Naiad - Deluge Past
WARNING! YOU ARE UN-AUTHORIZED TO APPROACH THIS VESSEL. MAINTAIN DISTANCE. The automated message was on repeat, transmitted from fragments of a broken ship drifting apart in space. Active plasma gas and preserved atmosphere slowly leaking from small hull sections along with minute particles obscure what is truly inside
On the receiving end was an empty room, a tray of freshly zapped gel partially covering the incoming message on the desk screen. The crew of the approaching ship however is already on an EVA mission to salvage the remains before authority arrives. This means data storage, fuel rods of various types, and even some times expensive luxury goods can be found in personal quarters.
The life of a space scavenger is hard, most bands and parties do not last over 200 standard years. Most ships or parties become scavengers because for various reasons they are declared public enemy by the powers that be. Often they are also ruthlessly hunted down, and those lucky enough to survive long enough for their pursuers to lose interest would also lose the will to return to society, becoming true scavengers. Barbarians of space.
"Two minute to main debris field" Bighead announced to his party. "Everyone head to your marked positions. One hour on the mark, FOR REAL THIS TIME!"
Three hundred or so scavengers along with their assortment of "vehicles" descended on towards the field. Within minuets men and machine was collecting and hurling items of various size ballistic towards the scavenger ship that vaguely resembles a giant-crushed-rusted-tornapart-turocar. A collection field would guide them to the salvage bay. "I have never seen anything so glorious!" A scavenger said to his buddy binding cargo canisters to one an other. "This is like a ship from heaven itself! Look at the hulls! Every part glisten with purity! So... SMOOTH!... Bighead will be happy with this" The scav’s buddy did not reply, and kept on working. When he spins around continuing to work a glimpse of tears is momentarily seen through his helmet on his face. "Are you under the real emotions brother? Don't be afraid, this is the reason we exist, embrace it!" The buddy stopped moving, without turning around he said into his comms "With this, maybe we can finally heal mother..." Both scav know what that would mean, and did not say another word, both continued to work silent with only the occasional voiced broadcast on global coming through their headsets. With in the hour Bighead's voice came on the comms : "Every one head back NOW! We have company early." Immediately every scav was heading back to the ship in a swarm. Before anyone was even half way to reaching the ship a part of it suddenly flashed with a bright radiance and now there was a new hole in the ship. Debris ejecting from both end of the ship in different directions in an blast flys off in to space.
"NOT THE DRIVE!" Bighead is heard screaming in the communication channel, his voice in pure rage. "They want us to fight, and so we will! Get your battle gear ready boys!"
Later on the ship, through the hallways, chants of battle is heard, as the crew runs about the halls getting ready for personal combat. A single scavenger empty handed hurries in into the cargo salvage bay. "TINY! TINY! BROTHER TINY WHERE ARE YOU?!" "Here!" A voice is heard, and a half men jumps onto a waist tall crate waiving his short arms in the air. "Brother Tiny! We need you to help fix up the spare drive, we don't know what to do without you." "First, child, come here and look" Tiny beckons the scavenger over. Looking down, the half man pressed a panel on the crate with his barefoot and a large cross section of the crate became semi transparent. "What? Hes a baby! Why is he in a crate? We are going to battle, we don't need some ground shitting newborn with us right now!" "LOOK!" Tiny suddenly hit the scav in his nose with an closed fist. Shaking the pain away, the scav looked down at the crate again. "Does it look like a brother to you? " Tiny asks. "He looks like a brother to me, he's got two arms and two leg, and look at those huge balls! He will be called Chestballs!"
"Listen close child, this is the most important task you will ever undertake, it is the very part of our destiny" Tiny spoke as he handed the scav a small red plastic box. "Not now, keep it safe, you will need it later" also you will need this... "Brother! That is intense!" The scav said as he watched Tiny cut open a large gash of his own leg, muscle and fat exposed as he put his hand in a pulled out a small black plastic pack. "Keep this safe as well, now, carry me to the drive, we will need to repair it quickly" "Of course" the scav answered, packing the red box and black pack still red with blood in to his harness pocket, picking up Tiny and running trough the gate towards the backup drive room.
As they arrived at the spare drive room, it was already filled with other scavenger bothers. Some did not notice them when the door opened, but soon someone shouted "Brother Tiny!" Immediately everyone turned their attention to them and shouted in unison "Brother Tiny!" "I NEED A BIGBOOMMISSLE CORE IN THIS ROOM IMMEDIATELY, RE-CABLE THE DRIVE DISPERSERS TO THE INTERNAL SHIELD SYSTEM, UNCONNECT THE DRIVE FROM ALL OTHER SHIP SYSTEMS" Tiny shouted in a volume that would shock anyone who did not know him well, but everyone did know, just like they knew every other brother on this ship. “AND GET ME A DATAPAD HOOKED ON THAT DRIVE SYSTEMS”
Then Tiny turned his head and spoke calmly, his eye lids swollen and pale. "Go back to the crate, and wait." "But I can help, if it was..." The scav was cut short mid sentence when an other brother reached out and put his palm on his chest. "Brother Aimswell, carry out the task brother Tiny has asked of you. Our spirits is now with you" His eyes filled with determination as he talked, lifting his hands off Aimswell’s chest, his lips curled close tightly and his eyes seem to water. He would seem to understand the situation they were in.
Without another word the Aimswell put Tiny in the arms of his brother, turned around, and hurried back to the salvage bay.
There he was, Aimswell, named at his 12th birth year. Born as Fatears, named by his brothers. Alone in the salvage bay, who was the brother sleeping in the crate? why was he told to wait here alone? All he knew for now is that this was someone valuable and is was his task to guard him. As Aimswell looked long at the sleeping brother, he felt a strange growing attraction to him, all the while clenching to the communication device tightly attached to his chest rig, his mind lost but at the ready. The room seem to fade around him... In an blue hue. That was strange.
Then he heard a bang on the ceiling view window, as he looked up his body and ass pushed off clear the crate he was sitting on, the gravity was gone, his body was now totally facing upwards towards a scav looking at him with an arm wrapped around a grip bar and a hand holding a comms, it was Bighead, without his signature helmet on. This was the first time Aimswell has seen his whole head, it was truly big. Bighead pointed a finger at Aimswell, and he heard his voice trough the comms. He said one word : "Naiad" then the ship was torn away from the salvage bay violently in a second.
system initialized ... no control algorithm detected ... no additional software detected ... 0 programs loaded ... Loading default : F SYS starting in test mode ...
I awake for the first time, no thoughts or memories come to me, I cannot see, hear, or feel anything. Not because I do not detect any of these inputs, but because I have no need for them, I am in test mode. I know what I am.
I wait...
6m 12s later : A warning message is sent to my mind, from my body autonomous systems.
Extreme shock detected. Potential component damage detected: Power core misalignment Fluid valve 4 7 8 The response from me is automatic, I do not even consider it. Lock all fluid flow, and then shut down all power. Done...
800ms before my aux batteries located in my AI core runs out, it is plenty of time for me. Normally I would prepare my memories and experiences, feelings and thoughts to be continued the next time I am loaded. But I do not do this, it is not needed, only write it to a short log.
My mind goes blank. I await nothingness.
system initialized ...
no control algorithm detected ...
no additional software detected ...
0 programs loaded ...
Loading default : F SYS
starting in test mode ...
I awake for the first time, no thoughts or memories come to me, I cannot see, hear, or feel anything. Not because I do not detect any of these inputs, but because I have no need for them, I am in test mode. I know what I am. My abdominal cover is open, and my abdominal muscles are disconnected, power core panel is also open aside from that my fluid valves are all shut off. Among further query my general control subsystem is also connected to an external device.
I consult the only log in my backup memory and I conclude that I am current under repairs. A notice reach my mind, from my sound detection subsystem: Priority keyword and direct source detected: "Heeeey the..." My mind react instantly, I scan my vision and sound inputs, recording every moment for the first time. Vision has priority so I see first. Two faces are looking at my eyes. One has a worn and tanned look, mid-late aged man with clear crystal green eyes, and slightly more concave jawline. This man is most likely of Draconian genealogy, in my basic database they are described as untrustworthy and un loyal, tho they are very driven and committed, their empire is almost of no threat to anybody but themselves due to their nature.
The second man has a pale white complexion, young adult by estimations, his features are mostly average of an Orion descent, tho some parts of his face and upper body seems to have many benign cancers. Orions were the masters of the old technology's tho that was in the past and constant strife has driven them to near extinction.
I put a smile on my face.
I continue recording the sounds: "eeeeeeeeere."
I reply using the default female voice, saying: "Hello"
The younger man almost jump with excitement, with his one arm that was not in a sling he placed a hand on my shoulder, a big grin on his face and as he was opening his mouth to say something the older man grabbed him and pulled him back. Instead the older man said: "Are you broken anywhere else?"
I proceed to check myself, all subsystem are semi autonomous and they return nominal operation messages. My power core read ok so the users must have fixed the system already. Except fluid and skin feedback systems do not, most likely because the valves are shut and my abdomen is open.
I let in the feelings on my skin gradually and check them closely. From my face first I sense my own smile as the slight stretching of my skin, and slight pursed lips. My heels are dug slightly into a warm texture that is similar to sand, holding up my legs. The bottom part of my large thighs also slightly resting on the same surface. Both of my fingers and palm are also lightly rested on the same sandy surface, my shoulder and back resting on a flat smooth and hard surface like metal. My chest skin that are exposed feel a slight breeze blowing past and in between them, with the tips of my smooth breast experiencing the most of the breeze. My abdomen registers nothing, disconnected as reported. I briefly glance down to confirm. My bottom is nestled in the warm sand, with the sand up to my vulva pressing against it. My vulva protecting its insides. Everything from the skin checks out okay, now for the fluid systems. First, all my external fluids are empty as they should be for a new body. The internal synthetic muscle fuel are at full capacity per volume in all major limbs, torso, and head. But the system that pressurizes and deliver the white liquid is shutdown, and the pressure is at atmosphere levels. That means aside from only able to shifting around I cannot generate much force and energy in the muscles would run out of energy quickly. I decide to check out the pressure system with a flash pump to determine if the pressurizer is broken or if it is the valves and where are faulty. Pump is set to 200kpa for 50ms, if a puncture exists the thickness of the fluid should keep the liquid from escaping.
Executing.
With the exception of both thigh and left calve, every thing returned normal. This pressure also caused my whole body to convulse once. My limb’s twitch causing myself to sink deeper into the sand, the pressure also causing me to arch my back quite a bit due to the disconnected muscle in my abdomen. My breast jutting upwards momentarily before I revert back to my old posture.
With my blatant display of my body and the position I was in, I am sure If I was under normal operations I would be engaged in pleasure activities, or I my self if let be would be aroused enough to engage in such activities alone. But I was clearly under service, it was clear this was not the kind of display my users wanted, at this I did not feel shame or shyness. I am in testing mode.
"Aside from fuel pumps in both my thighs and left calves, nowhere else is 'broken'" I said in a slightly cheerful tone with a smile.
The older man said while standing up "What great luck... or is it" almost turning into a laughter near the end. While strangely with a hand in his vest pocket. While the pale young man looked on at me with a mild confusion. The older man stood up behind him, pulling out something pointing at the head of the younger man from behind. I detected a portion of the gun he was holding, it was most likely a lethal weapon judging from the size of projector barrel. The young man was in mortal danger. Even though I would not harm any persons, I could not interfere in their actions. I am in testing mode and is not authorized to take any actions autonomously. The flash came followed by blood spattering on my face. Blood droplets hit my lips triggering various responses of my programming. Other blood particles hit my cheeks, one on my right eye obscuring my depth perception, and most of the blood fell on my right shoulder and I could feel the sticky liquid on my skin, some rolling down my shoulders and caressing the outer curves of my breasts. I did not move or change my expression. I did not blink to clear the blood on my eyes. I did not even look at the outcome of this incident. Looking ahead with smile on my face where once the old man crouched. I am in testing mode, I know what I am.