Chapter 1C: Seed Ship
A wise man once said that future technology to the present man would be no different from magic. Perhaps it may be true when we view the technological advances throughout the centuries. Would a French privateer from the 1800s be amazed at space vessels? Would the neanderthal be surprised at the invention of the watermill? To those people of the past and present, the future is magical.
To the boy who was born in the era of confinement, technology is always limited to what can be produced with the raw materials one can find on the ship. In space, raw resources are limited.
Space has a lot of flying debris. They hit the seed ships at high speeds and would dot the outer hull. Once in a blue moon, a cleansing AI would clean the outside of debris before it builds up. The harvested material will be used inside the ship. There was a lot of metals and ice particles.
Piles of radioactive material must first be purified. Many radioactive isotopes that can’t be changed will be used elsewhere, far from human contact. More easily controlled metals will be dumped into the Junk Yard aboard the seed ship. It’s a trash mountain, full of discarded metal that can be reused. Many tinkerers and inventors send their lackeys to retried wheelbarrows of the stuff back to their labs.
A7619B stood in front of the large sliding doors leading to the Junk Yard. He held in his hand a list. After class, he left for the old man’s lab only to find a note with a list of materials on it. Even with his weak and battered body, he still headed toward the Junk Yard with the list. His battered body was still capable of manual labor for a few more days. Following behind him was a hover-trolley left by the old man to assist in the moving process.
With a sigh, he walked forward. The door scanned the chip in his shirt and recorded his access. There are times where people die from a collapse. If they do not exit within twenty-four hours, the AI considers the person is missing and will send in a droid to locate you. There are cases of scavengers being crushed by falling pieces of metal.
With all the dangers that come with the occupation, who would want to be a scavenger? Sadly, the business is too lucrative. Many of the tinkerers are close to B rank and may at any moment move up to the main ship Gaia. The people who work for the tinkerers may learn a thing or two, or even ride their coattails straight to Gaia. Just recently, a very brilliant kid was caught in a catastrophic rubble collapse. They say she took a blow to the head and was most likely vegetated. Such a massive blow to what could have been a brilliant mind.
The boy wandered the outskirts of the trash mountain with the trolley as it automatically scoops up things he needed. He checks off which every item is collected and continues forward. Various wires and plates from old worn out machines, as well as piles of dust collected from the outer shell of the ship, everything in the Junk Yard has its use; you just need to find how to use it.
Feeling the sudden urge to sneeze, the boy quickly backed away from the pile. His sneeze might blow some microparticles into the air. That won’t be good for his already deteriorating lungs. Little did he know, behind his foot was a used up canister of oxygen. The cylinder was perfectly placed under his foot as he took a step back and slipped on it. With a loud thud, his ass planted firmly on the ground.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
“Shit,” He said as he quickly got up and started running.
The sound of metal creaking and bending roared above him. A hill in front of him was collapsing. He ran with all his might as the trolley followed closely behind like a faithful dog. With the strength remaining in his body, he leaped out the door into the safety of the grey metal corridors.
A cloud of dust followed behind him as the debris slammed onto the floor. The light above the door blinked, and it automatically closed the door before the cloud could exit the Junk Yard.
“That was close,” The boy said while panting heavily. He couldn’t move his body anymore. His already weak body couldn’t handle the sudden stress, and he nearly went into shock. After the adrenaline wore out a little, the pain came in undulating waves. It pulsed through his body like the beat of a heavy bass drum.
A7619B blacked out from pain. The trolley that followed him picked him up and carefully placed his battered body onto its back. It hovered through the hallways back towards the old man’s lab. The basic AI programmed inside of it was intelligent enough for such tasks. It was one of the old man’s many creations.
______
“So that’s what happened,” A mechanical voice droned.
“I see, the poor boy must have had such a fright.”
“Where shall I deposit the materials?” The voice continued.
“Over by the locked zone. I have to prepare for the main experiment.”
G4240B slapped the boy’s face a few times gently.
“Wake up sleepy head,” He laughed, “There’s time to sleep later after you’re dead.”
A7619B slowly woke up with a pounding headache and a parched mouth. The old man smiled and handed him a glass of water. The boy weakly reached for it only for him to realize he doesn’t have the strength to grip the glass. Old man G4240B frowned and brought the cup to the boy’s mouth.
Slowly, the life-giving liquid flowed down his throat. A sense of relief hit him.
“Scan complete,” the AI droned from the background.
The old man took a quick peek at the screen and frowned. The boy’s body is doing far worse than he initially thought. At this rate, he may not even last the week.
“I have to hurry,” The old man whispered to himself. He looked at the boy with pity and compassion. Without him noticing, he already treated the boy as his own offspring.
A7619B lied back down and closed his eyes. It helped a bit with his headache. He could hear the old man pacing back and forth, moving a lot of materials.
“What is he making this time?” The boy pondered.
______
With the boy resting in the other room, the old man entered his workspace.
Several mechanical arms descended from the ceiling over the work table.
“The theory is there, I just have to make it work,” The old man said with determination.
His glasses tinted and became darker. The mechanical arms handed him a welding torch. He began to work. His other lazy eye seemed to finally focus along with his normal eye. Perhaps only when the task at hand is truly difficult, will his eyes become parallel.
Large piece of metals and wiring began to mold together to form something that is both art and science. It looked amazingly crude but at the same time gave off a sort of unique aesthetic that left the onlooker gazing with wonder. The old man’s hands worked as if they were the hands of the gods themselves. With the mechanical arms supporting the heavy lifting, the machine soon took shape. Two large pods with an enormous wire connecting the two. Inside the pods was a large helmet with an awfully scary looking needle.
Several hours later, the old man put down his tools.
“The hardware is done, now to just test my theory.”
He first had to send the boy home and prepare for the final steps. The most important part has yet to pass. He would have to fool the all-seeing eye that is the Mother AI, but he has his ways.
“A computer will never beat human ingenuity,” G4240B grinned as he walked back out to help the boy.