Hermes Ch. 02

I Got Woken Up by Max

"Good morning, sir, your sleep pattern indicates that now would be a good time to get up. You have slept for 8 hours 37 minutes and 18 seconds."

"Good morning, Max," I said with a yawn. "What's the current time?"

"It's 18:14 on the 3rd of November 3078 interplanetary time, sir," Max replied.

I yawned again and stretched my arms before I opened the closet and took out some fresh clothes. "Did something happen while I was sleeping, Max?" I asked.

"Negative, sir," Max said as I put on my clothes. "The power draw of the Station was stable with only minor fluctuations. Possibly from the activity of smaller systems. No other anomalies detected."

I nodded, not that Max could understand, and slowly walked to the bathroom to start my morning ritual, including shaving. I hate shaving.

30 minutes later, freshly shaved and now awake, I pressed the button on my fridge to make a fresh coke. While the machine was pouring the drink, I made a small breakfast and thought about what I would do today. At my workbench, while eating my breakfast, I studied the map Max had sent me yesterday.

"I think I will take a look at the areas marked as 'Recreation' and 'Consumer testing' today," I said between bites. The areas I meant were still on the same deck as the docking ports but more towards the center of the station.

"Affirmative, sir. It seems that there are some network nodes in these areas, but I can't access them yet. They appear to be shut down," Max responded.

"Good, I will try to power them up if I find them," I replied. "On which deck are we currently?" I added.

"You are not on the station, sir," Max said. "However, the docking ports are located on Deck 18."

"Right, and how many decks are there in total?" I asked.

"41 Decks, sir," Max answered.

"Anything interesting about them?"

"Unknown, sir. I can't access the maps of other decks without the main system or an active network node on that deck." Max responded. I groaned.

"Is this a fucking video game?" I asked, frustrated. "I need to activate the network node on each deck to get a map."

"I'm sorry, sir, but there is currently no other way for me to get this information," Max replied.

"Well, fine. I will deal with it later. For now, I will look around the current deck," I said.

I walked back into the kitchen and was just putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher when Max interrupted me again. "Encrypted long-range communication received, sir."

"Out here?" I asked, "How far out are we actually?"

"We are on a polar orbit around the sun with an average distance of 17 AU," Max replied. "The message was severely degraded and could not be received by the ship's antennas, but the larger antennas of the station were able to pick it up, sir."

"So you can't access the maps of other decks, but you can use the antenna array of the station to receive long-range messages?" I shook my head in disbelief.

"Affirmative, sir," Max confirmed. "The communications system is independent of the main system and can be accessed from any console on the station, but the maps are stored in the main system, which is not active, as you ordered."

"What a coincidence," I sighed. "Okay, from who is the message?"

"The message was sent by Pyra and end-to-end encrypted for you, sir," Max informed me.

Pyra was a close friend of mine. The last I had heard from her was that she was detained on Mars for smuggling endangered species. I allowed myself a moment to remember the good times we had. We had worked together as freight pilots on and around Mars for a few years. She was the one who introduced me to the smugglers and we made extra money smuggling all sorts of illegal goods. As security tightened, we dropped the freight job and started freelancing. Although we still made good money, we stopped smuggling the really bad stuff, at least I did.

I had asked her out multiple times, but she made it clear she was not interested in men like me. At first, I thought it was because I was just an average guy, but later I realized she was more into women. Our friendship grew stronger after that and I loved her like a sister. I was sure she felt the same about me. If I could, I would give my life for hers and I'm sure she would do the same for me.

"Alright, does the signature match?" I asked as I sat back down and picked up my tablet.

"Affirmative, sir," Max answered. "The message is signed with a known key from Pyra."

I opened the message on my tablet.

~~~

What the hell, Chris!

Have you really stolen the prototype reactor core?

There's been nothing else on the news for the past couple of days. Reactor core here, security there. It's really annoying.

And how is it? Actually, don't tell me or I might get jealous. :P

Due to the theft, security has been increased on all planets and stations. You can't even deliver legal goods without undergoing a full ship search. Smuggling has definitely become harder, thanks to you.

However, I was able to escape from that hellhole of a Mars prison. I paid a corrupt official a lot of money to remove my charges from the register so I could fly again, even though I can't do much right now.

How's it going for you? I hope you have a good hiding place. They have a description of your ship and are threatening any ship that even remotely resembles yours.

Do you want to meet up and hang out? I don't have anything better to do anyway.

Best, Pyra

~~~

Well, that was a surprise, albeit a nice one.

"Max, can you determine where the message was sent from?" I asked.

"Affirmative, sir. Based on the interference and the general direction of the signal, it was sent from around Saturn," he answered.

"If we respond, can the message be traced?" I asked.

"Negative, sir. The station has an impressive dispersion array that allows us to add constructive interference to the message. It can only be traced within one astronomical unit from our current position," Max responded.

"Good," I said as I began typing a response back to Pyra.

~~~

Hi Pyra,

Yes, I did steal the prototype reactor core, and it is really cool. I'm glad to hear that you were able to get out of that prison. That outfit just didn't suit you.

I do have a good hiding place. It's actually so good that nobody has found it in the past 100 years, except for me.

If you have the time, we can meet up here. I have the entire place to myself, and I haven't seen anyone else around. However, it will take you a few days to get here.

I'll attach the rough coordinates, and let me know when you're close.

Chris

~~~

"Alright, Max, please add the coordinates for a rendezvous point located 1,000 km away from the station. Encrypt the message for Pyra and send it through the long-distance array at the station," I instructed Max.

"Affirmation, sir, message sent," came his reply.

The message from Pyra gave me a sense of happiness. I loved spending time with her and she would enjoy exploring the station with me. However, before that, I wanted to do some exploring of my own.

-

After putting my combat gear back on, I stepped back into the Station through the airlock. Everything was unchanged from 10 hours ago. The general interface transceiver was still connected to the console and the display showed the station logo.

As I entered the corridor across from the airlock, I spotted my old glow stick and picked it up, storing it in an empty pocket. I encountered a bulkhead that opened automatically as I approached, leading me into a spacious round room that appeared to be a garden. There were plots of dirt with dried up plants and wheat. On one side, what could have once been a hedge, now stood as a 1.5 meter tall wooden structure. This must have been the recreation area or a portion of it. As I explored the room, I came across numerous benches, and openings in the wall that seemed to have been used for selling snacks and drinks.

I checked the map on my left arm, which showed multiple smaller rooms connected to this one. I entered one randomly and found a combination of a bar, a small cinema and a common room. On one wall stood a large display with two rows of cinema seats in front. In one corner, there was a pool table and some normal tables with chairs. In another corner, there was a bar complete with bar stools and a beer tap. Unlike the garden which was filled with dried leaves and debris, this room was nearly spotless. No trace of dust or dirt was visible. Either it was cleaned before everyone left or this room was rarely used.

I explored some of the other rooms and discovered that most of them were identical to the first room. However, a few rooms seemed to have a different purpose. These rooms were furnished like a large bedroom with multiple giant beds and numerous pillows. It appeared as if they were used for a more intimate form of recreation, potentially for orgies. This speculation was supported by the large size of the beds and the presence of a wide assortment of sex toys in the drawers.

Not knowing what to do with this information, I continued my exploration and headed to the middle of the station. I walked to the door located on the opposite side of the room's entrance and discovered a blank display mounted on the wall. This must be one of the network nodes that Max had previously mentioned. I found the power button and turned it on. After a boot sequence similar to the service console at the airlock, I was greeted with a welcome screen.

"Max, I have activated a network node. Can you access it?" I asked.

"Affirmative, sir. The node is now accessible," came the response from the ceiling speakers. Max must have gained access to the station's intercom system.

The next room I entered was vastly different from the garden I had previously visited. While the garden had a dead atmosphere, it still had a sense of life. The new room, on the other hand, was sterile with perfectly plane white walls and a polished white floor. The light seemed to come from the walls and ceiling, creating sharp corners and no rounded edges. The room looked like it was straight out of a high-tech residential station advertisement targeted at the ultra-rich.

The sterile room was massive, taking up 3/4 of the inner part of the deck. According to my map, it was the Consumer Testing Area. There were large pillars around the room, each with a door. When I opened one of the doors, I found a small room with a desk and chairs. Although it had the same aesthetic as the outer room, it felt warmer due to the warmer light. The furniture was arranged in an 'interview' style, and on the desk, there was a loose pile of pamphlets. I stepped closer to take a look at them.

The pamphlets were advertisements for a new and advanced AI called NEA. The AI was described as responding like a normal human and capable of holding a conversation for an indefinite amount of time. It was even hinted that the AI could create a relationship with humans who frequently interacted with it. Despite the marketing, I put the pamphlets back and left the room.

I opened several other doors, but they were all empty. Tired of opening doors only to find empty rooms, I asked Max, "Can you tell me which rooms have something other than furniture?"

"Affirmative, sir. Rooms 2, 18, 23, and 35 have objects in them," Max responded through the speakers. Although Max's voice was indistinguishable from a human, his responses were too sharp and artificial compared to the NEA AI advertised in the pamphlets.

Finally, I noticed that next to the doors were numbers in a light shade of gray, so subtle that they would be easily missed unless you were looking for them.

I realized I had already visited Room 2, so I went searching for Room 18. The layout was familiar, with a desk against the wall, three chairs scattered around. But, on the desk was something I had never seen before. It was a square metallic plate, measuring 30x30 cm and 5 cm high, with four small mechanical arms on its sides, similar to factory robots. I approached the device with curiosity and noticed that besides a small power cable, there was nothing else on its sides or surface.

"Max, what is this?" I asked.

"I have no information on that device, sir. I might be able to access information directly from the device if you power it on," Max responded.

"Alright, let's see," I said, searching for an obvious way to turn the device on. I found nothing on the edges or flat top surface. Picking it up, I was surprised by its weight. The underside also held no information, except for some ID codes used for inventory or tracking. My last resort was the cable, so I followed it to the plug on the floor.

"Well, there's your problem," I said, "it's not plugged in." I searched for a socket but couldn't find one. "Max, is there a power socket in this room?" I asked.

"Affirmative, sir. It's hidden behind a faceplate. Shall I expose it?" Max replied.

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

Max exposed the socket next to the plug, and I plugged in the cable. At first, nothing happened, but after a couple of seconds, the arms started moving. With a light mechanical whine, they moved in all directions, probably performing a self-test, before returning to their original position.

"Max, it's online now. Can you tell me what it is?" I asked.

"Analyzing, sir," he replied. "The device seems to be of medical nature. It is identified as 'MedHands Consumer Test v1.0.1'. It is capable of analyzing and repairing small to medium damage to a person's extremities without creating scars or inflicting more pain."

"Interesting," I said. "Does it still work?"

"Affirmative, sir," Max replied. "The self-test was successful, and the internal tanks report 82% remaining material."

"How does it work, Max?" I asked.

"Unknown, sir, but the tanks hold proteins, nanites, and nutrients," Max answered.

The idea of an "autodoc" was nothing new, and such devices did exist, but they were extremely expensive and did leave scars. I removed my glove and looked at the scar on my left hand from when I accidentally touched a hot molten coupling. I hesitated, but then placed my hand into the device.

"Max, initiate the process," I said.

"Affirmative, sir," Max replied, and the arms on the device started to move. A small opening near each arm opened, and the arms reached into it and picked up a toolhead. The arms then started to move the toolhead over my skin. After they covered all the exposed skin on my hand, they stowed the toolheads back into the opening and Max spoke again.

"The device reports 20% damaged skin, sir," he said. "To continue with the repair, it needs a small cell sample. It is currently waiting for approval."

"Well, I guess we should continue," I said, still intrigued by the movement of the arms.

One arm moved to the side of my hand and pressed firmly, causing a small sting. I instinctively jerked my arm, but the mechanical arm moved back and grabbed something from the opening. I saw a small droplet of blood form, which the mechanical arm soaked up with a tiny pipette.

"The device reports that it will take 1 hour to synthesize new stem cells, sir," Max said.

Stem cells? I knew that they were used to rejuvenate the rich on Earth, but this was impressive. It even synthesized them directly.

"Do I need to wait here, Max?" I asked.

"Negative, sir," Max replied. "The device should work on the process without your physical presence, as long as no one else uses it."

I nodded and left the room. The other two rooms were similar, with the same device in room 23 and more pamphlets for NEA in room 35.

"Max, how do I get to the other decks?" I asked as I closed the door to room 35.

"The central elevator is in the middle of this room, sir," Max responded.

I looked around and, sure enough, there was an elevator. It was similar in appearance to the rooms, which is why I hadn't noticed it before. As I approached, the doors opened automatically, revealing the cabin.

It looked like the room around me, but was clearly more worn. There were small scratches and black marks along the bottom of the walls and floor. On one side of the cabin stood a large black display, currently turned off. The other walls were blank, with the exception of a small handrail. I stepped into the cabin and, after a brief moment, turned on the display. The same boot process I had seen before appeared, but instead of the logo, I saw a list of the different decks and their names.

~~~

Decks:

1-9: Maintenance personnel only

10-14: AI Labs; Authorized personnel only

15: Quarters

16: Quarters

17: Quarters

18: Docking, Recreation, Consumer Testing, Storage

19: Quarters, Recreation

20: Quarters

21-38: Special Research; Authorized personnel only

39-40: Administration; Authorized personnel only

41: Storage

Escape Pods are located on every 5th deck.

~~~

"Elevator system online, sir," Max said suddenly.

I attempted to tap on "10-14" to get to the AI Labs, but nothing happened, not even the doors closing.

"Max, can you get me to deck 10?" I asked, hoping he could help.

"Negative, sir. Decks 1-14 and 21-40 are not accessible without clearance," he responded.

"Override it," I commanded.

"Negative, sir. This requirement can only be disabled by the main system," Max replied.

"It seems like every other thing I touch only works with the main system!" I exclaimed in frustration.

But, in all fairness, it was called a main system for a reason. I was considering whether to start exploring from the top or bottom of the quarters, but Max interrupted my thoughts.

"Encrypted long-range communication received, sir," Max said for the second time that day.

"Again? Who is it from?" I asked, surprised.

"The message was sent by Pyra and is end-to-end encrypted for you, sir," Max replied.

"Max, I have a feeling of déjà vu," I said with a smile. Max ignored me, as the expression did not require a response. I decided to take a break and head back to the ship to read Pyra's message and grab a bite to eat. On my way, I checked on the MedHands device. Max informed me it would take another 30 minutes or so to complete the synthesis.

Back on my ship, I took off my combat jacket and gloves and went to my workbench to read Pyra's message.

~~~

God damn it, Chris! These coordinates are in the middle of nowhere!

Lucky for you, I have a new, fancy ship and found a hacker to modify its engines. Although it's not as good as your afterburner mod, it's still pretty fast. I should be there in about two days. I'm already on my way.

I really hope you found something good, like a ship graveyard or something. If I just flew out here for a 'cool' asteroid, you're going to pay for my fuel!

See you soon,

Pyra

~~~

With a smile, I put down the tablet and went to the kitchen to make a snack. I was looking forward to meeting Pyra. It would take her 2 days to reach the coordinates with her conventional reactor and modified engines, while I could make the distance in less than 4 hours with my new power core and both engines. But I was glad she had two engines at least.

While I was eating and lost in my thoughts, Max informed me that the MedHands device was finished with the synthesis. I decided against putting my complete combat gear back on and made my way back to the station.

"So, what's going to happen now, Max?" I asked, as I stood in front of the device. "It's unclear, sir. The device only indicates that you should place your hand back in it. It's safe to assume that it will start to cure your scars," Max responded.

I shrugged and then sat back down in front of the device. After placing my hand on it, I told Max to start the process.

The arms of the device began scanning my hand again. Once they confirmed it was still the same hand, they switched their tool heads to something that looked like small needles connected to a small tube that ended in an opening. The tubes filled with a metallic-red liquid and both arms moved to either side of my wrist. As soon as they injected the liquid into my wrist, I started to lose feeling in my hand. The constant itch on my hand disappeared a few seconds later.