《Razors Edge》 Chapter One - Razors Academy Sparks flew as my laser-guided screwdriver fought against the rusted screws of the hovercar¡¯s ancient computer system. The metal groaned under my grip, but the damn thing wouldn¡¯t budge. I gritted my teeth and bore down, muscles tensing against the resistance. ¡°Stupid piece of¡ª¡± The tool slipped, and my head shot forward, slamming into the chassis with a sharp crack. I swore, shaking off the impact as a dull ache settled behind my temple. It¡¯d bruise. Whatever. Not like it¡¯d be the first. I spat to the side and wiped my forehead with the back of my hand, smearing grease across my skin. The shop reeked of metal shavings, burnt wiring, and old coolant¡ªthe kind of smell that clung to you, soaked into your clothes. The screws weren¡¯t budging. Fine. They¡¯d come out one way or another. I didn¡¯t have time for finesse. I grabbed my laser drill, spinning it in my palm while I thought. A sharper tool, a simpler solution. I could waste another thirty minutes trying to do this the clean way, or I could burn through the problem and move on. No. Patience. A better plan. I clipped the drill back onto my belt and rolled out my shoulders, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle in my bones. Eighteen hours since I last ate. Long shifts were nothing new, but my stomach was making it real clear I was pushing it. Not that I had much choice. But it wasn¡¯t hunger that knotted my insides. Is this all I¡¯m good for? The thought came unbidden, like it always did when the work got tough. Twenty-three years old, grinding through double shifts, fixing other people¡¯s broken junk just to keep the lights on. No savings, no future, no plan. Just the same grind I¡¯d been stuck in since the orphanage doors spat me out and Orla put a wrench in my hand. Just work. Always work. I exhaled sharply, rolling my neck until it popped. No point in thinking about it. Work didn¡¯t stop just because I wanted more out of life. I adjusted the screwdriver on my belt and squared my stance. Enough dwelling. A sharp beep cut through my thoughts. <> my HUD¡¯s staccato voice informed me. I glanced at the incoming ID and frowned. Unidentified. Only a handful of people ever called me, and none of them hid behind blank screens. ¡°Marts and Sparks.¡± I answered, voice flat. ¡°You not done with that car yet?¡± Orla¡¯s voice carried the sharpness of a woman who didn¡¯t tolerate excuses. I wiped sweat off my jaw with the back of my hand. ¡°Barely started an hour ago after running initial diagnostics. You expecting me to have magic hands or something?¡± ¡°You¡¯d better get on with it, boy.¡± Boy. I ground my molars, resisting the urge to say something that¡¯d get me fired. Orla never called me ¡°kid¡± unless she was pissed. I checked the time. Eighteen hours since I last ate. No wonder my stomach was screaming. ¡°Orla,¡± I said, flexing my fingers, trying to shake out the stiffness. ¡°I¡¯m taking a break.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t pay you to take breaks,¡± she said, her tone increasing with every word. ¡°I pay¡ª¡± Her voice cut off abruptly as I ended the call, knowing full well I was within my contract terms to take a real break. My stomach groaned as I left the old workshop. The only food worth eating was a precinct away, meaning a walk through the academy district. As I passed the towering fences of Razor¡¯s Military Academy, the hum of drills and the sight of uniformed cadets briefly distracted me. My routine shortcut through an alley separating the parade grounds and barracks felt even riskier today, with trucks bustling up to the academy walls. Eyes locked onto my datapad, I sifted through specs for the hovercar I¡¯d been assigned. Orla never gave me any details, just the job, not who it was for, but looking under that hood, that hovercar had history. I wanted to find out what and who it belonged to¡ªit might help me fix it. The vehicle belonged to a local rich guy, and he wanted it handled with extreme care so his son could learn to race. Why, I had no idea. Racing never struck me as fun. Now space exploration... that would be fun. That was my dream. A commotion within the academy walls snapped my attention away from the datapad. A heated argument carried from one of the hangars near the fence. Military security trucks rumbled as crates of equipment were hoisted into their beds. I took a second glance¡ªthis wasn¡¯t normal equipment, this was tech even I¡¯d never seen, only heard about. Out in broad daylight? Beyond the chain-link fence, I caught sight of two officers locked in a heated argument. The academy¡¯s reputation for secrecy was legendary¡ªexcept, apparently, for today. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. A young woman, her tightly pulled-back hair gleaming under the midday sun, stood rigid and red-faced as a higher-ranking officer unleashed a relentless tirade. It seemed someone else was having a bad day too, not just me. I paused and stepped back to watch them for a while. The female officer was ushered into one of the trucks, then left. That¡¯s when I noticed.... No way. I could see the rust from here.... Could I get inside? Eyes locked onto the hangar¡¯s rusted facade, the hum of military trucks faded into the background. It wasn¡¯t the buzz of activity that pulled me in¡ªit was what it represented. Whatever they were moving, whatever was inside, it had to be important. More important than the broken-down hovercars and endless grind of my life. The realization hit hard¡ªI didn¡¯t belong out here, stuck in a cycle of patch jobs and survival. I belonged somewhere bigger, somewhere where the things I worked on actually mattered. Growing up in orphanages, bouncing from one place to the next, I¡¯d learned the hard way that life wouldn¡¯t hand me anything. If I wanted more, I¡¯d have to take it myself. That¡¯s what drew me to this academy. Not just curiosity, but the need to prove to myself that I could do it. That I wasn¡¯t some guy stuck fixing other people¡¯s scraps. Whatever was behind that fence¡ªmaybe it could help me? Whatever it was, it had to be better than this. Crouched low, I tightened my grip on the laser drill. My chest felt tight, instincts screaming to turn back, but I refused to move. If I walked away now, I¡¯d always wonder what could have been. Every nerve in my body screamed caution as I stared at the ¡°Tamper Proof¡± warnings plastered across the academy¡¯s fence. One misstep and I¡¯d be a red dot on a sniper¡¯s scope¡ªor worse. What am I doing? The question burned at the back of my mind, louder than the hiss of the laser drill against the hinges. The smart thing¡ªthe safe thing¡ªwould be to walk away. But I couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that whatever was inside that hangar could change everything. Maybe it was desperation, maybe instinct, but something deeper pushed me forward. This wasn¡¯t a reckless gamble¡ªit was a chance. A chance to find something that could pull me out of this dead-end life and into something better. Fixing hovercars wasn¡¯t enough. I wanted more. More than the workshop, more than the dreary streets of the city, more than the small, narrow life I¡¯d carved out for myself. I wanted to know what it felt like to matter. To do something important. Every day spent at Marts and Sparks felt like another day wasted¡ªanother piece of my potential slowly dying. If I walked away now, I¡¯d spend the rest of my life wondering what could have been behind that fence. And wondering was worse than any punishment the academy could dish out if I got caught. With agonizing slowness, I drilled the hinges. Every hiss of the tool seemed deafening, but no alarms blared. No guards rushed to arrest me. Against all odds, the fence groaned as the section I¡¯d cut slipped free, revealing forbidden territory. My breath caught. This wasn¡¯t a gamble anymore; it was a point of no return. My fingers moved deftly over my scuffed datapads screen as I found the signal for the Bluetooth cameras. That was also far too easy. I expected resistance, anything. This was bonkers, barely anything that counted as security. The datapad in my hand lit up as I accessed the Bluetooth signal for the security cameras. The ease of bypassing the system was baffling. Resistance¡ªany sign of advanced countermeasures¡ªwas nonexistent. Did they really not expect anyone to try? The hangar loomed ahead, a single number stenciled over the door: 31. The sharp tang of ozone lingered in the air as I pushed it open, the silence almost oppressive. My breath caught. In the dim light, a ship rested like a predator sleeping in its den, its sharp, angular lines casting long shadows across the hangar floor. Surrounding it were consoles glowing faintly, their screens flickering with streams of unreadable data. Scattered across the room were pieces of tech that made my pulse quicken¡ªgleaming tools with iridescent finishes, polished panels with holographic interfaces, and most striking of all, clusters of unfamiliar chips. The chips were small but intricate, their surfaces etched with micro-patterns that shimmered in the faint light. Some were embedded in sleek casings that looked more like art than technology, while others were exposed, their cores glowing faintly as though alive. Their design was far beyond anything I¡¯d ever seen¡ªno screws, no visible connectors, just smooth, seamless perfection. They seemed almost alien in their precision, each one whispering of possibilities I couldn¡¯t yet imagine. My hands hovered over one of the exposed chips, the urge to pick it up almost irresistible. Whatever this place was, it wasn¡¯t just advanced¡ªit was years, maybe decades ahead of anything I¡¯d ever worked on. And it was all right here, waiting. Where was everyone? The emptiness set my nerves on edge. I crouched by the nearest console, brushing dust off the screen as I accessed the logs. My HUD synced with the feed instantly, pulling up files and schematics. That¡¯s when I caught the voices¡ªa meeting broadcast over a secured channel. ¡°We¡¯re shutting you down,¡± someone said at the meeting. ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± a young woman begged. ¡°We¡¯re so close.¡± ¡°Close isn¡¯t good enough. You¡¯ve had years on this project. The money¡¯s gone. Done. Pack it into storage. But get the job done. You have two days.¡± Their argument barely registered as I stared at the schematics glowing on the console. Here was not only a sophisticated new HUD system and port chip, but a complete Android program designed to integrate with ship operations. According to the notes, they¡¯d nicknamed her ¡®Doli¡¯¡ªData-Optimized Logical Intelligence. Their ultimate goal, it seemed, was to evolve Doli into a fully holographic interface once she¡¯d mastered all necessary systems. This wasn¡¯t tech¡ªit was art. And it was about to become mine. I keyed in and brought up the HUD integration. Easy download, it said a minute. So, I reached for the new chip¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t miss it, right? It was in a pile of other chips. They had more than enough shit to deal with packing this place up. My hand hovered over the unfamiliar chip, heart pounding. What was I doing? One wrong move could fry my HUD¡ªor worse. But the tech inside this place was leagues beyond anything I¡¯d ever dreamed of. With a deep breath, I swapped out my chip. The port at the back of my neck¡ªan oval, matte-metal interface below my hairline¡ªburned slightly as the new hardware clicked into place. The sensation was familiar, a faint tingle of warmth radiating outward as the chip settled into the bio-synaptic connectors embedded beneath my skin. The port was a standard upgrade, or so they said when I¡¯d had it installed years ago. A gateway between man and machine, it allowed direct interfacing with tech¡ªdatapads, HUDs, even industrial systems. I¡¯d been told it was seamless, painless, the future of human-machine integration. What they hadn¡¯t mentioned was the constant awareness of its presence, the way it sometimes felt like a parasite rather than a tool. DOWNLOAD ¨C DOLI Y/N I hit the Y. Of course, I did! Chapter 2 Chapter Two The download did only take a minute, the whole time my stomach gurgled and growled at me. By the time my focus was coming back to me, the meeting was over, and the tech staff were moving across the base back here. Shit! A cold knot formed in my stomach. Everything I¡¯d touched, I put back, and pocketed my chip, I¡¯d dispose of it later so no one could track it. Then I snuck out the same way I came, and I practically ran to Alisee¡¯s Noodles for my lunch. By the time I queued for my meal, I was out of breath, greeted by a bubbly young waitress who seemed determined to share every detail of her day. It took me way longer to walk back with my noodles too, I¡¯d taken a wrong turn. Back at the small yard where I worked, my appetite had vanished. The untouched food sat beside me as my thoughts scattered, refusing to settle. Instead of eating, I turned my focus to the hovercar. The hours dragged, each one stretching into the next as my mind wandered to anything but the work in front of me. On the walk back to my apartment, thoughts of the spaceship filled my mind, spinning fantasies of adventures waiting in the dark reaches of space. Smart enough to dream big but stuck without wealth, I slogged through life, working my ass off to afford a crappy apartment on the city¡¯s outskirts. Getting anywhere near the academy required a sponsor¡ªsomeone with money, connections, and far more influence than Orla. Without schooling or backing, my only path into that world came with a price tag I couldn¡¯t touch. I sat in silence, took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind and turned my attention to the Android program. They couldn¡¯t fix this. Why? Idiots. Doli¡¯s program sprawled like a labyrinth of half-finished ideas, tangled with patchwork repairs that screamed desperation. To me, it offered something far more compelling¡ªa challenge, a puzzle demanding to be solved. By day, I scraped by as a mechanic at Marts and Sparks. By night, I transformed, diving into coding forums and hacking competitions, absorbing knowledge hidden from most. This wasn¡¯t just a challenge¡ªit defined me. At my computer, my fingers brushed the cold metal of my port before locking it in place. A sharp jolt surged through me as I connected, and then the real world faded, replaced by a 3D virtual reality space. Codes and scripts swirled like a storm, endless and chaotic. The scope of the task loomed large, but the thrill of it sparked in my veins. Piece by piece, I tore the code down to its foundations. Each flawed string unraveled another, buried deeper and more insidious. A mess of redundancies and fragmented loops cluttered the code, turning it into a maddening knot of inefficiency. Every pull exposed new tangles. I rewrote subroutines from scratch, carved clean neural pathways, and restructured her processing cores for maximum efficiency. Doli didn¡¯t just need repairs¡ªshe demanded an upgrade. With every adjustment, doubt shadowed me. The academy¡¯s engineers should have caught this. What made me think a few hours of work could fix what they had missed for years? Pain stabbed behind my eyes, sharp and relentless. My body screamed for rest, but the thought of failure drowned out the ache. Stopping wasn¡¯t an option. Fixing Doli became my biggest challenge yet. The memory of kids jeering, teasing me as ¡°Mr. Fixit,¡± echoed in my mind. Every time I moved to a new orphanage, the name followed. If something broke, it landed in my hands. Fixing things wasn¡¯t just a habit¡ªit consumed me. If I saw something broken, that was me - Mr. Fixit, I had to do it, nothing compelled me more than something that needed putting back together. When Orla took me in, it was a dream come true and a nightmare. She loved to bring all those unfixable things to me, and I would. I would fix all of them. Time became irrelevant. My world faded completely from my mind, replaced by the glowing lattice of virtual connections. My eyes burned, but I couldn¡¯t stop. I was in the zone, building, reconstructing, breathing life into something that had once been broken. My hands moved without hesitation, driven by pure instinct. Then, the burning escalated to a dull throb, built until it felt like my skull was about to split open. I¡¯d never had this much pain before? Was it the new chip? I tried to ignore it, tried to focus, but my vision blurred, the lines of code merging into a chaotic haze. Slowly, I became aware of the world outside again¡ªthe dim light of my apartment, the cramped feel of the chair beneath me. My head pounded, and a sticky warmth was spreading across my upper lip. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. I yanked the port out, gasping as I returned fully to the real world. Blood dripped from my nose, a thick crimson stain soaking through my shirt. I touched my face, fingers coming away slick and red. ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered, the word echoing in the stillness. My body swayed, the exhaustion crashing over me in waves. But it was done. It was fixed. And somehow, that made the blood worth it. After stripping off my bloodied shirt, I stepped into the shower, only then realizing how late it had gotten. Years had passed since my last nosebleed. Why now? Why now? Stress? No, I wasn¡¯t that stressed, maybe working too hard... Fuck what if it¡¯s their new tech? I cringed as I¡¯d put it in my head without thinking. A question burned in my mind: could I return to Hangar 31 tonight? Could I sneak back? The thought itched at me, refusing to leave. My hands twitched at the idea, craving another chance to work with that ship, to see if Doli¡¯s program could truly run smoothly after the hours I¡¯d spent patching it together. I grabbed myself some water, downed it in one go, then poured another. My brain was still buzzing with possibilities, the rush of success and the nagging worry that I¡¯d missed something important in the code. Doli was functional¡ªbut far from perfect. What if I could do more? What if I could finish what the original team couldn¡¯t? I reheated and ate Alisee¡¯s best noodles¡ªnot so best when reheated. Each bite was mechanical, a distraction as my thoughts stayed on the ship. My mind kept returning to the ship, to the idea of uploading the updated code directly to her systems, seeing her fully operational. What if this was my chance? Not just to fix Doli but to prove that I could take something beyond broken and make it extraordinary. To take my life and do the same. ¡°By the time I finished my meal, the decision was made. I packed my datapad, ran a quick diagnostic on the new chip, and slipped out the door, my heart pounding with anticipation¡ªand a little fear. Hangar 31 was calling, and this time, I wouldn¡¯t leave until I knew what Doli was truly capable of.¡± Then with my datapad and hope in my heart, I headed back to hangar 31, making sure I turned off the city cameras this late too. They¡¯d track me anywhere if they thought someone had been through their security. Again, it was easy, and though I put night lights on in the main building where the ship was, nothing, no alarms, no one was here. It was clear they were packing things up, and sadness washed over me. This time, instead of the main console having the program in my head, I approached the ship directly, instead of walking up to the hangar doors, I asked clearly, ¡°Open.¡± With a hiss, the door dropped, and I smiled. The interior was even more impressive than I¡¯d imagined as I stepped inside, moving without hesitation. This compartment housed two small fighters secured within the ship¡¯s belly. The wealth of resources embedded in this place was staggering. Climbing the ship¡¯s main ladder, my HUD mapped out the layout: bunks, security offices, cargo holds, and a mess hall. Each section was pristine yet eerily empty, the silence amplifying the sound of my footsteps. That¡¯s when I saw her¡ªa figure standing motionless, gazing into the darkness of the hangar. My heart leapt at first, thinking someone had returned, but the truth became obvious¡ªit was the android. ¡°Doli?¡± I asked softly. No response. The ship¡¯s CIC, Combat Information Centre, was my next stop and lights around me flicked on as I entered. Six chairs rounded the room out, and she stood there. I moved to what I thought was the command chair and sat. ¡°Doli, wake.¡± Lights flickered in her eyes, but nothing¡ªshe didn¡¯t wake. The keypads at either side of the console fit my hands perfectly, and a minute later I was loading up my new fixes to the main computer system. My fingers hovered over the console, nerves buzzing as I tried one last time. ¡°Doli, wake.¡± For a moment, nothing happened again. Then, her head twitched, a jarring movement that made my breath catch. Her voice crackled through the silence like an old radio signal. ¡°I a-m a-w-wake, Ca capta-in.¡± She stuttered, her words were flat, robotic¡ªbut there was something unsettlingly human in the way she said them. ¡°HUD comms only.¡± I instructed. <> ¡°Yes,¡± I replied and brought up her 3D image. ¡°How do you feel?¡± <> she replied, <> ¡°Yes,¡± I replied. ¡°Show me on screen.¡± While she ran the system check, I noted the percentage she was operating at 22%. That was awful. There were still several strings of code that needed fixing. I flexed my hands, and once again dug back into her coding. This time it was much more fun because Doli announced every now and then, <> or <> Hours passed unnoticed until my dry lips smacked together, signaling an overdue need for a drink. Stretching stiffly, I rose from the command chair and wandered toward the ship¡¯s mess hall. To my surprise, the mess hall was fully stocked, and I helped myself to some water and a protein pack. The faint hum of the ship¡¯s systems provided a backdrop to the otherwise empty silence. Then it hit me¡ªa sharp, searing pain behind my eyes. I gasped, dropping the water container as my vision flared white. <> Doli¡¯s voice seemed distant, underwater. I gripped the edge of the table, trying to steady myself. Something warm trickled down my upper lip, and when I touched it, my fingers came away red. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I managed, but my legs wobbled beneath me. <> Her voice cut out suddenly, replaced by a burst of static that pierced through my skull like shards of glass. For a moment, I saw... something. Code. Lines of it, streaming through my vision like falling rain. Numbers and symbols that weren¡¯t Doli¡¯s¡ªsomething else. Something buried. <> Doli¡¯s voice returned, sharper now, almost alarmed. <> The static returned, louder this time. My legs finally gave out, and I slid to the floor, my back against the cold metal wall. As quickly as it came, the pain receded, leaving only a dull throb and the metallic taste of blood in my mouth. <> Doli¡¯s staccato voice broke through, urgent. Chapter 3 Chapter Three I spun around, now face to face with the young woman I¡¯d seen at the meeting. A steel mug spun between us. She looked pissed¡ªand wasn¡¯t in her military uniform. Instead, she wore slacks and a soft figure-hugging pink tank top. Her hair wasn¡¯t tied back either, it bounced around her face as she panted. ¡°What the¡ª¡± My body froze, pinned under the weight of her glare. ¡°Uh¡­¡± I stammered. ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ was just¡­¡± ¡°Just what? Breaking into a military facility? Tampering with classified tech?¡± Her eyes flicked to the tools scattered around. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I tried. ¡°Sorry? You have no idea what you¡¯ve stumbled into,¡± she said, lowering her voice and glancing toward the door. ¡°If it had been anyone else who found you here...¡± She trailed off, checking something on her wrist display. ¡°Security protocols have been compromised three times this month. I can¡¯t afford another breach.¡± I didn¡¯t know what she was talking about, but I wanted out of there. I made to move but she stepped in my way. ¡°Why is my android online?¡± A lump formed in my throat, as I resisted the urge to backpedal. What did I expect? That I¡¯d waltz in here, hack military-grade tech, and walk away with no consequences? Idiot. ¡°Doli,¡± I said. ¡°Meet¡­.¡± ¡°Major Kuba,¡± she replied. ¡°It is a p¡ªleasure to me-meet you, Maj-or.¡± Doli grinned, and taking a step forward, held her hand out. ¡°The capt-tain has been hel-ping fix me up for you.¡± ¡°Captain? Oh, this is rich.¡± Her brows shot up. ¡°Still sounds like shit,¡± she said. I watched Major Kuba shake Doli¡¯s hand, her eyes roaming her features. My brain scrambled for an explanation that wouldn¡¯t land me in prison. ¡°Look, I was¡­ curious. The hangar looked abandoned, and I ¡­ wanted to see what was inside.¡± ¡°Curious,¡± she repeated, crossing her arms. Her tone was laced with disbelief. ¡°You hacked into a secure facility because you were curious?¡± ¡°Pretty much,¡± I admitted. Honesty seemed like the only play I had left. To my surprise, she didn¡¯t call for reinforcements. Instead, she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. ¡°Unbelievable. You¡¯re either the dumbest criminal I¡¯ve ever met or the luckiest.¡± ¡°Maybe both?¡± I offered weakly. ¡°Operational percentage?¡± ¡°I was co¡ªming to inf-orm the Capt-ain I am now a-t thir¡ªty-ei-ght percent ca-capacity.¡± ¡°Thirty-eight percent?¡± ¡°Yes, Ma-ajor.¡± The Major looked at me, and I backed away. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. I¡¯ll see myself out.¡± ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t,¡± she stepped in my way. ¡°You¡¯d better sit.¡± ¡°Sit?¡± Major Kuba pointed to the mess hall table. ¡°Sit, now.¡± She wasn¡¯t giving me much of a choice. Her arms crossed under her chest; a deep scowl set into her otherwise delicate yet stoic face. ¡°W¡ªould you l-ike a dri-rink, Major?¡± Doli asked. Major Kuba glanced at the droid, and her frown turned into a smile. ¡°What would you suggest, Doli?¡± Doli opened one of the cupboards at the back of the room, and to my surprise, she pulled out a bottle of whiskey, holding it out for inspection. ¡°I be-lie-ve this will suff-ice under the circu-msta-nces.¡± I twiddled my thumbs at the table. I was in deep shit now, and I knew it. ¡°What¡­¡± Major Kuba said. Then, looking at me, she asked. ¡°What did you do? And who the fuck are you?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m Piotr Argassa,¡± I stammered. My heart raced, and for a moment, I thought she could hear it. ¡°Just an engineer.¡± Doli, ever the helpful android, handed the Major a tumbler of whiskey. She snorted, her eyes narrowing as she downed it in one go. ¡°Just an engineer doesn¡¯t waltz into a military base, fix my android, and act like they own the place.¡± She paused as if considering her words. ¡°Engineers like you don¡¯t stay just anything for long.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I stuttered, not knowing where to look. ¡°Where did you even come from?¡± ¡°I errr¡ª I work in the town. At Marts and Sparks,¡± I fumbled. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, Marts and Sparks?¡± Major Kuba waved her hand over Doli. She studied me for a moment, her sharp eyes assessing. ¡°But you fixed her?¡± ¡°Mostly,¡± I said. ¡°Her code was a mess. I just¡­ cleaned it up.¡± Major Kuba¡¯s expression shifted, a flicker of something resembling respect crossing her features. ¡°Not bad for a civilian,¡± she muttered. I hesitated, then asked, ¡°Why is she even here? Doli¡¯s clearly advanced, but it looks like you¡¯re shutting the project down.¡± Her jaw tightened. ¡°Budget cuts. The higher-ups don¡¯t think she¡¯s worth the investment.¡± ¡°They¡¯re wrong,¡± I said without thinking. ¡°She¡¯s incredible.¡± Major Kuba¡¯s gaze softened, slightly. ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t know.¡± She sighed, then squared her shoulders. ¡°Seriously, fucking Marts and Sparks?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded. ¡°She¡¯s still a lot of glitches. There are strings I need to break down and rewrite. But I was getting there. Just needed a drink¡­¡± ¡°Oh, m¡ªy capta¡ªin,¡± Doli stuttered. ¡°What wo¡ªuld you like?¡± ¡°Can you connect to Major Kuba¡¯s HUD as well as mine?¡± ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± She said and I heard a click as she did so. <> ¡°Coffee,¡± I said. ¡°Some food if there is anything easy?¡± <> Doli said, and off she went, moving about the small galley once again. ¡°That¡¯s much better, she sounds almost normal.¡± ¡°Almost normal,¡± I reiterated. Major Kuba sat before me and poured herself another whiskey. ¡°I only came by because I¡ªI¡ª¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t want to decommission her,¡± I risked. ¡°She¡¯s your baby.¡± Major Kuba ran a hand over her face. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t know that, but you do. How?¡± ¡°I listened to the meeting yesterday while I nosed around.¡± ¡°Nosing around?¡± ¡°Yeah, I was out for lunch, saw your dressing down in the yard, got curious, then I liked what I saw.¡± ¡°There are people who would kill for what¡¯s in this hangar,¡± Ashley said, her voice barely above a whisper. ¡°Not just for the ship, but for what Doli represents. The wrong hands...¡± She shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s just say there¡¯s a reason this project was officially ¡®terminated.¡¯¡± Doli put the coffee before me, and I took a swig, pinching the bridge of my nose. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± the Major asked. ¡°Bit of a headache,¡± I answered, and pinched harder. ¡°That will be the adjustment to the tech, you¡¯re not used to it.¡± She sighed. ¡°You realize how many laws you broke coming in here? Right?¡± ¡°But you¡¯re not arresting me?¡± Her eyes narrowed as I watched her mind working, clearly weighing her options. I drank more coffee and was surprised when a hot meal was put before me. I shot Doli a look. <> Doli placed a fork before me, and I looked at the Major before digging in. ¡°This is good.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t skimp. This is a ship that¡¯s faster, more capable than anything we¡¯ve ever built.¡± ¡°But they are shutting it down?¡± ¡°Budget cuts, there¡¯s nothing left to give me,¡± she said again. ¡°There were complications a few months ago. When we¡ªI¡ªI couldn¡¯t get Doli fully online, no matter what I tried, that was their only option.¡± ¡°A fresh set of eyes can always see what¡¯s in front of someone else¡¯s face.¡± I said. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Major Kuba laughed. ¡°You¡¯re not at the academy?¡± ¡°Nope, never found a sponsor rich enough.¡± ¡°Not even for one of the first-year exams?¡± I shook my head, ¡°I really am poor, and I really do work at Marts and Sparks.¡± ¡°Not anymore,¡± she said. The fork in my hand paused mid-air as I almost choked on the ready meal. ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you can fix up my teams¡ªmy mistakes, you¡¯re too good to be working in Marts and Sparks and you know it. I¡¯ll sponsor you and I¡¯ll get you fast-tracked.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± I said, holding up a hand. ¡°Why would you consider doing that for me, you should have me thrown out, locked up for hacking into a military academy and secure base.¡± ¡°I should,¡± she said. ¡°But I want to save Doli. I¡¯ve worked too hard on her, for that.¡± <> Doli said. <> <> ¡°One other condition,¡± she said and drank another mouthful of alcohol. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°We need to get this ship off the base, to a safe location where we can fix her properly. Maybe rewrite her from the ground up.¡± Doli stepped before Major Kuba. <> The Major stood and walked around Doli. ¡°Like you said earlier, she¡¯s my ¡®baby¡¯ I don¡¯t want to lose her or access to her. I¡¯ve spent years with my team, building her up and coding her from scratch.¡± ¡°Even if flawed,¡± I said, on her glare as I finished my sentence. ¡°She¡¯s some of the best engineering I¡¯ve seen, and I¡¯ve seen a lot of innovative ideas.¡± I stood with her, looking at Doli. ¡°What do you say, Doli?¡± <> she frowned, <> ¡°You still knew where I stashed my booze,¡± Major Kuba said. Doli grinned from ear to ear. <> she said. <> ¡°Enough of that,¡± the Major cursed and tried her best to cover Doli¡¯s mouth even though she was speaking to us directly, it had the desired effect. ¡°Get a little frisky in the ship''s quarters?¡± I asked with a chuckle. ¡°Enough!¡± the Major said. ¡°Now get your ass back home the way you came. I¡¯ll have my detail pick you up from Marts and Sparks in the morning. You can move across here from wherever it is you¡¯re living now.¡± ¡°Shitty little apartment south-side,¡± I said. ¡°The dorm rooms probably aren¡¯t much better,¡± she added. ¡°But they¡¯re here, and here you can do better work. That¡ª¡± She reached forward and lightly tapped the side of my head. ¡°That¡¯s wasted out there.¡± ¡°You really think so?¡± I had to ask. ¡°If you did all of this,¡± she waved back to Doli, ¡°then hell yes. Now go.¡± ¡°Academy, and then what?¡± I asked her. ¡°Whatever you want, you graduate from there¡ªthe world¡¯s your oyster.¡± As I looked up, a sudden projection of stars filled the ceiling, twinkling beautifully. <> <> she replied. <> That thought scared me, a little. ¡°I dream of the dark. I dream of exploring space, me and a ship¡ªwell a ship like this¡­¡± I patted the bulkhead behind me. ¡°If I fix Doli,¡± I said, leaning forward, ¡°and stay with the academy to see it through, I want the ship as payment.¡± Major Kuba¡¯s jaw tightened, her eyes narrowing. ¡°You¡¯re bold, I¡¯ll give you that.¡± I held her gaze, my voice steady. ¡°Maybe. But without me, Doli doesn¡¯t get fixed, and this ship doesn¡¯t fly.¡± Doli also nodded her head. <> ¡°Doli¡¯s worth 1000x more than this ship fully operational, and you know it.¡± I said. Major Kuba couldn¡¯t deny that. <> Doli said. <> ¡°Straight out of the mouth of babes,¡± Major Kuba murmured. ¡°Okay, we save the ship, the program and you work with me to build a new one, from scratch.¡± ¡°Almost from scratch.¡± I grinned and held out a hand for her. ¡°Deal?¡± Major Kuba took my hand in hers and shook it. ¡°Deal, but don¡¯t call me Major Kuba. Call me Ashley, please.¡± ¡°Deal there too, then Ashley.¡± Ashley smiled, but then it turned to a frown. <> Doli said, and flicked us both a document. <> ¡°Shit, she¡¯s fast.¡± Ashley said, but she signed it. On completion of a new digital DOLI program, the C47 prototype would be mine. I was ecstatic. This was the best news I could ever, ever have. ¡°Go,¡± she said. ¡°Before I change my mind.¡± Not waiting for her to say it again, I made my way back to my cramped apartment, the memory of the spaceship blazing in my mind. It wasn¡¯t just a spaceship; it was freedom, adventure¡ªeverything my life wasn¡¯t. <> <> I asked. <> <> Doli¡¯s voice broke, I stopped walking. Was I too far away? I walked back a few steps <<¡ªood reception at your apartment?>> <> I replied. <> <> <> I chuckled. <> I liked the sound of it, and if it helped me catch up it was a bonus. My apartment wasn¡¯t too far now, and I ran the rest of the way. A few minutes later I sat cross-legged on my apartment floor, the room¡¯s cluttered chaos surrounding me. The stolen chip and DOLI¡¯s program were now nestled safely in my port. I leaned back against my chair, plugging my port in once again, the faint warmth of the data transferring as Doli¡¯s system synced with the grid. ¡°So would this be basics?¡± <> ¡°Initiate tutorial mode then, please,¡± I murmured, barely above a whisper. <> her voice replied, smooth and robotic. <> ¡°Show me everything related to AI protocols and ship operations,¡± I said, leaning forward. Data streamed into my vision, a three-dimensional lattice of interconnected code. It was intricate, beautiful, and a complete mess. I dove into it, my hands moving as if manipulating invisible threads. <> I groaned, not as easy as she made out then. ¡°Okay, yeah, let¡¯s prioritize the base systems first,¡± I replied, my brow furrowing as I zoomed in on a fragmented subroutine. Each piece of corrupted code felt like a puzzle, one I was determined to solve. <> Doli observed as I worked through the code. ¡°According to whom?¡± I asked, not looking up from my work. <> ¡°Didn''t realize they had that much faith in standardized testing,¡± I replied. <> That gave me pause. ¡°So they can actually measure how someone thinks, not just what they know?¡± < > DOLI¡¯s voice interjected occasionally with suggestions, but I was quick to counter, challenging her logic with my own. The back-and-forth became a rhythm, a collaboration that felt oddly natural. After an hour, I stumbled upon a buried module labeled ¡°Experimental Neural Interface.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I muttered. <> Doli explained. <> My curiosity burned brighter. ¡°Run a simulation. Let¡¯s see what it¡¯s supposed to do.¡± My HUD shifted, displaying a holographic representation of the module. I watched as data flowed through simulated neural pathways, mapping potential interactions with my port. It was breathtaking¡ªa glimpse into technology leagues beyond anything I¡¯d ever seen. ¡°This is experimental tech, right?¡± <> She replied. <> ¡°This could rewrite how ships operate,¡± I said, more to myself than to DOLI. ¡°Integrating directly with the crew¡¯s neural activity¡­ why¡¯d they abandon it?¡± < > Doli replied. <> I froze. ¡°A logic bomb? Someone deliberately sabotaged you?¡± <> ¡°And they just gave up on you?¡± I couldn¡¯t keep the disbelief from my voice. <> I hesitated. The ethical implications nagged at me, but the lure of discovery was too strong. Logic bomb or not, I couldn¡¯t walk away now. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s analyze it deeper.¡± <> ¡°I do,¡± I said, my mind already racing with possibilities. ¡°If someone tried to sabotage you, I want to know why. And I want to undo what they did.¡± A danger I hadn¡¯t anticipated. Someone had already tried to destroy Doli once. What would they do if they knew someone was trying to fix her? ¡°I do,¡± I said. ¡°This would be amazing tech to have.¡± Hours passed in silence, punctuated only by the faint hum of the port and the occasional, <> from Doli as I adjusted her parameters. New ideas took shape, its potential unraveling before my eyes. When I finally disconnected, the sunrise painted my apartment in soft orange hues. My exhaustion was bone-deep, but satisfaction burned brighter.