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Print Job #340
Written By: Anonymous
Fiction
Chapter 13: The Shuttle Arrives
Jared Phillips, Junior Botanist and the Station's Acting Captain, waited in the locker, terrified of what had become of his home. It had been bad enough when the Syndicate had launched an all-out assault. The Captain had led them through that, and the AI, HERO, had done its best to keep things in order, despite massive damage to its link with the station.
HERO had done things no AI was expected to do. It had used its camera network to alert the crew of every move the Syndicate Operatives made. When they destroyed its Upload Chamber, it had kept going using a half-destroyed radio system. When the Syndicates released the Singularity, HERO adjusted the Solar Arrays.
Then the Xenos came. A facehugger got the Captain in the first few minutes. Without leadership, the Station plunged into chaos. Purple weeds were everywhere. Black monsters out of Jared's worst nightmares had torn men apart in front of his very eyes.
And all through it, HERO had been there. When Main Power started going out, HERO had shut down power to all sections of the ship not housing humans. HERO had realigned its damaged output signal to call for the Emergency Evacuation Shuttle. It had led Jared away from Hydroponics to this locker, where he could be safe until the Shuttle arrived.
Because Jared was the last human being left on the Station. There was just enough power left for HERO to bolt open all the doors along his path, oxygenate those sections, and inform him of when he needed to run.
"The Shuttle will arrive in 30 seconds, Jared," HERO chirped. "Ple...ase be c...c...areful on y...our way...out o...f...the...S...t...nnnnn."
Jared knew HERO had died. And he knew it had lived up to its name.
Jared Phillips, Junior Botanist and the Station's Acting Captain, waited in the locker, terrified of what had become of his home. It had been bad enough when the Syndicate had launched an all-out assault. The Captain had led them through that, and the AI, HERO, had done its best to keep things in order, despite massive damage to its link with the station.
HERO had done things no AI was expected to do. It had used its camera network to alert the crew of every move the Syndicate Operatives made. When they destroyed its Upload Chamber, it had kept going using a half-destroyed radio system. When the Syndicates released the Singularity, HERO adjusted the Solar Arrays.
Then the Xenos came. A facehugger got the Captain in the first few minutes. Without leadership, the Station plunged into chaos. Purple weeds were everywhere. Black monsters out of Jared's worst nightmares had torn men apart in front of his very eyes.
And all through it, HERO had been there. When Main Power started going out, HERO had shut down power to all sections of the ship not housing humans. HERO had realigned its damaged output signal to call for the Emergency Evacuation Shuttle. It had led Jared away from Hydroponics to this locker, where he could be safe until the Shuttle arrived.
Because Jared was the last human being left on the Station. There was just enough power left for HERO to bolt open all the doors along his path, oxygenate those sections, and inform him of when he needed to run.
"The Shuttle will arrive in 30 seconds, Jared," HERO chirped. "Ple...ase be c...c...areful on y...our way...out o...f...the...S...t...nnnnn."
Jared knew HERO had died. And he knew it had lived up to its name.