I woke up with a start. I kicked my leg feeling fire come out of it for a few seconds before I felt like I was slowly spinning now. I opened my eyes looking around only to look down at a ship’s bridge. A man was kneeling under a consol swearing as he fiddled with some wires.

“The hell are you doing, and more importantly why am I looking down at the bridge of a ship?” I asked.

The man jumped when he heard my voice and banged his head against the underside of the desk. He swore a few more times before popping his head up and pointing a laser pistol around at the ceiling. He slowly stood up.

“Where are you, show yourself, I warn you, by the rights of salvage this is my ship. I have already filed the claim and I will defend it!”

I went to move my hand in front of my face as the laser dot from his pistol passed over my eye. Only my hand didn’t come up in front of me but I did feel fire come out of my palm and the ship began to roll.

“Stop messing with the thrusters!” he suddenly yelled as he spun around still waving his pistol about. “Show yourself, scum”

I growled as I glared at him. “I can’t show myself, I don’t even know where I am, and whenever I try to move the thrusters activate!” I screamed back at him.

He instantly lowered his pistol and a huge grin came over his face “oooh a sentient AI core, this is perfect!”

he holstered his pistol as he ran over to the captains’ chair and jumped into it.

“Computer set course for-” whatever he was about to say I have no idea what it was because at that moment my hearing faded as a screen appeared in front of my eyes and a message was displayed on it.

Dear Goddess Michelle

I have no idea how you managed to convince the system to grant you divine access but as the creator and God of the system, I shall not allow you to roam free. Therefore I have sealed you away inside a dungeon core and installed it in the engine of a frigate forgotten at the battle of Ardington Station. You are free to flex your divine might within its walls, should you ever attempt to leave this ship, you will only find the religion of every species within the system declaring you an evil entity and hunt you until you are sealed in a deep dark hole. I have now shown you the stick, are you ready for the carrot? I hope so because here it is, the frigate you are inside is now your body, you are the ship and therefore can freely alter it, like any dungeon core you can create rooms and expand the inside of them to accommodate anything your imagination can create from your resources. I recommend you follow the general dungeon rules and rooms setup. As for your monsters, I have given you a minor gift, since you were a vampire before all this, I have decided to make vampires your starting monsters. Well, that is all from me for now, hope you enjoy your dungeon.

with Love, God Sanctus

As I finished reading the message it began to fade and my hearing returned.

“Hello? Computer? Are you ignoring me!'' The man was standing in front of the captains’ chair as he glared at the ceiling.

“Shut up” I snapped at him.

I began to flex firing thrusters as I spun and flew around the space station testing out my new flight capabilities. As I slowly brought the ship to a stop I turned my attention back to the human who was having a full-on tantrum screaming his head off on the bridge of the ship.

“This is my ship, this is my ship I filed the claim you have to obey me!”

I let out a soft laugh as I locked the doors of the bridge.

“Fear me human for I am not listening.” I giggled as I watched him.

“Wait, hold up, your human!” I suddenly blurted out. He turned slowly looking about him before looking back at the ceiling

“Yea… so?” I grinned as I watched his nervousness and turned my attention to the navigation computer.

“Then why are we not setting course for Earth?” I asked.

He blinked a few times before glancing at my navigation station.

“Um, well your navigation system doesn’t know where it is, so I have to stop at the Pilutal space station and purchase up to date navigational maps so that we can go to... earth, assuming I don’t sell you first.” he suddenly grinned.

I turned the lights off on the bridge as I used the navigation systems to set course for his space station, leaving him in the dark as he screamed for me to turn the lights back on. I maneuvered the frigate away from Ardington space station and flew the ship in the direction of the destination. I then attempted to engage the quantum drive but I received a message instead.

Quantum drive missing.

Please purchase the core quantum drive under the skill tab.

I let out a groan as I turned the lights on the bridge back on.

“We are not going anywhere.” I declared as I turned the ship back to the station.

“What why not?” he asked as he sat back in the captains’ chair.

“Because apparently as a new Dungeon core I can not engage a quantum drive without having one and the skill to do so.” his face suddenly looked anoyed as he slowly looked up at the ceiling before quickly looking around the bridge.

“You’re a dungeon core?” he asked slowly.

“Yea? Why do you ask?” I replied as I watched him.

He slowly stood up as he drew his pistol looking around like something was about to jump out and eat him.

“Because dungeons have hostile monsters that want to kill you.” He replied.

I let out a soft laugh as I looked around the inside of the frigate. noting the hallway leading from the bridge to the engine room where I was housed. There were several rooms connected to the hallway with beds and desks in them. An open door was also attached to the hallway. It was positioned beside the engine rooms’ door. This open door had a tube down to the lower floor. From what I could tell and from the power it was using. The tube was a gravity-controlled elevator. You simply stepped into the open air and the gravity would adjust to raise or lower you. The lower floor had another hallway. Next to the elevator door was the door into the cargo hold. Along the hallway were many more doors. From the items inside those rooms, I could tell which ones were crew quarters, a recreation centre, a cafeteria, medical and two hangers for smaller ships to dock with the frigate. There were no monsters anywhere inside any of these rooms.

I turned my attention back to the bridge, where the nervous human was still standing as he slowly turned around waiting for the attack that wasn’t coming.

“There are no monsters onboard, you woke me up so I haven’t created anything yet.”

he suddenly dropped to his knees, slumping against the captains’ chair as he groaned.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Oh thank the god, I was sure I was about to die.”

He got to his feet as he looked up at the ceiling with a confused look on his face. “Wait, I woke you up? Does that make me the dungeon master?” He asked.

“The hell you talkin bout Willis!” I demanded as I glared down at the human.

He glared back. “My name is not Willis, it is Cody, and the stories go that if you manage to find a brand new dungeon core you can become its master gaining control over the dungeon.”

I quickly checked myself and sensing no attachment to the human I decided that meant he was an idiot that had no idea what he was talking about.

“No, that does not make you the dungeon master, but if you have more information about dungeons then I am willing to listen.”

I could see the sad look on his face before he nodded and smiled up at the ceiling.

“Okay, but first I need you to promise not to kill me if I help you.” he sat down in the captains’ chair and looked around waiting for me to reply.

“Yes, yes, I will refrain from delivering a gruesome horrible death to you.” I giggled as I watched his face go a little pale before recovering.

“Secondly, what do you have to work with?” he asked. I could hear the tremble of fear in his voice. I went to answer then stopped as I realised I had no idea what I had to work with. I quickly pulled my status sheet open to see if it had any hints for me.

Core Name: Michelle

Titles: Goddess

Special Trait: Divinity

Clan: The Lost Clan

Clan Members: 0

Level: 1

Skills:

Resources: 200

Organic Material: 200

I suddenly smiled as I looked at my new status screen. “Oooh, I have two hundred resources, I wonder what I can make with that. Oh hang on, there is a creation tab now, let me open it.” I mentally clicked on the creation tab.

This is your creation screen please be aware that your dungeon holds a special trait and this trait brings anything you create to life, it is not a construct of a dungeon but in fact a real living creature.

Construction Drone: 50 resources

Young Vampire: 25 resources and 50 organic Materials.

“Well, what can you make?” the man asked with a little bit of impatience and annoyance creeping into his voice.

“Young vampires” I whispered as I stared at the warning.

I did notice the shiver that ran up his back. “there is no way you can make creatures considered by the universe to be the universe's nobility… you’re lying right?”

Ignoring him I mentally clicked on Young Vampire. Nothing happened. I mentally click construction mech. Nothing happened. I mentally clicked it again. This time something did happen. A few feet from Cody dust began to swirl and rise when it reached a foot off the ground it dispersed leaving behind a bright shining sphere. The sphere raised off the ground slowly floating up a few feet before it began to project lasers onto the spot it had started. The lasers moved back and forth as they 3D printed another sphere. Once both spheres were floating around the bridge slowly I realised these were the construction drones thanks to the helpful little notification I could see when I stared at them.

I turned my attention back to the young vampire and mentally clicked it. This time the two construction drones worked around a spot on the floor as their lasers started printing out shoes. They slowly headed up. Five minutes after they started, a man stood next to the captains' chair. Cody had snuck off and was hiding near the bridge door prying into the access panel to try to get the door open. The young vampire saw this and walked over to stand a few feet from Cody who had noticed his approach and had begun to frantically renew his attempts to open the door.

“Lord Cody, may I please ask you to stop damaging my Lord's ship. You are a guest, not a captive, you need only ask for it to be opened.” the young vampire said.

We both froze staring at the vampire. The vampires’ hands reached up to feel his face before asking.

“What? Is there something on my face?” I couldn’t help it, I lost it laughing.

The vampire took a few steps back when I began to laugh and knelt on one knee as his right hand covered his heart and his head lowered.

“King Michelle, I Dominic Lost, have not forgotten the face of my true King and pledge my undying loyalty to King Michelle!” he declared.

That got me to shut up. My laugh died as I stared at him. It was Cody who broke the silence.

“No way! Dominic Lost as in the lost clan? As in the royal vampiric clan that no one has seen since It was formed by Michelle Lost during the battle of Ardington station, are you that Dominic lost?.” he asked excitedly.

Dominic looked at Cody before looking up at the ceiling then back to Cody.

“Yes! I am that Dominic lost and if the memories I just received are true then the core that lives in this ship is the home to my king Michelle Lost.”

Cody spun around to look in the direction of my core.

“the lost king that has been lost for two thousand years has been found.” he whispered in awe.

I ignored both of them and mentally clicked the young vampire three times, two entering the queue to be created. hoping the next one wasn’t as crazy as the first. While the second vampire was being created Dominic and Cody were huddled together whispering. However, something outside the ship had caught my attention. The radar was showing two dropships hurtling towards the station. The first one turned suddenly and put on extra speed as it headed straight for me. I slowly rolled the ship so one of the hangers was in front of the rushing dropship. I could suddenly feel a tingling sensation in my ears before the communications panel lit up and a voice was heard in the bridge.

“This is the surviving members of the mining vessel, Calico. We request safe harbour from the pursuing Dropship that attacked our Ship. I repeat we are seeking safe harbour from the armed dropship behind us.”

The second vampire turned away from listening to the communications panel and knelt down on one knee placing her right hand over her heart.

“King Michelle, I Keisha Lost, have not forgotten the face of my true King and pledge my undying loyalty to King Michelle!”

She then stood and strode over to the communications panel and began pressing buttons on it before she stood up straight.

“We hear you, surviving members of the Calico vessel, you will not be granted safe harbor aboard this dungeon ship but we will seal you inside a hanger so that all will receive a chance to challenge the great dungeon without interference.”

Keisha turned away from the communications panel and walked over to Dominic before smacking him over the head.

“Will you stop it, we have to get ready to repel the enemy.”

I turned my attention to Dominic as I came to a decision.

“Dominic head down to the lower floor and find a spot in the cafeteria to ambush the invaders, Keisha, when the two new vampires finish being created send one down to hide in the crew quarters and the other to hide in an officer's room, you can remain here on the bridge with Cody.” I declared as mentally opened the hanger door for the fleeing dropship to land.

Dominic instantly ran out of the bridge as Keisha moved to sit in the captains’ chair. “It will be done!” Keisha declared as she watched Cody move to hide behind a control desk.

As Cody drew his pistol and readied himself. The fourth vampire was told by Keisha to hide in an officers quarters. I watched my four vampires getting into position as the leading dropship was landing in the hanger. I had of course closed the hanger door behind them and rolled the ship over to present the other hanger to the second dropship.

I turned my attention to the crew of calico as they slowly disembarked the dropship. I heard a voice in the crew quarters and looked into the room to see a woman kneeling with hand over her heart as she said.

“King Michelle, I Mistie Lost, have not forgotten the face of my true King and pledge my undying loyalty to King Michelle, and may the false king Stephanie Lost die gruesomely in despair!”

She then laid down on the bed and pretended to be asleep. I stared at her in shock as she had just dropped a bombshell on me. But before I could unpack it, a voice in the officers quarters drew my attention.

“King Michelle, I Amelia Lost, have not forgotten the face of my true King and pledge my undying loyalty to King Michelle!” Amelia then sat down at the officers’ desk and began to play a video game she had loaded up on the console.

I was about to ask Mistie about Stephanie when I heard voices from the hangers pulling my attention to them. A group of five Gnomes were huddled up beside their dropship in the second hangar holding laser rifles.

“Alright boys, we have made it onboard this juicy ship, now let’s take it home!”

A chorus of yea! Came before the gnome wearing the red hat continued “for my father the head of our house! Now let’s go and prove we are more than escapee goffers, we are ship takers!” he screamed the last part before turning and running over to the hangers inner door.

He stopped next to the door and I watched them line up behind him as they readied their rifles.

“Okay, the information we had on that dropship is as follows. Sixteen humans boarded the dropship and they were all unarmed, they ran like the cowards their species are to this broken-down ship left by a forgotten station. Therefore I can only believe that they are the only ones on board and are currently cowering somewhere within. So let’s go room by room and find each one of them, kill them and take this ship and show my brothers and father that I am not the runt of the family!”

The other gnomes nodded along and grins spread across their faces as they watched him.

“Imagine the reward we will get for presenting your father with a frigate class ship!” one of the gnomes said excitedly.

“Quick, open the door, let’s do this!” another one squealed in delight.