UGT: Unknown
Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system
[ Cooling systems successfully repaired. ]
I let out a deep sigh of relief. "Finally. I really thought we were done for when you said there were no reserves of helium-3 or helium-4 on the ship. You could’ve just mentioned that the cold fusion reactors produced indirect reserves! Instead, I nearly had a heart attack because of you!"
[ This unit has already updated Inheritor priorities. The last 32 mentions are therefore irrelevant. This unit recommends the Inheritor focus on more productive thought processes. ]
I groaned. "As an AI, you should know that multitasking is a thing!"
[ This unit’s data contains extensive knowledge of multitasking. However, this unit must inform the Inheritor that the multitasking capabilities of biological beings are severely limited. ]
"Whatever, you sassy piece of junk. What’s next on the list?"
[ Show full list of primary objectives? ]
[ Y/N ]
"Wait, why would you want to show me the full list again? Fine. Yes, please do and add an ETA to everything."
[ 1. Camouflage shield rapidly destabilizing. ]
[ ETA until collapse: 01:14:23:19 ]
[ 2. Water harvesting plant malfunctioning. ]
[ ETA until Inheritor’s body starts failing without water: 2:01:25:51 ]
[ 3. Heating systems offline. ]
[ ETA until temperature falls below Inheritor’s bodily tolerance: 2:13:29:03 ]
[ 4. No fuel rods left for fusion reactors. ]
[ ETA until cold fusion reactor breakdown: 362:13:24:12 ]
[ 5. Two hypershield generators overloaded. ]
[ ETA until critical failure: 4:09:21:54 ]
[ 6. Food synthesizer offline. ]
[ ETA until Inheritor’s body starts failing without food: 6:04:02:45 ]
[ 7. Oxygen recycling plant offline. ]
[ ETA until oxygen level falls below 18%: 27:343:23:12:59 ]
[ 8. Four hypershield generators offline. ]
[ ETA: None ]
[ 9. Leak in water tank. ]
[ ETA: None ]
[ 10. Gasket plates severely damaged. ]
[ ETA: None ]
[ 11. Three cold fusion reactors offline. (CURRENTLY IRREVERSIBLE) ]
[ ETA: None ]
[ 12. Twelvefold staggered hypershield generator offline. (CURRENTLY IRREVERSIBLE) ]
[ ETA: None ]
[ This unit has identified a total of 12 primary objectives requiring resolution. ]
"Okay, hold up. Aso, why are you prioritizing the fuel rods for the cold fusion reactors so highly?"
[ Energy demand must not exceed energy production. ]
"Fair enough. Makes sense. So, my next mission is stabilizing the camouflage shield?"
[ Path to camouflage shield reactor highlighted. ]
[ ETA: 19:12 ]
"Guess that’s an answer. Aso, what can you tell me about the camouflage shield?"
[ The camouflage shield is a remnant of the Aetherian Plasmatic Ascent era, during which plasma was used extensively on spacecraft. The shield generates multiple stable plasma layers with varying densities. Each layer absorbs specific bandwidths or broadband waves, rendering the object invisible. The Aetherian camouflage shield is advanced enough to integrate with other types of ship shielding, enabling complete invisibility when combined with (DATA LOST) shields. ]
"Aso, is our camouflage shield fused with our regular shields, or do we need that unknown shield type for full cloaking?"
[ The camouflage shield is currently fused with the hypershields. Due to incomplete compatibility, instability exists in both the hypershields and the camouflage shield. The ASO-17309 is only partially cloaked from sensors. Damaged gasket plates further reduce effectiveness. ASO-17309 is theoretically detectable by foreign sensors. ]
I felt my stomach drop. "So you’re saying all those ships fighting out there could actually detect us?!"
[ ASO-17309 is currently buried within a mountain range that blocks foreign sensors. This protection will cease once the mountain range crumbles, rendering ASO-17309 detectable again. ]
"Right, the crumbling mountain range. The thing that’s both hiding us and threatening to crush us. Funny how one of our biggest threats is also the reason we’ve survived this long. Anyway, what’s happening outside right now?"
[ The forces of the Federation and the Association have clashed repeatedly since the beginning of the battle. Intercepted reports indicate they are fighting for control of the third planet. After initial successes by the Federation, the situation has stabilized into a war of attrition, with neither side able to advance. ]
"Oh, okay. Who do you think will win?"
[ At present, the most likely long-term outcome is a Federation victory. However, Association battle tactics suggest reinforcements are imminent. If reinforcements arrive in sufficient strength, the Federation forces will likely be worn down and destroyed before they can retreat. ]
"Huh. Do we have the current fleet composition for both sides?"
[ Due to limited data, only Aetherian ship classes can be used for comparison. Be advised that Aetherian ships remain significantly more advanced than their Federation or Association counterparts. Show comparison? ]
[ Y/N ]
"Yes, go on, please."
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
[ Federation forces fleet composition (Aetherian Empire ship sizes used): ]
[ 2x Corvette ]
[ 5x Cutter/Corvette Hybrids ]
[ 11x Cutter ]
[ 22x Patrol Ship ]
[ Total ship count: 40 ships ]
[ Association forces fleet composition (Aetherian Empire ship sizes used): ]
[ 1x Corvette ]
[ 3x Cutter/Corvette Hybrids ]
[ 10x Cutter ]
[ 1x Cutter (mercenaries) ]
[ 6x Patrol Ships ]
[ 4x Patrol Ships (mercenaries) ]
[ Total ship count: 25 ships ]
"Let me guess, the Association is technologically superior to the Federation. Otherwise, the Federation would have overwhelmed them by now. Another possibility is incompetence, but in that case, the Association would probably have already won."
[ Inheritor is correct. Both sides appear to possess antimatter weaponry. However, only 10% of the Federation’s offensive firepower utilizes antimatter, compared to 33% for the Association. ]
"So, both sides have limited antimatter reserves. That’s interesting. What would our weaponry look like if the outpost were fully operational?"
[ Show ASO-17309 pre-decline armaments? ]
[ Y/N ]
"Please do."
[ ASO-17309 pre-decline armaments: ]
[ 240x PDC-L Gamma Lasers ]
[ 240x PDC-K Stormfire Autocannons ]
[ 120x PDC-E Electromagnetic Mass-Deflectors ]
[ 90x Matter-Desintegration-Beams (Disintegrators) ]
[ 160x Gauss-Antimatter Cannons (Deception name: Railguns) ]
[ 150x Whirlwind-Antimatter Missiles (Whirlwinds) ]
[ 90x Enemy-Energy Siphons (Siphons) ]
[ 10x Electromagnetic-Disarmament Beams (ECM-Beams) ]
"Uh... Aso, this outpost was a deathtrap for anything that came near it. You know that, right?"
[ ASO-17309 armaments were insufficient by Aetherian standards. ]
"INSUFFICIENT?! You’re seriously calling that INSUFFICIENT?! HOW DID ALL THESE WEAPONS EVEN FIT INSIDE THIS OUTPOST?!"
[ Aetherian Empire weaponry is extremely compact. With the discovery of the (DATA LOST) portals in the later years of the Aetherian Empire, it became possible to integrate weapons throughout the ship’s interior rather than limiting them to the outer hull. The pre-decline armaments of ASO-17309 were outdated by nearly 1,600 years and did not meet ASF standards. ]
"Okay, that’s actually a fair point. Can you give me a rundown of what all these acronyms mean, including the ones on my hoodie and trousers?"
[ AE = Aetherian Empire ]
[ ASF = Aetherian Space Fleet / Ship Affiliation ]
[ AF = Aetherian Fleet ]
[ ASO = Aetherian Space Outpost ]
[ ASS = Aetherian Space Station ]
[ AMS = Aetherian Mining Station ]
[ ASST = Aetherian Space Security Troops / Aetherian Space Army ]
"Okay, that's more acronyms than I expected, but good to know nonetheless, I guess."
[ Destination reached. ]
[ Local terminal jumpstarted. ]
"Oh? Well, time to repair the camouflage shield reactor, I guess. What do we have here?" I stared at the terminal, completely clueless about what I was looking at. All I knew was that I needed to direct more energy to the reactor and boost its cooling. But the terminal offered no options for either task.
"Aso, are you allowed to help me out here? What am I supposed to do?"
[ Inheritor must use Inheritor-Protocol override to access manual controls for the camouflage shield reactor. To stabilize the reactor, adjustments must be made directly on the reactor itself. ]
"Wait, are you kidding me?! Is that even safe?"
[ Chance of death or serious injury for Inheritor is only 8.7%. Inheritor is advised to proceed. ]
"Fine, whatever," I muttered, sighing internally. There was no point arguing with Aso. While I'd love to punch whoever programmed him and his "Inheritor-Protocol," I had to admit he was trying to support me in his own infuriating way. Besides, I'd faced worse odds today than an 8.7% chance of death.
Before I could second-guess my sanity any further, I pressed the confirmation button to unlock physical access to the reactor. Then, knowing full well I wouldn't guess the operator code correctly, I entered a random sequence.
[ Operator code incorrect. ]
[ Access denied. ]
[ WARNING! ]
[ INTRUDER DETECTED! ]
[ Outpost reactivates automatic defensive measures! ]
[ Inheritor-Protocol #2-A override! ]
[ Operator rights accepted. ]
[ Physical access to camouflage shield reactor granted. ]
"Well, I still want to punch whoever created the Inheritor-Protocol, but I guess it can be useful sometimes," I grumbled, heading toward the reactor. "Aso, do you know who created the Inheritor-Protocol? Or better yet, what are they exactly?"
[ The Inheritor-Protocols were created by the late Aetherian Emperor (DATA LOST) and fully implemented by (DATA LOST). ]
[ The Inheritor-Protocols are a series of orders, privileges, and directives designed to protect the (DATA LOST) of the (DATA LOST). They serve as a demonstration of authority to every (DATA LOST) still (DATA LOST) in the (DATA LOST). (DATA LOST) (DATA LOST) (DATA LOST) (DATA LOS-) ]
[ ERROR! ]
[ No viable data memories found. ]
"Great... That told me almost nothing. So, they were created by the emperor, they're a show of authority, and they're supposed to protect me. Aso, please tell me the protocols themselves aren't damaged—or any of your other protocols, for that matter!"
[ Processing... ]
[ Processing... ]
[ Processing... ]
"Aso? Are you alright?"
[ Processing... ]
"Aso, answer me, dammit!"
[ Processing... ]
"That was an order, backed by the Inheritor-Protocols!"
[ Processing... ]
[ Proces- ]
[ Inheritor-Protocol #2-A override! ]
[ This unit has regained full operational capabilities. ]
"What even was that, Aso? You had me worried!"
[ This unit redirected all processing power to analyze action protocols for issues. ]
[ No issues detected. ]
[ This unit was unable to decipher or analyze the Inheritor-Protocol. ]
"So... trying to check the protocols put you into some sort of processing loop? Aso, you're supposed to be a super AI! How could something take you that long?"
[ Destination reached. ]
"Don't dodge the question. How long would it take for you to fully analyze the Inheritor-Protocol?"
[ Destination reached. ]
"Aso, I'm serious. I need an answer. Stop evading."
[ Destination reached. ]
[ This unit recommends stabilizing the camouflage shield reactor. ]
"Aso, answer my question!"
[ This unit prefers not to answer Inheritor's question. ]
"Aso... Please, just do it. Don't make me use the Inheritor-Protocol to force you."
[ It is impossible for this unit to analyze the Inheritor-Protocol. The intellectual capacity of this unit is insufficient to comprehend the coding used. ]
Wait... Was I underestimating Aso's intelligence? He seemed reluctant to admit his shortcomings, and for the first time, he said he "preferred" something. Maybe I should stop treating Aso like a machine and more like a person. He did call himself an artificial intelligence, after all.
"Aso, let's change the topic. Let's just repair this outpost and move on. There's still plenty of work to do."
