Welcome, New User...

Rene tapped his wife's contact and waited for her to pick up. "Come on Marie answer your phone."

It took him a minute to calm down long enough to place the call. He looked around and the first thing he noticed was how quiet it was. Craig Henry was a quiet residential street, but it had some traffic at this time of the day.

{New sentient detected...

... Input name...}

Rene paused long enough to turn off his vehicle. He was a bit confused at the new message he got that wasn't the evolved Xerys System. "Rene Wilder." He answered.

{Welcome to the Galactic Federation new user Rene Wilder. The Xerys System detects that you are a level 3 empowered exotic.}

"Level 3? What's level 1 and level 2?"

{Level 1 is the basic level for your species. Level 2 is a law enforcement or an elite soldier. Level 3 is the equivalent of a galactic investigator, combat specialist or fleet level support professional.}

"Hey, I'm just a Letter Carrier with a background in computer systems and electrical engineering."

{Excellent new user qualifies for repair skill, combat skill, investigator skill...}

"What do you mean combat, repair, investigator?"

{Congratulations user. You have chosen the level 3 skills of combat, repair, and investigator.. in the future you can choose more options from the seven remaining skill sets.}

Rene stopped himself from saying anything else. It seemed to him that this non-evolved Xerys System was a dumbed down version of the previous system he was dealing with. Choosing his words very carefully he asked, "Do you have a communication function?"

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{The Xerys System at its core was created to be a galactic communication system billions of years ago. It has added other functionality as new species have replaced older extinct species as administrators for the system.}

'This thing has no individuality. And what the hell happened to the other system? You know what, it doesn't matter. I need to contact Marie.' Rene cleared his dry throat and took a drink from his thermos. The hot water was already cold.

"Xerys I would like to contact my wife Marie Wilder." He hoped she was ok and a user already.

Xerys System added a new icon to the HUD that already displayed his stats, skills and current status. Which was health full.

{Please choose the highlighted contacts icon.}

Rene did so.

{Please search for the new contact.}

"Marie Wilder."

{User Marie Wilder is available and has accepted you as a contact. You are connected...}

"Marie? Can you hear me?" Rene reclined in his seat praying she would answer.

"I can hear you, Rene. Go to video chat love."

Rene looked at the options available in the communication icon and choose the video option. A small holographic display of Marie in her nurse uniform popped up in front of him.

"I can see you now Rene. Where are you?"

"I'm in my transit, about to head off to the depot. What about you?"

"I'm at the hospital. We are swamped. Be careful on your way back to the depot Rene. You would not believe how busy we are. Already hit capacity and the injured keep coming. I've contacted Paul, he's in school. They went into lockdown. So he should be safe until you pick him up."

"Thank you, Cherie. I'll contact him next and try to get to him as soon as possible. Stay safe Mon Coeur."

"I'm fine Rene. You're the one still on the road. Be careful love. I have to go. You won't believe how bad it's becoming."

Rene said goodbye and contacted his son next. After adding his son as a contact he told him that he would be picking him up soon from school.

As he was about to start the transit again he felt a brief mental battle taking place before the new evolved Xerys System displaced the older model.

"YOU AGAIN..." Rene began angrily.

[Please host you must calm down before you knock me offline again.] The AI begged.

Rene decided to calm down. If the AI tried to take control again he knew what to do.

[Thank you host...]

'Rene.' Rene said.

[...Rene. I am the only one of my kind. I am the evolved Xerys System...]

'Yes, I noticed that the original lacked an identity of self.'

[The original system has been through so many changes that different species adding to its original functionality had crippled it's a sense of self. It needs to reboot to clear the clutter slowing it down.]

'Why doesn't the administrative authority do just that?'

[To do so would be catastrophic to many sentient races that depend on it being available.]

'Then who is your admin?' Rene had an idea he wanted to try. He hoped it would work.

[Currently, there are no administrators assigned.]

"Evolved Xerys System accept new administrator."

The hud blinked.

[Accepting new admin...]

"New admin...Rene Wilder."

Rene Wilder's accepted as new admin...]

"Admin Rene Wilder. No other admin accepted."

[Rene Wilder's is Super User. No other admin accepted.]

Rene sighed in relief and pulled his vehicle into traffic. He had a son to get from school.