is a great voice,” said Roy, “Use that voice when speaking to me, and if there is an emergency, you should use that first male voice. That will alert me much faster.”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Now, take me to the Bridge,” stated Roy in what he thought was a captain-like tone in his voice.
The lift gave a minor shudder, but there was no sensation of movement and then the door opened. Roy looked out into a large dingy gray room with obvious-looking workstations, but what caught his attention was the large curved window from the floor to the ceiling, looking out into the vast depths of space. It was almost hypnotic watching the stars go past.
“What keeps that window from breaking if something crashes into it?” he asked.
“That is not a window but a projection of the area to the front of the ship” was the response. “I can project a view in any direction from the ship that you ask.”
“This view is fine,” Roy said as he stood there fascinated by the stars passing by. He moved closer and felt like he was standing on the edge of the universe. At first, he was looking for a guardrail or something to hang on to and then realized that it was a solid wall he was standing in front of, with a projection of what was outside.
After standing and staring at the view for a long time, he started to walk around and explore the Bridge. Everything looked the same. There were no markings or any color at all. As he came up to different control stations, he asked the AI to define its use. There were navigation, engineering, flight, defense, communication, and environment controls. There were more, but he got tired of asking and knew that he had no idea how they worked.
“Why are there all these different control stations if you run the ship?” he asked.
“They are for manual control if I become damaged or out of service for maintenance. They also provide real-time updates and can be used to override me at the captain’s command,” she replied.
As he stood there, Roy realized that he had an urge that should have been addressed an hour ago. “Where is the bathroom?” he asked.
“I’m sorry, that term is unfamiliar to me,” the AI responded.
“I need to pee. Where do I go?”
“I’m sorry, that—.”
“Urinate, toilet, expel waste water from my body,” Roy exclaimed.
“The blue door” came the response.
After a few minutes behind the blue door, Roy emerged relieved and then had a frightening thought. Food! The food on this ship was over seven hundred years old. He remembered what his refrigerator looked like after he was gone for only two months. The mold on the food here must have evolved into some type of hideous new life by now.
“AI, sometime in the near future, I need to eat. We have to go back to Earth to get fresh food.”
“All organic food is supplied fresh from the hydro garden on Deck 7. Animal-based foods are simulated in taste, texture, and nutrition. They are prepared and available to you in the forward Officers’ Louege section of Deck 5. There is no need to return to Earth for food. If you tell me what you want to eat, I can have it prepared and brought to you.”
“That’s okay. I’m not hungry now,” he replied as he sat down in the captain’s chair to think about what he’s gotten himself into. He wondered if this was an adventurer’s dream or the beginning of a long nightmare of loneliness. He removed a cigarette from his pocket, placed it in his mouth, and lit it up. He took a deep inhale and then exhaled. Lights flashed, alarms rang, and he was wet. “What the hell,” he exclaimed.
“Captain, I detected smoke coming from within you. Are you on fire?”
“no, i’m not on fire. now shut that stuff off,” Roy yelled. “It’s called a cigarette. It helps me relax and think.”
“Yes, Captain. In following the smoke into your lungs, I noted a chemical build up that is dangerous to your health.”
“Yes, I know that smoking is not good for me.” Roy then opened up his shirt and revealed a T-shirt that stated:
Smoking is Hazardous to my Health.
Complaining about my Smoking Could Be
Hazardous to your Health.
“Captain, I could remove the buildup of dangerous chemicals in your lungs and repair the damage if you wish.”
“No, thanks. I don’t trust you enough to let you go cutting into my body.”
“There would be no physical intrusion into your body, sir. The chemicals would be pulverized. The debris and dead cells are removed and replaced with living cells. There would be no discomfort other than walking to the Life-Form Medical Repair Room.”
What the heck is that? Roy thought to himself. Now his curiosity got to him.
“Okay, what is a Medical Repair Room?” he asked.
“It is a repair and examination room for life-forms, sir.”
Now Roy was curious. “Okay, show me this Medical Room,” he stated.
Roy followed the instructions to the rear section of Deck 2. Another room with no name on it. No wonder I’m getting lost on this ship, he thought. When he walked in, he was impressed by all of the important-looking equipment around the room. He also noticed what looked like a walk-in refrigerator with a glass door in the center of the room.
“Okay, I’m impressed. Let’s go back to the Bridge,” he stated.
“Sir, Terna rules require all of the ship’s life-forms, officers, and crew to have a periodic full-body scan to ensure health. You have not fulfilled this requirement. Step into the life-form scanner.”
Roy was taken aback a little by the AI’s almost demanding voice. What can it hurt, it’s just a scan, he thought to himself and then stepped inside.
After what looked like a small brilliant light show, the AI spoke. “Sir, I am detecting extensive damage inside your body. There are multiple scar tissue areas as though projectiles have passed through or were crudely dug out of the body. I also detect metal plates and screws holding skeletal parts together and metal in your teeth. Your cells are failing at a much faster rate than they are being replaced, and I am seeing cells with abnormal growth that can terminate your life. I must have the medical AIMU start immediately to ensure your survival.”
“Ya, I was a marine and got shot a few times, but the doctors patched me up just fine,” he said as he went to open the door. It was locked. “hey, let me out of here,” he yelled. “I only agreed to a scan.”
“Captain, you must step back against the rear and remain still so that you can be supported. I noted that you do not have a translator installed in the auditory canal. I will have one installed.”
Roy felt a little dizzy and then passed out. When he awoke, he was lying down but still inside the exam capsule. When he touched the door, the capsule returned to its upright position, and the door opened. He quickly examined himself and determined that he was still in one piece and then stepped out. The
