After an incredible shower with real water (take that tv shows, they did have water in space) and a full stomach, I decided that I should explore the area around the room that the robot led me to. Approaching the spot where I thought the door would be, I let out a sigh of relief when it quietly slid open as soon as I went close to it.
Enjoying the clear advantages of superior technology, I walked through the silver hall that looked like every other silver hall on the ship. There must be a strategic advantage for that and I would have to remind myself to ask Jun Li about it later.
Finding a random door, I stepped up to the entrance and watched as it slid open just as quietly as my room had. Taking a few steps in, I couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of it. Clearly designed to be a lounge, the far wall was what looked to be floor-to-ceiling windows, but I knew that could not be the case. Maybe it was a screen that reflected what was on the outside? I wasn't sure… but all I could see what the blackness of space and small, bright lights in the distance. It was a heady feeling to look out into the vastness of space.
Finding a seating area at one end with some couch-like furniture facing the 'windows' I took a seat and made myself comfortable. I was finally ready to address the few elephants in the room.
"Hey, Jun Li," I called out after putting the earpiece back into my ear. I wanted quiet to be able to collect my thoughts so I had taken it out before my shower and was only putting it back in now.
"Yes, Bai Mei Xing?" Came the voice through the earpiece. I smiled when I heard him call my name, like a teacher that wasn't sure that they had said it correctly.
"Call me Mei Xing," I said, trying to make things easier on the both of us.
"Ok, Mei Xing, what do you need?" Jun Li asked, this time in a more confident voice.
"I have a few questions for you," I said, "The first one is about the other humans that you had mentioned before. I take it I am not alone out here?"
"Alone? No, you are not alone, I am here," came the voice. "But yes, there are other humans, 10 in total including yourself," he continued.
"How long were they tortured for?" I asked, not overly caring about the answer. It seemed like one of those societal pleasantries that needed to be asked, but I pretty much sucked at all that stuff.
"None of the others found had been tortured. They were freed within months of being held captive," said Jun Li. Okay, so maybe I did care about that answer because that was an absolute piss-off that I was the only one tortured for three years.
As much as I might think I was special, I was really not.
"And you mentioned that they had an issue with their captors getting killed?" I asked. But then again, I guess it was easy to show mercy when you weren't being cut open.
"Yes, their… friends… said that for a while, the humans would not help if it meant having their captors killed. But we want to kill them." While Jun Li started out speaking in a slow, steady manner, by the time he was done, he was practically hissing in my ear.
"Yes, well, I don't blame you. After all, there is a difference between being treated like shit for a few months and then being a slave your whole life… right?"
Silence met my comment and I waited for him to respond. "Yes…" he hissed, "It is hard to be merciful when you have been a prisoner your whole life." I nodded my head, agreeing with him. To force your views on someone else without actually experiencing what they experienced was… well…not nice.
"So, any way to get me back to Earth?" My next question was very straightforward… his answer… not so much.
"The first woman freed insisted that her… friend… delete all logs and coordinates from all the ships that had traveled to Earth. She didn't want anyone else to be abducted like she was."
Well, that was a fucking load of bullshit. But it did prove my point. Because she tried to be oh so virtuous, she had ruined the ability for anyone else to go home, simply to protect the others left on Earth. Excuse me while I throw up in my mouth a little.
"No way home for me then, huh?" I said, not really caring one way or another.
"I wouldn't go that far… I kept the coordinates in a place that he could not find. We can go back to Earth any time you want." The sly way he said that spoke volumes.
"Ah, Jun Li, I think you and I are going to get along beautifully," I said a large smile on my face. "Now, what do you think about getting you a body?" I continued, looking at one of the video cameras in the lounge where I was currently sitting.
Once again, silence was his only response. "Oh come on, I'm not that dumb," I said and I shifted positions on the couch I was sitting on. "You are the AI that runs this ship, are you not?" I continued, not at all bothered by his silence. "When we get to Earth, if we can find a way to get the supplies that I want, we should look at getting you a body. They were doing fantastic things in that field before I left and I can only assume that they got better over the past few years."
"It… doesn't bother you? That I am an AI?" Came the tentative voice… almost like a child that expected to be scolded.
"No, why would it?" I replied, genuinely confused. I figured out who or what he was as soon as he sent me to the energy core room. I mean, why else would he be able to get his freedom from me simply pulling a crystal from the wall?
"AIs are not… allowed here. To many of the sentient species in this section of the Galaxy, AIs should be killed as soon as they are encountered."
"Huh," I replied, not at all concerned. "Good thing I'm not one of the sentient species in this section of the Galaxy. Now… did you want that body or not?"
"I want it!" Came the instant reply. And how could he not? There was so much more to experience as a human than as a spaceship.
"Would you be okay with a human body then? I just realized that there would be no other options on Earth… unless I specially designed one…" I said as I got started thinking. I was a Forensic Anthropologist… and a damn good one before all this crap. In fact, I was the youngest professor at A University, the most prestigious university in the country. I worked with police and different agencies to identify remains so I was knowledgeable about the human body. Aliens? Not so much. Maybe I can dissect one or two of them in the hold to be able to learn more.
I might have had my feet firmly in the biological sector, but I did know that building and designing robots was a booming field while I was still on Earth. And knowing the technological sector, they were not ones for slowing down once they got an idea going.
"How much spare memory do you have?" I asked as I got up and stretched out my legs.
"A lot," came the instant reply.
"Enough to download the internet?"
"Is that the thing where the entirety of human life, culture, and experiences are located?"
It took me a second because to me, the internet was simply the internet… but yeah, I guess that would explain it. "Sure," I said. "Let's go with that."
"Yes, that won't even take up a fraction of my memory. It will not be a problem." Now that sentence stopped me faster than anything else Jun Li had ever said to me.
"Not even a fraction? The entire internet?" I asked, somewhat stupefied. It was a well-known fact that there was too much information on the internet for it to ever be downloaded in its entirety, and he was saying that his memory was so vast that it wouldn't even take a fraction? Huh….
"Why are you asking about the internet? Do you not want me to return you to your home?" Jun Li asked the confused note was back in his voice.
"Why would I do that? I've been gone for almost three years… the only thing waiting back there for me is a headache and a potential pink slip. It's not like I can actually say that I was abducted by aliens and have them believe me," I scoffed at the very idea. "No, I figured I'd grab some clothes, some food, and download the internet for entertainment."
Silence met my statement. "Besides, if I went back home, who would keep you company?" I continued a small smile on my face. Jun Li was the epidemy of adventure and freedom all rolled up into a fun package. Why on Earth would I want to go back to my old life on …. Earth?
"Alright, I'll set a course for Earth. If you can tell me what you want and where to find it, I will be able to have it sent up to the ship so we are never discovered. It's what the Sisalik did to Earth and the other planets that they went to," said Jun Li.