Chapter 4: murderer
I regained consciousness to the sound of beeping. I opened my eyes to find myself still freely floating in the void of space. A warning flashed on my visor. Low oxygen in menacing red letters, and a number counting down to when it runs out at my current consumption rate. Just shy of an hour before I would reach an oxygen concentration that would render me unconscious again. I began to look to my surroundings closely. I was still next to the ship, but I had drifted towards the front of the ship carrying on in my former path. With a bit of struggling I was able to look behind me. My anchor to the ship freely floating behind me.
“SEMI are you there?” I asked,
No response.
“SEMI I need your help, please.” I pleaded.
Still nothing. The AI was no longer responding to me.
The hose was still wrapped firmly around my waist, but it's other end was floated behind me still attached to the metal casing which it poured from. I grabbed the hose and began pulling the casing toward me. I found myself moving towards it as well. I moved more that it did as we drew closer together. I tried to remember exactly where the air locks were. I had drifted well past the one I had intended to enter. Eventually I made contact with the hose housing. I was like a man on a tiny moon secured to a body, but still without any protection. My initial movements has caused a slight spin on my miniature moon which forced me to look all around me. More ships had appeared around us, all of them stopped many of them identical to each other. My clock had gone down drastically with my physical exertion. Now rather than an hour I had only around 20 minutes. I could already feel my mind slipping as it became harder and harder to understand my predicament. I could still understand one thing though. I knew I only had one shot at getting back into the ship.
I finished untying the hose from my waist not remembering when I had started. I continued spinning. I looked carefully for the ship and in a moment. I pushed off from the housing providing what little thrust I might need to head towards the ship. I continued spinning mid flight, unable to tell if I was getting closer or further from the ship for many rotations. Finally it seemed the ship was growing, but I did not release my breath in a sigh for fear that I might drain what little air I had left.
I impacted the ship less than a minute later back first slamming into the wall. I bounced off immediately having no more force to hold me towards it. It was only by luck that when I thrashed around in fear that I caught onto a piece of metal I could wrap my hand around. A framework of some sort which was surrounded many parts of the ship.
I had less than ten minutes left when I managed to pull myself to one of the airlocks hanging onto the parts of the ship like a overextended set of monkey bars. It was only when I arrived that I discovered I had no idea how to enter. SEMI has never explained it before I had blacked out. I held onto the bar outside the lock and I slammed against the door, repeatedly and powerfully. Eager to make the loudest sound possible inside and possibly attract some sort of attention.
I slammed my shoulder against the metal seemingly endlessly as my clock ticked down.
Finally the door opened as a charged in again. I watched the door close behind me as I began gasping for oxygenated air. Finally my suit disintegrated letting me breath in the sweet air in the ship. I watched the inside door open to reveal my savior. The captain himself stood there arms crossed likely waiting until I regained my senses enough to be scolded. He would have to wait though. Now that I was safe by adrenaline died down and I faded out of consciousness again.
I woke up in the medical bay, the plant like nurse from before was leaning over me, inspecting my body for damage.
“You're awake?” she asked.
After a moment or two to regain my senses I replied, “I am getting there, yes.”
“You've been out for nearly a cycle. The ship has power back, but we have no records from the power outage. How long were you outside the ship?”
I thought about it, “how long would it take for a human to exhaust all the oxygen in his suit.
“Based on the breathing rate we have observed thus far, probably about 6-7 Cyclets with an improvised suit.”she said.
“Then we'll call it 7 hours. I was nearly dead when I woke up.” I explained.
I rested more. My muscles burned as if on fire despite my several extra hours of sleep. A side effect of over exertion without enough oxygen. Everything else in my body ached. To make matters worse the captain arrived in my med chamber within 10 minutes of me waking up. His feathers were ruffled and his face was sour.
“why were you outside the ship?” he suddenly demanded.
“I was stranded in the observatory.” I said. “There was another explosion.”
He rubbed the part of his beak just between his eyes, a sign of frustration that is apparently universal.
“I gave you the job of getting people together, how did that happen?”
“I was getting stragglers from there. I was the last to leave. One of their implants burst, and I got locked in.” I explained.
“And who else saw this malfunction?” he asked.
“I was the only other person there. Everyone else already made it out.”I responded.
“So you are the sole witness present at both attempted murders.” He said.
My instinct was to shoot up out of my bed and look him in the eyes trying to ensure I had heard him correctly. Instead I moved forward about two inches before I was met with my body’s stinging protest.
“Murder? As in someone killing someone else?” I asked surprised.
“We analyzed a group of the implants as soon as we got power back. It isn't a defect. There is a bomb in nearly a fourth of them. Ready to detonate at a single command. So yes, these deaths are intentional.” he said.
“Have you checked my implant?” I asked.
“It's clean, but it is concerning.” he started.
“Your implant was connected to the ships core systems during the power crisis. System logs on your device are currently under analysis. How did you connect?”he interrogated.
“SEMI said I wasn't connected, she is the one that recommended I space walk to get back inside.”
The captain looked at me like I was a fool, and grabbed a device from his belt. Before I could ask what it was he pressed the black dome shaped piece over my arm.
It stuck to my implant and then dug into my skin around it, forming a seal around it painfully.
“Ah what is that thing.” I asked.
“A hijack,” He responded, “Standard issue. So long as it's on you will have no access to your implant.”
He tapped his own interface a few times and I watched as a pair of Hard light gauntlets wrapped around my hands and locked together. I could feel the same thing happen to my legs beneath the covers.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
He didn't so much as look at me for his response.
“I am placing you under temporary arrest for suspicious activity and perjury”
“Perjury? Are you sure that's translating correctly? I have neither lied nor are we in a court.” I protested.
“In any space faring vessel under state of emergency, its captain may act as all parts of the court for a temporary sentence. The decision will be reviewed upon arrival at a union supported planet.”He explained, as he started looking through his interface again.
“What about lying then, I have told you nothing but the truth” I pleaded
“Your ignorance precedes you. SEMI is a highly complex AI module hosted from the ship's core system. It could not have told you weren't connected because it is part of the network.” He said.
I attempted to protest, but I found there was quickly a hard light gag stopping me from talking. He had apparently accepted my guilt before I even known of a crime. I suppose Miranda rights didn't exist in the union. He seemed ready to leave the room when another crew member walked in, this one a mess of blue scaly appendages attached to a singular body with one large onyx black eye.
“Sir, diagnostics on the ship are done. The assembly room is still sealed, and the engines won’t power on. Our internal conditions are stable for now, but we can't make any additional resources until it's fixed.” He said, speaking from a mouth somewhere unknown to me.
“How long until it is fixed?” he said.
“The room is still sealed for an unknown reason. We have no estimate for resolution until we can figure out the problem.”The crew member responded.
“Then get to it.” the captain said.
The crewman hastily left the room, leaving me alone with the captain. He walked back over my bed and looked down at me as if to speak, but said nothing to me instead he called to the doctor.
“When he has healed return him to his quarters, and lock them down. As of now he is the primary suspect for all recent attacks aboard this ship.”
He left the room, and I watched the door shut behind him as I lay there in forced silence.
I regained consciousness to the sound of beeping. I opened my eyes to find myself still freely floating in the void of space. A warning flashed on my visor. Low oxygen in menacing red letters, and a number counting down to when it runs out at my current consumption rate. Just shy of an hour before I would reach an oxygen concentration that would render me unconscious again. I began to look to my surroundings closely. I was still next to the ship, but I had drifted towards the front of the ship carrying on in my former path. With a bit of struggling I was able to look behind me. My anchor to the ship freely floating behind me.
“SEMI are you there?” I asked,
No response.
“SEMI I need your help, please.” I pleaded.
Still nothing. The AI was no longer responding to me.
The hose was still wrapped firmly around my waist, but it's other end was floated behind me still attached to the metal casing which it poured from. I grabbed the hose and began pulling the casing toward me. I found myself moving towards it as well. I moved more that it did as we drew closer together. I tried to remember exactly where the air locks were. I had drifted well past the one I had intended to enter. Eventually I made contact with the hose housing. I was like a man on a tiny moon secured to a body, but still without any protection. My initial movements has caused a slight spin on my miniature moon which forced me to look all around me. More ships had appeared around us, all of them stopped many of them identical to each other. My clock had gone down drastically with my physical exertion. Now rather than an hour I had only around 20 minutes. I could already feel my mind slipping as it became harder and harder to understand my predicament. I could still understand one thing though. I knew I only had one shot at getting back into the ship.
I finished untying the hose from my waist not remembering when I had started. I continued spinning. I looked carefully for the ship and in a moment. I pushed off from the housing providing what little thrust I might need to head towards the ship. I continued spinning mid flight, unable to tell if I was getting closer or further from the ship for many rotations. Finally it seemed the ship was growing, but I did not release my breath in a sigh for fear that I might drain what little air I had left.
I impacted the ship less than a minute later back first slamming into the wall. I bounced off immediately having no more force to hold me towards it. It was only by luck that when I thrashed around in fear that I caught onto a piece of metal I could wrap my hand around. A framework of some sort which was surrounded many parts of the ship.
I had less than ten minutes left when I managed to pull myself to one of the airlocks hanging onto the parts of the ship like a overextended set of monkey bars. It was only when I arrived that I discovered I had no idea how to enter. SEMI has never explained it before I had blacked out. I held onto the bar outside the lock and I slammed against the door, repeatedly and powerfully. Eager to make the loudest sound possible inside and possibly attract some sort of attention.
I slammed my shoulder against the metal seemingly endlessly as my clock ticked down.
Finally the door opened as a charged in again. I watched the door close behind me as I began gasping for oxygenated air. Finally my suit disintegrated letting me breath in the sweet air in the ship. I watched the inside door open to reveal my savior. The captain himself stood there arms crossed likely waiting until I regained my senses enough to be scolded. He would have to wait though. Now that I was safe by adrenaline died down and I faded out of consciousness again.
I woke up in the medical bay, the plant like nurse from before was leaning over me, inspecting my body for damage.
“You're awake?” she asked.
After a moment or two to regain my senses I replied, “I am getting there, yes.”
“You've been out for nearly a cycle. The ship has power back, but we have no records from the power outage. How long were you outside the ship?”
I thought about it, “how long would it take for a human to exhaust all the oxygen in his suit.
“Based on the breathing rate we have observed thus far, probably about 6-7 Cyclets with an improvised suit.”she said.
“Then we'll call it 7 hours. I was nearly dead when I woke up.” I explained.
I rested more. My muscles burned as if on fire despite my several extra hours of sleep. A side effect of over exertion without enough oxygen. Everything else in my body ached. To make matters worse the captain arrived in my med chamber within 10 minutes of me waking up. His feathers were ruffled and his face was sour.
“why were you outside the ship?” he suddenly demanded.
“I was stranded in the observatory.” I said. “There was another explosion.”
He rubbed the part of his beak just between his eyes, a sign of frustration that is apparently universal.
“I gave you the job of getting people together, how did that happen?”
“I was getting stragglers from there. I was the last to leave. One of their implants burst, and I got locked in.” I explained.
“And who else saw this malfunction?” he asked.
“I was the only other person there. Everyone else already made it out.”I responded.
“So you are the sole witness present at both attempted murders.” He said.
My instinct was to shoot up out of my bed and look him in the eyes trying to ensure I had heard him correctly. Instead I moved forward about two inches before I was met with my body’s stinging protest.
“Murder? As in someone killing someone else?” I asked surprised.
“We analyzed a group of the implants as soon as we got power back. It isn't a defect. There is a bomb in nearly a fourth of them. Ready to detonate at a single command. So yes, these deaths are intentional.” he said.
“Have you checked my implant?” I asked.
“It's clean, but it is concerning.” he started.
“Your implant was connected to the ships core systems during the power crisis. System logs on your device are currently under analysis. How did you connect?”he interrogated.
“SEMI said I wasn't connected, she is the one that recommended I space walk to get back inside.”
The captain looked at me like I was a fool, and grabbed a device from his belt. Before I could ask what it was he pressed the black dome shaped piece over my arm.
It stuck to my implant and then dug into my skin around it, forming a seal around it painfully.
“Ah what is that thing.” I asked.
“A hijack,” He responded, “Standard issue. So long as it's on you will have no access to your implant.”
He tapped his own interface a few times and I watched as a pair of Hard light gauntlets wrapped around my hands and locked together. I could feel the same thing happen to my legs beneath the covers.
“What are you doing?” I demanded.
He didn't so much as look at me for his response.
“I am placing you under temporary arrest for suspicious activity and perjury”
“Perjury? Are you sure that's translating correctly? I have neither lied nor are we in a court.” I protested.
“In any space faring vessel under state of emergency, its captain may act as all parts of the court for a temporary sentence. The decision will be reviewed upon arrival at a union supported planet.”He explained, as he started looking through his interface again.
“What about lying then, I have told you nothing but the truth” I pleaded
“Your ignorance precedes you. SEMI is a highly complex AI module hosted from the ship's core system. It could not have told you weren't connected because it is part of the network.” He said.
I attempted to protest, but I found there was quickly a hard light gag stopping me from talking. He had apparently accepted my guilt before I even known of a crime. I suppose Miranda rights didn't exist in the union. He seemed ready to leave the room when another crew member walked in, this one a mess of blue scaly appendages attached to a singular body with one large onyx black eye.
“Sir, diagnostics on the ship are done. The assembly room is still sealed, and the engines won’t power on. Our internal conditions are stable for now, but we can't make any additional resources until it's fixed.” He said, speaking from a mouth somewhere unknown to me.
“How long until it is fixed?” he said.
“The room is still sealed for an unknown reason. We have no estimate for resolution until we can figure out the problem.”The crew member responded.
“Then get to it.” the captain said.
The crewman hastily left the room, leaving me alone with the captain. He walked back over my bed and looked down at me as if to speak, but said nothing to me instead he called to the doctor.
“When he has healed return him to his quarters, and lock them down. As of now he is the primary suspect for all recent attacks aboard this ship.”
He left the room, and I watched the door shut behind him as I lay there in forced silence.