Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Ennos was grumbling at me.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Earlier, Id checked in with my AI friend to see how they were doing, and gotten what was obviously an abridged version of their quest to track down some piece of pseudo-living code in the depths of the stations grid. Now, to be fair, we were actively in the middle of designing a low-speed high-finesse recovery drone - Real America didnt have recovery drones in their database, go figure - from cobbled together parts of other blueprints so that we could deploy as many as we could rapidly produce under Joms command to pick up the crew of a stealthed raft ship that had run afoul of a mine strike. So maybe Ennos was right to abridge it. I dunno. I can focus on two things at once though, so it was probably fine - thats not just an AI trick! Cats can do that too!

Where I went wrong was abridging it further to hunting for bugs.

At which point, I got a rather unabridged lecture about how Ennos didnt ever take organic or physical actions like hunting, and how the lived experience of being a digital life form meant that verbs didnt properly map onto their actions, and how we should really be working to expand language even if it is just four or five of us speaking to each other up here.

Probably a few other things, too? The monologue was *really* long, and I can only focus on one thing at a time, and I was busy building drones. I think there was something about how it was kind of dumb that I referred to growing attack code. I hadnt been listening closely.

Anyway, that all got cleared up, the survivors of the wreck were fine. We moved them to another raft that revealed itself when it became clear we werent harvesting a bunch of living people for parts or something.

How many people, I sometimes wonder, are up here?

The station has a lot of scanners of different sorts, both active and passive. I keep most of the active ones off when I can help it, because I mean, they clash with the stealth systems. No matter how high tech your stealth systems get - and make no mistake, mine are impressive - it can still cause problems when you broadcast a sensor ping.

So, long story short, again, Im not blind but Im not perfectly informed.

I also dont have the time to keep all these calibrated right, and sensors require an unholy amount of upkeep. The system that keeps my air flowing maintains itself better than the manual controls to direct and realign the scanner arrays.

Though I do have more time than usual right now, which is nice.

The last week has had a few major issues, most of which I resolved with railgun, one of which I resolved by letting Glitter convince someone not to try landing on the planet blanketed with several hundred thousand ancient-but-still-deadly point defense cannons. But aside from that, its quiet up here. So, content that the drones have done their job and Jom is headed home, I take off running from the command station.

I mean, we never know how itll be quiet. Seems dumb to waste time *not* rocketing around the halls. Its not like theyre crowded.

Six minutes (I tried to go through an air vent and got my tail caught, shut up, it wasted some time) and one encounter with Dog later, I slide across the smooth metal deck plates in front of the room that Ive repurposed into a garden, and dive into my lush artificial jungle.

There are, in general, three places I spend any free time I have. Napping in the solarium, reading anywhere that has a flat surface and grid access, and now, in my garden.

Mostly the garden. Technically Im working, checking irrigation levels, monitoring growth rates. But in reality, Im wearing a broad zucchini leaf as a hat as I peer out from under the plant, trying to figure out if it counts as hunting if I ambush one of the tiny tomatoes that are alllllmost ready. If there was sun here, then Id nap

I could have built this in the exo lab! I exclaim suddenly. I could have put this down on the lower deck, and had a garden, *and* sun!

Lily, are you alright? Ennos asks me rapidly, any hint of their earlier annoyance gone.

I sit up, wearing my leaf as a regal crown, until it slides into my face and I tumble sideways into the nanodirt. Im fine! I lie enthusiastically. Or maybe not so much of a lie. Sometimes Ennos reminds me just how much of a friend they are, and I cant help but feel less alone for a while. I dont say that though. Instead I say Just pondering my hubris.

Ah. Well. Good. I can almost hear Ennos nodding, which is impressive since they dont map to organic actions. Your carrots are coming in nicely, it seems.

The dream is fog and grey, uncertain. Dreams are never like this. Im me, not as I was, but as I am. I dont understand whats happening.

I try to look around. Nothing. Just me, the fog, and the woman petting a cat shaped cloud in her

...Lap

Alice looks up, and smiles at me. A jolt of something shoots through me, and I try to run to her. Try to move at all. But I *cant*! Im stuck in place, my paws wont obey me, the dream grabs and pulls and rends and I am falling and

A warm hand on my head. An ancient, achingly familiar voice. And Im there again. Looking up at my mom, at the only human who ever truly mattered to me.

Hey there little Lily. She says with a smile that could light up the whole orbital system. I try to reply, but I have no voice here. Not even my own. Youre not quite here yet. Alice shakes her head.

Yes I am! Im here! Im here now, and I can stay here, and everything will be!

Sorry, little Lily. Alice tells me with a sad smile. And I am sorry. Because out of all of you, you have the hardest job of all. But youre doing great! And I believe in you. Do you think you can keep trying for me?

Of course. Of course I can! I can do anything, if you need me to.

I cant hear you, little Lily. Alice shakes her head, and the other cat in her lap yawns loudly. Not yet. But youll get there. Her hand pulls away, and I want to scream to call her back, but I cant, and I know I shouldnt. Its about time for us to go. Im so tired and you need to wake up.

I dont want to. I dont want to leave. I found you, here, and I can stay, and I can

I can hear the siren, from outside. From the organic ears and the stupid obstructionist station and the cruel solar system. I dont want to listen. But.

But I know who I am. And what I do.

Find yourself! Alice calls to me, as for the first time, I exert agency here. And I turn to step back to wakefulness. You can do it in time! I know you can!

I wake up. Warm and comforted. Dog is curled around me like a protective wall of fur and muscle, head only barely raised to look up at the sounding alarm. Hes getting used to them, which is probably sad somehow.

I listen to the pattern and the tone. Three one three, high high low. Emergence event, outside the firing envelope, but I could probably hit it with a missile if I was so inclined. I need more data, and that means moving. I need to get ready, and that means moving too.

When its quiet, rushing makes sense. When its loud, rushing makes *more* sense. I twitch, and Dog unfolds himself from around me, letting me stand. Rising on steady feet, I call up my AR, and map a path, sending a ping to Ennos and Glitter that theres an emergency they cant properly respond to.

Then I run. Bolting out the door. The cleaner nanos in my fur pull back, and briefly hang behind, holding the rough shape of a cat in quite a hurry. Then Dog sprints after me, and I feel the flow of crisis and response take hold again. Like I know today is going to be busy.

But thats fine.

I know who I am. And I know what I do.