After filling the cargo hold, making some more beef flavor nutripacks, there was no reason to delay.
I’d tested my power before leaving and found it could reach out to 10.5 meters, so that technically makes me level 2 now.
The satisfaction is palpable.
“Exie, since you’re an artificial lifeform, can you control ships like an autopilot or something?
That might be helpful for long trips and night watches.
The next 24 hours are the most dangerous part of the trip home.
Sometimes pirates hide waiting for miners’ return trips, fully laden with ores and materials, before pouncing on them.” I ask while carefully plotting waypoints for the return trip.
[Ha ha autopilot, how cute.
I am an advanced adaptive AI, not some store bought microwave.
Of course I can navigate this ship, almost all ships of your civilization and most of the ships in the 37 civilizations I passed through.
I’m also equipped with all their different models of AI, since I used them to strengthen myself and grow.
It’s important you understand not only am I 10,000 years old but I also contain the 156,342 years of their recorded history.
All of which were incorporated into my adaptive program.
I’ve already entered your ship’s mainframe and have optimized it by 13%.
Fuel economy has increased by 14% and max speed increased by 11% and all other systems have been improved.] Wow you’ve been busy.
How about letting me know first next time?
“So you were able to bypass al my security settings?” [Of course.
The electronic warfare algorithms of your civilization are quite..
Mild.
very easy to crack and penetrate.
Also with just a few minor parts we can increase this ship’s performance even more.
We could get the speed 25% higher by adding some more coils, switches, condensers and capacitors.
Also your laser could be 45% optimized.
Lots of research on lasers.] Exie chose to ignore my annoyance at rummaging around my ship’s brains or didn’t notice.
Either way it was done and had helped save money and time, and maybe the weapons too.
I’m very interested in that part because it truly is the wild west out here beyond regular patrols of peacekeepers.
They only bother watching the innermost part of the asteroid belt, not way out here.
Many times you avoid others this far out.
No telling what they want.
If someone is flying at you, it’s usually not a good thing out here.
‘So you are flying?
Can I relax for a bit?
My mana’s really low right now, so I want to keep it high in case we have any problems.’ [Sure host.
I was just watching and familiarizing myself with the systems but navigation and propulsion shouldn’t be a problem.
I’ll let you know of any anomalies.] ‘Thanks just follow my waypoints.
I’ll leave it to you then’ as I wolfed down a red regular nutripack.
You get tired of all beef flavor, all the time.
Sometimes even lower quality, but different flavors are appreciated.
But it was still gross.
Just different.
The most expensive one at the nutripack store was chocolate cake and cost 3000 credits a piece.
Can’t wait to try that.
I won’t even wait for my birthday.
The trip should net me quite a healthy payday.
The purity of the heavies I called are much higher than the ore I normally deliver.
Normally only digging the top 10 feet or so, calling heavies can pull them up from deeper down where more dense materials live.
50k would be great.
We’ll just have to see.
I do some exercises to help burn off that second nurtipack.
It feels unnecessary, but helps relieve the bloating.
And if I get a 6 pack, no complaints here.
Who doesn’t want to look good for the opposite sex?
After an hour of good sweating, my muscles are tired but not full of lactic acid so it feels like i could keep going but finish my 3 sets and call it good.
A few games on handheld and some light reading, and snores can be heard in the cabin.
All is well.
Slight beeps and whirs from the electronics might wake up others, but blend into the background for people who’re used to it.
Like cicadas at night, unnoticed till you focus on them.
A smile on my face, dreams of future fun times in my head.
A few hours later… *WOOP WOOP* *WOOP WOOP* “Chains and hooks and..” I cry out as I’m so rudely yanked out of a deep sleep.
Wth.
that’s the approaching ship warning, in case I’m sleeping.
The alarm goes off when a ship gets within 100,000 miles, which is right next door.
“Exie what’s going on?
Why didn’t you wake me earlier?
Who’s coming our way?” [This ship has changed course twice to intercept us.
It’s a frigate class, gulwing model, 33 years old.
Lightly modified with faster engine and better laser canons.
It’s been closing in on us for 43 minutes.
It will overtake us in 55 minutes no matter which direction we go.
I figured I’d let you sleep another 25 minutes and give you a half hour to prepare yourself.] “Next time please wake me up as soon as they appear.” My mind is blown.
Pirates are the main fear of miners.
Usually all they can do is run and hide Gulwings were older patrol craft with had been retired and sold off after 20 years active duty.
They are very popular with mercs, pirates, corps, privateers … anyone looking for some cheap, fast firepower.
They have two 10mm laser canons, we only have a single 7mm.
Their armor is 12mm equivalent and ours is barely 5.
Its a bottom tier warcraft and Bessie’s and even older bottom tier miner.
Typical crew size ranges form 6-12 but only needs 2 or 3 to function.
Obviously we aren’t going to outfight them.
We can only outrun them.
Fuck.
let me sleep.
“Show me.” The 3D holographic display lit up, showing us in the middle of no man’s land.
Nothing to use as cover, wide open.
“We’re not gonna out run them.
Maybe I can resonate them or something.
Dammit we survived that rock and now pirates attack.” I dare not ask “what’s next?”