After a week on this infernal rock I’ve finally had enough.
Enough of this stinky, shitty spacecraft.
Enough of this crappy asteroid.
Enough of the emptiness of space.
As someone accustomed to being alone I prided myself on my ability to persevere and not get lonely but this is too much.
There’s just NOBODY around.
Nobody to talk with.
Just the ship, me and the rock.
The first few days weren’t bad, but I was acclimating to my new reality.
A week ago I was doing my everyday job of mining asteroids for valuable metals, when a nearby rubble pile collided with the rock I was on.
The impact created shock-wave knocked me out, and damaged my ship.
The EMP was minor,and only fried a few electronics in the deep radio transceiver and most of my handheld equipment.
Thankfully the Faraday cage around my life support system protected me.
Otherwise it could have killed me in any number of ways, but most feared was immobilized in an unresponsive and fried space suit, just waiting to suffocate or freeze.
Freezing would be preferable, I guessed, to suffocation.
After reawakening, instead of just my regular memories, I’d gained another set from someone who lived 200 years ago.
Am I them?
Am I me?
We are us.
I guess.
Personally it feels like I’m mostly in control, with advice from the other, but I wonder if he feels the same way.
Not too experienced in reincarnation and all that.
It seems I’ve also transmigrated as well because things seem a lil different than what I remember, almost like an alternate time line or similar dimension.
The real problem is how to get out of here.
I’m running out of food and I’m tired of drinking my recycled piss and sweat.
No matter how much they say it cleans all residues and provides clean water; it always smells a little funky and tastes slightly salty.
I tell myself ‘I need the electrolytes anyway’, which is true, but I still have to resist gagging when I drink it.
Gross water is preferable to No water.
Yay… I’m also running low on nutripacks.
This trip was supposed to just be a normal month-long mining expedition.
1 week out.
2 weeks mining.
1 week back.
Being a small(tiny) independent miner, means cutting corners and one most usually cut is extra rations.
Most medium sized outfits will carry along double rations of water and food, but I could only afford an extra week’s supplies.
After I cut back on food to live longer I only have another weeks worth left before it’s all gone.
Don’t forget the week long return trip needs food.
Trying not to eat into my food required to live long enough to get back, I even ate all the stale snacks and expired foodstuff squirreled away for rainy days.
They were gross, but beggars can’t be choosers.
The previous week has been spent trying to fix my ship(not happening) and searching the vicinity for anything that could help me escape this rocky nickel dirtpile.
This R-type asteroid is usually ignored by the bigger outfits as they usually go for M-type(metallic) which have higher profit and less work required.
Smaller miners have to be happy with these less profitable dirtpiles, which usually have enough metals in the core to make it worthwhile.
Usually.
This one was actually a great score with a decent sized metal core.
But that was before my ship was damaged and my equipment ruined and now I’m stranded on this god forsaken rock!
Bah Now that I’m getting desperate, it’s worth exploring further away from the ship, The Bessie.
She was named after my grandmother, who loaned my father the money to buy it over 20 years ago.
Sure its a 50 year old model but its paid off and all mine.
That doesn’t help with the fuel costs and its dilapidated equipment being slow and tedious to operate.
Compared to modern equipment it’s ancient and useless but they worked, albeit slowly and barely allowing me to eke out a living to support my sister and I.
Heading towards the impact crater, which caused my current predicament, I feel a little excitement.
Maybe just maybe I’ll find something, anything, to help me get outta here.
It’s a long-shot and highly unlikely but what else is there to do?
Wait to die?
Nah, not my style.
I’ll go out swinging if it comes to it.
You never know if you could have actually done something to make a difference, unless you fight to the end.
Surrender in a video game you’ve obviously lost, no problem.
Surrender in life and let yourself die, no way!
Along the way to the crater which is right at the edge of my life support capabilities, I stumble and catch myself multiple times on the sharp edges of rocks and glass.
Yeah the irradiated sand gets turned to glass when exposed to intense energy and celestial impacts are just one type of high energy events.
Carefully working my way down the crater to the bottom, which is about 100 feet deep, I notice there seems to be something in the center.
Dark and black, it seems to suck up the light, not reflect it.
My hopes rise slightly as it seems machined, as it’s a perfect sphere.
My Geiger counter doesn’t go off too much, just a little residual galactic radiation.
Nothing my suit can’t handle.
Finally, within 10 feet of it, I can see it’s definitely machined.
Is it man made?
Who knows.
I grow enough balls to approach it, wondering what it could be.
Some kind of satellite?
It would be obliterated from the impact, with debris strewn all over.
Nothing like that.
Just this one black sphere.
Within reaching distance and it starts to wobble then levitate and spin.
Bits of light and electric discharge swirl around it, as I try to back away from the now volatile, unknown object.
Wth.
Suddenly it surges towards me and I try to dodge but it’s obviously too fast.
It strikes my chest and I think that I’m dead.
That’s it.
It’s all over.
But I’m still breathing.
And my space suit isn’t destroyed.
Huh?
Only a little black smudge on my suit.
Thank God!
Suddenly I see some pixelation in my vision and crackling in my ears.
This doesn’t feel right.
Is my radio glitching?
Is my heads-up-display fried?
No.
The pixelation in my vision starts to lessen but it’s not limited to my visor display, so its not the HUD acting up and I haven’t heard any radio transmissions for a week.
As I’m about to question my sanity a voice cuts through the static.
[Executor 396 activating….] [Host detected.
Bequeathment initializing.
User Interface created] Oh, I’m definitely going crazy.
Yep.
space fever.
[Host contact begin] [Hello host.
Can you hear me?] The voice changes from a cold mechanical voice to a slightly warmer mechanical voice.
It doesn’t seem to be coming through the speakers, so it’s in my head!?!
“Uh yes” [Excellent.
I’m Executor 396 and have waited a long time for this.
I’ve been travelling for over 10,000 Sol 3(Earth) years.
It’s so nice to finally meet you.] The voice was surprisingly pleasant and courteous.
No need to be coy.
“So are you in my head?
Your voice doesn’t come through my speakers.” [My nanite swarm is currently attached to your bones and skeletal structures, making them 50% stronger.
It only affects your muscles and connecting tissues a small amount, probably 3-5%, but your bones take much more force to break or crush.
By resonating at different frequencies I can create vibrations near your ear canal which makes a sound-like emission.
This way we can communicate silently.
I can read your hormone levels and brain activity which gives me a general idea what you are thinking but for detailed information speaking or low level vocal cord vibrations work best.
Directed thought can work with practice.
You’re welcome.] “Hey, I never asked for this?
Why are you just jumping into bodies all willy nilly without permission?” I asked with false bravado.
Not like I could do anything to prevent it.
[its my core directive: to find compatible life forms to help resurrect my previous creators, the Taurai.
They were attacked on their home worlds and nearly wiped out.
I’m not sure if any are still alive or not.
The Head Council authorized 400 Executors to keep the flame alive.
We were sent in all directions and instructed to help new hosts(you) with growing stronger and eventually to recreate them through genetic manipulation and cloning.] “Damn that’s a lot to process in one breath.
Gimme a sec.” So they are here to make me stronger so I can help them avoid extinction.
“Ok so what can you do for me?” [I’ve been monitoring signals from this system for over 3 years on my way here and have identified many ways to assist you in this task.
The technological level of this society isn’t that high in the galactic realm, almost like a toddler learning the rules and becoming slightly mobile.
One of the inheritances I’ve brought are full specs and blue prints for all the technology and research of the Taurai.
My databases also include full cultural, educational, managerial and artistic history of their civilization for over 5000 years.
Not to mention the 37 alien species I traveled past and recorded all their achievements along the way here.
They were close enough to monitor and record but too far to reach, so I didn’t initiate host sequencing with them.] I decided to give Directed Thought a try.
‘So you have all the science and art of 38 unique alien civilizations?’ If so that’s a ridiculous amount of information.
I can definitely find ways to use all that.
This is getting interesting, finally.
[Yes.
Those are also just the extras.
The real gift is one of the Taurai’s greatest enhancements.
Only the final 10 Executors were given this upgrade as the greatest hope for success rests squarely on their, and now your, shoulders.
Cosmic Resonance!
It’s a top tier skill which enables the Host to sense and manipulate all matter that vibrates, which is mostly all matter.
Your most advanced theory of matter, String Theory, is mostly correct, but there are at least 3 more levels below that.
The thing your people got right was that everything at this level does indeed vibrate and that vibration is the basis of all matter and gravity.
Thus you will be able to manipulate almost all matter.
Obviously it will take time and practice to get there but as your skills grow more and more possibilities will open up to you.] ‘Holy shit!
That’s a lot.
Hell yeah!
Hot Damn!’ My blood begins to boil with thoughts of the future possibilities and opportunities.
Wow this could really be the thing to help raise my sister and I out of just barely surviving, and into who knows what realm… yes yes yes yes My shoulders start to bob up and down, forward and back, in my happy dance and I playfully imagine all the future possibilities.
Unfortunately all that is for later.
Right now, I’m still stuck here on this rock trying to fix my ship to get home.
This thought poured cold water all over my future plans.
Focus!
Must get home first!
Then all future thoughts can be properly organized.
The first smile in days cracks my lips as I finally get down to business.
‘So can you help me get home?’ [of course!
It seems I damaged your ship when landing.
Based on my scans of the area on my way here, there is plenty of materials to fix, upgrade or even rebuild your ship.
No problem]