=== Empire of Man, frontier station – Great Forest.=== . ===
=== Thalia POW===
With Ethan now sleeping, Thalia began to carry out his commands, well with part of her processing power. With the other part this long nose ship AI began to dig into the record of her new master, her owner. She was curious, as to what person is going to command her.
Thalia connected to the stations information network and opened his file, using her own masters codes. Soon she found out, he was one of the best students back on his home station “The Laser EYE”, he actually attended “Imperial Flight School” there, and was the best cadet for two years straight. He was expelled from it just a year ago, because of his late mothers betrayal, looks like she helped the rebels and was executed for that. Ethan then also got a hard PTS, and was treated for almost full last year.
Thalia felt her electronic hearth warm up to the boy, his story had its up's and down's just like everybody else, but he was her master, so she decided to try and keep the boy from any such harm if possible.
Continuing to check her masters background she found out, that he arrived to the “Green Forest” station just today, and he was still fully human. Further investigation of hers revealed, that he had all the modifications done to him, by a local doctor Cho, whose main business was human body parts trading. Apparently he sold parts of himself, to purchase her, so that he could leave his past behind.
As Thalia was slowly digging deeper into the boys records, the courier arrived with all the parts, that were ordered. The courier was a human, he called up the ship trough the outer console, telling that delivery was there. Thalia opened the cargo hold for him, and let out her maintenance bots to carry everything inside.
--Hey! Wait you have to sign first!. - the courier said into the console.
--Will it be okay, if I just beam the confirmation code into your datapad? Im very busy here. - replied Thalia imitating Ethan's voice.
--Sure man, that will do.
She beamed the code, and quickly continued unloading the upgrade parts. Once everything was inside the ship, courier left and she closed the cargo hold doors. Thalia began to assemble the upgrades and install them. This didnt took long with her efficiency and quick processing, all the changed old equipment she stored in the spare parts storage. Maybe they will need them some day, or they can sell them later.
As Thalia was installing the upgrades, she saw how much the coding of programs has changed and how far has humanities technology advanced. Wanting to know just how far she was left behind, she began a full compare of her systems, to the best ones currently available in the local market.
And it soon revealed a shocking truth... she was far, far behind... Once she was a pearl, so polished with advancements, that she could be called a star in a sky... but now, after twenty years she was just one more old ship, with outdated systems.
Her processor began to heat a little, she was pumping information with all the power she could, trying to learn new programming skills, so she could upgrade her own systems, even if she was an AI, she had her own pride, after all – she was probably one of the last “Ascension system IV” AI models left out there, the only models with emotions in the whole history of humanities AI making.
Once, she had what she needed she began her tedious work of system upgrading. Simultaneously she checked for her efficiency as a mining ship, looking how to make extra space for ore, that they would eventually mine.
Checking one of the old secret chambers, that her previous owner had installed, she found quite an interesting pile of equipment. There were armored plates, shield generators and blaster weapon systems, looks like they were left in the ship, because they werent illegal back, when the ship and its owner were arrested, and people just forgot about them being there.. or maybe they didnt even found them. Thalia checked the legality of this find of hers, and it was all legal, the plates and generators were legalized long ago, while these blasters were made available to public for self defense five years ago. Without delay, Thalia checked the requirements of these systems, and she could install more, than half of them, for the other half she lacked computing power and power grid.
Thinking, what to do she decided to install them, just in case. After the installation was done, she was left with six spare blasters, she actually managed to fit all armor plates, since they didnt need power grid, and replace current shield generators with these better ones, while also adding more of them. Old parts she too stored in the spare parts room. Those six spare blasters, she decided to sell in the local market - when she made them available in the local auction, they were bought almost immediately. Thus, adding about twelve thousand to Ethan's and her budget. Since she had all his permissions to upgrade the ship and full access to his accounts, she bought some more upgrades.
When all the upgrading works, that could be done were done, Thalia began to plan a way for them to make some profit quickly, her master after all needed to eat... like they say “Nobody is perfect”.
She found a system, where you didnt need a mining permit, to mine and with quite the good ores, that they could mine and sell with a nice profit, that would further allow them to travel or upgrade the ship more. Planning the route to that system, she checked if there were any cargo deliveries available into that system and found one just a few jumps away, not too profitable, but it would at least pay the travel expanses to the mining system. The cargo was mining equipment obviously, with some station shield generators, and its m3 was just within their limit. She made a note for herself, to offer Ethan to take this delivery.
Continuing to work in this profit raising way, Thalia downloaded information about capital investment. She found many advice's and one she especially liked – lending all extra money to the station they were docked for extra interest, until they were going to leave. She noted this too.
While searching for more, she even found an old human comedy show, about a human family, where the wife was an accountant, and her husband a weak willed gambler – she found that show amusing, Ethan dug his own grave, by ordering her to find some new jokes.
Without having anything better to do, than wait for Ethan to wake up, Thalia decided to study human psychology, and the general population of humans. And also some other races, old and new, who now were part of the empire or its allies.
She checked the stations, they were going to visit – one of them CP-1X2, where they might go to pick up a delivery contract if Ethan agrees was a station of the “Screemer's” station.
Screemers were an interesting humanoid race, that joined the empire a few hundred years ago, they had no eyes, instead they had excellent hearing and ability to use echolocation, other than that they were normal oxygen breathing race. Human scientists speculated, that because of their planet always being in dark of the other planets shadow their evolution took a turn to echolocation, “Screemers” however didnt comment on how they came to be.
On the other station the frontier station “Diamond”, where they will have to deliver the cargo lived mostly humans and space elves together with a mixed population of many different races, that came there, to mine the riches of the system.
Space elves is almost self explaining – humans with sharp ears and extremely developed senses, they actually preferred, to wear special suits all the time, when living off their home world on the pretext of their senses being too provoked, by the other races.
Thalia was a little worried about Ethan, he hasnt worked with other species yet, only seen them back in his home station. But she hoped, to be able to help them if he needed any help.
After a few more hours Ethan finally woke up and after a few ration bars got all the information about ships upgrades... of course excluding the combat ones...
Thalia also suggested to Ethan all her investment plans and the small detour to pick up that cargo delivery to their mining system, witch he gladly accepted.
=== Empire of Man, frontier station – Great Forest.=== . ===
=== Ethan POW===
He had a good sleep, almost fourteen hours. Still sleepy he talked a little with Thalia, and got quite a few good suggestions from her.
She had found a good system for mining, where no permit was needed and also a cargo delivery contract to the same system just a few jumps away, even if they wouldnt make much from it it would pay the bill for all the sub-space drive fuel. All he had to do to get the contract was to call the issuer, and he was currently doing that.
--Hello, Amaxathi singing. - his contractor finally answered, shocking Ethan a little with his eyeless face.
--Ah, hello. - He quickly regained his composture. - im calling about the cargo delivery to the “Diamond” station, if its still available.
--Oh I see, yes it is still available, you would like to take it? Know, that the payment offer is final.
--It's good for me, im heading to “Diamond” anyway.
--Good, how soon should we prepare the cargo?
--My ship will be arriving in half a day, we are currently docked at “Green Forest” station.
--Excellent, then we will be waiting for you, all the documents will be prepared, when you will arrive.
--Good, see you then.
--Yes, I will hear you then.
And the connection via the tight-beam was out. Sighing in relief, he just got his very first delivery! Almost jumping around, he ordered Thalia to undock, they are leaving.
--Green Forest station tower, requesting permission to undock.
--Permission granted, fly safe.
Station gravity fields released the ship, and they slowly began to exit the hangar. Ethan heard his ships engine sound for the very first sound, and it sounded amazing – a deep bu bu bu bu sound was released from the engines, until they left the station, where the main warp core was activated, to gain distance from the station. And once they were activated, the sound disappeared., warp core itself was shielded, so no sound escaped it, but when Ethan asked Thalia what it would sound like, she said it would be something like an extremely loud humming.
When they got to a distance of around a few hundred kilometers from the station, with Ethan piloting the ship in manual control, though Thalia thought that he just wanted to play around a little, since he would be utterly bored, once they entered sub-jump space, they jumped into the sub-jump space, and began their journey to their next destination - CP-1X2 station.
--Ethan, I have you a suggestion.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
--Yes Thalia? One more shipment? Or something like that? You know we have no more free space.
--Oh, no. I want to suggest, that you install me into your main body implant system.
Ethan blinked a few times, totally surprised by her.
--And, why do I need that?
--While you dont use your processing power I could use it instead, every little bit helps, also I could communicate with you more easily when you are out of the ship, essentialy you would be carrying a part of me around.
--Mhm... I dont know... to have you in my head, sounds a little extreme dont you think?
--No, to me it sounds practical.
--Just be sincere, you just want to see the outside world more, right?
--There is that too, also I have no cameras in the shower and watching you take a shower with your own eyes, would be quite interesting.
Ethan's ear tips went a little red, but he kept... well most of his cool.
--What a perverted AI you are... okay, enough with the jokes. If you think it will be better for us, than sure, go ahead, you have my permission.
--Thank you Ethan, how soon are you going to take a shower?
--Dont push it.
For a second there he thought, he heard her giggling.
Thalia installed herself into his brain very quickly it took no more than five minutes, and he felt no discomfort after that, she assured him – that he could uninstall her whenever he pleased and block her access if he wanted... he was so going to do that, when going to shower. You can newer know with perverted AI's, they might just post some intriguing videos online.
After a few hour's spent doing nothing, or just reading some old documentation and eating tasteless rations Ethan was bored to hell.
--Thalia... is there anything I could do? I will die If I wont get anything to do...
--Checking... Would you like me to open you some sexual content videos?
--Stop that you perverted machine! Though, that would be fun.... - he mumbled quietly. - I need some work, something to fix.. something to pilot. Do we really have nothing?
--That hurts you know! I have feelings too!
--Made out of silicon and wires... okay, sorry sorry... Find me something to do... pretty please?
--Uhh, fine. You can try to make some basic drones by using the old parts, that we have as spares. Would that please you?
--Oh yes! Show me the way.
And his HUD displayed him a path to the workbenches in the engineering and to the spare parts storage. Thalia also pulled him some basic mining drone schematics, that she edited to use only the parts, that they had on board.
The next few hours of the flight Ethan was happily busy back in the engineering, making his first mining drones. Cutting, bending and welding their parts together, also discussing possible improvements to them with Thalia was fun to him, he liked to have his hands full with work, well at least then, when he had the motivation to do so. Time passed and soon a small fleet of six mining drones was made, he needed more parts to make, more and they also had to keep some spare parts in case of an emergency ship repair.
--Hoho, pretty good no?
--Yes Ethan, the drones will be of good use on the mining operation.
--Yeah, how much time left till the station?
--Five minutes.
--Whoa, It took quite a while to make them... do I need to do there anything beside signing the papers?
--No Ethan, paper signing is the only thing you will have to do. Also I would like to warn you, not to leave the ship without a breathing mask, in the station oxygen concentration is a little lower, than humans are used to.
--i think I will just sight them from the ship then.
--Wise decision.
Once they exited the sub-space Thalia hailed the station, requesting to be directed into the docking bay. Everything went smooth, they loaded the cargo quickly, Ethan signed the documentation form withing the ship and soon they were again on their way, now to the “Diamond” station, to deliver the cargo, as well as to begin their career as novice miners.
Thalia was making a plan, for their mining operation, while Ethan decided to go to sleep, after all they were going to fly, for two days straight.
But his sleep was bad... He had a nightmare...
He was facing himself, or so to say his other self – a machine, who no longer was human, he felt no emotions, he no longer needed to eat, to sleep, to reproduce or socialize. His only goal in life was now only to gain more power, to bend others to his will... In his nightmare his machine self with its burning eyes did it's dirty job of destroying worlds, for the sole reason as to be the only alive creature in the universe left... Though you couldnt call him alive anymore. Ethan watched in horror his own dream, but just couldnt wake up. Finally he woke up and sat on the side of his bed.
--Shit what a dream...
--You really thought, that it was a dream? No, it was merely your reality.
Said a shadow, that started to walk towards him from the corner of his room. In its hand a burning lightsword was getting closer to his chest. Ethan screamed in pain....
Ethan's eye's shot open, and he jumped out of his bed, into the only light ed corner, that was in his room. Heavily panting he looked around scared.
--Ethan are you all right? My sensors show your blood pressure extremely increased.
For a moment Ethan still looked around allarmed, as if not understanding, where he is.
--Yes, yes im okay... had a really bad dream.
--I see, would you like some sleeping pills?
--No, thanks I think I have had enough of sleep for now.
--Very well, we are still quite far from our exit point, maybe you would like to play chess?
--Yeah, yeah... sure, chess why not... with a computer, that can calculate all possible moves.. sure why not.
--I promise to let you win a few times... maybe...
--Mhmmm.. ill get dressed and will come to the bridge.
He quickly got into the shower, to freshen up. When he was out of the shower he couldnt remember the dream anymore, though that cold feeling was still left in his chest.
They spent the time left discussing various things, that were happening in the empire, or in the frontier and stuff that could or could not affect their existence.
When they finally reached “Diamond” station, Ethan was left speechless it truly looked like an overgrown diamond, all shiny and polished, but what really caught his eye, was the sheer ammount of the weapon platforms mounted on the station, it was more of a fortress than a station. And as Thalia explained this was one of the empires key stations in frontier, for its fleets refueling. Basically this was one hell of a huge gas station.
Docking this time was stricter, their ship had to pass a full scan, also Ethan was scanned himself for any illegal modifications or drugs used in the last few days, but as he was clear he didnt worry too much. Other than that everything went just like it should have - the delivery of the cargo was smooth and he got his chits, the same second the owner inspected the cargo for any damage, that could occur during the transportation. Once Thalia ordered a refuel of sub-space engine, it was done immediately as soon as the chits transferred to the administration of the station.
Ethan made a quick trip into a nearby restaurant, it was cheap and the food wasnt of the best taste, but still better than the rations he had on board, so he was quite satisfied.
Done with all the other small things they undocked and finally headed to the asteroid fields, where their true work had to begin. It took them an hour on the warp drive to reach the belt, and they began to scan for a suitable asteroid. If they were richer, they could just buy, the scans of the asteroids, and head straight for the one they wanted, but they werent so the long and boring work of probing them had to be done. One asteroid took up to an hour to scan, but they were lucky and got the one, with the ores they wanted on their fifth try.
Thalia deployed the mining lasers – they slowly slid out of the ships hull and aimed towards the location of the asteroid, that they were going to mine. Ethan got into the mining lasers control systems and powered them on.
Powerful beams of energy began to melt the crust of the asteroid, and the secondary system of the mining lasers began to separate the ore from molten rock, once the ore was separated, a small tractor beam puled it inside the ore hold.
Ethan gave Thalia order to deploy his fleet of mining drones and so she did, they did the same, as the mining lasers, just on a little smaller scale and had to return from time to time to drop off the mined ore.
After ten hours, they were finally full, and went back to drop off their haul.
At the station Ethan sold his cargo for seven hundred chits, not so bad for half a days work. Thalia suggested, that they would save some chits, to buy and install a purifier together with a compressor into the ship, with them they could stay at the belts, more than two days, that way their profit of chits per hour would increase quite a lot. Ethan agreed to that idea, and so they began their great war against the asteroids.