Chapter 25

The Stardust receded into the distance. Just as it became a mere speck, barely visible to the naked eye, Alan’s voice crackled over the comms.

"This is Stardust. We’ve hit the two-kilometer mark from the station. Commencing our approach now."

"Plum here. Copy that, Stardust. Try not to get killed out there."

Taro finished his reply to Alan and immediately began stress-testing the newly written Attitude Control Function. The Plum’s hull wobbled like a drunk on a unicycle before lurching back into its designated orbit.

"Rotational performance is operational at approximately eighty percent, Mr. Teiro."

Taro nodded, satisfied with Koume’s report. The Plum had lost two attitude control thrusters in the earlier collision, requiring him to reroute the output of the remaining ones to compensate. It was the spaceship equivalent of trying to drive a car with two missing tires by leaning really hard out the window.

"Marl, any luck with the hailing frequencies?"

Marl shook her head with a frustrated groan. "Nothing. It’s a total bust."

"Maybe their receiver is busted?"

"I don't think so. They responded to the pre-transmission, so the hardware is likely intact, but..." She trailed off with another sigh.

"Roger that. Keep trying just in case," Taro said, turning back to his console. "Man, this Solar Wind is no joke. It’s going to bend our Beams like crazy. Koume, give me an estimate on the radiation interference. I’ll run the numbers on my end too, and we’ll split the difference."

"Understood, Mr. Teiro. However, I must request that you temper your expectations regarding my current performance. To be honest, I am suffering from a severe lack of confidence."

Taro let out a sound like a squeezed squeaky toy. "Hwah?!"

Beside Koume’s avatar, Marl wore an equally bewildered expression, leaning in to squint at the AI.

"Whoa, hold on there, Koume-san. That’s not like you at all. What’s up? Are you going through some kind of angsty teenage phase?"

"Negative, Mr. Teiro. While the existence of an AI ‘spirit’ is debatable, my internal systems are—theoretically—healthy. The issue is the disconnection from the neural net."

"The connection? I mean, we talked about that, but it’s not like you’re some internet addict who can't function without a Wi-Fi signal. What’s the big deal?"

Koume turned her expressionless, mechanical eyes toward him. "It is a deal of significant proportions, Mr. Teiro."

She continued, her voice flat but somehow sounding defensive. "While my local storage is massive by general AI standards, it is a mere grain of sand compared to the vast ocean of the galactic neural net. I can no longer perform situational judgments or complex calculations based on absolute data. To my profound regret, I am experiencing 'confusion' regarding the current situation. I am questioning the consistency of my own logic, even in matters unrelated to data volume. While my Logical Thinking Circuit and Joint Knowledge Mechanisms show no errors, the possibility of a Tunnel Effect error in the Quantum Circuit—"

"Whoa, whoa! Stop, stop, stop! Time out!" Taro interjected, waving his hands frantically. "I have no idea what you’re talking about. Could you please explain this for a piece of garbage like me? Keep it simple."

Marl raised an eyebrow, translating for the layman. "Basically... you’re saying you’re ‘anxious,’ Koume?"

Koume’s head swiveled toward her. "Anxious... Yes. That is a remarkably succinct way to describe my current state. As expected of Miss Marl. Yes, I am feeling extremely anxious."

Taro and Marl shared a look.

"So, what? It’s like a student who spent his whole life using a perfect cheat sheet for exams, and then someone suddenly snatched it away?"

"A bit of a cynical analogy, but essentially correct," Marl agreed.

Taro scratched his head. He understood the problem, but he wasn't exactly a therapist for sentient software. He was still trying to figure out what to do when Koume looked up at him.

"Please tell me, Mr. Teiro. When placed in such a state of uncertainty, how do humans act?"

Taro stared back into those unblinking eyes. "How? Well... I guess we just wing it?"

Marl made a face. "That’s a bit half-assed, don't you think?" Then she softened with a wry smile. "But I guess that is the human way."

"No, seriously, that’s all there is to it! Look at me, Koume. Until yesterday, I was a professional layabout in a peaceful era. Then I wake up drifting through deep space in a futuristic tin can I don't understand. And yet, here I am! It’ll be fine. Who cares about the neural net? Sure, it’s scary, but things work out somehow. That’s how humans have survived this long."

Taro pointed a finger at Koume and puffed out his chest with unearned confidence. "Even if that solves absolutely nothing!" He finished the speech with a sharp thumbs-up.

"That is how all humans do it...?" Koume paused. "I see. Very well."

She turned back to her display.

"I shall also 'wing it' then. Mr. Teiro, transferring the calculation results to your station now."

Taro and Marl exchanged a grin. He checked the data; it was exactly what he’d envisioned, only far more precise than his own sloppy math.

"Heh, that’s more like it. Alan, what’s the word on your end?"

The comms hissed as Alan replied. "This is Stardust. Boss, you were right on the money. We picked up a manual SOS via optical signals. Looks like there’s a crowd trapped in there. Maybe triple digits. We’re moving in for the snatch-and-grab."

The three crew members of the Plum nodded in unison.

"Copy that. We’re counting on you. Any sign of the WIND or other hostiles?"

"Hard to say... wait. Fresh data just hit the HUD. We’ve got multiple WIND units in the internal docks. If they spot us, they’re gonna swarm."

"Understood. We’ll be there in four and a half minutes."

"Better make it three, Boss. The Stardust is great at running, but we’re a bit of a glass cannon in a scrap."

"Yeah, I hear ya," Taro muttered, glaring at the distant station. As the Plum chased the cylindrical structure from behind, it looked like a giant, floating white dinner plate.

"Wait, what’s that?"

Taro zoomed in on the circular silhouette. A faint, white streak was stretching away from the station.

[WARNING: OPTICAL SCAN DETECTED TWO MOVING OBJECTS. ORIGIN: STARBOARD DOCK.]

"I see 'em. Koume, Identification Signal?"

"No response," Marl answered for her. "The only friendly signal is the Stardust."

"Of course it is. Lock-on and Warning Fire! It’s a waste of juice, but we can't let them reach the Stardust. Just don't hit the station!"

Taro slammed the Lock-on keys and opened up with all Turrets. Without compensation for radiation or gravity, it was essentially "spray and pray," but it did the trick. The enemies took the bait.

"Hostile reaction detected. They have altered course toward us. High acceleration... looks like small Reconnaissance Craft."

"Alright. Now I’m gonna actually try to hit 'em."

Taro crunched the numbers, factoring in the Solar Wind’s curve, and dumped the data into the Fire Control System.

"Whoa! First shot, direct hit!" Marl cheered. "See, Koume? You’re doing just fine!"

One WIND unit drifted into a silent explosion.

"Thank you," Koume replied.

Taro whistled. "Normally you can't hit anything at this range. Are these guys just too stupid to account for radiation drift?"

The remaining WIND fired back, but its Beams caught the Solar Wind and veered off in a lazy arc, missing the Plum by miles. It didn't get a second chance; the Plum’s next volley turned it into stardust.

"I guess humans—and our AI—are just more flexible," Marl said, leaning back with a sigh of relief. "Unless the enemy has their own Koume, we’re golden."

"Don't even joke about that, Marl. If the bad guys were as smart as Koume, humanity wouldn't have a prayer... Wait, what the hell?!"

The 3D radar flared to life. An impossible number of blips began to blossom on the screen.

"Mr. Teiro, twenty-two hostile reactions. Correction: twenty-four. I believe the previous units were indeed merely Reconnaissance Craft."

"Ugh... I don't know the specs, but that’s the same number we fought last time. Except... this is way worse."

"How is it worse? The Solar Wind is basically fighting for us right now."

"That’s the problem, Marl-tan! The Thunderbolt-class has its armor and Turrets concentrated on the front. If we were retreating, we could kite them. But we’re the ones charging in. What happens when we hit that swarm head-on?"

Marl’s face went pale. "Oh. They’ll get behind us. We’ll be surrounded."

"Exactly." Taro watched the blips spread out like a net. "Well, no Warp Jammers yet, so keep the jump drive warm."

"Good plan," Marl agreed.

Taro watched the glowing dots close the gap. He cracked his neck and let out a long, weary sigh.

Well, nothing left to do but wing it.