The Optimum Project

Chapter 30

Testing the waters

I stepped out of the shuttle and into the enclosed landing bay, itching to explore the station, or do anything to make this day go by faster. I looked around and noticed a holo-board on the far wall by the bay entrance, it seemed the stations name was... I squinted at the board, Soterra. That name was... Unique, but I liked it. I turned to see Sarah and Bree talking about what they wanted to do first, and I ended up joining in on the middle of the conversation.

"I just don't see what's so fascinating about that place, I mean seriously? A museum?" Bree whined.

Sarah huffed, "fine if you don't want to come I'll take Noah, right Noah?" She asked this as she turned toward me, and I noticed her eyes flick down at my chest before zooming back to my face.

I looked between the two of them and asked, "go where?"

Sarah rolled her eyes,"to the engineering museum on the tenth floor, it's free admission today."

I nodded, "Ok, how about we do this..." I turned to Sarah, "let's settle in first, and then we'll go to the museum, sound good?"

She shrugged, "it's settled then, let's meet up at the museum entrance in an hour." 

Sarah nodded again and we all grabbed our bags and headed up to our pre-assigned rooms. Mine was on the outer ring of the station, with a bed, desk, chair, and an awesome view of a nebula storm incoming; nebula storms were pretty harmless, the biggest issues they caused were power fluctuations, and those didn't effect any of the reactors.

I placed my bag under the bed and sat in the chair, I wanted to practice using Tom.

'I am not just a tool you know.' He grumbled

I jumped, I still had to get used to a different voice in my head... Not that I had more than two. I sighed and sent a mental reply, "for lack of a better term."

There was a pause from him for a moment and he seemed to concede that that was the simplest everyday term I could apply. 'So, you want to know what I can do? Try me.'

I thought for a moment, then pulled out my tablet, "interface with the tablet, and place me in the simulation it deploys."

I smiled smugly as the request was met with silence, and that of course is when my tablet turned itself on and began displaying computer code. I watched as Tom not only interfaced with the tablet, but integrated with it, incorporating his core programming into the OS seamlessly. After a moment or two the code stopped and a timer appeared. 5...4...3...2...1.

I suddenly found myself standing in the file room; after three months of notes the room now had several clearly labeled cabinets, all filled to the brim... so to speak. I looked around, there was my mailbox, Internet, settings, contact book... I turned and noticed a shifting cloud near the end of the row, I walked towards it, I had never seen it before... After a moment of watching it shift and turn I reached out and touched it, and my arm flashed with the shape of my tattoo, I looked at the cloud, then my arm. I squinted at the cloud, "Tom?"

The strange cloud pulsed as a reply seemed to come from everywhere, "affirmative."

I nodded, impressed, "alright, log me out would you?"

The Tom cloud flashed green and I suddenly found myself back in my chair.