Space Odyssey: Spectre
Chapter 585: Gathering
"Shilla, meet the NeoYakuza Artificial Intelligence. They literally run the entire galaxy." Jace informed her as he moved to an opening that was lit up. He moved the ship over and landed inside as he ship easily navigated through the water thanks to the hover plates.
"The entire galaxy?" Shilla asked. "Lowering the landing gears." She announced as they passed through an atmospheric barrier. It looked like the place had been fixed up while he was gone.
"Gladiator, as he called himself. Is exaggerating. I control the NeoYakuza which is a galaxy spanning casino business and gang. Which in turn expanded into control to various smugglers, traders, and many other things." The AI began explaining. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Another unique species."
"Why are you... well you?" Shilla asked as Jace began switching off the ship while the door closed above them.
"I was originally designed to be a caretaker. But when disaster struck, I expanded my programming. I cannot remember why. Just that I did it. Now I need a bit more modification. I assume that is what you are here for?" The AI asked.
"I am here to modify your systems some more." Jace nodded his head as the canopy opened and he pulled himself out. Feeling a bit stiff from the flight. He jumped out and his boots clanged against the ground. "I just need to input some pre-written code. Then I am going out to modify your natural energy source to make it more efficient."
"What am I doing again?" Shilla asked as she jumped out with him and followed him to the door that slid open.
"You are going to get some flowers and other things to make more of the stabilization stuff." Jace told her as he brought up his wrist and brought up a hologram before flicking it to her. She flinched as she received the list. "A map of the place, the ingredients and their descriptions, as well as the location of both the place to procure it and the place to turn it into the chemical concoction. Feel free to grab the raw ingredients as well. Our storage compartment is empty."
Shilla nodded. "Okay, I can do that." She nodded her head as she moved down a hallway and Jace walked down the other way.
Jace moved through the facility until he arrived at a door that acted as a pressure chamber. He stepped through the first door before sealing it. Already finding the tools he needed inside. The room began filling with water as he put them against his armor and they magnetically connected.
"Thank you for preparing the tools I needed." He thanked the ever prescient AI as the water filled halfway up.
"I had the spare time so I just prepared it. You will be glad to know that those creatures have spread the spare liquid into the water. Now there are a variety of underwater and intelligent creatures in the surrounding area."
Jace chuckled and thought of something. "Are there any in this place?" He asked as the room completely filled up. He moved forward and slowly because of the water and began opening the door manually. It creaked before the door opened and the water inside the chamber mixed with the water from outside.
"Nope, I keep them confined to that one hangar." The AI answered. "I feel like you should know that those ones have been advancing quickly. So quickly that they seemed to have already created a religion based around you."
"Interesting." Jace answered as he walked out into the rocks and moved towards the volcanic entrance where several massive wires ran into it. But there were a few blocky terminals that were covered in corals and other natural debris. "Well I have to make these more efficient either way."
He walked through seaweed and over rocks. As he did he noticed various smaller critters as he moved. But he also noticed a lack of the bigger creatures which was odd. He arrived at the first console. He had to take out a hammer and a chisel to start chipping away at the hard growths that had grown on it.
Once it was removed he started it up and began altering some information. It took an hour and some requiring of some wires before it was fixed and he moved on to the next console station at a different massive wire.
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"I don’t get it." West said as they looked at Catherine who was held in full body restraint. "What do you mean she tried to kill Gladiator? She wanted to study him but this is clearly not the time or place. There is no logical reason she would do that."
"It wasn’t logical." Cain told her as he opened the door and Victor pushed some equipment inside. Eduta followed him in as well. "It might not have even been her. There is something wrong. According to Gladiator, her eyes were glowing red when she attacked."
"So now we are looking for a medical reason for her... affliction?" West asked.
"Split personality." Victor spoke from the cell. "That is what we are calling it for now."
"Hehehehe..." They looked to Catherine because her eyes were opened again. Jace had knocked her out so she was unconscious until this moment. She was scowling while giggling and just as Jace had said her eyes were glowing red.
"Well that is ominous." Victor pointed out.
"That is a thing, not a person." Eduta declared quietly as they backed out of the room after setting up the equipment so it was observing her. Cain was already retrieving the scans. "I can sense it, it looks like it is using her like you might wear clothes."
"You are one of those Xenar creatures. I wonder how you taste when cooked up?" Catherine asked with a cackle. She then looked around at them before zeroing in on Cain. "You, robot. Release me so I can continue my experiments. I know I can extract what I need if I can experiment on them."
Cain tilted his robotic dog head. "I will pass. But I do want to know. What are you?"
"Let me out!" She screamed.
"I guess that means you do not know either. Then all I can do is make assumptions. Why did you stay dormant for so long?" Cain asked.
"I didn’t, that fool did not realize because her life is so filled with the same thing but I just took over right before she went to sleep. I have been trying to find a way to make a stabilizing agent so I can take over this body. But you just ended up somehow stumbling on it the first month you arrive? How?" She demanded in anger.
Cain was more focused on the scanning equipment which was revealing the same thing that he was looking for. It was giving off the same energy that they had scanned from the Abyssal craft when it was still intact. "My creator is just that lucky." Cain told them before turning to Victor. "Victor, take West and go out with Crystal to receive some metals. I already sent the list to Crystal. Then hand it off to Colvert, I need him to make something. He should be busy setting up the equipment to start manufacturing metals and other things we need."
"Okay, what about this one?" Victor nodded at the woman who was currently trying to wiggle out of her restraints.
Cain looked back at the woman and analyzed her for another moment. "Eduta and I will watch her in shifts. Eduta, go and rest for a bit. If I am right, she can’t jump bodies so there is no worry."
"Why couldn’t I sense her before? I even scanned her mind?" Eduta asked as the others walked away.
"That is not really my area of expertise. But I have a feeling all will be revealed when we help stabilize her mutation." Cain informed him before moved away from the cell. He might as well watch from further back.
"Hmm..." Eduta made a noise before turning and leaving with the others.
"Now it is just me and-"
"Mute." Cain said aloud and he could no longer hear Catherine.
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"What the hell was that?" The princess asked. They were in the conference room aboard her ship looking at recordings they had. It was of something streaking past their ship on a course to Prima Terra. She was not the only one either, there were other royals who were looking at the same recording.
"A ship, a fast one." One of the princes voiced. He was actually an engineer who designed and built his current fleet. "The initial design is ancient Earth. I am thinking it might even be something from back then."
"Don’t be ridiculous. Our technology has never been that advanced." A different prince grunted out.
"Historical texts suggest otherwise." The princess answered. "We lost them when they slowed down. They flew by the floating remains of our brother’s ship. If it was still operating and was able to scan it."