Sigma 16 T2 - Chapter 84 - Amenities (Patreon)

Talia’s exo-suit whirred and clanked as she ascended the ladder, each step bringing her closer to the desert crawler’s main platform. The climb seemed to stretch on forever, a dizzying ascent that would have been problematic without her suit’s assistance.

She reached the top, her boots clanging against the metal surface. She took a moment to survey the expanse before her.

“Neo, we’re going to need a lift or something up here. This ladder is a nightmare,” she said.

[Affirmative: Personnel elevator is scheduled for installation in a future module.]

The platform stretched out before her, dotted with an array of modules already in place. At the rear, an elevator whirred to life, carrying a CRD-X9 laden with another module destined for the crawler’s upper level.

“I should have just used that,” Talia muttered.

[Notice: Construction elevator weight limits would have been exceeded by dual usage.]

Talia shook her head. “Surely I don’t weight that much. What’s a few hundred kilos to a fucking CRD-X9? It’s a rounding error.”

Neo did not reply. It was probably some safety regulation or something that she didn’t care about. Not that she wanted to ignore safety, it was just that those were designed to protect a million usages by a large population body and avoid death by that 0.1% failure rate—or whatever was acceptable enough to Corporate interested without causing social outrcry.

Working for those kinds of tolerances made little sense in her situation, although climbing the ladder wasn’t really that big of an issue. At least while it was her suit doing the climbing and not her.

A scuttling sound caught Talia’s attention, and she turned to see Dusky and Dapple landing beside her, having scaled the vehicle’s side with ease. Well, that was nice but also alarming. Maybe they needed some kind of anti-critter climbing skirt? A deployable one, anyway. Her three companions would need to still get access.

“Dapple, where’s Hot Pink?” Talia asked.

The spider’s mandibles clicked together. “Hot Pink-Hide-Under!”

Talia frowned. “What?”

[Informative: Video feed located. Displaying now.]

An image flashed across her HUD, revealing Hot Pink clinging to the vehicle’s undercarriage, her pink form a stark contrast against the metal.

Talia shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips. “Dusky, go tell Hot Pink that spot is less safe than being up here. Go get her, would you?”

“Go-get-fun!” Dusky chirped, scurrying away.

Talia turned to Dapple, pointing towards a module on the far side of the platform. “See that zoological module over there? You will have your own nest up here.”

They walked over to it and Dapple scurried into the zoological module, her mandibles clicking together in excitement. “Nest-Big-Roller-Good!” she chirped, her eyes darting around the interior.

Talia followed close behind. As she stepped inside, her eyes widened in surprise. The module’s interior was a perfect replica of the cave the spiders had built out of recycled scrap on the surface.

Dapple noticed, too. Her excitement quickly turned to confusion as she explored the familiar yet foreign space. She clambered over the scrap metal, her legs tapping against the surfaces in an agitated rhythm. The spider moved pieces around, trying to make sense of the identical environment.

Talia frowned. “Dapple, what’s wrong?”

The spider’s mandibles clicked rapidly. “Same-Same-Not-Right!”

Talia reached out, gently patting Dapple’s furry back. “I know it looks the same, but it’s just a copy. You can change it.”

Dapple tilted her head, her eyes reflecting uncertainty. “Change-How?”

[Suggestion: The module’s interior can be customized to suit the spiders’ preferences. Different materials and configurations can be provided.]

“See? Neo says we can make it different. We can use new materials, arrange things however you like.” Talia gestured around the space. “This is your new home, and you get to decide how it looks.”

Dapple’s agitation seemed to subside, replaced by understanding. She scuttled to a pile of scrap metal, carefully selecting a piece and placing it in a new location.

“That’s it,” Talia encouraged. “You and the others can make this place your own. It doesn’t have to be the same as before.”

As Dapple continued to rearrange the module’s contents, Talia couldn’t help but smile beneath her helmet. The spiders’ adaptability never ceased to amaze her. Although she wasn’t quite sure why having an identical nest was a problem in the first place.

Dapple’s mandibles clicked together rapidly as Dusky and Hot Pink scurried into the module, their eyes wide with curiosity. “Fake-Nest-Must-Fix!” Dapple chirped, her legs tapping against the metal floor.

Dusky tilted her head. “Same-Same-Not-Right?” she inquired, echoing Dapple’s earlier sentiment.

Hot Pink bounced excitedly. “Change-Make-Better!” she trilled, her legs already reaching for a piece of scrap.

The spiders chirped and clicked, their conversation a flurry of excitement and determination. They began tossing the scrap metal around, their movements seemingly chaotic and without purpose.

Talia watched, her brow furrowed beneath her helmet. She couldn’t see any rhyme or reason to their actions, but she knew better than to interfere. The spiders had their own way of doing things, and she trusted them to create a space that suited their needs.

With a final glance at the busy arachnids, Talia stepped out of the module. She brought up her HUD, scanning the list of active modules. Her eyes landed on the hydroponics module, and she felt a pang of hunger at the thought of fresh food.

“Neo, what’s the status on the Hydroponic station?” she asked, her voice tinged with hope.

[Notice: Seed synthesis has commenced. However, delays are expected. Nutri-paste will likely be the primary sustenance for several weeks.]

Talia groaned, her shoulders slumping. “Whyyyy?” she whined, the word drawn out in a melodramatic fashion.

[Informative: User’s prioritization of multiple concurrent projects has resulted in overlapping timelines. Each project has contributed to the delay in Hydroponic station completion and non-nutripaste food production.]

She huffed, rolling her eyes behind her visor. “I know all that. I was just complaining.”

Talia scanned the various modules. “Maybe if we can hurry an acclimatization vaccine, I could eat some meat,” she mused.

[Warning: Any rush of the vaccine could prove fatal. The native lifeforms of Sigma 16 are unlikely to provide human nutrition and would almost invariably be fatal due to high levels of heavy metals and other toxic substances.]

She rolled her eyes. “I wasn’t serious, Neo.”

[Notice: Continued attempts at unserious behavior toward this Unit could reveal possible psychological issues. Recommendation: Deploy a therapist unit.]

Talia snorted, her eyes rolling behind her visor. “I stopped being normal a long time ago. You’ll just have to deal with it.”

[Confirmation: Ongoing adjustments are expected.]

She waved her hand dismissively, her attention already drifting to Hab module. “Just tell me about the habitation module,” she said.

[Habitation Module Overview: The standard module is designed to provide comfortable living quarters for up to six occupants. It features individual sleeping pods, a communal living area, and a fully equipped kitchen. The module also includes an air filtration system and a water recycling unit to ensure a self-sustaining environment.]

The sleek, white surface gleamed in the harsh desert sunlight.

Her exo-suit’s hydraulics hissed as Talia planted her hands on her hips, a scowl etched across her face. “Six occupants? In case you haven’t noticed, Neo, we don’t have six team members. We don’t even have two. It’s just me out here.”

[Acknowledged. Modifications were made via the Research Module to the standard design. Amenities were adjusted for luxury and space optimization for a single occupant.]

“Oh, really?” Talia’s eyebrow arched, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Do tell.”

[Enhancements include: Expanded living quarters with a king-sized sleeping pod, complete with temperature-regulating fabrics and adjustable firmness settings. The kitchen has been upgraded with a gourmet nutripaste dispenser, offering a variety of different textures. The bathroom features a deluxe sonic shower with massage settings and a self-cleaning toilet with built-in bidet functionality.]

Talia’s eyes widened, her jaw slack. “A king-sized bed? Gourmet nutripaste? Massage shower?” She shook her head, a disbelieving chuckle escaping her lips. “I’m not sure whether to be impressed or disturbed by the level of detail you’ve put into this, Neo.”

[Notice: The Research Module’s advanced capabilities allow for highly personalized modifications. Your comfort and well-being are of the utmost importance.]

“Right, because nothing says comfort like being stranded on an alien planet with you.” Talia rolled her eyes, her exo-suit whirring as she shifted her weight.

[Reminder: The spiders are also present and have been designated as companions.]

Talia glanced over her shoulder, catching a glimpse of Dusky and Dapple scurrying across the platform, their furry forms a blur of motion. They were tossing random pieces of scrap off the vehicle’s side.

“How could I forget?” she muttered, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

[Additional amenities include: A state-of-the-art entertainment system with a virtual reality interface, allowing for immersive relaxation and mental stimulation. The air filtration system has been upgraded with aromatherapy capabilities, providing a range of soothing scents to promote relaxation and reduce stress levels.]

Talia’s brow furrowed beneath her helmet. “Okay, now I’m concerned. How many resources did we waste on this? I’d rather have upgraded missile launchers than fucking ‘textured nutripaste’ and a VR interface.”

[Notice: Modification costs were minor, although illegal.]

“Illegal?” She shook her head, a wry chuckle escaping her lips. “Why am I not surprised?”

[Informative: Multiple patent violations were accrued. However, it is unlikely that their holders will come to collect.]

Talia’s hand instinctively moved to wipe her forehead, only to be met with the unyielding surface of her helmet. “Oh good, my AI has turned into a criminal.”

[Notice: This unit is only following User preferences.]

“Fine, fine. Let’s see the inside of this hotel,” Talia said.

[Notice: Although the new quarters’ bio-decontamination chamber is ready and the internal tech suite is suitable for operations control, this unit recommends that User visit the vehicle’s command module in person first.]

Talia nodded, her gaze drifting to the command module at the middle of the crawler. “Alright,” she said, her voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

She strode across the platform, pausing at the entrance She raised her hand to the access panel. The interface flipped to a happy green and slid open with a hiss, revealing the dimly lit interior of the command module.

As she stepped inside, a warning flashed on her HUD.

“Report, Neo,” Talia commanded, her eyes scanning the shadowy confines of the module.

[Warning: Blue force detected in proximity to the research module battle site.]

Talia moved inside and the hatch slid shut on its own.

[Activating tactical display.]

As if on cue, red lighting flooded the room, casting an eerie glow across the surfaces. Talia spotted a seat at the center of the module and lowered herself into it, the exo-suit’s hydraulics whirring with the motion.

The seat descended, and the surrounding room began to shift, panels sliding and rearranging themselves with a series of mechanical clicks and whirs.

[Notice: Command module reconfiguring to tactical mode.]

“Variable geometry based on current activity?” Talia inquired, her eyebrow arched beneath her helmet.

[Affirmative. The command module is equipped with three primary configurations: strategic planning, tactical analysis, and combat control.]

Talia frowned, suspiscion forming in the back of her mind again. “How much extra did we pay for this fancy setup?”

[Informative: The variable geometry system was included in the base cost of command module.]

Talia shook her head. “At least we got something useful out of the deal.”

The front screen flickered to life, displaying a three-dimensional tactical plot alongside an isometric view of the detected forces. Talia leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she recognized the giant worm carcass and the remnants of the research module battle site.

“Good thing I pulled the miners out of there,” she mumbled, her gloved fingers tapping against the armrest.

[Scout units are currently undetected and providing real-time telemetry via relay chain.]

“Let’s see what they’re up to,” Talia said, her gaze fixed on the screen.