ShipCore

USD: 1 Day after Cadre-S Graduation

Location: Van Biesbroeck’s star, Meltisar, MIL-1A Elevator, Escaping Ejected Section

Alex flipped a peripheral screen onto her HUD and reallocated her ANUF attributes to utilize her new points from the extra modules. The buzzing nanite field around her shrunk inwards while most of the nanites landed on her and Tia and melded into them.

It didn’t quite tickle, but it was certainly a weird feeling and she couldn’t help but blink to keep them from landing on her eyes even if they wouldn’t have harmed her.

The 100+ kilos on her back suddenly felt like nothing, and Alex picked up the pace. She made it nearly a half kilometer before Nameless interrupted her.

[Notice: A more efficient form of transportation would utilize station tram tracks.]

“That’d be great, but if you didn’t notice—I don’t have a tram in my pocket. Are you going to build me one with the sudden magic nanite powers?”

[Informative: While Avatar nanite manipulation efficiency has improved by several orders of magnitude since Avatar activation, industrial fabrication is still unlikely to succeed without specialized equipment and preparation.]

“Yeah, I kinda got that already. What’s your fix, or are you just slowing me down, so we get chopped off with the rest of the debris?”

Alex slowed down her jog then stopped. “A what?”

[Informative: Rendezvous in 128 meters.]

A loud clunk sounded in the tunnel as Alex started walking forward again. Ahead, a large blast door on the side of the tunnel slowly rolled itself open. As soon as the space was cleared a large tram sized vehicle floated its way into the tunnel before setting itself down on the track.

“The heck. How didn’t the A-Grav crunch it into the hull plates?”

[Notice: Computronic Module Vehicle utilizes anti-A-Grav plating like most internal utility drones for effective mobility inside artificial gravity environments.]

“Wait. I thought drones used their thrusters to hover?”

[Informative: Nearly all drones utilize anti-AGrav components. Otherwise, they would have very short and ineffective functional durations.]

Alex felt like her world had been turned upside down as her understanding of how all their drones had worked. It did make sense, but she had thought that they were using their thrusters to maintain flight the entire time.

As she reached the front of the CMV a side door on it slid open at the same time the blast door began to close behind her. She had to duck to fit in the door frame with Tia on her back, and the cabin was half the size of what she expected but there was a cushioned bench for laying her injured friend out on.

The door slid shut almost immediately and a sudden surge in momentum had Alex catching her balance on a handhold.

[Informative: A utility vessel has relocated its prepared cutting zone to forward of our position. Immediate departure has commenced.]

“Literally trying to cut us off the station. I don’t think that’s an accident.”

[Notice: While Avatar has joined the organization known as the Meltisar Navy, an adversarial position seems to have been taken regarding the safety of Avatar and sub-core Celestia.]

“At least they didn’t shoot the modules.”

[Informative: This unit took precautionary measures to camouflage and prevent this vehicle’s purpose from all other parties.]

That did not make her feel better.

Walking toward the front of the tram there was a singular cockpit seat with a wall of controls and screens. Alex plopped down on it and began to scan the displays.

“Seriously. When did you have time to make all this?”

[Informative: Since reactivation this unit has not been idle.]

“I wish you did this when I woke up on the Shrike.”

[Informative: This unit did not yet have the resources of capabilities to do so. This unit advances in capability and understanding alongside Avatar.]

The statement was delivered with Nameless’s standard tone of speech, but Alex’s ear twitched as she picked out the emotion in it.

“Yeah, we’ve come a long way, haven’t we?” Alex murmured.

[Informative: The size and effectiveness of current computronic modules are considerably higher than previous ones. A more effective matrix of resources has been utilized in their construction. Factoring in local currency valuations they are worth considerably more than previous versions. Estimated cost to produce is five hundred million SE credits per module.]

Alex looked over her shoulder to the back of the tram and whistled. “And we have twelve left… Yikes that was a lot of someone’s money that just poofed when the AGAI melted so many…”

[Informative: Valuation of infected module and station sections would be measured in tens of trillions.]

“Yikes.”

Alex filled several of the displays to things she found more interesting and informative. The main screen filled with a 3D map of all the vessels in an around the station, with the ships involved in the operation to slice away the diseased sections and haul them off into space for disposal in yellow.

The warships that had taken up positions above and below to utilize their d-fields to stop debris from escaping were in red.

The count on her sidebar summary showed that there were over a hundred ships involved around the station now, and she suspected that everyone was way too busy stopping a disaster to care about them at the moment.

Alex pulled up a schematic that showed the medical center. She felt a bit of relief as it was completely safe and unaffected by the rampancy. It wasn’t ideal, but her reunion with Elis was going to need to wait a little longer.

A blinking progress bar at the top of the consoles began to flash and the vehicle began to brake. A few minutes later they came to a stop at the main tram line for Hub 35. Alex opened the door and poked her head out into a dozen armed, power-armored marines.

“Ma’am, I’m afraid we have orders to detain you. We can’t let you leave the hub. If you—”

“That’s fine. Don’t open the door or everything will explode.”

She pressed a button and the door slid shut, cutting the soldier off.

[Notice: Active Armor has been armed. D-field has been activated. Retractable PDC-Ks are on standby, should infantry units be engaged?]

“Nameless, if they try to force open the door, turn them into mincemeat.” Alex ordered.

[Affirmative: This unit will remain on active alert for hostile intentions.]

“Thanks for equipping our mini space… ship… train… thing. Just don’t let it grow legs and walk away while I’m not paying attention.”

[Informative: CMV alternating tetrapod movement capability is only recommended on planetary surfaces or natural large gravitational bodies.]

“Oh… of course. It does have legs after all…”

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