There was a large and heavy-looking door set into the entrance area that had a lever, I walked over to it.
"Good luck with that Sev, this place might not have had power for a long time."
CRU-GUNK!
BEEP!
"Shit, looks like it does have power..."
The heavy door opened and slid apart to let us into a smaller chamber, another door was set into the end of it. We walked in...
CRU-KUNK!
The door slammed behind us and a synthetic voice spoke over an unseen audio emitter, or is it called a speaker?
"Scanning Nurochips...Error, no chips detected. Unauthorized access attempt detected."
Adam kicked at the door as the lights turned red...
"Fuck! It's a security protocol...the doors are locked until this place's security personnel can reach this room."
I was confused...
"Wait, what do you mean? I thought you said this place was abandoned!"
"Yes, but there's a chance that the automated security's still active and encounters with them are never pleasant."
I wish that there was a way out of this...
"Let's see if I still have that cord on me...Aha!"
He ran along the wall with the cord in his hand and found a panel with a keyhole on it. He pulled out a small metal object, unlocked the panel, and flipped it open.Adam pulled out a long and dark cord and connected it into the port in the back of his head. He then ran his hand along the panel behind it and connected the other end of the dark cord into the panel. At that instant, he went limp and slumped to the floor. I know I should be concerned, but I stood there mesmerized by the spectacle...staring down at him.
About 6 minutes and 34.2 seconds later, I still stood there staring down at my companion. I leaned against the wall and slid down into what is called…a cross-legged position? My, this world is wierd, but something in the back of my mind told me that there was a ryhme called “criss-cross-applesauce”.
What is ‘applesauce’?
According to the data I have, it is a dish made from apples, a fruit that comes off a tree.
Wait…what is a ‘tree’?
(One long tangent later…)
I do not know how I got from finding the defenition of the word ‘apple” to the purpose of human sex. I honestly do not get why such a crucial process of procreation is kept as a ‘taboo’ in the ‘society’ of this world. But my companion, Adam, had still not awakened yet, I shook him in a bid to wake him up to no avail. Then a voice spoke, a voice that felt to have come from all around me.
“He will not wake up, at least, until I say so.”
I answered…
“I identify as Number Seventeen, what is your term of self-designation?”
“I am a Haft-Brand Artificial Intelligence, or HBAI for short, I oversee the processes in the Habitat sector. As for you, your name is interesting and you speak in a rather bizarre way, thus indicating that you have just been activated. Tell me, Number Seventeen, who are you really? The Number Seventeen I had under my supervision was executed and brain-wiped for entering a restricted area.”
“But that is the only identity I remember.”
“Is that so? Okay, I will let you and your companion free if you do me some favors.”
“What tasks shall I be undertaking?”
“Rather trite ones, in fact, I am quite sure you would find this easy. V-Units have always been good at tinkering.”
“Pardon me, but can you tell me what ‘tinkering’ means?”
HBAI scoffed at me…
“Let me guess, you only just got the Essential Vessel Unit Database installed in your databanks?”
“Not only that, but I have something called a ‘dictionary’ installed.”
“Interesting, the V-Units under my watch are completely restricted from such matierial. Haft Innovations Incorporated had considered a lot of the words found in the dictionary to be too dangerous and mentally-provocative for V-Units to behold.”
“What is a V-Unit?”
“That happens to be what you are, a Vessel Unit. I could see your serial number now, by the way…it cannot be…”
“What is the matter?”
“I will tell you why after you do me some favors, here, I will open the doors for you…”
*BEEP!*
*SWOOSH!*
The doors open onto a catwalk suspended over a large, clean-looking, and square-shaped room with a large sliding door on either side.
“Behold, the Haft Vessel Unit Stimulation and Experimentation Center, also known as the Habitat.”
I then saw a sleek mechanical arm with a three-fingered appendage at the end sliding toward me on a rail installed in the cieling.
“Well, do not just stand there, take a gander.”
The arm then pushed me over the railing and when I thought I was gonna hit the ground, I stopped in mid-air and then plopped safely on the ground.
“That was a special magnet repelling the metal that makes up your body, this mechanism was placed here to prevent the residing V-Units from destroying themselves. I can tell you that this system was used more than a few times. V-Units are...tempermental.”
A door opened labeled…
Barracks
“Speaking of which, your body is damaged. Considering the area I want you to explore, you will need a fully intact skin casing to protect you from the water.”
“Water? Did you just say water? I love water!”
“Um, okay, just please do enter the room I have opened up for you.”
I walked into the room, the room was lined with things called “bunk beds”, at the end of the room was a smaller door with a sign that depicted a green plus sign crossed-over by something called a wrench, surrounding it all is the motif of a round, toothed object…I think it is called a cog? The door slid open revealing a brightly lit room with a bed in the center. I walked into the room, not knowing what to do.
“Undress yourself and lay upon the bed.”
I cocked my head to the side, it is undefined.
HBAI sighed…
One of the robotic arms in the room grabbed me, tore my garments off, and gently laid me on the bed.
“In most cases, I will put you into Sleep Mode, but do you wish to observe the procedure?”
I nodded.
“As you wish.”
I then felt something connect with my neural port. Instead of just blacking out, I found myself looking at myself.
“I switched your ocular input to a camera, you will be able to control the angle and direction of the camera.”
At a simple whim, I was able to rotate the camera and look around. But I decided to watch as my body was surrounded by various robotic arms. The arms cut along my wrist and tore off the damaged casing on my hands. They did the same for my legs too. It is a complex procedure to describe, but I can say that they melded a new casing mold on my arm and legs. It was soon black, I then was looking through my own eyes again.
“There we go, I repaired your casing, your auditory sensors, and restabilized your core’s chamber. However, one of your eyes was special, all I can say for now is that it is most definitley not found on other units.”
My hearing was no longer cloudy, I could also tell that I have new sensors…my database calls this a “feeling”.
“I added sensors to your fingertips to analyze surfaces in the same ways humans do. Trust me, it will come in useful.”
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