Matt Black - Book 1 of Re-Forge

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Afternoon found the friends relaxing in Joshua's apartment enjoying a beer after another day of training in the spaceship simulator. Joshua said: "Just now, I tried to feel your energy. Nothing has changed since the first time that sensing it made me feel ill. I would like to separate the pair of you, so I stop becoming ill when look at your aura. There is I would like to try, with your permission."

Matt replied: "Yeh, sure, what is it?"

Josh said: "I want to find out what's in all those compressed folders Carl has packed away. Whatever he has in there might be critical to our future."

Matt said: "I guess we need to find a suitably IT platform. Large enough for Carl to completely decompress. Carl, Josh has a good idea, what must we do to allow you to decompress your full personality and memories?"

Carl said: "Finding a bigger computer is simple. The tricky part will be finding one with the necessary technology manufactured from special materials. I am talking about very advanced technology, then that platform will need to be mobile with a dependable primary and backup power supply."

"Electricity to me, is like an air supply to you. If you remove my power source, I will die as I am not rebootable. I cannot assist with your goals or protect you if I am not with you. I know this is the reason for my existence."

Joshua said: "Let me work on it, Carl. My IT skills are pretty good. I can throw together a system that is mobile. It won't be pretty, but it will work. I can even instal a hidden secondary power supply, although it would be easier Matt was still tight with Sharon. I'm good at IT hardware, but her programming skills are becoming legendary."

"Luna city's level of technology is already far ahead of the most advanced technology on Earth. Adding Sharon's skills to mine will ensure success."

Joshua glanced at Matt, then said: "I don't suppose you can smooth talk her into helping us?"

Matt said nothing and Josh, getting the hint, said: "There is a good chance that something useful can be found in the colony, but like it or not, we need Sharon."

Carl said to Joshua: "I doubt you will find anything. The hardware platform I inhabit must be made of advanced hybrid materials that have not been officially invented yet. My living essence cannot inhabit standard hardware."

It must be manufactured from the same material this AI-com's circuitry is made from. I know that when my essence moves, all the data moves with it. Nothing is left behind. Finally, it must be bullet proof as I don't get a second chance if I am destroyed."

Josh shook his head negatively and said: "That can't be. If you moved from hardware into the AI-com, then where is the old hardware? Wherever your AI-com was made, is where we will find the technology you need."

Carl said: "This AI-com was built as a one-off item at a company called , and the Luna IT laboratory is part of that. You may be right, Josh."

Joshua said: "If anyone can breeze past the security firewalls to have a peak, then that must be you, Carl."

Carl said: "To do that, I will need a hard wire bridge."

Joshua said: "Like the jack-in cable we used on the Shuttle. I'll be right back."

A short time later, Joshua returned with a cable and said: "I made a replica of Tim's cable, the one from the shuttle. You never know when little things like this can come in handy, right?"

Hours after Carl began his search, he said excitedly: "Bingo."

Josh asked sleepily: "What have you got?"