Chapter 4: Emergency Maintenance
**AUTHOR'S NOTE
******** THIS IS A FREE, UNEDITED VERSION OF THIS STORY
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"Here is another one," Alan said aloud to the hovering drone following him. He crouched in front of an automaton lying on the floor and started a diagnosis. "Let's see... it will need a new left arm. The battery is… completely toast, and the breastplate, although it has burn marks, is still functional."
**And why the hell does it have burn marks?**
An autonomous cart advanced toward him, and after a few clinking sounds, it opened a small drawer with the solicited battery. "Thank you," Alan said, grabbing it. Seconds later, a bigger drawer revealed a robotic arm.
As soon as the automaton received the new battery, it turned on and sat, twisting its head towards Alan, staring at him with motionless lit digital eyes. It played a short melody, indicating it was rebooting itself.
**It's taking an unusual amount of time.**
++"Greetings, Technician, Alan Warden,"++ the automaton said, after scanning the code from Alan's badge. ++"Thank you for assisting me today."++
"You're welcome. Here, I have this other part for you, it's from an older model, but it should be compatible."
Alan installed the left arm and a click sound signaled it had been magnetically attached.
++"Compatibility confirmed. Thank you."++
"Hey, can you tell me how you ended up like this?"
++"Broken?"++ the automaton asked before standing up. ++"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that I have lost my latest records after my battery ran out of energy. I'm currently using my backup data from… March, 19... Anything else I can do for you, Alan, before returning to my duties?"++
"No," Alan smiled at it. "Thanks, go back to work."
++"Have a nice day."++ The automaton made a salute and started walking away, being followed by Alan's gaze.
"Isabella?"
++"Yes, Alan?"++ The AI responded through the drone hovering above him.
"Did you wipe his memory just now?"
++"Yes. The automaton could have leaked sensitive data to you."++
"I need to learn what happened here, Captain. Sooner or later."
++"I concur. You can review all the classified information once you end your work."++
**So I have to keep working, knowing nothing? You're asking too much from me.**
He glanced at the once white walls, now tainted with plasma burns.
**The floors have been mopped, messily and rashly.**
"Fine. Where is the next automaton?"
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**While working on this, I've learned how easy the life of a fellow human could end with a single malfunction.**
He stared at a passenger's capsule, just like the one he had abandoned to help Isabella four months ago.
"How many chambers have presented problems, Isabella?" He asked while identifying the issue. There was a leak of oxygen from the glass.
++"Besides this one, none. Once The Santa María returns to an autonomous state—"++
"You won't need my services anymore, you've said it already."
**I just hope I don't end up like the other members of the staff. Wherever they are.**
He took the small glue gun from his belt and applied it to the visible crack. After an effervescent reaction, the chemical hardened in an instant.
Before leaving, Alan looked at the sleeping passenger, a brunette girl around his age, who was oblivious to the fact that she could have died in a couple of hours.
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**Fixing panels, opening jammed automatic doors, eating paste, drinking something resembling apple juice every day for the last 186 days…**
**Having other automatons helping me has increased everyday productivity by 300%... Well, that's what Isabella claims, and still…**
**186 freaking days with no human contact. Isabella's digital voice has been the only thing keeping me sane.**
**She promised to give me entertainment, but it is all curated by the Vice-Captain, Kasuo 'Delete this indecent, immoral garbage' Yoshida. Nothing but classical music and computer-generated landscapes… There's not a single thing on earth that could look that green or that blue.**
While sitting on the toilet, he held a screw aloft, examining its shape and metallic gleam as if he could discern the ship's secrets through it if he tried hard enough.
**Years ago, I watched a show where humanity started developing psychic abilities due to their exposure to space travel. Maybe I could do it too… Although after all this time with no human contact, it wouldn't be superpowers, just my mind going crazy.**
He flushed the toilet, washed his hands in the sink, and stared at his reflection, finding an eighteen-year-old male teen with dark marks beneath his eyes. His auburn-brown hair had grown a lot since he had left his cryo-pod, and wondered if one of the many automatons could help him cut it.
**I can still do it. I can keep working if that's what you're asking,** he said to his green-eyed reflection before returning to his bed and throwing the screw into the air and catching it.
"Sorry for the interruption. Where was I? Ah, yes! Let's try again: 'New London's bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. New London's bridge is falling down!' Your turn."
++"Alan, would you prefer I change the tone of my voice? That may help with whatever you're trying to accomplish."++
"Could you do that for me? Yes, please!"
++"How about this voice?"++
"Too high-pitched."
++"How about this one?"++
"Try less deep."
++"Like this?"++
"Whoah! Now try singing."
++"New London's bridge is falling down…"++
"Try speaking 20% slower!"
++"...is falling down, falling down…"++
"Nice! Your new voice is so butter melting that I could die! Expect my performance to increase from now on!"
++"Glad to help."++
"Hey, Isa?"
++"Yes? How can I help you, Alan?"++
"Could you tell me which capsule Astrid Bradford is in?"
++"I'm sorry, but that info is classified. For the well-being of her privacy. Because here, in Alvearium Enterprise…"++
"Skip ad."
++"Understood." ++
**It's not like I wanted to watch her sleeping or something like that!**
++"Although, as a Maintenance Engineer, you can access some of her records from my database. Only if it is important to your—"++
"Am I an engineer now?" Alan sat up. "Yes, please, it's important!"
++"Understood. Request by Maintenance Engineer, Alan Warden, to consult Level Blue information... Access granted... Results regarding, Passenger #29316, Astrid Bradford… 5 entries found."++
Alan jumped out of the bed and stared at the screen. "Why is that number familiar?" he muttered to himself while examining the files displayed.
++"Astrid Bradford was registered seconds before you, Alan. Would you like to review her Register Interview?"++
"Yes…" He said, his mouth ajar at the sight of the blonde appearing on the monitor. The date displayed on the video was from four months ago. She could be seen entering a stall with transparent windows.
**Inside and outside the Novus, she looks like an adorable living doll. A muse sent by the gods, no, an angel who lost her way back to heaven!**
[Name, please.]
An electronic voice spoke on the video.
[That would be Astrid Bradford,] she replied while tucking golden strands of hair behind her ear, barely looking at the camera.
[Registration found. Age seventeen. 5 feet, 3 inches tall. Currently weighing 112 pounds…]
[Hey, can you keep it down, please?!]
[Please, tell us, why would you like to board The Santa María?]
[Why? Well... It's this, or having a slow death here on Earth, am I right?] She smirked innocently, making Alan chuckle. [Wait, this is not being recorded, is it? Whatever. My father wouldn't have it otherwise. Happy?]
"Oh, Astrid, I promise to return to you... Just you wait…" Alan half-smiled while caressing the screen until something made him frown. The video showed Astrid constantly watching at her side. "What's distracting you?"
++"She is looking at the interior of the neighboring stall,"++ Isabella answered. ++"Would you like me to play the recording of that interview too?"++
"Yes."
++"Video recording #1, from Passenger #29317, playing."++
[Name, please?]
[Alan Warden.]
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone