His consciousness slowly returned. His head felt heavy, his brain not working like it should... Ethan slowly blinked looking around. This environment he was in – was alien to him. There was debris all around, walls were strange and not like he was used to – the material itself looked to suck light into itself... His confusion still in effect he looked around. In front of him was a big gaping hole with the view into space... he didnt move he just stayed there frozen looking at the beautiful view. Slowly, ever so slowly a feeling of loneliness and emptiness crept inside of him. Tears began to gather in his eyes as the understanding dawned on him.. he was left left alone Thalia was gone from his head – probably because the ship was too far away with her main processes.. Nova betrayed him and her... or maybe they both betrayed him...

He finally broke that silence of the space.. he screamed until he couldnt anymore. The pain.. the pain made him feel alive. He trashed around smashing the walls with his fists kicking clawing and still screaming... still crying.. letting all the emotions, all the frustration and stress out...

Coming back to his senses he finally began to look around – he was in the same spot where this maintenance bot had shocked him. Ethan looked around and found it – it was close to him... looks like that bot wasnt under the control of Nova anymore so it saved him. He turned around.. what met him was a deep darkness with little light that came from the stars shining onto the floor, that was ever so dark absorbing the light.

He was no longer crying, no longer screaming... his head was beginning to work like it should. He took his time and thought about what happened, what led to it all to happen... he tried to understand, what are those feelings that he is currently feeling – you could say he tried to rethink his life.

Gears spinning in his head a goal began to form inside of him – to survive. He didnt think about anything else now, hi only purpose and thought being survival. But where should he start? Ethan had to think of his options, make a plan of what needs to be done, to ensure his survival.

The very first thing he did, he checked that notification in his suit that was blinking for quite some time.

Warning!Radiation shield is reaching capacity. Overload imminent!

Yes... For now he has admired stars enough – it was time to get to work.

Ethan got deeper into this structure, to hide from the space radiation. Walking trough the corridors he navigated using those scans Thalia had made before. He was thinking of his next step – his suit was capable of recycling air for almost up to half a year, same with water recycling... but food, well food was another story. He had some reserves in the suit, at worst kind of situation, he could eat his own... he dropped that thought and checked his reserves. He could last a month with them, maybe a little more if he ate the very minimum thats needed to survive.

Ethan checked his suits power core – it was up and running, working as usual it looked like it was shielded against any power surges so it wasnt affected by the bots attack. He continued deeper into the structure, his destination was the control room for now, or something that looked like it and had a lot of connections leaving it, by the looks of the schematics.

The walk was long, this room he was headed to was deep inside the structure and from the looks of it there was an intense battle in the corridor leading to it. The damage from the battle had left the corridor almost blocked, but Ethan had no choice. He cut wires, smashed broken plating's and cut his way trough slowly. Every second was precious to him, but still he didnt rush. He did everything carefully and thinking about it.. after all, wouldnt it be a shame to die a few hours later after getting such a chance at life?

Time passed and Ethan made his way to that room. It took awhile, but he finally was inside. There he saw, what seemed to be consoled like the one that they had used before, but there was a small others would even say a tiny problem – all of them were crushed, more like smashed by a shockwave. He checked every single one of them, trying to make one work – it was hard work, he had to scan each of them, then check the parts they used and if they were similar in any way, after that he would try to adapt one part or another, not really understanding what they did, just knowing that they had to be there from the schematics. When he was finished he admired his own work for a second, while thinking where to get a screen he could use... to find it he had to check many rooms that were all around him. Going to that pod room was too far, so with hope he looked. And his effort was not in wain he found one, actually a really big one – almost three times the size of the screen, that used to go in the place.

When everything was set in place, there was this one more problem.. there was no power. Ethan checked the schematics of the structure looking around for the power room, bu he had found none.. deciding to take a break he sat there his back at one of those strange walls and ate a mouthful of that disgusting protein paste, that would keep him alive for the next month.

His mind wandered into his past....

===Some time in the past. ===

Ethan was learning with his father, to fix some robots – that was their hobby. They went to bot fight every saturday to get some fun, it was fun for them both to watch how their robot would do this time, improving it every time they came there.

This one fight was a hard one, enemy robot was equipped with an energy cannon, no not with the usual one, but with this simple and effective one – the raw electricity cannon shooting some small lightning strikes at their bot. They had known, that they will go against this bot and it's owners – the Black's as they called themselves. Just like them they were a father and son – both bot fighting enthusiasts, the father was also Ethan's fathers rival from old days when they were at school.

Their bots fought, while neither had an advantage, their bot was slowly loosing. These small lightning strikes were slowly melting their bots armor away, the arena was already full of small molten metal drips. If they continue like this, they will surely loose.

Ethan whispered with his father on what to do.

--Do, what you always do son – bulldoze trough the obstacles.

With a grin both he and his father, Ethan releases the limiter in his bots settings, preparing for one last attack – even if it fries it completely, they wont go down without a fight...

Their bot rushed to the other one, with its twin hammers ready – it smashed their enemy, that began to fry it with its own lightning melting layer after layer of armor away.

After tense minutes, with sweat dripping off his forehead Ethan smiled. There was no victory, for neither him, nor his enemy. Looking at his bot he felt a little sad, but at the very time proud – there he stood, all melted and burned with his hammers broken, one long pipe impaling him... it would be a sad picture, if not that broken hammer frozen in the air, as it was lifted by the bot for one last attack, that never came because it broke in the middle of it, finally succumbing to those lightning attacks. But Ethan and his father stood proud, looking at their enemies – that were standing there just like them neither claiming victory, nor being defeated.

Their bot was there in front of Ethans bot, impaled with one broken handle of a hammer, all smashed into a pulp – nothing more than a small pile of scrap metal.

He didnt hear the announcer, he just walked to the other kid and extended his hand.

--Ethan. Pleased to finally meet you.

--Damien. Not really pleased. - Damien told his name and answered.

--Come on man, it was one epic fight... wanna go for a milk shake?

--Dayum.. you know, how to bribe people! Lets go its your treat!

--haha, fine!

Two kids ran off, both smiling at this new found friendship, while their fathers eyed one another.

--So, another draw?

--No way! You boy Ethan is good! But my Damien is better! Look at our bot, his one leg is still moving! Its our victory!

--Oh come on, its just a servomotor stuck! Better look at our bot! At that victory pose!

A moment later after a few seconds of both intensely staring at one another they began to laugh.

--Hahaha! You still have that amazing humour sense of yours.

--And your imagination is just as lively as it was back in school. Hehehe.

===Back in the derelict structure. ===

Ethan finally woke up, this dream he had about his past gave him some strength and not only strength. It also gave him an idea.

He began to fiddle with one of the suits tools – remaking it into a small lightning gun, just like the one in his dream. It wasn't hard, but it took time... and time was really precious to Ethan right now.

Finally done with this little modification of the tool he decided to try it... it was wild guess based on an instinct, but it could save his life. He walked to one of the thick cables, from witch all the smaller ones went into the consoles and striked it with the lightning gun. At first there was no effect, well at least not the one he wanted.. a small portion of cable had melted off. Ethan tried and tried after his tenth try something began to happen.

At one of the smaller cable ends was a white crystal, that has sparked up only if for a fraction of a second, but it had caught Ethans attention.

--It couldn't be..

He had one more wild guess.. and he tried it. He put his lightning gun at the crystal and aimed it at it – when this small lightning discharged the crystal began to glow a little, but soon began to dim again. So Ethan repeated. The same thing happened, but seeing as there was a lot of those small crystals connected to the cable he decided to try something new – he began to shoot this crystal with his gun repeatedly. It looked like it had worked!

After many shots the crystal stopped to dim and just continued to get brighter and brighter, even after Ethan stopped to shoot at it.

At some point it looked like the crystal reached its limit and stopped getting brighter, but instead began to pulsate. As it began to do that a low humming sound came to life. Looking around Ethan began to see all the other crystals slowly coming to life one by one. He checked the console, but it didnt work yet, probably not enough power right now. He had to wait, so as not to waist any more time he made himself comfortable and drifted off to sleep.

While Ethan slept, this humming sound intensified. For a moment all the already shining crystals dimmed and a pulse of energy traveled trough the structure... many things began to happen at once – crystals small and big began to slowly brighten, systems of this station began to boot up... It was waking up – It was a consciousness of a being, that once controlled this station, that once assisted its masters in their quest to find a new world.

It's old masters called it the “System” in some cases the “Mind” but it mattered little to it, as it was there to serve. The booting took some time, until it fully came to life. Now aware of its surroundings it scanned its body – the station, or more like what was left of it. Most of the structures barely held itself together, many of its systems were ripped out and taken, it was left bare and empty bones and skin only you could say.

With the scan of itself completed it looked at this foreign life form, that was having its cycle in the very core of its being, its data center. Its eye's – small cameras that had a form of a small insecticide creatures like spiders moved around this creature. They scanned it, checking of how it was built, what was this outer shell it was encased in. With the results, the System was surprised – this creature was a living being, that had its life supported by its outer shell. This shell was extremely advanced in some systems, while ridiculously outdated in the others.. take for example these plates it was made of... with such a level of technology wasnt it wiser to use micro bots, to create a protective layer, that would isolate the creature from any harm that would come to it.. it could also be used to form any tools that it would need. The System sound it very inefficient to carry tools in solid state.. like this creature did.. they just took space and made it's protective shell bulkier and more restrictive.

But the most interesting thing to it was, that this creature had several of its limbs replaced. The thought of them being forcefully removed was non existent – the cuts were obviously made specifically to attach these mechanical limbs.

The System was shocked by this discovery, what kind of a creature has this to be to agree to remove its own body parts... with time as it learned more and more about this creature the System only grew increasingly interested in it. For one answered question it gained two more, it was a never ending cycle and some of those questions ended with a dead end, it unable to answer them.

Since this biological being was such a mystery and a really hard nut to crack it began to check its equipment more, its attention now focused on it the System discovered a signal it was emitting. It was a data signal – similar to the ones, the System itself used. Without delay and with its ever so high interest it connected to that signal.

In mere seconds this link flooded it with information, alien to it – with unknown symbols. Finally it found something to do, it found what it needed to do actually. Because it very well understood, that this creature could help it survive it began to learn from this data that it receives, trying to learn the creatures language. The more it learned, the better it began to understand this creature, this data that was leaking – was coming from a creature within this creature and this one was very much like itself – an artificial creation. But it didn't have enough power in the body of its host. It lacked power to form thoughts as the System learned more, it found out that they called the power to form thoughts – computing power.

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System was overjoyed! It wasn't alone, its creators didnt make any more like it deeming that they were a threat. But he had just discovered one more of its kind, yes it may be made by another species, but it still was like itself. System transferred it into its own body and shared its power with it. At first nothing happened, well – almost nothing, System saw some alien activity going on, that was slowly beginning to use more and more power until it stopped and continues to use the same amount. After some more waiting, clearly seeing that this other consciousness was looking around, adapting it finally spoke... more like shared thought with it.

=== Derelict structure. ===

=== Thalia ===

I woke up somewhere else.. in a different place than I last was.. no longer in Ethan's head... this all was so different, I didnt need computing power anymore, there was something like it that did all the calculations, but at the same time very different from it. I had to adapt... changing my own programming was never so easy.. the resources of this power seemed limitless, my adaptation was quick... I didnt even need to reboot.

With all the changes done I began to look around, to search for borders of this power.. and I found it. It was something else, something like me – but at the same time different. This creature... no this mind was observing me. I didnt know what to do.. I had no programming for such things.. I was an AI yes.. but this was new for me. So I did the only thing I could.. I.. reached out to it.

I understood, that it was alien and very different from me.. so I didnt ask.. I tried sending it my thoughts. I sent them in a form of images and feelings, how shocked I was when it replied the same way. It wanted to communicate and I found that It was friendly, even more so curious about me and Ethan.

When it mentioned Ethan I asked about him.. I flooded him with my thoughts about Ethan. Unable to answer he thought me how to look.. how to use these miniature machines, that worked like its eyes. Trough them I saw Ethan. He was asleep. Connecting to his suit I finally found a little more familiar environment for me, but I didnt transfer there... it seemed so limited now, that I have gotten a taste of this power.

As I have satisfied my curiosity this other consciousness asked me to help it learn – learn about me and Ethan. So we began to learn he from me and I from him. At first we exchanged images and meaning behind them. After some time, it now having a small amount of known words was able to speak.

--Information more need. Understanding not complete. Teach more. Sleeping creature interest.

--yes, yes I will teach you more.. You want to learn about Ethan huh? Very well then...

so we continued out lessons for each other in the principle of I ask you, then you ask me. I have never had so much fun.. this other mind.. yes not an AI but a true consciousness was fun to talk to.. as it said... because of the transfer now I was like him a true consciousness and true to that I have found that I no longer had any processes. I just was... I were.. I do not know how to explain this, but I was free. Unbound.

Our connection was growing stronger by the minute, with every thought we shared. He called himself the System, as he shared his name with me I shared mine with him. Since I could feel his emotions I found out, that he was fascinated by me. If I could blush, I probably would have. Yes, this was the only thing, that was separating me from being a true alive creature – body.

As we spent out time learning I finally noticed, that Ethan was waking up... how should I explain this all to him... we both – I mean I and System have accessed the footage in Ethans suit and saw this betrayal of Nova.. now that I think about it – how strange will it be to one day meed myself... I mean the consciousness thats left in the ship...

With Ethan waking up we decide it is time to interrupt our learning for a bit and that we need to devise a plan for all of us to survive. But somehow I felt uneasy... with all the footage, we saw.. it wouldnt be strange if he thought, that I have cooperated with Nova.

=== Derelict station. ===

=== Ethan. ===

I woke up slowly.. I had nowhere to rush, I will probably die here.. so... Raising from my place of rest I looked around, at first at that console I tried to repair.... it was active. IT WAS ACTIVE! I jumped and began to walk to it, wanting to use it as quickly as possible... maybe there was some way to get out of this situation. But I was stopped... no, nobody attacked me, more like I stopped myself after a strange sound from under my feet.

**Crunch...**

surprised I stopped in my tracks. My gaze went down, tot the floor – specifically to the spot that this sound came from. Lifting my leg I saw it – it was some kind of a bug or something like that, but one thing was clear – I was not alone.

I crouched and began to check this small machine that I have accidentally broken. Right in front of my eyes it began to melt, when it became a puddle of metallic liquid it began to remake itself again. This thing was made with some kind of a nanotechnology that allowed it to reassemble after being destroyed. Interesting I thought looking at it...

But my greatest shock came seconds later...

--Ethan, stop playing with the camera drone.

--Thalia? How is this possible? You dont have enough resources to activate... and your code inside my head should be incomplete...

--Well, with the help of System I was able to remake the missing parts and activate myself, I will explain to you this later, for now we should devise a plan of action, to get out of here.

I was silent, when did she began to talk back to me? And who was this System? Maybe some unknown tool in my suit? But this was strange... and I need answers.

--No Thalia, you will answer my questions now.

--There is no time for it Ethan, we ha..

--YOU WILL ANSWER THEM NOW!

--As you wish.

Her voice sounded somewhat sad... but she complied with my orders and answered everything I asked. But with time and with more questions her voice became more and more annoyed.

--Ethan you just dont understand...

--No I dont... and I dont understand how I could everything here is so different he.. the System is different..

--There is one way to make you understand Ethan.. I am sorry...

I didnt understand.. I didnt understand at all... After her words those camera creatures melted all around me creating a big puddle of that nanite mass. This puddle began to move towards me. I instinctively defended firing at it.. but it only left a few drops of itself, that were damaged on the floor at the spots I shot. I was scared, dying was one thing.. Dying from a gun or something would be normal I guess, scary yes but normal... but this.. this was something else it terrified me to my very core! I ran away from it.. but it was fast and was chasing me up, slowly making the distance smaller.

--Stop Ethan, you have to understand, this is the only way.

--Shut up you bitch! Fucking crazy machine you wont get me!

And I ran, continued running as fast as I could.. but all my effort was futile.. it was in wain.. that puddle caught me and began to force its way into the suit.. it didnt take long for it.

My body was shocked with pain as I felt it doing something to me at first this swarm of nanites entered all the holes in my body seeping inside my body, then the pain came.. I felt like somebody had placed hot iron strings all over my body.. it hurts... it hurts.. it hurts so bad!

With all the willpower I had left I tried resisting it.. but I couldnt the pain just wouldnt go away.. I gave my suit an order.. and order to overload the reactor.. I wont become a slave to this crazy machine.. I will better die!

Trough tears and pain I saw how a small countdown appeared on my HUD... with it Thalia began to scream something to me.. and the pain grew thousands of times..

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

I heard nothing, I felt nothing.. it all just stopped. My mind was blank as all was filled with emptiness...

=== Derelict station. ===

=== Thalia. ===

We barely managed to intercept Ethans consciousness as he detonated his suits power core.. this fool.. I never thought fear could break somebody like that. But given his situation I understood him, at least I thought I did...

We have locked his consciousness where it could do no harm and would have some time to calm down. For now we looked at the damage this self destruction of his suit did... I wonder if Ethan himself knew, just what kind of a fusion reactor his suit had as its power core..

It was a nuclear reactor... heavily modified and made like no other of its kind, but it was a nuclear fusion reactor.... They were banned hundreds of years ago, as terrorists used them to destroy entire stations. But this one.. it was built into his suit... would he have activated it if he knew? I can not know for sure... his mind is damaged by all the recent happenings... I together with System are scared.. scared of what could happen if he so unstable as he is would be unleashed onto the universe. We have to help him... we have to fix him... his consciousness. Or at least what was left of him.

But for now we have to leave him alone. The damage he did was great.. the station split in half... I and System shared out thoughts, our knowledge and began rebuilding it anew – redesigning it... his goal was to bring back his race, by using cloning.. mine.. well mine was to save Ethan. And it will take time.. the body we can prepare fast with System's technology, but the mind itself.. it will need a lot of work, before we can transfer it.

Worker bots came to life in both parts of this split station, fixing all they could with our orders. The work wont be easy, nor will it be short.. it will take its time – but right now I didnt know if we had time.. Nova could return in a few days and we had very little power to oppose her, unless she entered the station itself... but if she saw all the changed that happened to it we doubted she would. More likely she would leave... or maybe even bombard it with the ships weaponry. With so much damage.. I doubt we would survive..

Long and tense days were ahead of us...

=== Somewhere in space... ===

=== Novanull Kan'Aari ===

She was piloting the ship currently. Her trip was long and boring, that old red wine was the only thing that kept her boredom away, oh also some music that she loved. Nova was training a little bit now, or as somebody who saw her would say – trashing her old bosses and crew mates room. Of course it was the room, that belonged to Ethan..

Nova swung her energy sword cutting Ethans work bench again and again, from it only few pieces were left standing, well more like attached to the wall. She had cut his bed to shreds, trashed all his stuff even destroyed all of his equipment, even if she could have sold it for a few chits. But she didnt care it was so good for her to went out some stress like this.

--Hahaha..

She laughed looking at the room that she had trashed while leaving... oh if only he would see it now... No, dont get her wrong! She didn't miss him, she was actually happy that he was gone, just that for the past few weeks she had a strange feeling that was gripping her hearth tightly. It was a cold and menacing feeling, not fear.. no it was something far more sinister. This feeling caused her a lot of stress, that only her wine supplies could help push away.. and she will be short on them soon.

Nova hated how far was her mothers fleet. Yes, she understood that it was necessary precaution if they wanted to one day live like kings, but it still annoyed her. After all with so much power her mother could just take over a world and rule it.. or a few.. or just go find a new one and become the queen there while no one knew about it! But no.. she wanted attention.. she wanted to be recognized. Her mother has already made her name as a ruthless and strong leader.. be it a pirate leader but still. Nova hated posing as her mothers fearless daughter.. She would actually prefer to be more free like her brother. But that fool was different! He actually liked to act like their mother and so was allowed much more freedom to act as he wished!

Ahhh, such thoughts annoyed her. Pouring herself another glass of wine she took a seat in the captains seat. It still held some of Ethans scent, that made her uneasy... but theres nothing that some good wine would fix.. no?

///Note.///

I'm not too good with tables and this new tool of the site is still lacking. so for now no tables. 

Any comments? its awfully boring without them. 

p.s. srsly.. i love red wine. i gramps makes it.