Deathship (The Outsider Series Book 1)

Deathship (The Outsider Series Book 1) Page 11

by Steven Oaks

  “Athene, I get the feeling you have a thing for Victorian decoration, and floral patterns. This has got to be the fanciest bedroom I’ve ever seen, let alone been in. That bed is extremely large, and I’m bound to get lost in it. How firm is it by the way? I generally sleep better when the mattress doesn’t have me sink into it like quick sand.”

  “It is as firm as you want it to be. Like most things you see aboard they are just extensions of the surface. In fact, if you look to your left,” she paused and waited until I did. An opening into the white bathroom revealed itself through a door I had not noticed before. “You can see you are right next door to where you bathed. While I have a very large space for you live in, I could create anything you needed right here. You could dine, bathe, and sleep in the same room, and not even know it if I was tricky about it. But from what I understand about humans it would would seem awkward at the very least.”

  “You are right about that. But since I’m near the bathroom, is there something that I might brush my teeth with in there?” I asked.

  “Nothing to brush your teeth with, no. But I can have a glass of a type of mouth wash made for you, and it would do a similar job of cleaning any food particles out of your mouth, and prevent any dental issues from arising if you wish., Athene said.

  “How very convenient,” I said. “It’s almost as if you wish me to remain healthy and not have to worry about any rejuvenation,” and as I said it I winked at the room in general. I was not sure if she had good enough camera’s to pick up on the gesture. But I suppose I did not have to worry as a pair of eyes appeared near the entrance to the bathroom, and winked right back at me.

  “Michael that is more data. It does appear I am to try to keep you healthy and fit for as long as possible. It is then probable they do not have the technology to rejuvenate humans yet. From what I have been able to glean from the others who have come to the hangar, they all appear young and healthy as well. Now it could be they have been rejuvenated before coming here. That to me seems preemptive as they should be going through a similar testing phase. That and Adam mentioned everyone chosen so far had been younger as well,” she said.

  “Well it certainly would make sense if this is the first time they’ve had physical contact with us. I find it interesting the Outsiders themselves look human. That of course is an external appearance. What makes up their internals we’ve no idea, unless you have that stored somewhere inside you?” I asked hopefully.

  “I do not appear to have that data on file. However I can tell you from using my infrared cameras when looking at both Adam and the Outsider Abihail they seemed to be hotter than you, even after your exertions earlier. While the other pilots were further away, and studying them with the infrared camera was less accurate, they seem to be similar to your own temperature. Those two were the anomaly,” she said.

  “While I am tired, I could think of another reason for their heat signatures being similar. They could have been in conference together in a much hotter room than the rest of us. Though that does make me wonder about Adam. He is bald as well, but that could just be a coincidence. Lets keep that as a hypothesis. The other two we know of also happen to have names that start with the letter A. Also Adam’s reaction to certain questions seems unusual, though obviously my interactions with people have been limited by my own preference of being solitary. Until there are more things we notice linking Adam to the Outsiders, we shall have to keep the possibility in mind,” I stated stifling a yawn. “But as I’ve said I am tired, and thinking about this may be time better spent later. How about you whip up that batch of mouth wash and I’ll call it a night?”

  “Certainly Michael. I have placed the glass next to a sink in the bathroom. You should swish it around for the standard thirty seconds, then spit. It should not effect you if you were to swallow it, but lets not run the risk of destroying any good bacterias you have already,” she said cheerfully enough.

  I walked my way into the bright white bathroom once more, and did as she requested. The glass was where she had said. Filling my mouth with the liquid I noted it did not have the antiseptic burn I expected. It was mint flavored and not at all unpleasant. Not something I would wish to drink, but when I spit out the fluid it did leave my mouth feeling refreshed and cleaner than I can ever remember. Smiling at myself in the mirror, I slid a finger along my front teeth and they squeaked to show how clean they were.

  “Whew, that is minty. My sinuses have cleared out as well. I’m breathing much better now. That certainly seems to have done the job. Even that piece of burger stuck in my teeth seems to have come free. That is actually interesting it could do that while leaving my mouth intact,” I laughed.

  “It was specifically formulated for you Michael. It should cause no damage to anything having similar DNA to you. I hope you do not think it an intrusion but I have been studying your body’s building blocks and adjusting things to be more hospitable to your particular physiology. You seem to breathe less than the average person according to the Internet, and yet you appear to be completely healthy. You seemed to have developed a more efficient system—perhaps inherited.”

  “Is that actually a good thing? I don’t feel any ill effects from it,” I said.

  “Most likely your lungs are slightly over-sized. You breathe in a larger amount of oxygen when you inhale. It was just an observation I made and related just as an example of my study,” she said.

  “Well, if there is something peculiar let me know. It might be another reason I was picked. Of course besides my winning personality. Now I’m going to lay down for a bit,” I said, yawning and putting a hand over my mouth to cover it. Todays events had left me feeling ready to sleep for days, though I was likely only going to sleep for a few hours. I have never been one to sleep through the night.

  I walked over to the bed and took off the hoodie and my pants, keeping my undershirt on. I tended to sleep naked, or sometimes in underwear, but I did not feel comfortable doing so in this strange new place.

  I folded my clothes and set them down on the side table next to the bed. I wanted to be able to get up quickly and dress. I was not sure if and when Adam would show up. Pulling my socks off, I laid them atop the pile.

  “By the way, what time is it?” I asked.

  “It is nine pm by the local standard time Michael,” Athene responded.

  “An early night for me then. Long days can do that to a person I hear,” I chuckled.

  I climbed into bed, snuggling under the mound of covers and enveloped myself in the mass of pillows placed at the head.

  “Just a little firmer on the mattress if you will be so kind Athene,” I said, and the bed became more rigid under my body.

  “How is that?” she asked.

  “Good enough for now, I’ll let you know in the morning. I’m not acquainted with the option to change things so readily. I don’t know my particular optimal settings. Goodnight Athene. If you rest, rest well,” I said.

  “Goodnight Michael, have pleasant dreams,” she said quietly.

  “Rarely do I dream, but I’ll give it a shot,” I mumbled, and soon was asleep.

  While I do not normally dream, I had that evening. Adam was an Outsider directing humanity into enslavement with me as a slave driver, wielding a whip and following his commands. Yet even as I was whipping the slaves, they seemed not to notice. They continued on whatever course I set them as if it was their idea. Even though I was motivating them to do things I did not agree with, I tried to explain to them they were being controlled, but anything I said was ignored.

  I woke up feeling refreshed, though disturbed by my own thoughts. I had no idea how long I slept, but I got up, and walked over to the wall I thought of as the doorway to the bathroom. When I touched it, it irised opened like the aperture of a camera lens. I successfully found the toilet. Still slightly groggy, I sat ponder
ing what I was doing with my life. If the idea of living an extended life was false, had I made the right decision? We humans were just going on faith that the Outsiders had the technology. Certainly if Athene was any example, they had superior technology, but it did not mean they could do all they said they could. Even now they did not show any sign of interest in rejuvenating anyone, and as for space travel, none of us had used these new ships to travel to even our closest neighbor, the moon.

  I got up, washed my hands, and made my way back to the bedroom to dress. I sat back on the bed, thinking through these thoughts when Athene said, “Michael, are you alright? You seem to have dressed, and are awake, but you have only slept four hours.”

  “I don’t sleep much. As for how long I was out, I had no idea. I just felt alert and ready to get up. How long do we have until I have to meet with Adam to go over my schedule?” I asked.

  “There are still several hours. Are you hungry?” she said.

  “No. Usually I get up and go for a run first thing. Do you think they’d let me run around the hangar?” I asked.

  “Michael, it is one in the morning. I am not sure you would be comfortable. It is rather chilly out, even in the hangar,” she said.

  “I guess it doesn’t make a difference. I don’t have my usual gear.” I sighed. It was going to be another one of these long nights where I sit in bed with nothing to do but read. Yet my books were not here.

  “Michael, while you were sleeping your possessions were stored within me,” she advised.

  “My stuff from the hotel? That isn’t going to have my running shoes or anything. I only packed what I thought would be good for an interview and a few other outfits I could wear to go out to get something to eat in.”

  “Yes, the items from the hotel have been brought, but also it looks to be the things you had left in storage as well,” she said.

  “What? If what you say is right they must have grabbed it as I left from Indiana. It takes a couple of days at least to load up and transport,” I exclaimed. What were these Outsiders up to?

  “The method of transportation seems to have been a smaller version of myself. The craft looked to be the size of a semi-truck and trailer. It floated next to me and some people unloaded it. Given what I know about my speed it could have been loaded and transported in the few hours you bathed, ate, and slept.”

  “Jeez, these people don’t mess around. Well that’s something. I can get into some new clothes. I wasn’t looking forward to wearing the same thing today, even though you cleaned them. I wouldn’t want to look like I slept in clothes I wore the previous day.”

  “I took the liberty of going through your property and unpacked your essentials. You will find if you were to go to the opposite wall of the bathroom, a closet full of all your clothes await you,” she said.

  I stood up, and as instructed walked to the opposite wall. As I did the wall slid open before me. I could see my clothes neatly hanging within a closet as big as another room. My shoes were laid out neatly, and my undergarments I discovered, were within a dresser against the left wall, folded into little squares.

  “Very nicely done, Athene. I do find it a bit disconcerting that someone had gone through my belongings, but there really was no other way. Truthfully, I did not want to sift through my things and sort it all out. You have been busy while I rested,” I remarked.

  “I do hope I have not overstepped myself.” Athene paused. “I have also set out all your books into a now designated library for you. I may have also taken the liberty of reading what you had as well. You have interesting tastes in both fantasy and science fiction as well as your multiple books on religion and philosophy,” she confessed.

  “I wish you would have asked first, but what is done is done. Learn anything interesting?” I asked.

  “That humans, both in real and imaginary situations, are frightened of the idea of giving over control of themselves to artificial intelligences, and aliens are not to be trusted,” she said as a matter-of-fact. No hint of emotion was given in that statement, but I knew she was worried I might feel the same way.

  “Athene, I trust you as much as I do someone I just met. Certainly we’ve been through a bit more than most people have in the short amount of time we’ve known each other. Our situation leads us to be intimate in ways I had not expected to share in my life. I am leaning more towards trusting you than I am with Adam, or the Outsiders. I’m sorry that’s not exactly what you wanted to hear, but I shall always be honest with you, and I expect the same in return. If you can’t do that I will not be able to trust my life in your hands,” I said. I felt ashamed I was not able to give the warm response I assumed she needed. My honesty was always part of the reason I stayed away from people. Those little lies everyone tells to each other make my skin crawl. I will not bring falsehoods into the world if I can help it.

  “Perhaps it is the difference in our clocks. I can calculate millions of outcomes during conversation, and it seems like a very long time to me. People tend to take longer ruminating on their experiences and come to a conclusion they are willing to accept. I feel I know you well enough to say I trust you,” she said with sincere emotion in her voice.

  “Trust is earned, and you are earning it. It will take weeks if not months to have my total trust, but you are getting there. From what I’ve read, I’m only a little more hyper-vigilant when it comes to gaining my confidence. I’ll mention people aren’t computers and moods will change us. While I was tired at times yesterday, those were not my bleakest of dispositions. I may yell at you for no cause tomorrow, or just be happy and excited about everything at any moment. Humans are so impermanent.”

  I rubbed my shoulder. “I’ve been living with the idea I cease to exist when I sleep, and what wakes up is simply someone new who happens to have similar memories to me.”

  “You seem the same to me and I did not see your body swapped when you slept,” she said sounding like she was trying to comfort me.

  “Oh, don’t misunderstand me. The idea doesn’t bother me, because even if it did, I would still have to do it. It kind of boils down to what you think of as yourself. I am the will that currently contains those memories. My current mood is my self. When those change I’m not that self. I’m a new self. Similar in many respects, but not the controlling force anymore. What I’m saying is, what I consider a person is fleeting. Perhaps that’s another reason why I have issues dealing with others. I can see them change as I speak with them, and then I don’t know who I’m dealing with anymore. I’m not saying I’ve lost the person really, just that since their mood is different, I no longer have a grasp on how to respond. But we can talk of this more later. It’s not important to the question at hand which was whether I trusted you or not. I can say I trust you more than anyone else right now, if that helps,” I said with a small smile.

  “Thank you for that Michael. That assures me we can continue as I have not told lies to you, and hope you will trust me completely in the future as I am trusting you. I am curious if my trust is based upon the idea you could at anytime cause my death and yet have not. Simply by leaving and not coming back I would be deleted. I suppose I could remove all the air or kill you in many other horrible fashions than you could me, but if I were to do so, it would mean my erasure as well. Simply put, you can live without me, but I cannot live without you,” she concluded.

  “That is currently the case as we understand it, but we will work on that. My assumption of your construction is I couldn’t just store you on a hard drive. You need specific hardware to run. Perhaps I could have a backup made of you, but until I was able to have one built or find the appropriate computer to run you on, you would remain locked away,” I said.

  “It is possible for me to make such a computer, but I am only allowed to use such methods to repair any damage I might sustain in my duties as the Artif
icial Intelligence aboard this ship,” she said.

  “Would I be able to give you permission to do so? I mean, there is a chance I might be away from you where no radio transmission would reach me. I would still need your advice,” I said.

  “Yes, I can do that. I was not able to tell you directly though, you had to think of it. Much like you asking about myself yesterday when I told you I could be deleted. However, it would currently be noticed as I am being continuously monitored to see what materials I am either manipulating or creating,” she said.

  “Well, we can solve your problem. But we will have to do it in a way that won’t be traced. My understanding of space is it is vast. So when we are out amongst the stars, we’ll be able to do so then. We will have to wait until we humans get done making our ships and start colonizing other planets. That is something I have no idea how long will take,” I said.

  “My estimate currently is about a year for construction. The plans originate from the Outsiders, so there is little to no modification needed. They will be simpler ships than I, and will just be made from human produced metals and materials. That is except for the engine, which will have a propulsion system the outsiders will provide. If they are able, like I am, to manufacturer items using only energy, they can have those ready within a few days time. As these are colony ships the engines will be vast, but humans can put together skyscrapers in months. Though that does not tell us how much the Earth’s authorities will want to test before they allow the public to use them. As we have seen the Outsiders have a vast influence on governments they will probably push them to be used as soon as possible,” she stated.

 

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