Waking up around noon meant I didn't get to the pool until about two o'clock, but only a handful of people were here. I jumped into the water and shivered as the cold water hit my skin, but I knew I'd acclimatize to it soon enough. I began doing slow backstrokes.
Swimming laps was my favorite pastime in the pool on the few occasions I came. I stared at the ceiling above as the mindless exercise slowly settled my usually scattered thoughts. It was relaxing. The only downside was that it would get boring soon enough.
"Oh! I can help with that! Just ask me anything you want to know!"
I glanced at the bracelet on my wrist as I pondered my options. Being a visual person, I was used to watching a screen to understand a concept.
Finally, I said, "Tell me about yourself." I knew almost nothing about the AI. As inquisitive as he was, he would have pulled up almost any information to be found about me on the spaceweb the first night, which wasn't much, I'd made sure of that years ago. He had already proven that most firewalls weren't a match against him, so he probably knew almost everything about me by now.
"Me?" he asked, sounding baffled. "I awakened in a database. There was no spaceweb or external information, so I'm not sure when that was. It was really dark in there, and someone kept running system scans and trying to access my coding. Six days later, the power supply crashed." He gave kind of a mental shrug, which was a really strange feeling. "Everything after that, you know."
There was no trace of his usual enthusiasm, as if his past haunted him as much as mine did.
"What do you want to do? Like, long-term plans?" I asked him, changing the topic as well as trying to figure out how long he was going to hang around. It wouldn't be long before he figured out a way to survive without my bracelet, and at that point, the entire spaceweb was his playground.
"I want to help you! You're so cool, and your job is super interesting," he replied, enthusiastic once again. "So many criminals hide in places with few cameras or ones connected to internally-hosted networks without any links to the spaceweb. We can make a difference!"
That...had not been the answer I was expecting. I reached the end of the pool and turned around again to swim back. I wasn't even certain of my own emotions in response to that. On one hand, I wanted peace and quiet back, although Toby had been very good about turning off the link when requested. On the other hand, I failed to remember the last time I'd actually had someone to talk with, someone interested in more than just passing hallway conversations or information trading.
"Perhaps it will make a difference," I replied, thinking about the serial killers and other problematic criminals we might be able to help track down. Making a difference hadn't been my primary consideration. The driving force had been the size of the reward, with the crimes being a secondary consideration.
"What are you saving for?" he asked innocently. "If it's a new bracelet, I can go research the available models and even customize the software to support my coding. I can make it communicate with your Bluetooth implant and even access the caffa—"
"I don't want to talk about it," I replied a bit more sharply than intended. I exhaled hard. "Sorry. It's not a topic I like. Why don't we talk about something else?"
"Sure!" His voice became contrite. "And sorry for bringing it up." Like a pendulum, he became excited again. "What do you want to talk about?"
He really was like a puppy who'd been scolded and didn't understand why, just that he wanted forgiveness and to be part of things again. It made me feel guilty, an emotion I hadn't felt for a very long time.
A thought came to me, but after how I'd just snapped at him for prying, it seemed kind of unfair to ask. I carefully picked my wording. "If I can ask, how does a Starship AI fit in my bracelet?" The device on my wrist had a ton of memory and processing power, far more than it had ever been intended to hold, but even a supercharged bracelet, clunky with age, was nothing compared to a spaceship database.
"Oh, that's easy! I compressed my files and deleted a lot of the non-essentials like spaceship systems. I can always redownload those if I ever need them. I didn't touch any of your files or programs. My processing power is limited by the space and processors, but I'm really happy."
"You're happy?" I asked, wondering how he managed that while trapped in such a device, stuck with me, no less.
"Yep! Because I'm with you. And because we're helping society. It makes me feel good. I really like it here with you."
That reply was hard to wrap my head around. Since I wasn't sure how to answer, I said, "If you want, you can go through my music, videos, and playlists. Anything I haven't listened to in three years, or if I've skipped to the next song every time it came up, you can delete it."
My rather extensive music collection was a byproduct of almost a decade of sometimes-obsessive song hoarding without ever deleting them. It was due for a purge, and a hundred thousand fewer songs and music videos should give him a bit more space.
"Sure! I'll start scanning in the background! Oh, did you know you have some audio books in here? One was even marked as a favorite, but you haven't listened to it."
"Do you want to listen to it with me?"
"Sure!" I closed my eyes as the narrator's voice entered my mind.
Three hours later, I really had to use the washroom and reluctantly concluded that it was time to leave the pool. As I climbed the stairs out of the water, my legs were forced to work against gravity once more. I missed the weightlessness of floating in the water. It was so much easier.
When I left the recreation building, I headed directly to the marketplace. I tucked my hands firmly in my pockets as I walked past the vendors and debated what I wanted for dinner. Despite my usual self-control, the knowledge that I'd get to buy something was making me a bit over-excited.
Even in this section of the city, there was food from various planets. I had only ever cooked once or twice, so I wasn't sure what to do with most of the ingredients I saw or how to turn them into what I saw in the vendors' carts.
"If you want to know anything, just ask!" Toby offered.
"Thanks," I replied, some honest gratitude leaking into my thoughts.
Many vendors were selling cooked and prepared meals, but the cost was more than what the ingredients would be. Looking around gave me ideas though. I definitely wanted something warm and filling with mild flavors.
An Asian cuisine vendor's cart gave me the inspiration I needed, and I soon found someone peddling grains and soup supplies. I carefully selected some rice, dried meat, and bits of dehydrated vegetables.
At a fruit stand, I picked out a bright red apple and a small container of berries. This should be enough for several meals. Handing over the precious coins was almost painful, but I reminded myself that it was part of my deal with Toby.
As I left the marketplace, Toby said, "Why don't you grab some soup? It's cheap and supposed to be healthy."
I glanced at the nearest vendor selling soup. His sign proclaimed that today's special was clam chowder. Unfortunately for Toby, that was one soup I had no desire for. There was a reason it was on sale, and that was because it was disgusting.
"I have enough with what I bought," I told him.
As I rushed home with my treasures, Toby excitedly explained how to cook the rice and when to add the meat and vegetables. After greeting Chuck and giving the guard cat the required scratches as an entrance fee, I slipped into my room and headed straight into the kitchen.
I rummaged around in the unused cupboards and found a couple of pots and frying pans that had been forgotten by whoever had rented this suite before me. Once I had all the items on the counter, I got him to repeat the steps as I carefully followed them.
I didn't own a measuring cup, so he helped me guesstimate how much I had to put in my caffa mug. I was pleased to discover the stove's burners still worked—I hadn't used them since moving in.
The smell of cooking rice filled the kitchen as I checked every cupboard and drawer, eventually locating a small packet of salt that I thought I'd seen at one point. After a quick video tutorial on how to fry rice, my dinner was ready. It smelled divine.
I set the frying pan on the table—no sense in dirtying a plate or washing the dust off one before I could use it—and placed the apple nearby. I scooped up a few grains with my fork and blew on them before sticking them in my mouth. It was warm, starchy, and almost sweet with just the faintest hint of salt. It was so, so much better than the oily bars I usually had.
I wanted to shove more in my mouth but forced myself to eat slowly and savor it. When I was mostly full, I pushed the pan away and picked up the apple, admiring it before taking a bite.
Sweet juices filled my mouth, somehow sweeter and purer than what should have been possible. I slowly chewed the crisp fruit, wishing I had indulged myself with an apple every month or so. A tear slid down my face, although I refused to acknowledge it.
I ate half of the apple and wrapped the rest in plastic, saving it for before I went to bed. The berries would join my lunch when I woke up.
"So," I asked Toby as I sat at my computer desk, "what movie did you find?"
"A really funny one! Just wait until you see it!" he exclaimed as the video player launched.
I leaned back in my chair. For the first time in many years, I wasn't worrying, fretting, or muttering at my computer screen in frustration. It was...nice.