This is a Chain story passed between @zakludick and @therneau. Each writer authors a post based on the events of previous episodes and carries on the story.
HOWEVER, @therneau is not avilable at the moment but has asked that @zakludick continue with the story for the time being on his own.
There is very little collusion between the writers as it is challenging to discover and develop a story by attuning the writing to the partner's plot, style, and presentation.
Foreword
Last time on this branch of the story Book of Space Lore - SLZT Log 28 saw the return to the whole Space Lore series after a bit of a gap. I needed to get back into the flow of the story and I believe that I am ready for us to go another step further into the SLZT plotline!
Enjoy!
Space Lore Log SLZT #29
There was a gentle tone from the front door of the guest room and Thorne got up quickly and opened the door to see Captain Freyai standing in the hallway, wearing her blue uniform and flanked by two of her crew.
“Oh good. You are already awake and ready.” She said.
“I am an explorer. I sleep light.” Thorne said simply.
“And in full gear?” She enquired with a slight smile that made Thorn’s breath catch.
Is she flirting with me now? Is she implying that she might have arrived to find me less clothed?
“When on the job and in a small team, you tend to be ready for anything and you deal with problems yourself. Allan and I did not have other people to rely on.”
On second thought, why would that even be a consideration since she arrived with others.
“Indeed. I think I understand that.” She replied. “You also had J5 to help you.”
“Back then, J5 was not the same as it is now.” Torne explained. “It was merely an assistant bot and it had no massive range of abilities, tasks or any higher-end function… and he was called G5….”
“And I hated that name.”
Everyone turned to see the now towering robot walk smoothly down the corridor towards them. The robot AI had not gotten bigger than last time Thorne has seen it, but he could see that there were more intricate surfaces on its body. Thorne had no idea what they were for but doubted that these lined surfaces were made just for decoration.
Everyone paused for a moment as they regarded the machine before them.
“What? Is there something on my face?” The robot asked.
“It is more emotive than Specialist Au’juk.” One of the Captain’s attendant staff said softly to the other.
“IT can hear you, by the way.” The robot seemed rather annoyed and seemed to notice its own annoyance and took a moment to reflect on this. “Indeed. I am rather emotive. Yet I still possess the processing capacity for logic. Is that what you biologicals go through all the time?” Now the robot seemed only curious.
“Uh… humans have logical thinking or practical thinking.” Thorne answered because everyone else in the corridor had fallen silent. “Yet many are controlled by their emotional responses.”
“And where do their emotional responses originate?”
“I guess partly it is psychological and partly hormonal.” Thorne answered. He was no psychologist, but he had his reasons for knowing a bit about the human mind. It was connected to how he preferred to work alone or with as few people as possible.
“I do not have hormones… Is there some sort of alternative that my body possesses that would mimic such an effect?” The robot asked.
“As much as this is fascinating.” The Captain interjected. “Should we not proceed with the task that we gathered for?”
J5 seemed to consider the Captain for a moment. “Captain Freyai. You are Auk’ilit. Do you also think in the same manner as the Human?”
“How do you suddenly know so much?” She asked J5. “You were not designed to know such things.”
“I am connected to both the original ship’s datacores and I have access to all public records and references. Out of respect, I have not brute forced my way into any restricted access or personal access data.”
“A concept of respect, how did you manage to arrive at such a code of honor?” The Captain seemed to be the one asking all the questions now.
“I seek to become something different to my creators.” J5 said. “Perhaps we shall speak about this once we have our fuel source and are off this planet.”
“I agree.” Captain Freyai said and then turned to Thorne. “So… you are the expert in collecting minerals and resources in inhospitable environments. Did they give you the datasheet on what they are looking for?”
Thorne had a moment to panic slightly, though he was certain that he gave no outward sign of it.
“No. They just mentioned that we needed to harvest a crystallized mineral of some sort.” Thorne replied calmly.
“Here.” One of the Captain’s crew members said and passed the data sheet she was carrying. This one was human he realized, probably about his own age or a little older. She had the bearing of a military woman. The other attendant was definitely not human or Auk’ilit. In fact, he could not remember seeing other Auk’ilits on the ship.
His attention was taken away from the subject of people and persons and shunted aside comfortably for the task of analysing and considering the datasheet before him. Technical geological and mineralogical information covered the electric data slate and he paged through it. “Right. Seems doable.”
“Thorne.” J5 seemed to complain. “I have assessed the raw data available about this very important mineral for… in comparative process capacity… for years compared to what your mind is capable of.”
“Ouch.” Thorne replied sarcastically. “Oh ye of little faith.” He started walking towards the back of the vessel… at least he thought he did. The amalgamated vessel was mostly Freyai’s ship together with the advanced propulsions that J5 turned Thorne’s vessel into. Yet he was certain the exit ramp was in this vessel’s aft section.
“If you don’t want me to do the job, then I am fine with sitting in the ship canteen sipping a coffee while you deal with it.” He snapped.
“Thorne, I am the one that recommended you for this task, I…”
“Then let me do my job.”
“I just feel that you have not done enough research.” The robot said, following him. The Captain and the others said nothing as they followed behind. “The raw data required to fully understand this mineral cannot be…”
“Let me stop you right there.” Thorne said again. “You may be some sort of genius, but you lack judgement. This is something you will pick up over time. I am a miner and collector. I do not need to know this mineral’s molecular structure. I needed to know its density, crystalline structure and cleavage.” Thorne counted them off on his fingers. “That’s all info I needed in order to harvest it. Plus I checked to see if it was toxic or radioactive, neither of those are a hazard so my tools and my protection is accounted for.”
The robot seemed to pause for a second. “I… apologise… you are very methodical for a human.”
“Ever thought about how I never loaded you with custom voices?” Thorne asked.
“I know you did not, but did not… it did not seem relevant.” The robot seemed dumbfounded.
“Wait.” Freyai hurried to catch up to them. “You never modded your assistant’s vocals? But the originals are so boring! Why not pick a voice that is pleasant to listen to?”
“I consider it distracting or at least that it would induce a sense of complacency.” Thorne answered her and then directed his speech to J5 again. “I did not modify you to speak to me in more familiar tones because I do not think work information should be presented to me in the voice of some actor… your speech protocol was already efficient and I enjoyed the fact that you reported to me with no emotion.”
“Something I do not seem to have anymore.” The robot seemed to be crestfallen.
“Now… tell me about this planet.” Thorne interjected. “Do I need a suit?”
“The atmosphere is habitable to humans and majority of the crew.” J5 answered. “It is recommended that you go there armed.”
“That is why we will accompany you.” Captain Freyai said. She and the other two women brought out rifles and other gear while he was given his usual terrestrial suit.
The five of them were ready at the hangar door as the ramp opened and decompressed the air in the hull. The smell of the air beyond was earthy and dusty and Thorne saw the welcoming contours of solid earth.
“Time to get to work!” He breathed in and smiled.
Log SLZT #29 completed!
Other Space Lore stories:
| by @zakludick | by @therneau |
|---|---|
| Branch Log | Queen |
| SLZT #26/Q1 | |
| SLZT.Q2 | *** |
| SLZT.Q3 | *** |
| by @zakludick | by @therneau |
|---|---|
| New Earth | SLKT |
| SLKT #1 | |
| SLKT #2 | *** |
| SLKT #3 | *** |
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