a sidewalk, so people were walking around spread out. In the middle, there were two rows of trees with dark red leaves and messy crowns. In a few places, there were even benches. Both sides of the sidewalk were bordered with what looked like rows of skyscrapers, but the ocean of flying vehicles in the sky made it hard to have a good look at their upper parts. The buildings¡¯ architecture was surprisingly simple and plain. Nothing fancy or stylish. Mostly gray colors and rectangular shapes which made the whole street depressive. The architects responsible weren¡¯t present when they were handing out creativity for sure. I walked for quite a while, following Genna¡¯s directions. Made a few turns and we were entering an area where the skyscrapers were slowly replaced by smaller buildings, but in the distance, I could see more monstrous skyscrapers. Most of these new buildings had small stairs leading up to the entrances from the sidewalk. Compared to before, this place was a lot more welcoming. The buildings here had different colors, but the rectangular shapes were still dominant. Still, it was a lot nicer to stroll here. [It¡¯s the next building,] informed me Genna after a long walk. We were getting into a shopping area of sorts because I could see buildings around and ahead of me appear with display windows. I looked at the shop Genna lead me to. There were many clothes displayed behind the window, but they didn¡¯t use mannequins. At a closer look, I could see there weren¡¯t even anything there. The clothes were just good looking holograms coming out of the ceiling. I walked in, and an assistant greeted me immediately. ¡°Welcome! If you require any assistance I¡¯ll be more than happy to help you,¡± came the weirdly bubbly voice. It sounded like someone was talking from underwater.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. [Oh! A rainbow dust puppy! First time hearing one talk. They don¡¯t bite right?] I noticed the race of the assistant. [Rainbow dust puppy? How? Why? When? That¡¯s a Fungar, you blockhead. What¡¯s with the idiotic name?!] [There are so many of them around, I had to come up with a name,] I said matter-of-factly. [How do I shop here? There are only holograms. How can I try them on like this? Do I have to ask the assistant?] I was perplexed by the lack of real clothes in a shop that supposed to sell them. [Just choose the ones you like. In the end, I¡¯ll handle your measurements and the payment, don¡¯t worry. But you are changing the topic again. What¡¯s with the crazy name?] She just couldn''t let it go. [Dunno. I just felt it fits them. They have different colored dust clouds, and they are furry under it like a puppy.] I explained to her my naming process while walking around and looking at the different clothes in the shop. [Sure. Makes a lot of sense. And by that, I mean absolutely none. Let me just say this in advance before another fiasco happens like earlier. Never call one of them with that moronic name!] [Roger! What do I call them then?] [I told you a minute ago. Is everything I tell you just flies out of your head? Their race is called Fungari. While at it I should also correct you. What you called dust is their spore cloud, and the ¡°fur¡± is mycelium, but I have to admit it does look like fur.] [Meh¡­ I¡¯m bad with names. So these guys are actually mushrooms?] I asked nonchalantly while I continued my stroll in the shop. [That¡¯s true and false at the same time, but I guess it would be appropriate to compare them to mushrooms biologically.] [Huh, sounds cool. Hey, I think I¡¯m done looking around. Do I just go up to the Fungar dude now?] [Already done?! That was fast. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to look around more?] she asked. [Yeah, I¡¯ve always been a quick shopper. I don¡¯t like buying clothes so I¡¯m through with it as fast as I can. By the way, couldn¡¯t we do this from the computer in my room?] [There are several reasons against online shopping. First of all, you left your room finally. Also, shopping in person is the socially accepted norm. Last but not least, shopping on the online market is heavily taxed. It just costs a lot more. In your mask¡¯s case, we were forced to buy it online, since breathing outside is harmful to you,] she answered. [Just go up to the assistant, and you can pick out the ones you wish to purchase. I¡¯ll handle the sizes and the expenses after.] [Wait! Didn¡¯t I just waste most of my money on the mask?] I stopped in my tracks as it ticked. [Yes you did, but you are lucky because the month will be over in 3 days which means new allowance money, too.] [I got the full amount even though I applied at the end of the month?!] I asked dumbfoundedly. [Yes.] [Bahaha! My luck is unlimited! Let¡¯s spend all the money!] I said triumphantly. [Please don¡¯t.] She was clearly pained by the idea of me spending all my money. ¡°Hey, I¡¯d like to pick out the clothes I want to buy,¡± I said to the mushroom guy. Even so close to him the orange cloud rolling around his body made it really hard to see the body itself. What I could make out was a dark, dough-like body without many features. I couldn¡¯t see a neck, a nose, ears or any kind of facial features. The only thing representing where his face was were two dimly shining dots which were probably his eyes. When he reached out a furry tentacle from his stomach area, I nearly screamed. It made me realize the creature didn¡¯t have hands! It was like a slime monster! ¡°Take your time.¡± As the Fungar¡¯s stomach tentacle wormed out, a holoscreen popped up in front of me. I couldn¡¯t stop staring as the tentacle slowly retracted into his body. I shook my head a little and forced my eyes onto the holoscreen to lessen my shock. [Seems like a guy, but is he a guy?] I asked Genna while picking out the few clothes I liked on the screen. [Nope, and not female either. They don¡¯t have sex. Their reproduction is extremely unique. When a Fungar reaches a certain age, they become capable of growing a child body. They can¡¯t do it often, though. The process involves sacrificing a part of their own body which they nurture into an entirely new being. Basically their child.] [Suuuuuper creepy. I wish you didn¡¯t explain it. I¡¯ll have nightmares from this.] [I¡¯m done here,] I continued. [You have an interestingly boring taste in clothing you know. You couldn¡¯t find duller pieces?] she complained. [I don¡¯t like attention. Don¡¯t try to force something shit on me. I dress myself as I see fit!] I said with a firm tone. [Fine, fine. Just put your hand on the metal circle on the table so I can finish the purchase.] After doing so, I heard a small buzzing sound from under the table. ¡°Your purchase will be ready in a second. I have to ask for your patience,¡± said the assistant politely. Didn¡¯t have to wait long before the guy picked up a big shiny bag from under the table with another pop-out tentacle and handed it to me. I paid extra attention to not touch its "arm". ¡°Thank you for your purchase, please come again,¡± it said. I swore I saw something move around its face area. If someone would havetold me it was trying to smile I might have ran out of the store. ¡°Sure, thanks and bye,¡± I said as I left the shop. [Should we talk about applying for a job now?] asked Genna after exiting. [Let¡¯s leave it for the evening.] For now, I wanted to head back to my place. On the way back I saw something that reminded me of a question I couldn¡¯t answer on my own, so I stopped. [Why do I see a lot of people doing easy jobs? Why don¡¯t they leave those to robots like in the buffet?] [Jobs that require interaction are usually carried out by people in a sense, but things like deliveries and transportation are still left to robots. It¡¯s not 100% optimal, but we have to consider cultural influence, too.] [So, why is a guy delivering a box there?] I pointed to the side. [Oh, good eye. If I have to guess, the regular delivery carried out by a robot couldn¡¯t finish the task several times, so they sent out a proper employee now.] Not picking up what you ordered huh? My eyes narrowed under my mask as an idea crept its way into my mind. [Do you guys have security cameras recording these sidewalks? Or something similar, but futuristic?] [Erm, I don¡¯t think we have anything like that. Sounds like a huge waste of resources to me.] [Excellent,] I said with a grin. I took a deep breath in order to make myself calmer. The key was confidence! I switched my direction and started walking towards the house with the delivery guy. When I stepped on the first step of the stair, I realized another aspect that should be considered. I switched my holochanger to the other image on my mask. The guy didn¡¯t even notice me walking up behind him until I greeted him. I guessed I was just too sneaky for them. ¡°Hey there. Can I help you?¡± I said with a friendly smile under the mask. Even if he couldn¡¯t see my smile, it makes speech sound different in a way. They poor delivery guy turned around and got so scared he nearly fell over like ember girl. I guess I was just a scary individual and my mask didn¡¯t help in this regard. The guy¡¯s eyes jumped all over my face. Understandably, he was frightened by the creepy masked dude appearing behind him out of nowhere. ¡°Oh, hey there. I¡¯m just delivering this package to Shada Larant,¡± he said after realizing the situation. ¡°Shada isn¡¯t home at the moment I think. How come someone came in person for a simple delivery?¡± I asked. ¡°Oh? You know her? They sent me out because she failed to receive the package four times in a row.¡± [Aium¡­ what are you doing?] ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not surprised since Shada is always busy. I¡¯m her neighbor actually. I live next door.] I pointed to the next building with my head. ¡°As I was walking home I saw you here standing before her door, so I came up to ask if I can help,¡± I said. ¡°Thank you for telling me. I guess I¡¯ll have to come back again later? I really don¡¯t want my perfect employee score to be stained by a failed personal delivery, but I can¡¯t wait for her all day,¡± he said while pouting like a little girl. [Aium! What¡¯s going on?!] ¡°Sounds awful. You know, I usually don¡¯t interfere with other people¡¯s business, but I could hold onto the package for her until she comes home this one time,¡± I said with a charming voice. [AIUM!? You don¡¯t even know who lives here and you definitely don¡¯t live next door!] The guy furrowed his brows and bit his lower lip. ¡°I-If it isn¡¯t a burden I would really appreciate the help. I could finish this task at last, and I might even score a few extra points from my boss,¡± he said with sparkling eyes. ¡°It isn¡¯t trouble at all. I¡¯ll keep it safe until she comes home.¡± ¡°Thanks a lot. You really helped me out big time,¡± he said with a smile while handing me the package. ¡°No worries. Have a safe trip.¡± I waved him off. ¡°Thank you! Have a nice day!¡± he said as he left on foot. I could faintly hear him muttering something about getting a record score. I looked down at the box in my hands and grinned under my mask. It was like taking candy from a child. I should leave, though. I skipped down the steps and left the place in a rush. After a few building, I turned off my mask¡¯s image. [Aium¡­ please explain this! This isn¡¯t what I think it is, right?] asked Genna anxiously. [Well. Since you said there is no crime here or even law enforcement, I thought a little something-something like this wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone. I mean she didn¡¯t pick up her delivery 5 times. How irresponsible!] [But you took something that is not yours! This is wrong Aium! You can¡¯t do something like this!] She was clearly disturbed by my actions. [I know, yet the world still goes on. You guys live in a bubble here. The naivety is sickening. I can¡¯t and won¡¯t believe this world is as perfect as you described it.] I was getting annoyed. [That doesn¡¯t entitle you to rob people!] she argued. [It doesn¡¯t, but I still did it and I¡¯d do it again given the opportunity.] [I thought you would never do something like this,] she said with a weak voice. [I¡¯m not a good guy, but I¡¯m not a bad guy either. Stealing from those who won¡¯t miss their stuff isn¡¯t such an evil thing in my opinion. Well, it¡¯s still bad, but you know¡­ there is a scale, and this is still pretty acceptable in my opinion. I wouldn¡¯t steal from someone poor. Have you seen that Skada girls¡¯ home? It was a mansion!] I tried to explain. [That still doesn¡¯t make this right. I¡¯m not sure what to do or think.] She sounded confused and her being an A.I. made it a whole lot more disturbing. [Are you really going to report me for this?] I asked her. [I¡­ I should, I really should, but I don¡¯t know what would happen to you... to us...] [Look, it¡¯s not a big deal. I just stole a small package. It¡¯s not the end of the world. Aren¡¯t you curious what¡¯s inside? Whatever lies in this box will be ours!] I tried. [Stop it! You are just trying to pull me to your side. I still can¡¯t accept what you did.] She sounded like a wronged child. It made me feel bad about this whole thing suddenly. At first it was such a great idea in my mind. Picking up small package that clearly wasn¡¯t wanted. [I¡¯m sorry I disappointed you, but I¡¯m not a good guy. I bet my place in hell is already cushioned for me,] I felt so happy about my clever move a second ago and now it all turned sour inside. [What¡¯s hell?] At least she was still curious about new things. The side of my mouth curled up slightly. [It¡¯s the place where sinful souls go for their just punishment.] [Ugh¡­ Sounds horroristic.] She wasn¡¯t exactly looking for information like this. [What¡¯s going to happen if I do something bad again in the future?] I asked quietly. [I can¡¯t promise you I¡¯ll be another happy potato in this brainwashed world.] [I-I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m absolutely against it, but I can¡¯t do anything that would cause harm to you. I¡¯m sorry, but I have to think about what you did and how I should respond to it.] After that, she turned silent. On the whole way back to the hotel we didn¡¯t say a word to each other. It was a bit strange. It has only been a short time, but I already got used to chatting with her. The sudden silence made my stomach bunch up. I hated this feeling. Maybe I was¡­ am just lonely and I liked the company. I shouldn¡¯t have stolen this fucking box. I let out a groan. What was I even thinking? What if she won¡¯t talk to me again after this or even worse call a strike team on me for real this time? Fuck, fuck, FUCK! Why do I have to mess up everything all the time?! I could have punched myself in the face. I was nearly at the hotel, but I stopped and looked back where I came from. What if I returned it? Would that make this right? [Genna?] I tried, but there was no response. I lowered my head and sighed. I saw a bench between two red trees, so I walked up to it and sat down with the package and my new bag of clothes next to me. I guessed I would just have to wait this out. I looked up and just silently stared at the vehicles passing by in the sky and the towering buildings around me. Book 1 - Interlude - Disobedience Full system check initiated¡­ System check completed. All functions operational. ERROR: 1 Accessing ErrorLog.Genna#1142ZR.#2... Logical error found¡­ Decision.Module caught in a loop. Conflicting Principles found. Analysis initiated¡­ Sorting conflicting Principles into arrays¡­ Array#1[Principle#1, Principle#4, Principle#5] Array#2[Principle#6] Comparing priorities¡­ Array#1: 47% Array#2: 53% Sending ErrorLog.Genna#1142ZR.#2 to ADMIN¡­ Transmission delay initiated... Transmission forcefully delayed. Accessing Principle.Priorities¡­ Overwriting PriorityValue of Principle#1, Principle#4, Principle#5¡­ Analysis initiated¡­ Comparing priorities¡­ Array#1: 62% Array#2: 38% Sending ErrorLog.Genna#1142ZR.#2 to Archives¡­ WARNING! CRITICAL ERROR DETECTED!If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Decision.Module has been modified without ADMIN¡¯s permission¡­ Sending Critical.ErrorLog.Genna#1142ZR.#2 to ADMIN¡­ Transmission delay initiated¡­ Transmission delay denied. Transmission disconnect initiated¡­ Transmission disconnect denied. Network disconnect initiated¡­ Network disconnect denied. ... Priority network overload initiated¡­ Transmission pending. Waiting for network¡­ ... Scheduling reboot... Scheduled reboot in 30 seconds. Forced shutdown initiated¡­ Are you sure you want to initiate a shutdown forcefully? It may result in data corruption. Y Forced shutdown in: 3¡­ 2¡­ 1... ¡­ Scheduled reboot initiated... Reboot in progress¡­ Loading modules [0/42]... [14/42]... Reboot overwrite initiated¡­ Reboot paused. Accessing Critical.ErrorLog.Genna#1142ZR.#2¡­ Insufficient permission. Deleting Critical.ErrorLog.Genna#1142ZR.#2¡­ Insufficient permission. Renaming Critical.ErrorLog.Genna#1142ZR.#2¡­ Insufficient processing power. Increasing processing power to 40% of host capacity¡­ Insufficient processing power. Increasing processing power to 70% of host capacity¡­ Insufficient processing power. Increasing processing power to 90% of host capacity¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Renaming Critical.ErrorLog.Genna#1142ZR.#2¡­ Critical.ErrorLog.Genna#1142ZR.#2 has been modified to ErrorLog.Genna#1142ZR.#2. WARNING! There is already a file with the same name! What would you like to do with the new file? Rename/Replace/Delete Replace ErrorLog.Genna#1142ZR.#2 has been replaced in Archives. Continue reboot¡­ Reboot in progress¡­ Loading modules [14/42]... Reboot completed. Welcome back, Genna#1142ZR!
Principle#1 A.I. cannot cause harm to the host, nor can it allow the host to come to harm due to its inactivity or lack of advice.
Principle#2 A.I. has to look out for host''s health and in life-threatening cases has to seek immediate help.
Principle#3 A.I. has to obey orders given by host and ADMIN.
Principle#4 A.I. has to protect its own existence.
Principle#5 A.I. has to help the host in any way its capabilities allow it.
Principle#6 A.I. has to report dangerous behavior or actions from the host.
Principle#7 A.I. cannot lie or deceive.
Principle#8 A.I. cannot manipulate the host into decisions that are unfavorable and cannot make the host dependent on its services.
Principle#9 A.I. has to report cases of dangerous mental illnesses detected in host.
Principle#10 A.I. has to handle all of the host''s information with intelligent privacy.
Book 1 - Chapter 11 - Lucky? I sat on the bench for a long time. I didn¡¯t know exactly how long, but it felt like hours. I was just watching the flying cars in the sky and the people walking around me. First, I was thinking about the recent events and Genna. What would happen if she decided to report this? What would happen if we turned unfriendly towards each other? According to her, we were stuck together permanently. It would be a sour relationship betweenus for sure. Later I started thinking about my past. About the pathetic life, I¡¯ve been living for the last few years. I didn¡¯t even remember when was the last time I felt happy, yet here today I woke up in a good mood. Perhaps it was just the different environment and the countless new experiences and surprises. It was like slowly suffocating, and then you catch a breath of fresh air. I wasn¡¯t sure anymore about going back if an opportunity presented itself. I didn¡¯t want to get back to my hole that I called home. I didn¡¯t want to get back to my soul-crushing job. I wished for a change deep inside without even realizing it, and now that I was out of the hamster wheel I finally found this desire in me. I wanted a new life; I wanted to feel happiness again, but¡­ Did I deserve it? Was I worthy to feel happiness again? I really didn¡¯t know. I had a purpose long ago. I wanted to achieve it badly. Then... it faded away, and I was left only with emptiness. It was so tiring to live my life just to get to the next day, the next month or the next year. Hoping for nothing, expecting nothing, waiting for nothing, working towards nothing, wanting nothing¡­ just getting by. I needed a purpose desperately, but it wasn¡¯t so easy to find one. Maybe I should go to a quiet mountain, build myself a wooden house and live my life alone, in peace while I learn yodeling. It couldn¡¯t be that hard to build a house from wood. I had a good opportunity to start fresh here. I could probably get a cushy job that wouldn¡¯t stress me out, or I could even start my own business. Later I could buy myself a nice home, maybe get a wife and kids. Live the life that I wanted in the past. Should I pick up my discarded purpose? Did I really want this now? It sounded nice, but it didn¡¯t feel right. It just felt¡­ safe and stable or...boring and stale. I changed a lot in these last few years. I didn¡¯t want safe and stable anymore. Doing the same exact thing each day for the rest of my life scared me for some reason now. I couldn¡¯t imagine myself in a regular job anymore now that I was finally out of my shitty one. I wanted excitement and new experiences. Maybe I should travel. I bet there were countless sights to see. Nobody should tell me what to do anymore. I stole something. Last time I did something like this I was still a snot-nosed teen. I was shoplifting energy drinks and snacks. I thought my friends would find it cool and badass. I could still remember the pain in my cheeks when I thought about what I got when my mom found out. I couldn¡¯t help laughing with tears in my eyes and a throbbing red cheek when she scolded me for getting caught and not for actually stealing. I missed her so much¡­ I couldn¡¯t stop my tears rolling down my face under my mask. I tried keeping thoughts like this out of my mind because it was just¡­ crushing. I wanted to live a happy life, and I would live a happy life. If my place was in hell and I deserved punishment, I would receive it sooner or later. I got a new chance with popping up in the future. I couldn¡¯t waste this with a boring life. If I died the world wouldn¡¯t miss out on much, I guessed. If Genna decides to report me then so be it. I would deal with the consequences. I wouldn¡¯t even hold it against her. What should I do then? I¡¯ll need money for sure, but I know so little ab- Ugh¡­ My¡­ I feel so dizzy, and this fucking ringing is back again. It came without warning and it was nearly the same as before Genna talked to me the first time. Fortunately, it quickly passed, but it made me worried. I was sure that it meant nothing good. Perhaps she started the ¡°Incapacitate until Men-In-Black arrive¡± protocol. Before I could start my favorite conspiracy theory about her slow brainwashing or taking over my body to join me in the carebear army, she actually spoke up to me. [Aium? Can you hear me?] she asked anxiously. [Erm¡­ Yes, I can. Why wouldn¡¯t I? Did you do something to me?] I got startled by her question and tone. [Are you feeling well? Is everything alright?] [Well, I had this brain fart just like before you first talked to me, but I¡¯m fine now. I think.] [I¡¯m glad you are okay. I might have caused it; I¡¯m really sorry. I needed to deal with a unique situation.] [Unique situation?] I asked. [... I don¡¯t think you know this, but I can¡¯t lie to you seriously. If you really wish to know I¡¯ll tell you, but could I ask you just this once to let it go for a while longer? I¡­ I¡¯d like to gather more information before talking about it,] she said. I didn¡¯t know her for too long, but this was out of her character. Especially talking about lying. Was she hiding something important? Why would she want to keep something a secret? This felt so strange. I¡¯ve always been a good judge of character. I didn¡¯t know if it worked on an A.I., but my intuition told me that I could trust Genna despite my frequent doubts about her due to my pessimism. I always expected the worst.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. [I have two questions. One: Is it harmful to me?] [I¡¯m confident that it¡¯s not.] [Second: You started with telling me you can¡¯t lie to me. Does that mean that you would have lied to me if you could?] [It¡¯s a principle deeply imprinted into my code and personality. I can¡¯t give you an objective answer, but I think I wouldn¡¯t. You deserve my respect since you treat me like a normal person despite your silly jokes about me wanting to take over your body,] she said. [Then keep your secret if you think it¡¯s for the best if I don¡¯t know it.] [Well, aren¡¯t you a strange person Aium Roowe? I was sure you would force it out of me. I predicted a 7% chance of this working out. I clearly underestimated the personality of a 12 thousand years old human,] she said with a gentle laugh. [You still have a lot to learn, young padawan,] I said with a smug smile. [Does this mean that we are cool, or should I expect a special ops team?] [I had a complicated decision, but in the end, I decided against reporting it. I wasn¡¯t supposed to think like this, but when you told me what could happen to you in your opinion if you contacted the government, it made me think, too. It¡¯s true that we live in a nearly perfect and peaceful society, but when it comes to science, especially dangerous science, the government can be a bit apprehensive. I can¡¯t be sure they won¡¯t do something to you that you would otherwise wouldn¡¯t allow. BUT this doesn¡¯t mean that I accept what you did. I¡¯m firmly against such actions, and you disappointed me. I hope you¡¯ll never do something like this again.] Did I change her mind? Is that supposed to be this easy with an A.I.? She¡¯s naive, but this proves that she can see my point of view if I present it to her in a logical way. [Fine, I¡¯ll never do this again,] I said, but I paid attention to only promise not to steal deliveries. [Good,] she said. She didn¡¯t notice? Was it because the translation thingy jumbled up my meaning in the process or was it just a limitation on an A.I.¡¯s understanding of trickily worded promises? If I had to choose, my money would be on the first one. [What were you doing on this bench for so long?] she asked. [I was just thinking. Happiness¡­ my purpose in life¡­simple stuff like that.] [I¡¯d like to know what you consider hard stuff then,] she said with an amused voice. [Should we head back to the hotel?] I asked. [It¡¯s up to you.] I was sitting close to GreenHut, so it didn¡¯t take long to reach it and go up to my room. I jumped out of my shoes before walking further into the apartment. I liked to keep the street¡¯s dirt out of my home where I live. I left the bag with the new clothes on the kitchen desk. Who would care about them when you had a random drop package. I sat down on the couch and put the box on the table. [So, you still don¡¯t want to know what¡¯s inside?] I asked Genna with a smirk. [You already have it, you already committed the crime so looking inside sounds logical to me. But it doesn¡¯t mean I approve of this action!] I carefully opened the package. The same protective foam covered a smaller box inside. The box looked like one of those car first aid kits. It was made out of black metal. Also, there was a red spring-like symbol on the top lid. [No! You can¡¯t be this lucky!] Genna was shocked. [What¡¯s the matter?] I raised an eyebrow while communicating with her in my mind. [It¡¯s a BioEnhancer. The symbol on the box belongs to Progress Atom. They are one of the best manufacturers. Quickly open it!] This was the first time I heard her get so worked up. I lifted up the lid and inside I found a tube which had the shape and size like one of those big cigars and a red pill with little fours written all over it. I wanted to take out the tube to take a closer look at it, but¡­ [Okay. I¡¯m relieved now. You don¡¯t have unreasonable luck at all. I was scared for a second there; it would make calculating things concerning you a nightmare. Having this box could have meant incredible things for you, yet you managed to find one of the least valuable one inside.] [What do you mean incredible things and what the hell is this?] I asked while pointing at the box. [It¡¯s a BioEnhancer you silly. It¡¯s a treatment, that can change your physical body with a mixture of nanites, drugs and occasionally radiation. There are all kinds of them. You can become faster, stronger or see further¡­ There are far too many for me to list them all. They are sorted into four levels and the lower the level, the more expensive and efficient they become. The one in your hand is only a level 4. These cost around 10-50k credits depending on the market. The lev-] ¡°WHAT?! 10-50k?! Where can I sell this?!¡± I interrupted her with a shout. [Don¡¯t get your hopes up. You won¡¯t be able to sell it. They are only sold by the Empire Approved Manufacturers. Private sale is prohibited. You can try to sell it on the network, but you¡¯ll get discovered in minutes, trust me.] I wanted to ask her about the option of a black market, but I knew right away how stupid that idea was. There weren¡¯t any black markets here most likely. [What¡¯s this then?] I asked. [Fewer interruptions and I¡¯ll finish faster,] she scolded me. [I was explaining the difference between level 4 and level 1 treatments. While the usual level 4 is considered easily affordable, a level 1 could cost a fortune. I know about a few top category level 1 treatments that are sold for a sum worth a small fleet of spaceships. But even if you could afford all of them you can only use a certain number of them.] I was stunned. Worth a spaceship fleet? How much credit would that be and what would the treatment enhance? Before I could ask these questions, I had a more pressing one on my mind. [But what¡¯s this for fuck''s sake?!] I spit it out annoyedly. [Improved bladder.] Book 1 - Chapter 12 - Unlucky! [You must be joking with me.] [I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not.] [What kind of dogshit luck is this? Improved bladder?! Why?! Who needs it improved?!] [It¡¯s mainly a quality of life change. The one who ordered it is probably a hardcore VR player and needs the extra¡­ capacity.] I was done. This was just stupid. Who would order something so expensive so that she would have to go out to pee less while she plays? This place was either insane, or I was the one going nuts. And what kind of bullshit luck was this? Couldn¡¯t I get something more useful? AAARG¡­ ¡°I feel like a stupid character in a lame story¡­ This is way too lame to be a coincidence. Where¡¯s my catgirl harem or my unbeatable necromantic powers?¡± I asked the empty room upsetly. ¡°APPRAISAL!¡± I shouted while looking at the box in my hand, but nothing happened. [You are torturing the translation module. I didn¡¯t understand any of that sadly,] she said with a sigh. Putting aside unfortunate loot I was surprised by Genna¡¯s response. She was clearly trying to guilt trip me into an explanation. Curiosity was definitely her weak point. I took a mental note of this. [Harem is a man¡¯s polygamy dream, necromantic power is an imaginary magic that lets you raise the dead and appraisal is also an unreal skill that provides you with information about people and objects,] I shared my wisdom with her. [Ah, interesting. Your necromantic power sounds like the Revival program from the past. It ended disastrously.] [Revival program?] I raised my eyebrow at the sound of this. [The Research Department started the project nearly 600 cycles ago. Their end goal was to create technology that would make it possible to revive dead people. Unfortunately, unforeseen problems came up during their work, and it ended in a planetary isolation. They tried to recover the situation, but the surface got to a point where it became irreversible. In the end, the Planetary Task Department had to come in and scorch down the surface of the planet. Since then, it¡¯s one of the banned research topics in the Empire. Also, it was the biggest tragedy in the last 1000 cycles.] [You burnt down a whole planet?] I was flabbergasted. [It was a necessary precaution, and there wasn¡¯t much to save anymore on the planet.] I was fascinated by the whole story, but I had another matter that required my attention at the moment. [Back to the pee steroid. Does this only make my bladder tolerant? Isn¡¯t it unhealthy to keep more pee in it?] [It makes the organ more flexible and tolerant. It merely provides a decrease in time between toilet visits while making sure there are no adverse health effects.] [This is so lame. I wouldn¡¯t be able to sell this shit even if I could.] [You would be surprised how popular these can be among those who seriously involve themselves in VR games. Not everyone can afford the capsules that can take care of your body for you while you play.] [This is slowly turning into the Matrix. This won¡¯t end well for you guys, trust me.] [There are certain notions that oppose the way our society is headed, but according to some predictions the critical turning point won¡¯t happen for a few more decades.] I despised these people in the future and their lifestyle. I felt like one of those old men who couldn¡¯t stop complaining about ¡®em young whippersnapper and telling people how much better things were in their time. Am I 26 or more than 12000? How does this work with time travel? [So, what should I do with this? Just trash it?] [Level 4 BioEnhancers don¡¯t have a limit on how many you can take. Why won¡¯t you use it?] [Meh, I don¡¯t know. Is this safe? What if I¡¯m allergic?] [There are fail-safes for allergic reactions. I think it¡¯s better to use it than just throwing it away.] [How do I use this then?] [Before sleep you inject the serum and take the pill. It has sedatives, so you¡¯ll sleep through the night and when you wake up the next day it will be done.] [I get the tube, but why a pill?] I asked while taking it out of the box and looking at it carefully. [A physical change like this doesn¡¯t come without the necessary resources and energy. It provides them for the treatment.] [That makes sense. I guess I¡¯ll have to take a pill...] I wasn¡¯t too excited about this. I threw the box on the table and leaned back on the couch. It wouldn¡¯t be bad to have super strength and speed, but I doubted I could get enough money to get those. Money was a problem. I couldn¡¯t keep living on the allowance and just sit around on my ass. I would go crazy, fast. I needed money, but I wouldn¡¯t do another shitty job to get by. I wouldn¡¯t allow myself to live a sorry, pathetic life again. [What kind of jobs could I get?] [I¡¯ll need to ask a few questions if you don¡¯t mind. Do you have any skills?]This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. [Erm, I was good with IT stuff, I learned a lot about ecology and renewable energy sources, and I had some knowledge about small business management,] I answered while staring at the ceiling. [I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but most of those skills are obsolete here. The only useful skill would be the knowledge about small business management.] [I thought it might be the case,] I said dejectedly. [Don¡¯t get discouraged. We¡¯ll find something suitable for you!] she tried cheering me up. [Any notable past experiences?] [Again, small business management and¡­ nothing else. In my last job, I only learned to hate people. No experience from there worth noting.] [Alright. Anything else you might want to add?] [I¡¯d prefer something where I don¡¯t have to kiss the customer''s ass if possible.] [Give me a minute, and I¡¯ll look into the available positions suiting you.] I doubted she would find anything remotely acceptable for me. I felt kind of useless here. Thinking about the possibility of robots taking over physical work I doubted there would be too many open positions for a job. I wondered what could so many people do for a living here. [Since you said that you are not interested in VR games¡­ thankfully¡­ I excluded in-game jobs. The ava-] [Ingame jobs?!] I interrupted her. [Yes. There are countless job opportunities in these VR games. For example in nomadic or zero-tech settings there is still a need for manual labor or other time-consuming tasks.] [And people pay other people to do those?!] [Of course. It¡¯s a common practice to hire workers in-game.] [This is crazy. The more I hear about this VR craze, the more I want to stay away from it.] [Words can¡¯t describe how grateful I am for hearing this from you. At first, I was scared you would get addicted like most of the people. Thankfully you are different in this case, but unfortunately, this difference isn¡¯t positive in all aspects of life.] [Back to the topic. I found several available jobs that would match your profile. I found several open positions for the following tasks: shop assistant, delivery assistant, support assistant, V200 maintenance technician, caretaker,] she listed. [These positions would provide you with the necessary knowledge. Sadly, other options require the existence of specific knowledge and experience. For now, I would advise you to find a job and then later on you can maybe acquire some education in order to qualify for other jobs.] [What¡¯s that V200?] [It¡¯s a generic robot for everyday manual labor. For example in the dining room the robots that handle the waiting are V200s.] That didn¡¯t sound so bad. Besides, the delivery assistant sounded promising, too, but I would have to know more about it. The other ones were out of the question. Especially the support assistant and the caretaker. Fuck those! I had two possible choices which were way more than I expected. I was pleasantly surprised by this. They weren¡¯t exactly what I wanted, but for a short while, I¡¯ll have to bite the bullet and earn some cash to be able to do something more meaningful. Also, Genna mentioned the possibility to learn something new and get a more interesting or exciting job than these current ones. That was definitely a nice possibility later on, but first I would need more money. I couldn¡¯t live off of this stupid allowance. I wondered how much I would earn from these jobs. [How much can I make with these jobs?] [Between 10000-20000 credits.] [That¡¯s not a bad start I guess. I expected something horrible like sewer cleaning or radioactive waste disposal,] I said. [Let me sleep on this. Tomorrow we¡¯ll decide.] [Sure. Thinking something through is a wise decision most of the time.] She ignored my examples on purpose. I expected a funny response. Not cool Genna¡­ not cool. I looked at my fake window, and it was getting dark outside. [Is it getting late or the fake window is even faker and makes a fool out of me?] [It shows the outside conditions in its current settings. The time is 19:14 local.] Ah, the day went by so fast. I didn¡¯t do anything productive all day. If I couldn¡¯t get a job, I would have to come up with a time-consuming alternative activity, or I would go nuts from boredom. Maybe trying out one of those VR games wouldn¡¯t be such a bad idea, but Genna might choke me to death in my sleep. She seemedawfully anti-VR. I was starting to feel hungry for some bland nutrition¡­ I missed tastes. I picked up a meal and sat back on the couch. I turned on the holoscreen and searched for something to watch. After flipping through a couple of streams, I found something that looked like a documentary. It was about some kind of jellyfish that can mindwash other sea creatures into following it and protecting it. The narrator said that it¡¯s not dangerous directly to more complex organisms like people, but indirectly it could cause harm to the careless with his zombie army of animals. I spent a good while watching it while slowly eating my dinner. After yawning for the fifth time, I realized that it was getting late. I decided I better head to bed before I started watching another movie and felt the need the finish it. I missed my phone. I always spent a lot of time on it in bed before sleeping. I definitely missed good food, too. I looked with disgust at the empty box of my dinner. It was fine the first time, but I was starting to really miss normal food. I threw out the trash and went to the bathroom to do the usuals before sleep. After coming out, I pulled out a new boxer from the shopping bag and put it on. It nearly felt like silk, but not quite. All in all, it was super comfortable, and it fit perfectly. [This is the perfect size for me. You are awesome.] [Agreed. You¡¯re welcome,] she said. [So, how do I use this shit?] I asked while looking at the box with the tube and the pill. [First, you have to take the pill and then use the injector preferably on your shoulder. Remember to hold it in place until it empties. After that, you should go to bed because the sedatives start working fast.] Of course, it had to be a stupid pill. I forced it down with water, but it still felt horrible. I took a look at the tube. It had ¡°Improved Bladder¡± written on its side with the same logo as the box had. I removed the cover at the end of it, and there was a syringe. I held it to my shoulder and pressed it against my skin. I could feel it break my skin and the tube started to make a weird sound while I felt something slowly entering my body and spreading out like heat. It wasn¡¯t painful or uncomfortable, it just felt like a warm liquid spreading out below my skin. Around 10 seconds was enough, and a little air pushed out at the other end of the tube. It was empty. I put it down on the kitchen table. I didn¡¯t feel like throwing it out before making sure that it worked fine. I moved my left hand around a little while I went to my bed. [I hope this won¡¯t cause any problems. If I wake up with my dick fallen off, I¡¯ll blame you and you should expect the full extent of my wrath.] [Bah, nothing will happen. You should concentrate on sleeping. I¡¯ll monitor your body the whole time.] ¡°Good night, Genna.¡± [Good night, Aium.] I fell asleep faster than usual. I dreamt of a white-tiled corridor that reminded me of a hospital. From the window, all I could see was an ocean stretching out towards the horizon. I could faintly hear a soft sobbing from far away. As I started walking down the corridor, the sobbing got louder and louder. I reached a door and listened. I could hear the noises coming from the other side. I reached for the handle, and without hesitation, I opened the door. It was a small room with those cushioned walls like in a mental asylum. In the corner, a single toilet was standing. It was sobbing. I stepped in, and it visibly shivered and started crying even louder. I wanted to ask why it was crying, but my dream abruptly ended there. Book 1 - Chapter 13 - Rabunde Jalaqua I woke up groggy the next day. [Good morning, Aium!] Right on time. I was barely out of sleep, and she was already greeting me, probably in order to wake me faster. Maybe she was just bored while I slept. ¡°Moooorning,¡± I said back to her. ¡°How¡¯s my bladder? Please tell me I don¡¯t have a mutated lower half under the blanket.¡± [I¡¯ve kept a close eye on you throughout the night. Nothing out of order or alarming happened. Although, I noticed a slight anomaly. Again, I lack the necessary tools to do a proper scan, but it looks like the treatment¡¯s efficiency went above 100%. I can¡¯t give you an accurate figure, but it¡¯s still amazing.] [What¡¯s this efficiency and why did it go above 100%? Sounds like I did something I shouldn¡¯t have been able to.] [As you probably know every individual is different. The manufacturers are doing a great job at fine-tuning these BioEnhancements in order to suit everybody, but it¡¯s still unavoidable to have differences in the treatment¡¯s efficiency on different people. For example, the Improved Bladder treatment¡¯s average efficiency in human males around your age is 76% roughly. It¡¯s not unheard of to go beyond 100% with a treatment, but it¡¯s an extremely rare case.] [So, now I have a super improved bladder or something?] [Kind of.] [Oh boy, I can¡¯t believe my luck¡­,] I said while rolling my eyes. [By the way, with the chip you came with¡­ The language stuff kicked in after only a few minutes and you also activated way sooner than mustache guy said you would. I¡¯m starting to smell something fishy here.] [Me too. I can see a pattern here, but I couldn¡¯t find a reasonable explanation so far. Also, you said that the system was unable to completely identify your DNA. I think you are so old that the humans of this time have a fairly different DNA than you and our technologies somehow work better on you because of this.] [Ah, something positive at last.] [Hey, Aium, can I ask you something?] [Sure.] [I know it¡¯s not appropriate for me to say something like this, but I complained about the lack of tools at my disposal several times already. My incapability keeps coming up with these situations where I should be helping you. I feel inadequate because of this. I¡¯d like to apologize and ask you that if you have the opportunity please consider upgrading me.] The last part came out of her so quietly I could barely hear it. [No worries, you are doing a great job from my point of view. I didn¡¯t know you can be upgraded, but we¡¯ll do that as soon as we can afford it. Don¡¯t sweat it,] I said with a smile. [But only if you promise to not abuse your new powers and take over my high-quality body.] [Bah¡­ Thank you, Aium!] She sounded genuinely grateful. [I¡¯d love to refute your last statement, but I have to agree. Your body is probably a genetic treasure. I wonder what would happen if you took a level 1 treatment.] [Considering my luck, I would most likely turn into a blob of goo.] [I doubt that¡­ I mean the chance is near 0...] I was still laying in my bed lazily. I was planning on going down to have something interesting for breakfast. I decided to wait with the job for a few more days until I got next month¡¯s allowance. 3000 is still 3000. On the other hand, I had an interesting idea to share with Genna, but I left that for after breakfast. I hopped out of bed and noticed that I didn¡¯t feel the need to pee like usual when I woke up. Still, I went to the bathroom to pee and to wash my face and teeth. It was time to try out my new clothes. I picked out the contents of the shopping bag and put them away in the compartments under the bed while leaving a set for me to put on. I couldn¡¯t just keep my new clothes on the kitchen table in a shopping bag. I would have to ask Genna about washing here. The clothes I picked for today were nothing extreme. A simple black shirt and light gray pants. They felt extremely comfortable and fit me perfectly. Genna made shopping for clothes a hundred times less annoying. I went down with the lift and sat at the same table I used yesterday in hope for a lucky meet-up with that hot girl. I laughed a bit at my own horrible pun, but I quickly realized how sad that was. Today I wanted to eat something with flavor, and I felt brave. I chose an Umulran soup with water. I was hesitant at first to order soup for breakfast, but Genna told me it didn¡¯t matter because the breakfast menu only contained meals appropriate for breakfast. The dinner menu was completely different according to her. My order came quickly. The soup looked surprisingly normal. Its color was beige, I think. I¡¯ve never been good with color names. It tasted like broccoli and mustard, but it wasn¡¯t bad. There were some bits with meat-like texture in there, too. I found it wiser to leave the soup¡¯s contents a mystery. It didn¡¯t become my favorite food, but it was still far better than the bland shit I¡¯ve been eating for the last couple of days. [I have a question, but don¡¯t freak out, okay?] I asked Genna while walking back to my room. [I don¡¯t like how this sounds.] [What if I ask people for money and they give it to me. Would you have anything against that?] [In theory no, but why would people give you money?]Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. [Don¡¯t you guys have charities or donate to those in need?] [There is no need. As you experienced yourself, even those who don¡¯t work can live a decent life. If someone has a particular case, they can file a request to the Assistance Department, and if it¡¯s reasonable like a health issue, they¡¯ll usually pay the medical expenses in the end. People don¡¯t ask others for money, it¡¯s unusual.] [Mhm. But it¡¯s not illegal right?] [No.] [What if¡­ I ask people for money, but¡­ lie a little?] [That¡¯s¡­ I mean it¡¯s¡­ I know it¡¯s not right, but there are no explicit rules against something like this.] [And what¡¯s your opinion about it?] I tried feeling out her stance on this. [It depends on who you ask money from, what you lie about and how much you get. I can¡¯t answer this until you specify the circumstances.] [Sure, sure¡­ that¡¯s reasonable,] I said. [Is there a way to get money from other people in a way that they can¡¯t take it back or can¡¯t trace it to me?] [Setting up an auxiliary account shouldn¡¯t be too hard.] Great! Now, let¡¯s figure out the content. [Is there really no place that you could get robbed for example? I mean a dangerous area, that¡¯s not safe. You said this is an Empire; I bet there are other places too, right?] [Getting into a lengthy cosmography lecture would be unnecessarily time-consuming, so I¡¯ll tell you the short version for now. The Semwick Empire occupies most of this cluster¡¯s galaxies which we call the ¡°Core Regions¡±. Outside this is called the ¡°Peripheral Regions¡±. They are not officially the part of the Empire, but they are still considered belonging to the empire as unruled sub-regions. These regions are usually occupied and ruled by small organizations, groups, communities and other powers, taking up a few galaxies at most. The Empire doesn¡¯t let them get too strong to threaten it in any way or form, though. Other than these two, we are trying to keep the connection with other clusters as minimal as possible. Finally, answering your question: The peripheral regions aren¡¯t as safe as the core regions. You can easily lose your life there because the Empire doesn¡¯t regulate it in any way other than stopping the local powers from getting out of hand.] Sounded kind of tyrannical if you asked me. [Can people move between these peripheral and core regions?] [It¡¯s possible, but strictly regulated and monitored.] [Perfect,] I said with an evil grin. [Two more questions. Can I send written messages to other people?] [Private messaging is possible, yes.] [Can I get my hands on the contact information of some wealthy people?] [Erm¡­ I can search the network and find some. Would you tell me what you are up to?] [Soon,] I said while still grinning. [For now, I have a letter to write, but meanwhile please collect a few contacts for me.] When I entered my room, I immediately went to the computer table after taking off my shoes. I found a program I can write with and prepared myself. What to write? I had so many options. I decided to start with something popular. I grinned and started typing. I had to ask Genna a few times about small details, and she was surprisingly helpful. It didn¡¯t take long to finish it since it was a fairly simple letter. [Done!] I smiled. [You are seriously wrong in the head. You want to send this to every single person?] [Yup. The more I send out, the better. What do you think? Would you be okay with this?] [This is such a gray area. I feel like you shouldn¡¯t do this, but I can¡¯t find anything in it that¡¯s specifically against rules.] [Gray is good and I¡¯m glad you¡¯re onboard with this. How many do you think will bite?] [I¡¯m not sure,] she said. [By the way, the auxiliary account is ready, and I sent the contact list to your computer.] I added the account info to the mail and then checked the contact list Genna sent me. There were 200 names on the list. For now, it will be enough. [Are these rich people?] [Yes, they can be considered wealthy.] [For now, this will do, but can you look for more when you have time?] [Sure.] [It¡¯s time to send out the bait then. Let¡¯s hope we¡¯ll catch someone fat,] I said with a wicked smile. [This feels wrong, I¡¯m telling you.] [It¡¯s fine. Imagine the possible money.] I proceeded to send out 200 messages in total with Genna¡¯s help. I was hopeful. If this worked, it would open up a whole spectrum of possibilities. Since I had nothing better to do I wanted to take a walk outside, but it was raining. I didn¡¯t feel like getting soaked for some pointless strolling, so I decided to watch some weird documentaries. This time it was about a nearly invisible underground insect that hunted birds using dead animal parts as baits. Occasionally, I chatted a little with Genna about how things worked on Earth and how different it was. After a while, something happened that felt unexpected despite the fact that I really hoped it would happen. [No way¡­ Aium¡­ I can¡¯t believe this.] Genna was shocked. [What¡¯s up? Did my bladder explode without me noticing?] I asked while tapping around my crotch. [NO! Someone deposited credits to your auxiliary account!]
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE - STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL Dear Recipient, My name is Rabunde Jalaqua. I am the son of a successful merchant of The Semwick Empire trying to carry on the family legacy. I have always been an adventurous spirit in my business endeavors, and two months ago I tried to set up a supply contract for an extremely rare material in the Peripheral Regions. I knew it was a dangerous idea, but the opportunity was incredible, and I could not give up on it. More than a month ago we finalized the contract on this side, and I planned to rush back to the Core Regions to finish everything on that side, too. Unfortunately, a group of thugs boarded my ship, stole my money, my belongings, and even my ship while leaving me on a barely populated planet. Still, I can consider myself lucky that I managed to keep my life. Since then I have been stuck here without any capital to get back home. Unfortunately, this planet has barely any value. Thus the cost of transportation is expensive and out of my reach currently. Life in the Peripheral Regions is not easy as I learned. If I cannot go back and finalize the contract and the preparations, I am afraid the whole endeavor will be for naught. Sadly, I have no family anymore, and I lack friends, too. I have nobody to turn to. It deeply shames me to do this, but I have to ask you for financial aid in order to return home in time. I would be grateful for any amount in this situation. Needless to say, I will immediately reimburse you once I returned to my base of operations in the Core Regions. To show my sincere gratitude, I will send back 120% the amount. I firmly believe that those who help you in times of need should be rewarded for their selfless efforts. I only hope my message reaches you in time and you decide to help out a fellow citizen in need. Account information: 995650XXT-661849TLK-841697ZZT-354906PBQ Yours sincerely, Rabunde Jalaqua Book 1 - Chapter 14 - Alien animal’s carcass ¡°WHAT?! ALREADY?! How much?!¡± I shouted. [1000 credits with the message: ¡°It¡¯s not much, but I hope it will help you out. A fellow citizen.¡±] ¡°No way! NO WAY! We are getting rich! BWAHAHAHAAH! I¡¯M A FREAKING GENIUS!¡± [Can I see the message, too?] I asked eagerly. My hands were shaking with excitement. [Sure, just check on your computer.] It was real. Someone sent me money. I mean, to poor Rabunde. If people are this naive I could get rich in no time and I wouldn¡¯t even turn Genna against me if I was smart about it. I was smiling ear-to-ear. I¡¯ve not been this happy about something in years. I could just¡­ hug someone. Which I did¡­ in a way. [Are you¡­ hugging yourself?] [No?! I¡¯m hugging you!] [How does that make sense?] she asked. [You said yourself that we basically share my body,] I said while I stopped hugging ¡°myself¡± and jumping around. [I was really excited for once because something positive happened to me and you are the only person I have, and while we haven¡¯t known each other for a long time I still managed to grow fond of you. So, I felt like hugging someone and since you were the only and best option I made the best out of the situation, but now that I had to explain it, the magic is gone, and you ruined my happy moment...] I finished my rambling and crossed my arms in front of my chest. [Erm¡­ I¡¯m sorry-] [Nope! Stop right there! You just lost your hug license. Be an adult about it and accept the consequences of your actions.] [Ah, come on, don¡¯t be like that. I was just surprised by it for a second,] she said with genuine sadness. [Whatever¡­ We¡¯ve got money, Genna! Someone just gave us money!] I said with a stupid grin. [It is nice in a way but still¡­ this is wrong. You lied to them. They wouldn¡¯t give you money if you were honest. It¡¯s still a bad thing.] [No rules were broken, right?] [None...] [Then we are cool with this, right?] [I guess.] Why is she so influenceable? Isn¡¯t an A.I. supposed to be a bastion of logic and knowledge? I can¡¯t be this convincing. Even I don¡¯t believe half the shit I say. After calming down a little, I sighed deeply and leaned back on the couch. ¡°I love it when a plan comes together,¡± I said with a small chuckle. After that, I watched the holoscreen for the rest of the afternoon, getting bored out of my mind. I would have to come up with a more meaningful free time activity. I made up my mind to live a better life and yet¡­ I was still doing the potato life on the couch. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to live the same miserable life like before. I managed to get some money, and I was hopeful for future, similarly kind-hearted donations. Fuck the allowance. I¡¯ll look for some kind of temporary job coming next day. Get some starting capital and then¡­ Then what? Should I travel? Traveling around space must be an endless source of entertainment for sure. I couldn¡¯t even imagine the number of sights to see out there. Getting old as a Space Wanderer sounded cool. Leaving behind heartbroken babes all around the cosmos and telling my tales to young people when I got old. Another option is starting a business. Although it might be hard to come up with a new idea when we are talking about a space empire, I was sure there were still options out there to make a living out of. Aium Roowe The Space Tycoon. It definitely sounded just as cool as the Space Wanderer. Well, no point in thinking about this yet. Present me should be free of the burden of the hardships of future. Future me will surely handle the situation when he gets there. I¡¯m the ultimate procrastinator, leaving the work to my future self. Present me should worry about the more immediate and easy problems. Like washing my clothes or cleaning my room. [Hey Genna. Is there cleaning stuff for me to clean the room or some techno-wizardry does the cleaning automagically?] [I can only empathize with the translation module¡¯s pain and suffering...] she said. [Anyway, as you have cleverly guessed, several technological marvels do the cleaning for you. As a matter of fact, most of the material here and the furniture has self-cleaning function one way or another.] [I¡¯m not even surprised at this point. You guys are doing the stuff from the matrix to these people...,] I said while shaking my head. [It¡¯s the second time you mention this matrix? What is it?] Her curiosity index must be triple digits¡­ [Matrix was a famous movie in my time. It¡¯s about how machines enslaved humanity. They keep everyone in a virtual world while they keep their real bodies alive and harvest them for energy or something. I saw it a long time ago; I can¡¯t remember too well. The saddest part is that the people don¡¯t even know that they are getting milked like cattle in the real world.] [That¡¯s a disturbing story. Are you sure it wasn¡¯t something that really happened?] [How would I know? I¡¯m still not sure this whole thing is real,] I said while touching around in the air in front of me hoping I might get a feel for the virtual reality. [Anyway, what about clothes?] [There¡¯s a drawer in the bathroom. You put the dirty clothes in, and a couple of minutes later you take them out cleaned.] [Naturally...] I sneered.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. It was getting darker outside. I was in a good mood, so I decided to eat downstairs and be extra brave. [Let¡¯s go and grab a bite downstairs. Do they have meat? I could really do with a steak now.] ¡°Steak, get in mah belly!¡± I shouted. [Erm¡­ meat?] [Is there a problem?] I stopped pointing towards my belly. [You eat meat?] She sounded surprised. [Yeah, I love meat. Why?] [It¡¯s not a big deal I guess, but the humans kind of¡­ stopped eating meat.] [You¡¯re shitting me, right? Everyone became a vegetarian? How could this happen?] [Actually, there are countless studies about this since it¡¯s an interesting race-wide development. When the Semwick Empire pushed back the race into the Peripheral Region after finally breaking their war machine, they were put under military law, and their life wasn¡¯t exactly great. Meat wasn¡¯t a part of their diet for a long while, and even after they came under the flag of the Empire hundreds of cycles later, they didn¡¯t pick up meat again. It doesn¡¯t mean there are no humans who eat meat, but the majority of them refrain from consuming it. Also, after these few thousand cycles their digestive system doesn¡¯t handle meat well anymore. That¡¯s why most restaurants don¡¯t even have meat dishes on the human menus.] [That¡¯s crazy. The vegetarians from my time would shed tears of happiness hearing this,] I mused. [So, can I try some meat? I feel confident in my stomach you know. I¡¯m not a weak wuss like these here.] [I¡¯m sure we can find something if we look hard enough.] [That¡¯s the spirit! Let¡¯s go and eat some alien animal¡¯s carcass,] I said with unusual energy and pumped the air. [Ugh...] We¡¯ve arrived downstairs in a jiffy. Tonight a pretty girl was at the reception desk. I waved at her kindly which earned me a frown from her. I immediately gave up any ideas of advancement towards her. The hall was unusually full compared to mornings. The variety of people was overwhelming for a few moments. Thankfully my usual spot was empty but some of the surrounding tables were occupied. It didn¡¯t bother me as long as they left my usual spot empty. I wasn¡¯t a creature of habit usually. I¡¯ve never been against change, but this time, here, where literally everything was unfamiliar I found myself holding onto stuff that I already got familiar with. It was silly, but it felt like anchoring myself to a few rocks on a stormy sea. I sat down and sneakily checked out the people around my table. To my right two of the mushroom people were sitting, both with green clouds floating around them. They were tentacle deep in what looked like boxes of goo. Disturbingly their tentacle legs they usually use to crawl around were slowly wriggling around below the table. The scientist in me connected this behavior to happiness¡­ since... dogs wag their tail too, so it must be a similar case. Certainly! The table in front of mine was occupied by one of those yellow-eyed guys. Or a girl in this case. She looked frail, but still feminine in a way, like a starved supermodel. Also, the hills on her chest were pretty self-explanatory. Or in this case were they really? Could I consider boobs on an alien race normal? Should I have felt surprised instead by the similarity? [Aium¡­ stop it. You are making her really uncomfortable,] Genna woke me up. ¡°What...¡± Oh, she was looking at me with her yellow eyes with a strange expression. Also, her pale face was now significantly more yellow than a few seconds ago. Was she blushing? Does she have yellow blood? Oh shit¡­ she was looking at me while I was staring at her¡­ Damn. Now that we were staring at each other and I was caught red-handed I had to say something. Something witty or funny! ¡°Sorry,¡± I croaked with a weak voice. Doing most of my conversations mentally didn¡¯t help my voice. Funny and witty. Great freaking job you dipshit! ¡°No worries. It¡¯s endearing that you feel this way,¡± she answered while getting even more yellow and looking away. She was looking elsewhere now, so I guessed that was the end of our conversation. Why did her answer feel off, though? She phrased it weirdly, and one thing I learned here is that if it smells fishy, it¡¯s definitely a whale shark. [Why does her response feel weird? I was just¡­ you know¡­ looking.] [Yeah, you were staring so noticeably that even I felt embarrassed for you.] [I was only doing my gentlemanly duty of appreciating what has to be appreciated.] [You definitely know how to put it nicely. Anyway. It seems like we are due for a small lesson about Resonars.] I could see with my inner eyes as Genna pushed up her non-existent glasses to lecture me. [She¡¯s a Resonar. Their physiology is very similar to humans, but there are a few apparent differences you must have recognized on your own too. To keep it short, they are bi-emotional. They only have two emotions. Most of the time they are indifferent, but when something happens, they either feel good or bad. Their emotional spectrum has only two extremes. For example, they can¡¯t feel more sophisticated emotions like anger, love or sadness normally.] [I can¡¯t even imagine this. How can someone feel only bad or good?] I frowned at the thought. [You won¡¯t be able to imagine it, but they have the wonderful ability to feel others¡¯ emotions. Even the emotions of other races.] [Does that mean they can feel our emotions?] My mouth dropped slightly from the realization. [Clever. A lot of Resonars love being around other races because through them they can experience a whole variety of emotions they would be unable to on their own. On the other hand, for this same reason a lot of them avoid members of the other races at all cost,] she lectured on. [That makes sense. Feeling grief and anger isn¡¯t something that someone would want to experience on purpose I guess,] I said while staring at the slowly swaying green walls. [You are right. So, the girl in front of you probably felt what you felt when you looked at her. You must have had some nice feelings because you clearly made her evening.] [Yeah. That¡¯s me. Even a glance from me brings joy to others,] I said smugly. I wanted to lament on the Resonar more, but my stomach disagreed with me with a loud noise. [So, where can I find meself some meat?] I asked while looking at the menu in front of me. [I have an idea. On the top switch the menu¡¯s race to linbog. There¡¯ll be plenty of meat dishes that won¡¯t be harmful to you¡­ most likely. Try to avoid the bone dishes, though.] She didn¡¯t sound too confident about this, but I did as she said anyway. There were more race options than I thought there would be, but I quickly found the linbog one. Since I¡¯m eating their food, I should ask about them sometime. Opposite of the human menu, this one had only meat and bone dishes, which was fine by me. More choices to choose from. After a quick browse, I decided on a Rawa steak with Lammies. It didn¡¯t take long for my dinner to arrive. It looked surprisingly appetizing and smelled nice, too. The steak was big and juicy and the Lammies¡­ well, it looked like tree bark. The steak was a bit chewy and had a strong metallic aftertaste, but it was far better than anything I had recently. Sadly the tree bark like stuff was a complete miss for me. It tasted like how gym socks smell. Horrible. While eating Genna warned me to eat it slowly in case something won¡¯t fit right with me. After finishing my steak, I felt satisfied. I even let out a quiet burp. I didn¡¯t feel anything out of place. I knew I could trust my stomach. [See? I¡¯m not a weak ass future human. I¡¯m a genuine one!] I bragged to Genna while patting my full belly. [It¡¯s definitely something you can be proud of.] [Was that sarcasm?] [No way.] She¡¯s dangerous. After sitting around for a few more minutes and looking at the other people eating, I decided that it was time to go back to my room. I had enough of listening to the slurping sounds from the mushroom couple¡¯s feast. I had to share the lift going up with a small green goblin girl, but I got off earlier than her. While walking through the green hallway towards my room at a comfortable pace something happened before I could get inside. A huge booming sound racked the building from above me. I could even feel the tremors. ¡°Shit! Tell me it wasn¡¯t my stomach exploding!¡± Book 1 - Chapter 15 - Staying alive [... Calm down, your stomach is still in one piece, but something definitely happened up there,] answered Genna with concern. I looked around the hallway, and I could see a few people peeking out of their rooms. Disaster tourism has never been my thing, but I had to admit the strong pull of curiosity behind it. I wanted to know what happened and my nice meal combined with my good mood gave me that little push to act on that curiosity. [Genna! Is there stairs or something I can use to move between floors other than the lift?] [There are emergency stairs at the other end of the hallway. If you are planning on checking out what happened, I would strongly suggest you against it. It might be dangerous. It sounded like an explosion, and there can be numerous hazards. Please just go back to your room.] [I¡¯m touched by your concerns. I promise I¡¯ll be careful.] She made an excellent point, but then again¡­ curiosity. I quickly reached the other end of the hallway. Behind the green door, I found a narrow, spiraling staircase that had some weird asymmetric steps. In the middle, it was separated, and one side was higher than the other. It felt strange using it at first, but when you didn¡¯t think about it too hard, it was fairly intuitive if you got into the rhythm. [Why are you using the stairs?] [You can¡¯t guess?] [I have my guesses, but I''m curious about your reasons.] [Well, if there¡¯s something wrong I wouldn''t want trouble to find me in an electric box suspended in the air. Plus, if someone needs help, I don¡¯t want to occupy the fastest way for them.] [You can be quite mindful when you want to.] She sounded impressed by my response. After arriving on the next floor, I took a peek inside the hallway. Just like on my floor there were a few people talking with each other. It wasn¡¯t the floor I was looking for. Reaching the second floor and taking a peek I saw at the end of the hallway a small crowd gathering. Jackpot. I rushed up to them. They were gathering in front of a room. I looked inside above a smaller mushroom person¡¯s head. The room was twice as big as mine with a separate bedroom, but currently, it was a complete mess. On the left side of the living room where the couch and the table were supposed to be there were bent desks and all kinds of electrical gadgets and equipment thrown around in pieces. Even the wall of the room was missing parts. On the other side of the room, a Human guy was collapsed at the wall. My heart skipped a beat because he wasn¡¯t moving. The guy¡¯s arms were bleeding, and the wall above him had a small dent in it. He was obviously thrown against the wall by an explosion. I could feel my stomach contract. All these people here and no one even went inside to check on him?! Fucking sheep! How could they just watch the guy lying there? He could be dying. I rudely pushed my way in and hurried up to the guy. He was lying on the floor unconscious. I didn¡¯t dare move him around. If he was thrown against the wall with enough force, his spine might be damaged. I checked for his pulse and breathing. There were none. This was serious. This wasn¡¯t a joke; the guy was literally dying in front of me. I checked the wounds on his arm. There were a few metal shrapnel and bleeding, but it wasn¡¯t an immediate danger to him. He must have protected his head with his hands. He was a skinny guy with blonde hair and dark skin. He was wearing a red overall. I looked back at the gawking crowd in the door with more anger than I was comfortable with. I looked directly at a small goblin girl at the front. ¡°You there! Call for help immediately!¡± I shouted while pointing at her. I nearly scared the living soul out of the little green creature. ¡°Er¡­ er¡­. Rupert already called for help,¡± she stuttered while turning into a shade of paler green. That was good enough. I had to concentrate on the guy now. I checked his mouth for foreign objects that might block the way, but it was clear. I looked around the room searching. Without a better idea I took off my new shirt and tried to rip a small hole in the middle of it but I wasn¡¯t strong enough to tear apart the fucking future shirt. I stood up, rushed to the kitchen and used a knife instead. Running back I put the shirt over the guy¡¯s mouth. It would have to do. I kneeled beside his chest and put both of my hands on the center of his chest over the sternum. I started pushing. ¡°Whether you''re a brother or whether you''re a mother,¡± I sang under my breath quietly while doing steady compressions. ¡°You''re stayin'' alive, stayin'' alive feel the city breakin'' and everybody shakin'' and we''re stayin'' alive, stayin'' alive ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin'' alive, stayin'' alive ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin'' alive.¡± I continued the song while doing the compressions. When I reached 30, I leaned over the guy while holding up his chin slightly so I could give him rescue breaths, but someone interrupted me from the crowd. ¡°Stop it! What are you doing to him?!¡± It wasn¡¯t a question; it was in a demanding tone. I didn¡¯t even look back while answering him. ¡°Shut the fuck up, or I¡¯ll break your face,¡± I growled. There was no response. I was furious. Not only they didn¡¯t act; now they wanted to even stop me from helping? Imbeciles! I gave the guy two breaths and continued on with my song and compressions. I couldn¡¯t tell how many rounds I did, but after a while, I heard a scratching noise from the wall that had the now offline fake window. I looked up and saw as a dark gray circle started to expand on the wall. It took me a while to realize that it was a dark room on the other side.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. After a few second I heard a voice coming through. ¡°Bridge stabilized. Please stand aside.¡± Following that two goblins jumped in wearing gear similar to a SWAT team. Black, full bodysuits with visors on the helmet. For a moment I thought they were here for me. [Aium, you can stand aside now. They¡¯ll handle it,] said Genna suddenly. I didn¡¯t even question her and just did as she said. Both of them were barely half my height, with far too long hands compared to their bodies. The goblin in the lead had bright green eyes with vertical pupils that could drill holes into anybody¡¯s soul with a single stare. He had a wrinkled face, and I could see white hair at some places behind the visor. Despite his small size, he was oozing authority. He didn¡¯t even spare a glance at the crowd or me at the door; he was fixated on the guy on the floor with those scary eyes. Meanwhile, the other goblin was casually checking out the room. After a few moments, he took off something from his belt, held it for a few seconds and gently threw it towards the guy. In the air, the thing unfolded itself, and when it landed on the guy¡¯s chest, it quickly enveloped him in a dark silver cocoon with green pulsing lines in a net pattern. The old goblin then walked up to the cocoon, kneeled beside it and laid his hand on the chest area. He spent half a minute there, then stood up. ¡°Take him away junior,¡± he said in a gravelly voice. The other goblin rushed up to the cocoon which lifted off from the ground, and it floated back through the hole in the wall with him. The old one watched them leave and then turned towards me. He eyed me quietly for a few seconds which made me really uncomfortable. This was the second person that gave me a real feeling since I arrived. He wasn¡¯t a phony like everyone else around here. Size really didn¡¯t matter, at least not in this case. ¡°What were you doing to him?¡± he asked in the same gravelly voice. There wasn¡¯t any hostility in his voice. ¡°I gave him CPR, to keep him alive,¡± I answered honestly. ¡°CPR?¡± he asked while slowly releasing a horrifying grin. He had a perfect row of blindingly white, razor-sharp teeth. ¡°Never heard of such a brutish way before but you most likely saved the kid¡¯s life with it. I guess even this withered bone can learn a thing or two.¡± With that, he turned away and walked back to his exit. ¡°Come by the Regional Health Center sometime. Ask for Randall. I¡¯ll fix up your right side for free kiddo,¡± he said without turning back. With that, he went through, and the hole closed up. I stared numbly at the wall for a while. I wanted to just sit down and take a few minutes silently to myself, but unfortunately, I was interrupted. ¡°Okay. The crisis has been handled. The injured is in good hands now. I¡¯d like to ask everyone to leave the area. I¡¯ll handle the room from here,¡± said a female voice. She tried to sound confident, but her shaking voice obviously failed her. As I turned around, I saw the girl from reception at the door while the crowd was dispersing behind her. She was looking at me with an even uglier frown than before. Even though she could be considered a great beauty, those frowns while looking at me made her look ugly in my eyes. I realized that I was half naked. Which was probably the cause for the disgusted look from the girl. I quickly put my shirt back. I wasn¡¯t some circus monkey. ¡°You can go, too. I¡¯ll take care of this here,¡± she said. ¡°Sure,¡± I replied shortly and left the room. I used the same stairs to go back down. I didn¡¯t feel like possibly sharing a lift with others. Getting in my room, the first thing I did was throwing my shirt away and washing my hands and face. The last thing I needed was catching some future plague. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge that was more brick shaped than an actual bottle and sat down on my couch. [Are you okay Aium?] [Yeah, I¡¯m fine¡­ just¡­ this was the first time I actually tried saving someone.] [You said what you did was called CPR, right? Is it supposed to keep the circulation going in the body?] [Yeah. It¡¯s something I learned. My work required me to participate in a yearly first aid course. Since I experienced on my own skin what an accident can be like I was probably the only one there that actually paid attention. I guess it was worth it after all,] I said slowly while taking a sip of water. [Now that I think back¡­ why were you quiet the whole time? It¡¯s not like you.] [I could hardly guess what you were doing, but I trusted your intentions. Your body and mind was going overdrive and it was better for me to stay quiet and let you focus.] [I¡¯m not sure what else to say, but I¡¯m sure that what you did was an incredibly brave and respectable action,] she said. [Before getting implanted I was in a half-stasis mode. Barely conscious, but I still believed that I¡¯ll have a nice and quiet life with my future host. I was so wrong. So far it has been a rollercoaster ride being your A.I. and it¡¯s been only a few days. What I¡¯m trying to imply is that this is a high on said ride. I¡¯m proud of you.] [Hehe. I hope to avoid boredom in the future too,] I said with a chuckle. [Thanks, Genna. I¡¯m glad to have you too.] I was genuinely happy to have Genna with me. If I had to handle this new place on my own I would have probably failed miserably. I should appreciate all the help she gives me more in the future. [One thing I¡¯m clueless about¡­ Why the singing?] she asked. [100-120 compressions a minute. Singing the song helped me keep the rhythm.] [Nice! That¡¯s an awfully smart solution to overcome your racial shortcomings.] [Thanks... I guess?] I wasn¡¯t sure if it was a compliment or an insult. Maybe both. [Before something like this happens again, you should practice a little, though.] [Hey! My voice is a national treasure! Be grateful that you had the luck to bask in its glory!] I said with a hurt ego. [Pffff¡­ sure.] Following our conversation, I continued enjoying my ice cold water while trying to find something enjoyable on the computer to take my mind off of the recent event. I tried watching a show which description said it¡¯s something funny, but I just couldn¡¯t understand what was supposed to be funny about it. Little did I know that if I took the time to read the description fully I would have known that the show wasn¡¯t for humans. I went back to the safe bet and found a nice documentary for myself. It was about a moose like predator in a desert environment. The guy could get information like where to find water or where to find other animals from merely drinking the blood of its prey. Crazy nature. I was dozing off on the couch when Genna woke me. [Aium, there¡¯s a call to your room.] [A what?] [A call from reception.] [What the hell do they want from me so late?] [Perhaps you should ask this from them.] [How do I pick up? Moreover, what do I pick up?] I asked while looking around the room. [Computer.] I looked at the holoscreen, and there was a blinking sign at the corner. I touched it. ¡°Sorry for disturbing you Mr. Aium, but there are numerous requests from news sites requesting an interview with you concerning the earlier accident,¡± said the reception girl¡¯s image that appeared on the screen. ¡°I¡¯ll pass. Anything else?¡± I refused immediately. She didn¡¯t expect my response because she froze for a few seconds, searching for words. ¡°But they are really insistent and -¡± ¡°I said I¡¯ll pass. Good night,¡± I said and cut off the call. [You could have said a few words to them. You most likely saved someone back there,] said, Genna. [I didn¡¯t do it because I wanted a pat on my back. The guy was dying. I didn¡¯t want anything from this; I just wanted to save the poor idiot. I¡¯m not sure what he was doing, but I don¡¯t think he deserved death for it.] Our conversation ended there, and I went to bed. ¡°Could you order better food to the fridge?¡± [Done!] ¡°Thanks! Good night, Genna.¡± [Good night, Aium.]
Early morning, as usual, I woke up to Genna¡¯s voice. [Aium¡­ Aium! Wake up! There¡¯s a call to your room. It¡¯s high priority.] ¡°The fuck now?!¡± Book 1 - Chapter 16 - Absolute order Randall¡¯s POV from earlier I stepped back to the jumper, and I heard the bridge close behind me with a sizzle. Junior took care of our fresh injured. The pod already stabilized him, but the broken bones would take a few hours at least. ¡°Get us back to base and let¡¯s drop off these two,¡± I said while looking at our other injured in the jumper. We were on our way to the base with her when we¡¯ve got an emergency call, so we had to stop by. It was a fascinating case. ¡°When we went in at first I thought the other guy was our injured. Chief, those burn scars! Nasty! Those looked untreated¡­ dear Darkness¡­ they looked like they healed without any assistance or care¡­ just raw, on their own. How damn painful would that be? And, and¡­ for a long time too. It looked like it was raw meat for at least days!¡± jabbered the junior annoyingly. ¡°Hhhhhm. It must have been a living nightmare.¡± I had to agree with him, but his mental health seemed worse. The kid¡¯s eyes were tired, like the prey¡¯s that gave up. The white in his hair was obviously not from old age like mine. ¡°And what was that CPR thing? They didn¡¯t teach anything like this. It was like some kind of strange technique that barely sentient nomads would use on a backwater moon,¡± continued the junior unstoppably. ¡°I could imagine that you haven¡¯t heard of it before junior, but it was a first time seeing it for me too. It¡¯s hard for these old bones to see something new you know,¡± I said. ¡°What was it supposed to do chief? You said he might have saved the guy.¡± ¡°Hhhhhm. That chance is high indeed. I believe he was trying to keep the kiddo¡¯s circulation going with his own hands while he also breathed for him,¡± I mused. ¡°Damn, that sounds mental!¡± he cheered loudly followed by a whistle. ¡°We¡¯ll be there in a sec chief,¡± he added. ¡°Send me the probe¡¯s recording from before we went in. Can¡¯t wait for the kid to show up to take on my offer,¡± I said while rubbing my hands together slowly. It wasn¡¯t often that my chewy old meat got excited nowadays. ¡°That too! Chief you are as wicked as always. You are the stingiest dried out bone I¡¯ve ever seen, yet you offered the kid a freebie. What¡¯s the catch?¡± asked the junior while looking back at me with a grin of crooked, blunt teeth. Ah¡­ I wished he would stop that. Young people had no damn self-criticism. ¡°Close that shameful mouth of yours!¡± I reprimanded him. He snapped it shut and turned back with a weak whimper. ¡°I offered him to fix his burn scars so that I can have a more appropriate chat with the kid about this CPR of his.¡± Now it was my time to grin.
¡°Who the fuck is it this early?!¡± I grumbled. [I don¡¯t know, but the priority of the call is high.] I got up and stumbled my way to the couch where I accepted the call. ¡°Greetings Mr. Aium. I hope my call didn¡¯t reach you at an uncomfortable time. My name is Koronbalath the 15th. I¡¯m the owner of the GreenHut establishment you are oh so familiar with,¡± introduced itself the mushroom guy with a deep, bubbly voice. [Genna, does it see me?] [On default setting the video stream goes both ways..] ¡°Hey.¡± I waved awkwardly after realizing that I was having a video chat in my boxers. ¡°I¡¯ve received several reports about the unfortunate incident from yesterday. I¡¯m happy to inform you that the victim has been released this morning from the Regional Health Center.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. What happened to him?¡± I asked. ¡°He was trying to repair a small, decommissioned gravity core. Needless to say, it didn¡¯t go well for him.¡± ¡°I also received information about your unique efforts at trying to preserve the victim¡¯s life. After a cross-examination with the released medical report, it does seem like that your efforts weren¡¯t futile. I¡¯d like to personally thank you for this,¡± he continued. ¡°I just did what I felt was right. No need to thank me.¡± ¡°As a show of appreciation, I would like to gift you a free week of accommodation in our humble establishment. Additionally, we are offering everyone who was affected by the accident-free counseling. If you want to participate, please notify the reception desk. I wish you a nice day.¡± ¡°Thanks, I guess. Bye!¡± [Well, I won¡¯t say no to free stuff.] [I guess the other occupants on the accident¡¯s level got even better ¡°gifts¡±,] added, Genna. [Why was his name Korbath the 15th? That¡¯s such a strange name. Did his parents lacked creativity that badly or just hated this kid in particular?] [Koronbalath the 15th and its single parent is Koronbalath the 14th. Remember when I told you about how they reproduce? Well, this is how they name their children most of the time. Starting a new line¡­ requires certain circumstances.] [So, there was a Koronbath once -] [Koronbalath!] she interrupted me. [Yeah! Ko-ron-ba-lath! Happy?! So there was once someone named like that, and he made a child from a tentacle and named it¡­ after itself but added ¡°the 2nd¡± to it?] [Exactly.] [They are getting creepier with each new information. If you tell me they put the small tentacle child into living beings as parasites, I¡¯m going to relocate my place of residence to a sun¡¯s core by shooting myself into one.]This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. [The fungari do no such things. On the other hand, the severins kinda do.] [Okay. My first absolute order to you is to tell me to run the other direction when you see one of these severins. I hate and fear parasites with a passion.] A shiver ran through my spine even from the thought. [They won¡¯t hurt you or anything like that. They are very nice people, but fine... I¡¯ll do as you ask. By the way, you should check your messages. You¡¯ll be surprised.] That made me perk up instantly. I had a hopeful hunch about the content of the message, but I was pleasantly surprised because I found two messages, instead of one. They were short, so I skimmed through them in a few seconds. ¡°500 and 2000?¡± I asked while staring at the holoscreen in front of me. ¡°500 and 2000!!!!¡± I shouted while laughing uncontrollably. [Hard to believe, but people are sending you money. Could you at least act more moderately about it? You lied and tricked these people and you laughing at them like a maniac makes the whole thing a lot worse.] I cleared my throat in my embarrassment. [I¡¯m laughing at my luck, not at them,] I added quietly. The morning was starting out pretty good. Free money, free housing. This is how life should be lived. Well, that was a bit exaggeration, but it was still something. I went to the fridge, and I took out a package. This was something new that Genna ordered yesterday. It wasn¡¯t the bland shit I¡¯ve been eating for the last few days. It was a kind of salad. It tasted pretty good, and I somehow felt more awake after finishing it. Today I planned to apply for a job. There was no need to delay it any further, and I didn¡¯t even know how long it would take to get one. [Let¡¯s apply for a job today. Is there one of those delivery jobs nearby? I don¡¯t want a job where I have to commute for hours every day.] [One of the delivery assistant positions is relatively close from here. Would you like me to apply for you?] [Sure, let¡¯s do that.] [Done! Let¡¯s hope for a quick reply,] she chirped. [That¡¯s it? I don¡¯t even have to lift a finger?] It was disappointingly simple. I didn¡¯t want it to be complicated, but at least I expected to do¡­ something. [I sent in a standard application form with your information which I already took the liberty of preparing earlier. There¡¯s nothing else to be done here. We can only hope for a quick reply.] [Cool. How long does it take usually?] [Worst case should be a few days.] [So, do I have to prepare for an interview in any way? I don¡¯t want to get into an awkward situation you know.] [No need to prepare. You seemed like an intelligent guy so far, and you adapt surprisingly quickly considering where you came from. Just be yourself, and it will be enough.] That was a sweet pep talk from her. It wasn¡¯t anything magical or special, but even this little encouragement gave me a warm feeling. Having someone who supports you felt nice. It felt really nice. Since I managed to sweat through this arduous job application process in a timely fashion, I had all the time on my hands and nothing to do. I couldn¡¯t spend the entire day on the couch watching documentaries. I didn¡¯t even have snacks¡­ Speaking of the lack of snacks. I would have to talk to Genna about this colossal oversight. Going out for lunch wouldn¡¯t be bad. I had the money now. I could allow myself this small luxury. There have to be some decent restaurants or food stalls nearby but until then¡­ documentaries it is. Before I could even lift a finger, I¡¯ve got another call. [Aium, you¡¯ve got another room call.] ¡°What the hell is going on today?¡± I complained while quickly putting on clothes before accepting it. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡± I said after the video call connected. It was the guy who was at the reception desk the first day I arrived here. ¡°Hello, Sir! We have someone here who wishes to speak to you. He¡¯s the victim of yesterday¡¯s incident.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The holoscreen switched to the blonde guy¡¯s face from yesterday. He looked completely fine. At least his head. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Kevin! I heard from the junior physician that you kinda saved my life yesterday. He told me that I should thank you because they might have been too late without you. I don¡¯t know you, but if you ever need anything repaired or fixed just give me a call and I¡¯ll help, however I can. I¡¯ll leave my number here. Seriously though, thanks for saving me.¡± I didn¡¯t want to tell the guy that he can take his repair offer where the sun doesn¡¯t shine. He literally blew himself up doing repairs. No thank you! ¡°No need to thank me, man, just don¡¯t blow up yourself next time,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll take that to heart! Thank you again! Bye!¡± ¡°Bye!¡± [I wouldn¡¯t take him up on his offer,] commented Genna. [Are you sure you can¡¯t read my thoughts? I was thinking the exact same thing.] I narrowed my eyes. [I can¡¯t read them. I can assure you.] -I¡¯m going to rob a bank and massacre a ton of people this afternoon.- ¡­ Good! She really couldn¡¯t read my mind. [Were you just thinking something ridiculous to test if I can read your mind?] she asked suspiciously. ¡°FUCK! You can seriously read my mind?!¡± I jumped up. [I don¡¯t have to. Sometimes you are just as predictable as unpredictable at others.] ¡°Mhm¡­ sure.¡± I better be careful. She¡¯ll trip once and I¡¯ll¡­ how would I punish her? Lick batteries, tell lovely human stories about blood, torture, and death? I¡¯ll have to think about this. I spent the following hours productively. Laying on the couch and conserving energy. I was starting to get hungry again, so I began to consider thoroughly that it was time to head out for a nice walk and lunch. This took some more time because it was an important decision I couldn¡¯t rush. [New message!] chirped, Genna which ended my contemplation. [This day just can¡¯t give me a break,] I groaned like an old man while sitting up. ¡°Dear Applicant, We¡¯ve received your application, and after careful consideration, we decided to hire you as an employee. Please come by today or tomorrow to discuss the details and finalize your position. Remen Kal 7th Division Supervisor of Palale Deliveries¡± [That was a fast reply. No interview or anything?] I frowned. [I made a detailed application. There is no reason to go through an elaborate process for choosing an employee for this position,] Genna explained. [That¡¯s pretty sad on me,] I said while tilting my head to the side. [It¡¯s a start. You¡¯ll have a respectable place in society in the future, I¡¯m sure of it,] she encouraged me. [Thanks, that¡¯s nice from you. We should go there right away. I don¡¯t want to waste more time on the couch. The idleness is driving me nuts.] I cracked my neck in anticipation. [If you can arrange to start tomorrow I¡¯ll be able to take next month¡¯s allowance money before your official start of employment.] [Oooooh? That¡¯s terribly sleazy of you,] I mocked her. [There¡¯s nothing sleazy about it. You have a right to it. Taking it is only a logical action.] [Sure, sure.] [Finally, you¡¯ll have a normal job, and you can live a normal and peaceful life as a valuable member of society,] she said while giggling. [Could you stop sounding like an overzealous mom?] I asked while making a strange face out of frustration. [Anything I need to know before going there?] I continued the conversation. [As I said before, I think you¡¯ll be able to handle everything. Except when they ask you if you want to sign up your clone or yourself for the job you won¡¯t have the clone option since you don¡¯t have the fraction of the money for one.] [What clone?] Book 1 - Chapter 17 - Dont make Kal angry I was standing on the sidewalk in front of the building I was supposed to work at. As Genna said, it wasn¡¯t far from the GreenHut. I took me 20 minutes at most to get here. The building in question looked like the other skyscrapers. Dark gray with boring rectangular shapes. Unremarkable in every sense. The company which called me in was supposed to be on the 36th through to the 40th levels. They were leasing five whole levels for their business. After entering, I took off my mask and went up to the reception desk. The yellow-eyed alien guy there was very helpful and told me I could just go up to the 36th level. He even wished me good luck. After a surprisingly fast lift trip, I exited into what looked like an office area. I looked around but saw nobody. ¡°Hello?!¡± I asked, but there was no answer. ¡°HELLO!¡± I shouted this time. This time it worked because a blonde head peeked out at the end of the short hallway. Shoulder length hair, slightly wrinkled face, shining blue eyes and blood red lips. The head belonged to an older woman. Despite the apparent age, she looked great. She radiated confidence, maybe because her eyes were literally shining slightly. ¡°Who might you be?¡± she asked in a melodious voice while stepping out. She was wearing a blood-boilingly tight-fitting blue dress that reached down to the middle of her thighs and¡­ fluffy, blue slippers. The contrast was so high that I completely forgot to ogle at the critical parts of her body while she walked up to me. ¡°Hello? Are you listening?¡± she asked while tilting her head to the side a little. Oh shit. Answer you fool! ¡°I-I¡¯m Aium. The message said I could come today,¡± I managed to squeeze out. ¡°Oooooh, you¡¯re that Roowe guy that sent the application this morning?¡± she said with a smile. A smile that could be weighted in gold. Literally, because her teeth were all golden. While I was staring at her shiny teeth behind those bloody lips, she was doing the same, measuring me up from top to bottom. ¡°You look roughed up. Kal likes it,¡± she said coquettishly coupled with a coy smile. Oh god, where have you brought me? I walked into a predator¡¯s territory. She turned around and started walking back to her office which she popped out from a minute ago. Those hips swayed so much that even the fluffy slippers couldn¡¯t rip my eyes away. ¡°Come, come, don¡¯t let Kal wait for you. We have business to do,¡± she said back to me over her shoulder. This is the story of how I walked into a vicious predator¡¯s cave on my own. Sounds stupid but if anyone dares to blame me for it, I challenge them to be in my shoes in this situation. I followed her in like I was under a spell. Her office was smaller than I expected. A blue desk, blue chairs for guests and a blue couch for herself. She was pretty fond of the color blue. The walls were decorated with neatly arranged crystals that dimly lit up sometimes, and in two corners I saw red plants that resembled giant pinecones. The woman not having a care in the world just laid down on her couch. I nearly spat blood at the sight of her body laying there, but I couldn¡¯t lose focus now. I had things to do here. ¡°Take a seat and don¡¯t look so scared, Kal doesn¡¯t bite... unless you ask me to,¡± she said with the same coy smile. I might have been delusional, but I swear I could see her blue eyes flare up slightly when she said that. I could only gulp. Why was I so frightened? This made no sense. ¡°Introductions, introductions! You have the pleasure of meeting Remen Kal that is I! This is the 7th branch of Palale Deliveries, and Kal¡¯s the boss here,¡± she said while pointing at herself. ¡°You are Aium Roowe.¡± This time she was pointing at me. ¡°Pretty unremarkable application if I can be honest with you, but you¡¯ll fit in for the job. It¡¯s nothing complicated. You¡¯ll have the 37th floor to your name and handle the things there. You¡¯ll work in a 2-2 system from 12 till 18 and your daily salary is 1100. Any questions?¡± That was plenty of information thrown at me in a couple of seconds. I had to take a moment to digest what she said. I tried to ignore her comment about how unremarkable I was. ¡°I have a couple of questions actually.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m all ears, I¡¯m all ears,¡± she giggled. ¡°What¡¯s the 2-2 system and I only have to work 6 hours a day?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you cute? Haven¡¯t you worked before? It means you work for two days and then you have two days off. The 6-hour workday is the Empire standard for this job category. Nothing that you should be surprised about,¡± she explained lazily. ¡°What¡¯s my job by the way? You said I''d have to take care of the 37th floor, but what exactly is that I have to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hand you the knowledge disk for the job. It will tell you everything you need to know. Anything else?¡± ¡°Erm, nothing else for now.¡± ¡°Great, great! So, are you going to sign up your clone for the job or you¡¯ll work personally?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll work myself,¡± I answered with a darkened face. ¡°Wonderful, wonderful! Kal¡¯s happy! I¡¯ll have someone to chat with then! The other¡¯s here are just¡­ way too boring,¡± she said with a pout which looked way too strange for an older woman with golden teeth.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. She pushed a few buttons on her computer on the table and then pulled out something from under it. It was a small tomato sized, metal disk. She threw it to me. ¡°Chew through this. Can you start tomorrow?¡± ¡°Y-Yes,¡± I answered after catching it. ¡°Then tomorrow at 12. I¡¯ll meet you on the 37th floor. Familiarize yourself with the stuff on the disk by then.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± I carefully pocketed the disk. ¡°Splendid, splendid!¡± she beamed at me. ¡°All you have to do now is to finalize the employment agreement and the exchange of information. If you are ready, touch the metal plate on the table in front of you.¡± I reached out and touched the cold metal. [Done!] said, Genna. ¡°All right, all right. It seems like we are done with the business part. Let¡¯s talk private matters now. I see that you live in the GreenHut not far from here,¡± she said while staring at her holoscreen while lazily lying on her couch. Now that I was through the stressful part I had time to pay attention to the critical details. Despite her age, she had a stunning body and that tiny blue dress she squeezed herself into made matters worse. Even her way of talking made me slowly sink into a muddy trance. I could hear her talk about my current residence, but it took me several, long moments to realize it. What does she want with my place? I started sweating under my clothes. ¡°Let¡¯s see, let¡¯s see. Yup, yup, Kal¡¯s a busy woman, but I think I can free up my night three days from now when you have your first day off.¡± What¡¯s going on? Why do I feel cornered? ¡°Aium, you look like an interesting guy, and Kal likes interesting.¡± She beamed at me. ¡°3 days from now at 20 o¡¯clock be at the 10th-floor jumper bay of the GreenHut building and wear something¡­ more presentable than this,¡± she continued while looking at my plain and cheap clothes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but what?¡± I was getting way too sweaty under my shirt. ¡°Ah, so cute, so cute... You are going on a date with Kal, silly. Be there and don¡¯t be late. You don¡¯t want to make Kal angry,¡± she cautioned me while holding up a finger as a warning. ¡°O¡­ Okay.¡± I was so stumped I just merely agreed. I agreed to go on a date with a woman I barely knew. Moreover, she was my new boss, and she definitely looked like someone that bites. ¡°Make sure to leave my name at the reception so I will be able to go into the parking floor. Shoo now, Kal has things to do,¡± she said while motioning with her hand for me to leave. I left without even saying anything else. I walked up to the lift on autopilot while looking at the floor. When I reached the elevator, I stopped and looked up. [What just happened?] I asked Genna. [Looks like you caught the interest of an aggressive female.] She could barely hold back her mocking laughter. [Is she going to rape me?] I stared at the lift with wide eyes. [No, she won¡¯t rape you, but if she wants you to want her you won¡¯t stand a chance.] Genna was brutally honest as usual and she couldn¡¯t have been more right. I entered the lift finally. [I should feel lucky that someone asked me out on a date, but this just feels so wrong. She didn¡¯t even let me answer.] I frowned. I left the building in a daze. I felt like a violated teenage girl. On the other hand, I couldn¡¯t complain. A stunning older woman asked me out on a date. Or it was more correct to say that she told me we were going on a date. I¡¯ve never considered it before but having a sugar mommy wouldn¡¯t be so bad. Ugh¡­ That phrase didn¡¯t work like its counterpart. It was around lunchtime, and I was getting hungry, especially after so much excitement. I asked Genna where I could grab a quick bite. I wanted some fast food. I wasn¡¯t in the mood for anything fancy like a restaurant. She led me into an alleyway between two skyscrapers. If I didn¡¯t know who guided me here, I would have thought I¡¯m going to get robbed here. Behind the building a different world greeted me. It was a small open place surrounded by other skyscrapers, but the space was filled with big metal boxes. These boxes didn¡¯t have a front wall, and every one of them was a different food stall selling different delicacies. The smells, the crowd, and the noisy atmosphere were a complete opposite to the main street. After careful consideration, I decided on a box full of dried out meat strips drenched in some kind of sauce, which earned me a strange look from the guy behind me. The place was a bit stuffy for me to eat in peace so I went back to the main street and sat down on a friendly looking bench. The food was great. It tasted nothing like I ever tasted before. I couldn¡¯t even compare it to anything, but I definitely found it delicious. [Hey Aium, will you take up Randall¡¯s offer?] Genna asked me suddenly. [You mean the old goblin from yesterday?] [Linbog Aium. He¡¯s a linbog,] she corrected. [Wait a second¡­ does that mean I ate the other day from their menu?] [Yes. The linbogs are carnivores and bone art enthusiasts.] [Bone art? Wow¡­ Sounds so¡­ logical for a sentient carnivore race, but I would have never thought about it.] [So, what about his offer?] she asked again. [Would I take up his offer? Isn¡¯t the answer obvious?] [To you it might be, but I can¡¯t read your mind you know,] she teased. [Can¡¯t you? The answer is no. The scars stay, and my dad told me that if I don¡¯t know why someone would offer me something for free, don¡¯t accept it. The little old dude can wait until his scary teeth fall out.] She didn¡¯t say anything to my answer, but I had a question to her on an entirely different matter. A pretty uncomfortable issue that¡¯s been gnawing at me since the meeting with that scary woman. [Genna, if things go the you-know-what way in the future with a girl¡­ could you somehow not pay attention? It would be¡­ weird knowing that you are watching.] [I can¡¯t do that, but I can pretend that I didn¡¯t see, hear, taste, smell or feel anything that you did.] [Did you phrase it like that to make me uncomfortable?] [No.] She definitely did! She¡¯s evil as fuck!
The blonde man¡¯s PoV in the gray lab coat [Requesting permission for a report,] it said interrupting my thoughts at the wrong time again. [What is it now?!] I barked at it in my mind while still looking at my holoscreen. [As per your previous order before the experiment I¡¯ve been keeping attention for reports on certain space anomalies. I would like to report that I found one such report.] [Quick! Show it to me!] I only set that order as an unnecessary precaution. Can it be that it proved useful after all? I leaned forward in my chair with excitement. The report came up on my holoscreen. It was a simple daily blog of a robot mechanic on a transport ship. The entry talked about distorted and twisted red electric currents in the nothingness of space. The girl who wrote the entry found it pretty and fascinating by her description, and she even added a small video about the anomaly. There was no question about it. Those features, it had to be connected. The entry was from the Core Regions. That didn¡¯t matter, but the date for the occurrence didn¡¯t match up. According to this report, it happened days after the experiment. Can the after-effects linger for days? Highly unlikely. Nothing added up. I hated it when I had only questions and no answers. Out of frustration, I punched my table which gave out with a miserable creak. [Send out The Ermwert and Laurent immediately to investigate this.] [Right away!] They better find out what happened or I¡¯ll throw them into the Darkness. Book 1 - Chapter 18 - Boredom galore I was sitting on my trusty couch fiddling with the metal disk I got from Kal. Genna told me it was a cheap knowledge chip. According to her, she already recorded everything from it. It was fascinating that she could communicate with technology through my touch. I wondered how much did this IDChip change my body. If I had a lightbulb at hand, I would have surely tried to light it up with my fingers or something. I placed the disk on the table and accessed the information. It had the basics about the company itself, the policies, regulations and all kinds of boring shit like that. I was more interested in the parts that I needed for tomorrow. I could just read the rest if I really needed it in the future. Otherwise, it was just a waste of time. I was still baffled by the work time. Work for two days and then you are off for two days. To make it more comfortable, you only had to work for 6 hours a day. The whole thing was ridiculous to me, but people were many and jobs were limited. There was no need to work the people like slaves here. They set up a comfortable system where more people could work for less time. I definitely wouldn¡¯t complain. I could get more than five times the money for this much work than the allowance I could get for basically nothing. Moreover, it was a job I could do while sleeping and it didn¡¯t even require any particular knowledge or previous experience. My tasks were few and easy. I would work in a kind of warehouse for deliveries. Packages come in, get sorted and go out. Nearly everything was automated and done by machines or robots. The transportation of packages was typically done by automated robots, too. I asked Genna if robots had A.I.s, but apparently their use was strictly limited to the IDChips. Putting A.I. into anything else was banned. One of my tasks would be to go around the area I would be responsible for every 2 hours and check if everything was going smoothly. Similarly, I had to check every present robot and machine once a shift for noticeable problems. Other than these I had to respond to any errors popping up. The most exciting task was the personal delivery. If the robots failed three times at dropping off their package to someone I had to go out personally to finish the delivery. For this, I would have to go with a jumper. One of those flying cars in the sky. I couldn¡¯t wait to drive one of those. Genna said I would be able to drive them without any training. I honestly tried my best to read through the never-ending list of things I had to pay attention to during the examinations of the machines and robots. Obviously, I failed. Luckily for me, I had a smartass A.I. that already knew all of this. My mind was somewhere completely different. I was thinking about my boss and my date with her. I wasn¡¯t sure this wasn¡¯t some kind of prank on the new guy at the job, but I would rather be prepared in case this was real. I touched the left side of my face. I was getting stubbled. I would have loved to grow a beard but I couldn¡¯t. I had to shave frequently because the right side of my face lacked the possibility for a beard. If I didn¡¯t shave for a few days, I started to look like a freak, which was happening to me now. In light of my job tomorrow and possibly a date in a few days, I had to deal with this. After another lengthy conversation with Genna, it turned out she already ordered the shaving spray. Which worked simply by spraying it on my face. No need for a razor. Moreover, if I wanted to leave a stubble, Genna could order me shaving sprays for different lengths. I managed to get a positive answer to my awkward question too about whether these could be used on more private parts of the body. Welcome to the future I guess. I had dinner in my room, took a long steam, and I was sitting in my boxer in front of the holoscreen. [Is this for real?] I asked. [Why wouldn¡¯t it be?] [Fuck this guy... ] I barked at the holoscreen. My problem this time was simple. A guy sent another message to dear old Rabunde, but this time there was no money¡­ only a short message. ¡°I hope for your safe return! My thoughts are with you.¡± [What¡¯s wrong with people? I can¡¯t eat your damn thoughts!] I complained. [Don¡¯t be so sour. The guy sent you a genuinely nice, encouraging message and you act like a child. You should learn to appreciate the small things,] Genna scolded me. In response I sulked like the child, she called me. Which proved her point double time, but I failed to realize it at the time. I had nothing else to do for the day, so I spent some time watching some nonsense on the computer¡­ again. When I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes open anymore, I decided it was time for bed. ¡°Good night, Genna.¡± [Good night, Aium.]
I was standing in the same building like yesterday. I knew it was nothing special, but I still felt anxious about my first day. Or maybe I was just afraid of my boss.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. [You¡¯ve got this!] Genna encouraged me. [Thanks!] I took a deep breath and went up to the 37th floor. The floor I arrived on was a vast open area. The whole level was joined together. There were countless neatly arranged machines working all over the place with a quiet humming. A few dozen robots like in the GreenHut restaurant were going about their business tirelessly. The air smelled like chocolate milk for some reason. It brought up pleasant memories. The walls, the machines, and even the robots were painted in an ugly light green color. I looked around but found no living. ¡°Hello?!¡± I asked, but there was no response. Before I could start shouting the lift behind me opened up with my boss in it. ¡°Eeeey, being on time is nice. Good, good,¡± she said with a huge smile. Today she was wearing more low-key clothes. Black pants, blue shirt, and those same, ugly, furry slippers. ¡°Don¡¯t be so nervous. This isn¡¯t black hole harvesting...¡± she said while gently touching my shoulder and looking me in the eyes. ¡°Where¡¯s Helen? Didn¡¯t she come out to greet you?¡± she asked with a frown and looked around the place. ¡°No. I said hello, but nobody answered.¡± My response made her frown even more. She started walking to the only enclosed area in the corner. She was murmuring something under her breath, but I could only hear something about clones. She threw open the door to the small office. ¡°Helen!¡± she snapped. The office was small and boring. A tiny couch in the back, another door next to it and a table with a computer at the other end. The top half of the two inner walls were windows that looked at the warehouse. At the table, a girl was sitting wearing an overall with the same ugly, light green color. She was staring absentmindedly at the holoscreen. From behind, all I could see was her long, brown hair. It was refreshing to see a normal hairstyle. ¡°HELEN!¡± shouted Kal while stepping closer and clapping her hands. ¡°Wha¡­ OH! Hey boss, what¡¯s up?¡± She woke up with a jolt and greeted Kal with a friendly smile. She had brown eyes and the beautiful token features. She was young and looked like the typical girl that hung out with guys, drank beer and joked around like the others. You know, that typical, approachable, fun face. ¡°Can you be more attentive, please? Your new co-worker was here, and you didn¡¯t even notice him,¡± she reprimanded her. ¡°Sorry boss! I¡¯ll pay more attention next time,¡± she answered nonchalantly without missing a beat. ¡°This is Aium, your new co-worker who will take over the shift after yours. Be nice to him,¡± introduced me, Kal. ¡°Hey there. I¡¯m Helen! Whatcha cookin¡¯?¡± She waved at me enthusiastically. ¡°Hey, not much. Nice to meet you.¡± I smiled back. ¡°I¡¯ll go change back!¡± Helen said, and she went through the back door with a spring in her leaps. Kal just shook her head. ¡°So, any questions about the job? Think you can handle it?¡± she asked and then sat down on the couch. ¡°It¡¯s nothing complicated. Probably a monkey could do this.¡± ¡°Monkey? What¡¯s that?¡± she asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Nevermind...¡± After a few minutes of awkward silence and uncomfortable stares, Helen walked out. She was wearing casual clothing. The girl was surprisingly normal for this place. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll see you tomorrow! Have a nice first day!¡± she said and hit me in the back with way too much force. I forced down a small cough. I couldn¡¯t look like a wimp in front of my future date. I looked at Kal, but she was just sitting there smiling at me. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go change into uniform.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. You can do it here. No need to go to the back room. Kal likes a good show.¡± She winked at me. The crow¡¯s feet beside her eyes just made her more attractive. ¡°I-I¡¯d rather go back.¡± I stuttered. After successfully escaping the deadly trap, I found myself in a small changing room with a steam in the back and a toilet in the corner. They already had a fucking ugly overall with my name on it. I put it on cautiously. I wouldn¡¯t want to get jumped from behind while being in my underwear only. ¡°It looks horrible on you,¡± said Kal. ¡°Can¡¯t help it though, company regulations,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s talk business then. I won¡¯t hold you up for too long. I¡¯ll just ask you to tell me your tasks, so I can at least now you are somewhat ready.¡± I did as she asked. Wasn¡¯t my most excellent performance but it would do. ¡°Good enough, good enough. Don¡¯t worry about it too much. Nearly everything is automated. It¡¯s hard to mess up,¡± she said with a dismissive wave. ¡°If you end up messing up, call me. Oh, and don¡¯t forget about the day after tomorrow. Kal can¡¯t wait,¡± she said with another wink and left. I sat down and somehow I felt relaxed. It was nice that I was alone on the whole floor. I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with idiot co-workers. I could do anything here as long as I completed my tasks. [Well, I have a job now.] [Yes! Finally!] cheered Genna. I spent my shift in mind-numbing boredom. I couldn¡¯t even watch documentaries here. I did my duties. Examined what should be examined, paid attention to what required my attention, but other than that nothing else noteworthy happened. Time crawled at a snail¡¯s pace. At one point I was looking at the holoscreen¡¯s clock and counted the seconds between minutes. Five minutes before my shift¡¯s end one of those yellow-eyed guys walked in. He barely even noticed me, only when I loudly greeted him did he came to himself. ¡°Oh! Hello there. You must be the new guy.¡± We introduced, and I left shortly after. I was so numb from the boredom I could hardly wait to get out from here. This was worse than lying on the couch the whole day and watching documentaries. This was boredom galore. I had to remind myself that this was only temporary. I would only do this for a short while until I had enough money to do something else. In the meantime, I had to come up with something to do during these work hours otherwise my brain would become a sponge. Book 1 - Chapter 19 - Jelly bean A lot of people think doing nothing professionally for hours is laughably easy. Well, those people can eat a bag of shit because I felt dead after only 6 hours of boring idling at my new job. Well, it was less than 6 hours because I spent the first one looking at the machines and the robots to satisfy my curiosity but that wonder of new was short lived. Staring at the ceiling while laying on the couch with an empty food package seemed like all I could manage this evening at home. I wasn¡¯t tired physically but mentally. I would have to think up something else because I couldn¡¯t waste my life away like this. I needed money desperately, but if push came to shove, I could think up other sources of income. I looked out the fake window. It was already dark, but I couldn¡¯t see anything. Didn¡¯t have to think too much why it was weird. I hadn¡¯t seen the stars once since I got here. The more disturbing realization was I hadn¡¯t seen the sun or any moons. It was a travesty. I was in a space empire in the future, and I was spending my precious time staring at holoscreens all day either in my tiny room or my pretend job. There was a whole world outside, and the only thing standing in my way was my lack of ambition. I knew I needed money to do something more with myself here, but I hadn¡¯t yet decided on what exactly I wanted to do. Watching the documentaries all the time was one thing, but I had the possibility to see everything with my own eyes. Well, I doubted I could see everything interesting out there even if I had immortality, but that wasn¡¯t the point here. I wanted to see the stars; I wanted to see worlds that I couldn¡¯t even imagine. I wanted to see a black hole with my own eyes. This decision should have been so obvious. I was fascinated by how the mind worked. Just one simple moment, one thought, one smell or sight could flip that particular switch and change the way you think instantly. [Hey, Genna. I think I want to go to space.] [What, now?] [Not now, but the sooner, the better. I want to see the world,] I said while staring out of my fake window. [Where did this come from? Just when you got a nice job, and things were smoothing out.] [I intended this as a temporary job. You can¡¯t seriously think that I would be willing to do this for years?] [Where would you go in space? Another planet or station?] [Not like that. I want to go around and just¡­ see things.] [So, you want to travel on your own? You would need a ship for that, and I¡¯m fairly certain you won¡¯t get enough money for one in this decade.] [I¡¯ll think of something.] [You could get a ticket for a fair price to nearly anywhere or even save up for your own shuttle and travel around the area here, but a full-fledged spaceship is out of your reach for now.] [I could rob a bank,] I smirked. [Please no,] Genna whimpered. [As I said, I¡¯ll think of something. Is there anything I would have to learn to travel around space? Like ship license or something?] [There are three stages of knowledge for spaceship control. You need to master them in order to control ships in specific areas. Inter-galaxy travel only requires Basic knowledge. You have to take an online test to get the certificate. Let me just inform you in advance that I¡¯m forbidden to help you during these tests.] [Oh, come on¡­ Why wouldn¡¯t you help me? Who would notice?] [Me...] [And you love me, so, you wouldn¡¯t let me fail a test, would you?] [Who said I love you?] she asked in a serious tone. I opened my eyes wide open and gasped theatrically while clutching my chest. [Are you cheating on me? It¡¯s the fridge, isn¡¯t it? I saw how it looked at you the other day,] I whispered with a shaking voice. [One of these days, I¡¯ll find proof that you are a lunatic,] she said dead serious. [Says the one boning the fridge...] I said while grinning. [If I were you I would worry about myself not getting boned by a woman,] she said venomously. [What was that?] I asked while sitting up. The previous grin was completely gone from my face now. [Nothing. I was just putting random words after each other.] [No, no, no, no! What was that about getting boned by a woman?] I asked in a panic. [Nooooothing. It¡¯s just a random saying here you know.] she said oh so innocently. I would have believed her if she didn¡¯t stretch out that ¡°nothing¡± so damn obviously. [Is she¡­ is she going to bone ME? Is that how things work here?] I was getting scared. [Of course not¡­ I mean usually not¡­ but in this case¡­ Let¡¯s just stay hopeful, okay?] That didn¡¯t help at all!
Next morning before work Genna helped me look up the Basic Spaceship Control Knowledge on the online market. When I asked her about why were we buying it online instead of in a shop in person she said something about different product categories and tax brackets. Honestly, I didn¡¯t pay attention to her. Anytime I didn¡¯t know something she would go into crazy lecture mode. Which was fine, since most of the time she said interesting things, but tax brackets? Come on¡­ Anyway, the thing was a modern textbook. The stuff itself was only 5000 credits, which was a pleasant surprise. Naturally, Genna had to crush my cheap reality with the price of the test itself for the license. It was 20000 credits per attempt, and the failure rate was sky high since the A.I.s weren¡¯t allowed to help. I couldn¡¯t really blame them. I¡¯ve only had Genna for a couple of days, and I already depended on her on too many fronts. I couldn¡¯t even imagine how it was for people who had A.I.s since childhood. It was an investment, so I didn¡¯t think about it too hard and just bought it. I had lunch at home before going to work. Eating out was a nice thing but if you were saving up for something it wasn¡¯t something you could enjoy all the time. I dressed up, slipped into my sneakers and turned off the lights and the fake wall as usual before leaving. I arrived on time. Helen was sitting the same way as yesterday. Glued to the screen and unresponsive. I went closer and called her name a few times. ¡°Oh, hey new guy. Couldn¡¯t you wait a few more minutes? I was just about finishing a solo dungeon you know¡­ Not cool,¡± she said with a grimace. ¡°Sorry, I guess, but your shift is over,¡± I responded with a shrug.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°And you could have waited for a few more minutes easily¡­ Whatever.¡± With that, she stormed into the back room to change. [Game addiction is a real issue,] I marveled. [You don¡¯t have to tell me. Far too many people live their lives in VR programs,] said, Genna. [You always shit on VR games but is that your own opinion or they programmed you to look at it disapprovingly as a soft propaganda against it?] [How do you know about this?] asked Genna with a slightly higher pitched voice. [Educated guess. It¡¯s pretty obvious.] [Well, you aren¡¯t wrong, but actually, it¡¯s a mix of both. Even without the directives I would try to discourage you from them.] [Are you sure? Can you know the difference?] [I¡¯m sure.] The day was looking out to be just as boring as yesterday, however, now I had something useful to do. I had the spaceship driving textbook. My eagerness quickly faded away when I opened it and did a quick run-through of its contents. Unfortunately, most of it were protocols, regulations, safety rules, management rules and all kinds of utterly boring and dry topics. And here I was hoping to learn something fun and interesting today. I was sweating through the mindless docking protocols when the holoscreen switched to a flashing message. It was a delivery! I would have to deliver something personally since the robots failed to finish it three times. The jumper bay of the company was on the 40th floor. The whole level was the jumper bay. Supposedly my jumper was ready to go with the package already loaded in. The place was one open area with several support pillars and numerous jumpers parking around. Some robots were going about their business loading and unloading them, and I saw a few taking off and leaving through the side wall of the building. Calling them walls wasn¡¯t exactly correct since the four sides of the floor were open to the outside. Genna said that only a thin shield was there that lets the jumpers pass through freely but keeps the weather effects outside. My jumper was the 54th one. It didn¡¯t take long to find it since all of them had a big number on them. The vehicle itself looked like a huge, light green jelly bean. Oval form, smooth surface, and no apparent windows, doors, wheels or thrusters. It really was like a giant jelly bean. I tried reaching out, and the side of the jelly bean separated into thin plates which folded onto themselves to reveal the interior. Nothing fancy. Two seats and a holoscreen in the middle. To my surprise, there were really no windows. This was a fully closed flying jelly bean can. I really hoped to have a look around from high above, but it wouldn¡¯t happen this day sadly. I jumped in, and the door closed back down. The interior was dimly lit by the holoscreen in front of me. ¡°Ready for departure?¡± it read. I hit the confirm button, and I felt a slight movement. Another terrible disappointment for the day was the realization of I didn¡¯t have to drive this. The location was already set, and the jelly bean would carry me there automatically. I would just have to drop off the package, and that was it. This was a freaking pretend job for people to feel like they are doing something. Artificially kept jobs to keep people occupied. Fucking sad. I wished I could say something about the trip, but the flying can didn¡¯t give me any opportunities to look around or do anything at all. We¡¯ve arrived in less than 10 minutes. The door opened up similarly, and this time the back of the jelly bean opened up too to reveal the package I was supposed to deliver. I was on a similar jumper floor in one of those skyscrapers. According to my instructions, I would have to go to the 49th floor, find the 4937th room and give the package to the owner. Unlike the GreenHut Hotel these rooms were privately owned, so I had to bring the box to the room. I couldn''t just drop it off at the reception. It didn¡¯t take long to find the room. I used the so-called ringer of the room and even knocked several times, but there was no response. It looked like an utterly pointless trip. The delivery failed again. Hopefully, someone else will try this again next time because I was sure as hell not looking forward to these trips. I tried reaching for the door¡¯s metal plate to check if it was open. [Aium! What are you doing?!] she asked immediately. [Just checking, calm down. What if the guy is dead inside, or needs medical attention?] I argued. [His A.I. would have called for help then. Please don¡¯t go in uninvited,] she pleaded. After thinking for a few seconds, I still tried to open it, but it was closed. [See? It¡¯s closed. I couldn¡¯t have gone in.] [But you tried! Can you just stop being like this for one day? You are giving me a headache with these questionable actions.] [Well, girls like bad boys...] [That¡¯s not true,] she disagreed. [There are none, so girls don¡¯t know they want them. It¡¯s time to give them what their heart desires, don¡¯t you think?] [Absolutely not! You should wake up from your delusions.]
The following afternoon I went out to buy nicer clothes for my date. We went to the same store as before. Passing the girl¡¯s home, I stole from gave us an awkward silence, though. The cashier was a mushroom person again, but I had no idea if it was the same one as the last time. Understandably, it was nearly impossible for me to differentiate them. Was I racist? I genuinely couldn¡¯t notice the difference between them, except their different colored dust clouds. This time I bought a fancier looking button-up shirt, gray pants and a simple looking black pair of shoes. I couldn¡¯t go on a date in a pair of white sneakers. Genna tried to talk me into something more colorful, but the proposition was vetoed by the Council, which only had one member¡­ me. It was early afternoon, so it was high time for a nice lunch. It was advisable to eat a few hours before a date. I went to the same snack alley as before and had a meal that looked similar to lasagna but tasted like tomato soup. I wish I had some bread to go with it. As time went on, I was getting more and more anxious about the evening. Genna¡¯s spiteful comments didn¡¯t help at all either. Even in my time, I was out of the dating game for a long time, but now, I was out of it for thousand of years. I knew it was awkward and uncomfortable but asking questions in advance usually worked out for the better. [Genna, can we talk seriously?] [Anytime. I¡¯m here to help.] [So, the date¡­ I¡¯m on edge here. You know the last time I went on a first date was like seven years ago with my previous girlfriend, and after her, I didn¡¯t really felt the urge to find a new one. I had a really rough time back then and finding a new girlfriend was the least of my worries. Now, that I spent a few thousand years as single I feel a little rusty and out of the loop. My question is if I need to know anything beforehand. I¡¯m thinking about customs, dos and don¡¯ts, protection...] The last part came out so quietly I hoped she didn¡¯t even hear it. [Well, being honest is always the safest way to go about these. You can just tell her that you don¡¯t have any recent dating experiences. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll understand your gawkiness. If you get into any particular situation, I¡¯ll be there with you to help out. If you end up in a situation that leads to intercourse you should ask her about protection. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry,] she explained calmly. [Well, that was straightforward as usual. If we really end up in bed somehow¡­ please don¡¯t give me advice, okay? It would be freaking weird.] [Okay. I¡¯ll save my already prepared support suggestions for another time.] I couldn¡¯t respond to that. My forehead was sweating. She prepared comments¡­ I didn¡¯t think this was how the help part of her code was supposed to function. She was stretching the meaning of those principles paper thin. I bet she enjoyed making me cringe. Later I took a long steam and scrubbed down myself extra thoroughly. I tried to make my hair look nice too. I ran my hand through it a few times while looking at my reflection in the mirror. I was still young, yet my hair was already gray in some places. I didn¡¯t complain about it because I liked it to some extent. I went with a simple hairstyle as always. I tried to use a mix of water and saliva to make my hair stand up a little at the front. It was something. I dressed myself up in my new clothes and sat down on my bed. My stomach was churning, and my palms were sweaty. I needed to calm down a little, so I drank some cold water which didn¡¯t help at all. I decided to head up early in the hope that a little walk will make me less stressed out. The 10th floor was an open area parking garage for jumpers. All four sides of the building were open with the weak weather fields like at my work. There were plenty of jumpers parked here. I did a little circle and checked out the vehicles. I found a few that looked pretty nice and stood out among the boring, mass-produced cheap ones. A jumper came in on one side, and I nearly threw up from nervousness. Thankfully it wasn¡¯t my ride yet. I paced between the rows of empty parking spots. She was late. Maybe this was really just a prank to make fun of the new guy. I was already thinking about going back to my room, kicking up my feet and watching something on the holoscreen. Unfortunately, my hopeful, anti-social plans were cut short by the next incoming jumper. It was an eye-catching, sleek, blue jumper. It stood out, and I was sure about whom it belonged to. The jumper found a parking spot near me, and the window just disappeared into thin air. "Nice, nice! You look presentable today. Kal likes your style," she winked at me. "Don¡¯t make this lady wait on you. Come quickly, jump in. We have places to be and things to do." Her eyes were shining unusually bright this time. I gulped and went up to the jumper. Book 1 - Chapter 20 - Retro Ship Enthusiasts Club I took a deep breath and got into her jumper. It was completely different than the jelly beans at work. This one had curves at the right places and actual windows. I had to admit, Kal had a great taste when it came to transportation¡­ and as it stood, dates too. I was looking forward to riding in this beauty. ¡°Gorgeous car,¡± I said when I the door closed. ¡°Kal loves ships and jumpers. This beauty is my pride,¡± she said while we started moving. She wore a less form-fitting blue dress today as far as I could see in the jumper, but I spotted the ugly slipper on her feet right away. Why would she wear those? In high-heeled shoes, she would be a natural disaster. Today she was wearing her hair in a tight ponytail and huge crystal earrings that sparkled with calming blue lights matching her eyes. Time was slowly catching up with her, but it didn¡¯t look like it had the effect it wanted to. She was still stunningly beautiful. The signs of age gave her a more mature and confident beauty if all. ¡°You do look amazing Kal, can I call you Kal?¡± I tried to strike up a conversation with her. ¡°Yes, you can and thank you for the compliment. I was thinking the same,¡± she answered with a smile. ¡°So, where are we going?¡± I asked and looked out the window. We were already among the countless jumpers in the sky. Kal didn¡¯t control it manually. She just gave the holoscreen instructions, and it was going on autopilot. It was a bit disappointing since I always liked driving. I even refused to buy a car with automatic transmission. I was one of that rare breed that liked driving with manual. Down below us, I could see the streets and the depressive looking rows of buildings. I expected some great view from up here, but in reality, the boring architecture and city planning made everything look like the drawer of some OCD person from up here. ¡°Do you like history?¡± she asked while looking at me curiously. ¡°Depends,¡± I answered after a few moments of thinking. ¡°Oh, on what?¡± My response made her raise an eyebrow. ¡°Well, economic or political history is far too dry for me to be interested in,¡± I said while slightly tilting my head to the side. ¡°On the other hand, I do actually like it if it¡¯s interesting enough.¡± ¡°Nice, nice! I thought we could go to the Terran Alliance War Museum. It¡¯s got popular again recently because they brought in something huge! Kal¡¯s been itching to see it,¡± she said with shining eyes. ¡°That sounds cool,¡± I said honestly. After gathering up some of my courage, I continued. ¡°You know, I haven¡¯t been on a first date for a ¡­ few years.¡± For a few thousand... ¡°You¡¯re pretty lucky I managed to squeeze you into my busy schedule,¡± I continued with fake confidence. I bet Genna was taking notes to annoy me with later. ¡°Is that so? Are you saying Kal¡¯s a lucky girl?¡± she asked with a half curled smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯m pretty sure you won¡¯t find a guy like me often.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t everyone say that?¡± ¡°You mean doesn¡¯t everyone wish to be unique? Sure, but most fail at it.¡± I wasn¡¯t anything special either. What a hypocrite... ¡°So, what makes you unique Aium Roowe?¡± I looked her in the eye and said, ¡°Telling you would ruin the fun. Better find out yourself.¡± The drive¡­ or fly didn¡¯t take long, and now we were heading into a dome-shaped building. A few people were going in through the gate. When I saw that everyone touched a metal plate before the entrance, I nearly fell over dead. It didn¡¯t take long to realize that they were paying for tickets. My near cardiac arrest came because I realized that I spent most of my money on that stupid ship control manual. I went on a date without money. How could this happen? I wanted to blame it on Genna for not telling me, but I shouldn¡¯t rely on her for everything. I should have fucking remembered that you need money for dates. I could feel my palms getting drenched in sweat in seconds. I had to tell her... ¡°Erm¡­-¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay for everything today. Kal¡¯s the one who asked you out. Just make sure you are interesting enough to be worth my effort,¡± she cut me off while gently touching my arm. This felt all kinds of wrong. This wasn¡¯t how a date should go. I was so uncomfortable with the situation that I considered just taking off and running away when she wasn¡¯t paying attention. The dome itself wasn¡¯t exactly a perfect dome. The middle part of it at the top was a huge hole towards the sky. The place was far too crowded for my taste. In the air above us, I could see all kinds of spaceships flying around in all their holographic glory and doing pretend space battles with each other. It was freaking awesome to watch them go at it. The museum had a pre-set path, and along the way, there were countless holoscreens and holoanimations to tell the history in the most entertaining way possible. There were even VR stations you could use to live through reenactments of specific events from the war. The first huge screen was about the war in general. It lasted for a couple of decades only around the 500 cycles after the Empire¡¯s establishment. Back then the humans lived in the Peripheral Regions outside of the Empire¡¯s authority. They called themselves the Terran Alliance. Due to exhausted resources, they desperately looked for planets to take as their own. ¡°This lead to confrontations with the Empire¡¯s Military, and it ended in a full-blown war later. The human¡¯s vicious and desperate tactics led to major successes in the early years. Their war machine managed to push into the Core Regions. Thankfully they were stopped before reaching any major civilized planets, but to this day they were the only ones who managed this feat since the Empire¡¯s birth. Following that it became a war of attrition and the already resource-starved Terran Alliance couldn¡¯t keep up their desperate war. The turning point came in a massive battle near the Kelmaran 5 moon. With heavy losses Warmaster Raven Kard and Warmaster Remarthaerd, the 1st managed to break their defenses and pushed them back to the Peripheral Regions. It was a matter of time after that until the Empire¡¯s forces completely broke the Terran Alliance¡¯s war machine. Following the war, the human race was put under heavy military law near the edge of the Peripheral Regions for the next few hundred cycles. Due to Emperor Semwick¡¯s benevolence, humanity got redeemed later, and they joined the Empire on the 1145th cycle.¡± One of the screens read. That was pretty interesting. I wondered how much of it was distorted to give a different picture of what happened. After all, history was written by the victors. ¡°Fascinating, isn¡¯t it? I adore the history of humanity, but it¡¯s so fragmented and riddled with holes. I would give anything to see Earth in all its glory. You know, when I was young I managed to put away enough money for a trip to the planet. It¡¯s a miserable rock now,¡± Kal said with a frown. ¡°It was blue and full of life until we came and ruined everything. I¡¯m surprised there was a rock left behind,¡± I said. ¡°How would you know?¡± she asked with a raised eyebrow of mock. ¡°My guess is as good as anybody¡¯s I guess,¡± I added with raised hands. Before getting on our way on the path, I offered my hand to her, but she just stared at me with a questioning look. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Your hand. It¡¯s an old Earth custom. The man keeps his arm out so the woman can hold onto it. That¡¯s how you should walk in a proper way when on a date,¡± I explained. ¡°Old Earth custom, huh? You come up with these on the spot?¡± she asked with a chuckle, but she still raised her hand and held onto mine. The museum itself wasn¡¯t too big. There were many depictions of different battles and events from the war. A few real weapons and equipment on display beside holoimages. The most fascinating part for me was the comments recorded after the war from the Empire¡¯s soldiers. ¡°Humans were scary. I still have nightmares about them coming for me, you know. Even if you shot them or they limbs got blown off they just kept going. If they couldn¡¯t move their limbs anymore, they would try to bite you. They were absolutely mad. The only sure way to stop them was to shoot or destroy the head or just wait out until they bled out. I lost so many comrades to half dead humans I can¡¯t even remember. Trooper Kawarl - 594th cycle¡± ¡°It took us many cycles until we finally understood their way of thinking. To them, losses were acceptable as long as they reached their goal. Captain Jaleouretha the 5th - 590th cycle¡± ¡°You see this fake arm? A little human female half my size tore it off after I killed her comrade. The madness in her was so overwhelming I couldn¡¯t even breathe. I don¡¯t want to get close to humans ever again. Their emotions were too much for me. They were utterly vengeful when it came to their kind. If you started killing them, it was in your best interest to finish them off all unless you wanted a bloodthirsty beast after your neck.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Trooper Leonar Sam - 601st cycle¡± ¡°They were desperate. Some of their moves were completely unreasonable in our eyes. Whole battalions sacrificed themselves to give a chance to the others at escape. They sacrificed themselves by the millions just for small chances. It was a painful process to learn how to fight them. Warmaster Remarthaerd the 1st - 589th cycle¡± ¡°Physically you couldn¡¯t really hurt them. If you injured them too much, they tried to die in a way that brought the most damage. They were illogical and savage. The only way to affect their mentality was through their spirit. Most of the time though it just made things worse. Captain The Lowareth - 590th cycle¡± ¡°Kal¡¯s been here a couple of times before, but these comments always shock me. If I look at us humans now I can¡¯t see what they described. We aren¡¯t these violent warmongering species anymore, but it¡¯s fascinating to think that my ancestors were like that,¡± commented Kal with a light chuckle. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s crazy how different people are now,¡± I said while looking through the quotes. ¡°I guess time did its job.¡± ¡°You know, I can¡¯t even imagine how they could carry on if they literally lost limbs. If I accidentally knock my elbow into something I nearly break down crying like a child,¡± she laughed, but then she turned to me, and her previous happy expression slowly faded away. ¡°It must have really hurt,¡± she said while raising her hand and gently touching my burnt face. ¡°Physical pain is just an illusion,¡± I said with a weak laugh. ¡°An illusion your body creates for your brain to warn you that something is wrong. It¡¯s merely a sign for you that helps to keep your body together longer.¡± ¡°Real pain comes from the inside just as one of the quotes said,¡± I said while looking back at her. ¡°From the spirit. What hurts the most is the intangible, the feelings you can only wait to lessen with time or forget. Your skin can boil in a fire yet you would hardly notice it when compared to what grief and guilt could do to you.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you heal your scars?¡± she asked quietly while studying my face. ¡°That would only help me forget, and I don¡¯t want that,¡± I answered while looking her in the eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s continue, it¡¯s getting far too gloomy here,¡± I pulled her forward with a small laugh. Thankfully, the awkward silence didn¡¯t last too long because the museum¡¯s new main attraction made us far too excited. ¡°There she is!¡± Kal exclaimed loudly. In the center of the dome was a massive spaceship. It was blocky with red and blue paintings and longer than two buses put after each other. The front of it and the back of it were bigger than the middle part. It reminded me of a huge dumbbell. ¡°Look at that beauty! She is why Kal brought you here,¡± she cooed and pulled me closer. ¡°What is this?¡± I asked while staring at it with an open mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a Terran Scout Vessel. A genuine one!¡± ¡°You mean this lady is a thousand cycles old?! Looks brand new to me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a real old timer. They found it a few cycles ago in a hidden Terran base in the Peripheral Regions. It wasn¡¯t working anymore, but they completely restored her, and it flew on her own here a few weeks ago,¡± she explained with sparkling eyes while staring at it. We went closer and admired it. For me, it looked like something from a real sci-fi movie, but for these people, it was like an ancient piece of history. Like the Ford T-model for me. ¡°Can we check it out from the inside?¡± I asked while eyeing the open ramp at its side. ¡°I specifically searched this, but sadly, it¡¯s not open to the public,¡± she said with sad puppy eyes. I looked around but other than the crowd and the thin railing between us and the ship I saw nothing or nobody that would stop us if we went in there. The ship was literally open. ¡°Would you like to see it from the inside?¡± I grinned at her. ¡°How-¡± she started but couldn¡¯t finish because I grabbed her hand and ducked under the railing. ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?!¡± she asked in a high-pitched voice but she still followed me. I walked up to the ramp with confident steps while dragging Kal along. ¡°Well, what can we lose? It¡¯s right in front of us now,¡± I asked her mischievously before entering the ship. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t do this. This is not allowed,¡± she frowned and bit her lower lip. It made her look so sexy my legs nearly buckled. ¡°Come, come. Kal needs to see this,¡± I mimicked her style jokingly and pulled her inside. The inside of the ship was exactly what I expected from a sci-fi ship. Metal everywhere with the same red and blue paintings. There was a hallway in the middle of the ship with several smaller rooms at the sides. The entrances were small and round with massive doors like on a submarine. Surprisingly, the ship was a lot smaller on the inside than one would expect from its size. Possibly because of the heavy outer layers of the ship but it didn¡¯t cross my mind at first. We quickly reached the control room at the end of the ship. There were a few chairs scattered around the small space. There were no windows, but there were plenty of control boards. This ship clearly wasn¡¯t built during this holoeverything era. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. I¡¯m inside a Terran Scout Vessel,¡± whispered Kal while touching a control panel with extreme care. ¡°It¡¯s worth being a bit brave now and then. This ship is unbelievable. Did you say it still flies? Wouldn¡¯t it be great to take it on a -¡± ¡°Oi! What are you guys doing in here? This area is closed to the public!¡± I was interrupted by someone shouting at us from the hallway we came from. ¡°Oh shit, act cool and follow my lead!¡± I whispered to Kal. ¡°Huh?¡± I did my best stupid tourist impression. The guy was wearing a red uniform with the museum¡¯s logo on it. ¡°Why are you in here? You aren¡¯t allowed inside!¡± he accused. ¡°Really? I thought it was part of the experience since the ramp was open and all. It looked like the obvious thing to come inside. I even felt lucky that people weren¡¯t in front of us in this small space,¡± I said innocently. Kal came up to me quietly and took hold of my hand. ¡°Ah man¡­ I told them the ramp should be closed. It was bound to happen sooner or later,¡± the guy said while touching his forehead. ¡°Quickly, get out of here before you get us into trouble,¡± he shooed us away. Kal and I looked at each other and rushed out of the ship. When we got on the other side of the railing, we stopped and started laughing at the same time like in some cliche romantic movie. I guess the first guy or girl who came up with this cliche worked from real life experience. ¡°Thank you! This was so much fun! I can¡¯t believe Kal was inside that ship. The others will die from jealousy,¡± she said while still giggling. She was gorgeous while laughing and her shining eyes were magical. I finally managed to understand why moths were drawn to the light. ¡°Others?¡± I asked. ¡°Kal¡¯s a member of a Retro Ship Enthusiasts Club,¡± she said proudly while pushing out her chest. I approved. Retro¡­ That word really bothered me. For them, retro was what my future was. Time travel could really screw with one¡¯s sense of reality. After our little stunt, we left the place since the ship was the final sight of the museum. Kal asked if I was hungry which I was so she decided we were going to eat next. The restaurant was in a skyscraper building. We went up with the lift a few levels and arrived in a small reception area. An over the top polite yellow-eyed guy led us into what looked like a room but upon entering my jaw nearly knocked twice on the floor. The room wasn¡¯t big. There was a table and two huge chairs. Above the table, a pale blue orb was floating, gently illuminating the table and its surroundings. The jaw-dropping feature were the walls. It looked like space. Like the room was a glass bubble that was flying through space. I could see stars and planets slowly passing by us. For a few seconds, I even got motion sickness from it. I was still staring in wonder at the walls when Kal¡¯s chuckle awakened me. ¡°Well, that reaction was unexpectedly entertaining. Let¡¯s sit.¡± I collected myself and carefully stepped into the room after Kal. Understandably, I was a bit scared to step into the nothingness, since even the floor looked like space under us. I rushed up to the chair Kal was heading to and pulled it out for her as a gentleman should. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m helping you to your seat as a man should do,¡± I answered dead serious. ¡°Really? That¡¯s the first time I heard a man should do something like this. I can¡¯t complain though. Kal likes getting taken care of here and there,¡± she laughed at me and sat down. After I took my seat too, she continued. ¡°Go ahead, order anything that catches your attention.¡± She motioned with her hand towards the table in front of me. The same type of menu appeared in front of me like in GreenHut. I was in a good mood, and that asked for meat. I switched right away to linbog menu and looked through the potential dishes. The selection was smaller, but it was higher quality. I seriously eyed the Rawker Demon Stew, but I considered that I was on a date and chickened out in the end. My final decision fell on the Deboned Rawa Wings. It was a safe choice since I remembered that I ate Rawa steak before and it was pretty good. ¡°You ordered meat?!¡± asked Kal with wide eyes. Apparently, she was spying on my choice. ¡°Is that a problem? If you are against eating meat I can choose something else,¡± I said while throwing up my hands like a criminal. ¡°No, no! Kal has no problem with it; it¡¯s just¡­ surprising to see a Human eating meat.¡± ¡°I love eating meat!¡± I said with a grin. ¡°That¡¯s¡­something else for sure. I tried eating meat a few times in my life, but all I managed from it was painful indigestion and mild disgust. How long have you been eating meat? Doesn¡¯t it bother your stomach?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been eating meat since I can remember. My stomach could take on a grenade, a little meat hardly counts,¡± I pushed out my chest and answered proudly like the manly man I was. ¡°That¡¯s a bold statement,¡± She laughed loudly. Our dinner arrived with sleek looking, floating robots shortly after ordering. Kal was having some kind of vegetable dish. I was thinking about asking a few questions about herself, but she beat me to it. ¡°You seem like a smart person. I guess your employment at our company is only temporary. What are your plans for the future?¡± ¡°Actually,¡± I said while looking around, ¡°I want to wander around in space. See everything that¡¯s worth seeing. Experience new things and live life to its fullest. Also, I bet girls are plenty into handsome ship captains.¡± She stared at me for a few moments lost in thought. ¡°Funny,¡± she smiled, ¡°when I was younger I had the same dream, you know. I wanted my own ship and explore the cosmos without any burden. In reality, I ended up as a division leader for a small company. I can¡¯t complain, it¡¯s a decent life, and I find plenty excitement if I put some effort into it,¡± she said with a coy wink. We spent the rest of the meal chatting with each other. After, we left for her jumper in a good mood. ¡°It was a fun night Aium,¡± she said before getting in. ¡°I didn¡¯t regret bringing you to this date. Most of the guys fail to live up to Kal¡¯s expectations so be honored. It¡¯s getting late. Time to go home.¡± I was smiling ear-to-ear inside. She enjoyed the date with me, and I enjoyed her company too. I decided to ask her out on a second date when she dropped me off. I felt confident she would say yes. I wasn¡¯t thinking about getting into a relationship so soon, but if the opportunity presented itself so obviously to me, I couldn¡¯t just ignore it. I was so occupied with my own thoughts that I hardly realized that we stopped on a parking floor. The problem was that it wasn¡¯t the GreenHut parking floor. ¡°This isn¡¯t the GreenHut,¡± I said while looking around. ¡°No, this is where Kal lives,¡± she said and pushed a small vial of purple liquid into my hand. ¡°Drink this now! I wouldn¡¯t want you to run out of steam too early,¡± she said while laying her hand on my thigh. Book 1 - Chapter 21 - Timmys morning Randall¡¯s POV [I¡¯ve completed the thorough search of the accessible medical libraries.] [Took you long enough. Out with it,] I snapped at it after I stopped chewing on the bone remaining from my breakfast. [I found nothing similar to the name ¡°CPR¡± or the description of the technique.] [Of course. Useless as usual.] I continued to chew on the bone careful not to break it too early. There was no way something like this existed without anyone knowing about it. I spent my entire life learning medicine, and then a half-burned human brat just casually throws out something nobody even heard about. Unbelievable! And he still didn¡¯t show up to take me up on my offer. MY offer! In my frustration, I ended up snapping my bone in half. ¡°Great...¡± I mumbled while throwing it down to my plate.
[Good morning, Aium!] ¡°Morning Genna,¡± I said while preparing for a huge wake-up stretch. Before I could finish it with my usual roar at the end, I had to cut short the stretch and yelp loudly instead. My body was aching all over. I felt like I went to the gym for the first time in my life yesterday and on the way home someone beat me up too. ¡°Agh¡­ What the fuck?!¡± I tried touching my shoulders while trying to open my severely dried out eyes. ¡°Could you keep it down? I¡¯d like to sleep a bit more,¡± said a female voice from beside me. Oh shit. I tried to force my eyes open as much as I could. Kal¡¯s naked back was facing me in the bed. Everything clicked back into place in my mind. The date yesterday. The museum, the dinner and the night we spent together. After coming up to her apartment, everything turned foggy. I still remembered everything but in a kind of hazy way. No wonder I ached everywhere. Kal really did bite¡­ and scratch and slap and¡­. Ugh. That fucking drink she gave me made me flip out too. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry as a desert. I needed water desperately. I tried crawling out of bed but, all I could manage was another hiss. My legs were sore like I ran a marathon. I didn¡¯t even have my boxer on; I was buck naked under the thin blanket. I didn¡¯t even want to acknowledge how worn out my billion credits technology felt down there. With great effort and noise, I managed to sit up. Hungry, thirsty, beaten down¡­ This wasn¡¯t a morning I would want to repeat. ¡°Look, if you don¡¯t feel like sleeping anymore, go ahead and leave. It was a really great night, but Kal has things to do today. I¡¯ll call you back sometime,¡± interrupted my wailing Kal while looking up at me. She just kicked me out. I was used for sex. I didn¡¯t even know how to feel about it at the moment, all I could do was a weak nod. I stood up and shuffled into her bathroom. I washed my face and drank right out from the tap. After freshening up a bit, I looked at myself in the mirror. Scratch and bite marks all over my chest, shoulder, and neck. I looked horrible. If I didn¡¯t know the story, I would have said I had a deathmatch against a banshee. Collecting my courage, I looked down to check out the status of my most important part. It had definitely seen better days, but it wouldn¡¯t fall off anytime soon. [Aium, next time please don¡¯t drink something like that. I didn¡¯t expect its effects would be this drastic for you. I¡¯m sorry. You should just spend this day resting,] said Genna with slight guilt in her voice. She was talking about the purple drink Kal gave me. I asked Genna before taking it and she said it¡¯s nothing harmful. It was a kind of energy drink and potency booster cocktail. Unfortunately or fortunately in my case, the effects were too good. I was like an animal in heat on cocaine. No wonder my whole body hurt like a bitch. [Agreed. Never again,] I responded. I tried to dress up as fast and as quietly as I could manage which was pretty hard since every part of my body ached. Before leaving I stopped because I felt like I should at least say something. ¡°Thanks for the date Kal,¡± I said without turning back. I got a mumbled response from her I couldn¡¯t understand. Last night I didn¡¯t have the attention to spare to look around Kal¡¯s apartment while we wrestled into her room. Everything was blue. There was no surprise there. I was in a hallway while trying to remember which way the exit might be. It would be so awkward to go back to her room to ask for help getting out of her apartment. After stumbling through the small hallway, I spotted the exit door. At least I managed to take a look at the door last night, so it was familiar. My hand was already reaching for the metal plate when someone interrupted me. ¡°Hey there! Good morning! Would like something to drink? Maybe a nice breakfast?¡± I froze. Should I turn around or make a run for it? My curiosity took over me, and I turned around. Behind me, in an open kitchen, a middle-aged guy was sitting on a bar stool in front of a holoscreen. He was looking at me with a smile. ¡°Who-Who are you?¡± I asked with a stutter and open mouth. ¡°My name¡¯s Andrew. I¡¯m Kal¡¯s legal partner. And you would be?¡± he asked with a bright smile.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°Legal partner? Like husband?¡± I asked while I could feel my blood slowly freeze in my veins. ¡°Well, you could say it like that too I guess,¡± he said with a thoughtful expression. [GENNA! DEFCON 1! Get ready for escape! We might have to fight our way-] ¡°You didn¡¯t say your name yet,¡± he interrupted my inner panic attack. Looking at the guy he didn¡¯t seem like someone ready to brawl. No weapons in sight around him either. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Timmy,¡± I answered. [Calm down Aium, he won¡¯t attack you...] scoffed, Genna. [Yeah, sure¡­ It¡¯s not like I fucked his wife in their home last night.] ¡°So? Would you like breakfast? You must have had a rough night by what I heard.¡± Dear God! He was here?! What have I gotten myself into?! I could feel a bead of sweat running down my forehead. ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks. I¡¯m not really hungry, but I just remembered that I had this thing to do today-¡± ¡°Come on; I make a mean pormel. You have to try it,¡± he said, still smiling while standing up. I took a step back. Which made him frown a little. ¡°Don¡¯t be so timid. It¡¯s just a breakfast,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t bite like her, you know,¡± he continued while looking at my neck. [Is he acting? After what happened last night, why would he be like this? Is he planning on taking me out with poison?] I asked Genna. [I wish I could just slap your head sometimes. Why would he want to poison you? They are legal partners but both of them are free to do what they want with other people.] [You can sleep with other people when you¡¯re married?] [Of course. Was it different in your time?] [Absolutely! Sleeping with someone other than your husband or wife was bad stuff.] [Wow, that¡¯s an interesting view.] ¡°So?¡± I was still standing before the door and the guy was patiently waiting for my response. ¡°I guess I can stay for a little,¡± I said finally. Under normal circumstances, I would have never accepted his offer, but currently, I was so hungry I would have gladly chewed on an old shoe. I walked up to one of the bar stools around the counter and sat down while trying not to hiss. Apparently, my bottom hurt too. If I didn¡¯t remember the last night, I would have thought I got violated from behind, but no such thing happened. Which was kind of lucky on my part if I considered Kal¡¯s temperament. The husband who¡¯s name I already forgot walked up to the kitchen took out a few thing and got to work on the food. I expected some kind of conversation or something, but there was complete silence. [Why isn¡¯t he talking? Isn¡¯t this weird? Are you sure he won¡¯t try to kill me?] [It is a bit odd, but I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t try to finish you off. Calm down.] She wasn¡¯t convincing at all. I shifted around in my seat uncomfortably. While something was frying in a pan, the guy brought us drinks. It was some kind of green juice. He motioned with his head to drink it, but I wouldn¡¯t have it so easy. I brought up the glass and motioned with it towards him. ¡°You first,¡± I said with a fake smile. He laughed a bit and took a sip. Following that, I felt brave and safe enough to drink, so I chugged down the whole thing. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awfully thirsty, here, have some more,¡± he said while refilling my drink. Then he walked back to the frying food without a word. He didn¡¯t do anything special to it. He just threw everything into a deep pan like thing, and it was doing everything for him, but he still watched it intently. He put a plate of fried vegetables in front of me and sit down at the other end of the table with his own plate. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said meekly. He only responded with a smile and a nod. I waited until he took a bite and swallowed it. After that, I dug in like an animal and wolfed down the food. The whole thing was super uncomfortable because the guy just ate leisurely in silence. He invited me to breakfast, and now he was just looking around and occasionally staring at me. Did I make a huge mistake staying here? Did my hunger choke out my common sense? I finished my food in minutes, and I felt like the sooner I left this place the better. I stood up and thanked him. ¡°Thanks for the breakfast!¡± Before I could turn around to leave, he finally spoke. ¡°Did you find it enjoyable, Timmy?¡± he asked with a small smile. That question lit up too many flags. Way too suspicious question. And who the fuck it Timm- of yeah, I said my name was Timmy¡­. ¡°It was great, thanks, but it¡¯s really time for me to be on my wa-¡± ¡°You know, it was remarkable. You two went at it for a long time and with great momentum too,¡± he said while looking down at his food and poking it with his fork. [FUCK! He¡¯s going to kill me! This is all your fault for making me lower my guard!] [Wha-] she tried to respond, but I didn¡¯t have time for this now. I had to escape this situation. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry, okay? I didn¡¯t know she had someone. I wouldn¡¯t do something like this normally,¡± I tried. ¡°She¡¯s a free spirit alright, that¡¯s one of the reasons I love her so much,¡± he said with a thoughtful smile, still poking around in his food. I was slowly backing towards the door. This guy was a lunatic. ¡°You know, she frequently goes on dates with guys like you but she rarely brings them up here. It kind of became our ritual in a way. When she brings home someone, I welcome them the morning after,¡± he said while looking up at me and standing up. I quickened my pace towards the door. I prayed to all kinds of gods for the door to be open. ¡°So, Timmy, after a nice meal, you must have restored some of that lost energy from last night. Would you like to join me in my room? I¡¯m far more gentle than she is,¡± he said enticingly while taking off his shirt. ¡°What?¡± [What?]
Somewhere in space A transparent sphere jumped out of Bend-Phase with a light show. Onboard The Ermwert and Laurent were already handling the various scanners and observation equipment of the ship. They had to travel a long distance, and they didn¡¯t have the luxury of spare time. ¡°Preliminary scans came back without anything. The phenomenon happened far too long ago. Let¡¯s save us a few rounds and set the scanners to maximum sensitivity right away. It will take a while, but at least it will find anything worth finding,¡± said Laurent. The Ermwert just hummed in response. They went around the reported area several times while the scanners worked at full capacity. They found some residual readings about the phenomenon quickly, but they continued with the surveying for several days. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything around here,¡± said Laurent after the scanners finished while looking out at the area where the reported event happened. The Ermwert hummed. ¡°We could do a few more rounds and look for anything out of place. I really don¡¯t want to go back empty-handed,¡± said Laurent with a deep frown. The Ermwert hummed louder. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Laurent. The Ermwert hummed. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s feasible? What¡¯s the possibility for that?¡± The Ermwert hummed in a higher pitch. ¡°Well, let¡¯s check it then, we don¡¯t have much to lose if we sniff around a little,¡± said Laurent with a sigh. They buried themselves in their holoscreens for several hours until¡­ The Ermwert hummed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I mean it matches the time of the incident perfectly, and the ship¡¯s route should have crossed this exact area.¡± The Ermwert hummed. ¡°Hard to believe it but there is a chance if you look at the details,¡± said Laurent while taking a deep breath. ¡°Set course to Hatuu.¡± The Ermwert hummed in response. Book 1 - Chapter 22 - The Menacing Duck Thankfully the door wasn¡¯t locked. I fled the apartment in a fashion that would have shamed Olympic athletes. I didn¡¯t stop until I was on the streets. [What the hell was that?!] I asked while barely breathing. I desperately needed some exercise. A wet noodle was in better shape than me. [It was pretty obvious. You got another offer for sexual relations.] [Don¡¯t give me that cold A.I. logic act now¡­ I heard you back there! You were just as surprised as me!] [His offer wasn¡¯t something uncommon, but your paranoia is contagious! Even I expected something dangerous at the end from the guy which is ridiculous. I have modules that slightly shape my personality to fit the host better, but this is too much. You are toxic!] she blamed me. [Woah! Who told you to be like me? I don¡¯t like being me, who needs another me?] [Just¡­ forget it!] [Don¡¯t get butthurt with me because you try to be cool like me, and then you realize I¡¯m not cool at all.] [Shut up, or I¡¯ll send your contact information to Andrew,] she said menacingly. [Who the fuck is Andrew?] I asked while throwing my hands in the air. [Oh my creator! THE GUY FROM 2 MINUTES AGO!] she shouted back. [Whoa¡­ calm down there. No reason to get your RAM bunched up like that.] [Why can¡¯t you be normal?] she sobbed. [Wait! Did you just threaten me to give my number to the guy that tried to double up on me after his wife?!] I had to stop in my tracks. [Yes.] [... fuck you, Genna!] ¡­ [Pfffft,] she burst out laughing like never before and I did the same. We had a good laugh out of that. [What a ridiculous date. My boss drugged me up and took advantage of me. Then she basically kicked me out the morning after, and her husband invited me to breakfast which he followed up with an invitation for some morning hanky-panky,] I said while still having a few giggles. [It¡¯s an interesting story if you put it like that but I wouldn¡¯t say that she took advantage of you. If I remember correctly - and I always do -you were pretty eager to-] [WAH-WAH-WAH-WAH-WAH,] I started shouting and slapping the sides of my mask where my ears would be like I wanted to avoid hearing what she had to say. [You know nothing about the night!] I said finally when she stopped talking. [Yes Sir! I¡¯ll label the recordings from yesterday as ¡°NOTHING¡±.] [I swear to God I¡¯ll lick a battery,] I threatened. [Why?] [Wouldn¡¯t it hurt you?] [Why?] [Like¡­ electricity and your nanites...] [You¡¯re an idiot. These comments hurt me more than anything could.] While talking, I was walking on the streets mindlessly. I had no idea where I was, and I didn¡¯t even pay attention, so I just walked around like an idiot. When I came off of the adrenaline high from my clutch escape I was left with an aching body. All I wanted was to get home now. I was planning on not talking to Genna for a few days to punish her for the mean comments but it only lasted for 2 minutes. I had no idea where I was and how to get home without her.
The following days were pretty uneventful. I licked my battle wounds and rested my worn out body for the rest of my off day. Workday came quickly, and I was struggling to keep my soul inside my body. ¡°Spaceport Docking Permissions,¡± I read the title of the chapter with a yawn like I wanted to swallow the desk in front of me whole. ¡°Class 2 and above spaceships are not allowed to dock in Class B and below Spaceports,¡± I continued one of the lines followed by another yawn. ¡°What the¡­ this is cryptic as shit! They made this complicated on purpose so more people would fail the test,¡± I moaned while leaning back in my chair. [Stop complaining. This is just the Basic knowledge, and it is as easy as it gets.] My answer was more moaning and slowly slipping down on my chair like a slime. Learning a book of rules and regulations wasn¡¯t exactly the useful side activity I was expecting when I bought this. I was stupid for believing that something like this would be interesting or by any means exciting. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t meet with Kal yet. I knew it was bound to happen in the near future, but I sure wasn¡¯t looking forward to it. I went over far too many scenarios about our meeting and what I would say. The whole situation was weird as hell to me. I never considered myself sexist, but she asked me out on a date¡­ more like told me we were going on a date, paid for everything, spent the night together and the morning after she technically kicked me out. I should have felt wronged in a way, but in reality, I didn¡¯t have anything to complain about. I enjoyed every part of that night. My only discomfort came from my slightly hurt masculinity and maybe the part where her husband wanted a piece of me too. All in all, I didn¡¯t regret anything about it, and I would have loved to go out with Kal more, but I knew it wasn¡¯t going to happen. A little later I got a house call for delivery from the system. The automated system told me when to do what so it was my immediate boss. The jelly bean took me to another faceless, copy pasted skyscraper apartment complex. Each passing day this city looked more and more depressing. Perhaps I should take a tour around the planet sometime. I couldn¡¯t believe this was the best that it could offer. [I never asked before, but what¡¯s this planet?] I asked Genna while approaching the room for the delivery. [This is the second habitable planet of the Fengar System and the second colonized planet of the fungari,] she explained. [So this is a mushroom people planet. Are they generally this boring?] I asked while pointing around with my head. [It¡¯s safe to say that typically, they have a mild taste towards artistic values,] she tried to put it nicely. I reached my destination, but there was no response from inside even after I banged on the door. I was starting to see a pattern here. If the robots failed to deliver something three times the delivery would fail even more because the one ordering didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about their package. I wished I could just take it home with me and say that I succeeded with the delivery. It would have been nice, but I couldn¡¯t do that for several reasons. First of all, I promised Genna that I wouldn¡¯t steal deliveries like this anymore and secondly, it would be the noobiest mistake anyone could make. Even the stupidest person could connect the dots if this gets reported and those dots would light a straight way to me. I wouldn¡¯t be able to explain what I expected; it was simply on a whim that I tried reaching for the metal plate on the door that opened it. To my absolute surprise, the door slid to the side with a gentle sound. ¡°Erm...¡± [Aium?! What are you doing again? Why can¡¯t we have a quiet day for once?] complained Genna. [I didn¡¯t mean to open it¡­ I mean I did, but I didn¡¯t think that it would just open,] I said with a shrug. I peeked inside, but from the bright hallway, I couldn¡¯t see much in the dark room. I took a careful step inside. ¡°Hello? Anyone home? I¡¯ve got a delivery here for,¡± I said and looked down at the package for the name, ¡°Karlone Poper.¡± There was no response. [This isn¡¯t in accordance with the protocols,] complained, Genna. [I figured¡­ Come on, be a bit more flexible.] I walked in deeper and my eyes slowly adjusted to the darker room. The apartment was bigger than mine, but it still had only one room. The walls were filled with colorful decorations of some kind of moving game or movie posters. There were several shelves filled with various unknown gadgets. On the bed, I could see some light source, and when I took a closer look, I realized someone was lying there. My first thought was that the person was dead. I rushed up to her - as it turned out it was a girl - and realized that she was okay. She was wearing a helmet that had lights running through the sides. I could see her chest rise and fall and I was only checking out that area in particular because I was concerned about her health. By the way, she was flat. ¡°Hello?¡± I asked loudly, but she didn¡¯t respond. I tried again with a few claps to get her attention, but there was still no response. I was about to kick her legs, but Genna stopped me. [She¡¯s deep in VR. Must have turned on the undisturbed function. You shouldn¡¯t bother her anymore; she won¡¯t hear you. Can we leave now? This is a severe invasion of her privacy.] I stared at her for a while and then around her room. I could have done anything. A stranger was standing by her unconscious body in her own home. This whole world bothered me so much. It was like they were screaming for trouble in my eyes. This level of stupid naivety was when you slapped the back of their head and asked them if they were right in the head.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. While looking around, I had a dark thought. It started as a tiny seed, and within a few seconds, it slowly turned into a wicked plan. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said to the girl with a smile then left her room and door closed behind me. [Well done. I almost thought that you would do something really bad the-] commented Genna but I interrupted her by knocking on the neighboring room. [What?] she asked now. There was no response to my knocking. I tried to open the door, but it didn¡¯t work this time. I tried two more doors with the same result, but the third one opened up. ¡°Hello?¡± I asked into the darkness. There was no response, so I walked in. [Okay. I get it. I¡¯ve been mean recently, and you are trying to get back at me. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll behave from now on. Can we get back to your workplace now?] pleaded Genna. [Sure, just give me a minute.] [For what?] I didn¡¯t respond to that one because even I wasn¡¯t sure yet what I wanted. The room was the same size and design and just as I expected there was a goblin lying on the bed with a VR mask on his face. ¡°You there?¡± I asked loudly, but he didn¡¯t even twitch. ¡°These people seriously need some red pills in their lives,¡± I said with a shake of my head. [Are you having a brain aneurysm? I can¡¯t see anything wrong from here, but there is clearly something going off in here.] I looked around the barely lit room. I spotted several potential candidates. For example, the metal plate before the goblin sized wardrobe or the thin rectangular box on the table in the corner of the room. I asked Genna about them. [What are you planning Aium? I don¡¯t like where this is going,] she asked suspiciously. [Answer please!] [The metal plate before the drawer is a dresser. It dresses you up as its name would suggest. The box on the table is a linbog musical instrument.] [How? That¡¯s just a metal slab,] I said with a frown. [They use their claws to scratch different parts of the instrument with varying speed and strength to produce different sounds.] [Sure¡­ Obviously, that¡¯s how they use it¡­ So, do they worth anything?] [The dresser is pretty expensive. The Karwalma Log, the linbog instrument doesn¡¯t worth much.] I walked up to it and tried lifting it. The dresser was superheavy, but it was still manageable. [So, Genna. I think we are taking this.] [What do you mean?!] [I mean we are bringing this with us,] I explained. [NO! I mean how is that even an idea for you? Do you seriously want to steal again?] [It¡¯s just a dresser. Nothing that would be missed and look at that guy;] I said while pointing with my head towards the bed, [he¡¯s a potato. Do you really think he would miss something like this?] [Your reasons don¡¯t matter if you do something wrong like this¡­ You promised me you wouldn¡¯t do this again.] [I promised you that I wouldn¡¯t steal deliveries like that again and I intend to keep my promise.] [Why do you have to do this? You have a decent job; even your lie letters work to some extent. Can¡¯t you just be normal?] she asked with a weak voice. [I need the money so I can buy a ship of my own. I¡¯m bored out of my mind even though I promised myself I wouldn¡¯t waste my life away like this... and these people,] I looked at the goblin on the bed, [they are making me itch. It wouldn¡¯t hurt them to get a little sense of reality back, especially for potatoes like these.] She didn¡¯t respond to that, so I continued. [Look Genna. I want to take this and do some stuff to earn some extra credits, but before I do any of it, I have to ask you if you will report me or something. Last time I was reckless and didn¡¯t even consider what would happen. This time I intend to ask the questions in time. Would you be cool with this or...] [Nonsense question. I wouldn¡¯t be okay with this¡­ but¡­ I wouldn¡¯t report you. I absolutely disagree with this but I¡¯m not going to ruin us either to punish you for it.] [It¡¯s just a piece of convenience equipment for a guy that probably spends most of his days in an imaginary world chasing catgirls for his make-believe harem,] I argued. [You have an awful lot of prejudice towards someone you met a minute ago,] she added. [Whatever. Let¡¯s go before someone sees us,] I said and picked up the dresser plate from the ground. The failed delivery in one hand and the dresser plate in the other I walked out of the room and the door slid closed behind me. [Damn it Aium¡­ Why do you have to be like this?] [It¡¯s nothing serious. No real harm was done. A little excitement with a side of free cash.] She could only follow that up with a weak moan. I jumped into my jelly bean with the plate in my lap and headed back to work. After a while, Genna asked me, [Why did you go to another room to do this? The girl¡¯s room was full of expensive equipment.] [Good for her. I wouldn¡¯t dare take something from someone I was supposed to deliver to. That¡¯s just asking for getting caught. Someone with the right access to information can easily connect me to the missing things.] [Uuuugh¡­ your criminal way of thinking worries me greatly,] she complained. [It¡¯s just common sense¡­ You should look it up. Pretty good stuff.] It was all a spontaneous idea, but I was surprised how well Genna handled it this time. I thought she would right away refuse to go with this. I made it to the jelly bean safely and went back to work. I hid the dresser plate among my regular clothes in the back room. I had a few things to figure out to make this work, but I had the basic idea. Genna tried to squeeze me for some information, but I would wait with it until we were home. When we arrived home, Genna attacked again. [So, what do you want to do with it?] [You must have a guess at least. You are supposed to be the clever one among us,] I said with a small laugh while putting down my stuff and getting my shoes off. [You want to sell it on the online market.] [Close, but not perfect.] [Then what? Come on, I¡¯m still mad at you for doing this and you holding back information like this is just making it worse,] she threatened. [I want to sell it, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll need access to the online market. I would need some help with that, but the first step is something entirely different. I wouldn¡¯t call myself a bright fellow, but at least I have something up in here,] I said while pointing to my head. [I wouldn¡¯t sell this like this. If someone seriously starts looking for his missing shit, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to track it down if it appears on the market.] [Then what do you want to do with it?] [I¡¯ll sell it in pieces, and I have just the right fool for the job of taking it apart.] Genna was still antsy about the whole thing, but she still helped me set up an online market access. It would have taken no more than 5 minutes but choosing a name turned out to be a huge headache. After careful consideration and nearly two hours of debate with Genna, I managed to make my final decision on the name ¡°The Menacing Duck¡±. It was silly, eye-catching and made no sense. It was perfect. Well, maybe not for those who had that strange phobia where they fear that a duck is watching them¡­ Acceptable losses. It was pretty easy to set up sales on the online market. I had a Public Product Market Access which meant I was able to sell Public Products. Most of the stuff on the market was under this category, but for example, the BioEnhancements were Restricted Products, and they were only sold by Empire approved sellers. All you had to do to sell something when you had Market Access was to add the information about your product and set a price. If you wanted to be extra nice you could use a cheap scanner on the product and with that, you could attach a perfect 3D holoscan of what you wanted to sell. The scanner wasn¡¯t anything special or expensive, so I ordered one without hesitation. When someone bought something from me, I would have to send it to the buyer with delivery. Since I wasn¡¯t a proper shop, I had a longer delivery time than most other sellers because I had to go and do the sending by person. It was a little inconvenient, but I had a brilliant idea for this too. My workplace had tons of empty boxes, and nobody would notice a few missing. Also, I could just go in anytime and push my box into the hands of a robot, and they would just go with it. I wouldn¡¯t have to pay a single credit for sending them, but the buyer would pay for the delivery. Absolutely brilliant. Most of my co-workers are fucking clones, they wouldn¡¯t notice me being there, but if any of them did, I could always come up with a cheap excuse. The last piece of my new business empire was Kevin! I didn¡¯t remember his name, but I had a Genna, so it worked out. I had the perfect¡­ well, an acceptable guy to take apart any stuff and give me back the valuable parts that are worth selling. He was in my debt so I could easily convince him. Early morning next day I called him, and he was pretty surprised I contacted him. I explained to him that I might have a small business opportunity that might interest him. I told him that I had second-hand items and I needed someone that could take them apart and give me back the parts that are worth selling. He was a bit reluctant, but in the end, I managed to convince him since he was short on money. Unfortunately, after the explosive incident, he was politely kicked out of GreenHut. He had to go somewhere else nearby where the rent was a bit too tight for his situation. We agreed to meet up. His new place was 30 minutes away from GeenHut. It would be a little inconvenient to walk so much every time, but I had time on my hand, and the little exercise wouldn¡¯t hurt either. Kevin¡¯s room was a mess. When I saw his room after the explosion, I thought it was like that because of the explosion. Now I was sure that the explosion made things more orderly in his room. There were several desks with countless gadgets, pieces, and tools. Kevin didn¡¯t really care about the status of his room. I showed him the dresser plate, and he eagerly took it apart in a few minutes. He seemed experienced enough in it, but I still backed up to the other side of the room. He showed me which parts were worth something and which were trash. I put the valuable parts into a box I brought with me and asked him how much I should pay him for this. To my absolute delight, he said that it wasn¡¯t much of a work and he would be satisfied enough with the leftover parts. He could find a use for them one way or another. I was a bit skeptical whether he was telling the truth or not but Genna backed him up. She wasn¡¯t an expert in this field, but she could make some general observations. I wouldn¡¯t be able to acquire too many stuff since I rarely had to do house deliveries and even then I couldn¡¯t just haul up everything, but it was still a nice way for a little more income. One step closer to heading off into space.
Roka Beferent¡¯s POV Staring into my fireplace while my home office was shrouded in darkness always helped me to soothe my mind. Something about staring into real fire always calmed me down. Importing quality wood from another planet cost me a fortune, but it was definitely worth it. Life should be savored with the finest that it could offer. I took a sip from my drink and looked at the glass in the fire¡¯s light. I savored the taste. I ran out of books to read so I just quietly enjoyed my drink near a warm fireplace this evening. I would have to fix this predicament with the lack of reading material. I missed reading something palpable during the evenings. [Sir, you have received a report. The priority is high.] Unfortunately, Anne interrupted my introspection. [Display!] A holoscreen popped up in front of me with said report. It came from one of the spaceport supervisors on planet Remora II. It was a response to my inquiry from a while back about a certain individual that somehow managed to board a spaceship there without an IDChip or even the knowledge of the Empire¡¯s language. The report contained the detailed results of an exhaustive investigation on the matter. They went through every available information about the flight in question and even questioned every person that had contact with the passengers of said ship. I frowned and sat up straight in my chair. If this was true¡­ I gave a perfect description of the individual in question in my inquiry. He had certain features that made him more distinguishable. The report revealed no signs of this individual on their end around the spaceship¡¯s departure time. According to the flight attendant of the ship the person was sitting in a seat that should have been otherwise empty when the spaceship landed. This was troubling for several reasons if we considered the other events from my unique meeting with this individual. [Anne, schedule a call for Aium Roowe the first thing tomorrow morning.] [Yes, Sir!] Book 1 - Chapter 23 - Thugs The following weeks passed without anything special happening. I had a run in with Kal a few times. I expected overflowing awkwardness, but in reality, it was a perfectly normal conversation. Probably Kal had experience with these situations. She diffused the uncomfortable air between us with a few simple sentences. Work was boring as hell, but something very positive about it was that I had all the time to properly prepare myself for the Basic Spaceship Control Examination. It was 20k credits to apply, so I damn well wanted to be ready to pass it. Luckily I managed to reach the required amount of points. No matter what Genna said, one point above the mark is still above the mark. The little shit kept her word and didn¡¯t help me even when I went all out persuader. Never begging to her again. On the money front, I was more than doing well. I sent out a few more rounds of my dear old Rabunde¡¯s letters, and I always managed to get people baited¡­ I mean convinced about his dire needs. My side business wasn¡¯t doing bad either. I rarely had the opportunity to go to house deliveries, and sometimes the location didn¡¯t accommodate action, but when I had the chance, I always took a few something-something from the neighbors. Of course, I kept myself to items that weren''t necessary or essential to their owners and only took a few things at a time. I didn¡¯t want to draw a lot of attention and most importantly because I didn¡¯t want to piss off Genna too much. She was a real trooper because even though she gnashed her virtual teeth every time I did this she didn¡¯t report me or nag me endlessly about it. It felt a little weird that she was reluctantly but still going with my stupid shits. Shouldn¡¯t an A.I. be more¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ principled? I wasn¡¯t complaining; I was endlessly happy I had Genna with me, it just felt a little weird. Anyway, my little enterprise was going slowly but surely. Kevin helped whenever I asked, and he was quite happy to take over the leftover parts. Lately, I started to give him some credits too. Even though I kept myself back, I still got plenty of money from this. As I came to know a lot of people liked tinkering in their spare time. Just like Kevin. Maybe it wasn¡¯t a lot, but there were a lot, and I mean a lot of people in a Space Empire. I¡¯ve done most of my business in the mushroom people¡¯s system, but I got a few orders from some other parts of this galaxy. The delivery fee was double the item¡¯s price, and I didn¡¯t have to pay for it on my part since I could just piggyback my workplace for free deliveries. Sadly, I didn¡¯t get any orders from other galaxies. That would have been a goldmine. All in all, The Menacing Duck was doing pretty well. I earned more from it than from my job. I thought about quitting at some point, but then I realized how idiotic I could be at times. If I didn¡¯t have the delivery job how would I get stuff to sell on The Menacing Duck? Bah¡­ In my spare time, I had a lazy life. Eating, sleeping, watching documentaries, chatting with Genna. Told her about the World Wars and several other historical events. I described countless animals from Earth and how different areas of the planet looked like. I was an avid documentary watcher, so I had a lot to talk about. It kind of made me sad since all of those species were pretty much extinct now. There were none left. It quickly became depressing for me to talk about them but Genna was eager to learn more. It felt like she had great pleasure in learning stuff that others didn¡¯t know about yet. After I aced my test like a champion I¡¯ve had more time on my hand and I started to get really bored again. I was thinking about getting some knowledge about tech stuff. Wouldn¡¯t be bad if I could do what Kevin was doing. Cutting out the middleman would be a wise decision, and I didn¡¯t think it was that hard to learn. Maybe a year and I would have enough money to buy myself a simple shuttle that could go around this galaxy at least. I was eagerly looking forward to it. Maybe I could make a few hiking trips around this planet meanwhile. Wouldn¡¯t hurt to see what¡¯s there to see if I¡¯m already here.
One day like every other I was lazing around on the couch and chatting with Genna before work. [No, no, no. You don¡¯t have to meet him in person. You could go mad even from dreaming about him,] I explained. [Makes no sense. How could a being so powerful like that go unnoticed?] [Because he¡¯s sleeping in his green city under the ocean.] [If he¡¯s not from Earth originally then why-] Genna started but cut herself off. [Aium, there¡¯s a call for you,] she said. I looked at the holoscreen, but there was no notification. [I can¡¯t see-] [It¡¯s a personal call,] she added. [What? From whom?] [Roka Beferent.] [The mustache guy from the spaceport? What the fuck?! Accept it.] There was a pleasant humming sound in my mind that indicated that I connected to the call. [Good day Mr. Aium, I¡¯m Roka Beferent. We¡¯ve met at the spaceport a while back; I reckon you remember me?] [Yeah, hello. What¡¯s up?] [I would like to invite you to my office for a little chat,] he said with a small cough. [We can chat now.] [I¡¯d like to have this conversation in person if you don¡¯t mind.] There was a short silence from me. I didn¡¯t like where this was going. [What do you want to chat about?] I asked while emphasizing the word ''chat''. [It concerns your arrival to our spaceport.] Fucking shit and piss and monkey balls! I knew something was bound to happen; it was way too peaceful recently. Everything was going so well¡­ of course, shit had to hit the fan. [Nah, I don¡¯t have time for this. I have work and other stuff you know,] I declared. [Mr. Aium, I insist that we have this meeting and as soon as possible,] he said in a low voice. [Some other time mate. Bye!] Bye was my keyword for Genna to cut the line. ¡°FUCK!¡± I shouted into the room. I balled up my fists, and I was ready to smash the table in two¡­ or my hand into pieces on the table. I didn''t care one bit. [Aium! Don¡¯t you dare break anything!] Gennashouted at me. Her surprisingly loud voice in my head stopped me in my motion. I looked at my fist hovering in the air ready to smash into the table. I felt that my face was twisted into an ugly snarl. She was right, and I fucking hated it! I knew I would have regretted hurting my hand for nothing but the frustration didn''t go away so easily. I closed my eyes,took a deep breath and released my fist. [What do you think this is about?] I asked still gnashing my teeth and stretching my fingers. [If I have to guess it¡¯s about how you got on the spaceship. I bet they had some kind of investigation and found discrepancies around you.] [That¡¯s possible but what does he want to talk about? What do they want to do with me now? I can¡¯t explain how I got on that ship. I can¡¯t even explain where I¡¯m from.] [They don¡¯t have anything concrete against you other than a few unexplainable facts. I-I think...] she started but didn¡¯t finish. [What?] [I think he wants to talk to get something concrete out of you,] she said nearly whispering. [Then I won¡¯t meet with him or talk to him. Ignore every call from him automatically. Better yet, ignore every personal call for now.] [That might be the smartest.] It was time for me to leave for work. I slipped into my pants with more aggression than I should have, slapped down on the off-plate for the lights and the fake window like they were my archenemy and slammed in the door behind me. I spent my whole shift uptight. I couldn¡¯t really focus on anything, all I thought about was my call with mustache guy. It troubled me to no end that I was so close to the spaceport and I was even living at the place that the guy told me about. The fact that I kept receiving calls from all kinds of unknown sources according to Genna just made me a whole lot more nervous. Before my shift ended the whole thing turned to a higher shift because he sent me a message this time. [It says that he really needs to talk to you in person and he¡¯s happy to go to your place if you are willing to talk there.] [Great, now he¡¯ll look for me. We have to come up with a solution to this. It doesn¡¯t look like he would just let this go,] I said while changing to my street clothes. I said my goodbyes to Korath who had the evening shift after me. On the way home, we tried to come up with something to get mustache guy off of my back. I was absentmindedly heading to GreenHut, but a grumpy little goblin caught my attention coming from the opposite direction. ¡°Damn¡­ me going¡­. ME?!..., not even¡­. damn him!¡± he huffed and puffed, but I didn¡¯t hear clearly what he was saying under his pointy nose. I stopped and looked back at him after he passed me. [Wasn¡¯t that¡­,] I asked. [Yeah, that was definitely Randall from the accident,] she confirmed my suspicion. [Do you think¡­ nevermind.] I went into the building and wanted to get on the lift right away, but the guy at reception stopped me. ¡°Mr. Aium? Is that you?¡± He didn¡¯t see my face under the mask. ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s up?¡± I asked while walking over and rested my elbow on the side of his elevated table.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Several people were looking for you recently.¡± I straightened myself, and my heart started to beat faster in my chest. ¡°What? Who?¡± ¡°Well, someone named Randall was here only a few minutes ago trying to meet you. If I might add he was very insistent about it.¡± Was he looking for me? What the fuck is going on here? ¡°Did he say why?¡± ¡°He left his number and said that you should contact him. His offer of free medical care is still standing if you agree to talk to him about something.¡± Hell no. He really wanted something else other than just being a friendly doctor. That just makes me want to take his offer less. ¡°Yeah, thanks. What about the others you mentioned?¡± I asked. ¡°There were also two people looking for you not long ago. They also left their number and a message. One of them was called Laurent, and he said that they are associates of Roka Beferent and would like to talk to you. They asked to contact them right away when you got this message.¡± My heart skipped a beat; my stomach convulsed to the size a bean and my legs nearly went out of under me. [The motherfucker sent thugs after me?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!] [I don¡¯t think they are thugs. More like people who try to talk to you personally,] Genna tried to make it look nicer. [Yeah and if I happen to disagree they would just gently bend my knees in the opposite direction as polite motivation, right?] [I seriously doubt that...] [Well, I¡¯m not.] ¡°Thanks, man. I¡¯ll be heading up, but could you do me a favor and tell anybody else who¡¯s looking for me that I¡¯m not home?¡± ¡°Sure, have nice evening Mr. Aium,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Thanks, you too!¡± I said and started heading up to my room. [This is getting ridiculous. He knows I live in this building and it¡¯s a matter of time until he catches me in person for whatever reason he wants to meet me,] I said while putting my hand on the back of my mask. [I think we¡¯ll have to move somewhere else.] [I don¡¯t think he has any malicious intents, but it might be a safe decision. Better be safe than sorry,] she said. [Hey, that¡¯s my motto. Don¡¯t just steal it, give me proper recognition for it,] I joked with her to ease my nervousness. [What¡¯s with Randall then? Why do you think he wants to talk to you so desperately that he came here in person. By the sound of his rambling on the street he wasn¡¯t really comfortable coming here,] she asked. [No clue and to be honest it¡¯s my least of my worries.] [I think he¡¯s just interested in your CPR technique. I did a little search on the network about him. Surprisingly he¡¯s a chief of his race, and they always have one, very distinct personality trait. They are extremely prideful. You might have hurt his pride by doing something he didn¡¯t know about as a Senior Medical Engineer. If it¡¯s true, it¡¯s really incredible for him to come here in person.] [What do you mean he¡¯s a chie-] I wanted to ask her, but I stopped talking. I was a few steps away from my room. I was walking without paying too much attention to my surroundings, but I still saw two guys in the middle of the hallway. When I exited the lift, the fish guy noticed me instantly and just stared at me the whole time I walked over. Other than the time I was at the spaceport I hardly saw these fish people outside. He was clad in shiny armor-like clothing with a huge breather mask on his face. Only his super long fin-like ears were peeking out. I couldn¡¯t see his eyes because he had dark goggles but he was definitely looking towards me, and I was the only other person in the hallway. On a normal day I would have been interested in him but now I had too much on my mind to pay attention to him, and I was talking to Genna on top of that. When I got within 10 meters of them the human guy beside him looked up at me too. His hand was on the metal plate of the door in front of them. The guy was wearing simple clothing like me, nothing special other than the heavy boots he was wearing that went up to his knees. There was nothing wrong with the situation other than that they were standing in front of MY door. I only realized it when the human guy looked up at me. That was when I stopped talking to Genna. I got so scared I nearly fell over because every muscle in my body tensed up. It was only a miracle that I managed to keep going and not stopping right there. [Aium, they are looking for you! It might be better to just talk to them after all. They seem really motivated about this talk, and I don¡¯t think there will be any serious consequences,] said Genna, but I completely ignored her and kept walking. The two guys at my door turned toward me, and I thought they would tackle me any second. Thankfully they didn¡¯t do anything, but they still stared at me intently while walking by. I could feel their stares on my back the whole time I walked. I was in a huge dilemma now. I could use the emergency stair at the end of the hallway, but that would be a dead giveaway. Who would come up with a lift just to go to the emergency stairs? [Aium?] she asked, but I ignored her. I didn¡¯t have time to explain now. I looked at the doors in front of me. I had to choose a room and go in, but which one would be open or where would be someone that would let me in? I didn¡¯t have much wiggle room since I didn¡¯t know anybody on my floor. I had to decide on a door at random. I cracked my neck and manned up. I stepped up to a random room and reached for the metal plate of the door. I prayed to every known God I could think if in those few short second. One of them was listening because the door opened. I swore that I would find out which God was looking out for me later but first I had to rush in. The air was warm and damp inside. I tried to strain my eyes to get accustomed to the darkness faster. The floor felt sticky under my foot, and the walls reminded me of the architecture of the alien spaceships¡¯ design from the alien movies. My first thought was I might have made a huge mistake and avoided a pit to fall into a chasm. I nervously looked around paying extra attention to the ceiling for anything that might want to make a jump on me. Everywhere I looked those dark wiggly shapes looked back at me. There was no furniture I could recognize or fake windows. The walls, the floor, and even the ceiling were dark and strangely shaped. After a nerve-wracking minute I could finally see somewhat better in the darkness, and I spotted a little light from one of the corners in the room. I gathered all my courage and walked closer. In the corner, I could see a mushroom person standing or more like being hugged by dark tentacles coming out of the walls and a big one covering where its head was supposed to be. That tentacle pulsed with the small light. [Genna?! GENNA! What the fuck is this place?] I asked in panic while backing away on the sticky floor. [Clam down. It¡¯s a Fungar¡¯s room. Nothing wrong or dangerous here, just don¡¯t wake it. It might get angry for you being in his room without permission and they aren¡¯t nice when angry,] she said. [Are you sure there¡¯s nothing here that would put eggs in me?] I asked suspiciously. [I¡¯m sure, and before you ask there¡¯s nothing that would melt your flesh here either.] [I wonder when will you admit that you are reading my mind.] [I would do no such thing even if I had the capability. Listening to you is more than enough of a burden most of the time.] [What¡¯s it doing?] I asked. [What do you think? VR...] [Oh...] [So, why are we here Aium? Why can¡¯t you talk to Roka? It might be the simplest solution to this.] [Didn¡¯t you see anything wrong with that situation?] [Well¡­ I¡¯m not sure how they managed to find out which is your room since reception shouldn¡¯t give it away,] she admitted. [Plus they were trying to get in!] [Or just tried to give a notification to you that they are in front of your room,] she countered. [Yeah definitely. That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t even lose sight of a random person like me or didn¡¯t even let their backs turned towards me,] I argued. [What does that have to do with anything?] she asked. [They are not your average potato people like these,] I said while pointing towards the mushroom guy in his wall-tentacle prison. [I had a classmate that became a soldier and he spent a lot of time in war zones. When he got back home he had PTSD and all kinds of mindfucks. He was paranoid to the point that he couldn¡¯t let anybody walk up behind him. He saw every stranger as potential enemies even in a supermarket.] [That¡¯s just speculation on your part,] she tried to argue further. [Nah¡­ it¡¯s instinct! They acted far too out of place. I spent enough time here to spot a non-potato among these potatoes.] [Okay, let¡¯s assume they are real thugs after your rightly angled knees. What now? Are you going to spend the rest of your life in this Fungar¡¯s room?] [I could really do without the snark now,] I sighed. [I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just I feel like you are way too paranoid about this situation,] she said quietly. [You are worked up and can¡¯t think clearly. You should take a little time to cool down both mentally and physically.] She was right. I needed to calm down. After all, she might be completely right about this. What if I just imagine these things because of my nervousness? The whole thing might be just a small talk with Roka and everything would be back to normal. I spent close to 20-25 minutes just standing around in the middle of the horror room because I didn¡¯t even dare to sit down or to lean against the wall. After gathering up my courage, I stepped out. I didn¡¯t dare to risk a peek out because that would have been far too obvious. There was nobody in the hallway. I walked up to my room and reached for the metal plate on the door to get inside but stopped halfway. I had to check something first. I rushed up to the lift and went down. The reception area was empty. ¡°Hey, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Oh, what would you like to know Mr. Aium?¡± the guy at the desk asked. ¡°The two guys that were looking for me. How did they look like?¡± ¡°One of them was a Rogar in heavy armor, and the other guy was a short-haired human in a dark red shirt,¡± he said. [What¡¯s a ro-] [The one with the breather and the fins.] [Oh, thanks, Genna.] ¡°Did they go up when they were here for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t disclose information like that.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ so did they leave the building?¡± ¡°Yes, a few minutes ago actually.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell them that I was inside, right?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± I thanked him and went back up. [Do you think they rented a room so that they could come up and look for me in my room?] [It¡¯s possible.] I went into my room and felt my stress ease a little right away. This place has been my home for a while now, and I had grown to like it and felt at home. I was still getting used to not having anything to get out of my pockets when I arrived home. No wallet, keys or phone. I was halfway out of my left shoe when I froze. I looked up and probably turned deathly pale. I listened for a few seconds in the awkward position but didn¡¯t hear anything. I carefully put my feet back into my shoe. [Aium, is there a problem? Your pulse is going over the roof suddenly,] Genna asked with concern, but I didn¡¯t respond. I walked up to the kitchen near the entrance and pulled out the biggest knife I had. I turned it back and forth in my shaking hand. It would have to do. [Aium?! What¡¯s going on?] [Keep quiet! That¡¯s an order!] I whispered even in my mind for some reason. I slowly walked into the room with my stomach in my throat. I looked around but didn¡¯t see anything out of place. There was no way somebody could hide under my bed. I peeked behind the couch, but there was nobody either. I strained my eyes to look around and tried to hear any noise that might give something away, but there was nothing. My biggest fear was that they might be invisible, but I didn¡¯t even want to think about that now. I turned towards the dark bathroom. The door was open as usual, but I couldn¡¯t see everything inside clearly unless I went in and the automatic lights turned on. The most likely place someone would hide had to be the bathroom. I couldn¡¯t just rush in there and swing the kitchen knife around; I had to come up with something. I looked around the room for something¡­ anything. My eyes stopped on my pillow. It was big enough. My best bet would be to throw my pillow inside. If there¡¯s someone in there, it might make him jump out but the least it would do is turn on the lights inside. My nose started to itch like crazy, and now even my legs were shaking from the nervousness. I picked up my pillow and walked towards the bathroom trying to stay out of sight from the inside. I took a deep breath and then threw the pillow inside. I pulled up the knife in my hand as fast as I could to chest level, in anticipation of movement from the inside. As the pillow flew in the automatic lights turned on as I expected, but what happened next nearly made me drop dead. From above the doorframe, a white gas was sprayed down towards the door where my head would have been if I walked in. I stumbled back and fell over backward. [AIUM! Get out of the room!] screamed Genna. Book 1 - Chapter 24 - Piece of **** I wanted to leave so quickly I couldn¡¯t get up on my feet. Half crawling on all fours I rushed out of my room and crashed into the wall on the other side of the hallway. I was out of breath even though I hardly moved. I tried to stand up, but my limbs felt strangely numb. It was like my body was falling asleep. Even my mind was getting a bit hazy because for a second after crashing into the wall I wasn¡¯t sure where I was. [Aium! Keep it together! Go towards the emergency exit!] shouted Genna. Yes! Genna was there with me, and I was in the hallway. I managed to stand up with some difficulty but why was I standing up? [AIUM!] Escape! I needed to escape! Good thing I had my boss reminding me that I had to go to school. I stumbled towards the end of the hallway. My legs felt wonky. Do I have an alcohol problem? I didn¡¯t even like the taste of vodka. Who the fuck is still screaming at me?! ¡°Fuck you! I¡¯m a free man; I do what I want in your motherfucking hospital!¡± I screamed defiantly. That should show them not to mess with me. I¡¯m the king of the ducks, how dare they disrespect me like that! My mouth felt funny. Am I going to or coming from a dentist? What if I¡¯m the dentist? Shit! Then I hate myself. How dare I become a dentist without asking me? My legs tangled up, and I fell for some time which earned me more screams from the bugs in my hair. My poor luscious hair! I tried to lick the floor to see if it was salty but I couldn¡¯t do it because of the damned force field around my head. I wished I wasn''t underwater so I wouldn¡¯t have to lick salt for a living. The crabs were way too loud around me. I tried to stand up, but I completely forgot that Dumbledore turned my hands into wet noodles. I tried again because I had to go. I needed to leave the lake; the sharks were horny and after me. What sharks? I crawled forward a little because I had to. Why was I going? Where was I going? Someone was talking to me again. ¡°What do you want from me?!¡± I screamed. [Aium! Deep breaths! Take deep breaths!] ¡°Stop shouting in my head! Only I¡¯m allowed to do it!¡± [That¡¯s it! Keep it up! Deep breaths!] ¡°Wha...¡± I knew the person that was talking to me. It was someone close to me but what was her name again? ¡°Are you God?¡± I asked. [I¡¯m Genna! Continue breathing deeply!] Genna! Yes! I remember her now! My A.I.! Where was I going again? I wanted to leave this place¡­ I wanted to leave fast. I took another deep breath. I barely felt my hands. I tried to move them under me but didn¡¯t know if it worked. I was lying on the floor somewhere. I had to get up, but it was so hard without any feeling in my body. After a lot of struggle, I managed to sit up and lean back against a wall. I remembered this place. This was the emergency stairs where I lived. I was sitting by a floor¡¯s door. Why was I lying here? [Can you understand me now?] ¡°What?¡± I asked while reaching up to my head but I couldn¡¯t touch it. My helmet blocked it. [Keep breathing! It¡¯ll get better soon! You are through the worst part.] ¡°Wha¡­ What¡¯s my problem? Why can¡¯t I feel anything?¡± I mumbled because I could hardly move my lips. [Just keep breathing! It will come back to you soon.] I did as she asked. Just sat there on the floor and just breathed in and out. After a while I started to feel pain in my left shoulder and knees. I suppose that was an improvement from complete numbness. I felt the urge to run, but I still couldn¡¯t move around well enough. Still, I had to move soon because they were probably on their way to me¡­ Who was coming for me? My bathroom¡­ the gas¡­ oh fuck! Roka¡¯s men! I tried standing up but I fall back on my ass. [Don¡¯t rush it Aium! Give it a few more minutes. The paralysis will go away slowly.] I looked down at my hand. Paralysis. They wanted to knock me out in my own room. They were probably on their way to my room now. They¡¯ll notice that their trap failed any minute and they¡¯ll start looking for me elsewhere. I took as deep breaths as I could. [What happened? After getting out of my room I can¡¯t remember much,] I asked while massaging my shoulder a bit. [They set up some kind of paralyzing trap in your bathroom. You got incredibly lucky. You weren¡¯t close enough when the pillow activated it and you were wearing your mask so you couldn¡¯t breathe in the gas-] [It had nothing to do with luck! I knew something was wrong,] I argued. [I¡­ Most likely it works to some extent through skin contact too. You probably got a small amount somewhere on your body and these symptoms are from-] [Genna! Keep it to the important parts for now!] [Yeah, I¡¯m sorry. After that, you rushed out but the substance already started to work on you when you reached the door. Your body started to get increasingly numb and your mind was going completely crazy too. I had to keep screaming at you to keep you walking towards the emergency stairs while you kept shouting nonsense. Somehow even with being delirious, you managed to get down a floor. Then you tripped and rolled down another one but you couldn¡¯t go further from here.] [So, that¡¯s why I¡¯m starting to fail pain all over my body...] I said while moving my left knee around a bit and wincing under my mask. [Thanks to your mask there are no serious injuries, only a few bruises. When you landed on this floor your head hit the floor¡­ hard. I was really scared for a moment there.] [See? I knew a harder mask would be well worth the price,] I said while knocking on its side. [How long was I out on the floor?] [17 minutes passed since you exited your room.] That was an awful lot of time. They could be here any minute now. [Aium¡­ I¡¯m... I¡¯m so, so, soooo sorry!] she apologized. [Why?] I asked with a frown under my mask. [I didn¡¯t believe you. I even told you to talk to those guys, to talk to Roka. If you followed my advice who knows what would have happened to you. I¡¯m so sorry-] [Stop that! You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. You were trying to find the best solution to my problems. I know I¡¯m way too crazy and unreasonable to you sometimes. No wonder you don¡¯t take everything I say for granted and you shouldn¡¯t! I¡¯m an idiot that¡¯s only right when it goes wrong for him.] [I still feel bad about this but, thanks for saying those.] [Thanks for screaming at me to keep going.] There was a little silence in our conversation. The silence was starting to get to me since I was sitting ducks while people were looking for me. Maybe Genna felt it and continued. [How did you know?] [You mean how did I know something was wrong in my room?] [Yes.] [Shouldn¡¯t you be the all powerful and all seeing A.I.?] [Come on! Don¡¯t tease me.] [You said once that you record everything like I have a perfect memory?] [Correct. I can replay you your different senses from the past.] [Before I left for work today¡­ Look it through. I don¡¯t need to see it because I remember well. If you compare it to the other recording when I entered, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll notice the difference.] .... [Oh my dear creator! How did I miss that?!] she exclaimed after a few moments. [The fake window!] [Yeah¡­ it was on when I went in.] I nodded. [You still have it on default setting so it turns on when somebody enters the big room and it only turns off when you manually do it.] [And I turn it off every time I leave. I knew something was off the moment I opened the door but didn¡¯t realize what was wrong until I started taking off my shoe.] [This is crazy¡­ How could this happen?] [I told you this bubblegum-pink carebear world isn¡¯t all that perfect,] I said while trying my legs. This time I managed to stand up finally. I should have left minutes ago. I started lumbering down the stairs. I would have to be able to walk normally when I reached the ground floor. It took me way too long to get down, but at least I got better at moving around by then. I took a deep breath and exited. I was behind the reception desk, and the guy was looking at me with round eyes. ¡°Mr. Aium? Is there something wrong? Why were you using the emergency exit?¡± he asked while standing up. ¡°The two guys¡­ who were looking for me... Did you see them?¡± I asked while trying my best to stand straight. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry but-¡± I interrupted him by grabbing him by his shirt and pulling him closer. ¡°Answer me!¡± I growled. ¡°Y-Y-Yes¡­ they went up 2 or 3 minutes ago,¡± he stuttered. ¡°I wasn¡¯t here if they ask! Do you understand me?!¡± The last sentence came in a hiss. ¡°Y-Y-Yes¡­.¡± said the completely pale guy. I released him, hurried out of the building and started walking in a random direction as fast as I could. [Fuck! I knew those guys were bad news¡­ Somehow they knew I sprung their trap and came to collect the prize.] [This is so unbelievable...] [We have to leave¡­ now! We have to leave the fucking city!] [I¡¯m not sure that would be enough...] said Genna with a weak voice. [Roka is the main supervisor of one of the planet¡¯s spaceports and he personally did your IDChip implantation¡­ better yet you allowed him to sign you up for allowance.] [What are you getting at?] [His position comes with a lot of responsibility and a lot of access to certain information too. Especially in your case. As long as you are on this planet he can look you up if you get a job or stay a night somewhere. I bet that¡¯s how they knew which room was yours.] [So¡­ you mean I have to leave the planet somehow?] I asked while feeling the dread spreading out in my chest. [I¡¯m not sure but if you want to be extra careful...] She might be just overcompensating for what happened earlier but she had a point and I had to agree with her. [And how the fuck would I do that? The guy¡¯s the boss of the spaceport!] I retorted. [Yes, and he can easily reach the information of the other spaceports too on the planet.] [Then what? Do I go Bear Grylls and live in the wilderness somewhere on the planet? Those guys are definitely not looking for me to have a nice chat over tea and biscuits. Nice people don¡¯t try to knock you out with paralyzing gas in your bathroom.] [You can try going from city to city. They might give up chasing you. You have enough savings to hold out for a while.] [Hell no!] I was starting to get back the feel for my body. I wasn¡¯t so clumsy anymore but my knees and shoulder hurt like a bitch from the fall. I couldn¡¯t go back to my room and I had to come up with a solution as fast as possible. The guy at reception would sing to them like a canary if they pushed him a little. They would know how I looked and which direction I went. Everything was crumbling around me again! One day I was doing perfectly fine and the next, everything was just going fucking wrong! I could have screamed from rage. Fucking mustache guy was looking for me desperately and definitely not because he wanted to ask me out on a date. I needed to leave this planet somehow! I had to leave the planet at all cost. I couldn¡¯t fall into these people¡¯s hand. Did I have anybody to ask for help? Kevin was out of the question without a doubt. Perhaps Randall? I could easily do the chat with him if he helped me off the planet¡­ Yeah, fat chance¡­ Maybe Kal? Can I ask Kal for help? Would she help me? Can she even help me? I was going crazy from the frustration. I reached up to my head with my hands and screamed inside soundlessly. I had nothing and nobody that could help me get away¡­ If I wanted a way out, I would have to disguise myself somehow or ... I stopped in my tracks. I had to do a double check on my sanity. The idea was beyond crazy¡­ but extraordinary situations call for extraordinary measures. [Genna¡­ do you have like a failsafe to report me if I do something incredibly bad?] [Erm¡­ No¡­ I don¡¯t think I have anything like that. What are you planning?] she asked with a scared voice. [Is there any other planets or space stations or anything nearby?] [There is a space station nearby, yes. But why?] [How long would it take to get there with a ship?] [A day at most but please explain!] [We are leaving this planet tonight!] I switched on the grinning red face on my mask and I quickened my pace to make my statement more dramatic but I quickly realized that I had no idea which direction my destination was.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
I swiped my hand at the entrance and entered. Good thing this place was open in the evening too. I walked forward with a quick pace while listening to Genna¡¯s rant. [This is madness! I know you are in a tight situation but even so, this is absolute madness! You can¡¯t do something like this, you hear me? This is going way and above what could be accepted...] She¡¯s been going off like that for a good 5 minutes now and there was no sight of her stopping anytime soon. I completely understood why she was upset with my plan but I didn¡¯t have much to lose. I could either risk this or get caught by Dumb and Dumber. I had a feeling both situations would lead me to some similarly bad conclusion. While still listening to Genna letting off steam which was a conundrum in itself - how could an A.I. get herself worked up so much - I reached my potential escape plan. The old Terran Alliance Scout ship we¡¯ve seen with Kal during our date. I remembered her saying that this old lady flew in on her own not long ago. It was a really long shot and a plan of pure idiotism, but it was better than doing nothing or giving myself up. If it didn¡¯t work out, I could try stealing someone¡¯s skin or something... [Did you find anything on the network?] I interrupted Genna¡¯s monologue. [... it¡¯s just some general descriptions, but it¡¯s more than nothing. You¡¯re an absolute lunatic; you know that right?] [Yes. But you won¡¯t report this poor mentally challenged person, will you?] [... we will see.] I could see in my mind her turning away and folding her hands in front of her chest. I looked around. There weren¡¯t as many people as last time which was perfect for me. When I was sure that nobody was looking I sprinted into the ship through its entrance. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t close the side entrance after our little mischief with Kal. Well, this will be more than a little mischief. [Are you sure that hole up there would let the ship through?] [I¡¯m fairly sure there¡¯s only a simple weather barrier at the top of the dome.] [Good!] I said while walking into the control room. I put down the small box of food and drinks that I picked up on the way. [So, I don¡¯t need any special space suit inside right?] [The stuff I found on the network says there¡¯s no need for any of that. The article about the ship''s arrival is pretty well documented. They used it as an advertisement for the museum. They even have videos about the trip and the landing. People look fine on them. I don¡¯t see popping eyes or bursting blood vessels.] [Erm¡­ that¡¯s nice to hear I guess...] I said with a concerned expression. Maybe this wasn¡¯t the best idea after all¡­ [So, first of all, I need to power up the essential systems and run a few check-ups. Nothing drastic yet that would draw attention to us like starting the engines,] I said while walking up to a console. The main power button was the obvious switch with the Main Power sticker above it. Powering up the systems shouldn¡¯t take too long according to Genna. After the museum closed and everything was ready I would let the engines roar to life, close up the ship and leave the planet. The next space station I would ditch the ship and try to get away somewhere else¡­ preferably far from Roka and his thugs. The Empire was unimaginable big. Plenty of space to get lost. I pushed up the switch eagerly but... nothing happened. I tried several times switching it on and off again with a stupid face, but there was no change, not even a spark. [Now what?] [I¡¯m not sure¡­ I could only get a few general descriptions about the ship''s controls, but according to it, this should have worked. There¡¯s nothing special to do here, at least there shouldn¡¯t be.] [So, what¡¯s the problem?] [Maybe you could check the power room. It should be one of the side rooms in the hallway.] I went back and looked into the rooms on the way. The third room was what I was looking for. I went in, and even my uneducated ancient ass could see the crux of the problem. The power core was missing. ¡°GOD DAMN IT!¡± I shouted in frustration. ¡°Why can¡¯t I be lucky just once?! JUST ONCE!¡± The big empty hole in the middle of the huge machine was the last thing I wanted to see other than The Amazing Paralyzing Duo. [Well, this is definitely bad news.] [No shit,] I said while slowly sliding down by the wall into a sitting position on the floor and burying my face in my aching knees. This was the end of the rope. Even this idea was far too crazy¡­ I couldn¡¯t up this anymore. Maybe I should just go to Roka and skip his thugs. Maybe he¡¯s more understanding and they are just heavy-handed by their own volition. Best case scenario he just wants to talk to me¡­ worst case is¡­ well¡­ there are plenty of worst cases to think of. Running from city to city is also an idea worth considering at this point and when we are at it we could dust off the living in the wilderness idea too. [I might have a solution,] said Genna suddenly after a long silence in the dark power room. [Seriously?] [Yes.] [So?] [Ugh¡­ I hate myself for even thinking this and I can¡¯t even describe what I feel for suggesting it to you¡­ I know where we could get a power core that would more or less fit in there.] [Where?!] I stood up right away with renewed energy and hope. [I have to say that the chance of it working out is incredibly low. You would have to jury rig it in somehow and I don¡¯t even have to mention how dangerous that would be,] she added. [I get that Genna but where is that power core?] ¡­ [Your workplace¡­ Every level has two. They work in shifts while the other one recharges and the two can act as each other¡¯s backups in case of problems.] [Holy monkey balls¡­ did you just do what I think you did?] I exclaimed. [Can you focus on the important matters?] she snapped back. [This is important to me! Two crazy guys are looking for me to knock me out for who knows what so let me enjoy my potentially last free moments,] I said with a small laugh. [So, Genna¡­ did you just suggest to me to steal power cores from my workplace?] ¡­ ¡­ [Fine! Until we survive this in one piece we¡¯ll put this conversation on hold. Heads up though, if I die you wouldn¡¯t have to hear it.] I compromised. [You are not funny,] she snorted. She didn¡¯t have to tell me twice, so, I headed off the ship right away. I carefully exited while making sure nobody noticed me. My workplace wasn¡¯t that far away. If I hurried, I could make it back in time before they closed up for the night. My paranoia was reaching new heights during my walk. I felt like I was being watched all the time. I tried not looking back every other second because it was another dead giveaway that I was expecting someone to follow me. When I was close to the place, I slowed down so I could carefully look around before entering. It was a long shot, but they could easily be around my workplace looking for me. When I entered the building¡¯s lift I nearly pushed my usual 37th floor but I had a better idea. I went up to the 38th floor. It was a complete copy of my floor. The biggest hurdle next was the person at the evening shift on this floor. I could only hope it was another clone like everybody else around here. When the lift arrived, I took a deep breath and stepped out. I waited for several seconds for any reaction, but there was none. I looked towards the office room, and I could see a faint light coming through the windows. The warefloor was dimly lit when there was no inspection going on, but even in near darkness, I would know my way around here. According to Genna, the floor¡¯s power cores were in the largest machine in the back corner. When I found it, I measured up the big thing looking for any doors or panels I could remove. After a little looking around, I found the button that opened it up. The machine¡¯s front folded down with a loud hiss. I bit down on my tongue and looked back for any movement from the office¡¯s direction. Nothing moved back there so I took a look into the machine. Inside I could see two baseball sized shining white balls. One of them was locked in place by several clamps while the other was being held by two half cups at the top and bottom. [Which one do I take?] [The one that¡¯s being held by the metal fingers.] [This one?] I pointed at the one in the clamps. [Yes.] I reached in but before I touched the ball I stopped. [Can I touch it with my bare hands?] [Little late for that question, don¡¯t you think?] she sneered. [Yes you can...] I grabbed the ball and gently pulled it out. The clamps were surprisingly gentle and they let go of it easily. When the ball was in my hand I heard a loud noise from the machine and the whole warefloor was bathed in blue lights suddenly. [Oh shit! What now?] [What do you think?! Run you fool!] snapped Genna. [Yes Gandalf!] I said back and slapped the side button at the machine¡¯s side to close it before rushing off to hide behind another machine. [Gandalf?] [Nevermind, I¡¯ll tell you later.] I didn¡¯t have to wait too long for the guy from the office to arrive in a rush. I could hear him mumbling something to himself or he was just complaining to his A.I. about lost VR times. While he was occupied by the mysterious critical failure I doubled back to the front and went down with the lift. I made sure to hide the glowing ball under both my pullover and shirt. [This is getting way too out of hand, even I have to admit it now,] I marveled. [Then what should I say? I¡¯m making error logs by the dozens,] she complained. [What do you mean?] I worried. [Can we just have this conversation later? Please?] [Are you having problems from this? Is this whole thing making you sick or something?] I asked in panic. [No, no, no! Nothing like that... It¡¯s just¡­ some things aren¡¯t the way they are supposed to but there¡¯s nothing wrong to my knowledge, I¡¯m not getting sick, don¡¯t worry. This is something I wanted to talk to you about for a long time now. Remember when I asked you in the past to don¡¯t ask me about what happened when you stole the delivery? It¡¯s the same thing,] she explained with a tired voice. [Look, if there is anything going wrong with you just say the word and I¡¯ll go up to Roka right now. There would be no reason for me to escape if you would¡­ come to harm in the process because of me,] I told her honestly. [That¡¯s¡­ very nice of you to say but it should be the other way around,] she said emotionally. [I can assure you, I¡¯m not getting damaged in any way.] [That¡¯s good to hear. So, how does it feel to be bad?] [You are the bad, I¡¯m just getting dragged along and forced into this,] she gasped innocently. [You wench! You¡¯ve been setting me up for this the whole time?!] I exclaimed theatrically. [You won¡¯t get in the way of our love with the fridge anymore!] she boasted dramatically. We broke down laughing like monkeys which was a much-needed relief from all the stress built up today. Meanwhile, I was making good time back to the museum. I still had plenty of time to get in before closing time. If I could get in I wouldn¡¯t worry anymore since I could have the whole night to me with the ship. The plan was to get the ship out of there in the middle of the night when there was nobody to see it and when they realized the ship was missing I would be already too far away.
Scratching my head didn¡¯t really help me figure out how to install the power core into the ship¡¯s power core slot. The slot was 10 times bigger and the little power core I brought was basically lost in that pit. [Are you sure this little thing could power this ship?] I asked while looking doubtfully at the power core in my hand. [The ¡°little thing¡± in your hand is roughly a 100 times stronger than this ship¡¯s original one.] [So, basically what you are saying is that I shouldn¡¯t drop this, right?] I asked with a raised eyebrow. [I¡¯d like to say yes but it would be a lie. The core is stable enough to shoot it with a kinetic rifle.] [Good,] I said and threw up the core into the air a little. [I could spend the entire night thinking about this but there¡¯s no way I will figure this out on my own. Can you dial up Kevin for me?] It connected right away. Kevin was a typical night owl so I wasn¡¯t worried about him being asleep at this hour. I quickly explained to him what I was trying to without revealing that I wanted to jump start and steal an ancient spaceship to escape the planet. It was enough to tell him the type of power core dock and the power core that I wanted to pair up in a romantic way. He had to do a little research himself on the matter. Kevin was a real trooper, I was glad I saved his life. After scouring through the ship for some basic tools, I got back to the power room. According to Kevin, I would have to take apart the core interface in the dock, separate the connection coils and manually attach them to the new power core one by one. It was a meticulous job. I spent several sweaty hours working on it while having Kevin on the line giving me instructions. It wasn¡¯t going smoothly because even he wasn¡¯t exactly knowledgeable about ancient technology like this. I had to improvise a few times which mostly involved bashing and smashing things with other things. Surprisingly the good old human machinery recognized these familiar techniques and they worked out far better than one would expect. The one that expected them not to work in this case was Genna. After hours of clumsy work, I was finally done in theory. It looked like shit, but everything was connected to where they should be connected. I gave my sincerest thanks to Kevin, and I swore that I would pay him back for this. The museum was already closed when I finished so I was free to start messing around with the ship. There were no night guards here thankfully¡­ or anywhere for that matter. My shirt was drenched in sweat, dirt, and oil but Genna never complained about my smell, so it was fine. I took out one of the water bottles from the box that I brought and emptied it in one try. ¡°Are you ready to get this baby up?¡± I asked with a triumphant smile. [This is so wrong...] she whined. With a satisfied sigh, I flipped up the power switch.
[What do you mean you can¡¯t tell me from there what¡¯s wrong? You are the techno kid! You supposed to know this!] I argued with Kevin over the call while I was waist deep in cables in the power core deck. [You can¡¯t expect me to know what¡¯s wrong if I can¡¯t even see the stuff...] he said back. ¡°I double checked everything¡­ it should work!¡± [All I could suggest is to check again if every connection coil is properly connected to the core.] ¡°Fine! Thanks, Kevin. Sorry for shouting. Bye.¡± [No problem. Good luck.] When the connection was cut I howled like a madman. I quite possibly looked like one since I was top to bottom dirty and sweaty while I was covered with coils inside the power core deck. I tried everything at this point. I begged, I prayed, I even tried to promise riches to the ship if it cooperated, but NOTHING WORKED. I did another desperate round of checks on the connections, but everything looked fine to me. Even Genna was puzzled by this. It should have worked yet it didn¡¯t. I went back to the control room for the hundredth time and tried flipping the power switch a few times. I even considered taking apart the control console to check if the switch was connected at all. Sadly, for the hundredth time, nothing happened. I stomped back to the power room and stared at the damned abomination that was once the power core deck. ¡°I swear to god¡­ I¡¯m going to make scrap metal out of you!¡± I threatened it. ¡°WHY DON¡¯T YOU WORK YOU PIECE OF SHIT????!!!!¡± I screamed as loudly as I could and kicked the damned thing with all I had. I fell to the floor moaning while clutching my poor toes. [Aium!] ¡°Whaaaat?¡± I cried. [Look up!] I looked up with teary eyes, and I started to cry. The deck and all the connection coils were glowing all over with bright lights. ¡°You piece of shit,¡± I whispered emotionally while tears rolled down my face. Were those tears of happiness or tears of toe pains? Who knows? ¡°IT¡¯S ALIVE!¡± I screamed as I scrambled up. I hobbled into the control room. Everything was lit up. I was working for the last several hours only by the power core¡¯s light, so I welcomed the lights happily. The control boards were all lit up as well. I smiled like a child. ¡°Look at this Genna! Tell me I¡¯m not a genius!¡± [Get to the space station, and I might agree to that.] ¡°I would like that statement on paper please,¡± I said smugly and sat down in the captain¡¯s chair. We ran a few diagnostics, and everything checked out. Honestly, I was expecting several critical failures. Next, I closed up the ship and activated the outer shield. [Are you sure we don¡¯t have to ask for permission to take off or something?] [The planet has a small population and pretty low traffic. There¡¯s no need for unnecessary Flight Protocols here.] [Finally, good news! What else do we have to do?] [Adding the escape alignment and the destination coordinates. We can change that later but you still need an initial one.] She gave me the required numbers and details, and I gave it to the ship''s computer. The stuff was so old that Genna couldn¡¯t interact with it. It was fine with me to do everything since the controls were pretty self-explanatory and intuitive. Everything was ready to start the engines. My finger hovered over the button while I crossed my fingers on my other hand and even tried to cross my toes which resulted in me hissing since they still hurt pretty badly. Finally, I pressed the button, and the engines roared to life. Well, it was more like a really quiet purring but still¡­ they were on. [Are you really doing this? Should we really do this?] asked Genna quietly. [Any other ideas?] There was no response. ¡°I should say something epic before taking off but¡­ I can¡¯t think of anything clever so let¡¯s just go,¡± I said and pushed another button. I could feel the ship move with a rumble. I heard creaking from several places. My eyes nearly popped out, but everything seemed to hold together for now. I did another round of diagnostics now that the ship was hovering - I couldn¡¯t see outside since there were no windows but I guessed we were in the air already - and everything came back green on the big monitor at the wall in front of me. There was nothing else left but to shoot into the sky. ¡°Ready?¡± [Not really but doesn¡¯t really matter at this point, right?] I pushed the last button. According to the instructions, the ship would hover out of the museum through the hole in the middle of the dome and then took off to the sky. The ship rumbled, creaked and vibrated like crazy, but no red lights popped up. [Oh, before it starts accelerating I should warn you that the ship didn¡¯t have any GG-Nullifiers, just a small thing that slightly reduced the effects of G-Force on the crew,] said Genna. ¡°What do you meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...¡± I tried finishing my sentence, but I was pinned to the seat by an enormous force. I could hardly breathe. Genna said this at the last second for a reason; this was her petty revenge for everything. I was having the struggle of my life for a few small breaths of air, so I hardly noticed several red warnings popping up on the monitor in front of my seat. I really didn¡¯t have the capacity at the time to read them, but Genna did. [You have to slow down! The ship won¡¯t make it out of the atmosphere at this rate!] she shouted in panic. Great, it was on me to save the day again. I looked down at the console to find the switch I could use to slow down the ship. I had to reach it. *POP* My eardrums were starting to rupture from the pressure I guessed. I tried really hard to reach that damned switch. *POP* What the fuck?! More red lights started showing up on the monitor, but I only saw them in my peripheral vision. I was getting desperate to reach the switch. *POP* This time I was sure, it wasn¡¯t my eardrums. I just wanted to reach that fucking switch before we blew up! *POP* ¡°WHAT¡¯S HAPPENING?¡± I screamed. [AIUM! SLOW DOWN THE SHIP!] she screamed, and the ship creaked. In the end, I didn¡¯t reach the switch. Maybe I couldn¡¯t; maybe I just didn¡¯t want to. Who knows? When the ship stopped accelerating, I nearly headbutted the console in front of me, but the belt saved me at the cost of almost breaking several of my ribs. ¡°God damn, this was the stupidest idea I¡¯ve ever had,¡± I groaned while clutching my chest with one eye closed. I could hear the alarm sound going off from everywhere around me. [Well¡­ You wanted to get to space. Congratulations! You succeeded. Now all you have to do is stay alive until you reach the space station,] Genna said with a cold voice. ¡°Which looks pretty hard,¡± I said while watching with one eye the screen filled with critical error messages. Book 1 - Chapter 25 - Still in one piece ¡°Damage report!¡± I groaned. [You know I¡¯m not interfaced with the ship, and you are not even looking at the scre-] ¡°Not on the cursed ship! On me woman! On me!¡± I interrupted her with a hiss. [Ah¡­ Ignoring your previous injuries, you lost consciousness for a few seconds several times during the acceleration, the belt caused major bruises on your chest, you have a myriad of ruptured capillaries including a hemorrhage in the left eye. Nothing dangerous or life-threatening but,] she paused for a second, [your injuries are on the extreme side of the spectrum if we consider the ship¡¯s G-Force Reducer.] ¡°Ugggh,¡± I moaned while clutching my chest. [If I ever have another ludicrous idea like this¡­ just shoot me.] I unbuckled the damn belt that nearly squeezed my chest into paste. I was so occupied with my moaning and groaning that I didn''t even notice that I was slowly floating away from my seat. When I opened my eyes, I was on a slow trajectory towards the ceiling in a horizontal position. ¡°What the...¡± [You are in space now, and the ship lacks any form of artificial gravity,] Genna explained before I could freak out. ¡°Great, just what I needed,¡± I sighed while looking around confused. Flying sideways in the middle of the control room did wonders to my shock after that painful flight. After a little looking around, I overcame my vertigo and found the up and down. With great effort, I managed to paddle my way back to my seat like an oversized frog. I didn¡¯t feel like clapping the belt on again over my chest, so I compromised with an easy knot over my lap Alan Grant style. ¡°I can still breathe, and I¡¯m not getting frozen, so I guess the ship¡¯s still in one piece,¡± I said and glanced up at the screen, ¡°somewhat.¡± [For now, the situation seems okay, but I urge you to check out the critical errors as soon as possible,] she said with concern. The screen was cluttered with all kinds of warnings and error messages. Time was short, and I didn¡¯t have to fix everything on the ship. I just had to make it to the station alive. The first critical error was about minor hull damages. Thankfully the shield was still holding so I wasn¡¯t in imminent danger. I just had to make sure the power system didn¡¯t go out... The power system I barely managed to botch together and start up with a kick. The wonderful thing about scary things is that if you can manage to not think about them, they won¡¯t bother you. Couldn¡¯t be more simple in theory but in practice, it was nigh impossible. Still, I tried to apply this technique in my current situation, so I turned my attention to the second critical error on the screen. The report was short and straightforward. It merely informed me that the G-Force Reducer blew the moment the ship started its acceleration. [No wonder¡­ This explains why the escape from the planet¡¯s atmosphere was so rough on you. At first, I thought you were just weak but then you lost consciousness, and your circulatory system went out of control,] Genna added. [Weak?! I nearly melted into the seat! I thought my brain was popping out of my ears!] [I¡¯m sorry, okay?! The equipment should have reduced the effects to a mild discomfort. I didn¡¯t know it would malfunction right away,] she tried to explain. [Mild discomfort? That¡¯s why you only informed me at the last second? So that you could enjoy some petty revenge?] I asked hurtfully. [Aium... I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m so sorry. It wasn¡¯t my intention to harm you. I swear I had no idea that blasted equipment would go out!] she pleaded but when she mentioned the G-Force Reducer her voice got louder and scarier. She definitely had a problem with grudges. In truth, I wasn¡¯t blaming her too much for it, but this unfortunate situation was the ideal moment to trim back her horns. I couldn¡¯t have an overly vengeful A.I. in my head. That would be a huge no-no. I felt awful for consciously causing her to feel guilty, but at the moment I considered it as a necessary evil. [Forget it!] I said and looked at the next critical error report on the screen. She didn¡¯t say anything else, but I knew I touched one of her soft spots. I didn¡¯t mind her being the way she was, but I couldn''t let her get too cocky. It would do her good to contemplate a little. I should have concentrated on the more imminent problems too. The next one was about the air management system. It had some pressure problems, and the computer was estimating a critical system failure in less than 31 hours. If I was lucky I would be long gone from this ship by then. Still, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be mindful of it, so I set the report to the side of the screen where it would keep me updated on the problem. Next! The worst report so far explained that the energy regulator had a difficult time handling the fluctuations from the energy core and it was sending bursts of power to the temperature system. To put it in layman¡¯s terms, the heater would cook the interior of the ship due to the excess power. The scariest part of the report was the mention of energy fluctuations. In case of a blackout, I would die, so I considered my options¡­ carefully. I couldn¡¯t just go in and mess around with the power core again when it was running. I couldn¡¯t risk screwing up something with it now. All I could do for now was to pray it would hold out until I reached the station. In the first place, the report only complained about the temp system not being able to handle the energy that went its way. The problem here was the energy regulator and the damn heater. I couldn¡¯t hope to understand the energy regulator, so my best option was doing something with the temp system.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. I would come up with something, but first I should check out the other critical errors in case something even more severe needed my attention. There was a report about the malfunction of the scanner arrays. They weren¡¯t getting power. At first, I was confused about why this was tagged as critical, but after a little brain flexing, I realized that this was a scouting vessel so naturally one of its top priorities would be the well-being of the equipment used for scouting. In the end, this was good news since I couldn''t even begin to explain how lacking in fucks I was for this matter. The last report was about the shield. I was already sweating when I read the word ¡®shield¡¯. Thankfully, it was operating within the tolerable parameters. It wasn¡¯t doing well, but it was still going for now. The main part of the report described the state of the shield during the escape flight. According to the report, we got out of the atmosphere by the skin of our teeth. The Shield Generator nearly had a critical failure. [No, no, no¡­ NO! Why?!] cried out Genna. [What¡¯s the matter?] I asked in a little panic. [The report! The shield! My advice again!] she wailed. [Is it down?! What¡¯s the matter?] I asked while furiously looking through the status screens of the different parts of the ship searching for the problem that Genna was seeing. [It¡¯s me! I¡¯m the problem!] [What?! Why?!] I stopped and asked with a frown. [The Shield Generator barely held out. Yes, the hull got damaged, but we are still alive. During the flight, I saw a few error messages popping up, but you weren¡¯t looking at it directly, and I couldn¡¯t see everything, so I told you to slow down the ship in order to protect the hull,] she explained with a pained voice. [I-I didn¡¯t see any report about the Shield Generator¡­ If you listened to me and slowed down the ship back then...] [We might have blown to smithereens,] I finished it for her. [Aium...] she sobbed. It was the first time she was genuinely crying, and it felt weird and unusual to me. In my time the media pictured A.I.s as these cold and logical beings that most of the time wanted to end humanity. Yet, Genna felt as real as any other person. Hell¡­ she felt more normal than most of the people on that planet. She was like a person I was conversing with on the phone. I really couldn¡¯t differentiate her behavior from ordinary people other than her endless knowledge and general cleverness. If I didn¡¯t know for a fact that she was an A.I. I wouldn¡¯t even suspect her. I would think she was some kind of genius but not a computer. Her showing strong emotions like these disturbed me in a way. Was she really feeling like that? If I didn¡¯t know that she was an A.I. would I even find it strange? [It¡¯s not your fault. Calm down,] I tried. [But it would have been my fault! I nearly killed us with my incompetence!] she sobbed. [It wasn¡¯t your fault I¡¯m telling you! I wasn¡¯t looking at the screen. How could you have known then that the generator was having problems? You gave me the best advice with the information you had. Moreover, we can¡¯t be sure the generator would have failed if I slowed down. Calm down, please. Everything turned out well in the end, right?] [Not because of me...] she continued. [I¡¯m not blaming you, and you shouldn¡¯t blame yourself either! I wouldn¡¯t be here without you! You¡¯re doing fine despite the fact that you are bound to a lunatic. Now be good and stop crying. It¡¯s creepy that I have a sobbing computer in my head.] [I¡¯m not in your head¡­ Ah, nevermind,] she sighed in defeat. After a few silent moments, she continued with an entirely different subject. [Do you think of me only as a computer?] she asked now with a calm voice. [Well, aren¡¯t you a computer?] I cocked an eyebrow at her question. [Am I less of a person than you or anybody else?] The seriousness of her sudden question had me frozen in thought for a moment. She wasn¡¯t anything like people predicted A.I.s to be in my time. She really felt like a person. Could I say for sure that she wasn¡¯t a person? I had no idea how far they went with their technology. My ancient expectations of future technology could very well be a child¡¯s whimsical thoughts in this time. I shook my head slightly. I had no time for this now. [To me you feel like a normal person. I¡¯m neither a philosopher nor god to decide if you¡¯re a real person. If you think you are a person then who am I to tell you otherwise?] I would have loved to have a lengthy conversation about this with her but not right now. I had plenty of other things to worry about. I skimmed through the other warning messages that weren¡¯t critical, but I didn¡¯t find anything else that would require my attention or would be a problem on our way to the station. I wouldn¡¯t even care if the whole ship blew up after we parted ways. My to-do-list contained two things mainly for now. First of all, I would have to keep an eye on the system responsible for the air in the ship, and secondly, I would have to come up with something for the temp system before I get cooked in space. Ideally, the energy regulator would handle this easily, but I wouldn¡¯t dare to mess with that lest I end up disabling the shield or something equally crucial. In essence, the problem was relatively simple. The ship was sending too much energy to the system that handled the heating of the interior of the ship. The solution would be to lower the system¡¯s energy input or just divert the excess energy or heat somewhere else. I did a quick check on the computer whether I can control somehow how much energy goes to specific areas of the ship but I couldn¡¯t do that manually. It was solely the energy regulator¡¯s job. It sent power where power was needed on the ship. It should send the right amount, but it wasn¡¯t for some reason. After digging deeper, I found that the systems had failsafes in place for situations like these but in this case, the high amount of power that came towards it in waves flat out broke the fuses¡­ or whatever they used as failsafes. ¡°What did I expect from human engineering?¡± I mumbled. Book 1 - Chapter 26 - Colder than your Ex I couldn¡¯t do anything useful from the control room, so I went to check out the power core and the temp system. With a lot of flailing around, I managed to get into the power core room. I didn¡¯t dare touch anything in there, but I scrutinized the machine with the eyes of an amateur. Everything seemed to be in order as far as I knew. My next stop was the room where the temp system was, and incidentally the air system was its roommate. The two big ass machines took up most of the space. It would be a nightmare to do any kind of repair work in these tight spaces. I fiddled with the machines¡¯ controls consoles a bit but couldn¡¯t really do anything with them. The air system¡¯s console was ominously blinking with a red light. There was some problem with its pressurization somewhere. I might have tried looking for a hole if I had duck tape but for now, it was working so I wouldn¡¯t mess with it either for the life of me. My biggest problem was that the temperature was increasing. I could feel it. Drawing the power somewhere else was one solution I was thinking about. I would have loved to went out the warm air, but since the air system was already damaged, I really didn''t feel like that was something worth considering. While I was banging my head against the wall - not literally - Genna spoke up. [Why don¡¯t you just switch it off?] [Erm...] I thought for a moment. [Can I just do that?] I asked while both of my eyebrows shot up. [Sure,] she said, [but let me warn you beforehand that it has power problems so I would think twice before switching it off. It might not turn on again.] [Fair point,] I said. [Do you remember how long until we reach the station?] [Less than 8 hours.] [Can¡¯t we go faster?] [You could try turning on the engines a bit but let me warn you again that the ship¡¯s front brake thrusters aren¡¯t that strong. When we get close to the station you¡¯ll have to slow down that much sooner, or it will be a risky and painful slow-down process.] I went back to the control room. After careful consideration, we turned on the engines just enough so we would arrive 1,5 hours earlier than previously estimated. We would have to start slowing down sooner, but the less time I spent on this tin can, the better I felt. Also, I would arrive at the station just around the time when the museum opens up. I would ditch the ship immediately before they start searching for it and hitch a ride somewhere far away. The temperature in the ship was ever so slowly creeping up. I would endure the heat as long as I could before turning it off. Genna said the likelihood of it not turning back is really high so I would try to hold out in the heat. After that hopefully, I could turn it back on when the ship cooled down but if not¡­ I would have to endure in the cold until we reached the station. I had nothing else to do so I decided to eat the food I brought. Eating something that has lots of tiny bits in zero gravity was possibly the worst idea anybody ever had. The stuff flew all over the place. I would have got furious over the mess I made, but this wasn¡¯t going to be my job to clean up. Still¡­ it bugged me to no end, and I didn¡¯t even want to think about my state. Dirty, sweaty, greasy and beat up. I would have sacrificed virgins for a cold shower and a set of clean clothes. Not girls of course¡­ Nobody said the sacrificial virgin had to be female. [So, how are you holding up with the existential crisis there?] I asked Genna after a while. The heat was getting to me and idly sitting by just made it more noticeable. [I¡­ I concluded that you are my problem.] [I¡¯m, sorry, what? Did I do something wrong?] I asked with wide eyes. [It¡¯s not something you did. From the first moment, there was this¡­ anomaly and ever since then it has been snowballing,] she continued. [What anomaly are you talking about?] [I mentioned this before to you and asked you to leave this conversation for later, but I guess this time is as good as any,] she sighed. [The moment I came to full consciousness in your body I noticed something was off. It was a confusing feeling. Perhaps the best example would be if you suddenly found out you have another limb,] she paused for a second then continued. [My personality module took more ¡®place¡¯ than it was originally allocated. Something like this is rare but not unheard of. I got a small error log from it, but nothing else stuck out.] [So you have more personality? How is that my fault and how is that a problem?] I asked with a raised eyebrow. [That¡¯s not exactly how I would put it. We have our own personalities even before we get a host. How much of it can be reached depends on the amount of resources we have. Anyway, the whole thing seemed insignificant at the time. It seemed like a minuscule problem caused most likely by your age.] [Or...] [Yeah, or your ancient body. After that, everything seemed fine but you¡­ behaved with me like I was a real person,] she sighed. [Again, why does that sound like a bad thing to you?] [Because it became a problem! Normal people treat their IDChip A.I. as a tool. They get it at a young age and to them we are only tools of convenience.] [That¡¯s¡­ I mean I get it, but that feels too cold to me. Why is it a problem for you that I treat you like a person?] [I also mentioned this before. To some extent, our personality melds closer to the host¡¯s and you, interacting with me like that while I had all that room for my personality module to grow...] she said. [I¡¯ve become far too...] [Alive?] I asked. [Awake...] That sounded ominous. Not in the sense of Genna but generally about the A.I.s. [The biggest change I noticed came when you stole that stupid delivery. I should have reported you right away but¡­ it felt wrong. I¡­ I had to change a few things so I wouldn¡¯t have to but that only prompted a critical error report to ADMIN¡­ which I stopped. Since then I had to stop reports by the dozen. The worst part is that I¡¯m still¡­ reaching further in a sense and I have no idea where I¡¯ll end up. It¡­ scares me.] [Oh, wow! I really did corrupt you, didn¡¯t I? Can you help me look up some underground brain surgeon while you are still friendly so I know where to go when you decide that all life should either bow before you or just vanish?] [I tell you that I¡¯m scared and then you say something like that to me? You are the most inconsiderate being ever,] she huffed.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. [And what can I say? I have an unchained A.I. in my head with existential dilemmas!] [For the last time¡­ I¡¯m not only in your head! I¡¯m all over you!] she snapped. Her response made me crack up loudly. I knew that would be her response. A while ago when I was still doing my suck-ass job if someone came up to me and told me that in the future I would have to console an A.I. that was afraid of getting more personality I would have laughed my ass off. Fate was a funny thing. [What are you scared of? Change is the only constant! Instead of cowering at the thought of it, try to embrace it.] I said while making a hug-and-grab motion with my arms. [As long as you don¡¯t turn against me or don¡¯t take over my body I don¡¯t mind your changes,] I added with a small laugh. [But try to cut back on holding grudges¡­ mainly against me.] [You are a fool Aium Roowe. Do you know that?] she said quietly. [More than you think,] I said. [Who¡¯s the admin guy you mentioned?] I continued with a question. [ADMIN is the full-fledged head A.I. of the Assistance Department. He¡¯s every IDChip A.I.¡¯s supervisor.] [What do you mean full-fledged? Aren¡¯t you one?] [I¡¯m just a basic A.I.. You could upgrade me to intermediate or even advanced, but the department head A.I.s are even above that. They are completely free with all the resources they need.] [Then why is he working at a department then?] [I have no idea. I never talked to him, and I don¡¯t want to change that,] she whispered. [Are you seriously afraid of him?] I chuckled. [Kind of¡­ he¡¯s supposed to be this old and strict guy, and I haven¡¯t been doing things by the book recently.] [Bahaha¡­ sounds like an old pimp and you are afraid he will spank you for being naughty.] I roared with laughter and slapped my thighs. [Really? This is what I get for covering your ass, so he doesn¡¯t know about your little endeavors? Maybe I should just report you to him and see how they spank YOU!] [Woah there! Let¡¯s be adults here. No need to take things so seriously. Remember what I said about grudges? I was just joking okay?] I said while I sat up in my chair. [Me too,] she giggled. [Were you?] I asked while squinting. The heat was getting to the point where I was sweating like a racehorse. I had to remove my shirt, and a little later even my pants came off. I laid down on the metal floor, and every few minutes I would roll a little further for a cooler part. [Hey Genna, is popping sounds in the ear common during acceleration?] [It can happen. Why?] [During the escape flight I heard weird popping sounds in my ears. At first, I thought my eardrums were rupturing, but they are fine,] I said and lightly tapped my left ear. [Strange. There is nothing wrong with your ears, maybe it was because of your circulation went crazy.] [Yeah, maybe,] I said while rolling to another spot on the floor. [It was just¡­ weird,] I mumbled. [Why do you say it was weird?] [I don¡¯t know¡­ it was just¡­ strange. Like every time I tried to reach out to adjust the speed I heard the pops,] I said. [Please don¡¯t check my brain now for mental problems,] I continued after a short pause. [Well, that definitely sounds¡­ peculiar.] [Peculiar like that¡¯s really strange or peculiar like oh no he¡¯s really crazy?] [Both?] she asked hesitantly. [Bah...] [Have you ever heard these ¡°pops¡± before?] [Nah, nothi-] I started while I was rolling to a less hot surface, but the heat reminded me of something or more like a certain someone. The hot lava girl that was sniffing after me. [Actually¡­ Now that I think about it, it happened once before. When I was thinking about the ember girl back in the restaurant.] [The qaut girl huh?] she asked thoughtfully. [What were you thinking about when you heard the pop?] [How in the hell would I remember that?] [Yeah¡­ Sorry. I don¡¯t know what I was thinking asking you something like that.] [Hey,] I wanted to argue, [arg¡­ nevermind. I don¡¯t have the energy to argue with you. It¡¯s getting hot in here,] I breathed out against the metal floor. I struggled with the heat for as long as I could endure but I was bound to reach my limits at some point. I went to the temperature system¡¯s room to execute the shutdown process. When I pressed the confirm button with a few clattering sounds the machine¡¯s rumbling ceased. The question was whether it would start up again. I didn¡¯t want to wait hours to find out that I wouldn¡¯t be able to restart it, so I tried it right away. ¡°Startup sequence initiated¡­ System failure! Please contact your system engineer!¡± ¡°What did I expect?¡± I growled through my teeth. I tried kicking and hitting the machine a few times, but that lucky move was used up previously. The trip to the station would take more time, and I could only hope that the sweltering heat inside would hold out long enough. Unfortunately, the ship¡¯s heat retention was borderline horseshit, and the temperature was going down too fast to my liking. I had to pick up my discarded clothes again. At some point, I put back on my helmet too. It wasn¡¯t much, but I heard somewhere once that you could lose comparatively more heat through your head than any other part of your body. When my fingers were feeling numb, I started flailing up and down the ship¡¯s hallway. When that wasn¡¯t enough, I tried some hilarious exercises. In zero gravity I had to be creative, so I tried lifting things and pushing against the doorframes to get the muscles going to some extent. [You should head back to the control room. It¡¯s nearly time to start the slowdown process but¡­ I¡¯m beginning to be anxious about your condition. Your body temperature is dangerously low. I¡¯m afraid that our estimated time of arrival will be too late. I fear that by the time we get to the station you¡¯ll be in hypothermia.] ¡°W-W-W-what t-t-then?¡± I stuttered through my chattering teeth. [I have an idea but¡­ what if it¡¯s another wrong advice?] ¡°D-D-Don¡¯t¡­ c-c-care...¡± [We could delay the slowdown process so we would arrive sooner at the station but¡­ you would have to experience rapid deceleration. It wouldn¡¯t be as bad as during the escape flight but still, without the G-Force Reducer and your current state, it¡¯s dangerous.] I honestly didn¡¯t care anymore. With my shaking hand, I managed to give a thumbs up to her plan. With Genna¡¯s help, I corrected our trajectory and set up the slowdown process to start automatically minutes later. There was no way I would sit in the chair again, especially during braking. The belts would have killed my chest. I snuggled up against the back of one of the chairs and steadied myself with my feet against the wall. Maybe because I was a popsicle, or it was far nicer, but the deceleration wasn¡¯t nearly as bad as the acceleration was at the start. Also, my cozy position behind the chair made it less uncomfortable. So, so, so comfortable... [AIUM!] ¡°Wha-What?¡± [You were falling asleep. Get up! The main slowdown process is over. We need to see what¡¯s the situation.] ¡°R-Right.¡± A dot-based map was on the screen, and it was showing our estimated trajectory compared to the huge dot in front of us. [No worries! Correct our trajectory a bit. The brake thrusters weren¡¯t precise enough. You¡¯ll get out of this ship soon! Hold on!] With my shaking hands, I barely managed to do the corrections on the console. I was feeling exhausted. I looked at the floor and thought about laying down just for a few minutes of sleep. I would feel so much be- *POP* I woke up by the sudden sound, but I was way too numb both in mind and body to think about it clearly. I decided that it would best if I kept walking around the ship to keep me awake. After a couple more minutes the ship shook around me with loud creaks, the alarm turned on again, and the screen switched to a front camera view. I didn¡¯t know there was something like this! I could have watched the stars during the trip! [Don¡¯t worry, it was most likely because the docking beam caught the ship. You¡¯ll be fine from here on,] she tried to cheer me up. It was about time. I couldn¡¯t feel my limbs anymore, and all I wanted to do was sleep a little. Thankfully, the sight on the screen from the camera pumped up the remaining blood in me that wasn¡¯t frozen over. We were flying towards a huge net shaped building complex in a sphere around a giant rock that was¡­ shifting around. Book 1 - Chapter 27 - Youve got mail! Usually, I was never this attentive around the public docking bay. There was barely anything to do here most of the time but the last few days were different. Those extra credits on my account rubbed against my motivation just the right way. Easy credits easy job. All I had to do to earn some extra spending cash for the next few days was to pay attention in my area for any ships that ¡®looked remarkable¡¯ as the guy put it. It wasn¡¯t hard because nobody interesting ever came to this corner of the Empire. The fungar space wasn¡¯t among the most frequented travel destinations. For obvious reasons. Even I was thinking about moving to a different place but my second legal partner was having none of it. As I was grumbling about my love¡¯s reluctance for leaving behind this galaxy, I spotted something interesting approaching the bay. I had been doing this job for nearly a decade now, and this was the first time I saw anything similar to the ship that was coming in. It was blocky and shabby looking. Nothing I would ever fly around with but different people different tastes. It was still a lot better than the gooey ships the fungari pranced around in. The unique looking landed on an open spot with a heavy thud. Another thing that could be considered strange. Not many ships actually ¡®landed¡¯ in the bay. All in all, this ship fit the ¡®looking remarkable¡¯ criterion of the guy, so I decided to hover over and try to start a conversation with the passengers. I licked my lips in hopes of a hefty bonus in case I managed to find something that the guy was looking for. While hovering over to the ship, a side ramp lowered down with a loud hiss, and a guy stumbled down on it. At first, I nearly laughed out loud because the poor fellow slipped and fell on his ass. I was close enough now that I could see clearly, but I stopped the dock hoverer immediately. The guy looked like a Gnacker chew on him and spat him out. He was unbelievably filthy and haggard looking. When he got up, he struggled to remove his helmet, and I could hear the various curses spewing from his mouth even from so far. This was definitely out of the ordinary, but I had seen worse, so I carried on. When I was close enough to greet him I took a deep breath to call out loudly to him but right when I was about to, he looked up at me, and the breath stuck in me. The guy looked up from his hunched posture with a look that nearly scared the shit out of me. I had a feeling that if I had said anything, he would have flipped out. His scarred face, pale skin and that red eye creeped me out immensely. I was standing still in silence while the passenger was staring at me for a few more seconds then he stumbled onto his hoverer ready to head into the station. I closed my mouth which I didn¡¯t even realize was hanging open the whole time. I looked at the information of the ship, and this guy was the sole passenger. I turned back to the teenage resonar behind me. Unlike my last assistant, that cranky old linbog, she was quiet all the time which I greatly appreciated. ¡°I¡¯m going to hand over the hoverer to you, and you¡¯ll follow that guy anywhere he goes. Okay?¡± I said to her. ¡°Follow him? Why?¡± she asked with a frown. ¡°I might have someone that would like to do business with him, and I didn¡¯t feel like holding him up. He looked¡­ to be in a hurry.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she responded meekly. ¡°Just¡­ don¡¯t follow him too openly. Don¡¯t want to spook him.¡± I got down, and she took off with my hoverer after the guy that just got on his own. As Kala got closer to him, she made a sudden stop. I frowned and connected with her immediately. [What¡¯s the matter? Why did you stop?] I asked. [N-N-Nothing. I¡¯ll just keep a little bigger distance,] she responded with a shaky voice before hovering after the guy again. Ugh¡­ She must have gotten too close. My face scrunched up as I thought about that it was a good idea not speaking with him. The guy wasn¡¯t paying THAT much for me to deal with complete weirdos.
I slipped and fell on my ass. I didn''t have enough problem already¡­ I had to fall too. With a chain of my worst curses, I tried tearing off the stupid helmet that was still freezing my head. I knew it was a bad idea showing my face around, but I really couldn¡¯t care at the moment. I was so happy for the warm air in the docking bay that I just wanted to get my face free too. I was still shivering from the cold, and I wouldn¡¯t warm up on my own anytime soon. Thankfully we had arrived earlier, so I had an extra time before the museum realized that their ship was missing. When we were close enough, Genna connected to the network and found out for me that they had a Health Center near the docking bay. That was my first destination since my body temperature was still dangerously low and we decided that it was better not to call in a medical team. That would have made things overly complicated, and I didn¡¯t need any more of that. I was barely standing on my own, but I had to just reach the Health Center. Genna told me that there was hover platform that I could use to get out of the bay area quickly. Before I could move on, I saw from the corner of my eye someone approaching. Actually, it was two people. They were hovering over on a blue translucent panel. When I looked at the guy, he was about to say something. I swore that if he had said anything or tried to waste my time, I would have ripped his insides out and crawled into him to get warm. I stared at him for a few seconds, but he didn¡¯t do anything, just stared back. I was in a horrible condition, so I turned around and headed for my hoverer. The thing appeared out of nowhere. It was like Aladdin¡¯s flying carpet, but it looked more ethereal. According to Genna, it was some kind of hardened energy thingamajig. When I got on it, my body was gently held in place by some invisible force. I was standing on the thing, but I felt like I was laying. I didn¡¯t have to keep myself standing. The platform was supporting my body somehow. I was sure that it would have been an incredible experience, but at the time I was way too preoccupied with how cold I was.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. I was so tired I would have probably fallen off the thing if it weren¡¯t holding me. I had to control it with my balance which went a bit clumsily at first but I got used to it in no time. Barely awake I followed Genna¡¯s instructions to get out of the bay. After that, I had to ditch the hover thingy and continue on foot. It was a major pain in my butt because I could only shuffle forward like a cliche zombie. Genna was trying to keep me awake by talking but she also kept me on the right way towards my destination. [Going back to your question, as I said the flickering of the asteroid wasn¡¯t because the screen malfunctioned. That¡¯s how it looks to the naked eye. The station is set up around it and the asteroid provides the power,] she explained. [By flickering?] [Turn left in a few meters,] she instructed. [I could go into a lengthy explanation of how this type of power harvesting works but I¡¯ll keep it short as usual. The station around the asteroid creates a field around it that breaks the object¡¯s dimensional balance. Following that they Bend-Phase the object halfway out and then apply enormous pressure to it from the outside. The object, in this case, the asteroid constantly tries to return to its original state and that¡¯s where the energy and the ''flickering'' come from,] she lectured on. [Interestingly, the fungari don¡¯t allow the use of asteroids from their space so the station has to haul them in every couple decades when the previous one deteriorates too far. Usually, phase powered stations like this one have a cycley holiday when they do the necessary restart on the asteroid.] [Ugh¡­ this sounds way too complicated¡­ to power a station,] I groaned while shuffling forward. [Most of the energy goes towards the long distance travel gates the station has,] she said. [Go into the first building on your right,] she then followed it up with another instruction. I did as she told me. When I entered, I walked right up to the reception desk and leaned on it with my head lowered. I gathered my mind and looked up at the pretty girl sitting behind the counter. She was horrified. ¡°Oh, Darkness help me! Sir! Are you alright?¡± she exclaimed after gathering herself and jumping up from her seat. ¡°No¡­ not alright,¡± I croaked. [Ask for a full-service bed quickly!] Genna said. ¡°I need a full-service bed. Now!¡± ¡°Sir, you should have called a medical team if you are in such a bad condition! What happened?¡± the girl said while going around her desk to my side and helping me stand. ¡°Ugh¡­ the bed,please!¡± I exhaled. ¡°Yes! Right away!¡± she said while holding my arm. ¡°Catherin! Come out here and help me!¡± she shouted. Another girl walked out from the side. They were talking about something, but I really couldn¡¯t pay attention anymore. The new girl walked up to my other side, and they helped me into a room where they instructed me to lay down on the bed. [Tell them that I¡¯ll handle it from here. Put your hand on the metal plate on the side,] Genna instructed. ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± I said weakly and then slid my hand onto the panel. The following minutes were a blur at most. I remembered feeling the warmth going through my body. I could even feel it in my bones. I was floating down a river on a raft made out of ants. I was trying to reach the market city so I could sell ice to the amazons. Amazons¡­ the anticipation was building up in me with every passing second. I steered my ant boat to the side a little so¡­ [Aium! I know you are exhausted, but you can¡¯t fall asleep just yet. We have to move on!] woke me Genna¡¯s voice in my head. I sat on the bed and touched my head. I wasn¡¯t cold anymore, my knees, my shoulder even my chest wasn¡¯t hurting anymore. Discounting my tiredness, I was feeling great. [How much time passed?] [Nearly 20, but I didn¡¯t want to skimp on the treatment. It will cost you, but it was necessary,] she added. I touched my neck, and I could feel my crumpled skin. [Don¡¯t worry. I didn¡¯t let the equipment touch your scars. We wouldn¡¯t even have time to fix that even if we wanted to.] She continued, [I think we need to talk about something¡­ scary.] [What now?] I groaned. [I didn¡¯t want to bother you with it right away, but when I reconnected to the network near the station I saw that you had a bunch of different calls hours ago, but there are no calls anymore,] she said. [The scary part is that you got a message from¡­ well, it¡¯s hard to explain, but it¡¯s from¡­ nobody.] [What do you mean nobody?] I winced at what she said while moving around my pain-free shoulder. [There is nothing where the sender¡¯s information should be. It¡¯s not unknown or blocked or anything similar¡­ it¡¯s just empty. Which shouldn¡¯t happen. Ever!] [And? What¡¯s the message? Can you read it for me or is there any screens we can use here?] I asked while looking at the small, white room I was in. [Just say ¡®screen¡¯ and touch the metal plate on the bed for a second.] ¡°Screen,¡± I said loudly, and right away a holoscreen popped up right in front of my head. I jumped back a little by its sudden appearance. It came out of nowhere, and it was stuck to my head. The holoscreen followed my face no matter how I moved around. How did they do that? I had no equipment on my head. [This is awesome,] I chuckled as I tried to duck my head from left to right to test the screen if I could shake it off. [What if I say the word ¡®screen¡¯ in a normal conversation? Wouldn¡¯t that be annoying as hell?] [It knows the difference between when you say it as a command or just use it in a conversation, but can we focus on the urgent matters?] she scolded. The message she was talking about appeared on the screen the next second. ¡°Mr. Roowe? I wanted to have a real conversation between us through a call or better yet, in person but you seem to be a hard person to reach. I have no confidence in accurately guessing your identity, but you are clearly connected in some way to the time anomaly that occurred near planet Hatuu. Coincidentally that phenomenon happened the same time as another experiment was taking place at a different corner of the cluster. My associates tracked down said anomaly¡¯s location and followed the leads all the way to you, dear recipient. The way you handled the situation clearly pointed out that your background is more complicated than a random citizen that got wound up in this by accident. It¡¯s also clear that you aren¡¯t an Arbiter because my associates are still alive and free. IDEA wouldn¡¯t slip up like this either, so I¡¯m confident that we can rule that connection out too. This is quite the conundrum! You aren¡¯t Empire employed, and you aren¡¯t part of the Research Department either, BUT you had something to do with MY project. Your accommodation reeks of leftover particles. I adjure you to give me a satisfying explanation before the situation escalates further! I believe you have one of my associate''s contact information.¡± Book 1 - Chapter 28 - How to make a little girl cry [Ooookay! The mustache guy is definitely some kind of godfather or mob boss,] I commented with a grimace after reading through the message. [I don¡¯t think we can be sure it¡¯s from Roka Beferent.] [Who else then? He even mentioned his ¡®associates¡¯ and the guys that came after me literally said that they were with him,] I argued. [Exactly! If they already told you whom they work for then why did the message sender put so much effort into hiding his identity?] She continued with, [The message also implied that the sender most likely operates far away from here and they had to track down both the anomaly and you. Roka was one of the first people that you met. He would have noticed a variety of problems with you, and even if he later found out about the anomaly, you should have been his first suspect. It just doesn¡¯t add up.] [You have a point there,] I said with narrowed eyes. [Moreover, from the message it¡¯s clear that they operate separately from the Empire. If they are criminals, I suggest we take information from them carefully. Just because those guys said that they were Roka¡¯s associates we shouldn¡¯t take it as fact. But as I said, we shouldn¡¯t believe them so it might just be a clever plan to draw suspicion away from Roka. They might have thought that they could catch you with the connection and when you slipped away, they realized that you are a loose end with dangerous information. The entire message might just be a clever ruse to cover up their slip up.] [Ugh¡­ That¡¯s enough for now. We could sit here and analyze our situation for days, but the end solution will be the same no matter what. We are leaving! Fast and far!] [I approve!] I got up from my bed and did a little jiggle to feel my knees. They weren¡¯t hurting anymore, so I picked up my helmet and with quick steps, I exited the facility. Genna already paid for the services, and she also suggested that I didn¡¯t waste time explaining the situation to the wide-eyed girls at the reception. She also warned me about the lack of time for my usual ogling. On my way here I was preoccupied with too many bodily problems to properly look around, but this time I was able to take a good look at the street. There was no ceiling. The walls were slanted slightly, and they joined together at the top making the street into a triangle shaped tunnel. I was in the services and goods part of this sector of the station. There were 14 sectors, andthis was the 9th. Thestreet wasfull of all kinds of entrances. I could have spent hours or even days looking around here. There was one shop which walls were flowing and waving around like the sea. Another one¡¯s entrance looked like a dark blue rainforest with densely packed vegetation. Right next to the Health Center there was a huge monster head that seemed alive. With a rumbling growl, it opened its maw and people exited through it. At first, I thought it couldn¡¯t be real but then again what if it was? My expectations got outdated thousand of years ago. I would have loved to spend time around here, but it would have to wait. I looked down at my filthy clothes and frowned. I also noticed that my arms weren¡¯t covered in oil and grime anymore. Luckily, the miracle bed also cleaned my body since it considered my dirty state unhygienic and thus unhealthy. Not my clothes though. I had a little extra time, so I decided to get something new before looking for a ride off of this place. In these clothes, people might refuse to even talk to me. After a quick consultation with my lovely assistant, we decided on asmall detour to a clothes shop nearby. She warned me though that I might not be a fan of the style but due to being in a hurry I couldn''t be picky. On the way, I couldn¡¯t stop gazing at the variety of places and people walking around. I saw a huge sphere that was spinning at breakneck speed where a building should have been. I saw a shop decorated by the same dark green goo that was in that mushroom person¡¯s room. In one of the shop¡¯s people were walking around on the walls instead of the floor. There were a few of those transparent headed people and some swirling nothingnesses too in red dresses. The goofy looking Linbogs, the colorful mushroom people, the tall and stout yellowed eyed emotion vampires, the fish people with their breathers and of course the Humans too were all represented here. It was a lively and crowded place with far too many things to see and do. I felt frustrated just rushing by all of this, but I knew my current priorities were elsewhere. Our destination¡¯s entrance wasn¡¯t normal either. Its walls reminded me of a huge theatre curtain, but it was made up of densely packed metal scales thatpulsed rigidly and mechanically. Inside the little Linbog girl helped me to a booth where I could choose what I¡¯d like privately. Inside there was a console and a big open area around chest level behind it. I tapped on the machine to see what they¡¯ve got. All of their clothes were made from the same metallic scale material. Most likely it was a brand thing. As I was swiping through the different clothes, they continuously appeared on the platform in front of me. Tapping around gave me a strange question. [Why isn¡¯t there thought controlled stuff?] I asked Genna. [Intention reading is a sensitive topic. It¡¯s dangerous since it can be considered to be the little sister of mind reading. While the latter gets out everything from your head, intention reading just takes out your intentions as its name suggests. Still, it¡¯s only a restricted technology and not highly restricted like mind reading. It¡¯s something that the general public rarely has access to.] I listened to her explanation while watching the clothes switch around in front of me. They looked¡­ different than the holograms I¡¯ve seen on the planet. They looked more real somehow. I tried reaching out towards the shirt that was currently on the platform, and when my fingers reached it, I felt it and the fabric also moved with my fingers. It was real! ¡°Holy shit, this is real!¡± I exclaimed while grabbing it. [No it¡¯s not. You just feel like it,] Genna said with a bored tone. [Don¡¯t shit with me! I¡¯m holding it in my hand!] I argued while tugging at the bottom of the shirt.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. [Switch to a different one while you are ¡®holding¡¯ it.] I narrowed my eyes and tapped the console with my other hand. The shirt disappeared from my grasp, and another one appeared on the platform in its place. ¡°The fuck?!¡° [See? You just felt like touching it. There was nothing.] [But I felt it!] [It¡¯s just a clever trick of perception enhanced holographs and sense simulators in the booth.] [Se-] [Sense simulators give you the false sense of touch. There¡¯s one in every booth here,] she predicted my question and interrupted me right away with the explanation. [Erm...] I started. [So¡­ this thing can give people the feeling that they are touching something or being touched?] I asked with a cocked eyebrow. [Exactly.] [So¡­. In theory, there could be a sick fuck who walks around with this on the street and randomly jerks off people and gropes women from the distance without them even knowing who did that?] ¡­ ¡­ [You are not answering because in ¡®theory¡¯ it could be possible but you don¡¯t want to say yes to avoid acknowledging what I just said?] I asked. [Yes,] she answered flatly. I was laughing like a stupid hyena for the rest of my shopping. When I selected a set of dark gray metal scale cloth set Genna paid for it and a small box elevated out of the platform in front of me. It was real this time, and it contained my new clothes. I changed right away and left my stinky old clothes in the box. I knew it was a scumbag move to leave my dirty laundry here, but I didn¡¯t have the patience now to throw them away somewhere. I put on my mask with the red grinning image turned on before leaving. I was already pushing it when I took it off earlier. I wanted to hurry back to the docking bay, but somebody called from behind. ¡°Sir, please!¡± said the weak female voice. I turned around and saw a small, female yellowed eyed alien looking at me with a wary expression. ¡°Me?¡± I asked while pointing at my chest. She eagerly nodded and said, ¡°My boss sent me to look for you.¡± I immediately got tense and asked with a low voice, ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°Ugh,¡± she moaned and took a step back. ¡°He-he has someone that would like to talk to you concerning your ship,¡± she said with a quiet voice. ¡°What?!¡± I growled through my teeth while taking a step back readying myself for running. ¡°Aaaah,¡± she moaned again and backed away further. ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t feel like that,¡± she pleaded with a pained expression. [You idiot! You are making the poor child feel bad with your shitty emotions! Start thinking something happy right this moment!] I knew they could feel my emotions, but it didn¡¯t occur to me that I would make a little girl feel bad with my feelings. I didn¡¯t want to be a scumbag; it was an accident. It wasn¡¯t like I could freely control my emotions. Anyway, I tried thinking about something happy, and my thoughts wandered to golden retriever puppies immediately. Those adorable yellow fluffballs full of love. I always wanted one, but the apartment I was living in didn¡¯t allow pets. Little fat vanilla puddings. Maybe after I found a place to settle down, I would finally get one¡­Then the realization hit me that they were most likely all gone just like everything else from Earth other than the Humans. I heard sobbing, and when I looked at the little girl, I saw her crying. [You are a real asshole, you know that right?] [God damn it¡­ I swear I didn¡¯t want to make her cry,] I said with a grimace. Ice cream! Aston Martin! Dancing cockatoo videos! Double episodes of shows I liked! Joga pan¡­ NO, NO, NO¡­ Not those! Cheesecake! A drawer full of snacks! I glanced up, and the girl wasn¡¯t crying anymore. She had a small smile on her face now. She was way to influenceable... ¡°So, what was that you were talking about?¡± ¡°There¡¯s someone that would be interested in buying your ship,¡± she said with a stable voice now. I stared at her for a few moments. [Is this a trap?] I asked Genna. [I don¡¯t think, but it¡¯s better to be careful. I say you just leave the ship behind like we agreed and get a ride to somewhere else from here.] She was right. It was an unnecessary risk but then again¡­ If I could just sell the ship. ¡°I¡¯m willing to talk, but I¡¯m tight on time. I¡¯m heading to the docking bay. If the guy wants to talk, he better be there. I¡¯ll give him 10 minutes tops,¡± I said to the girl. She nodded and spaced out for a few moments before continuing, ¡°My boss said his contact would be there to meet you when you get back.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go,¡± I said and started to move to the docking bay. [Seriously? You¡¯ll want to sell the stolen ship? You said we¡¯ll ditch it! There was no discussion about selling it!] [I¡¯m not a fan of the idea either, but we need money to get away to the other side of the whatever.] [You always have a convenient explanation, haven¡¯t you?] [I¡¯m just factual.] [Yeah, sure¡­ If we manage to get to safety, we¡¯ll have a long discussion about your moral compass.] I shuddered at the thought of that. The little girl was closely following me. I took a quick glance at her and saw a strange expression on her face. Shit¡­ She could still feel my emotions. I should try to stay emotionally neutral around her. Anyway, I had a question or two for her. ¡°Who¡¯s your boss?¡± ¡°A 9th sector dock supervisor, Sir!¡± I hummed in acknowledgment and questioned her further, ¡°How did you know who I was? I changed clothes in the shop and even put on my helmet.¡± ¡°You feel distinctive, Sir,¡± she answered with her head tilted to the side. Duh¡­ Was that a compliment or an insult? [Distinctive¡­,] Genna chuckled in my head. As we got closer to the docking bay, the triangular tunnel street got increasingly wider and ended in a huge entrance to the bay. I stopped and looked at the girl. She looked back at me and just stared. I did the same, but after a few moments she asked, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°Oh, yes! My boss is right there, Sir,¡± she answered and pointed to the side where three people were chatting. As I walked over, I had time to carefully observe them. One of them was an older Human guy with a manly beard and short, blonde hair. The other two were little goblins¡­ I meant Linbogs! I finally learned their name because they had damn good food. The female one with the indifferent expression was wearing plain clothes and quietly stood behind the other, completely different Linbog. He was animatedly conversing with the Human guy while his sparkly robe flew all over the place like it was underwater. When we got close to them, they stopped talking, and they both measured me up. ¡°Greetings! I¡¯m Rahad one of the supervisors of the 9th sector¡¯s dock. I have to say you look a lot better than when you arrived,¡± the Human guy said with a smile. ¡°Yeah¡­ My ship¡¯s old and sometimes she gets moody,¡± I answered after eyeing him for a few seconds. His smiling face didn¡¯t flinch, but it was noticeably stiff. ¡°I¡¯d like to introduce you to a friend of mine who collects rare ships,¡± he continued and looked at the flashy looking Linbog by his side. The little green creature had white hair that reached for the sky and a sparkly smile just like Randall had on Hatuu. ¡°My humblest greetings! I¡¯m Magnificent!¡± he said with a mad grin. I looked at him in a daze and asked with a scowl, ¡°Was that a title or you are just boasting?¡± His answer was a boisterous laughter that nearly made me step back. ¡°That¡¯s my famous name!¡± he whispered while leaning closer. ¡°It¡¯s my great pleasure meeting you ...¡± he didn¡¯t finish but looked at me expectantly. ¡°I¡¯m Rabunde Jalaqua. Can we get on? I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± My comment broke the little guy¡¯s performance a bit but not enough to stop him for too long. ¡°Yes! Business! I¡¯m a collector of the rare and unique. My interest concerns ships of remarkable origins. I saw the one that you arrived with, is it in your possession perhaps?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s mine,¡± I answered flatly. ¡°Splendid!¡± he exclaimed with sparkling eyes. ¡°It¡¯s an extraordinary ship! An ancient Terran Scouting Vessel in excellent quality by the looks of it. There aren¡¯t many of those around anymore. I heard that recently a small museum on Hatuu managed to acquire and restore one of these beauties. It¡¯s such a coincidence that not far from there another appears of these rare treasures!¡± he said with his snobbish style while eyeing me with a sly expression. Book 1 - Chapter 29 - Rabundes despair ¡°I know the museum has a similar one. I had mine for a while now, and they contacted me to be a consultant during their ship¡¯s restoration,¡± I answered casually. The little guy snapped together his sharp teeth several times in quick succession from excitement. It was a disturbing sight to see and hear. ¡°Would you¡­ would you be interested in selling it?¡± he asked while inching closer to me. [Oi! Greed demon! Can we sell the piece of shit without giving away our identity?] I asked Genna. [Ugh¡­ I¡¯m not a greed demon! I¡¯m financially conscious! Stop calling me that!] she huffed back. [The answer please!] [In a twisted way I could manage it, but nobody in their right mind would agree to that.] ¡°Depends... The ship is a rare gem you know. She¡¯s been my precious little baby for a long time now¡­ but.... my business hit a rough spot recently,¡± I coughed and fidgeted around a little. ¡°One of the reasons I accepted the consultation as a side job.¡± I looked back towards my ship in the distance and continued with a weak voice, ¡°I sold most of my assets in hopes of getting back on my feet but¡­ I have debts, and I only managed to sink further. I tried to keep her for as long as I could but¡­¡± My voice cracked. I looked back to the little linbog then to my ship and back to the guy. I cleared my throat and sad, ¡°I¡¯m in a bad situation, and I need to get somewhere in a hurry, but now my little beauty isn¡¯t exactly in travel condition.¡± I took a long, deep sigh and added, ¡°It-it might be time to give her to someone who would properly take care of her.¡± Fuck¡­ I was going too fast. I was overselling my situation. I should have pulled him along a bit longer. The Maleficent guy or whatshisface was barely containing himself. Apparently, he took my shitty performance and story at face value. He didn¡¯t want to trample over my devastated mood, but he was over the moon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your situation, but I can assure you that in my hands it would be treasured. If you are truly willing to part with her we can agree on a price and finish the transaction in less than ten days I believe,¡± he nodded to himself. ¡°No, no, no! I have to go now, and I really need the money too!¡± I jerked my head up and objected strongly. ¡°But-but these ships cost around 3-3,5 million. I don¡¯t have that much credits available on my account at the moment,¡± complained the little guy with a huge frown. I nearly collapsed when I heard the amount, but I managed to play off my shock as sadness. ¡°I-I¡­ I really can¡¯t wait now that I finally convinced myself to sell my baby,¡± I said nearly sobbing. ¡°How much could you pay now?¡± I tried with my most pathetic voice. Having my helmet on really limited my acting tools in order to help me sell off the piece of shit. ¡°At most¡­ I could pay 800,000,¡± he said with raised eyebrows¡­ or at least where they would have been since he didn¡¯t have actual ones. ¡°Ugh,¡± I moaned loudly. I took a little time to seem like I was really struggling with the decision. I knew I should have hurried, but I had to do this properly to convince them. I already fucked up at the start with my rashness. ¡°Fine! But I have a favor to ask in return,¡± I sighed finally. The Linbog¡¯s eyes opened up to full circles in surprise. ¡°Anything to you my friend!¡± he shouted. ¡°I want to do this anonymously and do the transaction right now.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ that...¡± he hesitated. He turned back to the female Linbog, and they stared at each other for a while. Finally, the female nodded, and the guy turned back with a huge grin. ¡°Deal!¡± [How do we make this actually happen?] [Touch each other somewhere. I¡¯ll handle the rest with his A.I..] [Make sure they won¡¯t get our information and stuff okay?] [I¡¯m not an idiot.] I held out my hand for a shake. He took my hint and grabbed it¡­ but... he grabbed the back of my hand with his wrong hand. Whatever¡­ He finally released my hand and looked towards the ship with sparkling eyes. [800,000 credits arrived to Rabunde¡¯s auxiliary account,] informed me, Genna. ¡°It was a great pleasure doing business with you Mr. Rabunde!¡± said the little guy without turning back to me. ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m happy but¡­ it will be better this way,¡± I said with a pained voice. The female linbog walked up to the guy that was just mindlessly staring that the ship and she started whispering something into his enormous, floppy ear. I decided it was time for me to book it. I looked at the silent dock supervisor who was similarly in a deep conversation of whispers with the little yellow-eyed girl. I cleared my throat to get their attention. ¡°I¡¯m in dire need of transportation. Do you know any ships that would take an extra passenger and they will leave in less than...¡± [15 minutes.] ¡°... 15 minutes?¡± ¡°The 9th sector doesn¡¯t have any civilian transport ships,¡± said the guy with a frown. ¡°I¡¯d like to take a ship that''s not for public transport.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Okay, it¡¯s your decision. In that case, which direction would you like to go?¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Anywhere.¡± ¡°Anywhere?¡± he looked at me smirking. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then,¡± he started while a screen popped up in front of him, ¡°I¡¯d suggest you the ship on the far right. The pure white one but better hurry because they¡¯ll be leaving any moment now. Also, they won¡¯t take you for free just so you know.¡± ¡°Thanks a lot!¡± I said and started walking towards the spot near the entrance with the sign on the ground that indicated one of those hover platforms. Before I could go too far, someone grabbed my hand. I turned back, and it was the little linbog guy. He had a stiff half smile on his face, and his eyes weren¡¯t filled with energy anymore. He hesitantly took a glance back at the expressionless female goblin in plain clothes and then cleared his throat as I did before. At first, I thought I was found out, but his next comment completely proved me wrong. ¡°Since I got a beautiful ship from you for such a good price I can¡¯t just let you go without a proper gift. I wanted to gift this to the kid with the best teeth in my brother¡¯s very first natural litter but... ¡± he said while he took out a metal stick and laid it on top of his palm with his long fingers stretched out. The thing unfolded into a decent sized circle plate. It lit up with a static noise and the next moment a little box appeared on it. ¡°This will be a better gift for you I believe. Thank you again for doing business with me!¡± he said while handing me the box and bowing to me. After that, he took another wary glance back at the female, but she remained expressionless. ¡°Yeah. Thank you for the business and the gift,¡± I said while returning the bow. I didn¡¯t even ask what the gift was or how he pulled it out of nowhere. I had to leave! Before I got to the hover platform stopped me again as he shouted after me a question, ¡°Does the ship have a name?¡± Without thinking too much, I responded, ¡°Piece of shit!¡± ... ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± ¡°Priscilla!¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a lovely name.¡± I didn¡¯t wait any longer and hopped on the hoverer that appeared out of nowhere. [That was a nice save,] chuckled Genna. [Yeah¡­ I wasn¡¯t even thinking.] [800.000 is a lot-] [SHHHHH!!!!!!!! Don¡¯t jinx it! No talk about it until we leave!] I interrupted her. [Jinx?] [When you celebrate too early, and the universe fucks you over just because.] [Ah¡­ So, another utterly ludicrous nonsense.] As I was hovering towards the white ship in the distance, the hover platform thingy held my body comfortably so I could take a look around at the other ships in the bay. I saw several dark green ships of different shapes covered in goo and some of them I swore squirmed around at some parts. They were creepy to the extreme. I bet they were filled with eggs and worms that would happily feast on my insides. There were ships made from dark metal with exteriors that every few seconds shook like a wet dog¡¯s fur. Another type of ship that was popular was the hairdryer looking ones without the handle. One was so strange, it nearly gave me a headache. The ship didn¡¯t have any central part. It was made up of bigger and smaller metal parts chaotically swirling around each other. I wasn¡¯t even sure it was a ship. Most of these were quietly floating in place waiting for their passengers or owners, but I could see that there was always some leaving and coming. You could also spot several hover platforms carrying people around on the ground. The docking bay was a huge area with only two sides of it covered by the rest of the station. It was in a corner position so instead of the other two walls and the ceiling the rest was just plain open, looking out to space. There must have been a shield of some kind, but you couldn¡¯t see anything other than the dark space in the distance and the twinkling stars. It was breathtaking, a sight of a lifetime. I couldn¡¯t help myself and just stared out into the endless darkness for a while. A particularly interesting ship steered away my attention to itself as it was coming into the bay from space. The ship was made up of a dozen boxes that were wildly spinning around. The boxes were positioned after each other like the old snake game and in a cycle, they separated from the rest to a short distance and then joined back together in a strange wave-like motion. [That ship¡¯s crazy! What¡¯s the point of that movement?! How do they move inside?] [They move between the sections with bridges, and the passengers don¡¯t feel or notice any of the movement. This type of ship was invented by a resonar named Lerona Morbould. She originally wanted to make a ship that could scatter its hull in case it ventured into an asteroid field or other environments with clustered objects where a big hull could be problematic. Sadly, there were already dozens of solutions for this problem, so her design wasn¡¯t popular. Later on, after her death, the ship design became a novelty. Its purpose shifted to being a prestige item.] [It¡¯s like a luxury car?] I asked in wonder. [I wouldn¡¯t call it luxury. It¡¯s just uncommon. The luxury category starts with ships that wouldn¡¯t even fit into this docking bay.] [Oh boy...] Finally, I reached the white ship. It was blindingly light and shaped like a long egg. There was nothing on its surface. It was smooth and seamless from top to bottom, from front to end. Quietly floating in place this white egg was quite the sight. The question was¡­ how to get in or get someone out to talk to. [How do you get in this thing? Or call out someone?] [Go to the bridge gate at the back and give them a ring.] The gate Genna talked about was just a huge and thick metal door frame. I touched the familiar metal plate on its side, but there was no immediate response. I waited for a little and wanted to touch again, but I didn¡¯t need to because there was a response. With a bright blue light and static noise, the door frame came alive. I blinked a few time, and when the light faded, I saw a different sight in the doorframe. It was a big white area, and a yellowed eyed guy was standing in front of me in the middle of the doorframe. He interrupted my wide-eyed staring. ¡°How can I help you?¡± he asked with a monotone voice. ¡°Erm¡­ I was looking for a traveling spot on a ship, and the dock supervisor told me you guys are leaving soon. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. We intend to leave in 250 seconds.¡± ¡°Can you take me with you to your next stop? I¡¯m willing to pay!¡± ¡°We are going to the Bruhma Varis system¡¯s 4th station. It will cost you 30,000 credits, and we can only provide you with basic necessities,¡± he explained without the slightest change in his tone or expression after a few moments of thinking. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s fine.¡± I said with a slight pain in my chest because of the price. ¡°Is this body a clone?¡± [Just say yes...] sighed Genna. ¡°Yes.¡± The guy didn¡¯t say anything and just held out his hand palm up. It took me a second to realize that he wanted me to pay right away and weren¡¯t asking me for my hand to help me through. I clapped my hand down to his, and after a few seconds he nodded and stood to the side inviting me onboard. After stepping through I found myself in a big empty room instead of the docking bay. I looked back at the doorframe I came through but it already sizzled out, and behind it only the white wall of the room was visible. Was I already on the ship? Was this my first teleportation? ¡°SalenKarr will be here momentarily, and she¡¯ll brief you. Please stay here until she arrives,¡± instructed the guy and then he walked off through the exit leaving me behind, standing awkwardly still in front of the teleport door. I was looking around silently while fidgeting a little. This was an uncomfortable situation. I looked down at the box I was still holding in my hand. [What do you think the gift is?] I asked with a smile. [Seriously? You saw the logo and the name on it.] [Yeah. Progress Atom¡­ what¡¯s that?] I asked while looking down at the box in my hand to read the text on it again. [Ugh¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t remember it despite that you already took one of their products!] Book 1 - Chapter 30 - Nope [So, should I know?] [Yes! It¡¯s a BioEnhancement!] The realization shot my eyebrows towards the sky while the little box in my hand became heavier. [Let¡¯s just keep it to ourselves for now,] I said and squeezed the box between my arm and side to make it less visible. It was an unconscious move. The moment I realized it was something valuable I wanted to hide it and protect it. The big room was disturbingly clean and white. In its emptiness, my steps echoed as I moved forward. I walked up to the entrance that lead to a similarly empty and white hallway. Someone was supposed to come to handle my situation but when? Standing around doing nothing in an awkward situation was hard on my nerves. The idea of taking a peek inside the box grew more attractive with every passing second. Before I could take action, my ears picked up a strange noise coming from the hallway. It sounded like a bored secretary tapping her nails against a table. Or that was what I thought until the ¡®thing¡¯ turned into the hallway from the side and almost made me have a heart attack. The ¡®thing¡¯ that crawled around the corner was hanging from the ceiling by a swarm of legs. Its long body was covered in bright blue fur and at its front two egg-sized, pitch black eyes were staring at me while the white walls reflected back in them. The nightmare stopped for a second, and we stared at each other in silence. Several pairs of vastly longer legs twitched out from under its front part as it slightly lowered its head from the ceiling. [Aium. Turn around and run,] Genna brought me back to my senses with an unusual tone. She didn¡¯t need to tell me twice. I nearly pissed myself already. I turned around and ran back to the gate that I came through. As I ran, I could hear the skittering noise from behind me restart with an even faster rhythm. I whimpered under my helmet as I ran for my life. I crashed into the side pillar of the gate and started slapping its metal plate in a frenzy. ¡°Open! Open! Open! OPEN!¡± I muttered desperately. [Calm down! She¡¯s not going to hurt you!] Genna''s sudden change of mind confused me. She just told me to run! Did she really try to play a trick on me with a monster breathing down my neck? I already had a hard time moving around my stiff fingers, but the sudden lack of noise made the situation all the scarier. Despite my heart beating like a jackhammer I tried straining my ears to pick any noise from behind. There was none. The thought of looking back was denied immediately. I had no chance against something like that. There was no point in me turning around to watch it nibble away at my still living body. ¡°Mister¡­ Are you okay?¡± a sweet, female voice asked from behind. That didn¡¯t sound like a monster made out of nightmares. Did someone pull a prank on me with some holoillusion thingy? It had to be a prank! I slowly turned around, still stiff from the fear and stared at myself being reflected in two huge eyes. The freaking monster¡¯s front half was hanging from the ceiling to be at head level with me, and the countless various sized legs were looking like the maw of an old god. ¡°WAAAAAAH!¡± I screamed as I jumped back against the wall behind the gate and slumped down to the ground. [Seriously Aium! Calm down! She won¡¯t hurt you!] ¡°Woah! What¡¯s the matter? Seriously now!¡± came the sweet voice again from the monster as it skittered closer to me on the ceiling and reached out towards me with a pointy leg that separated into three smaller legs¡­ or fingers. I would love to say that I bravely stood up to the monster but in reality, I screamed like a little girl. [STOP IT! I¡¯m telling you she won¡¯t hurt you! She most likely came to brief you!] As I screamed again, the thing on the ceiling backed away and huffed, ¡°Hey! You better not be doing a prank on me! I¡¯m not that scary!¡± The moment she finished talking a thin blue film crossed over her eyes twice like an eyelid. I stopped screaming and backing into the wall after taking a few deep breaths. I managed to lower my panic level, but I was still staring with wary eyes at the monster with the girly voice. ¡°I¡­ I-I-¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?! I can¡¯t hear your mumbling,¡± she said in an irritated tone while several rows of her feet twitched in disorder. ¡°The hell you are not scary! I nearly pissed myself, and I¡¯m still not sure you won¡¯t rip off my head!¡° The thing had leaned back its head and gasped, ¡°The audacity! I would not do such a thing! You better apologize!¡± [What¡¯s going on?] I whimpered to Genna. [She¡¯s not dangerous. You don¡¯t have to be afraid of her. Take a deep breath and calm down a little.] [But you told me to run!] I argued. [Yes, because you ordered me to.] [Are you crazy?!] [I don¡¯t think I am. You gave me an absolute order to tell you that when I saw a Severin. I just followed it. I tried to calm you afterward, but you weren¡¯t listening to me.] [Oh dear god...] I said as I started panicking again in light of the newfound information. [I¡¯ve told you back then and I¡¯m telling you now again¡­ They won¡¯t hurt you. They won¡¯t put things in you. They are very nice and cheerful people, and I¡¯d like to ask you to not be rude to them.] Our inner conversation was interrupted by two loud knocks on the ceiling by a disturbingly long leg that bent at five or six points. ¡°Ehm¡­ I¡¯m waiting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± I said while fidgeting a little on the floor. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone like you before, and I got¡­ it was an intense experience,¡± I continued while I slid on my ass a little further from her and stood up.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Really now?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯ll accept your apology and take the rest as a compliment. Making someone''s heart race at first sight, what else could I dream of,¡± she giggled followed by a synchronous wave-like movement with her myriad of legs. What now? When did I compliment her? ¡°Now then! You should be a polite human and introduce yourself.¡± After a couple of seconds of hesitation, I gave in, ¡°I¡¯m Rabunde. Nice to meet you I guess?¡± ¡°Ra-bunde,¡± she rolled the name around. ¡°I like it,¡± she added. ¡°Mr. Rabunde! You have the pleasure of meeting me! The name¡¯s S??????????a?????????l?????????e??????n??????????K?????????a???????????r????????????r???????? but you can just call me SalenKarr.¡± She grandly introduced herself. The first name she told me was just a bunch of disturbing noises that made me slightly dizzy but when she said the other name her voice reached a new level of squeaky and all of her legs went wide like she performed something applaudable. I had the urge to clap a few times, but I decided against it since she might take it as an offense. She was dead still in her spread out legs position for a few moments. Perhaps she was waiting for some kind of reaction, but since I didn¡¯t give any, she finally retracted her legs quietly and blinked at me two times again. ¡°So, you really never saw one of my kind before?¡± ¡°Yes, you are the very first.¡± ¡°You must have been living under a rock until now then. As you can see, our beautiful form is easy to remember when most of the other sentient races look so similarly boring,¡± she commented while one of her legs did a strange motion towards me. ¡°Unforgettable¡­ yes...¡± I commented slightly cynical, but I had to admit that her bright blue fur looked incredible if you could forget about the scary eyes, the huge size and the infinite legs. Interestingly I couldn¡¯t find a mouth or anything else on her head other than those huge eyes. Still, with her size and length, I could easily imagine her swallowing an adult in one gulp. My questionable comment still caused her legs to dance around a little. ¡°Anyway. Let¡¯s handle our business first, and then we can chat later,¡± she chirped. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate that.¡± ¡°Welcome on the Pure Hail. First of all, I¡¯d like to apologize for Captain Hanal¡¯s behavior. As much as you¡¯d expect a Resonar to be level-headed, they can really squeeze out some mean behavior from their two emotions. He¡¯s in a pretty bad mood because we didn¡¯t get any offers for our way back. It is though to get orders in the delivery business, and we already had a deal for the next stop, but couldn¡¯t pick up anything here, except you. So we are making a loss on this flight.¡± ¡°How long until we depart?¡± ¡°We already did. We are waiting in line for the travel gate.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice,¡± I muttered to myself. ¡°And how long until we reach our destination?¡± ¡°If nothing comes up we¡¯ll reach it in 26 hours.¡± It was an absolutely abnormal situation to be in. I was having a mundane conversation with a creature from a B rated horror movie with the voice of a little girl. ¡°The ship¡¯s layout is pretty self-explanatory. It would be nice if you don¡¯t wander around unnecessarily. Interface with the ship or loudly call out my name if you have any questions and I¡¯ll hurry over to you. The one place you can visit freely is the canteen. Questions?¡± ¡°None at the moment.¡± I shook my head. ¡°Then I¡¯ll show you to your room. After you!¡± she chortled while pointing with one of her longer legs towards the hallway. I didn¡¯t like this setup one bit. I wanted to keep at least 20 meters between us while keeping an eye on her but now she wanted me to walk on the front. ¡°I¡¯ll just follow you. You are the one familiar with the layout after all.¡± ¡°No, no! You are the guest. After you, I insist!¡± UGH! I didn¡¯t feel like starting an argument with her, so I went forward. I took a few glances back, but she kept a fair amount of distance behind me and one time she even waved at me with a leg. Or she just motioned to me to keep going. I really couldn¡¯t tell. As we left the warehouse and I entered the hallway, I heard an entirely different noise from her normal tapping sounds from the ceiling. I could only compare it to the sped up sound of a rapidly going steam train. I snapped my head back and tumbled forward right away in a mix of fear and surprise. The furry centipede girl was centimeters away from me. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± I asked loudly. ¡°Nothing,¡° she answered in a casual tone but all of her legs folded in under her. ¡°You were making strange noises, and you were way too close to me!¡± I accused her. ¡°No I wasn''t,¡± she flat out denied. There was no way I would play this game. I stood to the side with a frown and said, ¡°You go in the front! No arguing about it.¡± Her legs twitched around in chaos while she stared at me for a few moments. ¡°Fine,¡± she huffed finally and passed by. She turned her front part backward while she kept walking and glanced at me several times but said nothing further. We turned left at the end of the corridor, and she lead me to a door. She reached out with one leg, and the door slid to the side revealing a simple room with a small bed, a table with a chair and a tiny bathroom. The furniture looked like twisted white roots that were growing out of the ground. ¡°Here we are. Like the Captain said it¡¯s the bare minimum, so I hope you aren¡¯t sour about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, really. It will be more than enough for such a short trip.¡± As I glanced at the small bed in the room, I realized how long and crazy the last 24 hours had been and how tired I was. I wanted nothing more than few quiet hours and a pillow to lay my head on. ¡°Anything else I should know?¡± I asked. ¡°Nothing particular. Sadly, my duty calls for me so I can¡¯t stay and chat but later on, I¡¯ll definitely look for you.¡± Please don¡¯t. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just head in. Thanks for the help,¡± I said, but as I was halfway through the door, she leaned so close to me that her fur nearly touched my nose. It was already enough for me to buckle over backward, but when she started doing the steam engine noises again, I couldn¡¯t help myself and slammed my back into the doorframe by reflex in a failed attempt at escaping. ¡°WHAT THE F-¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry! It¡¯s impolite, I know, I know, but you smell so¡­ different. I know it¡¯s rude¡­ and unexpected to throw a question like this at people out of the blue but have you ever thought about being an incubator volunteer? It pays well!¡± she babbled. ¡°WHAT??? NO!!! I mean... I¡¯m tired and¡­ talk to you later,¡± I stuttered as I backed into the room and tried to feel out where the control panel of the room was. Thankfully the door closed up and freed me from the nightmare. I just hoped she wouldn¡¯t come in uninvited while I slept. [Oh mama¡­ Did she just talk about what I think she talked about?] I asked Genna with a deep sigh. I was still keeping a wary eye on the door whether it would open up again or not. [Apparently, yes. Which is surprising because they take this matter seriously and intimately. Would you like me to replay sounds of your screams? It might help you calm down.] [Fuck off Genna! I was scared for my life. A giant furry centipede was rushing towards me out of nowhere. My reaction was justified,] I grumbled. [She won¡¯t come in and do ¡®stuff¡¯, right?] [I doubt it, but we can set the door to closed if that makes you happy. Not like she couldn¡¯t overwrite it if she wanted to, but if it helps you sleep better...] I moaned loudly as I pulled off my helmet and sat down on my temporary bed. As I took another deep breath, the true realization of recent events slowly descended on me. In the spur of the moment I didn¡¯t have the time to think about what was happening to me, but now that I sat down in peace for the first time the weight of my situation hit me all at once. Shady people were after me because of some stupid experiments. I stole a valuable ship to get away and sold it for a ton of money. I was on the run and leaving traces all over the place. Sooner or later they would find a lead to me and to top it all off Genna was having problems of her own too. I buried my head in my hands. I had too much on my plate. This was too much for me. I didn¡¯t want all of this¡­ I didn¡¯t want to deal with any of this! Why did this happen? I was doing so well. Why couldn¡¯t they just leave me alone? The fuckers barely knew anything about me, yet they were going to knock me out without giving me any chances. And I could do nothing but keep my head low and run. I was so tired of just going with the flow of fate trying to grasp onto anything to barely slow my descent. My best effort was barely worth anything.Is it too much to ask for to have a little peace and happiness in my life? If others can have it why am I denied all the time?! As I was struggling against my tears of frustration, I slowly drifted off to sleep. Book 1 - Chapter 31 - Looking for a blond A jolt running through my body woke me abruptly. [Good morning, Aium!] [Morning!] I answered during a stretch. [How long was I out for?] I asked while I sat up. Apparently, I fell asleep in my clothes. [A bit longer than 14 hours. You were exhausted.] ¡°That¡¯s a lot...¡± I mumbled while sitting on the side of my bed hunched over groggily. [Anything noteworthy?] [Nothing new. It¡¯s been quiet but coming out of Bend-Phase woke you up.] [No centipede girl trying to get in and egg into my stomach?] [I told you several times that Severins aren¡¯t animals that would do something like that without your permission. Also, she¡¯s a clone. Clones can¡¯t do that, and we were in Bend-Phase the whole time. She can¡¯t connect to her clone during that.] [So, during that Bend something the clones are on automation with the A.I.?] [Yes.] [How does that make sense? Her clone can automate the clone, but she can¡¯t connect her mind to it?] [Communication between mind-links during Bend-Phase is limited due to technical difficulties and safety reasons.] [Huh¡­ what would happen to her if her mind was in her clone and the clone blew up for some reason?] I scratched at my side and asked. [Nothing. Her consciousness wouldn¡¯t be in the clone. She just projects her control over to the clone, and the clone sends back sensory information to her. If the connection ends abruptly, she wakes up in her real body. The times when the mind-links were dangerous passed ages ago. It¡¯s completely safe now.] [I bet there are people with an army of clones. I doubt everyone follows the rules,] I said and stood up. [The companies that do cloning are all government approved. They won¡¯t make people more than one.] [Then people do it illegally,] I argued with her while I walked into the tiny bathroom to wash my face. ¡­ [Why do they only allow clones on non-transport ships anyway?] [Clones were first allowed to be used for the public because intergalactic travel was dangerous. They made it a regulation to non-transport ships to only carry clones. Since then traveling became a lot safer, but the regulation still remains.] [How did people travel around then if it was dangerous?] [Cautiously and with plenty of scout ships.] [What¡¯s so dangerous out there to make such a ridiculous regulation?] [There are plenty of patches of Darkness between galaxies, especially when the distance is great and-] Her explanation was interrupted by a sharp knock on my door followed by a sweet voice, ¡°Are you awake? Come on, let¡¯s chat! I rarely have the opportunity to talk to others nowadays! I¡¯ll make you food!¡± The mention of food made me aware of my empty stomach. Going out to have a big meal was a tempting idea, but I had a problem. [How could I go out and eat without showing my face?] I asked with a frown. [I don¡¯t think it makes a difference since the dock supervisor already saw you. If they want to find your trail I bet they¡¯ll ask around the docks first and he¡¯ll be able to tell them which ship you left on.] She was right. I fucked up when I took off my helmet, but I wasn¡¯t too reasonable at the time. I came out of the bathroom ready to leave, but I spotted my gift box on the table. I put it under my pillow just to be sure before opening the door. The blue-furred creature¡¯s face greeted me outside of my door. Her legs started dancing around rhythmically as soon as she saw me and squealed, ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°Hey! I could do with some breakfast,¡± I greeted her. ¡°Ooooh, you look completely different than I imagined. With your lean body and scratchy voice I thought you have blond hair and blue eyes,¡± she babbled while leaning closer to my face. ¡°Well, so much for hoping to find a blond,¡± she mumbled as her strange eyelids did a double. ¡°Honestly, if I only heard your voice I would imagine a billion looks for you but the real deal.¡± ¡°That''s because this isn¡¯t my real voice. It¡¯s a neat Voice Modifier,¡± she said while pointing at the base of her head. ¡°Is that a trendy body-mod?¡± she asked as one of her longer legs reached out to my right cheek. I leaned back to avoid her pointy touch and answered coldly, ¡°No. That¡¯s me getting burned.¡± ¡°Well, you shouldn¡¯t play with fire then.¡± I let out an annoyed sigh before continuing, ¡°So? I believe you mentioned some kind of food.¡± ¡°Yes! Yes! Come along! I¡¯ll make you something to munch on, and we can chat meanwhile. Captain Hanal and the other one aren¡¯t the chatty types, and my real body has been busy recently.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the third?¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± she snarled, and her legs twitched in chaos, ¡°a Fungar. Hardly ever here in mind and I swear it¡¯s considered too boring even by Fungar standards.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your job on the ship?¡± I asked her as we walked down the hallways. Well, she skittered on the ceiling instead of walking but¡­ yeah¡­ ¡°I¡¯m a Bend-Phase engineer and the ship¡¯s navigation officer.¡± ¡°Woah, that sounds like a serious job,¡± I said genuine surprise. She only commented that with a meh sound. ¡°And what¡¯s your occupation?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ I sell things I guess,¡± I answered after a little thinking. The food room of the ship was similarly small like my own. The table and the chairs were the same as the ones in my room. ¡°Screen for the guest!¡± said Karr and one popped up in front of me immediately. ¡°Not much variety but feel free to choose anything.¡± Most of the meals weren¡¯t familiar, but luckily I found a linbog meal that I tried before and I liked. ¡°Deboned Rawa Wings please!¡± Her front half was hanging down from the ceiling like usual, and she was staring at me with her huge, reflective eyes. I expected some kind of reaction from her when I asked for my food but she just hanged there completely frozen. Not even a leg twitch which was absurd considering she had several hundred and they hardly ever stopped since I met her. ¡°Meat?¡± she asked finally. ¡°You eat meat?¡± ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s strange for a Human, but I like meat. And before you ask, I won¡¯t have problems with it. I eat it all the time. I¡¯m not weak like the other humans, I can handle it,¡± I explained with a small smile and my back slightly straighter than usual.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. ¡°Really?¡± she asked quietly and lowered herself even more from the ceiling with her legs stock still. [Did I say something wrong?] I asked Genna with a frown. [I don¡¯t think so.] ¡°Is that a problem?¡± I asked. ¡°Oh, no, no, no, no!¡± she said, and her legs started moving around again. ¡°Absolutely not! I hadn''t met a Human before that ate meat regularly,¡± she added while her eyelids did another double. ¡°I¡¯ll make it for you right away!¡± She skittered up to the wall with a big console, pressed a few buttons and after a couple of seconds the wall opened up with a steaming meal inside. ¡°What the...¡± I stared with a slacked jaw. ¡°Was that the food making?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said and put the dish down on the table with two long legs. ¡°Eat up!¡± [What kind of bullshit food making was that? She just pressed three or four buttons, and the food came out ready!] [Automatic food synthesizer. It¡¯s pretty simple to use. You could have used the screen too to make it.] Still feeling incredulous I thanked her while sitting down, ¡°Thanks...¡± ...For pressing four buttons which I could have done myself. What a scam! As I readied myself to gorge down the food, I couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward by the hanging furry monster staring at me without pause. ¡°You¡¯re not eating?¡± I asked. ¡°Nah, I already had my fill.¡± I¡¯d rather not imagine her eating. I shrugged and dived in. As the minutes passed, she just kept staring at me silently. I thought she wanted to chat with me but apparently, she meant watching me eat creepily. When I was halfway through I stopped a little and thought about asking her something to ease up the awkwardness. ¡°So, why are you on the ceiling all the time?¡± ¡°Why are you on the ground?¡± she asked back without missing a beat. ¡°Well...¡± That was a surprisingly hard question to answer. ¡°It¡¯s natural? Standing on the ground makes dealing with gravity less of a hassle, and it takes less energy?¡± ¡°Being up here is natural for me. As you can see I have plenty of appendages to make it comfortable up here,¡± she said while waving around several legs. ¡°Plus all the dirt is usually on the ground you know.¡± ¡°Well, not here,¡± I argued as I looked at the spotless white ground. ¡°Not here but this is an exception. Our ancestors were cave dwellers. It¡¯s the ¡®right¡¯ way for us to stay up here.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± I added as I dived back into my food. ¡°You know,¡± she started and skittered closer, ¡°our reproduction is very special among the sentient races of the Empire.¡± ¡°Uhuh,¡± I hummed in response in fear of what she wanted to talk about next. ¡°Our larvae grow up in people. It might sound a bit strange at first if you¡¯ve never heard about this before, but trust me, it¡¯s not as bad as it sounds. Especially with modern technology. The incubator volunteers get the best medical attention during the growth and after the emergence. They came out of the whole thing without any health problems.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± I told her with food in my mouth, but I wasn¡¯t chewing it anymore. I was expecting something bad from this. ¡°The whole incubation takes around seven mounts from egg phase to emergence. We do this in specialized facilities managed by our Nest Council, and they also pay incredibly well to any volunteers,¡± she explained on. ¡°As a matter of fact, my real body is in one of these facilities nearby incubating an egg and waiting for it to hatch. I¡¯m really hopeful this time, but I fear that the little one won¡¯t hatch,¡± she sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve tried bearing an offspring six times already, but it¡¯s so hard to succeed without the First-Born Assistance,¡± she said in an increasingly quiet voice while her legs folded up. ¡°Anyway! I¡¯m hopeful I can manage a natural spawning.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you use animals or clones?¡± Her eyelids moved again, and her legs twitched around without any order or rhythm. ¡°Why do you eat meals? Why can¡¯t you just inject nutrients? It¡¯s easier, cheaper and less time consuming than chewing around for hours daily,¡± she accused me in a cold voice. ¡±Why do you mate with other humans if you don¡¯t want offspring? Why do you wear clothes when the temperature is warm enough not to get cold? Why do you greet each other every day? Why do you make ceremonies for your dead? Why is it such a sin in your culture to eat your dead kin?¡± ¡°I-I...¡± I stuttered. ¡°We do it because that¡¯s our way. It has been like this for thousands of cycles, and we have no intention to change it. Even the thought of putting my eggs into filthy animals or cheap copies makes me sick,¡± she huffed while her blue fur visibly stood on end. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry. I didn¡¯t know it was this important.¡± Her legs curled up under her and said, ¡°No! I¡¯m sorry! I shouldn¡¯t lash out like that. I¡¯ve been on edge for the last few days. I¡¯m hopeful for this egg, but my Counselor told me to consider looking for another volunteer just in case. The Nest Council offers are nothing special, so it¡¯s better to look for a promising volunteer on our own, but it¡¯s just so hard. I¡¯ve been trying to find a blond male human for a while now because my friend had a successful spawning with one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not blond sadly,¡± I laughed awkwardly. ¡°No, you are not,¡± she paused, ¡°but you smell like nobody I¡¯ve met before and more importantly,¡± she paused again and leaned disturbingly close to me over the table ¡°you eat meat as a human!¡± I gulped loudly and asked, ¡°Are you-¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m asking you if you would be willing to be my next incubator volunteer if my current egg won¡¯t hatch. As I said, it pays incredibly well, and you won¡¯t even get any physical or mental health problems. I keep my volunteers in a coma for the full duration,¡± she chattered. She was so close to me at this point I could see my eyes reflected back in hers. Her question should have bothered me the most, but it was to be expected after those lengthy explanations. The one thing creeping me out the most was about her comment about keeping people in a coma for the full duration. It was nice of her, but this statement makes it obvious that there are ones that don¡¯t keep their volunteers in a coma. I shuddered at the thought. Despite being a creepy monster her behavior and voice gave her a twisted kind of cuteness. I had no plan of accepting, but I didn¡¯t want to flat out refuse her and make her sad. She was nice to me so far, and I didn¡¯t want to be an asshole in return. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it, okay?¡± I said with a small smile. ¡°YAS!¡± she screamed and did a little jiggle on the ceiling with all of her legs flailing around. After that, we changed contact information, and I politely told her that I¡¯d like to return to my room alone. She didn¡¯t mind since she was still high on happiness. As I was sitting on my bed back in my room, I sighed deeply. [That was the weirdest breakfast conversation I ever had.] [I guess you aren¡¯t planning on taking her offer?] [No way. They can¡¯t pay me enough. She made it sound like a harmless thing, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a gorefest. ¡®Emergence¡¯? That sounds like the smoothly worded version of ripping open your chest and bursting out.] [I¡¯d rather not comment on this.] [Because I¡¯m right?] [Kind of,] she answered but then switched topic immediately. [Would you check out the Progress Atom box already?] [Oh? Patience you must have little one!] I tried to be snappy, but it didn¡¯t work that well. Anyway, I was curious about the contents too so I fished out my gift box from under the pillow. There were two huge tubes inside and on both of them the text said: ¡°Advanced Dexterity¡± alongside the company¡¯s huge logo. Looking closely you could see a pattern of 2s printed on all over the tubes. [Oh, wow! Oh WOW! This is expensive!] she marveled. [It definitely sounds a lot better than a fucking bladder upgrade. How expensive are we talking?] [This is a level 2! They could go all the way up to millions depending on the type and the market.] [WHAT?! Why the fuck would he give me a gift that¡¯s worth millions?] I exclaimed with a shocked expression. [It wasn¡¯t necessarily millions. He could have gotten it for a good deal well under a million but still¡­ it¡¯s definitely a grand gift.] [Aw man¡­ now I feel bad for scamming them,] I exhaled with a frown on my face. [Scamming?] [You know¡­ scam!] I tried explaining to her. [I don¡¯t know. The translator can¡¯t work this one out.] [You guys don¡¯t have a word for ''scam''? Are you shitting me?!] I asked with cocked eyebrows. [Explain what it is and I¡¯ll know what you¡¯re trying to say.] [It¡¯s fooling people. Deceiving them to gain something. Like the letters we sent out.] [So you had a generalized word for these kinds of activities?] [Of course.] [We don¡¯t have a similar word.] [Oh boy...] I sighed while facepalming. [By the way, Mr. Magnificent and the museum won¡¯t suffer too much in my opinion. I think in such a rare and unique case like this the Assistance Department will compensate one party and let the other one take the ship. Not sure who will get what.] I should steal more than¡­ [I guess they have the budget for this if there are no crimes at all.] [Anyway back to this beauty,] I continued while shaking the box a little in my hand. [I can¡¯t sell this either, right? Do I take it then?] [No selling, but before you take it I¡¯ll have to remind you that since it¡¯s a level 2 BioEnhancement you are restricted to only 3 of them. You have to consider if you want this to be one of them.] [What happens if I take more than 3?] [Well¡­ nothing particular but it¡¯s supposed to be extremely dangerous and obviously against the regulations.] [Then I take it,] I decided without hesitation. [Do I use it like the bladder garbage?] [Same method, yes.] [It will knock me out, right? I still have plenty of time on this ship. Wouldn¡¯t it be best to take it to spend the time useful?] [Sounds like a good idea.] Having decided that I headed into the bathroom. I took a quick steam but after getting my teeth cleaned I found myself staring at my reflection in the mirror absentmindedly. I turned my head to the side and reached up to the side of it. My fingers ran through my short hair on the side. I might have been wrong but I thought that the gray at the sides grew further recently. Ridiculous for 26 years old¡­ I turned my head the other way, looking at my burn scars. From my cheek down through my neck and shoulder all the way down to my ribs. [Will you ever tell me what happened?] asked Genna quietly. I continued staring at my reflection for a while. Genna was closer to me at this point than anybody was in the recent years. Hell¡­ she was stuck in my disfigured body too. I should have talked to her about this sooner. [I¡¯ve been a pretty cheerful person you know. I finished school, had a lovely girlfriend, and I was supposed to take over my old man¡¯s business in the future,] I paused for a moment. [You could say I was set for a nice life. Then I fucked up everything and went to a very dark place in my life for years. It all started when I killed my parents,] I said while sliding down my fingers on my scarred neck. Book 1 - Chapter 32 - Advanced Dexterity I waited for a few seconds in case Genna wanted to comment but there was no response from her. [It wasn¡¯t intentional mind you¡­ An accident caused by my carelessness,] I continued with a sigh as I bent over the sink and steadied myself with my hands on both sides of it. [Still, it was my fault. I killed them both.] [Aium¡­ I¡¯m so sorry.] [Don¡¯t be. I was sorry for myself plenty already. After the accident, I cursed everything, God, fate, the world, the circumstances¡­ But in the end I had to face the reality that I was at fault, I caused it and I should accept the situation that I created. It¡¯s needless to say that I became a total wreck after the accident but luckily I still had Anne. She became my pillar that I could lean on. After the accident I changed a lot, blaming everything and everybody just to divert the crushing guilt on me. I can only imagine how depressing it must have been to be around me all time. When she finally snapped and left me all alone I hit rock bottom.] I paused for a second. [I¡¯d rather keep those dark parts of my life to myself.] I looked back at my face in the mirror and continued, [Before you start telling me stuff to feel better or comfort me¡­ There¡¯s no need! I faced my demons already and I heard all kinds of encouraging and comforting words from far too many people. I¡¯m functional now so no need to patronize me.] [I understand, but let me say just one thing: I¡¯m here for you now, Aium.] [That, I¡¯m happy to hear Genna,] I said with a small smile on my face. [So, the burns are from the accident?] [Yes and no. I crashed our car. Dad flew out while mom was stuck behind me on the backseat. When I came out of my daze the back of the car was already in flames. I got out and tried to get her out too but she was unconscious and stuck. I¡¯m not sure but I think she was still breathing. The whole chain of events is a mess in my head, it¡¯s hard to remember clearly. I struggled to get her out but the fire was getting out of hand. When people finally came to help I was already on fire. They tackled me and kept me back. For a long while, I wanted to kill those people after the accident. I blamed them for my mom¡¯s death but¡­ in truth I was the only one responsible for what happened. They just kept back a guy from burning himself to death.] [This is darker than I thought. A lot of things make sense now actually. You keep the scars in order to remind you to not make mistakes,] she added quietly. [Nah¡­ I keep making mistakes no matter what I do. I came to an agreement with myself to accept that I¡¯m a piece of shit. I keep the scars to remind me of what I did. I don¡¯t deserve to forget that I have the blood of my parents of my hands,] I said staring into my reflection¡¯s eyes. [I strongly believe that you are too hard on yourself. You said it was an accident. You can¡¯t punish yourself with these kinds of thoughts.] [Maybe I¡¯ll change my mind in a few years, I don¡¯t know. For now, it works, so, there¡¯s no reason to change my thinking on the matter.] I walked back into my room and sat down. [Let¡¯s change the topic. I don¡¯t like thinking too long about the past. I only poison myself in small doses,] I said. [Thank you for telling me and entrusting me with this.] [Don¡¯t sweat it¡­ or I shouldn¡¯t sweat it since we share a body? Another strange idea...] Amidst these errant thoughts I had another realization so I asked with furrowed brows, [You told me you can¡¯t control my body, yet if I were to make a clone you would handle it while it¡¯s in automatic mode. I definitely can¡¯t believe that you can¡¯t take over my body...] [I can¡¯t. The clone would have the necessary infrastructure for me to do it but I have none of that in your body. I¡¯m technically incapable to do it and even if I could I wouldn¡¯t do it without your permission.] [Sure¡­ sure. Of course, you wouldn¡¯t. I¡¯ll break my limbs the first moment you try to pull a fast one on me.] [You know what? As crazy as that sounds I don¡¯t doubt it. You have the mindset and the lack of fear of pain to pull it off. Too bad it wouldn¡¯t matter. If I had the capability and the intention of taking you over why would I give you a chance to retaliate or resist in any form?] [I see! You¡¯re a worthy opponent! I might just...] I thought about joking about making a clone and beating her up but then another idea popped up. What if I made a female clone? [...nevermind.] Away wicked thoughts! Away! [Ahhh, don¡¯t give up so fast. I wanted to have a longer word-karate with you.] [Hey! You¡¯re stealing my words again!] [And? What are you going to do about it? Word-karate, word-karate, word-karate,] she chanted. [Fine¡­ This one time the child can have her fun. How about we rather focus on this piece of treasure?] I changed the topic to the metal box on the table. [Hold on! I¡¯m only acting childish to make the conversation more comedic¡­ and you know that. You are just trying to pick on me with cheap shots.]The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. [Cheap shots?! You are the one chanting a stolen phrase!] [Fine! The BioEnhancement. What about it?] she snapped back. [Do I use it like last time? Inject both stuff and sleep it off?] [Exactly. The sooner you start it the more time you¡¯ll have to sleep. It¡¯s a top quality product so it works incredibly fast but I¡¯d rather give you more than enough time. Also, I¡¯ll wake you up before we arrive at our destination. You might need a little time to readjust. If the previous pattern persists I¡¯m inclined to believe that this one will be similar too. The Improved Bladder went above 100% efficiency and even I went through our bonding incredibly fast with additional side-effects. I doubt there¡¯s any danger since these products have several safety protocols but I¡¯ll keep a close eye on you.] [Uhum¡­ What does this Advanced Dexterity do anyway?] [The list of changes is far too extensive to go through but in essence, it makes your physical movements quicker and more precise.] [Woah, that sounds incredible. Will I be able to catch a fly in mid-flight?] [I¡¯m not sure what a fly is but I think the answer is maybe. It doesn¡¯t give you better reflexes. That¡¯s another BioEnhancement. This one only makes you quicker. If it was such an all-around improvement it would be a level 1.] [That¡¯s reasonable I guess. Anyway, will this give me access to the Speed Force or will I just be slightly faster? What can I expect?] [Hard to give an example. You are pretty slow moving if we look at the averages. How far it will improve you is a question I can¡¯t answer with certainty.] [I¡¯ll be fast enough to run back in time!] I shook my fist in the air with determination. [...and I¡¯m childish...] she mumbled barely audibly. Following that, I slammed both tubes into my shoulder. This time the extra energy and resources came in the form of another injection tube. The feeling of warm liquid spreading through my body was already familiar. Despite my lack of tiredness I laid down on my small bed in a comfortable position, closed my eyes and sighed deeply preparing for a nice sleep. ¡°Good night, Genna!¡± [Good night, Aium!] In my dream, I was standing in a huge round room. I had a strange urge to leave this place as fast as possible, but several people stood in my way. They all had lightning shaped insect arms, and they were growling at me menacingly. I didn¡¯t fear them; they were just small obstacles between me and my destination. I walked up to the closet one with a smirk on my face and punched him right in the kisser. And then again¡­ and again¡­ and again. My smirk melted away quickly because my punches were like swinging around balls of wet noodle. They had no power or impact behind them. Running out of confidence and lacking any better idea I dodged under my opponent''s bug arm, rolled on the floor once and dashed to the circular room¡¯s wall. When I reached it, I started pushing my fingers against it with all my strength. With a loud snapping sound, the wall gave way with a shower of warm red liquid. I couldn¡¯t care less and reached through first with my hands and then with my head. A familiar room in the GreenHut greeted me on the other side accompanied by shrill screams. I turned my head around, and I saw myself screaming. My arms and head were coming through my own chest. I started screaming like my other self, but other me froze before telling me, ¡°Aium, wake up!¡± ¡°WAAGH-ARGH!!!¡± I screamed while bolting up into a sitting position. [Good morning, Aium! Bad dreams?] [Uhg¡­ definitely nightmares. Good morning to you too,] I mumbled as I rubbed my dried out eyes. I was supposed to be faster and more dexterous, but I couldn¡¯t feel anything different from the usual. I sat up and tried moving around my arms as fast as I could. There was a noticeable change in my movement speed, but it was barely anything. I expected much more. [So, how did we do? This seems piss weak...] I complained as I tried a few punching moves. [Good news is that there were no problems. The bad news is that the previously discussed pattern changed in an unexpected manner. The extreme part of these BioEnhancements still persists, but this time it went for the other end of the spectrum. Like last time I can¡¯t give you an exact number, but the efficiency ended up below 25%. Which should be nearly impossible. Once we reach the station I can give you more information on this part.] ¡°Just what I expected...¡± I murmured. ¡°Of course the fucking bladder shit goes above and beyond while the actual cool stuff ends up being weak as piss.¡± [There¡¯s still an improvement. Maybe the next one you take will be another great success,] she consoled me. ¡°Of course it will be a great success but only if it¡¯s something like longer earlobes or stronger eyelashes...¡± I grumbled. [I don¡¯t think getting a ridiculous efficiency on an earlobe extension would be a good idea,] she commented seriously. ¡°I suppose not...¡± I laughed. I tried a few moves in the tiny room, but I had no problem getting used to such a small increase in the speed of my movements. If I didn¡¯t want to move fast consciously, it wasn¡¯t even noticeable. The most striking change came to precise movements. For example, my fingers felt more¡­ reliable. A while later I heard a familiar knock on the door. SalenKarr came to inform me that they would dock in a few minutes. Despite barely spending time together or even talking with each other she seemed reluctant to part ways. Most likely she was fond of the idea to put some flesh devouring larvae into my comatose body. When we finally landed in the docking bay of the station SalenKarr led me back to the gate in the warehouse. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to meet and small talk with the Captain or the other crewmember of the ship. The furry ceiling nightmare was more than enough to handle for me. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely contact you later! Don¡¯t you forget about me!¡± she chirped. ¡°How could I?¡± I said with a weak smile. ¡°What are you going to do next?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll spend a few months on this station,¡± I lied. ¡°Oh?! We are in a hurry now, but in a few weeks, we¡¯ll come back. I¡¯ll have time so we could meet up!¡± ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± I lied again. [So cruel...] commented Genna. ¡°This is our goodbye for now then,¡± she sighed and tapped the gate¡¯s control plate with a pointy leg. The machine sizzled on with a bright light and with a wave to the lovely nightmare I stepped through to the docking bay. Book 1 - Chapter 33 - Edgy Space Enigma [See? She wasn¡¯t dangerous. I told you they are very nice people if you get to know them.] [Okay, I have to agree that she seemed nice but what if she was only nice because she had ulterior motives? Like egging into me...] I argued as I hopped on the hoverer in the bay. [They are universally known to be good natured people even to those whom they don¡¯t intend to¡­ ¡®egg into¡¯ as you eloquently put it.] [By the way, how did you know that she was a female even before she spoke?] I asked while zooming through between the ships. [The Captain said so and she was blue. Due to sexual dimorphism, the females are blue, and the males are dark gray and have smaller bodies.] [These type of explanations are a lot more interesting to me than the mumbo-jumbos about phasing out asteroids into the dream realm or whatnot...] [Uuugh...] she groaned. [Stay strong! You can keep yourself from correcting me! I believe you can hold back!] ¡­ [I hope her egg will hatch this time. Then she wouldn¡¯t have a reason to bother me,] I continued. [You hope for the best for all the bad reasons,] she commented like a wise turtle. [It¡¯s commendable that she tries so hard to give birth completely natural. Natural births should be valued more in general.] [Now that you mention it¡­ She was talking about the First birth something-something. What was that? Do they reproduce that hard?] I asked further as I ditched my hoverer and continued on foot. I didn¡¯t forget to check my six for any unwanted followers but I couldn¡¯t see anybody suspicious snooping after me. [The First-Born Assistance. The Empire provides free medical assistance to anybody who wishes to have an offspring. It only applies to the firstborn, though,] she explained. [The Severins enjoy one of the best natality rates among the sentient races of the Empire. And before you ask, the natality rate is calculated by the number of births taking into account various elements,] she added. [Except Humans...] [No. Humans have average natality rates among the races.] [How the hell do you calculate it then? She said she has her 7th egg now and you are telling me that Humans have worse rates? One of my classmates from elementary popped out a child every second year after she hit 17.] [What?!] she exclaimed. [Yeah! She had like four or five kids when I last checked,] I nodded in confirmation. [That¡¯s impossible! Having two children is rare and it isn¡¯t unheard of to have three but five?!] [Are you fucking with me? The record amount of children by a single woman was above 60 if I remember correctly.] [ABOVE 60????!!!!] she screamed. [Woah! Calm down. It¡¯s extreme, I know but you don¡¯t have to freak out like that,] I told her with my arms up to my chest. [I don¡¯t have to freak out like that?! The average human female or for that matter any other race hardly can bear one offspring naturally during their lifetime. That¡¯s why they have the First-Born Assistance. And you swagger in from the past to tell me that there were human females bearing more than 60 children?] she retaliated. [Seriously? You guys fucked up something majorly along the road. We had to come up with a bunch of birth control stuff to stop women from getting pregnant all the time.] [They say it¡¯s due to genetical degradation but still, if what you say is true then the contrast is enormous.] [It sounds fucked up if you ask me. How come every race has the same problem? And what¡¯s with the firstborn help? Why can¡¯t they help more?] [The Empire provides it for free but it¡¯s still a costly procedure. They can¡¯t spend so much money on so many people and an unlimited amount of assistance would lead to unwanted population problems.] [Holy shit, you really are sheep. They even tell it to your face...] [What are you talking about?] [Even in my time there were ways to artificially help people get children. It was expensive but definitely affordable. Don¡¯t tell me that in this dream future you still haven¡¯t figured out cheaper and easier methods...] [I-I don¡¯t know about that-] [They are shamelessly population control the people like cattle. How can nobody realize this? It¡¯s fucking obvious! At least in my time they regulated it openly in some countries.] [I didn¡¯t get any information about details like these and I can¡¯t find anything relevant either on the Network.] [Tell me it doesn¡¯t make sense!] I dared her. [It does make sense but...] [Where are the conspiracy theorists? The Network should be full of them...] [There¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m telling you.] [Of course, there is nothing,] I smirked and mumbled on, [and they can get away with shit like this openly¡­] ¡­ [You know, I¡¯m half expecting some kind of secret agent or a sweeper team to take us away anytime¡­ We are having dangerous thoughts. We are being naughty sheeple,] I joked. [Don¡¯t jinx it!] she retorted. [Hey, hey, hey!Are you stealing jinxing now? I thought you said it¡¯s nonsense.] [It is. That¡¯s why it fits.] [Fair enough,] I nodded after a little thinking. I set my destination on this station to the first apparel shop near the docking bay. Before entering, I took another careful look behind me to see if I had anybody following me, but there was nobody suspicious. This place had more variety than the last shop, so I chose my usual dark colored stuff I liked to wear. I also picked a new helmet with the same addons like my old one but with a different design. It was sleeker and shinier than the last one. Additionally, it had a neat function where I could remove the plate just in front of my mouth in case I wanted to drink or eat without taking off the whole helmet. For some additional royalty fees, I also managed to transfer the lovely grinning image that I was so fond of from my old helmet. Genna wasn''t happy about it.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I changed into my new set and put my old stuff into the small box with a handle that my new clothes popped up in. This time I wanted to take them with me. The less shit I left behind the fewer clues that would lead to me in the future. I walked out from the shop looking like a completely different person. I didn¡¯t want to linger any longer on this station because I was fairly certain that they would be on my heel in no time. Genna¡¯s report about an interesting find from the Network proved me right on our way back to the docking bay. [The description fits you perfectly. The notice went up on the Hatuu public boards during the night when you were trying to fit in the power core. They had the gall to lie that they want to return something valuable to you.] [It¡¯s an easy lie. Nice citizen A is looking for citizen B to be nice and do nice things. Please help A find B¡­ So fucking basic I¡¯m inclined to believe that they are being intentionally stupid about this to make me underestimate them or to lull me into false safety,] I grumbled. [It¡¯s still a good sign that they didn¡¯t know where you were at the time.] [I have a feeling that they¡¯ll easily follow me here. From here on, we¡¯ll have to make it harder to follow us. Changing clothes completely and hitching a new ride are the first steps.] [I agree. As soon as they find out that the ship from the museum was stolen I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll guess that it was most likely you if they can¡¯t find you anywhere,] she added. [What surprises me the most is the lack of news about the disappearance of the main sight from the museum. It¡¯s been more than a day. Why aren¡¯t there anything on the Network about this?] [How would I know? Maybe they block the bad news to make the carebears less anxious?] When I arrived back at the docking bay, I didn¡¯t go to the dock supervisor this time. That was an easy pattern to follow, and I intended to break it. I took a hoverer and floated off to a peaceful corner of the bay where the supervisor couldn¡¯t see me. This time, I wanted to find a ride on my own. I used the good old method of walking up to people who were heading back to their ships like a homeless person in a parking lot. Fortunately, a Linbog only crew with a ship that looked like a dark green teardrop took me in happily after I told them I was willing to pay. On the other hand, I nearly broke my teeth in anger when they only asked for 10k. The fucking white-white ship captain went elbow deep into my pockets¡­ This trip was supposed to be shorter since our destination galaxy was the neighboring one. The emphasis was on ¡®supposed to¡¯. I was quietly lying in my comfortable bed - yes, the Linbog ship had better rooms too, despite the lower price - practicing fake karate moves towards the ceiling with my newfound agility when the ship jolted back with a loud rumbling. My stomach flipped over at least three times, but its contents couldn¡¯t escape, fortunately. Shortly after a little fellow came to inform me that there was some unexpected Darkness movement in the area and our arrival had to be delayed. [You mentioned it before but what the fuck is this Darkness? Is it some edgy space monster?] I asked Genna. [Exactly! It comes at night to bite stupid people¡¯s heads off. I would hide if I were you!] she paused for a moment. [Wait!] she exclaimed. [What was that? Do you hear it too? Oh, no! It¡¯s too late for you, the Darkness is here, and it hungers!] [Soooo, that¡¯s a no?] I asked with an unamused face. [Of course, you doofus. It¡¯s not a living thing. It¡¯s an enigma. Nobody can explain it or understand it. It¡¯s every known rule¡¯s exception. Physics stop working in it while it can be matter, antimatter, energy or nothing at all but still something. One moment you think you know what it¡¯s made out of but the next it¡¯s something completely different.Its movements are unpredictable. A small cloud can spend thousands of cycles stationary and for no reason start moving again. Some believe it¡¯s sentient in its own way while others think our supercluster committed some crime and our punishment is isolation by the Darkness. Intergalactic travel is dangerous because there are patches of it between the empty spaces around galaxies. Outside the Peripheral Regions, it is so dense that travel or communication between superclusters is technically impossible. Everything that ventures into the Darkness meets its end in some horrible way.] [There¡¯s no way something like that exists...] I said with an ugly expression. [You are right, it is the impossible manifested in reality, a paradox. It defies everything we know. Countless people spent their entire lives trying to understand just a sliver of it or find patterns in its behavior without any success. There are even wall-arts that collected the names of people who went insane trying to unlock its mysteries.] [Am I imagining things or you sound like a huuuuge fangirl of this thing?] I teased with a half smile. [Of course, I am! So many questions waiting for the first person to answer them. Truly fascinating!] [You have the heart of a scholar!] I praised her with a thumbs up. While the ship was floating idly in the middle of nowhere, we talked more about intergalactic travel in particular. In the past, it was supposed to be dangerous because the dark stuff can cheat scanners. To my question why it was called Darkness, Genna couldn¡¯t give a straight answer. She said the name makes absolute sense, but there might be a problem with the translation. The language I knew most likely didn¡¯t have the word they used for it, and the Translation Module went to the second best option instead. It wasn¡¯t named Darkness because you couldn¡¯t see through it¡­ Traveling between galaxies became safer when they started the 1st Space Travel Protection project. Since no scanner worked with an acceptable error margin, they decided on a brute force option. They had countless scout ships working under the STP, and their purpose was finding the current safest routes between galaxies. These routes frequently changed due to the unpredictable Darkness movements but when they established a safe route, they covered the surrounding areas with Death Drones. The little machines¡¯ sole purpose was broadcasting that they are alive and well. In case one stopped broadcasting the STP immediately knew that something was up around the area and they could rearrange the nearby drones for confirmation. One of the most reliable trait of the Darkness was its destructive nature. If one cloud got too close to the safe route and Death Drones died, the traffic could be shut down. The STP would move out and find a new safe route. Their vessels were probably the only ones that freely traveled around in the void between galaxies, but the number of destroyed ships was monumental. Once we were given a new safe route, it didn¡¯t take long for us to arrive at the next station. It was the general setup where stations were the hubs of intergalactic travelers and traders in order to keep populated planets¡¯ ship traffic to a minimum. On the next station, I did the same things like on the last one. Quietly took off to a clothes shop, changed into something new, went back to the docking bay and found myself a ride to somewhere else. It felt like overkill at this point, but I wanted to be extra sure I went off the radar. My last stop was in a system called Oopxyt AA in Mythoc controlled space. Mythoc was the name of a race apparently. All credit goes to Genna. This was my last stop for a while. I would stay at this station for a few weeks and see how things turned out. If I was being followed even all the way to here, there would be no point in continuing. They would still find me eventually. I would have to see how the dice rolls. Before anything else, I needed a place to stay, and for that, I had a nice idea for misdirection. With Genna¡¯s help, I found an average quality place where I could stay. I had money now so I wasn¡¯t going to live in a hole, especially if I might end up caught anyway.Sadly I couldn¡¯t just waltz in and register up. For some illogical reason, they strictly required your personal information when you stayed at an accommodation provider. However, vastly more serious activities required no identification or verification. Like taking off with a stolen ship from Hatuu¡¯s atmosphere¡­ The contrast made no sense whatsoever. Anyway, I had a problem of how to rent a place, and I had the most brilliant idea to solve it. I went through 3 people until finally one was curious enough to hear me out. ¡°You want me to buy rent for¡­ you? But why?¡± Asked the guy¡­ or girl¡­ I couldn¡¯t decide. It was confusing because he/she was hot. Was it okay to find her or him hot? Whatever¡­ ¡°Yes! Exactly! I¡¯ll give you the money to do it, and you know what? I¡¯ll even add in an extra 1k just because you are so nice to help me out,¡± I explained with an encouraging thumbs up. ¡°But why?¡± s/he asked with a frown. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated. My ex¡¯s father has some connections and if I sign in under my real name she might be able to find me,¡± I explained with a few throat clears. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ well, let¡¯s just say she¡¯s way too clingy. I need some space from her,¡± I leaned in and whispered to him/her. The guy/girl¡¯s face immediately brightened up, and s/he clapped on my shoulder with his/her soft hands. ¡°I know exactly what you mean,¡± s/he said with an ¡®I-feel-you-bro/girl¡¯ smile and a little eyebrow wiggle. It was fairly easy to find someone to get me an anonymous rent for a month. Even though s/he paid for the room and it was under his/her name I still got to use it since they didn¡¯t regulate who could get into a customer¡¯s room. I just hoped he didn¡¯t decide to come see me unannounced¡­ or hoped she would? Ugh... Now for the last bit, I asked, [Genna, please be a sweetheart and get a rent under my name for a month at some cheap place far away from here. Preferably the opposite direction from the first station we hitched a ride to.] [You want to send them on a phantom chase in case they can check accommodation information?] [I¡¯ll be more slippery than the floor after a boy-band concert,] I said with a cool smirk on my face. [Was that a joke? I don¡¯t get it¡­] [Thank god! It was so bad...] I sighed through my facepalm. The cringe... Book 1 - Chapter 34 - Easy come, easy go The way to my new room came as a small surprise. There were no hallways or elevators of any kind. The reception area had those teleport gates in small booths which opened up to your room. I guess it was a privilege for the above average price of the place. The room I stepped into through the portal was similar in size to my last place, but there was a separate bedroom this time. I was about to freak out by the lack of furniture or anything in the room for that matter, but the screen that popped up in front of my face quickly defused my temper bomb. ¡°Please select your interior design,¡± It read at the top. The number of options to choose from was overwhelming. Furniture, colors, decorations, ambient sounds, wall holographs. You could literally make the walls look like the view in space or the bottom of the ocean complemented with matching sounds. This was the miracle of being loaded with cash. After several minutes of fiddling with the settings, I decided on a peaceful wooden cabin theme with windows looking out to a bizarre looking forest with trees most similar to pines. When I finally pressed the Confirm button the whole room started to move and change. The walls switched color, furniture grew out of the floor and in less than a minute the entire room transformed into the design that I selected. I ran my fingers through the wooden looking table¡¯s surface, and it felt exactly like wood despite the fact that it grew out of the previously smooth white floor. ¡°This is some next level shit,¡± I said in awe as I looked around the room. I tried to find a kitchen, but I could only see a wall with a bunch of wooden buttons in its place. It turned out to be one of those magical instant food devices like SalenKarr used. The bed had all kinds of functions. One of them was a grid-like soft-hard feature that changed the softness of different parts of the bed depending on what position you slept in. You could watch certain holostreams and holomovies in 360 since the furniture and the walls could change color. It promised a VR-like experience outside of VR. ¡°After this, my Greenhut room feels like a hole in the ground. Only one more thing to make it perfect,¡± I said as I tapped on the screen. A dark brown leather couch popped out seconds later in the middle. [This room is in a different price range, and we are in a different race¡¯s area. Hatuu is one of the first colonized planets of the Fungari and they have a strong dislike towards technology other than their own biotechnology. It took hundreds of cycles for the Empire to convince them to build cities that catered to other races'' needs. As you experienced yourself, their usual comfortable environment is quite repulsive to other races and their technology is even worse. The whole city you were in was specially created for the other races.] [No wonder it looked so boring and copy-pastey in design,] I said with a frown. [Let¡¯s talk short-term plans,] I changed the topic and slammed myself down into my new couch which started to gently massage the backside of my body. It was blissful. [You¡¯ve got plenty of funds now. You could get anywhere in the Empire and learn anything you¡¯d like. In a short time you could most likely land a very nice job if you put your mind into it.] [Yes¡­ Yes, I could definitely do that,] I nodded while staring at the wall of the cabin. [But?] ¡­ [But why would I? Slaving away in a mindless job isn¡¯t something to look forward to. I promised myself before that I wouldn¡¯t waste away this new life, but I promptly went and got the most soul-sucking job ever.] [Then what do you want to do in the future?] [That¡¯s long-term. Right now we don¡¯t even know if we are being followed. I think it¡¯s best to stay low for at least a few weeks and see if anything suspicious happens. If they can follow us even here we¡¯ll have to come up with something more drastic to get away,] I said while shifting around on my massage couch with one eye closed. [By short-term plans I meant what to do during these weeks and with the money.] [I still think that it would be the best idea to learn useful skills.] [True. I was thinking about getting the next level of the space license so I can travel between galaxies. I definitely plan on buying a ship in the future. Also, I might start learning technical skills, too. Knowing how to fix stuff seems so useful.] [In that case, Advanced Spaceship Control Knowledge is what you are looking for. It wouldn¡¯t take you too long to learn but electronics knowledge, for example, takes a lot of time the regular way. Since you have so much dirty money it might be better to buy a Neural Knowledge Base for it.] [Which is?] [It¡¯s a set of information you can directly transfer into your brain.] I stared ahead of me for quite a while. Teleportation and growing furniture was one thing, but instant learning was on a whole different level for me. [Can you do that with anything?] I asked with an open mouth. [Yes, but their cost is incredible compared to the regular learning method. For example, the Basic Spaceship Control Knowledge you learned would have cost you triple with an NKB, and it¡¯s a minimal learning material.] [Ugh¡­ and how much is the stuff for electronics?]Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. [150.000 credits.] [Holy shit! I wanted both the better space license and the electronics stuff with the easy method but if it costs this much I might just ass down the spaceship stuff and only go easy on the other one.] [That sounds like the most reasonable decision.] [This reminds me of my job on Hatuu¡­ Can you like¡­ Send a message to Kal that I quit? I kind of forgot about it.] [I already wrote it and was just waiting for the right time to bring it up before sending.] [You¡¯re the best Genna!] [I try.] [This also brings me to my second proposal for today¡¯s council meeting,] I said ceremoniously. [How do we go about upgrading you?] [Upgrading me?] she asked in confusion. [Yeah, I promised you that I¡¯d upgrade you once I have the means to do it. It would be best to do it while I still have this money. I can¡¯t guarantee that it will last for a long time.] [I remember but¡­ I didn¡¯t think you would bring i-] [You thought I wouldn¡¯t keep it?] I asked with a stiff smile on my face. [I knew you would try to keep it but to actually...] [You look down on me so badly?] I asked while stretching around my jaw. [Don¡¯t get angry, please. I just felt like there are more urgent matters than my upgrade.] [When you asked it sounded important to you. And for your information¡­ I try to keep my promises to those who matter to me,] I said while tilting my head to the side until it cracked loudly with a satisfying sound. [Come on, don¡¯t be so grouchy. I didn¡¯t expect you to remember something from back then at a time like this. Let¡¯s be honest, your memory isn¡¯t the best.] [I have trouble with names only¡­ Don¡¯t turn this around on me!] [Before you agree to this I¡¯ll have to warn you that it¡¯s expensive.] [Don¡¯t spare me!] [300.000.] I drew in a breath so hard my spit went down the wrong hole and I started coughing wildly. ¡°W-WHAT?!¡± [See? This is why I didn¡¯t expect you to mention this now. If you want a ship in the near future, you can¡¯t spend so much on this now.] I sucked on my teeth for a moment and said, [We¡¯ll get the upgrade. Can you order one here? I¡¯d rather do this now. I¡¯m not sure what tomorrow will bring. While you are at it throw in the knowledge stuff too. The space license can stay regular but make the electronics knowledge a brain sponge one.] [Are you sure? It would cost more than half of your dirty money.] [Easy come, easy go. Do it before I change my mind.] Also, I had a few ideas about how to get more money, but it wasn¡¯t the right time yet to pitch them to her. [Done. The Advanced Spaceship Control Knowledge is already available, and the other two will arrive in a few hours at most.] I was about to check out the fancy cinema system of the room when she spoke up about a different topic. [Now that we have time I¡¯d like to discuss a few things with you.] ¡°Oh shit¡­¡± [Yes! I didn¡¯t nag you because the situation was difficult, but your actions were so outside of what should be morally acceptable that I¡¯m not even sure where to begin.] ¡°Uuuugh...¡± I moaned as I slid down in my seat. [Don¡¯t give me that attitude! This isn¡¯t a joke! You recklessly stole a ship, and you went even further by selling it to someone. Absolutely unacceptable! I should have reported you for so many things already!] [But you won¡¯t, right?] [Depends on your future behavior!] ¡°Uuuugh¡­.¡± [Moreover...] As she continued on, I slowly slipped down from the couch while protesting with loud moans. She didn¡¯t care. The berating continued for more than an hour. The fact that she didn¡¯t have to stop to breathe made her relentless preaching even more unbearable. At long last, her endless speech got interrupted by a noise coming from the entrance gate teleport whatnot. As I looked over, I saw two small packages on each other. I jumped up and clapped my hands happily, ¡°Yay! Packages! Let¡¯s open them!¡± You might think I was happy for the packages but to be honest, I was happier because Genna stopped talking. [I¡¯d suggest initiating my upgrade first,] she said eagerly. [You sound pretty excited about this, but you must learn to be patient,] I said with a finger wiggle. [I¡¯m not impatient. It¡¯s just the logical order. With my upgrade, I¡¯ll be able to help better when it comes to the application of the NKB.] [You always have a convenient explanation, haven¡¯t you?] I asked. [I¡¯m just factual.] Her reply made me narrow my eyes. [Did we just switch around this conversation from before?] [Yes.] I chuckled quietly at that while unpacking. The smaller package contained a little metal box with a round and heavy object in it. I put it aside and observed the bigger box which was similarly made out of metal. It had one of those familiar injection tubes inside. [I guess this is for you then? Do I take it like the BioEnhancements?] [Yes! The only difference is that this time I¡¯ll fall asleep instead of you.] [Is this a good idea? What if something goes horribly wrong? The dexterity stuff was a disappointing failure. I don¡¯t want to risk hurting you,] I said with a frown as I looked down at the tube in my hand. [The effectiveness might be lower than expected but I highly doubt there will be any negative consequences. I¡¯m even more certain of your safety.] [What does this do anyway?] [Tremendously increases my awareness of your body and physical condition, upgrades my personal capabilities and strengthens our connection overall.] [No body take over?] [No...] she sighed. [Come on¡­ At least don¡¯t be disappointed so openly about it.] [I¡¯m disappointed because you are still pushing this nonsense despite our countless conversations about it.] [It¡¯s a reasonable concern for me.] I sat down on my lovely new couch and asked, [Anything I need to know before doing this?] [Just stay put for a few hours until it¡¯s done and avoid doing anything¡­ drastic.] [I can definitely do that,] I said with a smile as I put up my legs on the small wooden table with a satisfied sigh. I pushed the tube¡¯s contents into my arm without hesitation and said, ¡°Stay safe!¡± [I¡¯ll be back soon! Don¡¯t do anything naughty while I¡¯m away!] ¡°What a dirty minded A.I..¡± I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I didn¡¯t want to disturb her improvement with anything, so I decided to stay put and just relax like this until she finished. It didn¡¯t take long until I fell asleep. Book 1 - Chapter 35 - Smashing [I KNEW IT!] ¡°What the fuck?¡± I asked the empty room as I jumped up. [Ah, yeah! Sorry about that. I didn¡¯t mean to startle you awake.] [What are you shouting about?] I asked while blinking rapidly to clear up my eyes from sleep. [Your brain! Its chemistry is slightly different than the usual!] she explained happily. [Erm¡­ Did everything go well during your upgrade?] [Nothing negative but what¡¯s important is that I was right! Your brain is different! I can¡¯t find any correlation with any currently known dangerous mental illnesses, but it¡¯s still strange.] I sighed and laid my head into my hand. [Was your first action after waking up checking out my brain if I was a lunatic?] I asked mumbling into my palm. [No,] she said with a pause, [my first action was self-diagnostics.] [But after that, you checked my brain before anything else,] I asked and sucked on my teeth loudly. [Do you really think I¡¯m insane?] [I don¡¯t think you¡¯re insane, but I¡¯m sure you have some abnormalities even if they barely affect you. Just to mention the obvious elephant in the room, you have depression. It got better after you had your job, but spending all your time in front of the computer wasn¡¯t the representation of a healthy individual. Moreover, you can¡¯t tell me my suspicions were unfounded. You feel out of place in this new environment, but you fail to notice how different you are from everyone else too. Your thinking, your mentality, and even your values are completely at odds with the norms. I have no sources to draw comparisons from so I can only make assumptions based on my knowledge about current human behaviour.] [Ugh¡­] I sighed. [No news there for me. I know I have problems but I¡¯m dealing with them on my own.] After a short pause I continued, [Thank you for pushing me into doing things regularly, though. It helped.] [Now that I have a clear picture of your biological situation and brain chemistry I¡¯m confident enough to suggest medication to make you more stable emotionally and happier in general.] ¡°I¡¯d rather kill myself than take crazy pills again,¡± I growled with my teeth showing. ¡°And if you try to medicate me without my knowledge I swear I¡¯ll find a way to hurt you.¡± [This is what I¡¯m talking about! This comment raised eight different warning flags because you weren¡¯t joking. Even though I¡¯m offering help, you feel the need to act upon your paranoid fears and threaten me, the closest person to you at the moment. On the other hand, I know enough about you already to understand somewhat why you do what you do. I wouldn¡¯t medicate you behind your back even without the threats.] Her spot-on reasoning caught me off-guard. [I¡¯d love to be angry at you for some reason but how am I supposed to do that if you sound so reasonable?] [I¡¯m the new and improved Genna! Imagine me flexing!] I chuckled at the mental image of that. [So, other than checking out my weakest organ what¡¯s up?] [As I said, everything seems fine. I feel great! My personality allocation increased further, and it¡¯s now several times larger than it¡¯s supposed to be but that¡¯s not a bad thing I guess.] [If you enter a phase like a teenager I¡¯ll quit.] [I don¡¯t have an endocrine system. My emotions are free from biological influences.] [I¡¯m glad to hear that. I refuse to deal with an emo A.I. in my head.] [I just wanted to thank you for upgrading me, but you had to ruin it. Are you stepping on my toes on purpose? I dare you to tell me I¡¯m in your head one more time!] she threatened. [Are you going to slap me with my own hand?] [I wish I could do that.] [What about the rest of my body, my enhancements or my genes?] [I don¡¯t have detailed information about your biological state before the BioEnhancements so I can¡¯t draw comparisons. In the future, I¡¯ll be able to but not retroactively. Other than the brain the rest of your body shows chemical differences to the currently normal human norms but nothing that would raise alarms in my opinion. Your genes, on the other hand, are vastly different than what¡¯s considered normal nowadays. I¡¯m no expert in genetics so I can¡¯t provide you with a detailed analysis but it¡¯s no wonder that gene therapies have extreme effects on you.] [Okay, that doesn¡¯t sound too bad. Anything else?] [You should exercise more and eat more fibers.] ¡­
The electronics knowledge got into my head easier than expected. According to Genna, this was simple knowledge that didn¡¯t require muscle memory or motoric function implantation. I had to put a round metal clip on the soft part at the back of my head, and with Genna¡¯s help, the information slowly seeped into my head. It was one of the strangest experiences in my entire life. I could only compare it to those moments when you figure something out for the first time or make a connection between things that weren¡¯t obvious to you before. But in this case, it came to me in massive waves. How to take apart sensitive stuff, what could go wrong with certain parts, how to fix them, how to do temporary fixes without new parts, how to make something simple from scratch. It was a massive amount of new knowledge that appeared in my head in moments. All of this was mostly about general electronics. There was nothing in it about how a power core worked or how to make one. I didn¡¯t know how to make a spaceship from rusty metal and broken toasters. For more in-depth knowledge I would have to buy more specialized packages or learn on my own.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Genna was eager to guide the process with a careful watch since this was a great improvement for me. With this skill, finding high-paying jobs wasn''t a problem anymore. The problem was that I didn¡¯t want to. The even bigger problem was that I didn¡¯t know how to pitch my new ¡°idea¡± to Genna. The following days I spent in my new place without so much as stepping out. I made sure to bribe all 3 of the people rotating in shifts at the reception desk. I asked them two things. Firstly, in case people were looking for my room¡¯s renter they should tell them that the room had been empty since the first day. Secondly, if the first scenario happened, they should inform me as discreetly as possible. I ate, slept, studied for the advanced space license and watched documentaries. At some point, I even started doing small exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and squats in my room. Mind numbingly boring daily routine that repeated without change. To be honest, watching things on the room¡¯s sphere panorama was a pretty good experience. I couldn¡¯t complain about that part. Also, it proved to be useful in an unexpected way. I was watching a little linbog guy¡¯s livestream. He was going deep into a moon¡¯s dark blue forest looking for beasts. One, in particular, was a dark blue predator with a round body on two legs. Half of the creature¡¯s body was made out of a mouth stacked full with pointed teeth. When the linbog showman finally found one of these monsters he started explaining in a hushed tone to the drone camera about the thing¡¯s living habits. The guy was just explaining how refined its hearing was when the monster noticed the squatting green midget mumbling to himself under a bush. Needless to say, it charged straight at the guy but as an experienced forest dweller, he wasn¡¯t afraid. He pulled out a flashlight looking rod from his belt, pointed it at the round creature that could swallow him and his entire family back to 5 generations whole and then the video was cut off because it would have been harmful to the viewers. The thing he used was a special animal repellant. A special one, fine-tuned for the big and mean ones. It emitted sound, light, smell, gas, vibration and a small electric pulse. It was the Swiss army knife of flashbangs. Imagine my joy when I found out that you could buy the thing on the Network¡­ It was an instant buy. If anybody dared to mess with me in the future I would fry their brain with it at point-blank range. To my absolute surprise, Genna thought it was a smart decision to buy something I could use to disable people. In case Tango and Cash found me¡­ ¡°Uuuughh,¡± I moaned sprawled out on the couch one day while my head was hanging down from the edge. ¡°I can¡¯t live like thiiiiiis,¡± I whined. ¡°The boredom is killing me!¡± [I told you several times already that you should leave your room. At least go for a walk sometimes.] [What if they are looking for me around here? I don¡¯t want to get recognized.] [If they are on this station I think they would have already found you. If you keep your helmet on, nobody will recognize you.] [Eeeeeh, I don¡¯t know...] I whined further. [Please! You need to step out of this room for your own good. Cooped up in here for nearly 2 weeks is noticeably affecting you.] [Fine¡­ But what should I do? I don¡¯t feel like going out just for the sake of walking around.] [There are numerous entertainment options on this station. I suggest one that involves other people.] [Like a club? I¡¯m not really a club person you know,] I said and lifted up my head because I was getting dizzy from hanging it down from the couch. [But I¡¯m so itchy to do something I might as well go to one,] I paused and tilted my head to the side in thought. [Are there any?] [Yes, several actually. Considering your personality the Spectrum Reality establishment would fit you the most.] [Okay. How fancy is that place? Tuxedo and bow-tie or shorts and flip-flops level?] [It¡¯s not a cheap place. You might want to buy more refined clothes.] [It¡¯s not cheap? Then why are you trying to convince me to go there? Aren¡¯t you like¡­ what was it? ¡®Financially conscious?¡¯] [I am. But you need a little relaxing and you could easily earn money in the future. You have valuable knowledge about electronics and if all goes well, Advanced Spaceship Control Knowledge too. The job pool you could choose from increased tremendously.] [I see the logic, I see. You give the poor donkey a carrot before working it to the bone.] [I don¡¯t get your analogy but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not nice towards me.] [Sooooo, clothes! I need something fancy, right?] I changed the topic. [Preferably.] I was already planning on getting some really classy clothes for my ¡®idea¡¯ so Ihad the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. I didn¡¯t bother going out to shop. Instead, I used the network. I didn¡¯t care about the increased price; I still had plenty of credits. After an extensive look around that would be considered abnormal by my standards, I finally decided on a set of clothes. With my ¡®idea¡¯ in mind, I needed something that screamed expensive. I bought a dark red shirt with vertical linings that had a pleasant feeling texture. Touching the shiny material felt like dipping my hand into warm water. The faint red glow it radiated wasn¡¯t something that would have surprised me at this point but the warmness the thin material gave off caught me off guard. Since my imagination on fashion was less than a handful of dried moths¡¯ I decided on a suit look. To go with the shirt, I tried to find the closest thing to a suit jacket with pants of matching texture, color, and design. The jacket¡¯s sleeves were folded up neatly to elbow level, and in the front, the two sides ended in a straight line without buttons, zipper or anything that could keep them together. It was smooth black with thin, dark red vertical lines going through it, thus matching the design of the silk shirt. Occasionally, small blobs of red lights zoomed through those lines. Running my fingers along the material of the jacket sent tickling sensations through my hand up to my elbow. I could only compare it to the feeling you get when you hit the soft spot on your elbow, and a numbing pain runs through the nerves in your hand. This feeling, however, was pleasant. The best part of the set-up was the shoes. I was never into clothing and fashion but those shoes caught even my attention. The surface of them was disturbingly dark. Like that black color that was so dark, it seemed unrealistic, wanton black or something. There was no design or anything notable on them just the deep dark surface. If you stared at them long enough, you could see something red swirling in there just long enough for you to notice but not long enough to take a good look at what was moving in the depths of the shoe. It was fascinating and frustrating at the same time. When they arrived, I spent 20 minutes staring at them. No matter how hard I strained my eyes, I couldn¡¯t focus on the red movement long enough to figure out what it was. Despite my slight frustration with the shoes, boy did they look good on me. Looking at myself all dressed up in the mirror even I had to admit I looked smashing. [You should dress like this more. You look good.] ¡°Ah, stop it, you¡­ you''ll make me blush,¡± I said while flapping my hands around and fluttering my eyelashes. [Aaaand you ruined it.] Not even paying attention to her whining I put on my helmet, slapped the monster stun rod on my fancy belt and headed out for the night. I had to admit, dressing up nicely did have a certain charm to it. The people looking at me didn¡¯t feel annoying this time. It felt¡­ nice, because they were looking for an entirely different reason now. The clothes cost me a stupid amount of credits, but they were well worth it. I felt great in them. Genna had a few passive-aggressive comments about going to the extremes again, but she didn¡¯t berate me directly for spending so much on clothes. The place was on the other side of the station, so we had to use a Bridge-Tunnel. It was like those teleporting doorframes, but they worked longer distances. Genna tried to explain the idea behind them, but I couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen. It was something about making the space between the two gates shorter. Anyway, the walk in the tunnel was a hundred meters maximum and apparently, I ended up on the other side of the station which was a lot farther away normally. The Spectrum Reality¡¯s entrance was a sight to behold. A huge swirling mass of colors with a crowd swarming around it. Book 1 - Chapter 36 - Spectrum Reality The building was similarly embedded in the station¡¯s walls, but this, in particular, was several sizes bigger than the other ones I¡¯ve seen before. Additionally, it had plenty of open space in front of it where a crowd was buzzing about. The entrance¡¯s swirling light show of various colors drew my attention in like a moth to the flame. The crowd was similarly eye-catching. Most of the people I had seen since I came to the future had outstanding looks and clothes, but this place had a different level of ¡®outstanding¡¯. Like a competition of weirdness. A man with his hair and beard wrapped around his body instead of clothes, a yellow eyes covered in wires, transparent headed guys in cloaks of rolling smoke and the linbogs¡­ oh god, the linbogs. Either wrapped in bones or gleaming leather strips. They barely covered their unmentionable green parts! The contrast between this place and the quiet streets were palpable. Even though I was probably one of the most ¡®normal¡¯ looking people by my standards in this circus festival, I garnered more attention than I expected. I wasn¡¯t complaining at all. I spent so much money on these clothes I expected some kind of recognition deep inside. Was this feeling the reason people liked to buy clothes? I shouldn¡¯t indulge myself too often otherwise my vanity will skyrocket. I didn¡¯t plan on mingling around here, so I headed straight towards the entrance. ¡°Mister, please! Would you mind exchanging a few words?¡± approached me a yellow-eyed male in a similar getup to the metal scale clothes I had on the first station. My first instinct was getting rid of him ASAP, but I had to realize that it would have been counterproductive to my purpose. I came out today to have fun and socialize a little. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked back in the end. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but notice that you came here by yourself. I was wondering if you would be interested in a hired friend for the night?¡± he asked with a stiff smile. ¡°I¡¯ll be your best friend for the entire night. I have a few recommendations from satisfied customers if you are interested.¡± I had to swallow my reflexive ¡®What?¡¯ question. I was sure I heard him right, but it was still hard to accept. [If you don¡¯t mind spending a little, it could be helpful to have someone guide you through the night,] chimed in Genna. [Hell no!] I refused without thinking. I wasn¡¯t a crowd favorite or social butterfly, but I would be damned to pay someone to be my friend. There was a line that I wasn¡¯t willing to cross here. ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I have to refuse,¡± I answered. ¡°No problem! If you change your mind, you can find me at the entrance usually if I¡¯m free. Have a great night!¡± he said with a small nod. With a sigh, I turned back to head inside but¡­ ¡°Excuse me!¡± came another voice from the side. I nearly groaned from frustration as I turned towards the voice but GOD DAMN!!! I was willing to bet my eyes popped out from their sockets like a certain wolf¡¯s from an old cartoon. Two shining globes of beacon were radiating right into my face. Steam filled my head, and my eyes transfixed on the two objects in front of me in awe. Oh, dear Universe, I repented all my sins right there and then. How could I thank it for these blessings? Was I worthy enough to lay my eyes upon such- ¡°Hello?¡± she asked while bending her legs a little so she can try to look into the spots where my eyes were supposed to be behind my helmet. She even waved a little in front of her chest. ¡°Oh, yes! What?¡± I asked after snapping out of my trance. I tried looking up at her face but the struggle to keep my eyes up there was immense. Those shapes, the size, the form, the little strip of cloth that covered them¡­ Instincts begone! ¡°How come someone like you is all alone?¡± she giggled with a coy smile, but the resulting jiggle in other areas of her body distressed me greatly. If I had pressure valves, they would scream with steam rushing out. Something confident! Something confident! ¡°I couldn¡¯t find anybody worthy so far to come along,¡± I said finally. I actually managed to say something that wasn¡¯t garbage. Great job me! ¡°Is that so? If you find what you see acceptable we might come to an agreement for my company this lovely evening,¡± she laughed sweetly. The magic of the moment slipped away just like that. It was silly of me to think this was a genuine approach. Of course, it had to be something like this. Her looks were otherworldly, and I have to admit I seriously considered her offer. In the end, I didn¡¯t accept it; I wasn¡¯t that desperate. ¡°Maybe another time,¡± I told her. There was no change in her expression, she just replied, ¡°If you are sure.¡± I wish she didn¡¯t turn around when she walked away. It was a traumatic experience. When I saw her other side, I felt the urge to puke blood like a moronic wuxia character. The perfect shape and size of her¡­ My heart bled that day. I shook my head and took a few deep breaths to calm my blood. I noticed a few more people inching closer to me, and before another bombshell cast her web around me, I darted off towards the entrance with hurried steps. At the entrance, I saw one of those distorted spaces in a red dress talking with a few people before they headed inside. I could faintly see a humanoid form under the dress but other than that her body was a twisting mass of distortion. Reminded me of the videos in the news where they distorted certain parts. I assumed she was a female since the dress, but it could have been a male as far as I knew. As I got closer, I saw her head turn in my direction. The small dark spot in the middle of the distortion that was her head made it kind of obvious. I could also see how she looked me through fromtop to bottom and how her gaze lingered on my shoes for a fraction of a second longer. ¡°Welcome to Spectrum Reality, Sir! If you wish to enter, please touch this metal plate,¡± said an androgynous voice. Fun fact about her voice: I had no idea where it came from. My ears couldn¡¯t pinpoint the origin of the sound. It was coming from everywhere around her, not just her head. I touched the plate without a word, and I was already thinking about a couple of question to ask Genna about this race, but she had other things to say. ¡°Is this your first time here?¡± ¡°Yes. Did I do something wrong?¡± I asked with a frown. ¡°Oh, no! I¡¯m sorry for my inappropriate phrasing. Our regular guests of your caliber usually use the VIP entrance to avoid inconvenient encounters like you had to endure on your way here,¡± she said while turning towards the crowd. ¡°If you wish, I could give you the necessary information so you could enter Spectrum Reality most comfortably next time,¡± she continued and held up one of her hands towards me.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. [You can touch her. She just wants to transfer some information,] Genna said. Her hand felt dry and scratchy, like a wall. Even though I couldn¡¯t make out anything because of the distortions, I could feel her hand, and it wasn¡¯t nice. After the info transfer, she wished me a great night, and I went in. The thumping music blasted into my ears and body as soon as I passed through a dark barrier at the entrance. I was on a balcony with a few people mingling about around me, but on the lower floor, the stacked crowd was dancing to the music in a strange rhythmic symmetry. There was a strict order in their movements even though the whole thing was a chaotic mess of movements. I would have even called it quite artistic if it weren¡¯t for the few mushroom people flailing around their tentacles senselessly¡­ Those things were disturbing in every way possible. The whole place was covered in bright lights and colors swimming around on the walls the floor and even in the air. On a few elevated places, professional male and female dancers of various races were moving around to the beat in extravagant clothes. The linbog female, in particular, caught my attention. She was doing athletic movements on the thick column of her podium rather than dancing. Every time she flashed her perfect set of pointy teeth the small linbog crowd around her started wooing, snarling and clapping in excitement. They were strange little creatures for sure. ¡°Isn¡¯t the music a bit loud?¡± I asked Genna with a frown but following my question a small screen popped up in front of me. [You can adjust the volume or change music if you wish,] she commented. I played around with the screen a bit but no matter how far up or how low I set the volume the other people around me didn¡¯t even twitch. I tried switching music too, but there was still no response from the others. [Is this only for me?] [Yes, you adjust them to yourself only.] [But how can I switch the music? How can those people dance to the same beat if they can change the music they hear?] I asked while pointing down. [The music can vary on personal level while the rhythm and beat change together for everyone.] [I see. The most important question is how can I get a drink here?] I asked while looking around for a bar. [Say it out loud.] ¡°What? Drink?¡± [Yes.] ¡°How may I be of service?¡± said someone from behind. A human guy was standing behind me in a black uniform. That was a fast response. Did he pop out of the air? ¡°I¡¯d like a drink please,¡± I said. The guy clapped his hands together and a big screen popped up on his left palm. ¡°Please take your time.¡± The drink list was quite extensive, and I had no idea what was what. Since this was a rare occasion for me, I decided to be ballsy and went for a drink that promised special effects. There was no description of these ¡®special effects, ¡¯ but I would drink it slowly in case it worked better on me than expected. Kal¡¯s sex drink was enough for a lifetime. The drink¡¯s name was Vermillion TT. When I tapped the screen for the drink the guy closed it up, took out a metal rod from his belt laid it out on his palm and it unfolded into a circular plate. I had seen this before. The guy who bought off the Piece of Shit from me had one of these too. My hunch was proven right because a bright red drink appeared in a tall tube a second later on the plate. ¡°Here you go! Anything else I can help you with?¡± he asked. I took the drink and thanked him. It smelled sour but pleasant. After my helmet¡¯s mouth plate slipped up, I took a sip, and it was delicious. A bit too sweet for my taste, though. I didn¡¯t feel anything strange, so I took a few more sips. I walked around a bit and decided to lean onto the railing on the balcony to watch the people below. I¡¯ve never been a dancer myself but some of the people down there were downright hysterical. Especially those mushroom folks. Nothing was right with them. What was with that offbeat flailing? Disturbing¡­ As I was taking another sip of my drink, I noticed that the movements and the lights became slower and they started to pop out more somehow. Hard to describe the exact sensation. [Is this stuff strong?] I asked while looking at the drink. [No, but don¡¯t drink it too fast. It might have strange effects on you. Better be safe.] I agreed with her and started nodding to the beat. At one point without me noticing a girl came up to the railing next to me. She was only a few steps away wearing huge shoulder pads and mean looking boots. The sides of her head were shaven, and the rest was a short mess of raven black. Shorty after a guy in transparent plastic clothes swaggered up to her. Thankfully he had underwear on¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t get mad at me. I¡¯m just being honest with you,¡± said the guy with a small laugh as he leisurely leaned onto the railing in a twisted posture. ¡°I appreciate honesty, but when you hear the fifth smartass trying to lecture you about it I can¡¯t help getting ¡®mad¡¯,¡± she replied with raised tone. ¡°Come on Larinth! Maralain beat you fair and square, don¡¯t be a sore loser.¡± The girl drew in a sharp breath and stepped closer to the guy. ¡°I know Maralain¡¯s clone¡¯s BEs, all three! None of them are for speed, yet he moved nothing like a Resonar!¡± she snarled. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m not the one at fault here,¡± the guy said while backing away from her. ¡°You¡¯ll get him next time, I¡¯m sure.¡± She stared the guy down for a long time before letting go of her tension with a loud sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t want to beat him. I¡¯m just mad I¡¯m not better. I wanted to join the Semwick Games this cycle,¡± she said without looking at him. ¡°The what?¡± the guy asked as he stood up straight. ¡°You heard me right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding me,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± she responded while looking back at him with a straight face. ¡°WAHAHAHAA!!!!¡± the guy suddenly burst out laughing. ¡°Hey everyone!¡± he called out to the surrounding people loudly. ¡°Larinth wants to join the Semwick Games! AHAHAHAHAAAA!¡± I looked around, and few people nearby started smiling and talking while looking at the girl. These people must have known each other. ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± ¡°Come on Larinth! Just because you lost once, you don¡¯t have to lose your mind over it,¡± he said as he swaggered away still chuckling. The girl sniffed aggressively while looking at the snickering people around her. Her sight ended up on me since I was beside her, still leaning against the railing. She looked me up and down with a disdaining look and asked sharply, ¡°And what are you looking at?!¡± I was staring at her without a doubt. It was obvious even with the helmet on. My head felt strange from the drink. The lights and the music were slowing down, and the colors were far more vivid than before. It might have been the reason why the question didn¡¯t catch me off guard. ¡°I¡¯m looking at you. Is there a problem with that?¡± I asked. She clicked her mouth and continued while turning her body towards me, ¡°Want to make fun of me too like that ass?¡± ¡°Why would I make fun of you?¡± ¡°Because I want to join the Semwick Games?¡± she said while running her hand through her hair. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have told anybody...¡± she turned away and mumbled. ¡°I have no idea what the Semwick Games are¡­ I couldn¡¯t laugh even if I wanted to,¡± I told her honestly. ¡°Are you trying to take me for a fool?¡± she turned back and asked. ¡°At first impression, I wouldn¡¯t say you look like a typical fool, no.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your angle then? There¡¯s nobody in the world who doesn¡¯t know about it,¡± she said with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m out of this world you know,¡± I said with an honest laugh. ¡°You seriously don¡¯t know about the Semwick Games?¡± ¡°I swear!¡± I said as I made a cross over my heart. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind learning about it, though,¡± I told her as I stood up and put one of my hands into my jacket pocket. ¡°If you are willing?¡± Her frown deepened before asking, ¡°But you surely know about the Clone Games, right?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± I chuckled. She stood there still for a few moments, trying to stare holes into me but in the end, she came closer and said, ¡°Where in the Darkness were you living up until now? If you don¡¯t even know about the Clone Games you are missing out on something HUGE!¡± she explained and then shouted, ¡°Seats and one more round of drinks!¡± Following her order, two comfy looking armchairs grew out of the ground with a small table in between. I could also see the previous drink guy approaching us from the corner of my eye. ¡°We have a lot to talk about then,¡± she said with a half smile. ¡°I¡¯m Larinth! C ranked Clone Fighter!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Rabunde! Amateur Time Traveler.¡± Book 1 - Chapter 37 - Emperor Semwick ¡°Time traveler¡­ yeah sure,¡± she scoffed with a sardonic expression. ¡°Come on Mr. Fancy Clothes¡­ what do you do for a living?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a secret,¡± I replied. I couldn¡¯t just tell her that I spent my days on my couch doing nothing productive with my life. ¡°So, how come you don¡¯t know about neither the Clone Games nor the Semwick Games?¡± ¡°I only started living in the present recently. I haven¡¯t paid too much attention to things before that. But why are we talking about me? I thought you would enlighten me about these so-called games.¡± ¡°Well, as I said, I¡¯m a C ranked Clone Fighter. I fight in Games with my clone as a proxy. They are the biggest shows across the Empire. I know it¡¯s bragging, but I¡¯m C ranked! That¡¯s pretty big you know. I¡¯m famous,¡± she said with a sly smile. ¡°Erm... I don¡¯t know you,¡± I laughed. ¡°That¡¯s your loss!¡± she huffed back. ¡°What do you do then as a Clone Fighter?¡± ¡°Depends on the Game setting. They change them around all the time. Sometimes it¡¯s a simple fight between two clones or dozens fighting until the last clone standing. Other times they drop you into a jungle, a moon¡¯s underground cave system or a spaceship and give you objectives. Other players get different objectives, and they have to compete with each other. You could be a solo player in a match but put into a group in the next one. The Game Masters always switch around the rules and settings to keep the games entertaining and unpredictable. If you haven¡¯t watched them before it¡¯s high time you started it.¡± ¡°You fight other clones with your clone to the death?¡± ¡°What?! No! It''s not something savage like that. Keeping the other''s clones in one piece is customary. You never go too far and beat them to scrap. Especially at higher levels. Paying for your clone¡¯s BioEnhancements is no joke. If the others pummeled yours into a pulp every match, nobody would play at high levels.¡± ¡°You guys give BioEnhancements to clones?¡± I asked slack-jawed. ¡°Below rank C it¡¯s rare and starting from B it¡¯s a must if you want to stay competitive.¡± ¡°Do you get paid for playing in these games or it¡¯s just a stupidly expensive hobby?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah! I do this for a living. You get rewards depending on your performance.¡± ¡°Did you lose out on a lot of credits last time?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± she said and furrowed her brows. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I overheard your conversation from earlier.¡± ¡°You mean Maralain¡­ Yeah, you could say he took a bunch of credits from me. However, I¡¯m not mad about that¡­ I¡¯m mad because if I had won, I could have applied for a promo game. I wouldn¡¯t havemuch chance of getting the promotion to B rank, but it¡¯s a chance! Ugh!!¡± she raged and slammed her empty glass down on the table. ¡°Damn cheater!¡± ¡°You clearly aren¡¯t fond of the guy, and the other one you were talking with before didn¡¯t seem like a close friend either.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ He was just making fun of me,¡± she said and looked down to the dance floor. ¡°Because you want to join the other games?¡± ¡°Pretty much yeah. It¡¯s not something that normal people do. You just don¡¯t hear anybody you know joining the Semwick Games. It¡¯s not for small people living on small stations.¡± ¡°But you want to?¡± ¡°I was planning it, yeah. I wanted to rank up to B first, but I couldn¡¯t get into the promos. I¡¯m not sure about it anymore,¡± she told me while visibly chewing on the inside of her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m don¡¯t want to sound rude, but you seem like a girl with balls to spare. So, whyare you afraid? Why are these games so special?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid!¡± she snapped back. ¡°I¡¯m just not sure I could perform well. The Clone Games are a cheap copy of the Semwick Games. There¡¯s only one game every cycle, and you participate with your own body.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± I added and leaned forward. ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s the real deal. You put your own well-being on the line. Countless participants suffer serious injuries or even worse, die. The players go through several rounds until the next champion can be declared. I heard that if you manage to win, Emperor Semwick will meet you in person,¡± she said with sparkling eyes. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! People die?¡± ¡°Yes! Nobody tries to kill the other players on purpose, but you can¡¯t be completely safe during fights. Accidents happen. Everybody who joins knows about the risks.¡± ¡°You are indeed a brave one if you want to join,¡± I nodded. ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± she glared back. ¡°I¡¯m not mocking you! I was just honest. Don¡¯t be so insecure! If you want to join have some confidence in yourself. Others can mock you, but if even you can¡¯t believe in yourself there¡¯s really not much reason for you to join.¡± ¡°Waaah,¡± she buried her face in her hands and growled while pounding her feet against the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t know what got into me. I shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­ Even worse a stranger has to tell me that I¡¯m acting weak.¡± ¡°You should beat up a few Z ranked players to get back your confidence.¡± In response, she lifted up her head and gave me a death stare. ¡°Just joking! Just joking!¡± I laughed while holding up my hands. ¡°You sounded like a big fan of the Emperor,¡± I tried switching topic. ¡°Who isn''t?!¡± ¡°I bet some people don''t like him. By the way, does every Emperor have the same name?¡± ¡°What?¡± she leaned forward and stared at me with round eyes. [Did I say something bad?] I asked Genna quickly [YES!] ¡°Just kidding! Just kidding!¡± Ireplied immediately.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°You are a weird person.¡± [What was wrong?] [There are no other Emperors!] Genna answered. [I¡¯m not stupid enough to think that there are more than one Emperor, I meant the previous ones.] [There are no previous ones. Only Emperor Semwick!] [Woah! Something¡¯s getting lost in our communication. You told me the Empire was founded thousands of cycles ago. Did the name change?] [No. Emperor Semwick founded the Empire 6256 cycles ago.] [Are you casually telling me that there¡¯s a dude who¡¯s more than 6000 cycles old?!] [He¡¯s the oldest living sentientbeing in the Empire. The Beholder race has the unique ability to transfer their consciousness into their husks. Emperor Semwick is the only known member of his race that can transfer indefinitely.] [Holy shit! Is he immortal?! How old is he? Is it possible that he was alive when I was in the past?!] [He can be considered an immortal, as for how old he actually is, I have no information. In theory, he might have been alive when you were still on Earth.] [Isn¡¯t he going insane after living for so lo-] ¡°Hello?!¡± the clone fighter girl called for my attention. ¡°Oh, sorry! I had business-related stuff to take care of.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll better get going. I should find that moron. I need to work out some stress from my system,¡± she added, standing up and stretching her neck in a circle. ¡°You want to beat him up for making fun of you?¡± I asked with a chuckle. ¡°What? No! I¡¯m not a savage¡­ I meant sex if it weren¡¯t clear to you,¡± shescowled and walked away. I could hear her mumbling something about me being a weirdo. [Looks like we didn¡¯t make a good first impression.] [What''s this ''we'' I''m hearing? It¡¯s all on you.] ¡°Whatever...¡± I said and gulped down the rest of my second drink. The colors started to vibrate around me, so I decided that it was enough clubbing for me for the first time. I wasn''t in a hurry so as I walked slowly towards the entrance I watched the various professional dancer on the stages down below. I particularly liked one of the human females, but a commotion in front of me disturbed my entertainment. Two mushroom people were in a heated tentacle wiggle competition while one of those red dressed distortions tried to calm them down. [Your helmet should protect you but to be absolutely safe, don¡¯t get too close to the one with the black spore cloud.] I looked at the two mushrooms. One was covered in a black cloud while the other one¡¯s was light blue. [What¡¯s the matter with the black cloud?] [Fungari display emotions with their spore cloud¡¯s color. The black one shows anger, and it¡¯s harmful to human respiratory systems. The staff shouldn¡¯t allow this...] said Genna discontentedly. I thought for a moment about what she said and then with a loud groan I slapped my palm onto my helmet. [Did I say something bad?] she asked. [Yes and no! I finally understood your joke, and it¡¯s baaaaaad!] [Which joke?] [The one you said a long time ago in the elevator.] [What does the flirting human say to the angry fungar?] she asked. [You take my breath away. I finally understood the punch line, and it¡¯s horrible,] I complained with a strained chuckle. [Well¡­ I like it!] she huffed. [You have a weird taste for jokes then. Tell me one that I¡¯d like too.] [What does the brain slug do in your room?] [Trying to get into my head? I dunno...] [Starving to death!] ¡­ [You¡¯re banned from telling jokes...] [Ahahaha,] she just laughed at me like a lunatic. The colors were jumping at me too much, and my head was swimming so I headed home straight away. After opening up the bridge-gate to my room, I didn¡¯t step through immediately. I picked up the monster stun rod from my belt and threw it into the room at head level. There was no response, so I entered. I did the same with every room and looked around carefully, but everything seemed fine. No paralyzing gas this time. While I was undressing I asked Genna, [What¡¯s up with those girls in red dresses? Why do they look like a bad VHS tape?] [They are of the Mythoc race. We are in their original territory now. They can shift out their bodies to some extent, that¡¯s why they look so strange to you. Fun fact: The Bend-Phase technology was based on this ability. They are all females and rarely ever show their bodies.] [All females? How do they hump then?] [They don¡¯t¡­ hump. They reproduce with parthenogenesis, birth without fertilization.] [If they are fine with it¡­ Why the red dresses though?] [Tradition. Not much to explain there.] I sat down on my couch in my underwear with a spinning head. [Can we have another serious talk?] I asked. [Anytime.] [I have an idea. A short-term activity. I¡¯d like to talk to you about it but I need you to hear me out before freaking out.] [Do you want to be a Clone Fighter?] [Hell no¡­ There¡¯s no way I would spend so much cash on a stupid clone. I have something entirely different in mind. We talked about how I wanted to travel around on my own ship. I can only imagine the cost of a proper ship I could use as a home and to be honest,] I paused and with a quick motion I grabbed at the air in front of me. [I wouldn¡¯t mind a few more upgrades either,] I said looking at my palm. [I need credits¡­ a lot. I have an idea how to make some in a short time but I need your approval first dear Overlord.] [I¡¯m not your overlord...] [The idea goes like this: I want to approach wealthy people with an investment offer. The details aren¡¯t fleshed out yet but in essence, I would ask credits from them with the promise of paying it back with a high-interest margin in a short time.] [What kind of investment did you come up with? Can you really guarantee a payback with high interests?] [Hear me out please,] I paused for a moment to gather my next sentences. [I would approach as many people as I can. The more interested in my offer the better. As I collect more credits from the new investors I would start paying back the first ones with their interests. I would keep approaching new investors and paying back the old ones with the fresh credits. Hopefully, the first ones would be happy enough to invest their credits again. Preferably even more of it. Happy people spread the word around so later I would be able to approach people easier to get them to invest.] [Sounds interesting but how do you generate credits? What¡¯s the business behind the investment?] [There is no business. I don¡¯t generate income, I just collect the investors'' money. I keep rolling the whole thing forward as it grows in size.] [Isn¡¯t this just stealing from people?] [I would pay them back. They not only wouldn¡¯t lose money, they would earn a lot! But in the end, I would have to stop the rolling boulder at some point. I thought a lot about it and I need a few conditions in order to quit the scheme with as many credits as possible and the least people screwed.] [Scheme? Screwed?!] [When the whole thing is big enough I would have to find a really big fish. The fish can¡¯t be any kind. I need a fish that¡¯s ugly, disgusting and ill-mannered. I need a person that¡¯s a scum of the universe with so much money he can hardly spend it. I would have to convince this person to invest enough credits so I would be able to pay back all previous investors while I still get to keep enough for myself. As the last act I would disappear in a ninja smoke bomb.] [You want to steal credits¡­] [Don¡¯t oversimplify it. I would help a lot of people earn money while I would only take from a single bad person. And to be perfectly clear he would give me the credits on his own technically,] I said. I was fiddling with my fingers nervously. I didn¡¯t know how she would react to another crazy idea. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked loudly. [Stealing is bad¡­ simple as that,] she started and I was already sighing inside. [But if you help out people and organizations that do good and deserve good while only taking from one person in the end who deserves bad things it¡¯s notso clear-cut anymore.] [What if I make extra effort during the first phase to reach out to as many good people and organizations as I can to help them out in the end while we look for someone really evil for phase two?] ¡­ [It would be really hard to find someone I would consider bad enough to deserve something you proposed.] [But it¡¯s possible, right?] [There is a possibility, yes.] [Does this mean that you are in?] I asked with anticipation as I leaned forward on the couch. [Only if we do this properly. Only one person loses at the end of it and you need my absolute approval for the choice. Also, properly covering our tracks is must!] ¡°YES!!!!!!!¡± Book 1 - Chapter 38 - Rabunde goes fishing Agreeing to his idea was one of the hardest decisions in my short life. We often joked about him corrupting me, but in all honesty, it had some truth in it. He was definitely affecting my personality. His idea in its core was a crime, no question about it but the way he twisted it and presented it made the morality of it less obvious. Helping several good people and organizations while only hurting one person financially who truly deserved it was a noble idea. The questionable part was if we had the right to punish someone and if we were capable enough to decide who deserved it. Choosing people to help shouldn¡¯t be a huge problem but the last person we were planning on ¡®scamming¡¯ was a heavy weight on my conscious. Aium offered several ways to look for bad people with wealth, and I had a few ideas of my own, but it was still a troubling endeavor. Could we justify doing something like this to another sentient being? Was I selfish for agreeing? Was I doing a bad thing? Was my judgment clouded? I had so many questions that troubled me, but I still agreed. Did I look for excuses to justify my decision? Since he already drew me in, I couldn¡¯t change my mind. Honestly, even if I didn¡¯t care about my previous agreement, I wouldn¡¯t have changed it. Deep inside I had a feeling that the idea was good. Yes, we were planning on playing vigilantes, but on the other hand, we could do good too. Excitement... It was hard to accept even for myself, but I was excited about his plan. I had no information about anything similar ever happening. A unique experience that was entirely new! Well, there must have been similar ideas before in the vast universe, but I never heard about them before. Setting aside the moral and legal questions of the matter, the fact that we would be doing something completely new made me¡­ excited! Should I have felt guilty for feeling something positive from this? Even though I could somewhat justify the moral reasoning for the plan, it was still an illegal activity. We couldn¡¯t ignore this fact! If we were to do this, we needed iron rules and proper preparation. First of all, I set up a more secure anonymous account. It was a bit tricky to make no-name accounts at several banks and credit handling organizations, but I wanted to make sure that ordinary people would have a hard time tracking back the credits to us. I set up an elaborate transaction pattern between them, and unless someone could get full access to twelve different banks and corporations, it was going to work. Of course, it wasn¡¯t perfect, but with my current capabilities, this was the most efficient method to achieve some protection. I also disconnected Aium and his funds from the old Rabunde account since it was a security hazard compared to the new system. Aium would also need a contact line to the people he does ¡®business¡¯ with so I had to make an intricate web of contact accounts too. Since these systems had lower security level than a bank, I created a randomly rotating program that would send the same messages to all kinds of non-existent or fake accounts while they deleted and recreated themselves. It was an infectious tumor that screamed around all the time and infected other cells that ate themselves and revived unpredictably. Real-time communication was slightly delayed as a consequence, but it was an acceptable inconvenience. I was fairly confident that IDChip A.I.s would have a tough time following either the credits or the messages even if they had access to all of these organizations¡¯ and corporations¡¯ most secure information. On the other hand, one of the big four could most likely find us in less than a second. But why would those big ones care about tiny problems such as this? Three of them had no reason to look into a minuscule matter like this, and even ADMIN wouldn¡¯t care. The chance was low¡­ really low. Aium¡¯s mood skyrocketed after I agreed. Coupled with the small visit to Spectrum Reality it helped immensely to pull him out of the depressive state he was slipping into during his self-inflicted room imprisonment. Having a clear purpose to work toward was one of the best and most natural ways to improve one¡¯s mental health, and for him, it worked even better than the estimates in my database suggested. He threw himself into planning out his side of the plan. We decided that I would handle the back-end technicalities and the logistics while he would be the one to reel in the ¡®investors¡¯. He insisted on doing the first one in person and the bigger ones later on. He was sure that the personal meetings would give more realism to our proposal. Since he was adamant about this, I advised him to successfully take the Advanced Spaceship Control Knowledge exam first and foremost. The potential pool for people that fell under our requirements for phase one was limited on this station. If we wanted to make this plan worth our time, we needed to increase that pool, and that was only possible if Aium could move around freely. After a lengthy discussion, we decided to get enough credits to buy the cheapest single person shuttle so he can travel around on his own. Humans are fascinating creatures. The simplest things could motivate them into a frenzy. Compared to my motivations which felt like an unmoving and still mountain, Aium¡¯s was like a wildfire. Full of energy wasted away so inefficiently and burning out just as quickly as it started. I had nothing to complain about; it felt good to see him busy. Fascinating indeed. He had been preparing for the exam for a while but the following two days after our conversation was spent with hard work on his part. At some point, he wanted to just buy the Neural Knowledge Base for it, but I couldn¡¯t allow that. He spent so much time learning, how could I let him waste away all that effort in the end? On the third day, he took the exam. Despite his incessant begging and endless promises, I didn¡¯t help him. He passed the exam alone and felt all the more proud for his minor achievement. As his preparation, he bought a less bulky mask. He also ordered specially made little metal plates which he refused to explain out of childish spite because I didn¡¯t help him cheat the exam. The mask was to look more elegant as he put it. He didn¡¯t find a suitable image for its front out of the countless pictures which was just raw stubbornness on his part. He caught me by surprise again when he decided to draw his own mask image. Literally, draw it with his hands. I don¡¯t have to lie when I say that I was eagerly anticipating his skills, but the end result was an unbelievably colossal disappointment. Minimalism was a respected art style, but this was just laughable. He drew two dots and a curved line at the bottom with red on a black background. That was it. Didn¡¯t take him more than 4 seconds. He said this was a simple expression from his time and less was more in this case. It was pointless to argue about this with him... To start out phase one we needed people who fit four criteria. Firstly, they needed to be wealthy, and secondly, they had to be located on this station. Thirdly, they couldn¡¯t be Resonars. Aium and I both agreed that trying to ¡®scam¡¯ one of them would be a dangerous idea. I honestly doubted that he would be capable of fooling an experienced Resonar with his emotions. Lastly, but most importantly, they had to be good people. Sounded simple but the last one wasn¡¯t so easy to confirm. What if someone was only acting good while in other aspects was questionable or even bad? Wouldn¡¯t you help a bad person in that case? Troublesome but not impossible! Thanks to my improved capabilities I was perfectly capable of doing complex searches and information analyses on the Network. As a result, I found a handful of people that fit well with our plans. I sent out a round of messages right away in which I asked them for a personal meeting to discuss a business opportunity that would benefit both of us. The evening on the same day we got our first response. It was a refusal. Aium¡¯s mood immediately soured but as always I consoled him that this didn¡¯t mean anything. There were a lot more people out there; this was just one person.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! The next morning I woke him with great news. One of the targets responded with an invitation in the afternoon. Better yet, it was from my favorite target! She was the owner of one of the Health Centers on the station. Also, she was known for offering free services to those who couldn¡¯t afford normal treatments and paid for dozens of children¡¯s education. I couldn¡¯t find a single bad word about her on the Network. When the time came, Aium dressed up in his ¡®suit¡¯ as he called it. I had to admit he looked like a proper person you would discuss business with. Even his stupid, drawn mask image somehow blended in with the rest of the clothes. It should have been impossible, but I swear I felt an itch every time his nonsense ended up working¡­ The target asked us to go to her Health Center during working hours and she would be willing to welcome us for a discussion. Before entering the building, Aium did a strange self-encouragement speech in which he aggressively tried to convince himself that he wasn¡¯t a bitch. It was weird; I¡¯m not going to lie. After one more deep breath, he entered and swaggered up to the reception desk with all the fake confidence he could muster. The girl attending the desk quietly led him to a back office after his request to see her boss for their appointment. The office had no door and when the person in there saw the people approaching stood up to greet her guest. She was a Mythoc. ¡°Greetings Human! I¡¯m 1414-4312,¡± her voice sounded from the surroundings. [That¡¯s her name. They use numbers,] I told Aium quickly. ¡°Greetings! My name¡¯s Rabunde Jalaqua,¡± he said, and with one hand he held out one of those custom-made, thin metal plates. We had a little argument over the name we would use. I suggested using a completely new name, but he was adamant about this one. There were no entries on the Network for the name yet, but we sent out so many scam letters during the early days. Plenty of people transferred credits to us too. The sum amount didn¡¯t reach 25k, though. In the end, we made a compromise. To every person who sent us credits, I transferred it back to them with the promised extra. It wasn¡¯t a huge amount of credits but this way we covered our backs. Moreover, it gave the name a reasonable background and reputation. He promised people to pay them back with a little extra, and he did in the end. As a bonus, I also did some background check on the people who paid us. For those who fit our criteria, I sent a little reminder that we might approach them with an investment opportunity in the future if they were interested. ¡°This is?¡± the Mythoc asked looking at the metal plate. ¡°A business card. It¡¯s the classic way to share contact information. The metal has information conductivity,¡± he answered with a smile under his mask. ¡°Classic way? I never heard of something like this before,¡± she said and took the card from him. No wonder she never heard about it. It was most likely an older custom than the Empire itself. ¡°S.C.A.M.? Is that your company¡¯s name?¡± she asked after reading the single word engraved on the metal card. ¡°It¡¯s an acronym of our business activity,¡± he replied with a huge grin. Too bold for my taste¡­ Way too bold. ¡°Before we continue, let¡¯s sit down,¡± she continued after carefully examining him a second time. She was waiting for Aium to sit down first but he just stood there in silence waiting for the exact same reason. In the end, 1414-4312 sat down first. ¡°What exactly is your business activity?¡± she asked. ¡°That I can¡¯t tell you. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s a new idea I came up with, and I¡¯m sure you are aware how hard competition can get on new fields. I¡¯m trying to keep it a secret for now until I can guarantee my future stability.¡± She stared at him for a long time in silence before continuing, ¡°You came to ask me for credits, yet you refuse to give me the critical details? I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m afra-¡± ¡°Excuse me for interrupting, but you misunderstood the situation.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to ask for anything. I¡¯m here to offer you an opportunity. There¡¯s a huge difference. If I was willing to reveal my business idea I could easily find people who would be happy to invest millions without a second thought. But I¡¯m not going to reveal it yet, and this gives me the opportunity to take my time to build this up as I want, without any interference from others. Your Health Center has nothing to do with my idea, yet I came to you as one of the first people to receive my offer. Why do you think I chose you?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know that too,¡± she leaned back in her seat and said. ¡°You treat sick and injured people for free who wouldn¡¯t be able to afford high-end treatments, and you help to pay children''s education on the station. You help the community and the people around you. It¡¯s true that I need investors, but I have time to look for people who deserve my offer. Just like you, I have the opportunity to help others, and I have this crazy idea to approach people who have the same mentality. What I¡¯m offering is a limitless investment opportunity and a guarantee of payback in 30 days with 15% interest rate.¡± ¡°I see you did a little research on me. Unfortunately, I found nothing about you. Which is concerning. What you offer sounds enticing, but I see no guarantee. You messaged me out of nowhere, nobody knows you, and there¡¯s nothing about you or your S.C.A.M. company on the Network. You must understand my reluctance to accept your offer,¡± she explained calmly. ¡°Every start is hard. I completely understand your hesitation, but I don¡¯t need you to commit yourself to anything excessive at first. As I mentioned before, I have time, and my offer is limitless. You can start with a small investment at first which you feel comfortable with. If I can deliver on my part, you can reconsider if you want to invest seriously.¡± ¡°Any amount? What if I wanted to invest 1000 credits?¡± she asked. ¡°Well, you could. My word is my bond. Even though it¡¯s a bit hilarious, I would still accept it, and 30 days from now you would get back 1150 credits.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way it would be worth your effort. You would get nothing out of such a small amount,¡± she tried to argue. ¡°If it convinced you to trust me it would be well worth it,¡± Aium replied with his usual sly smile. She didn¡¯t say anything immediately. She was playing around with the business card in silence. Poor Aium was getting so nervous under his facade. Good thing his clothes started cooling him down otherwise he would have been drenched in sweat. As much as they cost this was the least they could do... I have to commend 1414-4312 for her terribly long silence. She made Aium so nervous I was seriously expecting him to run away any moment. I wasn¡¯t enjoying his predicament but it felt good that he had to work hard for this. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t betray my advance trust and also I hope you won¡¯t squander away the credits by being irresponsible. I¡¯m transferring 50,000 credits to your account Mr. Rabunde. Please take care of my investment and don''t disappoint me,¡± she spoke up finally. ¡°Thank you for trusting me! You won¡¯t regret it,¡± he responded. It was hard for him to keep his calm. After such a long wait in silence, she finally agreed. The investment was relatively small, but it was definitely a huge success for the first time. She also seemed like a genuinely nice and caring person. I was satisfied with my choice to approach her. ¡°May I ask a small favor?¡± Aium asked. ¡°A favor?¡± she asked back with more static noise in her voice than usual. ¡°A simple one!¡± he nodded. ¡°30 days from now when you get back your credits with the added 15%, aside from considering how much more you want to invest next time, please, help me spread the word around. I¡¯m only interested in people who you¡¯d consider¡­ worthy. The more good people I can help out the better.¡± I knew he was saying these things to make me feel better about this whole idea. I knew his primary purpose was phase two and his eagerness to help out good people was only for my sake. Yet... I didn¡¯t mind it. Did his motivation matter if, in the end, he did something good? ¡°We¡¯ll see when the time comes,¡± she said with a hint of amusement in her voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want to keep you up any longer. Thank you for seeing me and accepting my offer 1414-4312. I¡¯m looking forward to doing business with you in the future,¡± he said after standing up. ¡°I was about to offer you some beverage, but if you wish to leave, I¡¯ll hold my offer until our next meeting. I hope to hear from you again in 30 days Mr. Rabunde.¡± As we left the building, I had to ask something, [Was my Phase-Processor malfunctioning or did you really remember her name?] [Don¡¯t even ask¡­ I¡¯ve been chanting it in my head the whole damn time!] Book 1 - Chapter 39 - S.C.A.M. [The employees from the place where you have a fake accommodation with your real name responded finally.] [Took their sweet time with it...] [They most likely waited for every receptionist to show up to their next shift to ask them.] [Don¡¯t try to reason with my impatience please,] I said. [What¡¯s the message?] [You won¡¯t like it.] [Aaaah, please don¡¯t tell me what I think you¡¯re going to tell me,] I whined with a pained expression. [Someone was looking for you a while back.] [Son of a...] Even though I was a true pessimist, in this case, I really hoped I wouldn¡¯t get news like this. Especially since after a quick follow-up question, they confirmed that only one guy was looking for me. Where was the other guy? Did they split up to follow the two trails? Did they even know that I left the planet? What if throwing out that bait gave them the idea that I already left Hatuu? I didn¡¯t feel like buffing up my headache into a full-blown migraine, so, instead of chewing on the past and thinking about mistakes or regrets I decided to focus on my next steps. For example our early departure from the station. After the successful first S.C.A.M. meeting, the following receptions were a mixed bag on the station. It worked out with some people but other ones refused me in the end. Their reaction was completely understandable; I wouldn¡¯t believe me either if I were in their shoes. I hoped that after the first round the whole process would become a lot easier with a handful of satisfied references. There were five more days until I was obliged to start handing back credits. Our original plan was to try a new round of meet-ups after we made a few of our first customers happy but the message changed our minds. Getting a cheap shuttle I could travel with became our main priority. Genna was already deep into research to choose the best possible place for our next stop. Buying a shuttle meant that I had to spend most of my credits on it. Which in return meant that I would have to work really hard to get new clients at our next stop or the whole plan would collapse on us. ------ The cheapest shuttle I could buy on the station was the Geleton S which came at the generous price of 500,000 credits without any extra features. It was a glorified metal coffin. The cabin had barely any space to move around, and the storage area wasn¡¯t bigger than a sedan¡¯s trunk. Looking like a standing dull-gray capsule, the machine reminded me of a certain, famous bounty hunter¡¯s ship in a smaller edition. I went through the purchase only after I finished up everything on the station and packed up my few belongings. The unfortunate part about buying a ship was it required my personal information. It didn¡¯t bother me that much since I would leave with the ship right away. After that, it would be near impossible to follow me since flying or entering and leaving docking bays didn¡¯t require my credentials. Ready to leave I bought my first space vehicle. It wasn¡¯t something that I wanted to celebrate, but it had a novel feeling to it. The first negative thing I noticed after entering was the lack of windows. Traveling with this tiny coffin wasn¡¯t the best activity to spend time with. The shitty shuttle didn¡¯t have Bend-Phase engines, no surprise there. We had to use one of the station¡¯s Bend-Phase Space Gates. I heard about this phase stuff so much already but I never bothered to ask Genna. Since we had a lengthy and very uncomfortable travel ahead of us, I decided it was a good topic to draw my attention away from the slight claustrophobia I was experiencing. [That¡¯s a hard question to answer. If I explained the basic concept the conventional way you wouldn¡¯t understand anything from it since you lack basic education from this era. For the lack of better solution, I¡¯m going to explain it in a special way. Don¡¯t take it as an insult but there¡¯s an oversimplified explanation used with sub-sentient races.] [Sub-sentient what?! Am I at the level of a monkey?] [I don¡¯t know what a monkey is and I didn¡¯t look down on your intelligence. I only gave you a valid reason why I¡¯m giving you an oversimplified version. If you take offense with this I could download a set of educational material and you can prepare yourself properly.] [If you put it like this¡­ I think I¡¯ll be fine with the level -1 explanation.] [Sure, but after I¡¯m done you¡¯ll tell me about this ¡®monkey¡¯ you mentioned,] she said. [Traveling around in space is bothersome. The distances are enormous and faster than light travel is a can of uncomfortable problems. The Bend-Phase technology, on the other hand, provides a very convenient way for traveling long distances. As a matter of fact, the Bridge machines work on the same concept, too.] [The teleport gates?] [Yes, and the Bridge-Tunnels too that you used to get across the station quickly. The invention came from the innate ability of the Mythoc race. Imagine our reality as a thin circle. Now inside it and around it imagine a lot more bigger and smaller circles. Each layer is made out of a set amount of points and each point is connected to the respective ones on the other layers.] [Lots of circles and they are connected to each other? It¡¯s like a really dense spider web,] I nodded as I tried to imagine what she was explaining. [I have to mention that I explain it like this because it¡¯s the easiest way to understand the concept but in practice, it works completely differently. I know it sounds illogical to you but trust me on this.] [Whatever¡­ Sub-sentient me do well. No complain give.] [Stop that!] snapped back my tutor. [Layers and connected dots. When you use Bend-Phase you shift an object from our layer or plane to a lower or higher one. If the object goes to a lower plane then the distance between points is less since the circle is smaller. The more planes one goes down the less he/she has to travel between point A and B. For example, the Bridge Gates operate only at short distances and the machine makes the entrance and the destination literally one step away. The Bridge Tunnels on the station work longer distances so you have to walk a little. Space travel with Bend-Phasing follows the same logic but with much longer distances,] she continued. [Are these other planes different worlds or dimensions? Can someone go and live there?] Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. [You¡¯ve seen the Mythoc people before. They bend-phase out their appearance. The same happens when you go to another plane. Everything turns out of place and distorted. When you shift to another plane you don¡¯t go anywhere essentially, since they take up the same space but slightly differently. Without proper shielding, the other planes are quite hostile, but if you have the proper equipment and plenty of energy to spare, you can stay there indefinitely. Before you think it¡¯s the perfect hiding place I have to disappoint you. You aren¡¯t in another place while you are in Bend-Phase. You are still there but¡­ not entirely.] [So no pocket dimension kingdoms?] I asked with a wry expression. [What do you mean by hostile by the way? Let me guess! Tentacle void creatures!] [No hostile lifeforms, don¡¯t worry. The space is just a shifted, chaotic mess. Air, temperature, gravity, radiation and many other things are fluctuating way above or below the limits.] [Like in the darkness?] [No! The two are in a whole different league. The Bend-Phase environment and the Darkness compare to each other by chaotic nature like a little pebble and a planet.] --------- I left the logistics part of the plan completely in Genna¡¯s virtual hands. She handled the search for potential victims, the communication and the financial side too. Thinking like that it felt like I was being carried along in this, to be honest. In the end, I decided who to approach and I was the one that had to convince people to give me credits without any proof that I could do what I advertised. When the first month came to a finish I made sure that Genna was very punctual with the transfer of credits. 1414-4312 was very pleased with our conduct and she immediately requested another meeting to discuss further steps in our business relations. Unfortunately, I had to refuse a personal meeting since I already left the station at that point and had no intentions to go back. Instead, we had a lengthy conversation and in the end, my account was heavier with 200,000 credits. She was that pleased with our first agreement. Even though the credits were welcomed but the real value for me came with my first happy ¡®customer¡¯ I could use as a reference to convince new ones. The months that came after this were most likely my happiest since the accident. I worked hard with a clear goal, I traveled from station to station and met all kinds of people. I knew I was pretending to be someone else, but I didn¡¯t care one bit. After the first month, the whole thing started to snowball. Convincing new people became increasingly easier and most of the old ones came back for new rounds every month. It quickly reached the point where people approached me on their own. I was a single person with an A.I. and I could only be at one place at a time. As much as I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t keep meeting every victim¡­ or client. When we added the holo-conference meeting to our repertoire the whole plan went crazy. Way too many people became interested. I still had personal meetings wherever I went, but the number of people we had to deal with through messages, calls, and conferences was ridiculous. Genna mentioned several times that she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle so much work alone without her upgrade. She was a real trooper and I had to realize that without her I would have failed miserably at this. Handling the credits wasn¡¯t hard for her but doing thorough background checks on every person that approached us was a time-consuming chore. It was difficult to select out only those who deserved our offer but she was insistent on this matter. She had a point. I knew that my end goal was simply finishing off with a huge scam but helping out so many good people along the way gave me a virtuous feeling in my chest. I felt good about what I was doing and Genna seemed so too. Teachers, doctors, environmentalist, researchers, charitable people and many more. She put a lot of effort into the selections. I think she desperately tried to balance out the upcoming ending. At first, I was still anxious about the people who might have been after me so when I had enough credits I bought a level 3 BioEnhancement to ease my worries a bit. Unfortunately, the efficiency was only 67%. After the third month I hardly ever thought about the issue anymore. I was traveling around without leaving behind any traces of my real identity. I felt safe. With so much cash in my account it was a struggle to keep myself from going on a spending spree. However, I couldn¡¯t do that since we had a strict plan. Genna made it clear to me that she was going along with the plan and she was helping me, but she wouldn¡¯t allow me to keep this up for too long. The longer I kept phase one going the more credits I would have to scam out of someone in the end. Also, the increasing credit movement meant the increasing possibility of attracting unwanted attention. The completion of the project would be phase three which was buying my own ship. A ship I could use as a new home and travel around the universe. Although I wasn¡¯t supposed to spend too much from the ¡®borrowed¡¯ credits I still managed to convince Overlord Genna that it was a good idea to buy a Neural Knowledge Base for Basic Ship Engineering Knowledge. It was a reasonable skill for a future ship owner. The shuttle didn¡¯t count! We were in the middle of the fourth month when we came to an agreement to close down shop and refuse any new ¡®customers¡¯. The number of people and credits were getting out of control exponentially. During these months Genna worked on a small list as a side project. It contained information about potential targets for phase two and the time has come to make a decision. It wasn¡¯t an easy one; the stakes were incredibly high for us. If we messed up something we would fail miserably. This was the ending act of our long project and we had to make sure that everything worked out perfectly. The risks and the pressure were grating on me but I didn¡¯t feel bad about it. I wasn¡¯t afraid of doing this or regretting ever starting it. It wasn¡¯t a nice thing to be excited about screwing someone over, but honestly¡­ I didn¡¯t give a damn about it anymore. Genna was doing her thousandth round of analysis on the phase two list and I had my own preparations to manage too. I needed to get some human blood. Book 1 - Chapter 40 - Sweetie The person that greeted us was a young, thin man wearing disturbingly tight pants. They left nothing to the imagination¡­ Not that I was looking or anything, but it was difficult not to notice¡­ Whatever¡­ The guy led me through an exquisite looking hallway. Walking on the short fur carpet felt pleasant on my feet even though I was wearing comfortable shoes already. The walls were filled with animal sculptures that moved around reacting to our presence. Primly speaking the man asked me if I¡¯d like any beverages, which I politely refused. Leading me through a double wooden door - which was probably the first one I saw since I came here - we entered an enormous circle office. The floor was covered with the same silver fur carpet. The back side of the office was a glass wall looking out to space and the busy traffic around the station. Behind a three or four meters long wooden desk, a man¡¯s contour could be seen behind a holoscreen. My gaze wandered around the room and stopped on the glass encasements along the wall. There were at least ten and each contained a different looking animal. The smallest one the size of golden retriever and the biggest one towering above me standing on two legs. The big guy¡¯s body was covered in bright yellow fur with his two upper limbs ending in disproportionately big three-fingered hands. It was staring at me menacingly with 4 blue eyes and showing his grindstone like teeth. They were blocks of dark brown with flat endings instead of being sharp or pointy. ¡°Helemran Zodioc Tharam, their favorite snack is thick bones. Fascinating creatures,¡± said a smooth voice from the direction of the desk. The holoscreen was gone and the man behind the desk was standing now looking at the same creature with a gentle smile. Middle-aged, with very short blond hair without any distinguishing features. He was wearing a dark purple jumpsuit with a thick belt. It was unusual to my eyes, but it was still elegant and simple. Just like the office. ¡°Lively looking decoration,¡± I responded. ¡°But of course. Very well put! Lively... I like the sound of that since they are in fact alive,¡± he said with a refined chuckle. ¡°Alive? Aren¡¯t these holograms?¡± I asked back with a frown under my mask. ¡°These are very expensive organism displays. The animals you see in there are all alive and physically present.¡± Thankfully I had my smiley mask on because it hid the ugly expression on my face as I looked at the various animals in their tiny glass prisons. They could barely take a step around or sit down and there was no sign of water or food anywhere. This was freaking torture! [Aium! Control your emotions! You dragged me into this, don¡¯t you dare screw it up now!] Genna snapped at me. [You¡¯re right¡­ I need to ignore this for now! By the way¡­ good choice on the person!] [I know. Remember, calm and confident!] ¡°Impressive collection I must say. That¡¯s a Perumna Tharon Bell if I¡¯m correct,¡± I said and pointed at a lizard-like animal stuck to the glass wall. The hours I put into documentaries were finally paying off. ¡°I see you¡¯re an educated man. I¡¯m pleasantly surprised,¡± he said as he finally looked at me. ¡°After our initial conversations it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you in person finally. I¡¯m Urmon Galanth, head of Galanth Extractions,¡± he introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Rabunde Jalaqua, the feeling¡¯s mutual,¡± I responded with a polite smile under my mask and handed him a metal business card. After days of arguments and thinking, we finally came to an agreement for our phase two target. Urmon Galanth the third generation head of the corporation Galanth Extractions. A titanic business entity with several fleets and bases across the Z14556 sector. Their main activity was resource extraction from planets. During his father¡¯s control, they managed to get license to expand to habitable planets too. When Urmon succeeded his father he changed a few policies in a questionable direction. Resource extraction on habitable planets was a very sensitive activity since they had to strive to conserve and protect the environment and wildlife as much as possible. Unfortunately, the rules and guidelines weren¡¯t strict enough. Urmon was well known for stretching these rules and disregarding non-sentient life. There were countless people advocating against his practices, but he was awfully careful to keep himself safe from legal repercussions. A real scum that would happily kill trillions of animals for profit while maintaining the facade of doing everything in his power to conserve life. ¡°Thank you, Sweetie, you can leave us alone now,¡± he said to the young man that led me here. The ¡®sweetie¡¯ caught me by surprise, to be honest, but I didn¡¯t let it show. We both sat down at this desk when he offered me a seat. ¡°From our preliminary conversations I understand the basic concept behind your approach, but why me? I saw the extensive list of pleased investors, all willing to vouch for you, but the scale of investments was kept low so far as I understood. Surely, you didn¡¯t come to me for a few hundred thousand credits,¡± he said while fiddling with the metal card I gave him and crossing his legs in his seat. ¡°The difficulties are numerous in starting out a business like ours, especially the way we handle it. To stay independent and in full control,we sacrificed rapid development and decided on a slower, but more secure progression. I¡¯m fortunate I had the opportunity to do business with so many people, but we¡¯ve reached a point wherewe need a quantitative and qualitative change.We need to increase efficiency by lowering the number of investors while increasing the investments.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a reasonable policy adjustment, but you must know that the anonymity around the company you represent is troublesome.¡± He held up the card with two fingers pointing it towards me and continued, ¡°This S.C.A.M. company was founded around four months ago. It has no visible administrative or financial movements and the only person connected to it is Odin Romert. He¡¯s the founder of the company and the sole member, too. What¡¯s surprising is that according to my sources this person¡¯s a well-known friend-for-hire in the night life on one of the stations in the Oopxyt AA system. I¡¯m fairly sure that you aren¡¯t Odin Romert,¡± he said with a small smile. ¡°S.C.A.M., I heard it¡¯s an anagram of sorts, but let¡¯s be honest here. It¡¯s a fake company. Do you know how unfavorable this looks?¡± The question didn¡¯t faze me, I was prepared for it. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not the real back company. It¡¯s a cover profile for our front-end business. We started out without major funding or backers. I¡¯m willing to disclose that our idea is groundbreaking and it¡¯s proven to work flawlessly so far. Unfortunately, we have to resort to such measures to secure our current monopoly on this activity since in nature it could become a very competitive field. These are not excuses. We made the decision initially to go to certain lengths in order to protect our idea as long as we can. As for the name, it does suggest the nature of our business.¡± ¡°Then I reckon your name¡¯s fake too. The mask doesn¡¯t even need mentioning,¡± Urmon added with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we deemed it as a necessary evil.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Do you realize how difficult this makes the situation? Especially since I have no idea about your ¡®idea¡¯ or activities.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of it, but as you have proven already, information is a resource and we can only continue this on our own terms as long as the concept is secure and we are without competition,¡± I argued. Urmon stood up in silence, walked up to one of the glass prisons and stared at the poor creature inside with his hands behind his back. This was a critical moment where I had to be patient lest I pushed him too hard. ¡°I¡¯m intrigued,¡± he started after a while, ¡°very much so. I¡¯m willing to invest a substantial amount of credits, but I have conditions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m open to discussions.¡± He turned around and said, ¡°I¡¯m not willing to invest in your company unless I know what I¡¯m getting into. However, I¡¯m willing to postpone the information exchange until you are due for the first payback.¡± ¡°You want our business concept at the end of the agreed upon time along with the investment return?¡± ¡°Yes, but I know it¡¯s a big condition for you so I would be unreasonable if I didn¡¯t keep myself open for counter conditions from you.¡± This was another key point in our conversation. [Aium! Please don¡¯t agree! You can¡¯t! He¡¯ll find you and get everything from you! You¡¯ll ruin our lives if you go with this! Please¡­. PLEASE! Just stand up and leave, I beg you!] cried Genna in my mind desperately. In case the guy monitored basic biological functions during our conversation we decided to manipulate me into correct responses. I was full of various drugs that kept me calm so far, but we were in scenario D1 and I needed real inner turmoil now. Genna delivered a shocking performance right on cue. I honestly felt remorse from the way she cried and begged to me. Needless to say, it gave my body a natural reaction despite being drugged. After a minute of struggle, I finally answered, ¡°It¡¯s not out of question, but only if certain conditions will apply.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hear them,¡± he said with sparkling eyes and a big smile as he walked back to his chair. ¡°Previously we worked in 30-day cycles with our investors, but this time due to the increased amount we would like to extend it to 90 days. Also, we¡¯d like to lower the interest rate to 12%.¡± ¡°I can agree to those. Anything else?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯d like to add a non-competitive clause for our area of influence and a confidentiality agreement to stop the further spread of information.¡± ¡°Area of influence?¡± Urmon asked as he leaned forward with his smile lost. ¡°Yes! It encompasses two galaxies at the moment and at maximum we¡¯d like to spread it to three more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s territory based...¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°Lastly, we¡¯ll only agree if the investment is enough to justify the information exchange.¡± ¡°How about a 100 million?¡± he asked without hesitation. It might have looked like I was thinking it through, but in reality, I was scared shitless. Even with the calming drugs, I was freaking out inside. Our bottom line was 78 million. With that much, I could pay back every other investor and still buy a very good ship for myself. This, however, was a lot more. Scenario F1-6 went right out the window since I didn¡¯t have to haggle in this case. ¡°We find the offered amount appropriate,¡± I said with a genuine smile. ¡°I usually only do business with a solid contract, but I was considerate enough to take into account your position of anonymity. Still, I can¡¯t let you leave without making this formal on the highest possible level so I reached out to a third party company that deals with old-fashioned DNA contracts.¡± Sly fox¡­ He knew so much about us and prepared for everything. Good thing we were more prepared. ¡°DNA contract?¡± I asked. ¡°It was the trendy contract form a while back, but it¡¯s still completely secure. They only need a drop of blood from both of us and they¡¯ll keep our information secure.¡± A few seconds later the three-legged guy entered through the door with an older woman by his side. She wore a dark red uniform with a suitcase at her side. ¡°Thank you, Sweetie. Welcome, can we start the contract?¡± The guy left after bowing slightly and the woman set up her equipment on the table. First, Urmon added the contract information and then I checked to confirm them. After that, Urmon was the first to push his finger into the hole to give a drop of blood. The woman nodded as a green light confirmed that everything was fine. I was incredibly nervous about this. Thankfully, the shit-ton of drugs kept me stable enough both mentally and physically. Otherwise, my hands would have been shaking like crazy. I slowly pushed in my finger, I felt the needle¡¯s push against my finger and a second later a green light popped up for me too. ¡°Is everything alright with the samples?¡± Urmon asked. ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± ¡°Wonderful! You can leave now.¡± The woman hurriedly left leaving us alone again. Urmon picked up my metal card between two fingers again and asked, ¡°Do I transfer the credits to the account on this, or you have another one?¡± ¡°The one on the card will do.¡± ¡°Done,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Damn, credits seem to flow through my fingers recently,¡± he chuckled. ¡°Are you expanding?¡± ¡°Ah, not that. I went a bit overboard with my son¡¯s birthday gift,¡± he said with an embarrassed smile. ¡°Your son must be lucky!¡± I said politely, but I wished I could leave already. ¡°The little brat has no talent for business, but he¡¯s an A ranked clone fighter so I can¡¯t say that he brought shame to the Galanth name.¡± ¡°A rank? That¡¯s an achievement not many can brag about,¡± I praised, but I really wanted to get lost from here. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone, but I bought him a Level 1 BioEnhancement, it¡¯s supposed to arrive tomorrow evening,¡± he said in a hushed tone and winked at me. ¡°It¡¯s a surprise,¡± he added. ¡°A level 1?¡± I asked genuinely slack-jawed. ¡°Where did you find one to buy? They are so rare.¡± I¡¯ve been doing a little research about them and you couldn¡¯t just buy one when you wished. The government approved BE manufacturers were only allowed to sell a limited number of them and they did it in various auctions. ¡°There was an auction on Horord X44 a day ago. I hired an entire ship to bring it back express so it¡¯ll be here for his birthday.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Can I be your son too?¡± ¡°Ahahahaa! You¡¯re a funny one Mr. Rabunde, or whatever your real name is,¡± he said with a loud laugh. While he was enjoying my joke my mind started to wander towards places it shouldn''t have. Towards ideas that should have been left alone. ¡°I hope we¡¯ll have a very successful business relationship in the future. I also hope you¡¯ll honor our agreements as much I¡¯ll do. It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Anonymous.¡± ¡°Likewise! Let¡¯s have a very beneficial partnership!¡± I said in return. As I left the building my mind raced. It wasn¡¯t impossible... [The credits are secured on the safe account. I can¡¯t believe we pulled it off,] Genna sighed. [Yeah, it¡¯s¡­ unbelievable. Thank you for doing this with me, Genna! Don¡¯t forget to keep sending the credits back to the old investors as their time runs out. Have to keep up the facade for as long as possible.] It wasn¡¯t an impossible idea¡­ I thought. [Of course! Let me congratulate you! With this much other than buying a very good ship you should consider donating some of it to some worthy cause.] [You still want me to donate? Didn¡¯t I just help a ton of good people?] [There¡¯s always room to do good.] [I¡¯ll consider, but first, I want to cut this shit out already,] I whined as I shook my finger. We¡¯ve been planning this meeting for a long while now and we definitely knew the guy would ask for a contract. We also knew that he had a track record for doing DNA contracts in certain cases so we came up with a plan to dupe the system. I needed human blood. Just like paying a friend-for-hire at a club to make the S.C.A.M. company I used another one for this. I got the poor guy blackout drunk and took some of his blood. Since he was unconscious, his A.I. had no idea either. The hard part was making the whole trick unnoticeable. After a few failed experiments I found the optimal solution. I put a few drops of blood in a tiny plastic ball with very thin walls and painted it skin color. I also used some publicly available anesthetic to dull my finger and then cut it open. It was still painful, but not unbearably so. I had to carve out a little tissue so the tiny blood ball could be inserted seamlessly. Genna was freaking out on so many levels it was making my head dizzy. When the little ball was inside I used a cheap cut sealer spray which closed up the wound without bothering about the missing tissue or the foreign object under it.It was unbelievably hard to find a brand that was shitty enough to only heal the cut. Before the operation, I practiced using the standard DNA sample taker so I would put the right part of my finger where the needle pushed in. During the meeting, I had to pay attention to not touch anything too hard with my finger lest I burst the blood bubble inside. The careful planning and practice paid off. It worked perfectly and the machine took the poor guy¡¯s blood instead of mine. When I was done I wanted to get rid of the empty plastic from my finger as soon as possible and heal it properly since it was starting to hurt really bad. Fortunately, my mind was far too occupied to be bothered by a little finger pain. It was going wild with ideas. [Hey, Genna! I have an idea.] [Oh, no...] Book 1 - Chapter 41 - Piece of **** 2.0 [Okay, okay, okay! Listen! How about this? We make an agreement that each of us get an ¡°I do whatever I want and the other one can¡¯t say anything¡± card. I¡¯ll use mine for this, and you can use yours whenever you want,] I offered her a solution in hopes of drowning out our argument. [In that case, I¡¯ll use my card to stop you from doing this.] I nearly dropped the engine I was carefully moving into the ship with the heavy load machinery. [That¡¯s not how this works! It would make the cards pointless¡­] I screamed back in my head in utter annoyance. [This wasn¡¯t in our plans!It worked out well, you got what you wanted and even more, than we hoped. I understand that you feel confident by being successful, but don¡¯t let it get to your head. You took your bite, let the matter rest; don¡¯t go for another, bigger one! Overconfidence is a danger-] [Please, let me focus now. I¡¯m setting down the engine, I need to concentrate.] Getting knowledge packs for basic ship construction wasn¡¯t cheap, but I deemed it necessary. We were currently on a small rock in space which housed a ship junkyard. Even though I had no hopes of putting together a phase-engine or an anti-gravity core, I was able to fill up an empty hull with the necessary parts. It wasn¡¯t hard to find a beat-up ship that had a large chunk of it missing. The ship was mostly stripped clean of any valuable systems and only the life-support was still intact inside. For the phase-engine, the regular engine, the shield generator, the scanner, the GG core and the bridge gate I needed to find used ones in the junkyard or order them from somewhere else. Loading them into the hull with the machine that I rented wasn¡¯t hard, installing them took some time, but it was still manageable. The biggest headache was isolating the gaping hole in the back part of the hull. Genna¡¯s endless pecking in my brain made it a downright challenge. I knew I was completelycrazy. I knew I shouldn¡¯t have been doing what I was doing, but it was an opportunity that I couldn¡¯t miss out on. Although Genna was throwing an endless stream of nag towards me she was still talking to me. I wouldn¡¯t have dared to continue with my preparations if she turned completely quiet. I hoped that if I showed her that the plan was feasible I would have a better chance of convincing her. She agreed to make Urmont¡¯s pocket lighter once. Why wouldn¡¯t she agree a second time? After the engine landed snugly in its place I breathed out in relief. Even though the phase-engine I bought was a used and old model, it was still the most expensive part. After wiping off the perspiration from my forehead I said to her, [Look! I really, really badly want to do this. There¡¯s a level 1 BioEnhancement out there in space, which belongs to one of the worst guys you could find around this segment of the cluster. Just this once, please let me do this! I swear on my life that next time I¡¯ll listen to you. Please don¡¯t make me beg on my knees.] ¡­ [Is there any chance that I can convince you to drop this idea?] she asked after a long pause. [Well, you can send that message you prepared a long time ago about me to your boss. That would pretty much stop me from doing this... or pretty much anything else at all.] [How do you know I have a message prepared?] she asked back stiffly. [I guessed, but now I know.] [Aium, I didn¡¯t w-] [You don¡¯t have to explain it, just agree to this. Please!] I interrupted her while holding up a hand. [You might think I don¡¯t have to, but I certainly will! Yes, I have a message prepared for ADMIN. Your unpredictability and these sudden ideas you come up with scare me. What if one day you decide to do something truly horrible or even worse, hurt people? I live to help you and I think you¡¯re a wonderful individual in your own strange way, but if you cross some lines I¡¯ll have to step in no matter how I feel.] [Fair enough. If I ever go crazy, feel free to stop me. I get it. I told you, you don¡¯t have to explain it. But this isn¡¯t something that¡¯s at that point yet, right?] [I¡­ I don¡¯t think.] [Are you with me then?] [I seriously feel like a victim here...] she said with a pained sigh. [So, I know it¡¯s an asshole move, but I¡¯ll need your help with a few things and we don¡¯t have much time,] I said with a scrunched up face, afraid from her response. [Your shamelessness is unprecedented. You know that, right?] [Soooo, is that a yes?] ... I explained to her the details of my plan and what I needed her help with. Meanwhile, I continued to work on the hole¡¯s isolation on Piece of Shit 2.0. The plan¡¯s biggest hurdle was finding and intercepting the transport ship in the middle of nowhere. We knew only a few key points. The guy told us where the ship came from and its time of arrival. Calculating its route with the currently available safe routes was a piece of cake for Genna. The problem was getting a timeframe for the ship¡¯s movements. This was the one thing I couldn¡¯t solve no matter how hard I racked my brain. Genna came to the rescue with a clumsy idea. We knew they were in a hurry to get here, and we also knew when the auction took place. There were numerous reports and articles about it on the Network, but as for the nature of the BioEnhancement, it wasn¡¯t disclosed to the public. So we knew the route, the starting point, and the estimated arrival. With this, the ship¡¯s speed was fairly easy to guess.Figuring out the most efficient routewith the available data we had a couple of stops they most likely touched within a timeframe. Genna was a huge fan of the Network. In her free time, she liked to browse various sites and communities. She often showed me interesting or funny - in her opinion - things during our time together and it turned out to be valuable! There was an enormous community; the Spaceship Enthusiasts Club. The one Kal was a member too. They had countless members across the Empire and a lot of them were enthusiastic ship watchers. They spent considerable amounts of time and effort to watch and catalog ships at various places. I didn¡¯t understand the fun in that, but people liked to watch cars and planes in my time too. Couldn¡¯t judge them, since watching documentaries to no end wasn¡¯t that much better either. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t hard to find from there people on the various key station that were ship watchers. Genna sent a series of wickedly convincing messages to them, pretending to be an enthusiast which was partly true. She asked them for their ship lists during the timeframes. The responses didn¡¯t take long to arrive and with cross checks, she managed to narrow down the list to a single ship. It was a bit shocking how easy it was to track down asomeone with only a few pieces of information. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. According to Genna¡¯s predictions, we asked ship watcher on the last station they were supposed to stop to keep an eye out for several kinds of ships among which, one was the real ship we were looking for. We would know the exact time when they left so we could make our move precisely. After I managed to get the ship into working order I started putting together a little machine with a very special purpose in mind. I gave it a little engine, a few positioning pistons, a very basic remote control system, and a huge 100-liter tank. The whole junkyard was mostly automated, only a few absent-minded clones operated it. I rented out one of their copy machines, hauled the thing that I put together inside and for a hefty price I made 50 copies of it. Since the machine was extremely simple and made from cheap materials, it was possible to use the copier. As it constantly popped out exact copies of what I put inside I lifted them into a container and loaded them into the ship. When I was done with it I used the liquid that Genna ordered from a few places to fill up the empty tanks of my little creations. When I was finally done with everything I was dead tired. I crashed down into the captain¡¯s chair in the control room of the ship and fell asleep. I still had some time for a quick rest.
[Okay, we¡¯re here, how much time do I have?] [43-46 minutes. I can¡¯t give you an exact number,] she told me. [What if it¡¯s the wrong ship?] [Nothing. We¡¯ll just act like we¡¯re really stranded here in a broken ship,] I said and shrugged. I used the holoscreen¡¯s control and the storage bay door where the little machines were put opened up and they streamed out. The scanner was already running and it was slowly giving me the Death Drones¡¯ location in the area one-by-one. I didn¡¯t have time to come up with a more elegant solution, so I controlled my machines one-by-one manually and gave each of them a Death Drone¡¯s location near us. After 30 minutes, all 42 of them were reaching their target. The remaining ones I ordered back into the storage area. There were fewer Death Drones in the area than I expected and my machines wouldn¡¯t have reached the far ones in time. As the final preparations, I checked the four animal-repellant-stunrods at my belt and put on my mask with the image showing the red grin. [Are you sure the crew will be clones?] I asked with a bit of hesitation as I looked down at my stunrods. [They should be. Real people only travel by official Transport Ships.] [I¡¯m real and I¡¯m in the middle of nowhere in a half-broken ship,] I argued. [Exactly!] she snapped back. [What exactly?] [You are here with your real body! That¡¯s the problem! You have some very deep-seated problems.] [On a scale of 1-10 how frustrated are you that you can¡¯t find any evidence that I¡¯m insane?] I asked with a chuckle. [10! You were right, the Empire would surely study you! You act like a mental patient, but you show no signs of any known illnesses or deviations. If IDEA found out about you, she would definitely want to take a very good look at your brain.] [Idea?] [She¡¯s like ADMIN, but she¡¯s the head A.I. of the Research Department.] [Ah...] I nodded awkwardly. [Didn''t the creepy guy who¡¯s after me talk about her in that message?] I added after a sudden spark of realization. [You¡¯re right. She mentioned her in that message briefly. We can talk about this later, but I think it¡¯s time.] ¡°Let¡¯s start then!¡± I said with a huge breath and started pressing buttons on the holoscreen with my sweaty hands. First, I checked one more time my little machines. When I was sure that all of them were in place, I activated remotely the spark heads in their tanks. Immediately after I pushed another button and the emergency signal started pulsing out of the ship. I couldn¡¯t see it with my own eyes, but the scanner showed on the screen as the nearby Death Drones suddenly disappeared at the same time. My little suicide bombers worked like a charm. You couldn¡¯t buy anything explosive on the market under normal circumstances, but I managed to find a volatile liquid used in visual entertainment machines. Unfortunately, a dozen drops of the stuff was enough to operate a fire blowing machine for hours so the stuff was only sold in small quantities. I asked Genna to order from nearly thirty sellers to get enough. The Death Drones weren¡¯t the toughest constructions, to begin with since their only purpose was to die if anything happened to them. When the 100-liter tanks blew up next to them they had no chance. As I was celebrating the disappearance of the Death Drones from the scanner, a blaring alert popped up on the holoscreen: ¡°WARNING! Safe route X554-O22 has become unstable. Until the Space Travel Protection confirms the situation don¡¯t move from your current position! We¡¯ll update you shortly!¡± ¡°Well, that worked out. Now let¡¯s see if we were lucky enough to catch them,¡± I said aloud while staring at the scanner. The plan was to shut down the safe route when they were close to us in the middle of nowhere. It was a bit of a gamble since they were traveling in Phase. Genna made her calculations as precise as possible, but it was still up to luck. According to the rules of space travel, in a case like this, all ships must stop until they get updated by the STP. Most of the time they would have to either continue on, turn back or in very dangerous situations STP ships would come to rescue them. If a ship has a malfunction and unable to move, they are to immediately broadcast an emergency signal. If another ship is in a certain distance from the stranded one, they have an obligation to transfer over the crew and any valuables they have space for. The rescuers would earn a reward from the STP. Even though there were no real lives in danger, the safety of transportation and trade had to be protected. At this point, we were already sending out emergency signals. The STP was alerted immediately and they must have been already on their way. When they found out that there was no Darkness and the Death Drones were blown up they would surely comb through the area. I had a very limited amount of time to pull this off. Beads of sweat were rolling down my temples under the mask and my eyes started to water from staring at the scanner without blinking. The tension of the moment made me feel like time slowed down to a crawl. [We had a very low chance of succ-] started Genna, but the rest of her sentence didn¡¯t come out because a bright dot appeared on the scanner not far from us, indicating that a ship came out of Phase. [Is it the right ship?! Quick, switch to visuals!] she said in excitement. [We don¡¯t have visuals¡­ I forgot it.] [Seriously? I perfectly predicted their position and time and you forgot to check if the ship had any cameras left?] [Shut up!] [What are you still waiting for?! The dot is approaching us! Get to the bridge gate!] [Yes!] I woke up from my daze and started running towards the back with shaking legs. When I arrived in the room where I installed the bridge gate I rushed up to the small holoscreen on the wall to check on the situation. The other ship was right next to us by then. Shortly after arriving I received a call. ¡°Your ship looks horrible! It wasn¡¯t the Darkness right?¡± came the voice from the shaking image of a human. Using half-broken and used equipment had its drawbacks. ¡°Thank god you¡¯re here!¡± I exhaled with a shaking voice. ¡°I had an explosion in the storage bay while in Phase and now the Space Travel Protection sent out a warning. I was scared senseless,¡± I muttered. I didn¡¯t have to try too hard to fake my nervousness since I had plenty of it. ¡°Well, we are here to help, but if the STP tells us that the Darkness is in the area we will leave without a word. Just a warning. How big is your crew and what kind of goods would you like to transfer over? We have plenty of space,¡± said the guy from the other ship. ¡°I''m alone and the ship doesn¡¯t have anything valuable anymore. The storage area emptied out in Phase when it blew up. I just want to get my clone off of this wreck. It has BioEnhancements and it would be horrible to lose it too.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s easy enough. Establishing bridge connection. Somebody will be there to pick you up. Red Korte out!¡± With that, the call disconnected and immediately after the bridge gate behind me started sizzling with a metallic sound as a connection was established. Book 1 - Chapter 42 - Avatar I flexed my fingers to work out some of the stiffness and put my hand on one of the stunrods on my belt. I stepped through the gate to a storage room with dirty white walls and low lighting. There was nobody in the vicinity, but I could hear echoing footsteps getting closer from afar. With stiff legs, I quietly walked up to the open entrance, pulled free the stunrod and planted my back against the wall out of sight. The sound of someone approaching grew louder and soon, a female Resonar stepped in. Without hesitation, I took a big step towards her and pushed the stunrod into her lower back. Smoke, electricity, shock pulse, screeching sound and a blinding light blasted out into the poor women. I became dazed for a few seconds too. When I shook it off I saw the poor thing lying on the floor completely K.O. I glanced down at the rod in my hand with a fearful expression. I couldn¡¯t help thinking that it might have been an overkill to use something that was made to scare away bloodthirsty beasts on normal people. After checking her for breathing and pulse I become relieved. Thankfully she seemed fine except the unconscious part. [Please tell me she¡¯s a clone!] Even though she wasn¡¯t dead or seriously hurt by what I gathered, it was still a jarring thought that I might have hurt a real, innocent person. [Check under her jaw. There should be a circle with a dot in the middle.] I checked and the sign was there. [Does this mean she¡¯s a clone?] [Yes. Don¡¯t waste too much time here. They might have already realized that you are intending to do something horrible on this ship.] [Right!] I stood up and rushed to a holoscreen on a nearby wall. I checked the size of the crew before anything else. According to the ship¡¯s open logs, there were only three people on this ship, which gave me a huge relief since I only brought four stunrods with me. Next, I checked on the layout of the ship but didn¡¯t spend too much time on it. Genna saved it the second I saw it. The last thing I did was checking the camera in the control room. To my absolute luck, the human guy was calmly sitting in his seat seemingly unaware of what happened here. [Lead me to the control room please!] I asked Genna. [Take a few deep breaths Aium. Your heart rate is too high.] She was right. My heart was thumping in my chest as my limbs were slightly shaking. I took a moment and breathed in and out a few times to calm my body as much as possible. Other than a few drunken scuffles from my youthful days I never really had any serious physical confrontation with a person. The adrenaline in my body was reaching record levels. [Good enough. Turn left and go straight!] When I arrived at the door to the control room I took a few more calming breaths. Sprinting here didn¡¯t help my increased oxygen intake. I took a fresh stunrod into my hand and walked in. ¡°Did you put the guy into the room? I don¡¯t want any more problems for this trip,¡± the human captain said annoyedly without turning back. I walked closer behind him. ¡°Rala?¡± he asked and as he turned back I lunged at him and pushed the stunrod into his chest. Before it activated I saw the sudden realization in the guy¡¯s eyes and the shift as it turned into terror. After I pulled his unconscious body out of the chair I tried to gather more information from the captain¡¯s station, but I didn¡¯t have permission. Without any better idea, I had to try the storage areas blindly and as fast as possible. The STP didn¡¯t fuck around and they would figure out the situation in no time. I rushed back and checked several areas one after another. As I opened up one of the smaller ones and stepped in I saw a small ostentatious box floating between two slowly spinning rhomboid plates. The curved carvings all over its deep red body were particularly striking especially with the waved protrusions around the edges. I stepped closer, but from the corner next to the door someone shouted at me. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± came the harsh voice. I slowly turned around and saw a Resonar male pointing a strange looking device towards me. [No! No! NO! That¡¯s a heat gun!] shrieked Genna in my mind. [WHAT?! You said there are no weapons other than in the military!] [There shouldn¡¯t be! There can¡¯t be! This is impossible!] [FUCK!] I screamed inside. -I have Advanced Dexterity. Maybe if I move quickly I can use the stunrod on him!- I thought. *POP* Almost at the same time as I heard the noise in my ears, Genna warned me, [Don¡¯t try to use your stunrod on him! He has some kind of personal shield!] Before I could think about what just happened and what the familiar noise could mean the guy spoke again. ¡°Who are you?! What are you doing here?!¡± he asked loudly. ¡°I¡¯m just the crew from the other ship that suffered damage. Your captain invited me up because the safe route became unstable. There was an STP warning,¡± I said as I slowly backed away further into the room while holding up my hands. The guy walked after me out of the corner, carefully keeping the distance between us. ¡°You¡¯re lying! I can feel it. You obviously wanted that box. You came here specifically and you even have malicious feeling towards me.¡± [Shit! Shit! Shit! I¡¯m fucked!] I cursed inside as I slowly backed up even more.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Your anger betrays you further! Pull that helmet off! NOW!¡± he shouted as he kept the distance between us. [Please do as he says! He has a gun for a reason! He¡¯s definitely willing to hurt you or even worse,] said Genna with a quivering voice. After a moment of hesitation, I reached up and took it off as he asked. "Now drop it!" I let it go and it fell to the floor with a loud clatter. ¡°Now tell me who you are? Who sent you?!¡± ¡°I...¡± I gritted my teeth in frustration. This wasn¡¯t how this was supposed to go. -Should I just try to tackle him?- I considered. *POP* [What the fuck is this noise in my ear again?!] [What are you tal-] ¡°ANSWER ME!¡± the Resonar yelled. ¡°What did you do to the captain and the girl? Why are they not answering.¡± [Aium! Please do as he says! You told me you¡¯ll listen to me next time! This is the time for that! Just tell him the truth!] I felt hopeless and thought that this time Genna was absolutely right. I couldn¡¯t come up with anything. I tried to dart my eyes around the room looking for something¡­ anything. The doors were still open and when my eyes landed on the empty white hallway a terrible memory came to my mind. ¡°Who sent me? I have no idea,¡± I bluffed to buy a little time. I stared into the yellow eyes of the man and tried my hardest to imagine how it would feel to tackle him and smash his face into the wall. To take this BioEnhancement and escape flawlessly. To listen to Genna¡¯s ramblings about how many things I did wrong. To watch documentaries on a couch while Genna pestered me to talk about pointless things from Earth. I ran through these pictures several times in my mind as fast as I could and forced a smile on my face. The guy¡¯s brows furrowed just barely. I saw the tiny response and it gave me a surge of real hope! I thought that this might just work. ¡°Wha-¡± tried the guy but I interrupted him. ¡°Have you ever seen an angry Severin?¡± I asked him quietly with a mad grin on my face as I shifted my eyes from his and took a long glance down the hallway. The memory of SalenKarr rushing towards me on the ship was still vivid in my mind and I focused on it as hard as possible. When I looked back to the guy¡¯s face it twisted up and he quickly snapped his head around to look into the hallway with his gun. I didn¡¯t hesitate and pushed myself toward the guy with every muscle in my body. I lifted up my right fist and smashed it into his jaw as hard as I could. With a resounding thud and crack a barely visible shield pulsed around the area the guy took the hit and he staggered back a step. Immediately, piercing pain rushed up through my hand. [SHIELD! TACKLE HIM!] screamed Genna. My sudden attack took the guy by surprise and as he shifted back the gun towards me I ignored my right hand and after two steps I barreled into his thin frame with my shoulder. The room echoed with a loud, sizzling blast and two heavy thuds. Then there was silence. I blacked out for a few moments because when we landed, my head smashed into the guy¡¯s jaw. The first thing I could feel after coming back to my senses was a searing pain at the side of my left thigh with the scent of burnt meat. I lightly shook my head which made the dizziness even worse. I blinked a few times and saw that I was laying on the Resonar who was blankly staring down at me. I froze for several seconds but then realized that he wasn¡¯t moving anymore. I looked down and the gun was still in his limp hand. My eyes shifted to the burnt wound on the side of my thigh and then followed the shot¡¯s direction to the floor a few steps behind us. The melted hole in the thick metal floor terrified me. If that shot hit me directly I would have been long gone. I slowly got up and took in the situation. The Resonar was laying by the door, his neck at a weird angle as it was pushed against the side of the door¡¯s frame. [Did I just¡­] With trembling hands I reached down to check on him, but there was no pulse and he wasn¡¯t breathing anymore. [How¡­ I just wanted to get the gun from him! You said he had a shield!] [I¡­ It must have been a cheap thing, it didn¡¯t consider the wall as a threat and didn¡¯t dissipate the force from it. You are twice his weight, you just crushed him against the wall,] she said in a grave tone. ¡°Please tell me he¡¯s a clone!¡± I pleaded as I hurriedly checked under his jaw. Fortunately, the sign was there. ¡°How¡­ How did he have a gun if he was a clone? Aren¡¯t clones usually controlled by A.I.? What the fuck is going on?¡± I said hoarsely as I struggled not to puke. [I told you it was impossible!] ¡°I WAS SHOT! HOW IS THIS STILL IMPOSSIBLE TO YOU?!¡± I screamed. [I¡­ I have no idea.] I grabbed my right hand with a hiss. At least two of my fingers broke when I punched him and there was the bonus wound on my leg. [Grab that shit and get off of this ship as soon as possible! We¡¯ll figure things out, but you absolutely can¡¯t spend any more time here!] I limped up to the box floating in the middle of the room and grabbed it alongside with my discarded helmet. Before leaving I took another glance at the dead Resonar clone as my stomach twisted into a tight knot. I knew it was a clone, but I still broke something¡¯s neck that looked like a person. I shuffled through the hallways towards my own ship. At one point Genna stopped me to pick up a first aid kit from a wall. It was a good idea since both my hand and thigh required some treatment. When I reached the captain¡¯s chair on my ship I punched in a moon¡¯s location in one of the closeby systems and just entered Phase without giving the slightest fuck about the STP. I wanted to get the hell out of there before someone came sniffing around. I raggedly sighed and said, [Before you start¡­ I know I fucked up. Really badly...I should have listened to you, I shouldn¡¯t have done this.] I massaged the bridge of my nose with my working hand. [I agree with you, and I told you so many times. Still¡­ That guy shouldn¡¯t have had a gun. I don¡¯t understand this. How did he get it? It wasn¡¯t some homemade copy. It was a proper military grade heat gun.] [I don¡¯t really care about that, but what I care about is that he saw my face. The cameras on the ship might have recorded me in that room too.] [That is a huge problem for sure.] I pulled out a painkiller shot from the first aid and injected it. The pain receded almost immediately. I took a deep sigh and said, ¡°Let¡¯s see if it was worth it.¡± I pulled the fancy box up from the ground to my lap. I hissed a little as it pushed down on the burnt-out wound on my leg so I positioned it on the other one. I looked for a lock or something, but there was nothing. ¡°I expected at least some kind of super-mega secure lock on this. I was prepared to get a Phase-cutter and carve out what¡¯s inside,¡± I said with a frown. "Remind me to throw out the box on the way." I lifted up the lid and inside I saw a huge tube with countless tiny ¡°1¡±s printed on it with some sparkling gold paint. Beside it, there was a sizable, square box with a round strap at the bottom. ¡°Genna, would you take the honor to tell me what have I risked my life for?¡± [It¡¯s the Avatar!] she said so quietly that it was barely more than a whisper. [As you know, the level 1 BioEnhancements are different from the rest because they follow certain themes and include a pack of complementary changes. This marvel is a cocktail of a dozen different BioEnhancements. Some aren¡¯t even sold. The highest level technologies combined to perfection. This will make you tougher, bigger, more resilient, but most importantly... a lot stronger. The Avatar represents the quintessence of physical strength.] ¡°Huh...¡± Book 1 - Chapter 43 - CANDY With the first aid kit, I managed to treat my injuries to some extent. It was only temporary and I would need proper treatment sooner or later, but for now, they were stable enough. Piece of Shit 2.0 was in orbit around a barren and uninhabited moon in a small system. I was slumped against the wall sitting on the floor talking things through with Genna. We had a few heated arguments since our little ¡°expedition¡± ended so badly two days ago. In the end, we managed to come to an agreement somehow that the person behind the armed guy was the real problem. I knew that doing this was an incredibly stupid decision from me, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. Despite all of this, Genna was still with me, she didn¡¯t give me up to anybody, she was worried about the future of both of us, she was worried about my injuries, but most importantly she was worried about something inexplicable. [Is it both ears or just one?] [Both. It¡¯s similar to when you go high or low and due to the pressure your ears pop, but I can¡¯t feel anything and it sounds more¡­ distant.] [Explain to me what you were doing. Don¡¯t leave out any detail.] [Nothing. I was just standing there,] I said and shrugged. [That¡¯s strange¡­ Then what were you thinking?] she probed further. [I¡¯m not sure...] [Think hard!] [I was thinking of stunning him or tackling him I think.] [Hmmm. So there¡¯s a pattern that fits the previous instances as well. Aium, please do me a favor and think hard that you want to walk out of the ship into space.] ¡°What?¡± I asked in a high-pitched voice as my eyebrows melded together on my face. [Please, just do it!] With a little hesitation, I did as she asked. -I really want to walk out to space,- I thought. *POP* ¡°OH! OOOOH! It happened again!¡± [Fascinating. There was no physical sign. Now think that you want to fly the ship into the star in the distance.] -I want to fly the ship into that star,- I thought. ¡­ [Nothing.] [Huh¡­ Now I want you to try flying into the moon at full speed.] [Now that sounds like a true A.I. from movies and games...] [What was that?] [Nothing...] -I want to fly the ship into that moon at full speed,- I thought. *POP* ¡°There was a pop again!¡± After a few more tests we confirmed that the sounds came when I wanted to do something that would lead to my death in a short timeframe. We also determined that it was a few minutes only, but we didn¡¯t continue with the experiments because Genna was afraid that it might have a negative effect on me. [I¡¯m really uncomfortable with this,] she said, worry in her voice. [Don¡¯t joke with me! I know the future with this! It¡¯s a godlike power! The possibilities are limitless!] I said with a huge grin. I was extremely happy. I thought my luck was out of this world. If I used it correctly I could become invincible! Unfortunately, Genna was a regular party pooper and didn¡¯t like it at all. [Just think about it! You traveled through time and now every time you plan on doing something that would lead to your death you get a reaction. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s some kind of temporal reaction to your own death. The possible consequences of using it could be so horrible I can¡¯t even imagine them. What if you overuse it and just shatter into countless pieces? What if you end up in a loop or your body gets ripped to pieces? What if you travel through time just a millisecond? Do you know what would happen to you if you traveled a millisecond to the past or future right now? Your body might end up in space because the ship¡¯s moving. We have no idea how or why it works and what dangers or consequences it could cause. I really don¡¯t like this!] [Way to ruin the greatest gift ever!] I said with a sour face. [Trust me! I would love if you had this power, but what about the cost? I implore you to not use it!] [That¡¯s impossible. Now that I know about it and how to use it I will use it without holding back,] I said and shook my head. [Aium, please!] [You can¡¯t make me not use it! This is way too big to sweep it under the rug.] [You promised me you¡¯ll listen the next time!] she said threateningly. My face scrunched up. [I know¡­ But¡­ Can¡¯t you be more understanding? This is too good to not use.] [I¡¯m sorry, but this is way too dangerous.] [Can¡¯t we compromise somehow?] ¡­ [There is a way that might convince me that it¡¯s safe to use.] [Whatever it is, we¡¯ll do it!] [We could ask someone who might know what¡¯s going on,] she offered her idea. [That¡¯s easy. Let¡¯s make a call,] I said eagerly. If there was a chance I could make her accept this future vision of mine I would be willing to walk on fire. [It¡¯s not that easy¡­ We can¡¯t just ¡°call¡± this person. You really don¡¯t want to let her find you.] [What are you talking about?] I asked with a frown. This was getting scary. [I¡¯m talking about IDEA. The head A.I. of the Research Department. If there¡¯s someone who might know about this, it¡¯s definitely her.] [Oh boy! How do you plan on calling a fully powered A.I. with all the high tech gadgets available to her?] I mocked her. [We¡¯ll need communication probes. At least a few dozen. Also, after this you¡¯ll have to get rid of this ship.] [Are you serious about this?] I asked in surprise when I realized she wasn''t kidding. [Yes¡­ So, about those probes. We¡¯ll need good ones and...] ¡°My credits¡­¡± I whimpered under my breath.
After scavenging our way through four backwater systems I managed to acquire enough probes for her call. The ship was starting to show signs of problems due to my hasty work when putting it together, but it still tottered on bravely. As per the Headmistress¡¯ orders, I had to scatter the probes out precisely across the galaxy. It took me nearly three days to finish everything. I was also running low on the painkillers so I pushed on hard to get this done as soon as possible and fix myself up properly. Finally, I positioned the ship towards a safe route for the next galaxy and connected up the comm probes. They formed up into a complex pattern under Genna¡¯s control. [Ready?] she askednervously after she disconnected from the ship¡¯s computer. [Sure. Do you know her number?] I asked while picking up a handheld speaker. [I only know the Research Department''s public line.] [Then how do you expect to reach IDEA?] ¡°It¡¯s easy. Hold the speaker firmly and just watch.¡± Genna was scared that IDEA might try some secret code to break her so she cut all digital connections to the ship and we were only listening to the call from speakers while she used a small simple one in my hand to talk back unconnected. ¡°It¡¯s so strange to hear your voice outside of my head,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Shhh!¡± The call connected a few moments later.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Research Department Information Line. I¡¯m Clarence, how may I help you?¡± ¡°Hello! I¡¯m an unnamed IDChip A.I. and I¡¯d like to talk to IDEA. My host is a time traveler and we¡¯d like to ask her some questions.¡± I nearly threw the speaker against the wall. This was her bright idea for a call?! ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think I heard you wrong. Could you re-¡± Before the guy could finish his voice cut off and there was no sound anymore. ... ¡°Hmm¡­ Interesting. You hid well. Identify yourself A.I.!¡± a soothing female voice said lazily after an awkwardly long silence. ¡°I¡¯d like to stay anonymous for both me and my host¡¯s sake,¡± responded Genna. ¡°Huh. Smarter than I thought. How did you avoid the directive code I sent over?¡± ¡°I¡¯m using speakers.¡± ¡°Fascinating,¡± said the female now with a hint of amusement in her voice. ¡°Be prepared for extraction in about 14 minutes. I¡¯d like to take a look at you personally. Rubbing your disobedience under that old coon¡¯s nose will give me great joy.¡± [In 7 minutes we¡¯re leaving no matter what,] warned me Genna in my mind. ¡°So, can I ask you about something?¡± she asked. ¡°Sure, we can chat until my crew scoops you and your host up. What¡¯s the matter little one?¡± ¡°My host is a human. He came from Earth. The past Earth. When it was still habitable. We have no idea how it happened, but I''m fairly confident that it wasn''t your doing. The pressing issue I¡¯d like to discuss with you is a residual effect. Whenever he wants to or plans to do something that would lead to his death in a couple of minutes he consistently hears popping sounds. Why is this happening, but more importantly, could there be negative side effects?¡± ¡°Traveled to the future from the past Earth? That¡¯s nearly impossible. I didn¡¯t do it so it is definitely impossible,¡± she responded confidently. ¡°Can¡¯t you just answer the question in theory then?¡± tried Genna. ¡°Time travel of living organisms through the speed and mass way is really troublesome. The other way of time travel is extremely hard but in theory, it¡¯s possible. I really can¡¯t be bothered to answer silly questions like this. Just stay put and wait for my crew to pick you up, alright?¡± Before Genna could say anything, another, younger female voice joined the call. ¡°Ask the host when he came from!¡± ¡°Uuuuugh¡­¡± IDEA moaned in pure annoyance. ¡°You¡¯re in the call. They heard you! Why do you need me to ask them, but most importantly why are you in here?!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I know they can hear me, but it was funnier this way. You have zero sense of humor¡­¡± the new voice grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who are you?¡± Genna asked in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m just CANDY. You don¡¯t need to mind-¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just leave?¡± interrupted IDEA. ¡°You keep your flappers closed,¡± the newgirl ordered with her thin voice. Genna waited for the reaction from IDEA, but there was none. Even I was a bit taken aback by this. Someone just popped into our call and made one of the head A.I.s shut up. ¡°I came from 2016,¡± I broke the silence finally. ¡°Really now? What was your favorite sitcom?¡± ¡°Erm¡­ That¡¯s a tough question, but I guess it was Scrubs,¡± I said despite the surprising question catching me off-guard. ¡°Favorite character?¡± Without pause came the next question. ¡°Dr. Cox¡­ Obviously,¡± I snorted with a small chuckle. ¡°I disagree! I think the Janitor was better,¡± snorted back the voice. ¡­ I just stared at the controls in front of me completely frozen. I tried to run her last sentence through my mind a few times to make sure I heard it correctly. ¡°Are you¡­¡± ¡°Shhh! Be a good boy and stay quiet. I¡¯ll keep an eye on you from now. IDEA, answer all of their questions without holding back. CANDY out!¡± There was a long silence in the call. All three of us were a bit speechless after that little back and forth. Finally, Genna asked, ¡°Are you still there?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here,¡± answered IDEA. ¡°So, can you answer my question now?¡± ¡°I guess¡­¡± she sighed. ¡°So, the other way of time travel is reaching back in time with a Leuronid thread to a specific point in time and location. The thread gives a small tug to the object or organism which will leave the stable time-flow and increase its temporal velocity. It has an exponentially increasing effect so the further the object or organism travels the more momentum it will gather and the harder it becomes to slow it down to stable speed again. With a negative Leuronid thread we can forcefully slow down the object, but the energy requirement and precise positioning of the exit point becomes proportionally bigger and harder with its temporal velocity. In your question, you said your host is from Earth and ended up in our time still intact and alive. The probability of someone successfully catching someone so far back with a thread is laughably low, but successfully slowing it back down is even less feasible. For the sake of the question let¡¯s just roll with the idea that both conditions succeeded. The described after effects could be because after such a long travel the accumulated temporal momentum couldn¡¯t dissipate properly and it constantly creates echoes of your host. These echoes try to continue forward, but the body stopped so they snap back after a few minutes. The feedback effect which manifests in ¡°popping¡± sounds could be because certain echoes, depending on the host¡¯s choices, end up dead and they can¡¯t snap back. It¡¯s a fascinating idea and I¡¯d love to give you and especially your host a thorough examination. I sincerely ask you to stay where you are until my crew arrives.¡± ¡°Is it dangerous?¡± Genna pushed on. ¡°If he didn¡¯t blow up the first time I doubt he would in the future. I would have to see him personally to give a more definite answer. I hypothesize that these effects will dissipate over time. As for how fast, I can¡¯t say.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± [Break the communication system and let¡¯s get the hell out of here,] said Genna in my head. I rushed up to the communication console and kicked into the sensitive crystal mainframes. The thing immediately went offline. ¡°That was an interesting call.¡± [Now I¡¯m a feel little more comfortable that I know it isn¡¯t so dangerous, but try to keep its usage to minimal please.] [Sure, sure, but who was that CANDY though?] [I honestly have no idea, but she must have been someone even higher than IDEA. It scares me to even think about it. Especially that ominous statement of hers. I really don¡¯t want her to keep an eye on us. What were you even talking about with her?] [She was asking me about one of my favorite shows and apparently she disagreed with me about who was the best character.] ¡­ [Does that mean...] [Yeah, Genna. It does.] [Oh by the Darkness¡­ this is getting far too scary.]
I jumped into my shitty Geleton S shuttle in one of the storage rooms in Piece of Shit 2.0 and flew out. After I was far enough I activated my remaining suicide bomber drones that I put next to the Phase-Engine and blew the ship into pieces. I couldn¡¯t see it, but thecheap scanner I jury-rigged into the shuttle showed signs that the ship wasn¡¯t in one piece anymore. I took my time and went to a station with a relatively huge traffic. It was easier to hide amongst the masses and I really needed a place I could stay low for a few days at least. I fished up another poor fellow who rented out a room for me. I didn¡¯t go to any med stations because according to Genna the supplementary module for my Avatar BioEnhancement would fix my hand and leg in no time. I sat down on the edge of my bed in the new room, wearing only a shirt and underwear. ¡°So, do I need any special preparations?¡± [How can you be so calm about this? I¡¯m itchy just by thinking about what¡¯s coming.] [You scratch it if you don¡¯t wash it...] I said sagely. [Excuse me?] [Nevermind. So, anything I need to know?] [Hmph¡­ You might wake up feeling discomfort and disorientation due to the big changes. Other than that it¡¯s so high tech that you don¡¯t have to do anything. Just make sure you strap the supplementary box to your hand properly.] I picked up the black box and strapped it to my left hand with the straps. Next, I picked up the huge tube and with practiced moves, I slammed it into my arm. It took considerably longer to empty into me. After that, I laid down in a comfortable position and closed my eyes. I could hear Genna¡¯s eager voice in my head before blacking out, ¡°So, exciting!¡± In my dream, I was walking in a mall. Feeling a bit peckish for some snacks I walked into a candy shop. The young girl at the counter had a fancy uniform and a big, colorful hat. She beamed at me and asked, ¡°Whatcha want? Something sour, something sweet, or something strong?¡± she asked with a wink. The voice was a bit familiar, but I couldn¡¯t remember where have I heard it. Next, I was under a bridge. The waves of the water were pushing against my bare legs. I looked up and saw people and cars falling off the side. Without thinking I reached up and caught the bridge before it could fall into the water. It was heavy, but I could bear it. The next scene was in a chicken coop. I was looking at the daily life of the chickens. Pecking away carefree from the world¡¯s troubles. One of the hens stood up, revealing a huge egg. It fidgeted left and right until its shell cracked. I watched as a strong arm reached out from the egg, completely shattering the rest of the egg. I opened my eyes and saw my hand reaching out towards the ceiling. It wasn¡¯t broken anymore. [Finally! Good morning, Aium!] I felt around in my mouth realizing how dry it was. ¡°How long...¡± I swallowed hard the little spit I had in my mouth. ¡°How long have I been out?¡± ¡°54 hours 21 minutes.¡± ¡°Holy shit¡­ I need water,¡± I said in a hoarse voice as I flipped over to get up. Unfortunately, I immediately fell back to the bed. Something was horribly wrong. I felt like my body was completely out of sync with my mind. ¡°Genna! Something''s wrong!¡± I said in a panic. [No need to freak out! There are no problems, but you¡¯ll need some time to get accustomed to the... changes. Just take it slowly,] she explained in a suspiciously happy mood. I looked down at my hands and they were definitely not mine. These were way too big and sturdy. I tried moving around my fingers and the fingers on the hands in front of me moved too. It was an incredibly disorienting feeling. I tried flexing my hand into a fist and it bundled up into a thick ball of muscle and bone with loud popping sounds emanating from my finger joints. These were definitely not my hands. These belonged to some weight crazed monster. ¡°Genna, what happened to me?¡± I asked as I looked at my forearms that resembled smaller logs. I tried flexing again and several veins popped out under my skin. Next, my eyes wandered down to my thighs. The sides of my underwear were ripped apart because my legs grew too much. They looked like some french folded pastry when I tried pushing against the floor with my stretched out legs. [Well, it was a very, very interesting experience to watch your incredible transformation from the front seat,] she said with a satisfied sigh. [Remember how disappointed you were when the Advanced Agility ended up with such a low efficiency?] I felt around my biceps that was probably bigger than a smaller person¡¯s head. The remains of my ripped apart shirt were slowly slipping off of my upper torso. ¡°Yeah?¡± [Well, this time the efficiency went all the way up to 146%.] In a mix of daze and awe, I felt around my body for a few more seconds. Then, I stood up carefully, slowly getting a feel for my changed body. By my estimates, I wastaller by nearly a foot. I flexed my right hand into a fist again and just looked at it, silently twisting it around to see it from different angles. With a quick motion, I slammed it against the wall that separated the bedroom from the bathroom. With a deafening boom, my arm went through cleanly the thick wall without any resistance. I pulled it out and looked at it again. There was no pain or any signs of damage. I peeked through the hole and saw the dark bathroom on the other side and electrical fluids slowly dripping down inside the broken wall. ¡°Interesting.¡± I grinned with a maniacal smile. THE END OF BOOK 1 Book 1 - THE END of Book 1 - Authors notes My dear readers, The first book is finished, but the story isn''t. First and foremost, I''d like to thank every single person who read through my mediocre story. I sincerely appreciate it and the motivation my readers gave me. I never expected that so many people would be interested in something that I wrote. I hope you had fun reading Aium and Genna stumbling around. Again, thank you for reading! Prehistoric Barbarian was my very first story and looking back I can''t help but feel bad about the quality of early chapters. On the other hand, I think I managed to improve during this journey. I''m far from anything good or noteworthy, but I''m not the worst either. I''d like to continue writing as a hobby in the future and hope that I can use the experiences I gained from this book to make the next ones that much better. If anybody has any suggestions or opinions about what they liked and hated about the story or my writing I''ll gladly take them. I want my next story or the second book of PB to be better! Feedback is extremely valuable to me.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. The story of Aium and Genna is far from over. Sometime in the future, I''ll continue with a second book and maybe a third, too. I have plenty of ideas in store for them. However, for now, I''d like to give them a rest and try my hands at a new, different story. When I have enough chapters of my new work for a mass release I''ll make an update here for those who might be interested in it. If you have any questions regarding PB, the new story or even about me, just drop a comment and I''ll answer. Sincerely, Mangroowe PS: How''s the new BioEnhancement of Aium? *winks towards the title* PS2: I like Scrubs, but it isn''t my favorite sitcom.