The Core: The First Guest

30. The hidden predators

I decided to visit the harvester carrier hovering above before I left to make my way down south. Having Telf tell me that my AI was defective was all the second opinion that I needed. If there was a way to have it fixed on their carrier, it was in my best interests to see about getting it done sooner rather than later. I didn't want to be stuck here on this sun for longer than needed.

I looked up and began to slowly ease myself upwards towards their craft, choosing to emulate the speed that they had all used. I was surprised when I discovered that the longer I held the same low pressure, the more my acceleration would stack and my speed would rapidly increase.

"Huh... I wonder if that is how their survey pods manage to get to distant locations. They have a speed that increases the longer they hold it at full throttle." I mused as I slowed down once I reached the carrier. Sure enough, there were several harvester robots strung up along the bottom of the craft. It looked like that was the best option to detain trouble makers here since everyone had equipment that couldn't be damaged, just tie them up with unbreakable rope.

"Hey! Hey you! Come here!" One of the more observant secured bots cried out before several others perked up and began trying to get my attention as well. A lone robot crouching at the lip of the craft turned to peer at me before barking out "Just ignore them." Before turning back to studying the flaming surface below us. He seemed to be watching for something, of which I had no clue. What could there be to watch for inside of fire?

"Oh come on! Please! I am so bored!" The first one cried as I finally crested the side of the craft and slowly hovered towards a clear spot where I could land. The deck was not what I expected it to be. There were what appeared to be travel disks spread out at evenly distributed locations. As I watched a group of miners flew up over the side and each one went towards a separate disk. I wondered what the purpose was so I wandered over towards a free one and stepped into the middle.

An interface popped up the moment my smaller body was completely on the disk.

-No unregistered cr detected for deposit at this time-

-Error detected in the construction of AI module. Repair is advised.-

-Would you like to have it repaired now?-

If I could have narrowed my vision at the mention of my AI module being constructed wrong then I would have. Why had it been assembled wrong? Was the System making mistakes now that Silver was gone? Or was there another reason? I clicked the button to have it repaired only to have another error pop up a second after the disk that I was standing on began to glow.

-Foreign object detected. Object is embedded inside AI module. Recommend removal of foreign object before continuing repair of AI module.-

What was this nonsense? I looked around first, making sure no one was looking my way before I made my cr flow away from the AI module embedded on the top of my octagon main body. I had to do this so that the repair process could remove whatever was in the way. If I didn't it would just remain stuck and I was pretty sure that the next request would be to control my cr, which would cause another error and probably notify someone that I had control that normal convicts weren't allowed.

I clicked the button to remove the foreign object and to continue with the repair process. The disk glowed again and out slipped a small square that had been embedded in the middle of the AI module. I grabbed the cube with my cr and hid it away before letting my cr flow back over, repairing the opening I had created to get at the AI module. While the disk was doing its thing I inspected the little cube.

-Covert tracking device-

-Registered to Magus the 2nd-

-Custom tracking frequency: M2-