UGT: Unknown
Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system
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I looked down at my work in doubt. "Aso, are you really sure this is going to last?"
[ The sealing spray from Aetheria Productions is a very high quality product, capable of sealing any type of opening for months if necessary. This unit can say with a probability of 99.4% that this product will be able to seal off the ventilation grids until a more permanent solution can be implemented. ]
"That's all well and good, but have you considered how old this stuff is?" I asked him. After all, I knew that everything I could find on this outpost was nearly a thousand years old.
[ Aetherian Productions' products all have a guaranteed life expectancy of one thousand years and retain their functionality up to 10,000 years after production, even if the effectiveness of their products slowly starts to degrade after an average of 5,000 years. ]
That was all well and good, if it weren't for one small detail. "Can you tell me how the sealing spray works and how we can produce it ourselves?"
[ This unit has no data on the operation and manufacturing process of this product. ]
Unfortunately, I discovered that Aso's technical memory data was temporarily and to a large extent permanently lost when the outpost's industrial systems collapsed. So he was as clueless about Aetherian technology as I was. And I didn't like working with technology that neither I nor my AI companion understood at all. But for now, I had to live with it and trust in the few things Aso did know. "So, that takes care of the ventilation grilles. Aso, can you tell me how much the oxygen level has dropped since I awakened?"
[ The original oxygen level had been 24%. At the time of inheritors awakening, the oxygen level had already dropped to 22.4%. By now the oxygen level stands at only 19.4%. The oxygen level is currently only dropping insignificantly and has therefore largely stabilised. ]
With that, this task was done. "Aso, what's next on the list? As far as I understand it, we have no time to lose if we want to safe the outpost."
[ The next highest priority is the failing antimatter reactor, which would lead to outpost destruction due to the following explosion. ]
[ Path to reactor room (antimatter reactor) highlighted. ]
[ ETA until explosion: 12:54:43 ]
"Let's go then. Do you have any idea how I can stop this thing from blowing up?"
[ The data collected thus far, indicates that the electromagnetic shielding seems to be destabilised and needs to be recalibrated. This requires manual intervention at the local terminal by inheritor. ]
"What do you mean by data collected so far? Please tell me you have the technical data on the antimatter reactor."
[ Even with the required ressources, this unit would not be able to create an antimatter reactor at the moment. ]
"This is getting better and better... Let me summarise: We have a destabilised antimatter reactor and nothing more than a vague theory of where the problem might lie and how we can fix it. Is that accurate?"
[ Inheritor's summary is roughly correct, though the details are inaccurate. ]
"You know what? Forget it. Just tell me everything you know about antimatter reactors. I'm not going anywhere near this thing unprepared."
[ An antimatter reactor works by letting antimatter and normal matter collide whith each other. Upon contact, matter and antimatter annihilate each other, which produces comparatively big amounts of energy, that is used to power ASO-17309. To trap the antimatter and stop the entire antimatter reserves to react contemporaneous and release massive amounts of energy, that could destroy ASO-17309 in its entirety, a antimatter decelerator is needed. It traps antimatter into a condensed cloud with an electromagnetic shielding field to stop that process. If said electromatic shielding destabalises to strongly and breaks, the antimatter will come free and instantly react with the normal matter around it. Therefore this is a scenario that has to be stopped for inheritors survival. ]
"Aso... If you know all that, how come you're still not able to create your own antimatter reactor?"
[ This unit has no available data on the correct configuration of electromagnetic shielding. Given a working antimatter reactor as well as sufficient time for analysis, this unit will become capable of creating antimatter reactors, as well as weapons, given that the needed ressources are available. ]
"Aso, I take back everything bad I ever said or thought about you. You are good for something after all!"
[ Destination reached. Local terminal jumpstarted. This unit recommends stabilisation of antimatter reactor as fast as possible. ]
"Fine, just ignore my praise than..." I muttered, only to instantly freeze upon seeing the terminal. "Aso... There are five different configuration categories with each having at least half a dozen sub-categories. Help please?"
[ This unit is not permitted to influence decision making of unqualified personal if chance of inheritor`s death as direct consequence of said decision lies above 15%. Inheritor will have to restabilise antimatter reactor independently.]
"Are you fucking kidding me... Fine, lets test what I learned from you on the way." I said before starting to analyse the terminal before me in detail. "Lets start with an automatic checkup. There should be nothing I can do wrong with it." I muttered and luckily was proven correct.
[ Automatic system checkup through sub-AI manually started. ]
[ Automatic system checkup commencing... ]
[ Automatic system checkup completed. One problem detected. ]
[ Problem: Destabilised electromagnetic shielding. ]
[ Recommendation: Recalibrate electromagnetic shielding. ]
"So your theory was correct, Aso. But why is this Sub-AI able to give me concrete information, while you only had assumptions for me?"
[ A sub-AI is a mostly independently working with its own independent data memories. Currently, only the most basic data connection to Sub-AI`s exists, due to lack of memory space. Once more memory space is available, deeper connections between this unit and Sub-AI`s can be created. ]
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"So you are telling me that if you reconnect to your Sub-AI`s, you will also potentially regain parts of your lost data memory. Okay, that will be another one of our priorities than. Although more like a mid-term priority, I guess... Anyway, auto-repair sounds like a good function to use next." I said, instantly selecting the option on the terminal. Only to be disapointed, apparently.
[ Due to Inheritor-Protocols, this Sub-AI is unable to perform potentially catastrophical decision making. Manual recalibration through other configuration categories required. ]
"What the? Aso, how is this outpost supposed to survive a space fight? The Inheritor-Protocols will literally block everything!"
[ Aso-17309 Battle-Protocols are able to partly override Inheritor-Protocols if all requirements are met. ]
At least I wouldn`t be completely helpless if the outpost got attacked. Some of our offensive systems did still work. At least according to Aso`s status report. But for now, I had higher priorities. From what I learned I decided to select the antimatter decelerator category. Than I chose the electromagnetic shielding sub-category. So far, my choice wasn`t really hard. That changed the moment I saw the menu of the electromagnetic shielding sub-category. The terminal presented me the options to strengthen, weaken, redirect, condense and dilute the electromagnetic shielding. "Aso, please, help me. I have no idea at all what to choose!"
[ This unit is not permitted to influence decision making of unqualified personal if chance of inheritor`s death as direct consequence of said decision lies above 15%. Inheritor will have to restabilise antimatter reactor independently.]
"I hate you. Fine, I`ll just do it. Local terminal Sub-AI, strengthen the electromagnetic shielding. Afterwards, instantly dilute it. If at any point the reactor destabilises further, instantly revert any changes made." I truly had nothing more than a hunch as I decided what to do. Now, I could only pray that I didn`t just doom myself."
[ Orders confirmed. ]
[ Additional energy redirected to strengthen energetic shielding. ]
[ Commencing... ]
[ Partly restabilisation of antimatter reactor. ]
[ WARNING! ]
[ Electromagnetic shielding in flux! Continue orders? ]
[ Y/N ]
"Fuck, I don`t care, somehow Im sure I made the correct decision. Continue!"
[ Density of electromagnetic shielding falling. ]
[ Commencing... ]
[ Electromagnetic shielding sucessfully recalibrated! ]
[ Antimatter reactor fully restabilised! ]
[ All configuration operations stopped by Main-AI. ]
"Aso, did you see that?! I FUCKING DID IT!" I screamed elated.
[ Reevaluation of inheritors abilities commencing. ]
"Oh you piece of space trash, you didn`t just say this! And what did you even do at the end by stopping all configuration operations?"
[ This unit decided to reevaluate inheritors mental capabilities and technological expertise and therefore survival chance. This is a postive improvement in current situation. ]
[ Once chance of inheritor`s death as direct consequence of this unit`s decisions fell below 15%, this unit retook full control over antimatter reactor. ]
"Okay, good job than, I guess. I just ignore everything you said about my mental capabilities. Anyway, are you now theoretically able to create your own antimatter reactor?"
[ This unit needs more time to study antimatter reactor functions to be able to copy antimatter usage designs. ]
[ ETA: 3:16:25:56 ]
"Okay... Anyways, what`s next on my priority list?"
[ The next highest priority is the failing cold fusion reactor, which would lead to partly outpost destruction due to the following explosion. ]
[ Path to reactor room (cold fusion reactors) highlighted. ]
[ ETA until explosion: 04:12:34 ]
"Wait... WHAT?! Aso, why isn`t this of higher priority?! As of now, we would loose most of the still functioning station if this reactor explodes! This is ESPECIALLY critical if you see that I only have FOUR. FUCKING. HOURS left! How am I supposed to fix anything that fast?!
[ This unit prioritises inheritors survival over Aso-17309`s survival. Therefore, prioritiy list focuses on taks most likely to further inheritors survival chance. ]
[ This unit has the necessary memory data to instruct the inheritor on how to repair the cold fusion reactor. ]
"What the fuck is wrong with you, Aso?! Without the outpost, I will definitely die!" But whatever, I don`t have time to argue with you! Give me an ETA how long until I reach the terminal for the cold fusion reactors! And fucking tell me RIGHT NOW how I can fix them!"
[ ETA: 00:00:12 ]
[ Pressure inside cold fusion reactor must be reduced due to fusion reactor currently running on fumes. ]
[ Destination reached. Terminal jumpstarted. ]
I pracitcally threw myself at the terminal, instantly working myself through the terminal. Unfortunately, this terminal was everything else than orderly and according to Aso, ther cold fusion reactors were to "primitive", and therefore not worth a Sub-AI. So I had to work myself through hundreds of pages of user manuals and system operations as fast as possible. "Aso, ETA, now!" I screamed as I finally found the correct submenu. Now I only had to get administrator access for reconfiguration!"
[ ETA until cold fusion reactor explosion: 00:12:09 ]
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck fuck..." I muttered, working even faster once I saw how little time I had left. But a few minutes later...
[ Pressure inside cold fusion reactor sucessfully lowered. ]
[ Cold fusion reactor sucessfully restabilised! ]
[ All configuration operations stopped by Main-AI. ]
"YES! FUCKING YES!" I screamed, only to collapse on the ground next to the terminal, my heart still beating strongly. This had been WAY to close! "Okay, Aso, what`s the next problem on the priority list , together with an ETA please."
[ This unit recommends repair of cooling system. ]
[ ETA: Inconclusive ]
"Inconclusive?! Urgh, whatever. Let`s just deal with that quickly, I guess." I said, slowly getting back up.
[ Path to cooling systems highlighted. ]