UGT: Unknown

  Location: Unknown yellow dwarf system

  I stared down at my work with a growing sense of doubt. "Aso, are you really sure this is going to hold?"

  [ The sealing spray from Aetheria Productions is a top-tier product, designed to seal any type of opening for extended periods, often months, if necessary. This unit can confidently assert, with a probability of 99.4%, that the spray will seal off the ventilation grids until a more permanent solution can be implemented. ]

  "That’s all well and good, but have you considered how old this stuff is?" I asked, a hint of skepticism creeping into my voice. After all, I knew everything I was working with on this outpost was nearly a thousand years old, and that wasn’t exactly comforting.

  [ Aetherian Productions' products have a guaranteed lifespan of one thousand years and remain functional up to ten thousand years post-production. However, the effectiveness of these products begins to degrade after an average of five thousand years. ]

  That was reassuring, to an extent, but it didn’t fully ease my concerns. "Can you tell me how this sealing spray actually works and if there's any way we can produce it ourselves?" I asked, my mind already spinning with possibilities.

  [ This unit has no data on the operation or manufacturing process of this product. ]

  Great. Of course, the AI’s memory had been wiped out, leaving it with little to no information on how to recreate such technology. It was almost as if I was on my own in this situation, with nothing but ancient, barely-functioning technology and a few vague ideas to guide me. "So, we’re stuck with this spray for now. Alright, Aso, how much has the oxygen level dropped since I woke up?"

  [ The original oxygen level was 24%. Upon the inheritor’s awakening, the oxygen level had already dropped to 22.4%. Currently, the oxygen level stands at 19.4%. The drop has significantly slowed, and the oxygen level is now stabilizing. ]

  That was a bit of a relief. At least we weren’t suffocating yet. "Good. So, what’s next on the list? From what I understand, we’re running out of time if we want to save this place."

  [ The next highest priority is the failing antimatter reactor, which, if not stabilized, will lead to the destruction of the outpost due to a catastrophic explosion. ]

  [ Path to reactor room (antimatter reactor) highlighted. ]

  [ ETA until explosion: 12:54:43]

  "Let’s move, then," I said, the urgency in my voice clear. "Do you have any idea how we can stop this thing from blowing up?"

  [ The data gathered thus far indicates that the electromagnetic shielding around the reactor is destabilizing. It requires recalibration, which will require manual intervention at the local terminal. ]

  I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling up. "What do you mean by 'data gathered thus far'? Please tell me you have the technical specs for the antimatter reactor."

  [ Even with the required resources, this unit would be unable to create or repair an antimatter reactor at the moment. ]

  "This is just perfect..." I muttered, my patience wearing thin. "Let me sum it up for you: We’ve got a destabilized antimatter reactor, no technical data, and a vague theory about where the problem might be. Is that right?"

  [ Inheritor’s summary is roughly correct, though some details are inaccurate. ]

  I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to keep my cool. "Forget it. Just tell me everything you know about antimatter reactors. I’m not going anywhere near this thing unprepared."

  [ An antimatter reactor operates by causing antimatter and normal matter to collide. Upon contact, they annihilate each other, releasing an immense amount of energy, in the process powering up ASO-17309. However, to prevent the entire antimatter reserves from reacting simultaneously and unleashing catastrophic destruction that could obliterate the station, an antimatter decelerator is essential. This device traps antimatter within a condensed cloud, held stable by an electromagnetic shielding field. If the shielding destabilizes too severely and collapses, the antimatter will escape, instantly reacting with the surrounding matter and unleashing unimaginable devastation. Avoiding such a scenario is critical for the Inheritor's survival. ]

  "Aso... If you know all this, why can’t you just build your own antimatter reactor?" I asked, half-joking, half-annoyed.

  [ This unit lacks data on the precise configuration of electromagnetic shielding required. Given access to a functioning antimatter reactor and sufficient time for analysis, this unit would become capable of creating antimatter reactors and weapons, provided the necessary resources are available. ]

  I smirked, shaking my head. "Aso, I take back every bad thing I’ve ever said about you. You’re good for something after all."

  [ Destination reached. Local terminal jumpstarted. This unit recommends stabilizing the antimatter reactor immediately. ]

  "Fine, just ignore my praise then..." I muttered. But my annoyance turned to dread as I turned to face the terminal. The screen displayed a chaotic array of configurations. "Aso... there are five different configuration categories, each with at least half a dozen subcategories. Help me out here?"

  [ This unit is not permitted to influence the decision-making of unqualified personnel if the chance of the Inheritor’s death as a direct consequence of said decision exceeds 15%. Inheritor must stabilize the antimatter reactor independently. ]

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  "You’ve got to be kidding me," I growled. "Fine. Let’s see if I can apply anything I learned from you on the way here." I leaned over the terminal, examining the options. "Let’s start with an automatic system checkup. That shouldn’t be something I can mess up." My fingers hesitated for a moment before initiating the command. To my relief, it worked.

  [ Automatic system checkup through Sub-AI manually initiated. ]

  [ Automatic system checkup commencing... ]

  [ Automatic system checkup completed. One problem detected. ]

  [ Problem: Destabilized electromagnetic shielding. ]

  [ Recommendation: Recalibrate electromagnetic shielding. ]

  "So your theory was right, Aso. But why is this Sub-AI able to give me concrete recommendations, while you can only give me assumptions?" I asked Aso.

  [ A Sub-AI operates mostly independently and has its own dedicated memory stores. Currently, this unit has only a basic connection to Sub-AIs due to insufficient memory space. Once additional memory is available, deeper integration and data-sharing will be possible. ]

  I sighed. "So, if you reconnect to your Sub-AIs, you might regain parts of your lost data? Fine. We’ll make that a priority. Or well, more like a mid-term goal. For now, let’s see if the auto-repair function can handle this mess." I selected the option, only to be greeted by disappointment.

  [ Due to Inheritor-Protocols, this Sub-AI is unable to perform potentially catastrophic decision-making. Manual recalibration through configuration categories is required. ]

  "What? Aso, how is this outpost supposed to survive a space battle? The Inheritor-Protocols block everything!"

  [ ASO-17309 Battle-Protocols can partially override Inheritor-Protocols if all requirements are met. ]

  At least I wasn’t entirely defenseless. Some of the outpost’s systems were still operational—at least according to Aso’s earlier reports. But stabilizing the reactor was a higher priority. After some thought, I navigated to the antimatter decelerator category and selected the electromagnetic shielding subcategory. So far, so good. That changed the moment the terminal presented me with five options: strengthen, weaken, redirect, condense, and dilute the shielding. My confidence wavered.

  "Aso, help me. I have no idea what to pick!"

  [ This unit is not permitted to influence the decision-making of unqualified personnel if the chance of the Inheritor’s death as a direct consequence of said decision exceeds 15%. Inheritor must stabilize the antimatter reactor independently. ]

  "I hate you," I muttered under my breath. "Fine. I’ll just wing it." I turned back to the terminal, my heart pounding. "Local terminal Sub-AI, strengthen the electromagnetic shielding, then immediately dilute it. If the reactor destabilizes further, revert all changes instantly." My voice shook slightly as I gave the command. I had nothing more than a hunch to go on. Now, all I could do was pray that I hadn’t just doomed myself

  [ Orders confirmed. ]

  [ Additional energy redirected to strengthen energetic shielding. ]

  [ Commencing... ]

  [ Partial stabilization of antimatter reactor underway. ]

  [ WARNING! ]

  [ Electromagnetic shielding in flux! Continue orders? ]

  [ Y/N ]

  "Fuck it, I don’t care. I’m sure I made the right call. Continue!"

  [ Density of electromagnetic shielding falling... ]

  [ Commencing... ]

  [ Electromagnetic shielding successfully recalibrated! ]

  [ Antimatter reactor fully stabilized! ]

  [ All configuration operations halted by Main-AI. ]

  "Aso, did you see that? I DID IT!" I shouted, my voice echoing in the room. "I actually fucking did it!"

  [ Reevaluation of Inheritor's abilities commencing. ]

  I froze mid-celebration, glaring at the terminal. "Oh, you absolute piece of space trash! You didn’t just say that! And what was that about stopping all operations at the end?"

  [ This unit decided to reevaluate the Inheritor’s mental capabilities and technological expertise, as well as overall survival chances. This marks a positive improvement in the current situation. ]

  [ Once the chance of Inheritor’s death as a direct consequence of this unit’s decisions dropped below 15%, this unit retook full control of the antimatter reactor. ]

  I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Fine. Good job, I guess. I’ll just ignore your little jab at my ‘mental capabilities.’ Anyway, does this mean you can now theoretically create your own antimatter reactor?"

  [ This unit requires additional time to analyze antimatter reactor functions before replicating antimatter usage designs. ]

  [ Estimated time remaining: 3:16:25:56 ]

  "Three days, huh? Alright... What’s next on my priority list?"

  [ The next highest priority is the failing cold fusion reactor. Its failure would result in partial outpost destruction due to an explosion. ]

  [ Path to reactor room (cold fusion reactors) highlighted. ]

  [ Estimated time until explosion: 04:12:34 ]

  "Wait, WHAT?!" I shouted, panic flooding through me. "Aso, why isn’t this higher on the list? If that reactor blows, we’ll lose most of the station! And I only have FOUR. FUCKING. HOURS to fix it! How am I supposed to pull that off?"

  [ This unit prioritizes the Inheritor’s survival over Aso-17309’s survival. The priority list is therefore structured around tasks most likely to enhance the Inheritor’s survival chances. ]

  [ This unit possesses the necessary data to instruct the Inheritor on repairing the cold fusion reactor. ]

  I threw my hands up in frustration. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Aso?! Without the outpost, I’m as good as dead anyway! But fine, whatever. Give me the ETA to the cold fusion reactor terminal and tell me how I’m supposed to fix this mess!"

  [ Estimated time to reach terminal: 00:00:12 ]

  [ Required action: Reduce internal pressure within the cold fusion reactor, as it is currently running on fumes. ]

  [ Destination reached. Terminal jumpstarted. ]

  I practically threw myself at the terminal, frantically navigating through the archaic interface. The terminal was a disorganized nightmare, with no Sub-AI to assist due to what Aso called the reactor’s "primitive" design. I had to wade through hundreds of pages of system operations and outdated manuals at breakneck speed. "Aso, ETA! How much time do I have left?" I barked as I finally found the right submenu. All I needed now was administrator access to reconfigure the system.

  [ Estimated time until cold fusion reactor explosion: 00:12:09 ]

  "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" I muttered, my fingers flying over the keys as I worked as fast as humanly possible. Minutes felt like hours, but finally...

  [ Pressure inside cold fusion reactor successfully lowered. ]

  [ Cold fusion reactor fully stabilized! ]

  [ All configuration operations halted by Main-AI. ]

  "YES! FUCKING YES!" I screamed, collapsing onto the floor next to the terminal. My chest heaved, my heart pounding as the adrenaline coursed through me. That had been way too close. I stared up at the ceiling, catching my breath. "Alright, Aso, what’s next on the priority list? And give me an ETA this time."

  [ This unit recommends repairing the cooling system. ]

  [ Estimated time to complete repair: Inconclusive. ]

  "Inconclusive?!" I groaned, dragging myself back to my feet. "Ugh, fine. Let’s just get this over with."

  [ Path to cooling systems highlighted. ]

  I stumbled forward, following the path, already dreading whatever nightmare awaited me next.