In a smoky stateroom with a commanding panorama of a vast Ecumenopolis, A suited man with pepper and salt hair, and a cigar in between two fingers sighs. Rubbing his tall forehead with his hand, pressing his fingertips into his skull as the double doors to the room open.

In comes a woman, with short blonde hair in business attire with a knee-length skirt that hugs her thighs. Her heels click on the ceramic tile floor. "Mister Faust, the SSM Argonaute is due to arrive at the Magellanic Giant in the hour. Magpie has reported that the entire crew is alive and well. Albeit in cryostasis, and that they are awaiting orders to wake them up."

Faust sighs, taking a drag of his cigar as he digests this information. Upon his exhale, Faust instructs the woman, his assistant, and chief operations officer, Greta. "Tell Magpie that they may begin waking them, and instruct Captain Thronhaust that he is to commence operations."

[Aboard the deep-space gas extractor vessel SSM Argonaute, 15 lightyears from the edge of the Tarantula nebula...]

Lights aboard the darkened ship flicker to life as the whine and hum of Phizon turbines spooling up and reactors starting up verberates in the ship. Computer banks flicker alive and the various photonic data cables and electrical generators come online, ending the ship's low-power state. Magpie transfers his running anagram to the ship's main computer core from a low-power backup bank, traversing the photonic cabling that snakes throughout this deep-space tomb of iron. They begin directing the awakening of the Leviathan-class gas miner.

Magpie was an Artificial General Intelligence, colloquially known by the acronym AGI. A self-aware, self-replicant machine embedded in the SSM Argonaute. Magpie is responsible for initiating the awakening of the vessel's crew, and the ending of the low-power status upon arrival at their harvest site. While it knew its purpose, it did not mind the human crew or their propensity for irrationality. Magpie even found the shortened name given to them by the crew... endearing.

Magpie selected the first to wake up. A small medical team to manage and monitor the rest of the crew as they rouse from their cold, deep slumber. Then the captain of the ship and the chief engineer. Until it noticed the status of the port-side Bussard rigging.

A status update showed a shorted electromagnetic relay box that had to be accessed from the exterior of the vessel. Magpie initiated the thawing process for two other Ridgewalkers, Hull Specialists. Every Ridgewalker was a part of a very elite group in a very niche trade. The best In their chosen trade. All were gathered for the sole purpose of massive profit that came from mining nebulas rich in precious or rare gases.

Every Gram of gas they harvest has value, as it is gas such as Radon, Helium, and Hydrogen. Useful for Phizon Fusion plants, that power civilization.

Others such as Fluorine, Methane, Acetylene, Ammonia, Acetone, Krypton, Argon, Neon,

Xenon, and Chlorite all have industrial uses in various parts of the manufacturing sector, as well as for the synthesis of other compounds.

And then there are the gases that support and foster life, such as Oxygen, Nitrogen, and Carbon Dioxide.

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Much of these bulk products come from the depths of space, and Magpie knew why: Nebulas and gas giants are prime candidates for the extraction of useful gaseous compounds.

They carefully monitored the vitals of the occupants of the pods as if these masses of flesh were rising gradually as if they were the living dead. Having been awakened from deep sleep reminiscent of death in their cold, metallic coffins.

Magpie reminisced briefly to itself about the parallels between cryostasis and human mythology as it monitored the rising vitals of the medical team and dispatched medical drones to see to the crew. They eventually settled on themself being the goddess Styx. Guiding souls between two extremes of life and death. A mediator of what lies between two extremes. Ensuring the safe passage across that line between them.

The AGI then notices the medical crew's vitals stabilize and opened the cryopods they occupy. Releasing them from their cold entombment and starting the next phase of the awakening of the Argonaute.

Captain DeMarten blinked his eyes open. Shit. I suppose it's time. He thought to himself as a voice softly asked him a series of medical questions. A series of simple yeses or nos. "..Welcome back to the mortal coil, captain." The nurse, whose name he forgot so he looked at her uniform's nametag.

"Thank you, Christie."

"Magpie is waiting for you on the bridge, sir." She informed the captain of the appointment he had with the ship's AI.

DeMarten nodded, standing up to make his way to the bridge. He passed by multiple other crewmen on metal gurneys in various stages of slowly waking up groggily from the near-death experience of cryostasis.

A male voice inquired him. "Coffee, sir?"

"yes, please" he smiled at the man, the ship's chief medical officer (CMO).

"Magpie reported that we are at our arrival point and awaiting your word to commence our operations, sir." The CMO reported curtly as he poured him a cup of bean water.

"I see, anything else to report?" DeMarten asked the CMO.

"No sir, but I suggest you make your way to the bridge to have that discussion with Magpie." The CMO smiled at the captain as he offered a mug of hot coffee. No cream. No sugar. Just how he liked it.

"Carry on, Doctor." DeMarten made his way to the exit of the medbay, into the hallway, and down a ways to the bridge. After passing through a few bulkhead doors and punching in his code to lift a ship security lockdown, he enters the bridge from the automatic bulkhead door to the rear of the space.

"Captain, I have an arrival report to disseminate to you, at your authorization." In the center of the room, behind the helm and sensor stations, but in front of the captain's chair, a holographic projector adorned the ceiling. Below it was a hologram of a blonde-haired human woman in a Greek toga with sandals. Her hair draped down her back, reminiscent of an ancient queen.

"Go ahead, Magpie." DeMarten allowed the hologram to continue.

"We have arrived in the Tarantula Nebula. Ultraviolet spectroscopy results have detected the presence of Acetylene, Radon, and Xenon gas. There are also S-type asteroid formations orbiting a possible F-Class star. I recommend we transmit these findings to the company for further prospecting considerations." The AI pauses when DeMarten holds up a hand.

"any hazards?" the captain asks, sipping his cup of coffee.

"Negligable. I am detecting a singularity deeper in the nebula, however. Though optical observations are limited due to the 15 magnitudes of extinction of visible light in that part of the nebula. I predict the cause to be denser clouds of gas." The AI reports.

"I see. So the closer we get to the accretion disk, the more dangerous our job gets but the richer the reward." He hums thoughtfully.

"Precisely, Captain." The AI confirms.