>>5581149“But it's so small!” Cleo protests, looking almost offended at the innocent looking lump that she almost crushed her toes with. “The Pee-Dee’s voidcore takes up more room than any other compartment.”
“A ‘live’ void core is known to grow.” Coen comments quietly.
“Well at least, the WEAVERs keep isolatin’ more an’ more space for it.” Kiro adds, words slurring in his haste to not be left out.
“Spaces where even the Captain isn’t allowed to go.” You finish, with a knowing nod.
“But what’s this have to do with that PD-113 command code you gave me?” EoN dips her head inside her helmet in a Tyllano frown equivalent. “It belongs to a child, part of the original crew roster, name and race redacted, and all medical records locked down. It's recorded as active but medically suspended…but no one could survive in cryo for so long, they’d be a desiccated husk by now.”
“Not it, <span class="mu-i">she</span>. PD-113 is a she. I connected with her through my implant and I think she’s somehow connected to the ‘live’ part of the voidcore. I don’t know how but her mind at least is alive and being actively suppressed by what’s left of the ship’s AI subsystems. Something about Protectorate Research Institute proprietary tech, if the ‘Guardian’ part of the AI is to be believed.”
You briefly fill your curious companions in on your recent experiences interfacing with the ship’s mental control systems, and while some still aren’t convinced they at least are willing to believe that the inert orb might be worth investigating.
“Eyes-of-Night, let your meds do their work on me and start examining this core. It might be our only chance to learn what’s inside… or who?”
“Ha, I doubt anything could survive inside a literal nuclear furnace, Cap.” Cleo barks out a laugh. “But I’m all for sticking it to some stuffy AI that doesn’t know its place!” She wrestles the device over towards you and EoN. “That’s if the doc wants to get her feathers dirty.” She grins wickedly.
“The healing process would be faster under my direction, Captain, but I suppose this is a unique opportunity for discovery as Ms Clifton so crudely implied.” Your Science officer sniffs. “And her brutish strength will be enough for the both of us, I believe.”
“Aren’t you a bit too catty for a bird?” Your Nav officer sneers.
“Aren’t you too bitchy for a… oh wait, no, that actually fits.” Comes the bored reply, instantly.
Kiro snickers, and you roll your eyes at the familiar back-and-forth. The two rivals reciting their usual banter like lines from a play.
As EoN begins to scan the presumably dormant core, you are distracted by the entrance of WEAVY to the now open hatch of the boarding craft. Its usually dynamic ring of lights are almost all a static red and its detached floating digits seem even more agitated than usual.
==C-CApTaIN. S-SySt-TEMS C-COmProMisED. G-GuArDiaN P-P-PRotOCaLs ACT-iVE. THeY ArE cOMiNg.==
